Motorsport
The Eastern Southland Car Club bestowed Life Membership on four of their members at their recent AGM and each and every one of those four have contributed much to the club.
One of those was Brigg Henderson, a long-time member of the club’s committee and for six of those year’s President of the club.
Henderson, originally from Mataura but a resident in Gore for the past thirty-three years, has loved cars since he was a teenager but his association with the club began when Kevin Laird suggested that he come along and marshall at events. “I did that for quite a while,” says Brigg. “From that I also helped out at other events such as the Rally Of Otago.” His workload for the club soon grew, one task he particularly enjoys being the setting up of Special Stages, the closed high-speed parts of rally event. He performs the same role for hillclimbs. “The difference with hillclimbs is that you also pull all the infrastructure down at the end of the event whereas with rallies our stage teams do that.”
Another role he has carried out for quite a long time now is that of gear custodian. With the nature of rallies, hillclimbs, autocross and Motorkhana’s there is a lot of gear required and Brigg is the man responsible for it all. “There is timing gear and those sorts of things, and I am into electronic things so I like looking after that stuff along with Errol Hewlett,” he says.
Henderson has also competed in Motorkhana’s and Autocross events. “Kevin Laird and a mate sold me an old car initially. It was painted yellow and black and called the Bumble Bee.”
He enjoys competing. “I love getting out and doing an autocross and thrashing the old car.” In addition to competing, he will also be helping out as well.
These days Brigg is still on the committee as Past President and is still the gear custodian along with another club member, Damian Vincent.
He works in the motor trade, having decided not to pursue his original career choice as a navy chef as he would have had to stay at school longer to do that. He has however reached the stage of his career where he has negotiated a reduction to a four-day week, something he says has really helped him with his volunteer efforts with the club. “With the recent National Championship Barry Robinson Memorial Rally Southland I spent three months on the event and having that Friday off every week really helped.”
Henderson is adamant he will keep working with the club in the future. “Definitely” he says without hesitation. “I love doing it. It gets me out of the house.”
Henderson is very humble about the recognition he has received in being a Life Member, an honour not given out lightly. “I guess people look up to you if you are a Life Member and if they have questions they come to you.”