“He was someone who absolutely championed all of the entry-level classes. He was a well-respected guy with a huge heart and the embodiment of everything grassroots about sport.”
Luoni leaves behind a wife, four daughters, and grandchildren. Speedway NZ has set up a Givealittle page to support the family.
Thompson first met Luoni in 2018 after joining the Speedway NZ board, where he had already been serving. She recalled him as both welcoming and generous.
“He was tall, he was big, but equally the kindest and most gentle person I had probably met at that point in the sport,” Thompson said.
“He was kind, inclusive, very giving, and always willing to pick up the phone to help anyone who had a question. He was very kind to me when I first came into my role, and I’ll never forget that.”
Luoni’s funeral will be held on Monday at Oceanview Speedway in Whanganui. Guests are being asked to wear speedway supporter gear and place stickers on his casket.
It marks a double tragedy for the Oceanview community, after the loss of fellow life member John Hughes last week.
Thompson said what made Luoni special was that he was relatable to the wider speedway community.
“He had personality in spades. He was very funny, with a great sense of humour, but when something needed to be done, he could be very firm as well.
“People like Alan don’t come around that often. He will be really, really missed.”
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
