The Rees family–lead Gisborne Giants team have taken out the TWS Superstock Teams Nationals, held at Auckland’s Waikaraka Park Family Speedway on March 3 and 4. Always a feared team considering they head into any event with a squad full of fast Rees Races Cars–prepped machinery, the Giants beat the favoured Hawke’s Bay Hawke Eyes and Palmerston North Panthers on their way to the title.
Squad members — 10G Peter, 127G Ethan Rees, 31G Gary Davis, 75S Karl Shearer, and 26S Mitch Vickery — were worthy winners, having been well tested and on the receiving end of significant mechanical damage every race, yet managing to work together as a team, effortlessly switching between blocking and running roles.
With six teams participating this year, event promoters and drivers alike would have been happy to see strong crowds turn up both nights to experience what is either a form of extreme bravery, or a very special kind of madness.
Superstock team racing essentially involves two groups of four drivers strapping themselves into 1500kg steel cages on wheels, trying to smash each other to bits to prevent the other team getting to the chequered flag first.
With the largely Nissan and Toyota V8-powered cars making 480hp at 9000rpm, it makes for both a spectacular and at times scary sight as the cars reach speeds of around 100kph while trying to take opponents into the wall or simply driving straight into the back of each other.
It’s not unusual to see cars airborne or rolled over, and very few drivers escape any race without feeling at least one hard hit.
In order of finish:
First: Gisborne Giants (G)
Second: Palmerston North Panthers (P)
Third: Manawatu Mustangs (Green P)
Fourth: Hawkes Bay Hawk Eyes (B)
Fifth: Rotorua Rebels (R)
Sixth: Auckland Allstars (A)
We’ll be taking a closer look at a Superstock in an upcoming issue of NZV8 magazine, and we’ll have video footage to take you on board with Hawke Eye driver Jason Long to give you a sense of just how brutal this sport truly is.