I appreciated, even from a young age, what Dad was doing, and I attribute that mostly to the Ashley Forest events. He was an absolute fan favourite at the annual Ashley Forest Rallysprint in North Canterbury.

I went to Ashley Forest with Dad twice and watched him competing there on television on other occasions. As a young kid I was aware that Dad would disappear for events, but I didn’t appreciate how good he was. I really only began to realise there was something special there when I heard the television commentators talk about him. Any kid who sees their dad on TV thinks they are famous.

I can remember going to events when I was around 6 or 7 years old. We used to stand out and watch, and I remember with fondness, the night rallies. For kids it was special as it meant we were allowed to stay up past bedtime. I will never forget standing out in the forest, listening to the cars, and seeing the lights as they sped past. At that stage we mainly watched local events, often with Dad’s friends. There was a good crew of us.

One of the best things as a kid was the winters. Our primary school was 6 or 7 kilometres away and when it snowed the school would close early. The School Bus was a mini bus but it was hopeless in the snow, so Dad would sometimes bring the rally car down to take us home. He would strap me and my younger sister, Rebecca, in the co-driver’s seat and I am sure our older sister Jane would have had the same experience. He didn’t drive home sedately. It was great fun and when we got home, we had sore faces from all the smiling. One time when snow arrived Dad made several trips, taking kids home all around the valley. Fun for all the kids in the valley!

When I finished school, I moved to Dunedin to attend university and was invited to co-drive for Aaron Scott. I had co-driven for Dad prior to that in rallysprints and hillclimbs and I remember a rally in Taringatura forest. I had very few responsibilities, but it gave me a good sense of it all. While at Uni I joined the Otago Sports Car Club and did two seasons with Aaron. After that Dad (maybe it was his co-driver) made the co-driver seat available for me.

We won the 1991 Catlins Coast Rally together. The win was good but being able to line up in the car with Dad, whether it was a small local event or the Rally of Southland. It was just such a cool experience to know I was about to get an exhilarating co-drive beside someone who was pretty bloody good.

I was always acutely aware of how he drove. I had 100% confidence, and that can’t be understated, in the bond and relationship we had in the car. He was always very calm in the car. There were always a few swear words, normally early in a rally until he found his groove.

Many stories have been told about Dad’s exploits, and it is obvious he was hugely respected by his contemporaries and has been a big influence on many of them. From my perspective it is awesome to hear the stories, reflections and memories of my Dad.