Lions end Giants’ title hopes

BUSTED: Gisborne Giants team member Ethan Rees (right) tangles with a BayPark Busters driver at the New Zealand superstock teams’ championship at Palmerston North. The Giants won this clash but were eliminated in the semifinals. Picture by Square Photography

Gisborne Giants had to settle for fifth place overall at the New Zealand superstock teams’ championship in Palmerston North on Sunday.

The Giants qualified for the semifinals after a brutal win over the BayPark Busters, followed by a clinical demolition of the Rotorua Rebels. The points margin in these two qualifying races was 120-75, with Gisborne’s Peter Rees crossing first in both.

But the Giants came up against a strong Great Britain Lions team in the semifinals.

Ethan Rees (127G) had steering issues in the warm-up and was soon out of the running once the race started. Father Peter (10G) suffered race-ending damage and Gary Davis (31G) was put into the wall.

The Lions completed a clean sweep to deny the Giants a place in the final with a 165-10 scoreline.

The Gisborne team regathered and carved the Rebels up 165-20 in the run-off for fifth and sixth. Hawke’s Bay Hawkeyes claimed their second consecutive title when they beat the Great Britain team in the final.

Giants team manager Scott Ross said it was a good performance from the team despite their fifth placing. They were third last year.

“You have got to have good drivers, good equipment and good luck, and if you do not have all three it does not happen. That was the story against the Lions and it cost the boys a chance to win the title. Sometimes things just do not go your way and you get beaten by a better team.”

The Giants plan to race again at a meeting at Auckland’s Waikaraka raceway next month.