Post by Go Slideways on Dec 19, 2014 18:16:22 GMT 12
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Bay Park Busters
SPEEDWAY PRESS RELEASE
Press release written by Barry Brown
In a shock announcement, the Pollock Cranes Baypark Busters Superstock team has advised their sponsors and the Palmerston North promotion that they will not be defending the teams’ title they won earlier this year come February 6th & 7th, 2015. The withdrawal also applies to the Auckland Teams Nationals in March, and while team members will continue to race out of Baypark as individuals for the rest of the summer, the Baypark Busters as a team will not be seen again until the 2015/16 season.
It’s a straight numbers game, and with some of last season’s drivers having retired from teams racing and others taking a season off and/or being unable to commit to the teams side of racing currently, management had no alternative other than to put the team into recess for 12 months due to a lack of available drivers. Ring-ins was not an option considered, nor was the idea of blooding rookies at the cauldron that is the annual ENZED Teams Championship at Palmerston North.
This is, of course, nothing new to the Baypark Busters, and all three previous incarnations of the team have emerged victorious on the Palmerston North stage. They first achieved the feat in early 1994 after their original formation in late 1992, the effect of which changed the sport forever.
The original line up, driving identically painted cars which were sequentially numbered from 111 to 115, was Frank van Vroonhoven, Clark Proctor, Craig Richards, Ian Carlyle and David Decke, who, along with Square Bush the Clown (116m miniature stockcar) and a core group of supporters, immediately began touring the country. Dressed in identical orange and black bodywork, they became instantly adored by local fans while abhorred by the rest of the country. They didn’t mind that in the least however, as the publicity and presentation was for the benefit of all.
The squad got plenty of teams racing action that first season, but weren’t invited to either the 1992/93 Palmerston North Teams Champs (there were only 8 teams that year) or, for political reasons, the Teams Nationals in Auckland.
The 1993/94 season saw things step up a notch. Ian Carlyle had sold his car to his long time sponsor, Farmer Jones, and stood down. He was replaced by Craig Pierce, while Mark Decke was in for his brother David. Then Craig Richards unexpectedly announced his retirement, and Carlyle was coaxed back into the line up. By the time the 1994 Palmy event, now up to a 12 team format for the first time, came around, Decke had been injured and was replaced by Craig Taylor. The Busters defeated Nelson and Wellington B to easily make the Semi’s, the virtually unbeatable Palmerston North Panther’s then falling 95-50. The Busters faced the neighbouring Rotorua Rebels in the Final, and this was a classic confrontation where fortunes ebbed and flowed until Baypark eventually won a tight contest, 75-70. A few weeks later the two teams met again in Auckland and beat each other to a pulp. No cars finished the race!!
Then, just as quickly as they’d arrived, they were gone again. In 1995 the old track became defunct as the land was sold, racing stopped and houses built.
The current track opened in 2001, and by the following season, 2002/03, the Todd & Pollock Baypark Busters were back. The cars were now predominantly orange, the black backs gone, but down at Palmerston North Rodney Wood, Kerry Remnant, Kyle Fraser and Ross Ashby (Tony Melgers travelled as reserve but did not race) produced a stunning effort to unexpectedly take victory. Stratford was the first to fall in a race that seemed to take half the night to run. Three different cars took the white flag, both teams having their chance to win, before Kyle Fraser came from several laps down to win the race. Otago were later dispatched 175-20 before the Panthers met their waterloo once more in the Semi Final. Hawkes Bay was the last victim in the Final, and success was the Busters once again.
Their game plan was simple, and obvious for all to see. Wood and Remnant were the runners, Ashby and Fraser the blockers, but could anybody stop them? Not for a couple of years was the simple answer, as they went on the rampage throughout the land, winning everything there was to win, with almost unprecedented levels of success.
At Palmerston North in 2004 Bryce Steiner was added to the Wood, Remnant, Fraser and Ashby show. Back to back victories were their reward, Steiner racing just once as the core-four once again proved easy to read but impossible to stop. The first night they worked their way through the Wellington Wildcats and Manawatu Mustangs before meeting the Wanganui Warriors in the Semi. They too were swept to one side, setting up a dream final against arch rivals, the Palmerston North Panthers. The Todd & Pollock boys won what was until recently thought to be their last ever victory in the great event (three amazing victories in just six appearances), as Baypark promoter Willie Kay pulled Superstocks from the schedule in 2005. It also proved to be the last time the Panthers were beaten by anybody in their home event until the Nelson Tigers did the deed in the semi-final of 2010.
Whilst around the country many were up in arms over the money that appeared to be spent to create five matching Superstocks back in 1992, many others followed suit over the next few years until today not only does every Superstock team turn out identically dressed these days, but every Stockcar team as well. Baypark showed them how it was done, both on and off the track, and the sport had bettered itself as a result.
Then, just over two years ago, “Captain Kerry” Remnant announced “we’re getting the band back together” when naming a new Baypark Busters team. The “new” boys were not really new at all however; Team Coach (and sixth driver) was Rodney Wood, whilst Mark Decke was back behind the wheel, having amazingly raced with both previous incarnations of the team. Ross Ashby, Kyle Fraser and Kerry Remnant all returned too, while the impressive young talent - but teams-racing rookie - David Elsworth, filled the final vacancy.
At Palmerston North in February 2013 they dispatched the Auckland Allstars and the Rotorua Rebels, the latter 185-0, on the first night to make the Semi Finals once again. However they lost to the Manawatu Mustangs then the Nelson Tigers to finish up fourth overall upon their return.
12 months later however, and with Mark Decke (now team manager) out and Tony Wootton in, they defeated the Stratford Scrappers, the Auckland Allstars, the Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes and the Wanganui Warriors to taste success once again, exactly 10 years on from their last victory.
With Fraser and Ashby advising that they’d be stepping aside from teams racing, new blood was brought into the squad last season (talented drivers like Tony Wootton and Karl Ross) to gain experience in preparation to fill the foreseeable future void, but for different reasons that has not all fallen into place for the team in 2014/15.
Last season’s major sponsors were Pollock Cranes, Maketu Poultry Farms, Warehouse Parts, Sadt, Flamecrusher, Scrapman, Elsworth Contracting, Ashby Engineering. Ross Pumps and Baypark Speedway, and team management want very much to thank all of them for their unwavering support....and also the fans, of which the orange-clad Baypark Busters have had legions of loyal support since their very first appearance just before Christmas in 1992. Thank you all......
