Hot laps by the hundred

Australian motor mechanic Sev Parseghian  gets a McLaren 650s GT race ready on the qualifying day of the fourth Highlands 101 at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell yesterday. About 1000 people were expected  for a day involving practice and qualifying for the Australian GT and Radical series.

Event director Mike Sentch said it was a ‘‘massive weekend’’ for the town and the wider area.

"Cromwell is booked out and even Wanaka and Queenstown are filling up. It’s great to give back to the community."

It would be an "awesome weekend" in which lap records would be broken, he said.

Drivers were keen not just to win but also achieve the fastest lap times, Sentch said.

The Australian GT Championship races will be held at 11.25am and 2.05pm today  and the signature 101-lap endurance event will begin at 1pm tomorrow.