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”.
Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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80.2% Yes
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19.5% No
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0.3% Other - I'll share below
Neighbourly Q&A: Renting rights with CAB's Sacha Green
We are continuing our Q&A sessions on Neighbourly. This week we have the amazing Sacha Green from Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CABNZ) who will be answering your questions about your renting rights.
A little bit about Sacha:
She has been working for CABNZ for 10 years and is passionate about empowering people with knowledge of their rights as well as ensuring access to justice.
She helps support the team of over 2,000 trained volunteers who deliver the CAB service in 80 neighbourhoods around Aotearoa by providing advice and support at a national level on a wide range of issues. One of Sacha’s work areas is leading the CAB’s social justice work on housing and tenancy issues.
Whether you're a flatmate, landlord, boarder or flatmate, you can leave a comment below and Sacha will share an answer on Wednesday from 9.30am. You may want to ask about notice periods, bond fulfillment, reasonable rent increases, or even whose responsibility it is to deal with mould in the home.
Join Sacha here on Wednesday at 9.30am. See you then!.
⇩ Share your question below ⇩
Tips for moving to a retirement village with a pet
Moving to a retirement village marks the beginning of a new chapter filled with opportunities waiting to be explored. Naturally, you want to share this journey with your beloved furry companion, and at Ryman, you are welcome to bring your pet along, provided they are suitable for the village environment.
Once your pet is approved for the village, the focus shifts to ensuring a smooth transition for them. Dogs and cats, being creatures of habit, may find relocating stressful. However, with patience and a thoughtful approach, we can mitigate their anxiety and help them settle into their new surroundings seamlessly.
For more tips click read more.
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