TEEN TYRO IS PROVING HE’S BEAUT IN THE UTES

MEET the northern Gold Coast teen taking the fight to a Dakar Rally champion and a three-time V8 Utes series winner.

In his first year out of go-carts, Tomas Gasperak is coming to grips with the diesel-powered Holden Colorado he’s steering in the new SuperUtes category.

Gasperak’s No.18 AC Delco Racing entry sits fourth in the standings thanks to a consistent run of results that has him within 101 points of leader Craig Woods.

Utes ace Ryal Harris holds second place, while Coast motorsport icon Toby Price has also featured on the grid at two of the four rounds to date.

Gasperak admitted it was a new feeling to be racing against such a highprofile figure.

“It was interesting because I remember seeing an ad with Toby Price in it … I was like, I’m up against someone who is actually a little bit famous,” said the young gun, who turned 16 in June.

The high school student has been pleased with his own progress.

“I didn’t expect to go this well,” Gasperak said. “I would like to stay in the top five.

“That would look pretty good in my first year racing these utes. I just need to finish every race and not crash at all the big races like Bathurst and Newcastle and Gold Coast.”

SuperUtes are next in action at Sandown on September 14-16.