Damon, you’re third in
the Supersport class
after returning from
major injury.
I won the 2017 NZSBK
Supersport title but crashed
out of the ASBK season at
Round 5. A very badly broken
ankle put me out of the ASBK
season and the entire 2018
NZSBK championship. Dad
and I made a last-minute
decision to attend the Phillip
Island ASBK test. This was
only the second time I’d been
back on a bike since August.
Honda Australia helped us
out with a new CBR600RR
and I’ve scored points in
every race.
Tony, what are the
logistics involved to get
to all the rounds?
Shaun Clarke and Deon
Coote from the Melbourne-
based Penrite Honda team
store and cart our bikes to
the tests and rounds for
a small fee. At the Phillip
Island round, Ray Meade
from Mondiale Shipping
offered to send over Mitch’s
NZ Superbike and help
pay transport costs for the
season so that took some
pressure off. We can f ly in
and out. We got Damo’s 2018
CBR600RR in road trim out
of the crate two days before
the first round.
The boys are paying for
their racing with support
from Carl Cox Motorsport,
BikeBiz, Mondiale Shipping,
Ton y R e e s Mot or c y c l e s ,
Aaron Slight and Timaru
Metal Recyclers.Mitch, you’re in the top
15 in the ASBK Superbike
class, but also pretty
busy racing in NZ.
We’ve done 10 meetings
since November, including
a six-hour, the three-round
Suzuki Series, four rounds
of the NZSBK championship
[Mitch finished second
overall], a couple of street
races and the Burt Munro
Challenge.Tony, it must be a huge
balancing act running
a bike shop and a race
team.
Our Honda dealership is
very busy and with the whole
family (four of us) involvedin the racing and business,
it puts pressure on the other
six staff members when we
go racing. We call them the
‘A Team’. They are awesome
and just get on with business
as usual. Our dealership
does a bit of everything, but,
as W hakatane is in a rural
district, farmers keep our
sales steady and workshop
busy. Team Rees Racing is
NZ’s official Honda race
team, but we do all the race
prep at home after work.What’s it like taking a
step back from racing
yourself now?
It is hard, knowing I still have
a bit of pace. I’m more nervous
watching the boys than when
I was doing it myself, and
I never thought I would be
winning my third NZSBK title
at the age of 49 (in 2017). I
like helping the boys, as they
put in a big effort, working
40-plus-hour weeks.Your recent induction
into the MNZ Hall of
Fame must feel pretty
special?
Ihavebeenluckyenoughto enjoy motorcycling
since the age of 11 as a
racer, orga n iser, business
owner and family man. It’s
been a lifetime of massive
adventures for my family.While you are a multiple
NZSBK champ, it’s your
brilliant rides on the
roads at Paeroa (10
wins) and Wanganui
(7 feature race wins)
that really captures the
imagination.
My first road race was a
street race. NZ had a few
back in the day. They are
very exciting, like Supercross
compared to Motocross, and
attract 10,000 spectators.
Sadly, we don’t see that at
the closed circuits.Finally, what’s your
one piece of advice
for parents with kids
racing?
We always want our kids to
do well, but as a parent we
must remember to be there
to support and encourage.
At the end of the day, there
will always be more races
andeveryonealways tries
their best.“I’m more nervous watching the boys
than when I was doing it myself”
The Rees family
sport
Grid talk INTERVIEWHAMISH COOPERMultiple NZ Superbike champion Tony Rees is running his sons in two ASBK classes
Tony Rees (far right) with
his sons, Damon and Mitch