Paengaroa ministock driving brothers love their dirt track racing

Youth mini stock driving brothers George, left, and Jimmy Crawford.

Youth ministock driver George Crawford has one simply philosophy to racing - ''put my foot down and try to get to the front''.

It's a strategy that so far has worked pretty well for the 13-year-old from rural Paengaroa, who last Friday won the Ministock Invitational at the qualifying night of the World 240 Super Stock event at Rotorua's Paradise Valley Speedway.

It was the latest in a series of impressive performances over recent weeks.
The previous weekend he was third in the 60 strong junior group at the Whanganui Oceanview 5000 after winning a run-off, and second at Gisborne's Ministock 100 Championship earlier in the month.

He has also driven at Kihikihi, Baypark, Huntly and Waharoa speedways this season. The youth ministock class is an entry level speedway class for young drivers in 1200cc cars.
Younger brother Jimmy, 11, has his own car. He is not yet old enough to drive at
Speedway New Zealand affiliated tracks, but can drive at Circle Track Racing Association tracks such as Waharoa.

George spent two seasons driving at Waharoa and he is now in his second season contracted to Rotorua.

It was stock car driver Kasey Cheetham who first suggested George might like to have a go in his ministock after seeing George driving a Bobcat.

''He said I was a natural,'' says George.

Eventually the Crawfords bought the car and have kept the Joker graphics.
George still remembers his first time on the track at Waharoa.

''I got second in my first race and first in my second race.''

He wasn't from a speedway family, but nothing more was needed to persuade him this was something he wanted to do regularly.

George Crawford (971R) racing at Baypark speedway earlier this year.

With three grades, he quickly progressed to the top, A grade, at Waharoa.

''He's pretty focused,'' says mum Andrea.

George struggles when asked about his finest achievement so far - with the third at Whanganui and second in Gisborne joined as contenders by the CRTA North Island title and winning the rookie of the year award at the end of his first Waharoa season - something Jimmy also achieved last year.

''George is really passionate about this sport - I've seen him with other things, but the minute he got into speedway, he read the Dirt Track magazines front to back - he knows all the drivers, not just the ministock fields,'' says Andrea.

He will have three more years in the class, but is already looking ahead, wanting to drive in the high-powered, full contact super stock class.

He doesn't much fancy the open wheel classes - ''you can't hit,'' he says.
Jimmy is equally enthusiastic.

''I love it. It keeps me busy and I like the way it makes my driving skills better and it's just really fun.''

George is beginning to help out with the repair and maintenance of his car.

''He started doing a bit more of the engineering, grinding and a little bit of welding - a friend of ours does the engineering and he's taken them under his wing,'' says dad Wayne.

George has also learned a lot of other life skills - like getting the confidence to ask people if they would be prepared to sponsor him.

''Now George is much better at public speaking with people he doesn't necessarily know,'' says Wayne, ''so there's a lot of other elements that come in - it's not just driving ministocks,'' says Wayne.

''It's getting themselves organised, going through scrutineering, their gear check, making sure they've got everything. There's lots of parts to it, it's not just hopping in your car and ready to go.''

While George enjoys driving at Baypark, the family decided to register at Rotorua as it is known more as a stock car track and it has a ''really good mentor programme.''

''And there's certainly a lot of competition,'' says Wayne.

But most of all, it is friendly.

''The amount of friends these two boys have made already - they are going to have these people as friends for life, some of them, and it's going to continue. They've got a long way to go yet, and more friends to make,'' says Andrea.