Speedway: Defending champ Brandon Symes has options at Meeanee

Marked Man: Brandon Symes will attempt to retain the Kuru Cup at Meeanee tonight. Photo/Duncan Brown

Hawke's Bay stockcar driver Brandon Symes expects to be targeted in the 11th edition of the Kuru Cup meeting at Meeanee tonight.

The 22-year-old defending champion has done his homework and discovered only one driver has gone back-to-back. That bloke was Aaron Iremonger in 2009 and '10.

During those seasons Iremonger was a class act. He had the necessary pace and skills as well as the support when required.

"If I am knocked out of contention during the first couple of races I'll help out the Bay boys in the final race. The cup has yet to go out of the Bay and it's only right we keep it that way," Symes said.

A second-season driver in the class, Symes, was surprisingly untouched on his way to victory in the final race last year after finishing second in the first heat and third in the second. After that victory he predicted he would be a marked man this summer but that hasn't been the case.

The diesel mechanic with Eastern Truck and Marine who races an AU Falcon-powered car has had a season to remember. He finished third in the North Island championships in Palmerston North, fourth in last weekend's Manawatu Championships in Palmerston North after a run-off for third with Palmy's Taylor Lamp, third in the under-23s in Stratford and was among the qualifiers at the New Zealand Grand Prix in Rotorua.

In his first taste of teams racing Symes helped the Orange Roughies finished third in the Peter Barry Memorial Teams Event at Meeanee last month.

"I couldn't be happier with my season. You've got to do the travelling to stay competitive," he said.

A product of the Auckland ministock scene, Symes, had a four-season break from speedway before moving to the Bay and stepping up to the stockcar ranks. His progress during the past two summers suggests he could make a valuable addition to the Meeanee Maulers team.

But that isn't on his list of goals.

"I want to focus on individual events rather than teams races. Next season's nationals meeting in Gisborne is the big one. We've done a few meetings up there and my car loves the Gisborne track," Symes said.

Symes boasts maturity beyond his years on the track and handles the off-track requirements with aplomb. This was demonstrated when he politely asked if he could put in a good word or two for his sponsors - KR Tong Engineering, Bay Tyres, G & H Anderson Logging and K Brown Designs.

Along with Symes and Iremonger fellow Bay drivers Randal Tarrant (twice), Brett Loveridge, Regan O'Brien, Andrew Powell and Darren Melling have all tasted Kuru Cup glory. The cup was donated by former Gisborne-based driver Ricky Kuru who regularly contracted to the Hawke's Bay club before stepping back from the sport to focus on his logging contracting business.

The Kuru Cup event, which has attracted 30 starters, will be one of several feature attractions at the Motorworks HB-sponsored meeting tonight. Twenty three drivers, including Manawatu's defending champion Jayden Ward, will battle in the Autumn Nationals for Superstocks.

Hawke's Bay's best hopes include former 2NZ Jason Long, Quinn Ryan, Zach Lawrence and Hawke's Bay champion Quintin Butcher. Hawke's Bay and East Coast titles will be up for grabs in the sidecar and solobike classes.

The Palmerston North-contracted Jason McKay holds both the Hawke's Bay and East Coast solobike titles and is the hot favourite to go back-to-back in an 11-strong field. Hawke's Bay's hopes in this class include veteran Darrin Wilson and Michael Patey.
Super saloons, saloons and ministocks will provide the support class action.