Manfeild Success Prompts Bailey To Return For More

12-03-09

Manfeild Success Prompts Bailey To Return For More

Buoyed by his success in what was supposed to be a one-off appearance in the MINI Challenge at Manfeild a fortnight ago, young Palmerston North driver Ryan Bailey will be back on the grid at the final round of this season's series at Pukekohe's Pukekohe Park Raceway this weekend.

Despite never have raced a left-hand-drive car let alone a purpose-built MINI Challenge racer before the weekend the 20-year-old sales executive now living and working in Auckland qualified second quickest and won two of the three races - including the longer Sunday afternoon final - to claim round victory and leave regular category competitors scratching their heads at his pace and race craft.

"I've certainly got them talking," he laughed as he contemplates his return this weekend."It was a bit of a hit with the sponsors too.

A karting contemporary of Red Bull driver Brendon Hartley and A1 Team.NZL driver Earl Bamber, Bailey is a two-time New Zealand and two-time North Island champion. He also dominated early rounds and eventually finished a close second in the Star Car series on his move from karts to cars and was impressive in a similar 'toe-in-the-water' exercise in the Formula Ford class two years ago.

However finding the funds to make a permanent move from karts to cars has always been a problem and it was only with the support of a raft of sponsors that he was able to lease the G.J.Gardner Homes Mini and contemplate entering the Manfeild round.

Fortunately it could hardly have worked out better, hence a second chance this weekend.

"It was a gamble," Bailey admitted this morning." But the sponsors I did bring on board were really happy and when I breached the subject of coming back and having a go at the final they were like 'go for it!'

Bailey was dynamic in all three races at Manfeild, forcing early race leader Craig Innes into a mistake late in the first race, successfully managing a lack of grip in the second race to finish third then muscling his way into an early lead he would never lose after starting from the third row of the grid in the reverse top 10 grid final.

The fact that as a newcomer to the series he didn't have to carry any 'success ballast' helped but this weekend Bailey will be running the full 'round winner' 50 kilograms.

As to what effect that will have Bailey isn't sure, bar saying that as at Manfeild he hasn't put in the hard yards raising the budget to do another round to come second.

"It's not that I want to sound big-headed or anything, particularly because I really like and respect the guys in the Challenge, but racing's racing, there's only one place that matters and that's first place."

Bailey's return to the MINI Challenge this weekend comes courtesy of European Auto Spares, Wedding Bridle, Dittmer Panel Beaters, Obertech Group, Nissan Car Parts Palmerston North, Capture NZ, Advanced Personnel Services , Colin Waite Panelbeaters, Logic Computer Solutions, G.J. Gardiner Homes and Pridex Kitchens.

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