A heart attack victim has been described by medics as a "very lucky man" after having the medical issue at an event wheretwo doctors were in the crowd.
Emergency services were called to the Masterton Motorplex Drag Racing Centre about 11.30am.
St John Ambulance spokesman Richard Schulze said a cycling event was being held there, and a man in attendance suffered a cardiac arrest.
"We attended for a person who had suffered a medical event, it wasn't the result of a crash.
"We airlifted him to Wellington Hospital in a status two condition."
Status two means a serious condition.
"We are not sure when the cardiac arrest happened, whether he was on a cycle or not, but thankfully at the event we had paramedics attending and there happened to be two doctors in the crowd, so he's a very lucky man."