Wallacetown driver Neville Krammer is the Eastern Southland Car Club Champion for the 2014/2015 season.
Krammer had a stunning season in the club’s many events, winning the trophies for Autocross, the Standing 1/4, Bent Sprint, Flying Lap and Hillclimbs. He was also shared the Clubsport and Sealed Event titles, won the Class D title and took the award for the most consistent competitor. That run of success earned Krammer the overall Club Championship with 91 points, just two ahead of Winton’s Brendon Mitchell with Karen Laird of Gore third.
Krammer was typically modest of the achievement, describing it as “pretty good.” A regular top performer in rallies despite a tight budget, this was Krammer’s first serious attempt at the club championship in his faithful Subaru Legacy. “Years and years ago I put the championship on my list of things to do and at the beginning of the season I said to my wife Hannah, I would like to do every single event. It is a big commitment. At the beginning of the year there are four or five weekends in a row where you are busy competing.” Krammer acknowledges the support of Hannah who co-drives for him on rallies.
Mitchell was more than happy with the runner-up spot. Competing in either a Datsun 1600 or Toyota Levin, depending on the event, he took the Motorkhana Trophy, the Gravel Events Trophy, Class B and finished third in an intensely competitive Clubsport Championship which saw Krammer and Errol Hewlett share the title on 50 points with Mitchell next on 49! “I really enjoyed competing on the different surfaces. I had a good battle with Neville and Errol in the Clubsport Championship. I am keen to come back and do the championship again next year and go one step better which would be awesome in the Club’s 60th year.”
Karen Laird sealed third in the overall championship after sharing the Sealed Events Trophy with Krammer and Hewlett, and winning Class A and the Ladies Trophy.
Incoming Club President, Gavin Read of Invercargill, the Class C winner, was fourth overall with 75 points while Scott Gouman of Clydevale was fifth on 71, winning the Under 18 Junior Championship and the South Otago Challenge Cup plus the Under 18 Clubsport title from James Morris and Bradley Jessop. He also finished three points ahead of his father, Paul, who was sixth equal in the overall championship with Errol Hewlett. Gouman junior also relieved his father of the South Otago Cup which he had won the previous season. The New Competitor Award went to Matt Craig, an employee of Paul Gouman.
In other awards Vaughan Edie of Invercargill was acknowledged for winning the Tokanui Hillclimb, Chris Hey of Mosgiel, the Gravel Sprint Trophy and Dean Bond of Balclutha the Rally Challenge Trophy which is decided on a stage by stage basis at the Catlins Coast Rally, the Rankleburn Rally and the Long Point Rallysprint. Bond won with 355 points from Mike Verdoner of Balclutha on 328 and Krammer on 308.
Damian Vincent of Stirling won the Hard Luck Award after a rollover in the Rankleburn Rally while husband and wife Roger and Karen Laird were recognised for their huge contribution to the club with the Member Of The Year Award.
The prizegiving, held at the Rosebank Lodge in Balclutha, marked the last official duty of President Craig Jessop of Stirling who has done a huge amount of work and provided much stability for the club during his tenure. The club now turns it’s attention to the Catlins Coast Rally on Saturday 8 August.
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