Top qualifiers the Canterbury Glen Eagles were the class team of the weekend on the way to their second ENZED Superstock Teams Champs title in a row. The Rotorua Rebels continued their strong form of late to make the final before ultimately falling short, while the Great Britain Lions recovered from a qualifying night loss to take the final spot on the podium with an emphatic win over a resurgent Wanganui Warriors.
Tier 2 Semi-Finals
Manawatu Mustangs v Baypark Busters
669p Brendon Tye led the field away for the Mustangs, but once he was spun by 5m Elias Dykstra the Busters weren’t headed. However, damage to 19m Kerry Remnant and the disqualification of 96m Dylan Towler saw Baypark collect only 110 points. 34p Rebecca Barr chased valiantly, with 41p Scott Williams showing plenty of potential in third.
Result: 29m Ryan Hunt, 34p Rebecca Barr, 41p Scott Williams, 669p Brendon Tye, 5m Elias Dykstra
Busters 110, Mustangs 85
Wanganui Warriors v Great Britain Lions
The ENZED Superstock Teams Champs came alive as the Warriors and Lions went toe to toe. 166v Hayden Hart sprinted clear and quickly clocked up lap after lap, but the Lions were picking off his teammates and he went wide once too often after damage suffered with three laps to go. Hart got through another two laps but was stopped for good in the final turn, being the last Warrior running. 418gb Jelle Tesselaar was three laps behind and made the circulations to take a famous win, with the crowd erupting in his wake.
Result: 418gb Niels Tesselaar , 410gb Jelle Tesselaar, 555gb Frankie Wainman Jr Jr
Lions 165, Warriors 0
Tier 1 Semi-Finals
Canterbury Glen Eagles v Stratford Scrappers
The Scrappers were in their first semi-final since 2011 and they started well with 133s Tyler Walker leading early and they were first, second and third after two laps. However 971c Jayden Ward and 557c Darrel Wallace were just getting started, and by lap five 991c Harley Robb led for the Glen Eagles. The pendulum had completely swung when Walker attacked Ward and rolled over his bonnet - both were out but Robb was more than a lap in front for the Glen Eagles. Winners in 2019, second in 2021 and winners in 2023, the Glen Eagles were into their third final in four attempts.
Result: 991c Harley Robb, 54s Paul Johnson, 119s Zac Harris
Glen Eagles 100, Scrappers 65
Rotorua Rebels v Auckland Allstars
Lance Elworth’s exhaust and Cody McKee’s gearstick will take their place in the unwanted annals of history, after a semi-final clash that was decided on the final lap in the cruellest of fashion. 9r Brent Stewart had done a stellar job to lead most of the race, until McKee took control with a lap to go. The red lights were activated for flames coming from Elsworth’s 77r with the 72a of McKee in front of the grandstand half a lap from home. Elsworth fired up and the flames extinguished, but somehow McKee’s gearstick had come adrift and he was also pushed infield. The disbelieving Rebels cruised into the final, with the Allstars and the crowd similarly in shock.
Result: 9r, 14r, 272a, 95a, 66a
Rebels 140, Allstars 55
Finals
5th & 6th: Baypark Busters v Auckland Allstars
A superb lesson in teams racing strategy was delivered by 66a Randal Tarrant, who was almost untouched as the Allstars cruised home in fifth place for the second year in a row. The Busters struggled to recover after 29m Ryan Hunt was tangled high up in the fence in big hit from 74a Codi Chatfield.
Result: 66a Randal Tarrant, 96m Dylan Towler, 74a Codi Chatfield, 99m Todd Hemingway, 19m Joe Carter
Allstars 125. Busters 70
3rd & 4th: Great Britain Lions v Stratford Scrappers
A scrappy affair saw both teams go toe to toe, but the Lions had runners aiming for the flag and Stratford ended up without that luxury. Multiple attacks on 5gb Charlie Sworder from 133s Tyler Walker, 82s Hamish Booker and 307s Matt Picard came to nothing, with the 5gb crossing the line to cement a podium finish for the Lions.
Result: 5gb, 410gb, 82s
Lions 140, Scrappers 25
1st & 2nd: Canterbury Glen Eagles v Rotorua Rebels
As the teams lined up for a 2021 final rematch, conjecture surrounded whether Jayden Ward would start in the 971c. He did, and from the getgo his team was in control. Luck was on the side of the Rebels in the semi but deserted them in the final, with the last nine laps seeing four Glen Eagles circulating and only 7r Michael Rumney able to offer resistance. 808c Scott Tennant took care of 77r Lance Elsworth, 557c Darrel Wallace rolled 10r Alan McRobbie and 9r Brent Stewart rolled to a stop. The Glen Eagles won back-to-back titles, a new dynasty created.
Result: 991c Harley Robb, 557c Darrel Wallace, 808c Scott Tennant, 971c Jayden Ward
Glen Eagles 185, Rebels 0
