Only Ammz

Team Humphries Racing - 2013 Palmy Opening

I mentioned William Humphries in a recent post, here is his father Craig Humphries in the 98P Superstock.

A few recollections I have of Craig, but the top billing was a teams race at the 2006 Teams Champs where he raced for the Manawatu Mustangs versing the HB Hawkeyes Superstock Team at Robertson Prestige International Speedway.

The Mustangs were defending champions heading into the 06 event, Trevor Mason led most of the race with Craig close behind. Mustang team mate Kevin Robert's sent Mason into the turn 3 wall hard on the final corner, Mason carried on but Craig was able to close the gap eventually putting Mason up the wall in a high speed wall ride under the checker, Craig just getting the win for the Mustangs by only inches.

The Palmerston North Panthers Official evetually went on to win that event.

But if we can cast the memory banks a year prior, the Mustangs won the 2005 event against all odds with what was considered a "underdogs" team.

That team featuring.... 52P Gary Hayes (in a Stockcar), 53P Kevin Roberts, 66P Tony Whittaker, 77P Brett Hyslop and of course 98P Craig Humphries.

This team going on to beat the Glen Eagles Superstock Team in a grand final thriller.

Are the Palmy fans able to confirm that the 2013/2014 season was Craig's final season in Superstocks? 🤔

A true entertainer that was always willing to help the 'P' cars at the big titles, it's not hard to see where William got the same hard hitting and stirring traits from.

31P Andy McCabe - 2013 Palmy Opening

Always there...or thereabouts whenever I watched him race, a fast racer that was always willing to roll the sleeves up.

A few recollections I have of Andy, was his World 240s triumph at Rotorua Stockcar Club Inc. in 2012, and then his heroics in stopping 19c Superstock, Malcolm Ngatai Racing from back to back NZ Superstock Titles at McDonald's Kihikihi Speedway in 2010.

That may have came back to haunt him in later years? Coming under significant threat at the 2019 NZ Superstock Championship at Woodford Glen Speedway Association Inc., in which Andy was high up in the points to win the title.

A great teams racer as well, he had sparodic appearances at the later stage of his career for the Palmerston North Panthers Official and the Manawatu Mustangs.

Just maybe as well for the HB Hawkeyes Superstock Team in the earlier part of his career?🤔 I'm not so sure....avid followers of Andy will no doubt correct me on that one.

Nonetheless, always a pleasure to watch 🏁

92M Kyle Fraser - 2013 Palmy Opening

Always humorous and charismatic.

A hard charger in the earlier part of his racing career, that saw him make a name for himself as part of the Teams Champs winning Baypark Busters of the early 2000's.

His individual side of racing got better over the years, and so did his machinery.

A consequence of that saw him as one of the top Superstock drivers in NZ in the late 2000's, going on to win the NZ Superstock Championship at Oceanview Speedway in 2008.

One more Teams Champs title with the Busters in 2014 at Robertson Prestige International Speedway was more then befitting a quiet exit from the sport.

Legend 🏁

Where are those 24 kids now? 🤔

Back in season 2022/2023, Huntly Speedway were hosts to the Po***ck Cranes NZ Superstock Championship.

I was heavily involved in being part of the organizing team to make that event happen, and in fact, original followers of this page will know that this page was setup to document my journey to that title.

One of the initiatives among a few I had implemented for that title, was a competition to find twenty four kids to be assigned to the twenty four qualifiers from that title (before the repercharge) Have those twenty four kids then pick the finals grids for the twenty four finalists, and then also ride shot gun on the cars in the grand parade.

For majority of the kids, they were able to keep the drivers qualifying sashes as a momento.

A few years have passed on from then, I'm wanting to know where these kids are today? 🤔

Was your child one of the twenty four kids?

If so, where are they today?

Did they enjoy the experience?

Were they inspired?

I know of one from the twenty four kids in Cooper Fergusson, son of 96A Superstock Jamie Fergusson. He was able to pick the grids for Quinn Ryan from Quinn Ryan Motorsport 46B

Thru my association with the Auckland Allstars Superstock Team, I've become to know Copper on a personal scale. He now races Ministocks and is actively crewing for his father Jamie, when he isn't working on his own Ministock.

The point of the exercise was to shake things up from the norm I guess, usually we are accustomed to the drivers themselves picking the grids, because picking them is a lottery, having the kids choose them didn't effect it in anyway.

I had Peter Rees come up to me afterwards to shake my hand, mentioning to me that was one of the coolest things he'd ever done at a championship.

Whilst that was reassuring, the icing on the cake for me was seeing the smile on the kids faces when they done their lap of honour.

Our sport is generational, although we are living and racing in the present, we are reliant on the future to carry it on when we are done.

Hopefully that initiative was able to inspire those kids in some way or form.

📷: Full credit to SportsWeb Photography for the use of the image below

62P Stockcar - 2013 Palmy Opening.

Memory is a little dazed of who the driver of this car was, I'm sure the Palmy pundits will be able to help me out with this one.

What isn't dazed is remebering how quick it was.

Pretty sure it went on to 218H Aaron Alderton, and then on to 95A Gary Lonergan.

In addition, pretty sure Alderton greensheeted it as a Superstock at one stage and raced it at the Waikato Superstock Championships, 2015 was the year I think? 🤔

3NZ William Humphries - 2013 Palmy Opening

Sometimes I seem to forget that he was a Stockcar driver, but that's only because I have become so accustomed to him racing a Superstock.

Like many Superstock drivers nowadays, they have all come thru the grades to be where they are today.

A past NZ Superstock Champion and now the current 3NZ, one of the top Superstock drivers around Aotearoa/NZ currently.

We all know his racing prowess as a individual and teams racer, he can equally level that too in the workshop as an chassis builder 👌

Humphries Racing

Robertson Prestige International Speedway

From being hunted... to being the hunter 🎤

Take in the stark contrast of images below....👀

The top image is of myself being way too privileged in interviewing 581P Jordan Dare before the NZ Superstock Grand Prix at Woodford Glen Speedway Association Inc. in season 25/26 🙌

In fact, before the interview whilst off air, Jordy had actually asked me about what it would take for himself to be part of the broadcasting team at The Pits TV, and or more so in general....just being able to contribute as a presenter from a drivers perspective. At that point in the 25/26 season, I'm pretty sure he had made his intentions clear that he was going to retire from racing at the end of that season.

Fast forward 12 months to the 2026 NZ Superstock Championship at Wellington Family Speedway, Jordy got his shot!....if you were to ask me how he went?....a complete natural! He knew what questions to ask, and he flowed thru interviews off of the back of the answers given 🫳

He knew most of the drivers in the field too which added to the chemistry, meaning he was able to feel adeaze whilst doing it.

I was his camera operator that weekend, although not shown in the images but Jordy shared the presenting duties alongside Wayne Hemi and Bianca as well.

No introduction needed to know who Wayne is, as a past NZ Champion, he was great too...and he was able to add his analogy on things as well.

Whilst the finals races were happening, I couldn't help but ask Wayne somw questions during red light periods like....

"Wayne...what do you think is going thru the drivers mind right now?"

"Wayne...based on the track conditions, what changes should be made to the cars?"

"Wayne...do you think...what that driver done was a smart move?"

Having been a top Superstock driver for long time, let alone the titles and Championships he has won, he was more then qualified to answer them.

If we are able to liken this to other sports, the NRL does it best with many retired players finding an avenue and or a way to stay connected with the game. Cooper Cronk, Micheal Ennis, Braith Anasta and even our very own Shaun Johnson...are now all part of commentary panels across the different networks in Australia, the aspects they are able to give is analysis, feedback and criticism from a players perspective, because they have experience and have done it before.

Supercars absolutely kill it too with Mark 'Larko' Larkham part of their broadcasts from a technical perspective. It's hard not to love the energy and enthusiasm that he brings, all while keeping things in check technically....especially when he's in the garage showing and explaining to us the different parts of what make up a Supercar. Much like the NRL players, because of his experience as a past driver...therefore he is able to give us that understanding because he has been there and done that.

Just two moments below I thought were cool to reflect back on 👌 be cool to see more drivers come forward on future telecasts to give their analogies and sentiments...but then again, jumping in front of a camera can be a daunting task.

Have I done commentary before? 🤔

A couple of times! 🎙

Luckily enough, I was able to do it alongside in my opinion, the best commentator to ever call Speedway...and that's Graeme 'MINTIE' Mead 👌

When I was in my teens, I idolized Mintie week in and week out over the years, when he was commentating at Huntly Speedway 🏁

He was hard not to enjoy!

He was always charismatic, humorous, a biased Waikato man whatever the occasion 🖤💛❤️ but....he was always exciting, he would call a race as he sees it, and he brought a race to life no matter what classes were racing, no matter what Championship it was 🙌

And boy did he have some classic one liners! 😄

"Thru corner one they go...there's a lot of pushing and shoving....and shoving and pushing!"

"Pop up to the Coffee Cart, they've got Latees, Mocha-Latees....any Latees!"

"Green flag drop! Go..go gachet go!"

" Three wide into Hydrocare is not going to work!...But they do...how they did it is beyond me!"

Last I saw Mintie was back in 2019, other than hearing him call the odd Mooloos rugby game here and there (commentator rugby like he commentates speedway)

His cameos alongside probably the best Speedway commentary team assembled in NZ, Paul Hickey and the always knowledgeable Barry Brown, were magic! 🫳

His cameos with The Pits TV were good too!

Wherever you are in the world matey, I trust you are well, and thank you for teaching me a few things in our brief moments together 🤝

WOW! 😳 That's a fair few Hangi's ago...

Yours truly as race starter at the 2009/2010 NZ Super Saloon Championship at Huntly Speedway 🏁

This was my first season as a race starter alongside mentor Brocky, who had been doing it for several years before myself.

I'm unaware who snapped this image of myself, but I do remember this event like it was yesterday.

Eventual winner Brent Emerson and defending champion of the time Shane McIntyre, had battled all race long in the winner takes all Final race. 'Emo' putting on a beautiful outside pass on McIntyre with a lap to spare to take the title.

Peter Hemi had stormed up to fourth from near the back of the field, and while Emo made the decisive pass, Hemi and Lance Jennings who was running third at the time tangled putting both of them out. This allowed Invercargills Mike Verdona to sn**ch third overall.

What a race 👌