Hopes high for Oceanias

PRIMED FOR ACTION: Gisborne sidecar combination Callum Innes and Russell Stuart left today for the Oceania Sidecar Championship meetings in Christchurch and Invercargill and they think they have a good chance of doing well. Picture by Cookies Photography

Gisborne sidecars duo Callum Innes and Russell Stuart are full of belief that they can compete strongly in the Oceania Sidecar Championship.

The 22G team earned their spot in the Oceania event last year when they finished second qualifiers in Auckland.

This will be the first time the championship has been held in New Zealand, as well as over two meetings.

“The boys will race at Moore Park Speedway in Christchurch on Saturday and then at Oreti Park Speedway in Invercargill on February 4,” Gisborne Speedway Club sidecar rep Rebekah Ireland said.

“The Oceania contest is usually contested by 16 bikes from throughout the world.

“This year will only see 16 top New Zealand teams battle it out as travel has proved too hard for the Australian crews due to their Aussie titles in Perth just weeks after the Oceania champs.”

Callum said he and Russell were “stoked” to be representing the Gisborne club, along with their sponsors and supporters.

“We'll have two bikes — one of the oldest competing sidecars in New Zealand and the newest one in the world.

“At this stage we're not sure which one we'll use, but probably both,” Innes said.

“The old girl's a good backup and we're obviously more used to it, but we would be silly not to use the new machine.

“It all depends on how fast the new bike comes out of the starting gates.”

Innes believes they can do well.

“Anything can happen on race day, but we feel we have just as good a shot at the title as the other 15 combinations.”

The duo have been racing fast and consistently against quality opposition this season.

They will also be competing in the CTRA NZ Sidecar Championship at Ellesmere Motor Racing Club on February 6, and to round out the trip and over 4000 kilometres of travelling, they will compete in the Burt Munro Challenge back in Oreti on February 11.