Starting rallying in 1989 in the U.S. after coming over from his native New Zealand;
Finished 8th overall in a Mazda RX-3 in Georgia at first event;
Ran successful Mazda RX-7 from 1990-94;
Earned Toyota factory ride with Metro Rallye Sport in 1995; won the Group A national title.
Missed '97 Group 5 title by a few points after trouble in the snow at Maine.
Bruce Newey left his native New Zealand in 1979, living first in Los Angeles and then moving to Atlanta in 1983. His brief racing career in New Zealand included a stint in a Formula Vee and a Ford Escort rally car.
In 1989, he returned to racing in earnest in this country in an Mazda RX-3 rally car, finishing an amazing 8th overall in his very first event near Dalton, Georgia. He then bought a Mazda RX-7, and started running selected events in the Sport Car Club of America's Michelin PRO Rally series. Despite running a two-wheel-drive, normally aspirated car in the four-wheel- drive-dominated Open class, Newey was always near the top with his stage times, winning a stage overall in 1994 at the Susquehannock Trail rally in Pennsylvania.
When the Metro Rallye Sport factory-sponsored Toyota seat was offered to Bruce in 1995, he took advantage of the opportunity by making the Toyota All-trac an instant winner. He clinched the 1995 Group A national championship with a class win at the rough Lake Superior PRO Rally in October.
For 1996, the Group A class (four-wheel-drive, turbocharged cars with drive train and suspension modifications allowed) has been discontinued, so Metro Rallye Sport converted the Toyota to a Group 5 car (two-wheel-drive with similar modifications allowed).
In 1996, Bruce and co-driver Matt Chester - also from Atlanta - had some bad luck on the course, with overheating problems, electrical problems, and a broken shock tower among their woes. Newey did come back to finish well in the last couple of events, and hopes he has left all his back luck behind.
Newey's watchword for '97 was persistence, as even when he has had mechanical problems, he has finished the event and collected valuable points. His two class wins - STPR and Ojibwe - combined with several Sam Bryan DNFs, hoisted Newey into the class lead with only one event remaining, but bad luck in the snow at the Maine finale gave Bryan the title.
Newey owns and operates a factory which remanufactures automotive electrical components. He is married with two children.