200kph in a Honda Civic
The name Sharon ‘Shaz’ Keir might not be a familiar one, but she is one of Aotearoa’s most decorated race car drivers. However, it’s a different type of horsepower that drives the 35-year-old Cantabrian.
Shaz Keir is living every 1990s and early 2000s teenage dream. She gets to drive a Honda Civic fast. Really fast. She easily clocks 200kph along the opening straight of the Euromarque Motorsport Park (formerly Ruapuna) in Christchurch.
Her heavily modified 1989 Civic is as old as she is. But it’s her trusty car that will carry her to a record ninth women’s title in the last 10 years on the motorsport circuit.
She’s currently the only woman in the top 25 rankings, and is top three in her CC class. She’s even ranked higher than her husband, Nigel, and has “bragging rights”. He “takes it so well”, she laughs.
But physical horsepower isn’t the only thing that propels her forward. It’s the dedication to her family and continuing its legacy that has the biggest impact.
Keir’s love affair with the sport began long before she ever stepped foot on a track, although it wasn’t love at first sight. Her dad, David, lived and breathed motor racing, and she grew up watching him tear up the asphalt, travelling across the South Island for races.
“I hated it back then,” she smiles.
She didn’t get into a race car until 2014, joining the same club – the Canterbury Car Club – as her dad.
It’s a club full of amazing and supportive people, she says.
“I always wanted to line up on the race track with my dad.”
In 2015, everything changed when David had a stroke, leaving him with mobility and speech challenges, and unable to get behind the wheel. His racing days were done.
But she rides with dad and mum Val every race. On the white bonnet of her car are two ribbon stickers; a blue one for dad in recognition of stroke survivors and a pink one, in recognition of mum, who has faced cancer twice.
“I do a lot of it for my parents, to make them proud,” she says.
“Since my dad’s stroke [racing] means a lot more to me because I’ve got someone to look up to, someone to dedicate my racing to. I’m so happy where I’ve got in my racing and how far I’ve come.”
It could be quite daunting being one of only a handful of women in a male-dominated environment, but there’s been nothing but support from her male counterparts and the wider community. They often will come up to shake her hand and congratulate her on her races.
That’s why she’d love to see more women get behind the wheel and feel the “adrenaline rush”. It’s a safe, supportive and fun environment. It’s easy to get started, she says. Join a car club, then get your race licence.
But it’s not the cheapest hobby. Thankfully her husband Nigel is an “auto sparky” who does all the mechanical electrical work, and her friend Jason does the wheel alignments. She doesn’t let anyone else work on the car.
Her parents pitch in, and her work – Method Logistics, where she is an account administrator – is supportive too. Its logo adorns her car.
Even though she’s been behind the wheel for a decade, the nerves still hit when she’s on the start line for her first race.
Nerves are good. They keep you safe. So do the layers and layers of protective gear she puts on for every race. Fireproof overalls, gloves, socks, balaclava and a full face helmet that’s connected to a Hans device to help protect her neck.
Thankfully, she’s never had a serious accident – “touch wood”.
Even though she’s one of our most decorated drivers, she’s not stopping. She’s driven. “My goal for next year is to go for a 10th title.
“Make my parents proud. Make the people who support me proud. Make myself proud.”
“Since my dad’s stroke [racing] means a lot more to me because I’ve got someone to look up to, someone to dedicate my racing to.’’ Shaz Keir