GR MOTOSPORT GUIDES STORM STACEY TO A NEW FUTURE
Brent Gladwin GR Motosport Team Owner:
“It’s always sad, but there is also an air of excitement when things change in life and racing, but now is the right time for us to open the doors to a new chapter for both GR Motosport and Storm Stacey at the end of his current contract 31/12/24.
I remember receiving the phone call late in the preparation for the 2019 season from Kev Malloy asking if I could put something together for an amazing 15-year-old Storm Stacey. We met in a café in Bakewell and Hatched a great plan for another STAUFF Fluid Power Academy Junior Superstock effort with the new Kawasaki 636. At that point Storm (D.O.B 22 April) was too young for the class, but he was given dispensation. 2019 produced some fantastic race winning results, just missing the Championship title by 0.3 of a second at the last race of the season.
As a reward for his efforts we gave Storm the opportunity to ride on our ZX10RR at Donington Park, which he promptly fell off on the first lap! At the end of that promising day we decided to take Storm for a three day No Limits track day in Spain, which lead to a whole new set of thoughts for the season ahead. 2020 was the start of a new era for us as LKQ Euro Car Parts joined GR as our new Superbike Title Sponsor and this new Partnership opened the door for something very different for us and BSB.
Sitting down with Stuart Higgs at Donington that January, Stuart’s face lit up with a huge smile as I muttered, ‘I know that I am mad but I want to put Storm on a Superbike with my new Sponsor!’ We made a testing plan together, which went very well but then the season was interrupted with Covid. The first BSB point at Silverstone in 2020, the victory at Snetterton and podiums this year surely vindicated all the effort and support given to Storm by GR Motosport our sponsors and everyone involved.
During his time under our wing, Storm has retained and developed his own unique personality and style, and we have taken him as far as possible within the remit of our racing ethos.
GR Motosport has again, developed and delivered another Professional Superbike Rider ready for his next chapter and now we can open the doors to create the same opportunity for the next Karl Harris, Tarran Mackenzie or Storm Stacey here at GR.
Each time we achieve these Team goals, the team as a whole grows, and right now we are certainly in a great position. It is the right time to start again with a clean sheet and stick to our original strategy with another Stauff Fluid Power Academy rider and an experienced rider on the LKQ Euro Car Parts Superbike.
We wish Storm all the best for the future and we believe he is grounded enough to realise that the most important part of his career development was supported by the whole GR Motosport team and our Partners who were the backbone of his transition from being an ambitious teenager to a serious contender as a future champion.