Click thumbnails for full size pictures. Report below thumbnails. Try out the slideshow feature!

Palmerston North - 7 April 2007
Tournament of Destruction - Qualifying
Pictures and reporting by Mike Pollard

Hello and welcome to Palmerston North for a double helping of Bangers and Smash courtesey of the Tournament of Destruction IX.

As in previous Tournaments, there was some serious metal in the heavyweight division, with the cars of bitter rivals Palmerston Firecats and Wanganui's Dirty Rottens once again proving to be the pick of the bunch.

Palmerston Partsworld v Takapau Terrors

This was the very first Derby Teams event held under SNZ juridstiction, and it took all of one race before they felt the need to alter the result.
The Partsworld team are new to this event, and at times looked like the new boys, except that #12p Michael Pringle fairly stormed around the race track and despite the best efforts of #406b David Julian amongst others, romped home to the win. Now I was always taught that it was the red flag that signalled the end of the race. but in New Zealand it's apparently the chequered, as #12p Pringle found out to his cost after being disqualified for "contact after the chequered". Fair enough I suppose if that's the rule......... except to say that if it had been applied throughout the event we may well have had a different result!

Winner - #409b Takapau Terrors

Palmerston Firecats v Team Kaos (Wellington)

A very even contest this one, with #97w John Flaws heading out front for kaos, and managing to stay there until the end despite a couple of huge hits on the last lap from #82p Daniel Lockwood and #85p Dave Foothead.

Winner - #97w John Flaws - Team Kaos

Dirty Rottens (Wanganui) v Nu Generation (Hawkes Bay)

Things were looking grim early on for Nu Generation after #32b Shovel Maulder was rolled, except that #35b Jonno Maulder was carving out a huge lead, and looked unstoppable. Last lap, last bend, and a tremendous double hit from #5v Adrian Maher and #6v Darren Stephens stopped #35b Maulder just short of the line, and allowed Wanganui's Dirty Rottens to compete a white-wash, with all 5 x cars finishing as opposed to Nu Generation's none!

Winner - #3v Bevan Johnstone - Dirty Rottens

Palmerston Partsworld v Team Kaos (Wellington)

#97w John Flaws tried to win it from the front again for Team Kaos, and was going well until he found himself being pushed backwards at great speed by both #12p Michael Pringle and #13p Byron Wake.
thankfully for Kaos, #90w Darren Hoskins inherited the lead and stormed round to victory.

Winner - #90w Darren Hoskins - Team Kaos

Takapau Terrors v Dirty Rottens

#409b led the way for Takapau ahead of #2v Clint Lyford, with #0v Alistair Thompson sticking the bumper hard into anything Takapau. Red flag, as the #404bTterror was sent to the infield. #2v Lyford and #5v Adrian Maher tried their last lap "special sandwich" manouvre, but this time failed to stop the flying #409b

Winner - #409b - Takapau Terrors

Palmerston Firecats v Nu Generation

The officials ordered #32b Shovel Maulder off even before the start, as #83p Jason Jack led for the Firecats at the green. The Firecats appeared to be on a seek and destroy mission, as #84p Terry Healey wound his car up and delivered the seasons biggest hit to the stationary #34b car. with the passenger door pillar now well inside the cab of the #34b car, the red lights were immediatley activated. #82p Daniel Lockwood tried out his own version of the hit on #39b James Churchward, but wily Jim shimmied and left #82p Lockwood reaching for the Ibuprofen after driving head-on with some force into the concrete wall. #81p Gareth Prentice and #39b knocked seven bells out of each other, whilst #83p Jack came through the carnage for the win.

Winner - #83p Jason Jack - Palmerston Firecats

Cars racing

Derby Cars 78
Jnr Ministocks 27
Snr Ministocks 20
Streetcars 20
Production Saloons 13