Gisborne Speedway Club member Asher Rees (1NZG) will be chasing his fourth consecutive New Zealand superstock car title at the Nelson Speedway this weekend. He is pictured celebrating a win on the Awapuni Speedway track last summer. Photo / Liam Clayton
Gisborne Speedway Club member Asher Rees (1NZG) will be chasing his fourth consecutive New Zealand superstock car title at the Nelson Speedway this weekend. He is pictured celebrating a win on the Awapuni Speedway track last summer. Photo / Liam Clayton
A high-quality, eight-strong Gisborne contingent will be in qualifying action on Friday night in a bid to make Saturday’s finals of the New Zealand Superstock Championship in Nelson.
A field of 100 starters from around the country are vying for the podium at Nelson Speedway.
The quality of the Gisborne drivers and their cars speaks volumes for their chances at the DC Equipment-sponsored event.
Reigning champion 1NZG Asher Rees will be out to secure his fourth consecutive national superstocks honour.
He won in Rotorua, then Huntly and last year at Meeanee before joining Foxton-based father Peter and brother Ethan back at Gisborne Speedway Club this season.
The Rees family, spearheaded by three-times national superstock champion Asher Rees, will be right among the action this weekend in Nelson at the 2024-2025 NZ champs.
Photo / Liam Clayton
Peter Rees, the 2014-2015 NZ champ, piloted his 10G to the New Zealand Superstock Grand Prix title early in the New Year, with Asher second and Ethan (127G) third.
If all three make Saturday night’s finals in Nelson, they will be a massive force to be reckoned with.
Charging along with them in the qualifying rounds will be Jason Jones (81G), Tim Ross (144G), Jamie Hamilton (9G), Josh Prentice (5G), who was second at the 2022-2023 nationals in Huntly, and Regan Penn (235G) - all of them seasoned competitors in the class.
Ethan Rees said qualifying for the finals was always tough.
“We’ve all got a good chance, all the Gizzy cars, so with a bit of luck and some skill, we’ll see if we can get there.
“We are all ready to race. My dad and brother and I hope to capitalise on our GP performance.”
Eight cars from Gisborne Speedway Club are in action Friday night in qualifying for the New Zealand Superstock Championship finals in Nelson.
Photo / Liam Clayton
Qualifying comprises five groups with 20 cars in each.
Jones and Ross are in the Boote Group, Ethan Rees is in the Higgins Group, Hamilton and Penn the Ewers Group, Asher Rees the Harwood Group, and Peter Rees and Prentice the Clayworth Group.
“They are all at the top of their game, the Gizzy guys, but you’ve got to have a bit of luck to go with it,” Gisborne Speedway Club president Sam Hughes said.
“The Rees boys will go in the championships hot after their incredible results in the New Zealand Superstock Grand Prix earlier this month, but they will also be marked men.”
Twenty-five cars qualify for Saturday night’s finals and repecharge fields will be decided below that.
“Our club’s so proud of what all the ‘G’ car drivers continue to contribute to our club,” Hughes said.
“The Rees family have achieved so much with a ‘G’ on their cars, and the others continue to be strong performers representing our club.
“Hopefully it all goes well down there and the weather plays its part.”
