Wanganui teens set for Hamilton street race

Two Wanganui teenagers get to bathe in the limelight as they speed round the streets of Hamilton this weekend.
Matt Gibson and William Bamber have been selected to race in the Suzuki Swift trophy round on the undercard of the Hamilton 400 featuring the cream of the V8 Super Car fraternity.
Sixteen-year-old Bamber, younger brother of NZ Grand Prix winner Earl, has already stamped his mark on the New Zealand motor racing circuit winning the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup this year, while 18-year-old Gibson finished fourth in his rookie season.
On Friday the pair line up against 16 other Swift drivers attempting to qualify for two 10-lap races on Saturday and one on Sunday. The Sunday race is run just before the main V8 Super Car event.
"This is not a championship round, it's a trophy round and it's going to be awesome," an excited Gibson said yesterday.
"During the Sport Cup rounds we usually race in front of a couple of thousand spectators, but they are expecting upwards of 70,000 people in Hamilton - we'll be right in the limelight with the chance to impress the right people.
"It's massive exposure and to have two Wanganui drivers in the first four is excellent."
The Suzuki Swifts may be small, but the stock standard vehicles hit speeds of up to 200km/hr on the roomier tracks like Pukekohe.
"The motors aren't modified, they're stock standard. The only modifications are the brakes, shocks and roll cage pretty much," Gibson said.
Gibson's love of racing began in karts when he was just 12, but he has shown he can easily cope with the rise in grade with his fourth in the Sport Cup in his rookie year.
"It was Will's second season and my first. Will told be at the beginning I would learn so much during the first season and he was right. I know the tracks now and what the cars are capable of, so I'm confident I can improve next season, which begins in November. I'll stay in the Swift at this stage, but Will has the chance to drive a Porsche this season," Gibson said.
The tyre technician for Wanganui Tyre and Alloy has high ambitions, though and fully intends working his way through the grades and eventually end up in the gruntier vehicles.
"Yeah, I'd like to work my way up to the bigger cars, but in the meantime I'm more than happy to be a factory driver for Suzuki and do my best to improve in the Sport Cup round," Gibson said.