Among the throngs of driving enthusiasts Ely Ryder Ennis, of Waimate, got to meet professional drifting driver Daniel Woolhouse, aka Fanga Dan, whom he met last year. Talking to the driving star again was the highlight for the boy.
Ely was on hand to wish him well before he got behind the wheel of his Holden VZ Commodore V8.
"He’s going to do a big drift for us," Ely said.
His friend, Preston Repia-King, was equally impressed by the driving.
"I liked everything ... It’s so cool."
Smiling event organiser Rob Aikman had two sons racing on Saturday.
He said a good showing by his boys would help to make the weekend, but he was pleased with the "vibe" in Waimate as the racing again shut down half-a-dozen streets in the heart of the South Canterbury town as it had since the meeting was revived in 1991.
"I have spoken to a lot of the drivers and they are just all ‘over the moon’ — those sort of comments are pretty special."
In its second weekend, for three days this long weekend, drivers from across the country took laps of the town at speeds well over the normal 50kmh limit and classic cars mingled with their modern counterparts.
"There’s some serious pieces of equipment here, there’s no doubt about that," Mr Aikman said
Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley said the Waimate 50 was a "huge event" for the district.
And this year, as it celebrated 50 years since racing through the streets ended in Waimate, the racing was particularly sweet.
"There’s lots of events that go on [in Waimate], but this is a particularly memorable one for its history," Mr Rowley said.
He said the Waimate 50, and others Waimate is known for, would form an important part of the ongoing economic development plans for the district.
