Karen Hay, New Zealand’s quickest and fastest female displayed her 1927 Ford Model T roadster powered by a twin turbocharged 482 cubic inch big block Chev engine at the recent CRC Speedshow in Greenlane, Auckland on the 19th & 20th of July.
“We saw this as a great opportunity to display the car and meet with fans as well as giving our sponsors some great exposure at NZ’s biggest automotive show”, reflects Karen Hay on behalf of the Hay Family Racing/ Evil II team.
This was Karen and the team’s first public appearance with the car since what was described as a “magic” day on Sunday 6th of April at Meremere Dragway when Karen became both NZ’s fastest and quickest female, a record previously held by Faye Grant since 1990. “This was our first time ever at CRC Speedshow and to be honest we didn’t quite know what to expect. But it’s exceptionally run and is a credit to Ross Prevette and his team”, said Karen.
“The team really enjoyed meeting so many people who had either seen the car run on the track or read about it and what we have achieved. The main question on everyone’s lips is where to next for the team so I let them know we plan to wind up the boost on the car this season and all going well hopefully take the car to Willowbank Raceway in Australia next year on our off season. The response from many ladies was very humbling in the fact they thought it was even ‘cooler’ that a female was the driver”.
Karen’s success can be attributed to her drive and determination as well as her strong family bond with her parents, Lindsay & Shona Hay. The hard work and determination from Lindsay on race day or preparing the car sure makes for a great sense of pride for the father and daughter team as they chased their dream and achieved it. The next appearance for Karen and the team alongside the car will be at the Hot Rod & Horsepower Show in Pukekohe celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Pukekohe Hot Rod Club.
Hay Family Racing would like to thank their competitors, track workers, race fans and the following who have helped directly with the car; RIPS Racing, Infomotive, Spec Rite Torque Convertors, Segedins of Dominion Road, Moran Motorsports, Chuck Mann, Bill Brinsden, Link Engine Management, Whakatane Printers
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