Giants happy with third at Auckland superstocks teams

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The Gisborne Giants finished third in the Auckland superstock teams' event on Saturday night, losing to the Palmerston North Panthers in their semifinal.

But Giants team member Peter Rees said “third place was good enough for us”.

It followed the team's second placing in the New Zealand superstock teams' champs in Palmerston North last month.

“Third was the best we could do and it allows us to be a seeded team for the Waikaraka Park event next year,” said Rees, whose team won the Auckland title last year. “It was important to get that because being seeded in the top four makes it a bit easier to get through the first night.”

The Giants met Stratford in their first match-up on Friday night and Rees said they collected a good points score there.

The Mount Maunganui team beat them in the second clash but Rees crossed for third place, and those points were enough to get them into the top four for the second night.

They faced Palmerston North Panthers in their semifinal on Saturday night.

“We got to within seven seconds of them, but we couldn't quite stop Wayne Hemi (591P), who crossed first for a Panthers win.”

Giants team member Jamie Hamilton (9G) was second but it is all about first across the line.

The Giants faced the Rotorua Rebels in the run-off for third and fourth.

“The boys controlled it from the start and finished 1-2-3,” said Rees. “I stood down and James Kirk (331G) went in for me, and he went well considering he hadn't run all weekend.”

Rees said it was good to go racing again with son Asher, who was on loan to the Giants from Kihikihi for the meeting.

“Asher was the entertainer of the weekend I think. It was good having him back and we made a bit of history.

“A father and two sons, Asher and Ethan, racing together. No one's ever done that before in superstocks.”