Entry level motorsport continues to thrive in the south, with a healthy number of new faces contesting the Southland Sports Car Club’s Evolution Motorsport ClubSport Triathlon at Teretonga Park in Invercargill on Sunday (April 18).

The Van Asperen family of Balclutha - Dad Mark and daughters Olivia (20), Sarah (18) and Jasmine (14) - made the trek south to take up the chance to participate in inexpensive motorsport.

Sarah made quite the impression in the grass motorkhana finishing second overall and fastest in the Under 1600cc class in a Suzuki Swift, as well as beating Dad who has previous motorsport experience.

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Sarah, having her first motorsport outing, said she'd "never had so much fun.” 

Steven Watson of Invercargill was fastest on the grass in his Toyota Starlet with Sarah second.

Another family group, siblings Clair and Ben Wild, were third and fourth respectively in another Suzuki Swift with father David Wild fifth. 

The Wild family had travelled from Dunedin for the event. 

It was a family affair in the Standing ¼ Mile also, with Craig Allan in a Holden Commodore recording a time of 12.86 seconds time to head off his father, Neil Allan in a Mitsubishi Lancer.

Two newcomers, Brian Stewart in his impressive Ford GT40 replica and Jason Whitehead in a Datsun Coupe, were third and fourth respectively, with Whitehead taking the 0-1600cc class honours.

Craig Allan won the Autocross in the afternoon, this time at the wheel of his Nissan, ahead of Watson and Neil Allan. 

David Wild won the 0-1600cc class in fourth overall from yet another newcomer, Bradley Maxwell in a Toyota Yaris.

The results across the three events saw Craig Allan the overall winner from Watson and Neil Allan with Whitehead taking the 0-1600cc class from Mark Van Asperen and Ben Wild.

The triathlon was a non-championship event featuring a standing ¼ mile, a grass motorkhana and a sealed Autocross event. 

The motorkhana was held on an area of the Teretonga Park grounds that has only recently become available.

Southland Sports Car Club ClubSport co-ordinator, Malcolm Mitchell said, "it was a fantastic day”. 

“What a blast it is from my point of view to see people getting out and having a go.”

The next ClubSport event at Teretonga Park is a Bent Sprint on Saturday 1 May.