A huge ENZED Superstock Teams Champs qualifying spread over two days has seen the four semi-finalists determined at the Robertson Prestige International Speedway on Sunday night. Defending champion Canterbury Glen Eagles will face the Straford Scrappers for a place in the final tomorrow night (Monday 5th), with the Rotorua Rebels and Auckland Allstars facing off for the other final spot in the Tier 1 semi-finals.
Race 1 : Manawatu Mustangs v Rotorua Rebels
669p Brendon Tye hit the front for the Mustangs until 77r Lance Elsworth intervened on lap four, handing the lead to 9r Brent Stewart and 14r AJ Axtens. The Mustangs managed to get Axtens but Stewart was too slippery and avoided all the attention to make it home first, albeit erupting in a cloud of smoke as he crossed the line. 34p Rebecca Barr and 41p Scott Williams followed him home, but the Rebels had banked an impressive 120 points.
Result: 9r Brent Stewart, 34p Rebecca Barr, 41p Scott Williams, 14r AJ Axtens, 669p Brendon Tye
Rebels 120, Mustangs 75
Race 2: Great Britain Lions v Waikato Wanderers
Following antics on the grid after the green flag it was the Lions who emerged first and second, 515gb Frankie Wainman Jr leading 5gb Charlie Sworder. As the race progressed Wainman lost a lap, but more crucially Wanderers runner 5h Logan Nicholson-Mabey was eliminated out of second place by 410gb Jelle Tesselaar. Wainman assumed position as support for Sworder who avoided 71h Tony Wootton several times to take the flag. Next home was Wainman Jr, and the Lions filled four of the five points positions to bank 170 versus the Wanderers 25.
Result: 5gb Charlie Sworder, 515gb Frankie Wainman Jr, 33h Robbie Mabey, 410gb Jelle Tesselaar, 555gb Frankie Wainman Jr Jr
Lions 170, Wanderers 25
Race 3: Auckland Allstars v Gisborne Giants
If you want a textbook example of why you should never give up, then the Allstars provided it as they shocked the Giants in the third race. Talisman 95a Gary Lonergan didn’t get past the warmup and 272a Seth McConchie lost his driveshaft on the start line, which gave the Giants a seemingly comfortable 1-2-3 at the end of lap two. That was until 66a Randal Tarrant slowed 127g Ethan Rees and 72a Cody McKee got both 9g Jamie Hamilton and 10g Peter Rees, allowing debutant 74a Codi Chatfield to take a famous victory.
Result: 74a, 127g, 10g, 9g, 66a
Allstars 110, Giants 85
Race 4: Baypark Busters v Stratford Scrappers
The first roll of the meeting occurred when 99m Todd Hemingway clipped his teammate 5m Elias Dykstra who had held up leader 119s Zac Harris. While the Buster tumbled through the air his teams’ hopes went with him, as 133s Tyler Walker raced to the win for Stratford. The Busters thought they’d done enough, but trailing home in second, third and fifth was a recipe for disaster.
Result: 133s Tyler Walker, 19m Kerry Remnant, 29m Ryan Hunt, 119s Zac Harris, 5m Elias Dykstra
Scrappers 120, Busters 75
Race 5: Palmerston North Panthers v Kihikihi Kings
The Kings led from the start and weren’t headed as they dismantled the Panthers. 4k Chad Ace and 26k Mitch Vickery were unstoppable at the head of the field, with 172p Daniel Burmeister and 94p William Humphries suffering damage early and 88p Jack Miers disqualified for a hit on 1nzk Asher Rees. 52p Scott Joblin was home in third as the only other finisher behind Ace and Vickery
Result: 4k Chad Ace, 26k Mitch Vickery, 52p Scott Joblin
Kings 140, Panthers 25
Race 6 : Wanganui Warriors v Canterbury Glen Eagles
Any thoughts that the Glen Eagles weren’t serious about retaining their title were brushed aside as rookie 14c James Thian led all the way against the Warriors in what was a true team effort. 26v Kaelin Mooney and 57v Dylan Marshall chased hard but 808c Scott Tennant and 971c Jayden Ward kept the race under control and late in the piece 991c Harley Robb slipped into second place as the Glen Eagles racked up the points.
Result: 14c James Thian, 991c Harley Robb, 26v Kaelin Mooney, 57v Dylan Marshall, 808c Scott Tennant
Glen Eagles 150, Warriors 45
Race 7 : Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes v Manawatu Mustangs
The early loss of veteran 84b Mike McLachlan proved to be too big a hurdle for the Hawkeyes, with the Mustangs unstoppable. 16b Brett Loveridge did lead for the first half of the race, but a decision by 669p Brendon Tye to slow and block when he was lying in third was crucial. 41p Scott Williams took the lead and wasn’t headed as the Mustangs banked 135 points.
Result: 41p Scott Williams, 16b Brett Loveridge, 669p Brendon Tye, 25b Kairyn O’Brien, 599p Ron Tye
Mustangs 135, Hawkeyes 60
Race 8 : Rotorua Rebels v Great Britain Lions
The race of the meeting to date unfolded as the Lions and Rebels went toe to toe for a Tier 1 semi-final spot. 515gb Frankie Wainman Jr was imperious until the last corner when 7r Michael Rumney stopped him in his tracks. Wainman had been two laps up at that point, but that wasn’t a barrier to the Rebels who got 14r AJ Axtens and Rumney across the line first.
Result: 14r AJ Axtens, 7r Michael Rumney, 5gb Charlie Sworder, 77r Lance Elsworth, 555gb Frankie Wainman Jr Jr
Rebels 160, Lions 35
Race 9 : Waikato Wanderers v Auckland Allstars
There was a hint of an upset in the Wanderers Allstars clash, with 33h Robbie Mabey leading relatively comfortable as the timing system registered 7 laps of 10. It wasn’t to last though as the Allstars blockers managed to slow him enough for 66a Randal Tarrant and 74a Codi Chatfield to zoom past and take the win.
Result: 66a, 74a, 33h, 72a, 79h
Allstars 160, Wanderers 35
Race 10: Gisborne Giants v Baypark Busters
The Busters prevailed in what proved to be a comfortable fashion, with Giants possibly guilty of trying to collect points to have a shot at the Tier 1 semis. Dylan Towler took the lead on lap seven and the Giants failed to respond, the 96m crossing to take a famous win.
Result: 96m Dylan Towler, 127g Ethan Rees, 144g Tim Ross, 5m Elias Dykstra, 19m Kerry Remnant
Busters 130, Giants 65
Race 11: Stratford Scrappers v Palmerston North Panthers
The Panthers sprinted to an early 1-2, but 133s Tyler Walker was on a mission and managed to eliminate both 581p Jordan Dare early and 94p William Humphries late. 82s Hamish Booker took the lead when 52p Scott Joblin was slowed, and the Scrappers powered into the semi-finals with the Panthers joining the Giants in the winless column
Result: 82s Hamish Booker, 52p Scott Joblin, 119s Zac Harris, 133s Tyler Walker, 88p Jack Miers
Scrappers 145, Panthers 50
Race 12: Kihikihi Kings v Wanganui Warriors
The Warriors started well and things kept getting better as the race progressed. 71k Shane Mellsop tipped over after an attack on 57v Dylan Marshall went wrong, then 26k Mitch Vickery got a flat tyre and 4k Chad Ace was damaged. At the front Marshall and 166v Hayden Hart led, then 3nzv Zane Dykstra moved into third to cement the 1-2-3 result. 1nzk Asher Rees eliminated 81v Max Holloway, but he was out of the points and the Kings were similarly out of the finals.
Result: 57v Dylan Marshall, 166v Hayden Hart, 3nzv Zane Dykstra, 4k Chad Ace, 1nzk Asher Rees
Warriors 165, Kings 30
Race 13: Canterbury Glen Eagles v Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes
A stoppage ridden race saw 9b Adam Groome, 808c Scott Tennant and 422b Dylan Ashton removed under reds, the net effect being 991c Harley Robb more than a lap clear of teammate 14c James Thian from 16b Brett Loveridge and 25b Kairyn O’Brien, with the Glen Eagles top qualifiers after another clinical performance.
Result: 991c, 14c, 16b, 25b, 971c
Glen Eagles 150, Hawkeyes 45
| Race 1 | Race 2 | TOTAL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canterbury Glen Eagles | 150 | 150 | 300 |
| 2 | Rotorua Rebels | 120 | 160 | 280 |
| 3 | Auckland Allstars | 110 | 160 | 270 |
| 4 | Stratford Scrappers | 120 | 145 | 265 |
| 5= | Manawatu Mustangs | 75 | 135 | 210 |
| 5= | Wanganui Warriors | 45 | 165 | 210 |
| 7= | Baypark Busters | 75 | 130 | 205 |
| 7= | Great Britain Lions | 170 | 35 | 205 |
| 9 | Kihikihi Kings | 140 | 30 | 170 |
| 10 | Gisborne Giants | 85 | 65 | 150 |
| 11 | Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes | 60 | 45 | 105 |
| 12 | Palmerston North Panthers | 25 | 50 | 75 |
| 13 | Waikato Wanderers | 25 | 35 | 60 |
