McLeod rapt to be ‘ home- town’ driver
GERARD McLeod is hoping he can count on some local support to get him across the line when he makes his debut in the Dunlop Super2 Series at this weekend’s Townsville 400.
The former V8 Ute racer will make a one- off start at Reid Park in Matt Chahda’s ex- Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon FG which has been plastered with sponsorship from Townsville businesses.
McLeod hails from Melbourne, but he’s built some strong connections in Townsville through his appearances in the Ute series and said he almost felt like a home- town driver these days.
“I’m like the bona fide local driver for the weekend even though I’ve never lived in Townsville,” McLeod said.
“I feel quite privileged and it’s great to be flying the flag for Townsville. I have a lot of people come up over the course of the weekend and wish me luck and cheer for the local car.
“It’s such an amazing event. It’s the best- run event I come to and it’s the one that all the drivers love coming to and they stay up here and have fun.”
McLeod has been a regular in the V8 Ute Series and made two starts in the V8 Touring Car Series in 2014, but he has yet to race in either of Super- cars’ top two tiers. The 33year- old has been involved in Supercars racing for more than a decade as a mechanic and he was confident he could keep pace at Reid Park this weekend.
“I’ve had limited miles in this car and I haven’t had a huge amount of test time so I’m still learning it, but I’ve done a lot of racing before and I know the Townsville circuit really well,” McLeod said.
“Townsville is one of the most treacherous, but it’s also one of the most enjoyable circuits I’ve ever raced at. That’s one of the main reasons I like coming back here.
“I just need to adapt my knowledge to the new car and go from there. If we can stay out of the carnage and get two top- 15 finishes for the weekend then I’d be over the moon for a debut run.”
The Dunlop Super2 Series will get under way with practice tomorrow before qualifying and two 21 lace raps over Saturday and Sunday.