"When I’m pulling out on the track, when you’re all tucked in there with your helmet and everything all secure, it doesn’t get any better."
Mr Aitken is a Queenstown motorsport driver. He was one of the founding members of the Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell.
He competed in the Highlands 501 event at the weekend. This is the biggest event on the park’s calendar, featuring the renowned 501 race and several other races.
The event is one of a handful of international motorsport race meets in New Zealand.
In his races, Mr Aitken drove a 2016 Porsche GT4.
Born in Dunedin, Mr Aitken lived as far afield as San Diego but eventually found his calling in Central Otago.
"It’s the best place in the world," he said.
"Queenstown is world-class. I think heartland Central Otago is just spectacular with the climate and environment."
Central Otago only fuelled Mr Aitken’s addiction to motorsport, which he called a "disease".
"I got my driver’s licence at 15 and I completed my first hill climb at 16. If there’s two cars around and two drivers, that’s all it takes. Whether it’s the back road to Wanaka or Wanaka to Glendhu Bay, it’s just a race. I love it."
He had developed 33 apartments since 2014, a year after the park opened.
Six more were to come, the last under his watch, but there was talk of a golf course and housing development on another side of the park.
He said the apartments were first and foremost for people with "gasoline in their veins".
"It’s not all about motorsport but most of the members have got cars and they can go and bang around [on the track] whenever they like."
He said some people questioned the apartment development, but he argued it was a great place to live.
"People say ‘why would you live in a race track?’ But in the evenings, we get out and cycle the track. It’s the quietest place in the country at 5 o’clock. It’s as good as anywhere in Central Otago. We have a decibel limit so we can’t make a lot of noise during weekdays."
He said their noise limit was 65 decibels, except at race meetings, where it was 95.
This weekend, Mr Aitken competed in the Euromarque championship and the Highlands 1hr race. He came third and fifth respectively.He was proud of what had been achieved at the park.
"This was all dust and desert a couple of years ago. It’s always such a great buzz to have people around."
