New Zealand's Ian Gamble tribute

IAN MERVYN GAMBLE
1942-2005

AN APPRECIATION
Ian Gamble helped change the face of motorsport - here and overseas.

Ian, 63, lost a long battle with cancer early on Wednesday morning August 31. He will be remembered as a man of action who pioneered sports-based marketing in this country.

In a long and distinguished professional career he;

* created, organised and for the first seven years marketed the Wellington Street Race (plus the Pukekohe round) known to most as the Nissan Mobil 500.

* established and for the first three years ran Truck Racing in New Zealand

* created and organised the highly successful Nissan Sentra GT Cup series

Success here saw him investigate opportunities overseas. This resulted in him;

* creating and organising the inaugural World Touring Car Championship which ran in eleven countries

* managing a team for Tom Walkinshaw Racing in the European Touring Car Championship and in Japan.

Whilst based in the UK, Ian was involved in marketing and promotion for:

* The European Soccer Cup
* The World Athletic Championships
* Davis Cup Tennis world-wide
* The Commonwealth Games
* The Mobil Athletics Series
* The World Offshore Powerboat Championship

In New Zealand he also;

* promoted and organised the first International Marathon known as the Choysa Marathon and later as the Diamond Pasta International Marathon and the New Zealand Golf Open.

* managed the Lghting Direct Porsche team (3 cars) at the Wellington Street Race (cars finishing 1st and 3rd)

* was contracted to Alfa Romeo to organise and manage their Touring Car team in its first year. This included overseeing building the cars as well as team management.

Latterly he helped eldest son Simon make his mark in motorsport, first in a kart then a Formula Ford. And there was no prouder man than Ian when Simon won the New Zealand Grand Prix at Teretonga Park at the beginning of this year.

Ian was a loving husband to Dale and father to Simon and Scott, and is remembered fondly by his family as a man who delighted in being a father.

For a number of years he and Dale owned a beach house north of Auckland and the family would spend the summer holidays there. The house would be filled with friends who enjoyed that lifestyle. They would dive for crayfish in the early morning and the rest of the day would be spent with the boys enjoying all sorts of water sports, tramping, fishing or lazing around. In the winter the family would spend a week skiing with friends. Ian also coached Scott's soccer teams and barracked for Simon's hockey teams.

Ian's funeral is this Saturday (September 3) at 1pm at:

Dills Funeral Services
185 Schnapper Rock Road
Albany
Auckland
New Zealand

There will be a service followed by refreshments and a chance to catch up and reminisce.

-fastcompany.co.nz