Motorsport: Statue unveiling to end mourning

Wanaka's international hill climb organiser Grant Aitken believes the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of rally driving icon Possum Bourne tomorrow will bring closure to a year of grieving.

Bourne died in a car crash on the Cardrona Valley Snow Farm Rd course last year, the day before the annual Race to the Sky event in which he was a regular and popular competitor.

This weekend's seventh annual race has been dedicated to Bourne's memory, with tomorrow afternoon's statue unveiling certain to be a moving highlight.

The life-like statue, designed by top Queenstown sculptor, Minhal al Halabi, will be unveiled by Bourne's three young children. His brother, Geoff, and wife, Peggy, will speak at the ceremony, in which all 106 competitors have been invited.

Race director Aitken knows it will be emotional.

"I think there will be some closure after we've unveiled the bronze statue," he said. "That will be the end of the year's grieving, if you like, and then we will turn the page and get on with the event on Saturday morning."

This weekend's race will also see a Possum Bourne Memorial Trophy awarded to the fastest New Zealand resident driver.

A percentage of the gate takings will be given to the Bourne family education trust.

Aitken said everyone had been motivated to make the race the best yet, with a huge crowd of close to 15,000 expected.

"They [Bourne family] were adamant right from the start that they wanted to be involved in the weekend," Aitken said. "They're just treating it as a regular motor-racing weekend for them. Their car is here and Kenneth [Eriksson] is driving it, so they're just carrying on."

Eriksson's goal is to win the King of the Mountain title in memory of his former friend and rival.

- NZPA