'Gutsy' Coley shows his class with NSW victory

AUSSIE ADVENTURE: Rob Coley, seen here with brother Tony, won the final round of the Australian V8 Superboats Championships on Sunday.PHOTO/FILE

Wanganui jet sprinter Rob Coley is signalling serious intentions of national and perhaps world title contention this summer after he won the final unlimited superboat round of the Australian V8 Superboats Championships at the weekend.

The victory at Tweed Coast Jetsprint Club, New South Wales, lifted Coley to second overall in the six-round Australian championships, of which he had competed at five rounds from March to November.

Coley teamed with navigator Kellie Minnell again for the round which saw clear series leader Phonsy Mullan unable to compete due to recent surgery, while another former Aussie champion in Greg Mercier also sat out the round with injury.

Known for his aggressive driving, Coley suffered a monster rollover during qualifying on Sunday for the two-day event, but still recovered to finish the Top 6 eliminator as the best qualifier with a 49.083s time.

He went into the Top 3 final with crowd favourite Brooke Avenell and emerging star Jamie Welch, and set the fastest time of the weekend with a 48.360s lap to claim the victory.

Coley was on his way to China yesterday on a business trip, but dad Ron Coley attended the NSW event and said the family was delighted with the results, considering his son entered the Australian series just to get valuable experience.

"Certainly I'm a very proud father," said Ron Coley.

"What made this one so good, in the last [qualifier] he crashed, and then got back with a win. It's pretty amazing.

"He's certainly a real gutsy boy, he just loves the sport," said Ron Coley.

Driving 'Poison Ivy' with Minnell navigating, Rob Coley also had a second and a third placing during the series to finish on 147 points overall, just ahead of Welch with 144 although Mullan comfortably claimed the title with 190.

Seventeen superboat drivers featured among the final points tallies.

Last year in the New Zealand series, Coley finished fifth overall after problems with the boat in the first few rounds, but then came back to win at Crownthorpe and Wanaka.

Coley and Minnell will team up again for the New Zealand summer, which starts at the Shelterview track at Upokongaro on December 27.

"He's confident of doing well because we've got the world's [championship] here in January, in Meremere and Tauranga," said Ron Coley.