Giants ready for big effort

FIRST TITLE: Gisborne Giants driver Ethan Rees (127G) was "stoked" to win his first superstock national title in Auckland on Saturday night. His Dad Peter was "over the moon" too. The Giants beat the Palmerston North Panthers clinically in the final. File picture

THE Gisborne Giants superstock team goes into action tonight and tomorrow night in the New Zealand superstock teams championships and team captain Peter Rees says they have prepared well.

The meeting at the Robertson Holden Palmerston North Raceway has developed into one of the highlights of the national speedway scene.

Gisborne Giants includes Peter Rees (10G), his elder son Ethan (127G), Gavin Taniwha (75G), Garry Davies (31G) and former British Lions superstock driver and former world champion Tom Harris (84G).

“The draw is fairly even and so I feel we have a very good chance of topping our group,” Peter Rees said today.

The Giants take on Mt Maunganui and then Rotorua tonight ahead of the semifinals and finals tomorrow night.

The Gisborne team will be without the services of Asher Rees, who was badly injured in a speedway crash this season.

“Asher continues to make steady progress in his recovery,” his father Peter said.

“We have lost a bit without him racing, but we have gained some of that back with the experience and ability of Tom Harris.

“We have a pretty strong team because each of us can either run or block, so we are a well-balanced group.”

The Giants have not raced for three weeks as part of their careful preparation for this weekend.

“We have specifically targeted this meeting and we are looking forward to carrying Gisborne’s colours proudly.”

The Rees family live in Palmerston North and have been members of the Gisborne Speedway Club for two seasons.

Gisborne Speedway Club president Grant MacGregor said the club wished the team all the best for the next two nights’ racing.

“While the Giants are a team made up of drivers from outside the district, thanks to Peter and his family they race under the Gisborne banner,” he said.

“We are very proud of that.”