Hundreds farewell Hastings motoring stalwart at funeral at Hawke's Bay Car Club

The favourite sounds in Craig Smith's life - the revving of car engines, and music of Eric Clapton - were heard by hundreds of mourners who gathered for his funeral at the Hawke's Bay Car Club yesterday.

Mr Smith - known to friends as Max, or Fatty - died suddenly in his sleep on December 29, soon after returning from a holiday to the United States and Canada. He was 49.

It was standing room only at his funeral yesterday, held in the place so dear to him - the Hawke's Bay Car Club, of which he was a life member, current club captain, and chairman.

Hundreds of friends, family, and fellow car enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the Hastings resident who was the "much loved" brother and brother-in-law of Donna and Andrew Elder, and loved son of the late Russell and Elaine Smith.

Friends shared stories of the man with "a big heart".He received a unique send-off - after his casket was placed in a Chevrolet hearse, Mr Smith took a final lap around the club's track, with the vehicle drifting and throwing up dirt.

In its wake came a stream of vintage, stock, and modified race cars, with their drivers racing and revving around the track behind the hearse, before following it down Maraekakaho Rd to the roundabout, and back again.

After the procession, drivers and mourners were treated to free hot dogs - to remember the man who "loved fried food", and had set records for many hot dogs he could eat.

A statement on behalf of the family by friend Mark Jenkinson stated Mr Smith was an exceptional mechanic and engineer who built, maintained, and crewed on many local competition cars and a world championship jet boat contender.

He was also a local AA serviceman - with a roadside assistance truck one of hundreds lining Maraekakaho road outside yesterday's service.

Mr Smith attended Lindisfarne College, before taking up a motor apprenticeship at Twin City Motors, then Wells and Reid and Bayswater Motors.