22 Nov 2016

Never too old to slow down!

From Nine To Noon, 10:09 am on 22 November 2016

Alastair Caldwell is a 73 year old former McLaren Formula 1 racing team manager, who's rallying around New Zealand with his 98 year old mother Dorothy.

Dorothy Caldwell

Alastair with his brothers Michael and William with their red Vauxhall Velox in Auckland 1960

Bill Caldwell racing at Teratonga New Zealand shortly before he crashed and died

Alastair and his brother Bill on the grid at Pukekohe

1970 Early happy days. South African GP. Jim Murdoch and AC. Jim is now a successful garage owner in NZ and his son Andrew is an Olympic sailor with the Kiwi team.

1976 James Hunt and McLaren team. Alistair Caldwell is behind James. This car won the world champs that year.

1977 James Hunt and Nicki Lauda together at British GP

Nelson Piquet and Alistair Caldwell at Brazilian GP his home circuit.

Chris Hemsworth and Alastair - dressed for his bit part in the film 'Rush' as an FIA official

On Rush film set. Steven Mangan plays Alastair in film

2012 Trans Am Rally Dorothy and Alistair in the Badlands of Montana

1938 Alfa Romeo 6C SS Torpedino. Photo credt: Gerard Brown

Ferrari 250 GTO replica

Dorothy who lives in Hamilton, is the world's oldest navigator. She took it up at the age of 90!

After a childhood spent in New Zealand, Alastair moved to England in the late 60's. Then from a job as a cleaner at McLaren, he made it all the way to being the boss of racing legends such as Nelson Piquet and James Hunt.

Now the mother and son team is back on the road in the Haka Classic Rally, a 5,300 km event that started in Auckland last month, and finishes up on Friday. Follow their results & progress here.

Kathryn Ryan caught up with them while they were on a rest day in Dunedin.