Track: Palmerston North
Date: 10 February 2007
Event: 2007 Superstock Teams Championship - Finals
Pictures & reporting by Mike Pollard

Palmerston North - 10 February 2007
2007 Superstock Teams Championship - Finals
Pictures & reporting by Mike Pollard

Semi-Final 1
Wanganui Warriors v Palmerston North Panthers

Up until yesterday Wanganui had only won one race in these Champs over the last 20 x years, but yesterday managed to win both their races inside a couple of hours. The Warriors were in a buoyant mood, however they were under no illusions, as they lined up on the grid with the most successful team in team champs history ..... the Mighty Panthers.
Palmerston made their intentions as clear, as #9p Shane Penn almost had #15v Dion Mooney over right at the very start, before quickly turning his attentions toward #14v Darryl Taylor, leaving him stranded up the wall on the opening lap and bringing out the reds. From here on it was going to be difficult for Wanganui, and despite putting up a brave show, things became almost impossible half way through when #5p Peter Rees blasted #17v Steve Guildford into the wall, snapping a fence post in the process. #17v Guildford did manage to continue, and the Warriors harried the Panthers all the way, but failed to overcome the early loss of #14v Taylor as #7p Peter Bengston took the win, 2 x laps ahead of #9p Penn and 3 x laps ahead of #15v Mooney.

Semi-Final 2
Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes v Canterbury Glen Eagles

On paper this was likely to be a closer affair, but with the Hawkeyes still very much the underdogs.
On the green #32b Trevor Mason and #34b Brendon Rowlands made the running for Hawkes Bay, with #72c Malcolm Ngatai and #77c Mark Osbourne doing the same alongside for Canterbury. After a few early skirmishes between these x 4, it was left to #72c Ngatai and #32b Mason to race for the lead.
#72c Ngatai was ahead but slowed dramatically after hitting #34b Rowlands on the way past and in so doing reliquished the lead to #32b Mason. The reds came out to retrieve #77c Osborne from the wall, and on the restart #72c Ngatai threw all he had at leader #32b Mason in an attempt to halt his progress. #32b Mason only managing to catch his breath when the reds came on again, this time for #34b Rowlands, who had managed to roll himself. When the greens came back on #32b Mason was still holding on to the lead but only had #33b Murray long for company, whilst canterbury still had 3 x cars, but try as they might, failed to halt #34b Rowlands from taking the white flag and starting his last lap. into the home straight #34b Rowlands was almost home and dry, and moved round the outside of the crippled #71c Blaine Blyth car for the umpteenth and last time only to find himself flipping through the air as the #71c Blyth car burst into life, tipping #34b Rowlands in the process and bringing out the reds. All eyes looked back down the track to see #72c Ngatai half a lap away and ready to take the win, except that #34b Rowlands had landed on his wheels, and was waiving away the safety crew, managing to limp over the line on the restart.

3rd/4th Place
Wanganui Warriors v Canterbury Glen Eagles

#72c Malcolm Ngatai and #14v Darryl Taylor were the runners for Canterbury and Wanganui respectively, with these two being joined up front by #16v Kerry Podjursky who managed to escape a combined assault from #74c Jason Smith and #71c Blaine Blyth. The reds came out when #16v Podjursky well and truly put #73c Emmerson Leach out of the reckoning by parking his car upside down on top of the wall, with #15v Dion Mooney retiring at the same time. Canterbury tried all they could to stop #14v Taylor, but lost all hope when the reds came out to remove what had by now become the very bent looking car of #72c Ngatai, leaving #14v Taylor to run out the winner, 3 x laps ahead of #74c Smith.

Final
Palmerston North Panthers v Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes

This could well be a classic as holders Palmerston had reached the finals virtually unscathed whilst in contrast, Hawkes Bay who had never won the event, and making only their second appearance in the final in 26 x years had fought tooth and nail for every place, and ground out a string of impressive wins.
Drama at the start as the 2 minute clock was placed on #33b Murray Long who was struggling to make the grid. #33b Long made it and was blocking at the rear as #5p Peter Rees led the field from #31b Paul Demanser and #9p Shane Penn. #31b Demanser was up past #5p Rees and leading for Hawkes Bay before being baulked by #8p Scott Miers, handing the lead back over to #5p Rees. All of a sudden the reds came out, and all eyes flitted around the track to see who was in trouble. Amazingly #33b Long, #34b Brendon Rowlands and #35b Steve O'Dwyer were all towed to the infield leaving the crowd with a terrible anti-climax and #31b Demanser with mission impossible after just one lap! #31b Rowlands gave his all but was finally stopped and pinned to the wall by #7p Peter Bengston, leaving #5p Rees, #8p Miers and #9p Penn to run round on their own. White flag for #5p Rees, as #7p Bengston decides to make sure that #31b Demanser is going nowhere by managing a bunny hop and parking his car on top of the #31b Demanser bonnet. Perhaps not a smart move, as #31b Demanser lurches forward, tipping #7p Bengston over to the amusement of the crowd, who are soon to celebrate as #5p Rees finishes ahead of #8p Miers and #9p Penn with #31b Demanser 8 x laps back in 4th.

Consolation races
A series of Superstock consolation races were held for the drivers who failed to make the Team Semis, and gave the following results.

Heat 1
1.#41h Lionel Penn 2.#19p Paul Harris 3.#81n Brendon Higgins 4.#24k Mike Herbert 5.#88h Dave Roigard 6.#53p Kevan Roberts

Heat 2
1.#9p Brett Hyslop 2.#53p 3.#85h Jared Wade 4.#38r Ross Ashby 5.#7r Dayne Wright 6.#84n Carey Harwood

Heat 3
1.#7r 2.#38r 3.#81n 4.#88h 5.#84n 6.#6p Wayne Hemi

Cars racing

Superstocks 50
Sprint Cars 17