Kart Club loses stalwart

The Marlborough Kart Club lost one of it's hardest workers and most willing hands when Paul Madsen died earlier this month.

A long-time committee member, scrutineer and national technical steward, Madsen, 65, was best known for his willingness to get any engine running precisely.

He played a major role in instigating and building the club's track on Taylor Pass Rd that opened in 1998 and after stepping down from the club's committee was still a quiet force behind the scenes, ensuring operations ran smoothly.

Born on August 9, 1945, in Wellington, Madsen came to Blenheim as a 15-year-old.

He met his wife Sandra on a blind date and they were married for 40 years.

Always a motorsport fan, Madsen's passion for karting was sparked by neighbour Norm Wilson when he took Madsen and his wife to some races in Woodbourne.

While Mrs Madsen thought the karts were "noisy bloody things", Madsen was quickly hooked. He bought a kart for daughters Teresa and Rachel and another followed for son Shane. He also turned Mrs Madsen around and she joined him on the club's committee for many years.

While his family's passion for motorsport came and went, Madsen remained involved.

As a self-employed bricklayer, his handyman skills were always in demand, especially when the club moved its headquarters from Woodbourne to the new track where Madsen built the ablution block.

Madsen's skills translated just as smoothly to motors. His garage, overflowing with engines and parts, testament to his love of tinkering.

As a technical steward he was in high demand, flown around New Zealand to karting's big meetings to check engines were being run to the correct specifications.

However, it was locally that Madsen made his biggest impact with countless hours spent working on kart club members' machines to get them running to optimum levels.

Fellow long-time club member Peter Owen said, "Paul would do anything for anyone and he wouldn't want anything for it. He helped a lot of people with motors and advice and everyone respected him for his ability to get a motor going fast."

Madsen was named a life member of the Marlborough Kart Club in 2004.

Away from the track, he enjoyed camping, and the family needed few excuses to pack everything on to their boat and head down the Sounds or coast.

Madsen is survived by his wife, children Teresa, Matthew, Rachel, Jason, Shane and Lisa and grandchildren Damian, Brooke, Luke and Joel.

- © Fairfax NZ News