Brown named Gisborne Speedway Club competitor of the year

BIG WINNERS: Brown in action in his 1NZ car. Prize-giving pictures by Aaron Lum/Exposure Photography, action pictures by Liam Clayton

NEW Zealand streetstocks champion Aaron Brown capped another great season by being named competitor of the year at the Gisborne Speedway Club awards night on Saturday.

A packed house of more than 230 club members and supporters filled the Hotel Emerald conference room for the event.

“It felt pretty awesome to win the top competitor trophy back to back,” said 26-year-old Brown, who won the New Zealand champs at Kihikihi in January and the NZ Grand Prix on his home Eastland Group Raceway Gisborne track in March.

“I’d like to thank my mum and dad Karen and Graham, my partner Emma (Moore), my crew (Hanan and Ashleigh Stevens and Adam Grimson) and my sponsors.

“My thanks also to all the other club members and family members who have supported me.”

Brown said he would be back to defend the New Zealand title next season.

Moore takes home trophiesThe highly consistent Hamish Moore took home a stack of trophies in the youth ministocks and was also named competitor of the year in that class for the second consecutive season.

“It was an awesome season for the club, one of the biggest and best we’ve ever had,” club president Grant MacGregor told the prize-giving crowd.

“The selection of 1NZ Aaron Brown as our competitor of the year was a unanimous vote by our committee members. He thoroughly deserves it.”

Brown’s season also featured the Gisborne champion of champions streetstocks title, the club feature points title in his class, the fastest lap time by a streetstock on the Gisborne track, the best presented vehicle in his class and he was a member of the East Coast Eels who retained the national teams’ crown.

“Hamish Moore was a stand-out in the youth ministocks and thoroughly deserved that award as well,” said MacGregor.

Moore won the main and feature points titles in his class and also compiled the highest points average (main and feature points) over all classes.

“You cannot go past the performances by those two drivers, who performed week in-week out through the season, and not just in Gisborne but at other tracks as well.”

Club secretary Bev Hancox was named club women of the year and Daniel O’Neill club man.