Sam Barry
FORD versus Holden ... it's a rivalry of epic proportions and one which goes back almost 100 years.
While it's worse in Australia, there are still Kiwi Ford fans who refuse to be seen in Holdens and vice versa. Fortunately, Hawke's Bay's New Zealand V8 Utes Series competitor Sam Barry isn't one of those fans.
Takapau's Barry has been racing a Ford in this season's series and next weekend will race a Holden in the Barbagallo Raceway, Perth-hosted round in the Aussie series. "I was offered a drive and I accepted it. Hopefully it won't be too hard to adjust," Barry said.
The name of the Redcliffe, Brisbane-based team which offered Barry the ride, Peters Motorsport, may prove to be a lucky omen. Barry's father, the late Peter Barry, a popular Central Hawke's Bay farmer and businessman who died from head injuries received when racing for the Kihi Kihi Kings Superstock team at Palmerston North in 2009, would have been proud to witness his son's progress in the utes.
Barry, 20, is the top rookie after the first three rounds in the New Zealand series after third, fifth and sixth placings and the youngest driver. He will be the only Kiwi in next weekend's Aussie round.
"I'll be a bit outnumbered and, with 32 drivers on the track, it's a few more than what I'm used to in the national series when we have 15 or 16 starters. I haven't been too far behind the Aussie [Kris Walton] who has been coming over here and dominating our races on lap times," Barry, the fourth driver in the Peters Motorsport team, explained.
Barry, a former Suzuki Swift Sport Cup series competitor and speedway ministock racer, won't be short of motivational fuel when he races next weekend. He has been told if he performs well, he will secure a drive at the Bathurst round in the series which coincides with the October Bathurst round in the V8 Supercar series.
"I've googled the Barbagallo Raceway track and I've been racing it on PlayStation. It's a bit like Pukekohe ... fast and open with long straights which will suit the Holden which has a bit more torque than the Ford," Barry said.
Next weekend's trip will be his second taste of international racing as he raced a ministock in Britain towards the end of his speedway career. In Perth, Barry will get two practice drives, a qualifying heat and three races.
Barry was rapt with his first round in the national series at Cromwell where he was right up with the leading lap times and finished third overall. The next two rounds where he finished fifth and sixth respectively were in Pukekohe.
"After racing the Suzuki Swifts, I've got a lot more control of the V8 utes. But they are so light in the back end, I still do too many drifts. I've learned as lot about car set-ups too," he added.