New Zealand’s speedway season may be over for Southern Hemisphere competitors but one veteran driver is heading to the US next month to take on the best.
The first annual 2010 Western Speedweek will be held in a quick fire format in June and will be spread over three states on the US West Coast.
Western Speedweek brings a challenge of doing seven races at five tracks in just nine days.
The whirlwind tour kicks off on Friday June 11 at Chico in Northern California, then heads north the next day to Medford, Oregon, followed two days later for round three at Cottage Grove, near Eugene. The final Oregon leg is at Lebanon before the Kiwi contingent travel north into Washington State for the last three races, all held at Skagit, Burlington, situated north of Seattle.
At 52, Graeme ‘Skinny’ Colson has a wealth of experience ‘down under’ and after 28 years of racing, has decided to have a crack at the US scene with support from Daltons landscape and garden supplies.
The three-time NZ Super Saloon Car Champion raced in the Sprint Car and Saloon Car classes with mixed results last season. One meeting included Nelson Speedway during Colson’s first Nelson appearance for ten years, where fans wore ‘Skinny’ Colson T shirts from his different racing eras crowded the grandstands.
Taranaki resident Colson says, “That was a highlight as we gave them such a good show that night, I won and broke the lap record. Then on Sunday Dalton’s flew me to Auckland to appear on TV1 with Geoff Bryan.”
The US-bound driver is looking forward to driving the tracks and gauging the level of the American competition, but the going won’t be easy with so many meetings and so much travel in just nine days, on new tracks. “We’ve been working closely with Jonathan Allard and Peter Murphy in the US and they’ve told me all about the tracks, which are a quarter to a third mile long - big like Bay Park Speedway, but banked and wider.”
“This is going to be an experience, I’ve flown to Australia once, and that’s it! It’s an opportunity I would never have had without the support from Daltons of Matamata, who are helping put it all together,” Colson explains.
“I’m just going to do the best that I can. We have some pretty good equipment and I’m going to race the hardest and fastest as I can! My sponsors have told me to drive it like I’ve stolen it! They have a spare frame and a spare engine so I’ll give it the best I can.”
Colson still enjoys good, hard, fast and side by side close racing, “I’d love to place well in a feature, I’m not going to set goals I’m just going to try the best I can do, I want to give them the best show I can.”
Laid back or not, Colson and his team will be looking to bring home a share of the US$225,000 prizemoney at stake.
Colson will be driving in the US under the Redfern Racing banner in a 410 Sprint Series car supplied by US-based top Australian Sprintcar driver Peter Murphy. Redfern Racing is run by expat New Zealander Craig Parker, who owns Kiwi Transport, a Fresno (California) based trucking business.
Having the right backing can be as important to a teams success as having the fastest driver. Colson’s 2009/2010 season effort and US foray was boosted considerably with new support from Daltons garden and landscape supplies. A team of up to ten supporters, sponsors and crew will accompany Colson to the US.
2010 Western Speedweek Schedule
June 11, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, California (Friday)
June 12, Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, Oregon (Saturday)
June 14, Cottage Grove Speedway, Cottage Grove, Oregon (Monday)
June 15, Willamette Speedway, Lebanon, Oregon (Tuesday)
June 17, Skagit Speedway, Burlington, Washington State (Thursday)
June 18, Skagit Speedway, Burlington, Washington State (Friday)
June 19, Skagit Speedway, Burlington, Washington State (Saturday)
