Calendars and Colouring Books

Del Nield has got some great colouring books and calendars including one with my pit shots featured on TradeMe at the moment, click HERE to check them out and purchase.

Stockcar Teams Update 3

Rain did its bit to interfere with the bumper amount of teams racing last weekend at both ends of the country. The Manawatu Steelers won the TWS Stockcar Teams Invasion at Huntly and immediately move to the top of the table.

Results:

Nov 3, Greenstone Park

Greymouth Grizzlies def Tasman Thunder

Nov 10, Stratford Speedway

Manawatu Steelers def Stratford Stormers

Nov 11, Eastern States Speedway, Blenheim

Eastern States Titans def Ken's Cowboys

Nov 16, Huntly Speedway Night 1
Wanganui Vulcans def Meeanee Maulers
Waikato Raiders def Gisborne Gladiators
Rotorua Rascals def Auckland Alleycats
Manawatu Steelers def Kihikihi Crusaders
Waikato Raiders def Meeanee Maulers
Wanganui Vulcans def Gisborne Gladiators
Manawatu Steelers def Rotorua Rascals
Auckland Alleycats def Kihikihi Crusaders

Nov 16, Woodford Glen Speedway
Eastern States Titans def Ken's Cowboys
Canterbury Crushers def North Island Invitation
Eastern States Titans def North Island Invitation
Ken's Cowboys def Canterbury Crushers

Nov 17, TeMarua Speedway Wellington 
Welllington Young Guns def Tasman Thunder

Nov 18, Huntly Speedway Night 2
Rotorua Rascals def Gisborne Gladiators
Meeanee Maulers def Kihikihi Crusaders
Manawatu Steelers def Wanganui Vulcans
Auckland Alleycats def Waikato Raiders
Manawatu Steelers def Auckland Alleycats
Gisborne Gladiators def Kihikihi Crusaders
Meeanee Maulers def Rotorua Rascals
Wanganui Vulcans def Waikato Raiders

2011/12 Season Final table HERE  Winners Waikato Raiders

2010/11 Season Final table HERE  Winners Palmerston North Pumas

Steelers triumphant!

TWS Stockcar Teams Invitation Finals
Sunday November 18



Rain put paid to Saturday nights running of the finals, so 1pm Sunday saw a fairly mediocre sized crowd roll in for some of the best stockcar teams racing I've seen in years. Most readers of this website will be well aware of the titanic battle between Auckland and Waikato in the semi finals, it really was something a bit special. Huntly Speedway should have been a sellout and I seem to remember saying this last season, this meeting is a right little gem that truly gets better and better with each running and the reason is the continuing improvement in the quality of the teams attending. There is no dead cert winner and certainly no weak teams which makes every race a thriller. Finals day was first across the line instead of points.

Rotorua Rascals def Gisborne Gladiators
The Rascals could feel well peeved having missed the top four finals, and if the way they were hitting the wall and each other before their hot laps was any indication, there was obviously a bit of pent up anger about to be unleashed. The Gladiators unfortunately were about to feel that wrath. Both teams only managed to field four cars and things looked good for the Gladiators as they took an early lead with 65g and 63g. An early red light for Murray Kitt, who was one of a number of drivers to be burned by errant hot fluid over the weekend seemed like a gift for Gisborne but with the 68g failing to last more than a few laps (in most races) the Rascals took the upper hand and ultimately came home with a solid win, 538r Shannon Orr taking the flag.

Meeanee Maulers def Kihikihi Crusaders
7k Dave Moore lead out early but being spun first by 82b and then 81b left 83b Brett Loveridge in the lead and although there were plenty of hits going in, nobody touched the 83b who clicked off lap after lap for an easier win than expected. 747k Ivan Lammas showed great speed in this race but the Crusaders nailed every car except the one that mattered most, the runner.

Major Semi Final 1
Manawatu Steelers def Wanganui Vulcans
12 laps of full on action for the first of the semis where clinical driving by the Steelers got them home over a spirited Vulcans side. Aaron Iremonger lead early but it was the blocking of 96v Francis Potaka that caused the Steelers most grief. 510p Jay Knight and 557p Darryl Wallace provided most of the cover but it was 9p Stu Rackham who managed to drive over the wheel of Potaka in turn four ending his attacks. 99v Wayne Wright had a few more goes at the lead car, Knight finished off 98v and a cunning blocking move stopping the 69v tank from reversing into Iremonger on the back straight got the Steelers home with minimal damage and a place in the final.

Major Semi Final 2
Auckland Alleycats def Waikato Raiders
What can you say about this race, instant classic! During the hot laps Raiders stand out driver of the weekend Justin Hutchby broke the rear axle eliminating him from the team. A huge loss before the flag even fell. But this was just the beginning. 333a Hayden Cossey would sit out for the Alleycats and 838a Shannon Savage would get his first run. From pole the Alleycats lead with 388a Scott Tennant, 97h Scott Gallop and 383a Gary Lonergan running. Gallop took over the lead after Tennant was blocked by 92h, but Savage managed a hit that punctured Gallops right front tyre. Lonergan took over the lead but a perfectly timed shot from 92h Andre Stenson rolled the Alleycats speedster and swung the advantage to the Raiders in a big way with 9 laps to go. Scott Tennant and Bernie Fox still held the top two places but were a car down although lady luck was on their side as Stenson was removed on the red light for a broken wheel guard, back to 3 v 3. Tennant now took on a blocking role along with Savage, while the Raiders didn't have an obvious runner, both 94h Mark Caldwell and 96h Neville Hazelton went on the attack stopping Fox and damaging Savage despite Caldwell being in second place.

Despite the puncture, Gallop managed to pin Fox in the turn 3 + 4 wall until Scott Tennant made one of two moves that no doubt sealed the Alleycat victory. Savage smacked into Gallop's car realeasing Fox and unlike many many races you see where a car sits waiting to be push started, Tennant got in behind Fox and restarted him. Meanwhile Hazelton tore the wheel off Savages car bringing on the reds and reducing the Alleycats to 2 cars. Then came the huge moment when Caldwell and Gallop almost rolled Fox spectacularly sending him flying up on to the wall and back down on his wheels. 96h Hazelton was left as the only fast circulating car but was down a number of laps and when Fox was able to refire the car and crawled around the track it was down to who would get to the flag first. Up stepped that man Tennant who lined up Fox and pushed him the remaining 3/4 of a lap to a sensational victory. It was worthy of a final in front of a packed house but it will be something special to those that were there, specially if you were an Alleycats supporter.

Grand Final
Manawatu Steelers def Auckland Alleycats
The damage sustained from the semi left the Auckland cars as underdogs and so it would prove in a final overshadowed by that race against the Raiders. 357p Aaron Iremonger and 510p Jay Knight would lead out early and despite a few shots from the Alleycats, were never in any danger of losing the lead. 383a Lonergan would block and stop 557p, and both 16p Justin Kinane and 388a Savage would both retire. Lonergan stopped Iremonger late in the race but one final opportunity to take out Knight on the final lap was missed and the 510p crossed the line for an emphatic victory. Although it was a tame final, it capped off a great weekend and deserving winners the Steelers dominated the opposition in every race. The depth of talent at Palmerston North is quite incredible.

In the other teams races, Gisborne beat Kihikihi for 7th + 8th place, Meeanee beat Rotorua for 5th + 6th and Wanganui beat Waikato for 3 + 4th place.

History
2012  Manawatu Steelers
2011  Auckland Alleycats
2010  Manawatu Steelers
2009  Auckland Alleycats
2008  Manawatu Steelers
2007  Meeanee Maulers
2006  Baypark Bulldogs
2005  Rotorua Rascals

Huntly Teams Night 1

TWS Stockcar Teams Invitation 
November 16



Eight fairly evenly matched teams arrived at Huntly PlaceMakers Speedway for night one of this increasingly popular early season meeting. The Auckland Alleycats were the defending champions but along with a few other teams had a number of pre-meeting dramas including one car not even making it off the trailer leaving them with a bare bones team of four cars. The sight of the weighing scales in the scrutineering area was a major too, some cars well over weight and needing some urgent Jenny Craig treatment. I believe there were also some cars rechecked after the parade laps were completed.

Meeanee Maulers 80 v Wanganui Vulcans 115
It was noted on the dummy grid that Francis Potaka was waving at Regan O'Brien as he drove past him towards the track and Wanganui would also get the last laugh too with a narrow win, despite 98v Dion Mooney hitting the wall during the hot laps and the rear end collapsed putting him out. 82b Jeff Hart took an early lead before 69v Justin Cunningham spun him handing the lead to 85b Tony Palmer. 96v Potaka did the running for the Vulcans along with 99v Wayne Wright. O'Brien and Cunningham both took over the rolls of blocking and did an outstanding job, O'Brien holding up three Vulcans cars at one stage. Palmer lost a wheel and with it the Maulers chances disappeared. 83b Brett Loveridge landed a huge hit on the 69v tank but it was too late as Potaka headed home Jeff Hart and surprisingly O'Brien managing to come home third despite mainly blocking, such was the carnage in the race.
96v, 82b, 81b, 69v, 89v, 83b, 85b

Waikato Raiders 180 v Gisborne Gladiators 10
Gisborne are always crowd favourites and so often its only bad luck or car reliability that rob them of a good win. The Raiders on paper looked one of the strongest teams and they proved it with a massive win. 96h Neville Hazelton and 65g Dave Kingsbeer sat the race out as reserves. 98h Justin Hutchby was the kingmaker in this race with a huge hit on the race leading 63g tank of Sam Hughes, that left the steering wheel in Sam's hands but not attached to the car anymore, not surprisingly the tank was out but Hutchby was able to continue and would eventually finish in 3rd. This left 64g Ian Barron leading but some brutal racing including some great blocking by 66g Bruce Harding taking the bonnet of 97h Scott Gallop's car brought on the reds for a second time. Upon the green light both Barron and 68g Keaton Batt failed to restart leaving Harding as the sole Gladiator and a 1-2-3 finish for the Raiders earned them great points, 92h Andre Stenson driving a great race for the win. Harding was impressive but 3 v 1 was an un-winable position and he followed the Raiders cars round for the remaining laps and the Gladiators 10 point haul.
92h, 94h, 98h, 66g

Auckland Alleycats 35 v Rotorua Rascals 160
The Alleycats had no sub and there were a few problems during the hotlaps but when Malcolm Sines was interviewing Gary Lonergan at the pit gate the crowd got a great laugh, after being asked what was wrong with the car Gary replied "the cars good as gold, no problems here!" Murray Kitt sat the race out for the rascals. 388a Scott Tennant in his debut teams appearance took the early lead with Lonergan and things were looking good for the champs, 833a Bernie Fox taking out two Rascals cars in succession and the 385r tank of Matt Nilsson having a puncture. But how quickly things change, 333a Hayden Cossey stopped in turn 1 and remained there for the race and with a 1 man advantage the Rascals took control, Fox was spun in turn 4 and Nillson made a massive blow front on to the Fox car leaving both of them stranded for a few crucial laps. Lonergan attacked the 538r car of Shannon Orr and rode up the side leaving both cars stuck together. 353r Dale Stewart sent Tennant into the wall in turn four just as Fox was able to restart but by this stage the Alleycats had lost momentum and Rotorua picked up a hard earned and well run race. The Nillson hit on Fox was deemed legal and so the Rascals grabbed a great haul of points. The only annoying part of this race was trying to work out who was who with two of the hardest numbering combinations in teams racing in a single race!
353r, 835r, 383a

Kihikihi Crusaders 10 v Manawatu Steelers 180
Like Auckland in the race before, Kihikihi only fronted with four cars and 16p sat out for the Steelers. This race started out in great fashion with some of THE biggest hits of the night but big hits sometimes backfire and the Crusaders cars were decimated after only a few laps. 747k Ivan Lammas put in a huge shot on early leader 510p Jay Knight in turn two while 7k Dave Moore did the same to 9p Stuart Rackham. Red lights were activated for Lammas and Moore failed to restart but was still on the track. Knight was able to continue with 98k Rhys Beaumont running for the Crusaders. 357p Aaron Iremonger was next to be removed after hitting the 7k and breaking the front bumper. 98k Beaumont retired leaving 17k Ben Patrick solo and with no chance against the remaining 3 Steelers. An impressive win.
557p, 510p, 9p, 17k

Waikato Raiders 150 v Meeanee Maulers 30
Caldwell and Hart sat this race out and the Maulers were going to need a big win for any chance of progressing to the finals. The Raiders had looked great in their first heat and backed it up with another strong performance here. 98h Hutchby lead out early from 85b Palmer and 92h Stenson. O'Brien and Loveridge set up a rolling block which resulted in cars going everywhere in turns 3 and 4 unfortunately for the Maulers O'Briens car was now dead and the 83b was left in the wall. 97h Gallop went of in a cloud of smoke leaving 2 v 2, Cook and Palmer for the Maulers and Hutchby and Stenson for the Raiders. Hutchby never relinquised the lead and 92h Stenson put in a big hit on 85b, Waikato getting home comfortably and the Maulers hopes ended. Hutchby undoubtably the driver of the night, brutal and fast with no quarter given.
98h, 92h, 86b

Gisborne Gladiators 30 v Wanganui Vulcans 165
From the green light only 3 cars took off leading most of the pack sitting on the start line, Wright, Barron and Cunningham doing the running. This race was most notable for two things, the 66g of Bruce Harding who seemed to hit every Vulcan car at same stage and just kept on going and going, he almost managed to roll the tank of Cunningham, blocked Wayne Wright giving the lead to Barron who looked like he was going to take an unlikely win until a cloud of smoke and some power steering fluid spraying over the driver brought on the red lights just one corner away from a win. It looked mighty uncomfortable and he was quick to exit the car. 69v Cunningham just had to cross the line for the win but the 65g of Keaton Batt stalled on the restart and dropped down a place to 3rd behind Potaka. Not the easy victory the Vulcans would have hoped for and so close to a Gladiator 1-2.
69v, 96v, 65g

Manawatu Steelers 160 v Rotorua Rascals 35
Whoever won this race was definitely going to the finals and if it was a close finish both could qualify. A big ask for the Rascals after defeating Auckland, the Rascals only had four mobile cars make it to the track. Jay Knight was on pole and if Im not mistaken lead for the whole race. 557p Darryl Wallace took most of the big hits and as was mentioned by the commentators the Palmy cars are built so tough they seem to keep on going being the difference as a couple of the Rascals cars were left stranded for long periods of the race. 835r Damian Orr did managed to wreck the steering on Wallace's car and the Nilsson tank slowed Knight but 9p Rackham did some incredible driving avoiding the Rascal's block cars ensuring the points went mostly to the Steelers. Rotorua were now vulnerable points-wise if Auckland or Kihikihi managed a demolition job on the opposition.
510p, 9p, 

Auckland Alleycats 180 v Kihikihi Crusaders 15
Good sportsmanship by the Crusaders allowed this race to be delayed until after the previous Rascals/ Steelers race giving the Alleycats enough time to get a fourth car mobile. Ultimately it would cost Rotorua as the Alleycats pulled off a sensational win to grab the top 3 places. The effort to get the 333a Hayden Cossey car on the track was incredible. Early retirements from 98k and 747k meant the Alleycats had a chance to qualify and although the 333a expired before the end of the race, it did enough to help get Tennant, Fox and Lonergan home ahead of 17k Ben Patrick. An unlikely win but the Alleycats through to a finals matchup with bitter rivals the Waikato Raiders.
388a, 388a, 383a, 17k 

Summary
Although there were exactly zero rollovers in the teams racing, it took nothing away from the spectacle. The match-ups were still really good and not a dud team out there. In fact I think this was the most evenly balanced Huntly Teams field I've ever seen. I was mightily impressed with Justin Hutchby for the Raiders and Bruce Harding for the Gladiators. Manawatu and Waikato would appear to be the form teams but anything can happen in teams racing. A special mention also for the commentary team that really excelled last night - 10/10 in my book, great interviews, points updates, race info during red light stoppages, updates from the pits and the sound system was perfect. Great job Mintie and Malcolm Sines, it was an excellent part of a great nights racing. One more shout out too for the Streetstocks, bloody awesome! Finally a decent field (I think 24 of them) with hard fast racing and even a visitor from Christchurch, 31c Simon Bland who was incredible to watch. The only rollover of the night was in this class and 9s Chris Singleton took the honour and was a great sport considering. Also Gooches everywhere! I think there were four of them on track, what a fantastic effort. Lets hope the rain stays away and finals night can get underway, otherwise I believe Sunday 1pm is the alternative.

Semi Finals:
Auckland Alleycats v Waikato Raiders
Wanganui Vulcans v Manawatu Steelers

Stockcar Teams Update 2

The first big title is coming up for Stockcar teams racing next week at Huntly Speedway, so a few more teams have managed to get some practice in before Friday. The Manawatu Steelers had a win against the Stormers at Stratford following a great couple of seasons as essentially being the "B" team from Palmerston North. There is nothing "B Team" about the Steelers having proved it with a record of only 4 losses in the last 3 years. I've been lucky enough to get some photos from Tracey Stevens-Flett and Adam Young featured below, thanks guys. Check out Adam's speedway photos and much more HERE at ADMAN Motorsport. Tracey's facebook page is HERE.

Results:

Nov 3, Greenstone Park

Greymouth Grizzlies def Tasman Thunder

Nov 10, Stratford Speedway

Manawatu Steelers def Stratford Stormers

Nov 11, Eastern States Speedway, Blenheim
Eastern States Titans def Ken's Cowboys

2011/12 Season Final table HERE  Winners Waikato Raiders

2010/11 Season Final table HERE  Winners Palmerston North Pumas