Pukekohe hall packed for Possum's funeral

12.15pm - By CLAIRE TREVETT

At least 1500 people have converged on Pukekohe, south of Auckland, for this afternoon's funeral of rally driving star Possum Bourne.

By midday the 1200-seat Pukekohe Indian Association Centre in Ward St was filled. Hundreds of people were sitting on chairs outside in order to watch the funeral on a large-screen TV.

Inside the hall, the stage was buried beneath a floral tribute. Mannequins wore racing suits that had seen so many roads with Possum. His world ciricuit Subaru took pride of place.

Outside, people milled quietly about the cars Possum drove during his career, ranging from his first car - a battered, mustard-colour Mark I Cortina - to the Subaru Imprezza WRX in which he won the Australian championship earlier this year.

Messages from Bourne's workmates were written on the car windows:

"Thanks for making my dreams come true, Possum."

"You're a legend. You always will be."

"You are an inspiration."

The funeral is due to start at 1pm and will include tributes from friends and rally colleagues.

Bourne, New Zealand's only professional rally driver, was critically injured in a collision with a car driven by fellow driver Mike Baltrop during preparations for the Race to the Sky hillclimb near Cardrona, on April 18, Good Friday.

The 47-year-old rally ace was in a drug-induced coma after undergoing surgery for severe head, chest and leg injuries. He died on April 30.