Cromwell's oldest rev-head? 81-year-old former bus driver celebrating Lamboghini win
By reporter Sam Smith:
This might just be Cromwell’s oldest rev-head.
Ivan Fahey, a former volunteer bus driver at Highland Motorsport Park, will now be cruising round town in a 2014 Lamborghini Huracans following the win of a lifetime at the weekend.
The 81-year-old was at the park for the 10th anniversary celebrations where the car was being given away to mark the occassion.
The Lamborghini, which is priced at between $250,000 and $445,000, was used for hot laps at Highlands sister circuit Hampton Downs and can accelerate from 0 to 100km in as little as 2.9 seconds.
The two-seater luxury car was bought directly from Lamborghini by Highlands owner Tony Quinn and fitted with a roll cage for use in the road rally race Targa NZ.
Fahey says he is over the moon with his win and has a smile on his face that is permanent.
“I am not a winner of raffles, so this sort of thing doesn't happen to me, but this time it did,” he said.
Fahey is no stranger to motorsport, having been an avid watcher for over 60 years and a volunteer at the park where he claimed his victory.
“I drove their little bus ... I used to deliver spectators around the circuit to different vantage points and do town pickups and drop-offs,” Fahey says.
“I did that for about four, maybe five years. I have always been a supporter of Highlands because I see it as being a great facility for our town of Cromwell.”
Fahey owns two cars; a BMW 5 Series and a Suzuki Grand Vitara, but has no plans as yet to make his new acquisition his drive of choice.
“It will get used from time to time. I took it out yesterday. It was exciting. It was fantastic. It was very easy to drive. This car is unreal. The engineering means it is built to go fast.”
Fahey says his phone has been running hot since the win, with friends and family enjoying his win as well.
“They are pretty excited for the old man. A remarkable number of people have phoned me and sent me texts and messages.”
As for his new new-found fame? Fahey says he doesn’t think it is warranted: “I am just a country guy who's not used to all this attention”.
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Canterbury Police want to identify the man in this photo.
We are hoping they can assist with an ongoing enquiry in relation to an assault on Barbadoes Street on 23 January.
If this is you, or you know who this is, please contact Police on 105 online or by phone and quote file number: 250123/0968.
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Bev and John’s summer motorhome adventures
Bev and John are no strangers to adventure. Whether it’s overseas escapades to the Great Wall of China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, or exploring New Zealand’s stunning landscapes, this intrepid couple has seen their fair share of the world. But these days, they prefer to keep their travel plans closer to home - with their beloved Cavoodle, Skye, always in tow.
“We’ve done all the overseas trips we wanted to do,” says Bev. “Now, it’s all about enjoying what’s on our doorstep.”
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