Superstock: Wanganui Warriors through to finals night

Warriors 2024 - The James Electrical Wanganui Warriors ready to go into battle. Photo / Troy Adamson

Qualifying extended to two nights at the ENZED-Dewtec Superstock Teams Champs in Palmerston North, but the Wanganui Warriors did enough to take their place on finals night tonight.

The Warriors team was waiting on the dummy grid alongside current champions, the Canterbury Glen Eagles when a violent electrical storm sent everyone scrambling on Saturday night.

It was even worse for the Palmerston North Panthers and the Kihikihi Kings who were gridding up on the track when thunder, lightning, hail and torrential rain hit Arena Manawatū.

The track crew worked tirelessly to try and dry the racing surface but it became clear that racing could not be concluded before the 10.30pm curfew, and racing was postponed to Sunday night, with the finals to be held tonight.

The near-capacity crowd was greeted with far better weather yesterday. Upsets abounded as the Panthers, Kings, Gisborne Giants and Hawke’s Bay Hawkeyes were all eliminated at the qualifying stage.

The Warriors put up a brave showing against the Eagles but were unable to get a hit on newcomer James Thian, who took out the race. The Eagles prevailed by 150 points to 45, with Kaelin Mooney and Dylan Marshall picking up points for the Wanganui Warriors.

After the Kings beat the Panthers in a brutal encounter, the Warriors’ chances of night two action would need a comprehensive win, and that’s exactly what they delivered.

1NZ Asher Rees was largely anonymous until a late-race hit took Max Holloway out of the race as Dylan Marshall, newcomer Hayden Hart and 3NZ Zane Dykstra dominated the race with a 1-2-3 finish and a haul of 165 points to 30.

As well as condemning the Kings to consolation races tonight, this took the Warriors into a tie for fifth place overall alongside the Manawatu Mustangs on 210 points. A runoff will be held for fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth places tonight, with the Great Britton Lions and Baypark Busters similarly tied on on 205 points.

If the Warriors can record another convincing win against either the Lions or the Busters it could propel them into the race for third place, and their first podium appearance since 2015.

The Eagles were top qualifiers overall, and they will race the Stratford Scrappers in a tier one semifinal tonight after the Scrappers revived the spirit of the past beating the Panthers, renewing teams racing’s most fierce rivalry.

The Auckland Allstars were impressive in beating Gisborne and Waikato Wanderers, and they will race the resurgent Rotorua Rebels, who put the Mustangs and the Lions to the sword, the latter in one of the races of the weekend to date.

Warriors manager Rangi Dykstra was delighted with the manner in which his team regrouped after its opening loss, and although the team will be without Holloway tonight who will be replaced by Gerry Linklater he is optimistic they will be a force against whoever they draw.