Brooklyn Horan's father Raana Horan came second in last year's Rally Championship. Photo: Bruce Jenkins Photography
Two people killed in a motorsport crash both inherited their love of cars from their fathers.
Fifteen-year-old driver Brooklyn Horan and his 35-year-old co-driver Tyson Jemmett died after their car veered off the road at the Arcadia Road Rallysprint in Paparoa on Sunday.
The pair were in a two-wheel drive Ford Fiesta with a less than two-litre engine, according to event documents.
Peter Jemmett said his nephew Tyson had inherited his enthusiasm for the sport.
"It started with his father, he's been involved with motorsport for a very long time," he said.
"And Tyson obviously followed, and took over his father's rally car."
Tyson Jemmett had lived overseas for a number of years but had returned to racing upon coming back to New Zealand, Peter Jemmett said, mostly with the Targa Rally.
"He was always a very vibrant person, very outgoing. He was very much into homebrewing, he was very good at it - he did it in London while he was overseas and he made many batches in New Zealand," Peter said.
"I just think he was an outstanding young lad really, in his prime."
Peter said the family was devastated. He said Tyson had married his long-time partner Lucy last year after more than a decade together.
'He just loved getting out there'
Brooklyn Horan also had familial ties to the sport - his father Raana Horan came second in last year's Rally Championship.
Professional motorsport racer Greg Murphy said the teenager was a joy to be around, and had a "really infectious smile".
"[He was] just a wonderful young man who had been brought up incredibly well and just loved getting out there and enjoying his motorsport.
"His dad's a very good rally driver as well and he was following in his footsteps there and participating and doing all sorts of amazing things behind the wheel.
"He was doing lots of different disciplines of the sport too and was clearly going to be a successful driver in his own right as he got more and more experience."
'You were the future of our sport'
Meanwhile, champion rally driver Hayden Paddon took to social media saying it was "numbing" to hear of the accident.
"Brooklyn, for someone so young, with so much talent and a huge future in the sport who I am sure would have gone all the way. You were the future of our sport but also one of the nicest and most humble young man I have ever met. Your career may have only just been starting but you had already left your mark!"
He described seeing Tyson at the World Rally Championships events several years ago.
"Tyson, you were one of the true passionate rally fans. I remeber [sic] you at the WRC events throughout 2017 and 2018 waving the Kiwi flag and supporting us through thick and thin, always pushing the sport of rallying forward in the media. A great business, sporting and family man."
Paddon - who was also introduced to the sport at a young age by his father - said he was "lost for words".
"I'm sure Possum will be the first to meet you both up stairs and shake your hand," he said, referring to Peter 'Possum' Bourne - a world-class rally car driver who died in 2003 while driving in non-competitive circumstances on a public road.
