Rough ride on debut

WHENEVER Martinborough ministock driver Don Mailman goes racing his baby daughter Tyler Rose will be right there with him.
Porirua tagger Antz Paaka, the New Zealand No. 2 at this particular art form, has emblazoned her name around the back of Don's new car, in what the driver believes may be a New Zealand first. It's certainly eye-catching.
Don Mailman is the son of Lou Mailman, now of Dannevirke, a speedway driver from 1974 to 1977 and founder of the Pirinoa flat-track circuit 10 or so years back.
Don raced a motorcycle there as a 9-year-old and then progressed on to adult ministocks, cars that look like the seniors but which are based on 1200cc Toyotas and Datsuns.
Ministocks were established in the mid-90s as an entry class to speedway. Reasonably cheap and low-maintenance, they offer speed, thrills and close competition. All share the same chassis and run on road tyres, and the similar engines and running gear mean success comes down to driver ability. There's no prizemoney, but lots of fun. Some older former racers have joined the class for that very reason.
Don Mailman bought his car for $2000, and has since spent around $3000 on it. That's peanuts compared with most other forms of motorsport. The $3000 includes the new (fibreglass) Ford Y body.
His boss at Ace Paint and Panel, Kim Lace, is one of the top drivers at Te Marua in the premier class. Don pitted for him for several years and that's where he did his early ministock racing (and got his first win). But races were infrequent over the hill and fields small, with just 12 cars competing.
He switched to Palmerston North, which has 69 cars ? so many they have to split the fields. Each driver gets three races at each meeting, so there's plenty of action.
The Martinborough man's first race in Palmerston North was in a field of 36, and his welcome included being tipped onto his roof. (When he tried to reciprocate at the next meeting he got a ticking-off ? this is supposedly a non-contact sport).
The car's had a major rebuild for this season, including a new roll cage and framing, the new shell and a reconditioned engine. Still to go onto the body are the sponsors, Masta Blasta, Relish (an adult toy company run by his partner Melanie), Ace Panel and Paint and Quality Demolitions.
(This latter firm was a long-term sponsor of truck racer Malcolm Little. Shane Gray, from Quality Demolitions, is now going racing himself, having bought one of Little's race trucks, and it has just been repainted at Ace Paint and Panel. Small world).
Don Mailman's plans for this season, apart from the regular Palmerston North meetings, include a trip taking in tracks at Wanganui and Stratford and maybe traveling to Ashburton for the New Zealand championships next May.
This is a "black track", outside the jurisdiction of Speedway New Zealand, where, according to Don, anything goes.