Austin climbs all over opposition

Wanganui motor racer Alan Austin took full advantage of others' misfortune to claim overall honours at the annual South Taranaki Car Club's Double Hill Climb in Hawera.

Austin missed by just .37 of a second from winning the first climb up Tiromoana Rd in his Toyota V8 powered RX 7 at the weekend.

Inglewood's Rowan Price (Nissan GTIR) took those honours to set a course record of 1 minute 4.09 seconds.

Unfortunately, Price's luck ran out at Ararata Rd on Sunday when his engine went bang before he recorded a time.

Austin pounced and seized his opportunity with his best time of 1 minute 51.72 seconds, the fastest of the day, giving him the overall win for the weekend.

Second overall went to Wellington's Webster Gough (Toyota Starlet), with Cory Broker (Subaru WRX), from Hawera, third.

Wanganui's Mike Carrick won the classic section in his Triumph 2000.

The South Taranaki Car Club was assisted by sponsors First National, Harcourts, Tower Motors, Dimocks Hawera, Repco Hawera, DTM and CRC.