SPEAKER_00 0:00

Right, second New Zealand podcast of the trip, and we have none other than Harley Rob, Mr. 2NZ. I said to Will Filcho, we just had on, I said, I need to do some podcasts while I'm out here. I'm coming over to New Zealand to learn about the stock cars, get my point of view on them, and just try and make the most of why I'm here. I said, Have you got anyone good I can podcast? He said, funny enough, we've got Harley Rob. And then I don't know, who's that? He said, Well, he's two NZ, he's won teams many, many times. He would have raced against Frankie and all the boys, you know, he would have been he's the man to do it on. And I was like, Oh, who's it? Who is that? And he said, Oh, it's Dylan's brother. I was like, Oh, sweet.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Nice and easy, eh?

SPEAKER_00 0:41

Yeah, so we've got Harley Rob here. First of all, all I like to talk about is what I know about the guests, and exactly like Dylan and Will. I've only just met you guys. So what I do know is uh you are one of the best stock car drivers there is at the minute, superstock and stock car drivers. You've won teams many times, the Palmy teams as well, like the the main one. Um, stock car teams champs as well. You've just won for Christchurch, and obviously you've won, you've got second in the New Zealand title. So you are the man at the minute. So that's about as much as I know. I've got one more meeting with him yet. So what an intro though, eh? What an intro. Not bad. Right. First of all, we like to start with early racing memories. Dylan gave his perspective on it, your older brother, and you're three years younger.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

Yeah, three years younger.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Three years younger. So talk about your early racing memories before you actually drive him, but what you remember on the speed race.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Yeah, I probably won't remember as much as Dill today. Like I was probably like you said, three years younger, and obviously the old man was still well, he's still racing, but I think he might only done two or three years. Well, what I'd remember. Um, but yeah, a few memories would be yeah, watching the old man race at like Ellesmere and stuff like that in the early days, Kaikora. Um, me and Dill spent a bit of time in the tow truck. My dad was racing with um with uh can't remember the guy's name now, but a good fella in there. We used to sit in there and have our lollies and hot chips and cold chips and fizzies, it was good. Um yeah, watching him and Uncle Uncle Graham go at it on the track, you know, a few rolls here and there. And yeah, that's probably as much as I remember from that side of things until I got a little bit older. And um one of the memories that's always stuck with me is uh my Uncle Tony's mini stock was sitting around at home and um I kept starting it up, kept going out, starting it up. So I think dad rang rang his other brother and then or someone rang someone and said, Oh, can you go around and I disconnect the battery? So Harley Khan kept starting this car up. So they went round, disconnected the battery, and then he bugged it off. So I must have jumped back in, worked out how to hook the battery up, and while that was happening, I must have knocked the gear stick. Oh no. And Dill was bouncing on the trampoline just on the other side. So uh yeah, hooked the battery up, kicked it in the guts, and off it took. He was bouncing away on the trampoline, and here I come come across and took him out on the trampoline. So um that's that's probably the funniest, funniest memory I've had. I don't think dad was too impressed.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

But um well, you're both in a month and off today. So that's the me, Jim.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Um, I guess that's the first hit I ever did on him. So that that would probably be the the my younger years before I actually got into the speedway scenes. Obviously, um after that, we did a bit of beer mixing and and motorbike stuff, and oh we had go-karts we used to race down the hill. There's a hill at the end of our street, you know, we had five or six of us all we all had wooden go-karts and wooden go-karts. Yeah, wooden go-karts. We used to break them, had a had a bear crate used to sit in with 12 the old bottles going, knocked the front out of that, that was our seat, and yeah, down the hill we went, no brakes, and yeah, sure, we had some had some fun times there, you know. So, and then yeah, we sort of yeah, yeah, the old man got out of the racing and stuff like that, and then um yeah, got an opportunity. Uh one of my mates, I was at school with his, he was racing mini socks at the time, and they had another mini sock there, and his dad turned round to me and said, Oh, you give us a hand to finish this car and I'll give you a turn. How old are you at? Um probably would have been 14. Right, yeah, yeah. About 14. Um, so helped them finish that and then yeah, had a couple of goes in that. And I think dad seen uh might have seen a little bit of potential there.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Yeah, I was gonna say, did you do any good from the get-go?

SPEAKER_02 4:15

Um what was this just a it was a brand new mini stock actually, but it just had it was just a Toyota motor, it was just a standard motor, I think, and stuff like that. So went down. I I was spinning laps pretty pretty fast laps for what it was. Um, and then we got a chance to drive one of the guy that owned that car's mates' cars, which was a pretty good mini stock. We actually ended up buying that car. Um had a go in that, and I think dad came down and watched watched me skid that one, and uh he was quite impressed, I think. So so uh he went back went back home and yeah, ended up buying that mini stock.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

I was gonna say from the get-go, if you can always usually tell with a child if they've got proper talent from the get-go. Some others take a bit longer, but if they if you put them in straight away and they've got no fear and they're peddling, it's like, right, well, yeah, they do actually they are good enough.

SPEAKER_02 5:03

Yeah, for sure. So now that was pretty cool, eh? You sort of learn the grips of of racing with a standard motor rather than getting handled all the best stuff, and and that's how we've always started. We've always started at the bottom and and worked our way up, eh? So it's been pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Not bad. So you got bought that second mini stock, which was a really good one.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

That was the first the first car we owned. Yeah, yeah. So the second car I drove.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Good one. And any results in that then?

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Um yeah, we did alright in that thing. We went up to Rotoru once we got oh come in. We got we got a couple of placings up there, and we always every New Zealand, well they class as a New Zealand title, it's run out of Oxford.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

So it's just like a it's not a national thing, it's just a club thing. Yeah. Um every time we went to that, we'd always top qualify, and then the second day would rain out. So we never got to actually do the finals racing, which was which was pretty, pretty crappy. But we won most of the stuff. We sort of went in in the youth mini stocks, and then um we stepped out of that. Did we did one meeting in adults actually? And got the same car. In the same car, yep, yep, yep. Um, so the same car, and then got did one meeting in adults and it got sold off for a bit of contact.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

So we only sound like someone else I know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

Yeah, yeah, we only only got the one meeting in the adults, and then yeah, we we moved away from it from there, I think. I think we gave the car to my little sister from there.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah. And then where do the stock cars come in? Because obviously, so far now that's all non-contact.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

Yeah, yeah, so the mini stocks are non-contact. Well, meant to be non-contact.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Meant to be like we see yesterday, then they're not always non-contact.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

No, they're not always.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

But yeah, so where where does this where does the stock car side? Where does the contact side come in?

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Yeah, so I think I was still racing mini stocks when Dil Burr bought his first stock car, so he bought his first stock car, and I think I still did one more year in mini stocks. So he did one year in the stock car, and um, yeah, I think he really enjoyed it, and then he bought another car, um, and that was just like a chassis, so it had to be fitted out, and obviously that's where he's learned all his knack because look what he does now.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Yeah, look how many he's got air.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

Yeah, um, so I ended up purchasing that car. I think I just drove it actually, and then I ended up buying it off him. I think it was about six thousand dollars back then, you know. You wouldn't even get a diff for that nowadays. Um so yeah, that's sort of where it all started. We went for the mini stocks and I was just turned 16, so straight into it, at the age you could get out of the out of the mini stocks into into a contact grade.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

So nice. And then like Dil did mention that you was with the lower budget cars, but you were still going there and making an impact.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Yeah, well we yeah, we we like I said, we had we had just had standard engines, so we were going out there and we were the pinballs, you know, we weren't gonna ever win races and stuff like that, so we both sort of just had the mentality, well, let's hit these fast cars. So we'd go out most meetings and and just have a bit of fun, you know. And I guess, you know, looking back at it now, that's probably where we gained most of our respect, you know, as respected drivers, we we don't care. Um we'll go out there and take on anyone, so it was always fun back then, eh?

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Yeah, even even in the UK scene, this is exactly how it is, you need the respect out there to be to be able to get results, you need to be respected. Otherwise, drivers are just gonna walk all over you. And if you're going out there, not even no knowing you're not even gonna win, that you're just gonna take people out. That's just gonna put you up there. Because they they people know you ain't got the fastest car, but you still do not care.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Nah, and that's a big thing too, eh? You know, if you don't have that power, you're out there for fun. And and back then, you know, we didn't care. Well, even now I don't care, but um back then you've got to put the power now. So yeah, yeah, we've got the power now. But back then, you know, you didn't care, so it was always fun going out there and and stopping all these fast guys and and just learning the grips of stock car racing. Like, I think that's what's helped us nowadays is you've got to enjoy being hit. If you don't enjoy being hit, what's the point of being out there? So yeah, it is it's definitely helped, so no, it's been yeah, it's been a ride, eh?

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Definitely. It's from the get-go, once you jumped from the mini stocks into the stock car, obviously, after deal, what did was it straight away you're like, I loved the contact here.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Straight away I was probably like, what have I got myself into? Um, I don't think I liked it at the start. It was a it's a different kind of hit, I guess, like um the physical side of it. I don't think I I enjoyed it, but um it slowly grew on me and and I wouldn't be where I was today if I didn't like it.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

So no, definitely not, but it takes a few hits to know that you're not obviously gonna get seriously injured week in, week out. You know, you could take a big hit and come out of him and be like, actually, I'm alright. That's that's how I found it for me. Once I got followed in a couple of times and I've done a couple of followings, I was like, no, actually, I enjoyed it because it's once you get that first bit out of your head that you're not gonna get injured every single time you hit the wall. Yeah, it's like, well, actually, no, this this is uh this feels better now, and obviously that's what's happened to you as well. I worked from the get-go, I loved this. It was over time you think, no, this is actually alright, we're getting there, we're getting there. Yeah, so then from having obviously bad cars, bad engines, whatever, where do you then start stepping up to the next level? And actually, not just racing round at the back taking fast cars out.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Yeah, so I think we did maybe I think I did two or three years in that in that first car. Obviously, never put a good motor or anything in that. We just kept throwing, oh, we'll go to the we'll get some record tires and bang some bang some old tires. Sometimes we didn't even know what tires we were putting on them, you know, we were just putting whatever had air in them, throw the line and get back to them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nowadays we we we know what we're gonna run them, and it's got to be that. But back then, oh, that's got air in it, we'll throw that on, you know. So just to get back out there, and and that was you know, that it's real fun now, but back then it was so much fun because you didn't really care at all. So um we sort of did yeah, two, two or three years in that in that first car, and then you know, being young young and dumb, I think I was only maybe 18 when and visited the bank and uh might have borrowed a little bit of money to to purchase uh uh what was meant to be a hot rod car. And uh we did a road trip up to Palmer's the North, picked that up. Um yeah, it was a bit of a sad one. That one we got that back and found out we'd been tucked on the motor. Oh no, yeah, so uh the engine weren't meant to be. No, no, so but that's alright, that's a you live and you learn, you know, young young and dumb. So we threw a threw a half decent motor in it, and it was definitely a lot better than the the car I first had. So um yeah, we started getting a few results. We did a wee bit of teams racing in the old car, but we did a lot more teams racing um in the in this car before Christchurch.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Before Christchurch, in the stock cars. So before you bought that that newer car then, you'd already started doing the first season I did in the stock guarded teams racing.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

Yep, yep. We um contracted those.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Is that just Christchurch against another track?

SPEAKER_02 11:17

No, so back then.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

Was it in Christchurch?

SPEAKER_02 11:20

Yeah, so now we we were contracted to Christchurch Club, but we back then it was sort of uh it was serious but not real serious. So me and Dill, we had lots of mates over in in Westport. Um so they were called Sunset Speedway over there. We got a group of us, just young guys, no teams racing experience at all. Um got five of us together, painted our cars up, and go over there and we'd verse I think we versed Nelson. I think it was Nelson we versed a couple of times. Um that was my first taste of Teams Racing in the old six thousand dollar car.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Oh, that's it would have been where you just turn up gun weeks.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

No, it wasn't uh it wasn't like a national title sort of thing, it was just a club together, which you can do now. Like we have our mainland teams in Christchurch and all the other wee ones here, there and everywhere, like Dunedin and stuff like that. Um so the club just put it together and invited Nelson over to versus.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

It was proper, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Yeah, yeah, so it was proper on on track, full on Teams Racing rules, all that stuff. So yeah, and the old and the old girls, so me and Dill did that. My first ever Teams race we won. So um, I guess that's where the the winning started happening was in the Teams Racing thing back then. So but it got a lot more serious when I when I bought that very first um second or the second car, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

I can imagine if you're going to the bank to to to buy a car, you are a bit more serious now, and you're like, I'm loving this, I'm enjoying it, I need something a bit better now to get me to this next step.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Yeah, no, that's for sure. And and yeah, going to the bank, but being like back then we'd throw our whole wage at the car, you know. So you borrow a little bit from the bank, you pay a little bit back, but then you just also got that, you know, it's hard to save money when you're going out there and wrecking stuff every week, you know. Um so yeah, I don't recommend doing that by any means um going to the bank, but yeah, obviously young and young and dumb and and wanting to go racing, eh? So um that was pretty cool. But yeah, we got real serious on that second car we built um with teams racing and stuff like that. I think um, yeah, that's when we started going to the New Zealand teams. So I think why? No, no, oh no, so I started oh no, I was racing stock cars when I first started watching like Parmi teams and stuff like that, but never thought I'd get to that point. But we um were always keen on the stock car from from day dot that first moment we went teams racing and yeah, we got real serious and stuck in your blood then. Yeah, and that second car we did lots of lots of teams racing. That was my first time going to like the New Zealand teams stock car title, like the teams champs title um in that car. And uh yeah, we never never really went any good, you know. We just went up there and just got smashed and put it on.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

So that wouldn't have been with the same five boys that you've done down the team.

SPEAKER_02 13:43

Not with Westport, no. By then I was with back at Christchurch racing because I was contrary to that club. Yeah, so Westport we never really ventured to that national stage. No, that was just a bit of five boys together, a bit of fun.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

Yeah, mates go and have a laugh. Can we can we go and beat these lots?

SPEAKER_02 13:56

Yeah, exactly. And and we did, we held our own, and you know, we were all young and we only had I think the dearest car on the team was maybe twelve thousand dollars, you know.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

It was it was nothing flash, but that's cool how you look can actually do that though. Over in the UK, you just don't get nothing like that. I know obviously on national level and stuff like that, you guys, it's big over here, but even just what you said there, five mates going to Christchurch, whoever it was, saying, Look, can you put a meeting on for us to go and maybe verse someone up in Nelson? And they did. Yeah, but that was unreal, that's so good, like from the UK point of perspective to hear. So, going then from them, that little team of five five of you, to then being picked for the Christchurch team, how does that come about?

SPEAKER_02 14:34

Um, you sort of just got to show you put show your hand early, eh? Like they they obviously have they'll have uh before the practice they might do practices and then they'll say, Oh, we've got a teams event coming up, which would have been back then maybe the mainland stock car teams, which they just run at Christchurch. Yeah. Um and they get a few North Island teams come down sometimes and and teams from everywhere else, and you just show your hand early, say, Hey, I'm I'm keen to go Teams racing.

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Is this like in the clubhouse after a meeting and they'll show you?

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Yeah, yep, or they'll send a text out or an email and say any drivers interested, we've got Teams Racing coming up.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

All right, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:03

So you show your hand early and then they sort of back there and it was they'll watch you and they'll choose who they want to choose.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

Is it a team captain that's doing that, or is it Christchurch, the club, doing it, or there was the managers back then, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:15

So the managers would um would watch obviously watch racing. Obviously, they weren't driving themselves, so they'd watch racing and then go, oh, he's actually going alright, he's got the pace, or shit, that guy doesn't care, he's gonna hit all these fellas. Um so they'll they'll do it on that. So they'll have obviously back then they'd have three or four fast cars and then one designated blocker, um, which was just a guy that didn't really care about anything. Um whereas nowadays a lot's changed in that aspect, eh?

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Yeah, we definitely get on to that from nowadays ones. So you got picked then?

SPEAKER_02 15:44

Yeah, yep, got picked in that newer car. Yep, in the newer car. Oh, I actually got picked in the old car too. Oh, right. Yeah, yeah. I did I think I did one or two in the old car. Yeah. Yeah, but that was uh that was uh eye-opener, that one and the old girl.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

So how do how do you practice? Because I've been since I've been here, I've all I've done is watched Teams Racing, you know, the the big palmy ones and a few others as well. Um how do you then practice? Is it literally you five, is it five or six in the two?

SPEAKER_02 16:09

Uh there's six now. Six now. Back then there was five and four, uh four on track.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

Right. So that them first few team meetings that you've done for Christchurch then, how would you you're like, right, yeah, this is our team here. You've got a team captain?

SPEAKER_02 16:21

Yeah, so you have a team captain, so that's a that's just uh a name, really. Um nowadays uh you have a little bit more say and stuff like that. Um but they do always have a captain of the team, sort of like rugby and and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

It doesn't mean too much, but no, but then they'll do that captain will discuss with the managers, they'll have a pre-plan. Um, and then you'll have uh uh all in all five drivers plus a manager. You have a sit-down and you'll talk about what team you're gonna verse, to what's gonna who feels comfortable doing what, to making a plan on how we're gonna beat that team.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

Right. So it does get really strategic. Yeah, there's a lot of people. You know, you know, number 190, he's always blocking, so we need to make sure we've got someone keeping an eye on him. This mate in this team's always running. So you know, he's the fastest, he's got the rocket ship. Yeah, you know, so you're like, do you designate someone to look after that bloke or yeah?

SPEAKER_02 17:13

So you sort of look at the team you're versing. So you've got the team you're versing, you'll look at you'll have a talk about and you'll go, well, what uh what's this guy been doing in the past? And you'll sort of make a make a plan on what's gonna happen for you. But nowadays we've changed it's changed a lot from focusing on the other team to what our team's gonna do for them to stop us rather than the other way around. Yeah. So it's um there's a lot of planning off track that goes into what happens in those ten laps. Yeah, and you could make a plan. We could sit here five drivers right now, make a plan, hit that track, in the very first corner, our main car could get rolled over and that's him gone. Yeah. So you've got to make physically then go, we've lost this car. We've now got to we can't talk to each other on the track. We've got to use our head and go, Well, I'm gonna have to go, he's gonna have to remember to try and go blocking. Yeah, you're gonna block, I'm gonna have to go. We're narrow car down, so you've got to make that call on track, and sometimes it can be the wrong call.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

So you've just got to the the biggest thing around the teams racing side of things would be having a good bunch of mates off the track as good as they are on the track. That's that's the key to it, I think.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

You you almost got to be telepathic.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

And and I think that comes with doing it week in or month in, month out with the same team, obviously. That would help massively. Right, so at Christchurch, then jumped into Christchurch, loved it in the stock car team racing. Where did we go from there?

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Uh yeah, I stayed with Christchurch for a couple years, and then we had a wee bit of drama go down, me and my brother and a wee bit of family as she was here. So we ventured off. We conducted a Blenheim for a few years. Um, did a lot of racing out of Blenheim race for the I think they were the Eastern States Titans back then. Um we did a few years with them, and then I ended up leaving there and come back to Christchurch again, and I've been with Chryschich since then. Adil stayed away for a little bit and just did his own sort of thing, and I was doing my thing.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

And so you weren't racing together for a little while.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

Uh we were still racing together, but not for the same club.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

We were sort of I was racing as a 991C and he was 191E, or you know, vice versa T or yeah, but always always had each other's back on on track. Just different. He was contract to a different club and I was at Christchurch, you know? Yeah, yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:23

Cool. So then individual racing as well. Uh did you as well as that team racing, is that when you sort of learnt your skill together to become obviously one of the fastest drivers?

SPEAKER_02 19:33

Yeah, I guess starting obviously starting back in that $6,000 car, eh, you've got to learn to you don't have the power, so you've got to learn your your knack then. But then obviously the teams racing side of thing opens up your mentality to these hits aren't as bad as as they might as you think about them. Um so you sort of just get a gauge and go, oh, we're all in the same car, they're gonna take us out. And I guess we just progressed, eh, and and got to know the cars a bit more like when we first got into it, we knew nothing. And now, like we're throwing, we know what tires we've got to use, all that stuff. So it just over the years of doing it, we just learned what we actually needed to go fast, and we'd throw money at the things that would make us go fast and not worry about anything else.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Yeah, putting the money in the right places.

SPEAKER_02 20:13

So yeah, it just sort of it just sort of grew, and we learned more and more. The more we raced, the more we learnt, the faster we got. The more people we'd meet, we'd learn tricks. You know, we're always trying to.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

Does that help with team racing as well then? If you've got a couple of quick boys on your team, yeah, obviously, you know, you're racing with them on a team, they're gonna want you to be a little bit faster at the same time. So, and it's the same thing, you might be able to help someone else. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

So being on a good team is obviously gonna Yeah, it does, and you and you learn so much from that group because you know you travel away together, you see what they do and go, Oh, I could prep my car a little bit that little bit better, I could change this little thing to go that little bit faster.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Yeah, you know, so definitely to be an old all to be one of the fastest drivers, you need to be a top teams driver and a top individual. Just to give you the as you say, the right mentality of when you do come up against someone in an individual individual race, you're like, mate, I'm I've been out against five other drivers on my own. You didn't you ain't worrying me. Yeah, exactly. So you need that mentality as well as being able to actually outdrive them.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

Yeah, you know, and it's known you you go into that third heat and you're gonna come under attack. The teams racing side of things, you know how your car's gonna react when someone's obviously gonna target you, you know how to get yourself out of that position. That skill is just you know where to put your car, and you know I can get round of the wall here and I can gas it up now, and I should be able to get out of this. It's all that little things that add up that always help. And the moment you start overthinking things is the moment I feel like you're on the back step.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

So 100%.

SPEAKER_00 21:37

I've been watching them teams races from the Palmy teams and some others, and the way the car control some of you boys have got is mad. Like even the car going slow, you position your car, flick it out, and then you can drive almost sideways at 'em. Yeah. And when someone's trying to do it to you and all sorts, the skill that you boys have got is just it's it's next level. But obviously, if you've been doing teams for that long, you're gonna pick up all these little tricks. They don't come at they don't come in the first time.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

No, that's right. It's the more you do it, the more you learn. Like every I I still learn now. I go at that. Yeah, definitely. Well, that worked. I could try that again. And you're always learning. There's not one meeting I don't go to where I haven't learned something or or gone, I could do that differently. Or yeah, it's always it's always a learning game, eh?

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Yeah, that's right. So then where does the superstock come in? If you've always been stock cars, obviously your budget is for stock cars, you're spending the money into stock cars, where does the superstock come in? Because it's not just stock cars you race, you're one of the top stock uh superstock drivers as well.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

Yeah, yeah, so we sort of yeah, we battled out in the stock cars and then um obviously just on a wage, so we're throwing everything we could at the stock cars. Um I think it was 2017 or 2018, I had a real good year in the stock car and got approached by a guy, Jacob Brownlee's, um, and sort of thought, oh yeah, it's just just talk, you know. And he and we actually had a meeting, oh me and Dad were paired up out at a meeting out at Oxford. Um, and I did the first day, and then he contacted me and said, Hey, do you want to come have a turn in my superstock? Um so I think the old man got a bit shitty because I said, Oh, I'm not coming out there to be paired up with you. I'm not coming out there to be paired up with you on the uh on the second day.

unknown 23:08

It cost us winning the second day.

SPEAKER_02 23:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Of course you win in the second time.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

We could have won the second day, but hey, look where we are now. If I hadn't have gone and driven that car, I might not have had the opportunity I got.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

So we're carrying on that in a minute. You just mentioned pairs. What's pairs? Yep.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Oh, so it's like a uh so me and the old man could get paired up, so we went there as a pair. So it's just like a pairs thing, so you go there, you could be paired up with Joe Blog.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:32

So you go and you and your points over the meeting uh accumulated together.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Ah, and what, and then that's a that's the winner of that meeting.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

Yeah, yeah. So if we both say if we get first and second in the race, that those two points, the points from that race go together. So our points are always together. A bit like Battle of the Stocks.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Yeah, yeah. So the points from us two drivers add together, and the same with whoever else is paired up with their other drivers.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

So is that just a meeting you before you go to, you know that it's pairs?

SPEAKER_02 23:56

Yeah, so we choose our own pair for that one. Yeah, but some you go to can be random. Like Battle of the Stocks is random. You you go to driver's meeting and they'll call out 991, Harley, and I'll walk up, grab there's a all these mugs on the table. You walk up, grab a mug, and whatever number's on the bottom of that is who you're paired with. So if it's someone you don't like, you go, whoa, it's gonna be fun. Um but no, it's pretty cool because you've that that that meeting you meet someone you probably don't ever talk to, or you know, and you become good friends with them after that.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Well, especially if you do well. If you don't check them, you don't have to do that.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

You take them out, you you know you don't like each other again. But um no, it's pretty cool. So yeah, that pears thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:36

He was a bit upset about that, but yeah, we don't have anything like that. Like we always always say back home, I'm like, we need to introduce something fun. The funniest thing we've done was that cat and mouse race where it was everyone against me. Yeah, yeah. And they get that's they get 100 quid for spinning me, and I've or take put me in the wall, I got 50 quid for spinning them or something like that. Yeah, but they needed they need to do more fun stuff like that. And obviously, you guys got pairs, you guys got teams, you got just to make it funner for one of the drivers, and for two, the spectators. Like I witnessed teams racing. There's only a little thing that you guys done uh that I didn't quite make it into um at the weekend at Christchurch, and I was buzzing, mate. I was screaming, and I was just it's just mad. I've never witnessed it. It was three versus three, and I was like, this is the coolest thing ever. People just cruising around blocking someone coming, bang! Yes, uh making it.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

You should take some New Zealand rules back over there and try to get something going.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

I'll be speaking to the powers above me and definitely been trying to try and implement something, but I know Frankie's probably been trying to do it for years, yeah. But we never seem to have anything. But maybe in the lower formulas where it's less money involved, we might be able to do something going. Because I think for half the field they're out there, if they come and witness what I witnessed there, well, mate. That'd move over. Oh, yeah, exactly. But yeah, right, so you got offered that drive back to that then. You got offered that drive in the superstop, didn't race with your your dad on Sunday, so you lost it.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

Yeah, so that drive, um going back to that, that drive was just that his sponsors day. So his sponsor, obviously, the cut people that had sponsored him for that year, he did a track hire and all his sponsors come out to have a turn in his car, and he obviously then it might have seen a little bit of potential whether it was because at that time they were rebuilding the Glen Eagles as well, the superstock team. Yeah. So he must have seen a little bit of potential with my stock car team's racing. I thought we might need a guy like that, this team. Um so yeah, he buzzed buzzed into me and said, Hey, do you want to come and jump in this and have a wee turn? And I thought uh as a kid, you know, you go, I'll never get a go on a superstock, you know, that's way out of my budget. So we jumped at that, went out there and and spun some good laps together, got two runs in it, and then after this is Radio, I'm gonna I'm gonna buy you a brand new car. A brand new superstock. Yeah, so he got me a brand new superstock chassis from um Reeze Um Peter Ree's up in in Palmerson North. Um and yeah, we just got that as a beer chassis, um and then we fitted it out and went racing. Wow. Yeah, so it was it was pretty cool to open up that superstop um door for me.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

That's mad, isn't it? Just by well, you obviously putting all them years in and doing the best with what you got, for then someone to just do that is absolute mad. For someone like you to say you never thought you'd ever drive one.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

No, that's right. You know, I I've never had that budget, you know, so it was always sponsors helping out and still is to this day, you know. You can't do it without the sponsors, but yeah, hey, if I didn't go and do that, that had that week on it at a sponsors day, that opportunity might never have arose.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

So you still have to drive the thing as well.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Well, yeah, still had to jump in there and get a few headaches, eh? Um, but yeah, so no, we did that in yeah, 2018 I I made my debut superstock racing.

SPEAKER_00 27:32

Nice. And did you was you good from the get-go?

SPEAKER_02 27:34

Uh 2018 was I did I qualified for my first ever Superstock New Zealand title that was actually held in Christchurch.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

Nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

Qualified for that. Um and yeah, went on the pole line, good old-fashioned pole line, we call it New Zealand. Um, so that's blocking, obviously, for the fans, obviously, your followers that don't aren't from New Zealand. Um, and mixed it up and helped at that time a couple of mates get through and and get a national number. So um the national number is a one to three. It's a one to three, yes, a one-two and three and z. Um, and then from that we sort of went to Palmy Teams, my first ever um teams, super sock teams champs.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

What with the Glen Eagles? Yep, my channel. So how does how does that come about then?

SPEAKER_02 28:18

Um a lot of they were rebuilding at that stage, they sort of didn't have too many cars, so I think that's why uh this fella looked at me and thought was his intention the whole time for us. I think it was, yeah. Yeah, looking back at it now, I'm going, he did that for a reason, which which I don't care because I got to go superstar racing. 100%. Um you know you love teams racing. Exactly. At that point I was mad for it, you know. I was pulling out down the front straight in front of cars and breaking my foot one too many times and telling the doctor I had weddings to go to so I could keep racing, and so they just put me in a moon boot and so I could go racing the next weekend and stuff. Um, but yeah, so we went my first ever year in a superstar. I went first ever year at Parmi Snorth Teams. Um, and it was a fresh team, though, a lot of younger guys had been given cars to to make the Teams racing thing happen. Were they all good cars or uh they weren't top of the line cars, they say mid-packers. Right, yeah. Um so a couple of we things, like a few things like that let us down. Um so we went to Palmy Teams, we got spat out, but it was an awesome experience. It just shows though, because that was that learning leading into the following year, because 2018 was our first year together.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:25

Um we got spat out, learned a lot of like obviously I'd never done superstock teams or blocked. The tires are better, the brakes are better, everything's that step up from these things. Brake price, so we can push it to the back for blocking and and that aspect of things. So we did 2018, got smashed up, learned a lot.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

What what is the main difference going from stock car team racing to superstock car?

SPEAKER_02 29:48

Um the big difference is the stock car, um, they don't have as much power. Yeah. With the superstock, you can leave your blocking for a lot later and you can get to speed faster. So if these you've sort of got to get going a bit faster. The superstock's got better brakes. Yeah. You've got a brake bias so you can control your brakes from the front to the rear. Yeah. Um and better tires, I feel.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

Which means you get around the quicker, the corner quicker.

SPEAKER_02 30:13

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:14

Because they them superstocks shoot off.

SPEAKER_02 30:16

Oh, they are very fast. And uh and they're rapid from the start. Yeah. So that's where these are more wind it up. Yeah, so these you couldn't well you can sit there and block, but you don't have that, you can't get up to speed as fast as you can with a superstock. Because you could sit there and wait and you could be buzzed up by the time they hit you.

SPEAKER_00 30:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

Whereas these you're sort of come on, old girl, get up there.

SPEAKER_00 30:33

Yeah, I see a lot of them as well when they've got someone behind them, but they're not actually blocking that matey, they're waiting for the faster one. Yeah, and they can still get out of there.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

Yeah, you can do you can do that with these, but yeah, that's where your timing's a lot different. Everything happens a wee bit slower on these. Yeah, you get in the superstock and everything's that little bit faster. Well, the reaction times are that wee bit faster. The hits are a lot harder.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

Yeah, well, they're down faster, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:55

Exactly. So, yeah, there's not too much difference, like I said, the the tires, the brakes, the brake bias.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

It's it's still yeah, the skill is still the same, you just need to be quicker.

SPEAKER_02 31:05

Exactly. That's where you see a lot of superstock guys come into the stock cars, and they're real good in these popping and stuff like that, because the the timing difference, you've got a bit more time and and all that stuff. Things happen a little bit slower.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Yeah, 100%. We've got a couple of guys in the UK, the F1 boys go out and race an American sprint cast, yeah, and then they jump back into uh Formula One stock car, going way less than half the speed, and they're just on it. Because everything's just going so much slower for it. Exactly. That's what that's what like you said, they come into stock cars, the superstop boys, and they're quick, you know. Yeah, yeah. It's it's that they've got so much more time to react than what they used to.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

And that's what's helped me, I guess, a lot progressing through the years of of at that time, I think 2019, or might have been I think I was racing the stock car and the superstop in 20 in 28 years as well. I don't know if I did 2018. I think I sold the stock car to just focus purely on the superstop. Yeah, yeah. And then I come back to two cars in 19. And from there on right up. I think there might have been one year to this date that I hadn't raced two cars every meeting. So I guess that's helped my driving over the years as well. Oh must. A lot more track time, a lot more experience, and I've been through multiple cars as well, like that always helps. Having having a fresh car, having a different and learning the aspect of how different cars react as well.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

Yeah, well, it's all about driving skill, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 32:21

Yeah, it is, and and the more you learn in different cars, the more you can, you know, you put onto other things. So definitely.

SPEAKER_00 32:26

Yeah. So then 2019, then. So you've got the Glen Eagles 2018, you got smashed up.

SPEAKER_02 32:30

Yeah, smashed up.

SPEAKER_00 32:31

Fresh team, you're all young as well. Not done superstock team racing before. Never go on in 2019.

SPEAKER_02 32:37

Moved on to 2019. Um, a good fella in Christchurch, Malcolm Nardei, suck it up. He um got a couple of boys down from the North Island that weren't wanted. Um, obviously Jaden Ward and Asherees contacted to Christchurch, so um straight away two young guns, keen as good cars. We got my motor a bit of an upgrade, so I was a bit faster. Um did a bit of teams racing leading up to the Palmer's North Teams champs as well.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

What, just in the South Islands?

SPEAKER_02 33:04

So yeah, we got Gisbon Giants down. Yeah. Um, from up north down to Versus in Christchurch. Uh, it would have been a month or so before Palmy.

SPEAKER_00 33:12

Right. Is that just like a friendly?

SPEAKER_02 33:14

Yeah, I wouldn't call it a friendly. Um you're still hitting each other as hard as you can and all that aspect of it. Yeah. But it was just a it's just a club made event. So it's not a national.

SPEAKER_00 33:24

No, but you still the exact same rules, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 33:27

Yeah, so to the rule book, teams racing rules are completely different to like our normal rules to what we raced on on Friday night when you raced last night.

SPEAKER_00 33:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

Um Teams racing rules is is a lot a lot less rules involved. Um yeah, so they got them down. We we pulled one over them, so we won that. I think that was our first teams race we'd ever won. Right. So boys were and winning that and then and then obviously headed up to Palmy and and yeah, my second year of a superstock teams race, and we pulled it off. Won the Teams champs, which growing up as a kid, you know, I thought never a chance of that. Never a chance even being on a superstock and second of a year at Palmy Teams champs, you know, to win that. That's mad, isn't it? I was uh yeah, didn't have any words.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

Every everyone I speak to they say like that's the ultimate. Palmy Teams champ is the ultimate. If you win that, you know, you are one of the best.

SPEAKER_02 34:16

Oh, hundred, yeah. And like growing up, there there's people to this day that have put so many years into that that have never actually held that trophy. Um, and for me to get it in my second ever year, that was something special. Hey, I was I was pretty speechless. Mate, that's crazy. How old were you? Uh 2019. What's the math on that? Well then mid-20s, we say that. Yeah, I'll say mid-20s, I should.

SPEAKER_00 34:39

Is that young for a team to win, really? Oh, I'd say so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:42

Yeah, I don't know. I don't actually know what the youngest would be to win that. The a younger in or a driver in the inner team, yeah, would be to win that.

SPEAKER_00 34:49

So leading up to that team event then, what what is it like? You obviously you lot all travel up together. Well, some of them from the north anyway, aren't they?

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Uh yeah, but yeah, a couple of them, but at that time Asharees was living in Christchurch. Uh-huh. He'd moved down. It was only Jaden Ward that was living in Palmer's North. So he was in Palmy and we're the rest of us all travelled up together.

SPEAKER_01 35:08

Right.

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Um, but we had group chats going and we're always uh talking to each other and and you know, we had that mentality we're going there to win.

SPEAKER_00 35:15

Yeah. And uh So what what what what how did you go and win that? What was what was the difference you've got into win that? Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 35:23

I don't know. I think we were just hungry for it, eh? And then we and and we had a lot of doubt. Oh these boys will never win it. You know, look at these look at these fellas. So I think that that motivates you a lot more, eh? Um so just yeah, just the group chats talking and and then and then going there and and the qualifying night, you know, pull off off two good wins against two pretty good teams, you know. So we could be on for shot here. And then uh the semi-final we had had the real good team. Obviously, Palmer's the North Panthers were have been dominant for years, you know. They've they're the only other team that has won it. I think they've won it four in a row. And we're the only other team, well now that have won it. I think we were three in each three years in a row, yeah. So the only other team out of Palmerson North that has done it.

SPEAKER_00 36:01

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 36:01

Um yeah, and then we yeah, we beat them and then thought we're we're in the final here, boys. We're you know, this is when it'll been it. Who was you in the final, then? Um Hawke's Bay.

SPEAKER_00 36:11

Right.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Yeah, and at that time they were trying to go back to back to back, I think it was.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

Ah so they were in form in the city.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

They were top inform, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

So that's a lot of pressure on the bigger.

SPEAKER_02 36:21

There was a lot of pressure, it was a lot of all or nothing boys. Um, but yeah, no, that was a that was a big race. Um I remember that race like the back of my hand. Um, yeah, won it. How good? Nice stoked. That's proper, isn't it? Yeah, so good.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

That's proper. So that new team then, how do you decide who's doing what? You know, from that from when you first we'll just drop it back a bit to the year before then. How do you, in that brand new team, how do you decide, right, Harley's going blocking or Harley's running, you know.

SPEAKER_02 36:49

Yeah, uh it was more who who was back then, you know, there was there was three fast cars, two cars that were obviously gonna be your block cars.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

At that point, I well they you knew them two had slower cars, yeah. Older cars, you're like you two more.

SPEAKER_02 37:04

So like back in the back in the day there was always one or two fast cars. So you always knew they were gonna be the running car, and then the other ones were always always gonna be the attacking cars, which are your blockers. Um but nowadays there's five I loved hitting shit in the stock car. So put him as our blocker. So yeah, I did I did um quite a few years of being just the the permanent blocker in the in the superstock. And then quite recently I've changed to being into a running role.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Right.

SPEAKER_02 37:32

Um but the management back then the management used to decide who was doing what.

SPEAKER_00 37:36

What per is that per team you faced or perhaps?

SPEAKER_02 37:39

No, no, it's just just the team. Yeah, just it was sort of go, oh, we're gonna use you as a runner, and he'd just go, you run, you run, you block, block, block, you know. Um so they'd make the calls. Whereas nowadays the driver has a little bit more input to what happens or who we should set who wants to do what to what team.

SPEAKER_00 37:56

Yeah. So did you notice you had everyone recognised you that bit more after that? Was that a big step up for you obviously being part of that team to win?

SPEAKER_02 38:05

Yeah, I think it that opened a lot of eyes to 19 when we won it to these boys are the real deal, you know. Um, they can go out there and do it, and and I think you earn that you earn that mutual respect with a lot of other teams drivers as well, leading into individual races. Like you have that respect. Those drivers now you can go, you could not get on on track and you can have a beer afterwards.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

So definitely is uh definitely opened a few people's eyes up to you as a driver and a team's driver.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

Yeah, yeah, I reckon. You're just that respect thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

100%. So then moving on, so we've got 2019, moving on to 2020. Was you back to individual racing as well then about the superstar stock car racing?

SPEAKER_02 38:46

Funny story there, too. We won that 2019 the teams. I finished the year in that Reece car with that um Jacob Brownlees that that offered me that drive. He um he sold up and went he went off-road racing. So obviously my car we he had sold my car. I was then out of a drive.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

Yeah, he's been the the teams champed, the team's boundary, and you have no drive now.

SPEAKER_02 39:08

No drive now going out of 2019. Um so Malcolm Nada again, it's suck it up. He was then helping Asharees and Jaden Ward with their cars. Um said to me, Oh, I'm gonna buy at that time his he won one NZ in 2009.

SPEAKER_00 39:26

Well, him as a driver. Yeah, him as a driver.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

So the individual thing. So he's he wanted his original car, he won back. Then he wanted that car back. So he bought that car and offered me that car to drive for the year Teams race because we wanted to go into it again. Um so it was quite cool. So got that opened another door with obviously Malcolm. I spent three or four years racing under Malcolm in a superstock. So that that relationship grew quite a lot, obviously, and opened up a lot a lot of doors to where I am today as well. So um 2020 we went back, we were back superstock and stock car racing.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

So two cars.

SPEAKER_00 40:03

But with probably a new a new stock car?

SPEAKER_02 40:05

No, back then I was racing um just uh it was a stock car, had a good engine and stuff in it, we were real competitive. Um I think that year we won the stock car GP in Christchurch, qualified for New Zealand title with Greymouth and stuff like that. That was a competitive car. Um and then yeah, we went back to to Parmi Teams um 2020 and yeah, I had a mare. Yeah, popped uh blew up the superstock engine. No um the very first teams race, yes. Well we we were leading the whole race, the very first race, coming out of turn two, and um it blew up coming out of turn two. I was leading the race. Yeah, managed to have enough pace to the car was obviously blown up. Had no motor wasn't running, and it just rolled. I just rolled from turn two all the way around the corner, around turn three and four, managed to still win the race. Yeah, yeah. So that have we won that race, so we were if we had got through to the finals, we had a plan, we had a motor sitting at a at uh I think it was sitting at Chad Ace's or something like that back then. Um and he offered us a motor if we got through to the finals and the boys were looking real good. So so you they had an extra driver on the team, didn't you? Yeah, so five five cars, four on the track.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

Yeah, so you would have been they would have been like, right, well you're out for the minute.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

Yeah, definitely out. Yeah. Yep, so five cars, four on track. Obviously, I won that race, but obviously no motor now. So then the other four boys went on the track in the next race. So you only get two races on the qualifying night.

SPEAKER_00 41:31

On Saturday, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

Yep. Um and they were looking real good, leading leading the race with a couple laps to go, and one of the boys got pipped and rolled massive Daryl Wallace. Yep. Um, so we didn't even qualify.

SPEAKER_00 41:44

I think for the set for the summer night.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

We were we were parked up up in the stands watching. So the boys were a bit upset, you know. I had a had a sad motor and the the old vibes are down, and but um you always come back strong, eh? And oh yeah, 100%. And yeah, that was that year, and yeah, that's all we can we threw another motor in it for.

SPEAKER_00 42:04

Was he allowing you to individual race in that as well? Or would you get it? Yeah, I was doing the whole work.

SPEAKER_02 42:07

Yep, so started from the start of the year, went through the normal racing, yeah, um, and then went obviously went teams racing and then popped that motor. And then we managed to source another motor back together for that for one of the last meetings at home. So we got one more run in that car. And then trying to think what happened after that. Yeah, we did that. Was that season done and dusted, and then we went on to to the next one. I think I don't know if I did another year in that car.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

Are you winning titles in the stock cars and in individual superstocks at this point, or is it because you're doing everything and it's hard to it was very hard to target national titles and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 42:41

Obviously, with the stock car, we went to uh the the New Zealand title in that year 2020 was in Greymouth. So we managed to shoot overdo that, and then the week after that was the stock car GP, which I managed to win. Yeah, and then the week after that was the World 240s up in Rotaroo, which we took the superstock to. And oh that actually that year, so the year uh that was two weeks before Palmy Teams, I blew the motor up. The two forties. Yeah, yeah. So we did the 240s of qualifying night. I missed out by one point on qualifying, made the repercharge, missed out on qualifying by one place, so I got third instead of second in the thing, so I missed out. And Bobby Griffin, you'd know that name from over there. He had a motor problem, and obviously I hadn't made the finals night, so the car was sitting there, so we give the car to Bobby Griffin. He did the three races on it, and then I went to Palmy and it blew up. So, Bobby, if you're watching this, you owe me a drive.

SPEAKER_00 43:37

You need these three races that you should imagine. I could have done teams, it would have been mint. Because that would have been the second second one, and then the two on the second.

SPEAKER_02 43:45

Exactly, yeah. So, but no, if it's gonna blow, it's gonna blow away. So Bobby had some fun. That's what it's all about, eh? He's come traveled all that way, so give him the car and and have some fun, eh?

SPEAKER_00 43:54

Ah, fair play, fair play.

SPEAKER_02 43:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:56

So then moving on to twenty twenty one.

SPEAKER_02 43:59

Yep. 2021. Trying to think what Carl was in the book.

SPEAKER_00 44:02

Is it the same team wise? Is it the same team again?

SPEAKER_02 44:05

Was you boys happy still? Same team again, I think, minus don't know if Asher was in the team that yeah. I think he went back. Was he in? Oh yeah, he went to Kiki, sorry. Yeah, Asher Asher had left, so by that point, 2020. Yeah, so after 19, Asher actually left.

SPEAKER_00 44:23

Right.

SPEAKER_02 44:23

So then we were 2020.

SPEAKER_00 44:25

Well, after winning.

SPEAKER_02 44:26

Yep, he left. Which for his own reasons, he obviously moved out of Christchurch and was racing out of the North Island again, obviously living in Palmer's North. Okay. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:34

That is a bit much for him to keep coming down there.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

Yeah, yeah, a lot of a lot of travel and stuff like that. Whereas Jaden only had to jump on a plane and fly here, the car was here, whereas Asher's car would have been in the North Island because he owned it.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 44:45

Whereas Jaden was driving one of Malcolm's, so.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 44:48

Yeah, so then.

SPEAKER_00 44:49

Before you move on, then we've a lot of questions about teams here because I'm mesmerised by it. So who then decides? So say like you have a bad run, if in whether it's the superstock team or anything, who then goes, we need to get rid of this bloke?

SPEAKER_02 45:04

I don't think there's ever been any we've got to get rid of this bloke. It's always been the commitment side of things. Everyone has a bad run. I've had years where I've been plucked up the wall at the start of the race and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 45:15

And it's just and silly mistakes by the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 45:18

Silly mistakes, you know, and not everyone can be top of the game, every game. It's like a game of rugby, you know, you're never always gonna play your best game. Um so just people come and go, and and if someone's more hungry for it than the person, then they're fighting for it straight away. And obviously that's a a bad thing for a selector to have to go, well, actually, sorry, mate. He wants everybody. This guy's performing unreal, so he's gonna start much like rugby. Yeah. You know, you have a bench or you know, and anything can happen throughout a season. I could go out there in a in an open race a week before, in a in an individual race and get hurt or suffer damage, was that next guy's gotta then step up.

SPEAKER_00 45:56

Yeah, and then that that'd be his chance to get. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 45:59

It's never you're out of the team.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

If you've got a desirable team where people want to race for you, you have got a few drivers that are like Yeah, for sure. If there any chance, I'm here. Yeah, exactly. And then if you smash your car up, smash your foot up, exactly, they're on the phone, and if he does well, then it's like, well, actually.

SPEAKER_02 46:15

I've got to earn that spot back. Yeah, yeah. I've got it. So it's never it's never your drop from the team, it's no no no. This guy's performing better, so we need to use the better team.

SPEAKER_00 46:23

Yeah, right. Sorry, 2021 now.

SPEAKER_02 46:26

21, what car was in? I think I was in the tri rail. Trirail. Yep. So I was in Malcolm Nara, bought another car, and I was lucky enough to drive that a better one. Body's hanging up there, actually. Uh yeah, that one there. That one, yeah, one on one two. Um the tri rail, yeah. We had a that first year I did in that trirail, that was when I started winning my championships in superstocks. Right. My first meeting in it, I did one meeting in it, and the next meeting in it was the Canterbury Superstock Champs, won that. Next meeting was South Islands Superstocks, won that. And then we went to Nelson for what they call the superstock stampede. It was the first ever running of it. And we went there for three weeks in a row, three championships. And that's when I started getting, wow, this guy's on. And and Malcolm was real impressed and stuff like that. That was good for him, yeah. Exactly. And then um I can't remember. Did we win Part of me Teams 21? 19. No, we didn't, did we? No, we didn't, we lost that one to Rotorua. We made the final. Oh no, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:38

So you're back, you lost last year, you're back this year, yeah. And you lost out in the final.

SPEAKER_02 47:45

Yeah, yeah, it was. Sorry, just bad memory. Have to ask some questions. Um, yeah, so it's good for him we got Craig here, isn't it? We've got the old man here at the yeah, some some to back me up. Um yeah, so now that year start off individual racing, massive year, we're winning, winning quite a bit. Three on the bounce. Yeah. Um don't think we were racing stock cars then. Can't quite remember back then, but it was a big year in superstocks that year, obviously World 240s and stuff like that. Um pre-qualified for the World 240s because at that time I think it was COVID and the Britain boys couldn't get over, so they did something like the South Island champ pre-qualified to take up the Great Britain spots. So that was quite cool, so I didn't have to do the qualifying that year either. But going back a step, we'll talk about teams. Yeah, we went to teams obviously 2020 we got shut down. 2021, we won every race. Uh, went into the final against the Rotoral Revels, which we're real good friends with off the track, which was pretty cool. We've had that rivalry off them for for since then till this this day now, you know. Um and yeah, you've got an actual fire to win. Yeah, yeah, it's a bit of a and then we did some off-track actics as well with the old boat race, drinking the old cup and on the head, and there's a trophy at the end for that. That's another subject. But um yeah, 2021. Yeah, we made the final against Rotorora and I started off the front, got a hell of a start. As the runner? As the runner, yeah. I was a runner for that race. We had a couple runners, and yeah, come, I think I come past the block car and took him, bunted him, took him off the end, and as I did that, he popped up and grabbed my right front tire, which punched my tyre. So I was still trying to run, but with a flat tyre, it was it was quite hard. So we I lost the lead. But you'd have to run. You can still with teams racing, you can run with uh flat outside tyres no matter what you can carry on, not like our normal racing. So a flat outside tire normally you'd have to pull off, but teams racing you can go with no tire, no rim. You can just move as well. You can do anything you want. You just can't drive the wrong way. Yeah. Um, yes, we lost 2021 to to Rotorua that year. Um, which was good because we were still rebuilding at that stage, obviously. You know, we lost Asher and we had a couple of new guys in and we were just trying to trying to get back to that top, which we got to the top, but just fell short. So we finished.

SPEAKER_00 49:54

So even with the new guys, you still got a couple of new guys in, yeah, yep.

SPEAKER_02 49:57

So that that team sort of stuck together for that year, and then 2022, I was still in the same car, so you obviously lost that year to Ridderua. And then went back, yeah, still in the same car, did three years in that car. So got second that year. Still while racing stock cars. I don't think I raced stock cars in 21. Right.

SPEAKER_00 50:16

Is that just because you want to focus on the system?

SPEAKER_02 50:18

I was more, yeah, just obviously being handed this car and I was going pretty good, you know. I was like, let's focus on this and and build up that. Because I by then I'd won in the stock car, I'd won the Canterbury Champs and and all the the major club champion things like I could chase it, but then I couldn't afford to travel away to Ro um the North Island, race up Rotorua and Palmy and all those bigger tracks, you know, the budget just didn't allow, so was quite good with obviously racing the super stock. It was we could fly to places, it was sort of pretty cool, you know. So um yeah, that was 21 and then leading on to 22, same thing again, off to a pretty good start. I think I won the Canterbury Champs again that year in the superstar. Um I've won that quite a few times now. Um and then yeah, 2022 was a sad year in Palmy. That was the year we lost Stephen Penn. Right. So that meeting um we qualified that that first night, qualified good. Um so we were in a semi-final, and then obviously the tragedy happened, so the meeting meeting shut down. Um so we're flagged that year. Um and then 2023 went back racing again, that same car again. Um individual racing. By then I think I was racing stock car as well. You went back to back and forth two cars all the time.

SPEAKER_00 51:36

So would was you doing teams racing throughout the year as well with the superbs? Yeah, I was the Eagles.

SPEAKER_02 51:41

I was yeah, so I was stock car teams racing for the Canterbury Crushes, yeah, and then I was super stock teams racing for the Glen Eagles throughout the year, as well as individuals. Yeah, so both both she was getting real busy by uh by sort of 21-22. I was getting busy back and forth, back and forth, like in and out of one car teams racing to the to the next car. You know, it was bloody busy. That is crazy. Um so yeah, we'll flag 2022 teams. Um, if you want to keep talking about teams, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um we'll move on to 2023. Good good starting year leading up to that. Still the same team, minus one, I think. We had another car in. Um so we went to Teams 2023 and yeah, managed to get another team's title. So that was teams title number two. So we had a blind of us. This boys just work so good together, you know. The challenge, keeping the tires pumped up, reading what each other are doing. If one person's held up for too long or got damaged, the other one was clicking and reading. It was just and the it was more the the off-track stuff, knowing we got on, so got off the track, you know. Back then I was drinking, we were drinking, partying, having fun, you know, and and just that off-track was leading to the on-track, you'd have each other's back and know what we were gonna do. We had set plans, we had unreal strategies the the strategy side of things was unreal, you know. Um, and just the on-track stuff was just everything was just clicking. It was it was that good, it was like people thought we were talking to each other while we were racing. Oh, that was yeah, it was just that era of. So you know you're doing something right, yeah. It was just crazy, yeah. When was that, 23? Oh yeah, so it's 2023. So back to the stock cars. That was when I first I'd never driven one of Dill's cars, Rob Race car, until 2023.

SPEAKER_00 53:28

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 53:28

So we built my very first stock car. Sorry, my brain's a bit talking too much.

SPEAKER_00 53:32

You've done too much bloody teams racing. So much teams racing.

unknown 53:38

The 22, 23 season.

SPEAKER_02 53:39

Oh yeah, 20, there you go, 22, 23 season. The first year we built a brand new car for myself with with Dill. Um, and we had some real good results in that stock car, like real good, straight away. Um, we had an engine package from Midwest Motors a guy in in Blenheim. He was looking after me off a motor package deal. Um, and yeah, we we went we went real good. We were winning pretty much everything we went to straight out of the bat. So that was the first memory I had of of driving one of Dills Dills cars, you know, to what we're still driving today. Yeah. Which is just a slightly upgraded version from then I spot yeah, everything's everything's you know, we were still learning back then. And always you're always moving forward. You learn certain things and you change certain things, and yeah, this one's a good one.

SPEAKER_00 54:21

Well, everyone keeps saying you got a good car there.

SPEAKER_02 54:23

Yeah. Um, but yeah, so that's when we started that. So we did teams racing and that thing. Um oh the stock guard we got we run the mainland teams in Christchurch that year. The first year I did, yeah, it was. And then what year did we go to Huntley do? That's a question. Was that the same year? Was that the same year? We went to Huntley, so New Zealand stock our teams. We travelled up to Huntley and um we finished second. So we were in the final and we just lost that one. Right. We ended up we ended up, it was come down to the rain. We were racing in the rain.

SPEAKER_00 54:56

So just to get it finished.

SPEAKER_02 54:58

Yeah, it was just unlucky. We were the dominant team all weekend, like the boys was yeah, you couldn't stop it. We were destined to win till that rain. I I feel still to this day, I feel like we we had that one. Um so ever since then it's always been that little heckle on my back. I needed that one, and then yeah, we got that one now, so it's pretty cool. But yeah, then leading on to that, yeah. We obviously won the superstock teams champs again. Yeah. So that was teams.

SPEAKER_00 55:29

You're on a pretty big high at this point, isn't it? Oh, I'm you know still untouchable, unbeatable.

SPEAKER_02 55:34

It was a little well, it wasn't it wasn't untouchable, it was just we've got the lick of the green here. You know, we're we're on. The boys are working together. The work we're putting in behind the scenes is working. Obviously, I'm racing stock cars, superstocks, stock cars, superstocks.

SPEAKER_00 55:46

And the other boys doing something similar as well?

SPEAKER_02 55:48

Uh more superstocks, yeah. There was only I was only the real dominant one going back and forth, back and forth from stock car, superstock, all that stuff. Um the other boys were just mainly focused on superstocks. Um whereas I still had things I wanted to achieve in the stock car as well. So and the opportunity was there to do both, so why not do it? Oh, 100%. So yeah, it's just yeah, looking back, eh, you go, how have I ended up with where I am today with so many people to thank and opportunities, and yeah, I've been pretty lucky in my my racing career to to be still.

SPEAKER_00 56:20

Well, you say you've been lucky, but you put the the results in place for it as well. Yeah, for sure. It's not like you've been given it the whole time and you're not actually winning. You've bloody won something with the hardest title to win, you know, at this point now three times.

SPEAKER_02 56:31

Yeah, that yeah, twenty-three was the second time in the superstock same sorry, yeah. And then obviously from twenty-three we went on to win it three years in a row. Which had never been done before outside of the Parliamental thing. So that was something special, so yeah, we're in the history books for that. So that's um, you know, as a kid, you just want to be at Parmi Teams or racing a superstock to now have my name in the history books or some of the legends, and even some people that have gone there and never been able to that's so good individual, go to a team's and they never got there.

SPEAKER_01 57:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:01

So for me to have four of them, you know, it's yeah, it's pretty special in my eyes. Seeing going into my boy's room and seeing the trophies all all in his wee room, you know, it's pretty, pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 57:11

You must have some sp some special races then that you can talk us through. Yeah. Either you've done or you've done as a team. Yeah. What was you what's been one of some of the highlights from them big teams races?

SPEAKER_02 57:21

Yeah, so the main the bit the first highlight I'll I'll never forget would be that first year winning it, that final race. Um we were dominant, that was not 2019, we were dominant that whole weekend. Um, and then even in that final, you know, I plucked one, got rid of one real early first lap. That was they were eliminated one car that was Randall Tarrant, got rid of him in the first corner. Um, and then I got rid of Mike Mack, who's unreal, like he's a mean blocker. Um, and you know, I looked up to him and and I plucked him up the wall. And and just and then after that, you know, we all all four of our cars were still all pumped up, non-damaged, and we raced around all four of us all together for the remaining seven or eight laps, and that's just something I'll never forget is racing with all four of your teammates. Knowing you're about to win your first ever team style you've dreamed about your whole childhood. That's one that'll never never leave my head, eh? And I I still go back and watch the videos to this day and go, did that really happen? Like, it's just something you never think it's gonna happen. Yeah, definitely. So that's um that's a memory that always stick there. Obviously, leading a bit more forward would be getting that small number on this car, you know. Yeah, because up until then you've never had a number. I'd never know. Up until then I'd um I'd come, I'd always qualified.

SPEAKER_00 58:37

Yeah. So to qualify then, we're talking about the New Zealand title. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 58:41

Now we'll go back to stock cars.

SPEAKER_00 58:43

Yeah, go back to stock cars. Did you have you done it in the superstock?

SPEAKER_02 58:45

Done it in the superstock, yep. Oh, 2020.

SPEAKER_00 58:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 58:49

I nearly got a New Zealand Superstock champs playing Z. Yeah, yeah. I was leading on points going into Heat Three.

SPEAKER_00 58:56

Because for anyone who's listening, it's not just one race. No. It's your your point you've got to qualify, and then that last day it's out of the three races from everyone that's qualified.

SPEAKER_02 59:04

So you do the Friday night qualifying? Yeah, which is heat races. Yeah, heat races. So three heat races. Yeah. It can be anywhere between top three points. So top three cars over those three races could go through qualifying. It could be three or it could be five. It depends how many cars turn up and how many groups there are to how many qualify for your group. So you've got to then qualify.

SPEAKER_00 59:25

Is it the same as what we've done on Friday where it's like one versus two?

SPEAKER_02 59:28

Very similar, very, very similar to what we did on Friday night. Yeah. But they you're qualifying, then you go into a finals. So you've got to be in that to get through. Yeah. So we top qualified as well, 2020 in the superstar in Wanganui. Um won the first heat, final seat. Um, finished right near the top in the second heat, which put me leading on points going into the last heat, which knew I had a big big target painted on my back. Um, and yeah, I was going good for that race. Four laps to go, got plucked off the end, off the end of the straight, wound off the end of the coin, bent the bump around onto the wheel, and that was my race done.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:10

Yeah, so that that's a massive thing over here. Like, when we we have got that sort of there are titles that do that over the three races, very, very rarely, but there has been. Um RCI mini stocks was the last one I'd done it in back way, way back when. But in that, there's no way, and like very rarely would you get in that last race, you know, loads of people waiting up and doing this, doing that. But I watched the Streaties, the Street Stocks the other that that was their format, mate. That last race, the amount of people that are waiting up. You know, is that friends, teammate, yeah, stuff like that? And obviously, going into that race, people would have been like, right, Harley's definitely win Harley's winning this. Yeah, yeah. So then you know that you people can go for you, so straight away people on the pole line.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:52

Yeah, straight away. I that whole race, I don't think it was one lap I didn't come uh uh under some attention, so I was very lucky for the however many laps I lasted, you know, and and we were outnumbered, like it was only I was the only Chrysler car in there with one other Chrysler, there was only two Chrysler cars. So normally you have a big bunch in there, you can stick together.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:10

So is that is that how it works in them sort of titles? You pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:15

It's it's gone a lot nowadays, it's gone a lot to we're real close mates. Yeah. So you sort of have that respect and aspect. Whether they're from Nelson or back then it was club. If you had a C on your car, you help your Christchurch club. You have a P on your car, you help your Parmesan off club. It was it was very club related.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:35

You go into that last one, right? I'm leading on point, going into that last race and finals day, but you've got no other Christchurch lot with you.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:42

You sort of know. I went into that last race now and I was gonna I was coming under attack. I'd already heard whisper before the race had started. So you just get yourself, you know you're gonna get hit, and you've just got to survive them hits, enjoy being hit, and just never give up.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:55

That's that's what I was saying to Will and um Dil off the podcast, I was saying to him like uh you lot was racing in the this race. We'll get onto this one that you the two NZ. Yeah. But um, you're going in there knowing like the other drivers that come to Christchurch, they're going in there knowing, right, I'm gonna get attacked. Yeah, there's no there's no doubt about it. But so if you go in there going, you know, I'm not gonna get attacked, blah blah blah, and then you get attacked, you're gonna be upset.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:20

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:20

Whereas when you go in there with a mentality, I've got to beat these lot, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:24

They're gonna come for me. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:25

And I've got to beat it, that gives you that extra buzz.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:27

Because if you pull it off, you're like Oh, and that's it too, you know, like leading into getting this to NZ, you know, the years beforehand I've always qualified. Um most years, for the years leading up to it, um, there was a year I top qualified, went out in the first final heat, won the first race. Second race. Uh yeah, second race of the first year, blew an engine. Oh. So that put me out. Next year, top qualified. Well, same again, won the very first race, second race, popped the right rear tire, so you got to retire from the race. Uh and then the next year, uh, I can't remember what happened that year, something happened. I don't think I qualified that year though, and then yeah, same thing happened with the when we come and talk about this one now, if you want. Leading into this one, you know, we um we qualified pretty good, top of the group, I think it was again, and then rolling into the finals, started off grid 19.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:26

So you had a rare rear grid for that one?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:29

Near the rear, I think it was there 30 cars, 32 cars in the finals. 30? 30 cars in the finals. So we're starting quite near the back. You know, there's only 10 other cars behind me. Started off grid 19, got to the front, won that, and I thought that was good. The next the next grid uh the next grid I had for that race two was grid five, I think. So I thought that's a good grid, we've just got to move a few more forward. I knew I had the car underneath me to do it, you know. Um got off to a ripper start and then got under attack. They started on me in race two, so um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:05

Who's this? Another club?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:06

Another, yeah, uh it was uh uh 96G, yeah, gizb a gizbin car. So um uh yeah, got come under attack straight away race two. I think it was lap two or three that I was getting taken out, so they obviously knew I was in with a shot, a real good shot, obviously being quite fast and and home track advantage. Come under attack quite early heat too, and and survived and and kept all the tires up, and I don't know where we finished, maybe sixth or seventh or something like that. I think I was I still finished and I knew I had a back grid for the next one. So I think we were second on points or something going into the last heat, which is you look at the point system, lots of people look at it and go, oh sweet, we've got to do this, this, and this. Uh I'm not really one to look. I'll uh I'll just take the race as it comes and and you've got to finish that race. Once you finish your three races, then you can look, see where you are.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:52

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:53

Um so you don't have that, oh I've got to do that extra pressure.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:56

Yeah, I need to know, I need to get third. Yeah, you're just gonna need to win no matter what.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:00

And leading up, I've done that many years. I'd sort of know you're either gonna come under attack or you're gonna survive. And most years I come under attack or I'm doing the attacking. Um, so yeah, to have it from race two, I thought I'll go under race three. We had a few boys, like I had my brother obviously in the final, my old man, Will.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:19

Quite a good bunch of cross jokes boys in there.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:22

Quite a few close friends and and people in the Canterbury Crushers team as well, which we'd been building on as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:31

So to have all that support in there as well, we sort of the off-track stuff, you sort of have a wee team talk, which most clubs and friendships do nowadays. They had to, oh, we're gonna do this. You're up there on points, so we're gonna help you. So we went into that third heat, and and I sort of had a gauge of I was gonna come under attack by this, this, this, this guy, because they'd looked at the points and gone, well, he's leading on points, he's a Wellington car, those cars there will will be helping that car because you know. They obviously don't take their North Island cars out when they come to a national title. So um yeah, the boys got to work. Obviously, Wills Wills come into it. Um Till and the old man put on quite a bit of work. Um and even I I come under attack, you know. I had one of our well Till leases the car out to a guy, and he even he spun me out and he's in one of he's a Christchurch registered car in one of our guys' cars, you know. So I had I was coming under a lot of attack and I was on the wall backwards, and it was a war and all it was a war, and I just wanted the I was counting down the laps, I was going one lap, two laps. You actually counting the laps, I was counting the laps, I was going, I know it's a 15 lap race, I was getting close and counting the laps, and I was spun out in the wall backwards, going, I've lost so many places now, I'm still on this lap. I can I've got this many more laps to try and get back as far as I can. And like I was under a lot of attention, there was so much happening on track, you know. He still had cars on the wall, dad was doing what he was doing, and oh I didn't know where to look. I just had eyes for it, and and that's all I was doing. I wanted to finish that race, and yeah, we come in a lot of tack, and I think we finished third in that race.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:05

Um that looked like carnage though.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:08

Oh, it was absolutely yeah, I didn't know I was this way, I was that way, I was in first gear, I was yeah, there was work going on everywhere, and and to cross that checkered flag, knowing I could be there or thereabouts.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:21

Yeah, you'd also you don't know.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:22

You'd never know.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:23

They don't tell you your places like in the UK, they'll tell you first, second, third, fourth as you go past the start man.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:28

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:28

They actually tell you with the fingers where you have and like five laps to go, four or three.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:34

That we just get a white flag, a green light, a green flag at the start, or if there's a red light, yeah, and then we get a white flag, so we know we've got one lap to do.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:41

And that gets dropped on the lead car.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:42

It gets dropped on the lead car.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:44

So if you're like down the back of the you know, coming out the corner and you see that mate get dropped, you're like, right, he's in touch. That's the only way to do it.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:50

But sometimes you don't know it could have that car could be way ahead of you. Yeah. Um yeah, so where you get the white flag and then the chicken, so you know you've got one lap to go. And yeah, just to finish that race, I was buzzing. I knew. I knew I'd passed Caleb, who was one in Z at the time, and he was above me on points. I just didn't know where he'd finished. Yeah. So at that point I knew I was there or thereabouts, I was excited, I was reviving her up. So at what point did you find out? Uh I think me and Dil did a couple laps around the track just together, just winding down and obviously trying to work out, and then we pulled up on the front straight. Um, and obviously sat there and took your helmet off and stuff like that, because they leave you on the track for a certain amount of time after that race is finished. So the officials can take the top five cars and do pre-checks or pre-checks on them, seal the motors, obviously. So you can't, if there's illegal parts in them, you can't pull it apart and take stuff off and stuff like that, do fuel samples. Um, so they take the top five cars, they've got to work out the points and work out who was where, and if the race results are are standing, or if someone's done something illegal and they've got to even be relegated. So we're sitting there, and I think Dil's partner, Sinee, and that, come down to the fence and they were sort of pointing at me, but pointing at Caleb, one of them had Caleb's top on with number one or not, and they were pointing and pointing at that, and I was like, I didn't know if it was me or uh that time they were pointing at one, but pointing, and I was like, and then they were going, you two, and I was like, I don't know, I can't hear you, I'm just excited. So I started it up. I drove around the track again, the crowd was clapping. I was like, I don't know where I've got, I'm in the top three, they're clapping. I was just revming the old girl up, and I was excited, and it wasn't until we were sitting there and um they came over the thing 991 to the scales to the to the shed and all the other numbers, and it wasn't until I physically I sort of knew I was two NZ on the track, but it wasn't until I pulled in into the shed where they were going to check the car over where the official came up and said, Congratulations, you're number two. And then I was like, I was buzzing, you know, they'll come running in with the tools to to check what they wanted to check, and and yeah, to to get a result like that after so many years of trying, you know. People go, Oh, you should have taken Caleb out in number one, you know. But to me, a friendship is more than 12 months of a number. Yeah. So I've got more years left in me to keep trying, and and just to get that number two for myself, the the sponsors, my family do obviously rob race cars, and to finally get a result, you know, we've we've been there or thereabouts so many times, and to build this brand new car, I think leading into that New Zealand title, we were like I think it was like its fifth meeting. We hadn't done many races because just being too busy, we punched out six cars that year. And this was one of them. This one was the very last one. He got all the customer ones done first, and um yeah, it was yeah, I was just over the moon that that weekend, eh? It was it was pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:40

So to get just the number is is like over. Oh, it's massive. So it's not just a South Island NZ title is North Island.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:48

It's the whole New Zealand, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:49

The best of New Zealand.

unknown 1:10:51

170 cars.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:52

170 cars in that one meter.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:56

And you've got to be the top 30 to get through to the top of the Sunday.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:02

Even have a chance of getting a small number. You've got to qualify and then 30 cars on that track.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:07

It's massive, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:07

And there's anyone can hit you. It's it's unreal. I don't even know how we're allowed to keep doing this sport. It's it's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:15

Because it's it's fine, it's safe, it's good fun.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:18

It's brutal, yeah. It's it's very good.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:20

It's it's mad. But you finally managed to get your number. Yeah. And as you say, you've still got plenty of years left to try and go on.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:26

So I'm only 29. I uh I'm still feeling good and I'm still loving the physical side of it, and and I'll keep going until I until I feel yeah, until I feel like I can't anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:36

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:37

Nice, cool. That's right. That's obviously one of your biggest individual achievements.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:41

Yeah, that would put everything else. Yeah, and then yeah, it was a how this car was we've missed a few years out in there, but obviously we went went through and a half the superstock, and then yeah, more more leading into this, we did a bit of racing in here and there and in a couple of Dill's other leased cars and stuff, and then we built this one brand new for this year, and we've dragged it out.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:00

She's not let you down yet.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:01

We've um we've put some new ideas. This is the first one of this this style. Yeah. Um, and now everyone wants one of these styles, so kept still. Um but yeah, no, it's good for Dill's business, obviously. Um, yeah, we're we're showing these things off what they can do.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:19

There's some bit of machine we can do.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:20

Yeah, you've jumped in one, so 100%.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:22

There's a bit of machinery for me to even be able to compete at you know a half decent level, the car's got to be there beneath me because I don't race these things normally, do you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:31

And for you to come over and be on the pace straight away, it it shows a.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:35

Exactly, definitely. Better than to race cars. Right, so that was obviously just finishing your season now.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:41

Yeah, we've got one more meeting left, which you're gonna do, King of the Coast.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:45

King of the coast, over on the west coast.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:46

Yep, I think, yeah, that's that's what we've got left of this season, and then we'll start the ground running.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:51

What we've got planned for the future then? Because obviously you just You didn't win last year, um, this team's did you? So we're just backtracked ten more minutes. Ten more minutes. This year's teams. Yeah. Three on the bounce.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:05

Yep, three in a row.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:06

So you've won it four times now.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:07

Yeah, I'd won it four times leading into this year, and we'd won it three years in a row leading into this year just gone.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:13

Yeah, and then what happened this year?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:15

So we qualified, made the semi-final. I didn't do the semi-final. I was parked on the grass, that was the management's choice. Yeah. So they they sat us on the grass and they sat another car on the grass, um, Jaden Ward. Yeah, and four of the other good boys went to work and sadly just couldn't pull the win off against the top team which won ended up winning at the Gisbon Giants. So you know they were rapid all weekend.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:38

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:39

So um the better team team won, and and sometimes you gotta you gotta lose to to get hungry again, eh? You know, you've been at been at the top like most things, and and like some people have said to me, maybe maybe the Glen Eagles had to lose one so us in the stock guard could win the other. Um phones are again now. Um yeah, so to lose that one, I was pretty gutted, but then to the fact that you couldn't you wasn't actually there in the race to defend it either. Yeah, but it's a team thing, eh? So uh you know. Depending on the people sat out for you. Yeah, oh exactly. You know, that was the first time I'd sort of been sat out, you know. I'd I'd set out one race the night before as well, and then sat out that race, so yeah, and then I I was sort of disappointed that I didn't win it, and but then we come to the stockcar teams racing, and I'd finally got that chip off my back and won the stockcar teams because that was the one thing I was real hungry for.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:34

Yeah, well, I mean you won it four times in the superstocks, yes. It was time for you to win it in the stock cars.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:39

And I'd been close, you know, we got second that Aaron Huntley in one of these cars as well, as we we talked about before. I didn't quite remember when I first jumped in one of these chassis. Um, yeah, to finally get that one as well, you know. Obviously, get the number and then win that team's title, and then I got third at the stock car GP in this car as well. So pretty much we've won the Canterbury Champs. Like we'd this year has just been an unreal year for me in the stock car class. Every sort of thing I've gone to this year has just been on it. Yeah, we've we've done really well. So definitely.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:10

And in that stock car teams, how many Rob race cars in that?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:14

Uh in my team we had my car, Hadley's car. Oh, and Sam in my very first car, Sam Jack, in my very first car of this, yeah, yeah. He was in that team as well. So the car I got second at the teams champs in the stock car, he was in the team as well. So we had three Rob race cars in that team as well. Plus Dave Houston car, we Dills pretty much rebuilt that thing. There's probably not much left on that thing. That that's not something that he hasn't done, yeah. So that was pretty massive, and it shows a reliability too, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:48

Like once a survivor team's racing, but then to go and win it, obviously.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:52

You've got to be able to give a give a hit and receive a hit and carry on in nowadays in the team's racing. Yeah, definitely. And much like the individual racing, yeah, you lean on points, you get plucked in the wall, you want to be able to carry on. Yeah. You don't want to get plucked in and sit there.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:04

Definitely. So moving on to the future then. Yep. What have we got planned up for 20? No, because your season's different to ours. So when's your season kick off again?

SPEAKER_02 1:16:14

So it'll be October.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:15

October. So after this weekend you've got the off season. Yep. What's what's going to happen behind the scenes in the off season ready for October for the new season?

SPEAKER_02 1:16:22

Um, as long as this thing doesn't sell, this thing will be still sitting here. As long as it does. Yeah, we never know if something. Everything's for sale at the right time. Everything's for sale. Yeah, so someone wants it. Get hold of Dill, get hold of me, and we'll work out a deal. Um you might move over and buy it.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:38

I'll talk about that, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:39

Talk to the missus. Yeah, talk to the boss. Um, yeah, so as long as that's still sitting there, that'll be in the shed. So the motor was brand new this year, that won't need a refresh. We'll we'll tidy some steel up at some stage after, you know, Dill's got how many cars to build? Nine or ten. So ten odd cars to build. So Dill's gonna be busy doing that and we'll be down here helping him with that. And this will just get parked up in the in the shed and start it up every now and then to make sure the fluids and stuff are moving. Um and yeah, we'll hit the ground running again. If this car's still sitting there, we'll jump in this. If not, we'll obviously have to build another one or or do something like that.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:14

Find something else that we can move on with and uh Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:16

So yeah, no, we'll just take the off season, we'll help Dilsey build some cars and and a bit of family time and and stuff like that, and have a bit of a refresh and and get the car tidied up, new sign writing and and stuff like that, and hit the ground running early October and and hit it hit it real hard. We want to want to show that number two off. We're gonna try and hit most tracks we can every weekend. Right. While we've still got it on there, and then we'll go up and defend it. The title's actually gonna be in Wanganui where I got close on the superstock.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:42

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:42

So you have obviously still got the superstock sitting there as well. Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:46

So what's the plans with so you can be if this is still here, you're gonna be a full-time sending it to a track near everyone that's gonna be everyone about.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:53

We'll try and get everywhere. Yeah. Um and then the superstock. The superstock's still sitting there, that's for sale as well. Um so if that sells for sale. The ideal plan is we want to try and get a car with Dilsey. Get one of his chassis, the first superstock one. Right. Um, so we're trying to trying to make a cunning plan on doing something like that. Yeah. Um, if not, we'll we'll drive the current car we've got again till it sells. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:15

So we'll then if it does sell, then you are gonna have to quickly try and squibble because obviously you're gonna have you're gonna want to do the team's race again, Palmy.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:22

Yeah, we'll we'll touch base on that uh uh early in the season, and if a few things change in that aspect, I'll put my hand up again.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:29

Um, but at this stage I'm not too sure what I'm gonna do. But yeah, if a few things change, we'll we'll have a hand up again. Nice. Um and yeah, we'll we'll see how it goes, eh?

SPEAKER_00 1:18:38

Yeah, and then hopefully at some point soon we'll see a triple R superstock.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:43

Yeah, that's the plan. That's cool, isn't it? That's that's what we want. We we sort of we talked about it for ages, we had a few people wanting them. Um, but I think yeah, we sort of want to try and get one in-house so we can get it dialed in, like we had done with these before, obviously, as customers come through and and and want them as well. At least we can react and say the car's going good, how this is done.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:03

And you could give him feedback before. Exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that that's a big thing as well. He can sell them in the workshop, you can sell him on the track.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:11

Exactly. Yeah, that and that's working well at the moment, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:13

So guys, I think I think that's a good place to end. Yep, no, that's that's that's awesome. Thank you very much, Harley. Thank you to Triple R, thank you to Dylan, thank you to everyone for letting me in this lovely workshop, thank you to Craig for the outside information.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:25

Yeah, feeding me up on the things I didn't know, and just just quickly, yeah, thanks to all the people that support me and obviously keep these cars on track. Obviously, car owners of the super stock, and obviously Dilsey with the stock car, and all the guys on this that that kept pumping money into me. You know, you you can't stay at the top without all them guys, you know, running on a wage and and everyone that pitches in, like my crew, Uncle Tony and Sammy, you know, that I'd be lost without them. Sometimes they spend more hours on the car than I do. So yeah, just a massive thanks to them and and cheers to you for chucking us on your proddy. And hopefully we'll give you some more New Zealand knowledge and definitely good. Yeah, we're gonna get this guy on the super stock for teams.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:04

We'll try to, maybe one day. Right. Thank you everyone for watching. Hope you enjoyed it from the New Zealand side of the world. We'll see you in the next one.