A Southland Hospital spokeswoman said Mr Tulloch (65) was transferred in a critical condition by plane to an intensive care unit at Christchurch Hospital yesterday morning after crashing at Teretonga Park, near Invercargill, on Sunday afternoon.
Mr Tulloch, who has raced cars for more than 40 years, was taken by ambulance to Southland Hospital after the Honda Integra he was driving in a one-hour endurance race left the circuit at the loop corner and hit a tyre wall.
‘‘Everyone is really hoping and praying that there is a good result from this,'' Mr Hicks said yesterday.
He said Mr Tulloch, who lives near Gore, served two terms as Mataura mayor and was mayor when Mataura became part of the Gore District Council in 1989.
Mr Tulloch had then served two further terms as mayor of the wider Gore district, Mr Hicks said.
MotorSport New Zealand chief executive Brian Budd said in a statement the New Zealand motorsport community was thinking of Mr Tulloch.
‘‘We are all thinking of Inky and his family at this time.
‘‘Our thoughts and prayers are with them,'' Mr Budd said.
As with any incident ‘‘of this nature'' MotorSport New Zealand would undertake a full investigation into the crash, a process which would start with getting an accident report from Teretonga Park officials.
‘‘We will quickly determine if any further investigation and/or action is needed.''The Gore council's Mataura ward representative Cr Steve Dixon said Mr Tulloch was one of the most well-known people in Southland, and was also well known overseas.
He was hopeful and optimistic that Mr Tulloch would make a good recovery.
‘‘He's a fighter. If anyone can, he should be able to,'' he said.
