Post by shayne293 on Feb 11, 2013 20:44:31 GMT 12
You may know I'm from the UK and so support Team GB. However I also like to see positive posts that encourage and promote our sport in a good way as much as it can. as I and most people I know within the sport are passionate about it. If anyone has not already read this. I came across this post on a famous social network after the team champs from Kerry of the Manawata Mustangs. I thought how well he expressed his gratitude to the fans fellow drivers and a especially his team, family and crew. A true professional and definitely deserves a read.
Kerry Humphrey - Superstock 79p
Well teams champs weekend has come and gone for another year, and we had a great time being part of it all. We were confirmed as members of the 2013 Manawatu Mustangs after the World 240s in Rotorua, so we had two weeks to get the car and spares all up to teams racing standard. Luckily my crew and family love speedway as much as I do so everyone was as keen as I was to put in the extra hours required to make it all happen.
Firstly a huge thanks to all our sponsors this weekend - Fowler Homes, Harts Body Shop, Lucas Oil Products, Holden Corner, GH Engineering, Big Barrel Wholesale Liquor, Andies Bodies and Screen Printing Services. Thanks to you all for helping the team out. Its fair to say my whole crew was blown away when we received the team bodies! The guys from Harts Body Shop, Carl from Signfusion and Grant from Screenworx did an amazing job of transforming all our battered bodies, bonnets and wings into the awesome finished product that we were able to display. We got plenty of comments all weekend on the presentation of the cars and the team so all credit and thanks should go to Jacob, Carl and Grant for making us look so good!
We were really excited with the Mustangs team that was named. The Joblin Motorsport Team are true professionals, starting with Russell and the boys, right down to their crew, not only for what happens on the track but for what happens off it. They are a real credit to the sport and we enjoy racing against these guys week in week out, so to have Adam and Simon as team mates was awesome. As always they drove hard and fast and delivered the results. You would have thought Asher and Jack would have been pretty nervous about racing this weekend with all the hype about who their fathers are, however you would have never have known by how calm and collected they were all weekend. These young fellas went out there and showed everyone that the names Miers and Rees will be around for a long time to come, and the fact that so many people have said you could have sworn that it was Pete and Scotty out their driving against the Busters is just the ultimate compliment to how well they went. Chad Ace was the 6th driver for the team, and although he wasnt required to jump into a car he was always on hand helping out. Chad is itching for some teams racing action and we cant wait to see him get a chance, Im sure it wont be too far away. So to Adam, Simon, Asher, Jack and Chad, thanks for the weekend, it was a privilege and a thrill to race with you all. Not many teams manage to get 5 cars out for each race and the fact that we did is a credit to all your crews and helpers over the weekend.
A huge thanks must go to Ian Parfitt for all his organization of the team. Ian takes care of everything meaning we just get left to sort our cars out. It would be pretty easy for fans to overlook how much work the managers of teams do, but I can assure you we definitely appreciate everything. Ian devotes a heap of time to not only the Mustangs but also the Palmerston North Pumas, and you would be hard pressed finding a more dedicated man for the job. Russell Joblin also helps out organizing the team over the weekend, so a big thanks to him. Russell is a wealth of knowledge and is very approachable making him a very valuable man to the team. Despite being tied up with the Panthers, Gary Parkes and Scott Miers were also a massive help over the weekend, sharing advice and helping with race tactics. These guys really know what they are talking about and the fact they were keen to help us out was really appreciated. My whole team would also like to say a huge thanks to Scott and Vicki Miers for their hospitality over the weekend. From the BBQ lunch on Friday to the Party on Saturday, thanks for making us feel welcome, you guys definitely know how to entertain!
As always my crew really stepped up and made me proud this weekend. We went through four chillibins of fizzy and energy drinks keeping them going on minimal sleep! They put in some serious work getting the car and spares all sorted for the weekend. We were lucky to only have minimal damage after our first race against Rotorua on Friday, but I managed to keep them busy after bashing the car up a bit against Waikato. They worked through the wee hours on Friday replacing the front bumper, fixing wheel guards and other steel work. I had also managed to do a good job of busting up my car body, although you probably wouldnt have noticed on Saturday they did such a good job of repairing that. I really put them to the test on Saturday night, when the car came off the track after the Busters race there was bent and broken parts everywhere! The boys were straight into action and got the car mobile again for the final. With all the other cars 100% and ours not quite we were understandably left out of the final, but the fact my crew got the car out to the infield was awesome. Thanks heaps guys I would be no where without the support you give me week in week out.
It was great to have my wife Roz and my two kids Thornton and Alaska out with me for the grand parade. Im stoked that they can come and enjoy the occasion with me on the biggest stage. At times speedway can feel like such a selfish sport with the time I have to spend in the shed, so for them to get some real enjoyment out of it means a lot to me. Thanks Roz for letting me live my dream!
As always Bruce and Puk put on a great weekend. They have made Teams Champs weekend one of the greatest motorsport events in the country. Its amazing how many people you see at teams weekend who are not regular speedway followers, which shows how well promoted this meeting is. So to Bruce and Puk and the PN Speedway Team, and to all the volunteers and officials who make the weekend happen thank you for putting on a show where we can go out there and do our thing. To think that a team travels from the other side of the world for this weekend says it all!
To all the fans that travel to come and watch the racing, a massive thanks to you. You guys make the meeting what it is. My favorite part about Teams weekend is being able to meet fans from literally all over the world. It is quite a humbling experience to be able to make a young fans day by having a photo with him, or taking a few minutes to talk to someone who has travelled so far to watch the racing. The passion and commitment speedway fans show at this weekend would be hard to rival.
Overall we were very happy with our results over the weekend. Obviously every team turns up wanting to win, but somehow finishing second to the Palmerston North Panthers doesnt seem so bad! The Panthers are just on top of their game every year, and with so much experience racing together it is going to take a huge effort for someone to knock them off. It is a thrill just to be competing against these guys as they are all teams racing legends. To be standing on the podium with the Panthers and the Nelson Tigers, two teams I have spent years admiring, is an honor. Having said that, getting so close just makes me hungrier to keep improving and to one day get to that top spot!
Finally I just want to thank all the other drivers for coming and racing this weekend. I know for sure I am not the only one nursing bumps and bruises today. For years I spent Teams weekend cheering from the stands, desperate for big crashes and carnage. I can assure everyone it is much easier from that side of the fence! Win or lose all drivers out there deserve the praise and respect of the crowd for putting their bodies on the line.
Next up for us is the Global Challenge in a few weeks, and then all things going to plan some more teams racing up in Auckland.
Kerry Humphrey - Superstock 79p
Well teams champs weekend has come and gone for another year, and we had a great time being part of it all. We were confirmed as members of the 2013 Manawatu Mustangs after the World 240s in Rotorua, so we had two weeks to get the car and spares all up to teams racing standard. Luckily my crew and family love speedway as much as I do so everyone was as keen as I was to put in the extra hours required to make it all happen.
Firstly a huge thanks to all our sponsors this weekend - Fowler Homes, Harts Body Shop, Lucas Oil Products, Holden Corner, GH Engineering, Big Barrel Wholesale Liquor, Andies Bodies and Screen Printing Services. Thanks to you all for helping the team out. Its fair to say my whole crew was blown away when we received the team bodies! The guys from Harts Body Shop, Carl from Signfusion and Grant from Screenworx did an amazing job of transforming all our battered bodies, bonnets and wings into the awesome finished product that we were able to display. We got plenty of comments all weekend on the presentation of the cars and the team so all credit and thanks should go to Jacob, Carl and Grant for making us look so good!
We were really excited with the Mustangs team that was named. The Joblin Motorsport Team are true professionals, starting with Russell and the boys, right down to their crew, not only for what happens on the track but for what happens off it. They are a real credit to the sport and we enjoy racing against these guys week in week out, so to have Adam and Simon as team mates was awesome. As always they drove hard and fast and delivered the results. You would have thought Asher and Jack would have been pretty nervous about racing this weekend with all the hype about who their fathers are, however you would have never have known by how calm and collected they were all weekend. These young fellas went out there and showed everyone that the names Miers and Rees will be around for a long time to come, and the fact that so many people have said you could have sworn that it was Pete and Scotty out their driving against the Busters is just the ultimate compliment to how well they went. Chad Ace was the 6th driver for the team, and although he wasnt required to jump into a car he was always on hand helping out. Chad is itching for some teams racing action and we cant wait to see him get a chance, Im sure it wont be too far away. So to Adam, Simon, Asher, Jack and Chad, thanks for the weekend, it was a privilege and a thrill to race with you all. Not many teams manage to get 5 cars out for each race and the fact that we did is a credit to all your crews and helpers over the weekend.
A huge thanks must go to Ian Parfitt for all his organization of the team. Ian takes care of everything meaning we just get left to sort our cars out. It would be pretty easy for fans to overlook how much work the managers of teams do, but I can assure you we definitely appreciate everything. Ian devotes a heap of time to not only the Mustangs but also the Palmerston North Pumas, and you would be hard pressed finding a more dedicated man for the job. Russell Joblin also helps out organizing the team over the weekend, so a big thanks to him. Russell is a wealth of knowledge and is very approachable making him a very valuable man to the team. Despite being tied up with the Panthers, Gary Parkes and Scott Miers were also a massive help over the weekend, sharing advice and helping with race tactics. These guys really know what they are talking about and the fact they were keen to help us out was really appreciated. My whole team would also like to say a huge thanks to Scott and Vicki Miers for their hospitality over the weekend. From the BBQ lunch on Friday to the Party on Saturday, thanks for making us feel welcome, you guys definitely know how to entertain!
As always my crew really stepped up and made me proud this weekend. We went through four chillibins of fizzy and energy drinks keeping them going on minimal sleep! They put in some serious work getting the car and spares all sorted for the weekend. We were lucky to only have minimal damage after our first race against Rotorua on Friday, but I managed to keep them busy after bashing the car up a bit against Waikato. They worked through the wee hours on Friday replacing the front bumper, fixing wheel guards and other steel work. I had also managed to do a good job of busting up my car body, although you probably wouldnt have noticed on Saturday they did such a good job of repairing that. I really put them to the test on Saturday night, when the car came off the track after the Busters race there was bent and broken parts everywhere! The boys were straight into action and got the car mobile again for the final. With all the other cars 100% and ours not quite we were understandably left out of the final, but the fact my crew got the car out to the infield was awesome. Thanks heaps guys I would be no where without the support you give me week in week out.
It was great to have my wife Roz and my two kids Thornton and Alaska out with me for the grand parade. Im stoked that they can come and enjoy the occasion with me on the biggest stage. At times speedway can feel like such a selfish sport with the time I have to spend in the shed, so for them to get some real enjoyment out of it means a lot to me. Thanks Roz for letting me live my dream!
As always Bruce and Puk put on a great weekend. They have made Teams Champs weekend one of the greatest motorsport events in the country. Its amazing how many people you see at teams weekend who are not regular speedway followers, which shows how well promoted this meeting is. So to Bruce and Puk and the PN Speedway Team, and to all the volunteers and officials who make the weekend happen thank you for putting on a show where we can go out there and do our thing. To think that a team travels from the other side of the world for this weekend says it all!
To all the fans that travel to come and watch the racing, a massive thanks to you. You guys make the meeting what it is. My favorite part about Teams weekend is being able to meet fans from literally all over the world. It is quite a humbling experience to be able to make a young fans day by having a photo with him, or taking a few minutes to talk to someone who has travelled so far to watch the racing. The passion and commitment speedway fans show at this weekend would be hard to rival.
Overall we were very happy with our results over the weekend. Obviously every team turns up wanting to win, but somehow finishing second to the Palmerston North Panthers doesnt seem so bad! The Panthers are just on top of their game every year, and with so much experience racing together it is going to take a huge effort for someone to knock them off. It is a thrill just to be competing against these guys as they are all teams racing legends. To be standing on the podium with the Panthers and the Nelson Tigers, two teams I have spent years admiring, is an honor. Having said that, getting so close just makes me hungrier to keep improving and to one day get to that top spot!
Finally I just want to thank all the other drivers for coming and racing this weekend. I know for sure I am not the only one nursing bumps and bruises today. For years I spent Teams weekend cheering from the stands, desperate for big crashes and carnage. I can assure everyone it is much easier from that side of the fence! Win or lose all drivers out there deserve the praise and respect of the crowd for putting their bodies on the line.
Next up for us is the Global Challenge in a few weeks, and then all things going to plan some more teams racing up in Auckland.
