Howden Family Excel at Eastern Southland Car Club Awards

Husband and wife Glenn and Ismay Howden of Invercargill took the overall Club Championship and the Ladies Championship respectively at the Eastern Southland Car Club Annual Prizegiving recently.

Glenn Howden scooped the Club Championship in a Toyota Corolla he purchased for $100. Howden only contested ClubSport Basic events throughout the season but it was enough to secure him the Club Championship as he won the ClubSport Championship, the Class A Championship, the Sealed Events Trophy and the BCM Memorial Trophy for the Most Consistent Competitor. He was also the runner-up in the Autocross Trophy, his combined results securing him the overall Club Championship with 58 points, five ahead of Brendon Joyce who was the runner-up in the ClubSport Championship and Class C Champion.

The Corolla served the family well with Ismay using it for her title while Ismay’s son Konrad Ward utilised it to finish runner-up in the Under 18 Championship.

Glenn says, “it is not about trophies and wins it is about the camaraderie the club provides. It’s all about fun and the people you get to socialise with.” He credits his success to turning up at events and says you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy motorsport. ‘With the Corolla being only 1300cc I had to push hard to get results.” Having Ismay and her son, Konrad share in the success made it more special says Glenn. “Ismay didn’t set out to win the Ladies Championship but because I was at all the events she was too.” The couple are highly involved in the organisational side of the sport. “I am the Club Secretary,” says Glenn, “which means Ismay is the Secretary’s secretary. She is much more computer literate than me – I am happier on a hammer or spanner.” Next year Glenn says he will use his Subaru Legacy rally car in the ClubSport events and with an eleven-year-old who turns twelve next September, Ryan Howden is chomping at the bit to be at the wheel of the Corolla.

Craig Jessop and Roger Laird were third equal in the Club Championship. Laird also won the MacManus Cup for taking out the Autocross Championship and was also named Member Of The Year, recognition of his tireless efforts on behalf of the club, while Jessop also took the Quertier Family Cup for the first of the two sealed autocross events won with the Southland Sports Car Club and the South Otago Challenge Cup while Jessop’s son, Bradley, took the Junior Championship for Drivers Under 25 and also won the Junior ClubSport Championship for Drivers Under 18 ahead of Konrad Ward and Abby Ward (no relation). He also finished third equal with Ismay Howden in the Sealed Events Trophy points.

Sam Henderson won one of the club’s oldest trophies which dates back to 1955, the Wright Stephenson Trophy, for the Motorkhana Championship.

Carter Strang took the Rally Challenge Trophy based on placings achieved at the Catlins Coast and Rankleburn Rally’s while he also took the Gravel Events Trophy with 17 points from Brendon Mitchell, Jeremy McIlwrick and Caleb McDonald who were all tied on 15 points.

Strang also won the Gravel Sprint Trophy decided at the Donald Robb Gravel Event at the Morris Saddle with a time of 2minutes 20.7 seconds ahead of McIlwrick and Paul Preston while he was second behind Emma Gilmour who won the Kelly Cup at the Reserve Road Hillclimb with McIlwrick third. Strang took the Hillclimb Cup based on his performances at the Reserve Road and Morris Saddle Hillclimbs.

Ricky Ward took the Hard Luck Award after a stone holed the sump in his car on his first gravel event at Mt Misery.

The evening ended with a couple of light hearted prizes kindly donated by BNT. Karen Ward won a socket set as an appreciation of her families contribution to the club and also due to the fact she finished runner-up in both the Ladies and Newcomer Awards plus hubby Ricky has been known to have a few breakages while Nigel King received a strongarm bar in recognition of his good drive at Rankleburn in his first ever rally in a 4-wheel-drive and also to acknowledge he is a landowner who allows events on his property.