The New South Wales Grand Prix Midget Racing Association, together with Goulburn Speedway have successfully held this season’s NSW Grand Prix Midget Title with Adam Buckley coming up trumps as he was able to secure the victory ahead up and coming stars of the class Riley Bowyer and Dylan Lees.
A number of NSW based drivers and teams were unavailable to compete which had an effect on overall numbers for the event and Victorian class counterparts were also unable to commit to the event having raced just last weekend themselves, however eight determined racers were on hand to compete for the right to be the state champion.
Corporate support for the event this season was provided by the NSW associations major sponsor Arhan Motors, along with Infinity Finance Solutions, Sydney West 4×4 and Panther Prestige Smash Repairs. Buckley who had never won the state title previously was understandably thrilled with victory at the end of the night.
With an enormous amount of work having been completed by the management and volunteers at Goulburn Speedway in the off-season, this season opening night was highly anticipated by all. A reshaped and widened track with more banking and improved surfacing in the pit area would provide racers and spectators a great night of racing.
Entrants and their supporters in the big event included Gary Bowyer (NSW #00 – Arjan Motors), Adam Buckley (NSW #5 – Arjan Motors), defending Champion Gavin Black (NSW #8 – AVAC), Dylan Lees (NSW #9 – White Ant Racing), Wally Kermond (NSW #14 – Beesafe Travel), Riley Bowyer (NSW #50 – Arjan Motors), Allan Black (NSW #55 – Fifty5 Motorsport) and Anthony Lea (NSW #82 – Panther Prestige Smash Repairs). A pill draw and formula set up three heats of racing for drivers to use to qualify their starting positions before a twenty-lap state title to crown a champion. Top qualifiers would start towards the front of the field for this event.
Some hot laps were provided prior to the start of heat one so that drivers could gain a sense of the new shaping of the racetrack. During these hot laps, the freshly put together Perry Brothers Racing car for Anthony Lea suffered some oil flow concerns in the engine bay and pulled infield. This meant Lea missed a pole position start in the first qualifier of the evening.
With Lea out, this left Lees, Gavin Black, Riley Bowyer, Buckley, Allan Black, Gary Bowyer and Kermond to greet the starter in the opening heat race. Gavin Black moved up onto the front row with Lees and as the green flag dropped the field got away to a great start. After Black and Riley Bowyer pushed Lees back into third, it took until lap three before another passing move was made as Buckley moved into third place ahead of Lees and Gary Bowyer moved past Kermond and Allan Black into fifth place. In the early stages of the fourth lap, Gavin Black pulled his car infield having dropped a chain that drives the engine. Not long after Buckley claimed the race lead followed by Lees who had moved ahead of Bowyer Jnr (Riley), whilst Bowyer Snr (Gary) sat in fourth ahead of Allan Black and Kermond. Buckley opened up a ten-car length lead over the field with both Bowyers getting passed Lees. With no more passing, Buckley cruised to victory ahead of Bowyer Jnr, Bowyer Snr, Allan Black, and Kermond. Back in the pit enclosure crew members and fellow competitors were able to determine that the issues for Anthony Lea’s car were significant and the decision was made by Lea and his team to park the car for the rest of the evening rather than risk irreversible engine damage.
Buckley fresh off the first heat victory then had pole position to work from in heat two with Allan Black alongside him, Bowyer Snr, Kermond, Lees, Gavin Black and Bowyer Jnr rounded out the remaining starting positions. As Buckley was thinking about a second victory for heat two with his prime starting position, things did not go exactly to plan as he must not have shared that plan with Bowyer Snr who with a blistering start shot straight into the lead through turn one.
Bowyer Snr led Buckley, Allan Black, Kermond, Lees, Gavin Black and Bowyer Jnr out of turn two before Lees and Gavin Black moved past Kermond down the back straight all on lap one. Over the next few laps Bowyer Snr opened up a quarter of a lap margin over Buckley. Back further Bowyer Jnr was on the move having passed Allan Black, and Lees. On lap six Gavin Black caught and cleanly passed Buckley down the inside of the latter on the back straight, this moved Black into second. Lees on lap seven pulled infield with a disintegrated rear brake disc, whilst Bowyer Snr powered on to the finish ahead of Gavin Black, Buckley, Bowyer Jnr, Allan Black and Kermond.
The line-up for heat three would see Kermond and Bowyer Jnr set to lead from the front with Bowyer Snr, Gavin Black, Allan Black, Lees, and Buckley. Work on Dylan Lees brake issues were frantic in the pits and with numerous identities from the club pitching in, Lees was amongst the starters as the filed rolled out for the third and final opportunity to determine the drivers New South Wales title starting positions.
At the race start, it seemed to be an instant heat two replay with Bowyer Snr replicating his move from the second row to take the race lead into turn one as he passed Kermond and his son Riley with Gavin Black moving with Bowyer Snr passing the two front row starters also. As drivers clocked over onto lap two, Gavin Black made a pass on Bowyer Snr through the first and second turns, however a quick switch back from Bowyer Snr seen him reclaim the race lead down the back straight, before spinning himself out of the race lead in turn four, this was the first caution period of the nights racing.
The restart saw Gavin Black from Bowyer Jnr, Lees, Kermond, Allan Black, Buckley and Bowyer Snr and it was Gavin Black pinning the ears back out front on a charge. Buckley quickly moved up past Allan Black and was about to pass Kermond, whilst Bowyer Snr also passed Allan Black and was planning to take more positions past Kermond and Buckley, however he could not avoid the rear of Kermond’s car, clipping the crash bar and sending the Kermond sliding infield bringing out the caution a second time. Kermond was able to rejoin with little to no damage done, having been deemed to have caused two yellow light stoppages, the race officials ordered the Bowyer Snr infield for the remainder of the heat.
The restart saw Gavin Black from Bowyer Jnr, Lees, Buckley, Allan Black and Kermond all get a clean start and for the remainder of the race the order was unchanged.
Lining up for the 2025 NSW Grand Prix Midget Title feature race, Buckley would start from pole position alongside Bowyer Jnr, with Gavin Black and Bowyer Snr right behind, then Lees and Kermond, while Allan Black would start from row four.
With two runners up results in the state title to his name, Buckley was determined to get off to a quick start, make everybody behind work harder and make every movement of the steering wheel count. The time had come and with the unfurling of the green flag, everybody involved with the teams and the class held their breaths as the drivers got away to a fast and clean race start. Charging into the first turn Buckley held the top position ahead of Bowyer Jnr and Bowyer Snr. A lap later Gavin Black moved on past Bowyer Snr into third as Buckley at the front settled into a groove with consistent early laps.
By lap six, Buckley had opened up a ten-car length lead from Bowyer Jnr, while Bowyer Snr was now pressuring Gavin Black for position. Down the back straight, Gavin Black had a moment of rear end twitch just as Bowyer Snr attempted an inside pass, whereby he caught the inside front wheel of Black and sent Black in his car careering infield and into the concrete barriers to end his night. Bowyer Snr then also pulled infield, having dropped a chain in the contact.
With yellow flags flying, with Buckley at the head of the field the others lined up behind for a single file restart. The lights switched to green with twelve laps remaining and this saw Buckley and Bowyer Jnr break away from Allan Black and Lees, followed by Kermond. With Buckley and Bowyer Jnr moving ahead of the field by a half a lap.
Allan Black and Lees were occupied in their own battle for third and fourth positions all the while being stalked by Kermond if the opportunity to pounce arose. At the front Buckley started asserting his authority and brushed the front straight wall more than once, looking to put some space between himself and Bowyer Jnr following. Buckley then moved up to lap Kermond, while Lees passed Allan Black into third place. With Buckley now commanding a third of a lap lead and about to lap Allan Black, Bowyer Jnr spun in the back straight on lap fifteen, bringing out the yellow flag.
A five-lap sprint now remained to determine the state champion with Buckley in the lead from Lees, Allan Black, Bowyer Jnr and Kermond. The restart saw Buckley charge into turn one, whilst Bowyer Jnr wasted no time in rounding up Allan Black, then a lap later, Lees to retake second position. Buckley continued putting together consistent fast laps and by the final lap, had a fifteen-car length lead from Bowyer Jnr. The chequered flag then fell, with Adam Buckley taking his first NSW Title Championship, ahead of Riley Bowyer, then Dylan Lees, Allan Black and Wally Kermond.
At the on-track presentation, all drivers thanked the track management for a brilliant racing surface all night, association sponsor Arjan Motors, along with family, crew and supporters. Adam Buckley thanked White Ant Racing for providing him with such a fantastic rental car – this was his first time in the car driven last season by Bowyer Snr, and he thanked Gary for making sure that it was perfect to drive. White Ant Racing had, in fact, produced all three of the GP Midgets on the podium and is a testament to the standards set by Gary Bowyer in offering these cars for rental.
Special thanks to New South Wales Grand Prix Midget Racing Association supporters.
Arjan Motors
White Ant Racing
Infinity Finance Solutions
AOK Trophies
Panther Prestige Smash Repairs
West Sydney 4X4
Written by
NSW GP Midget Representative
Edited by Dean Thompson of DMT Speedway Media
For NSW Grand Prix Midget Racing Association
