Derby title taken out by Dad’s Army
SPEEDWAY: New Plymouth team Dad’s Army are back on top of the Demolition Derby world after leading a massive 24-team field to win the Peter Barry Memorial Derby title in Palmerston North.
Dad’s Army squeaked into fourth place in Friday night’s qualifying, although level with Wanganui Wannabes, behind Team Kaos, Geronimo and Battle Boars.
Over the years, Dad’s Army, who had a hat-trick of titles between 2010 and 2012, have shown an ability to win by suffering the least amount of damage and after winning their qualifying final 175-20 over the Wanganui Wannabes, they then stamped their mark on the final on Saturday with the entire team staying clear of the attentions of the Grid Bombers team.
It was Roderick Stevenson who won the race, with one of the classy Reed family, Cheyanne, second, the only other finisher. Not surprisingly, considering they’re considered the Palmerston North Panthers of derby racing, both drivers finished with hardly a mark on their cars.
Grid Bombers did well to make the final after finishing seventh in qualifying, then beating Team Geronimo to make the final.
Debuting his new car, former national champion Jamie Larsen showed the field a clean pair of heels to take out the Manawatu¯ Sprintcar title to beat regular podium placegetter Greg Pickerill, with the promising Tony Uhlenberg third.
Such was Larsen’s dominance that he won the one race 15-lap final by a massive 10 seconds, with Tony Uhlenberg the only other driver not lapped third but 11 seconds behind Larsen.
Christchurch visitor Tom Lumsden took out the Manawatu¯ Midget title ahead of Stratford visitors Chris Bargie and Mark Williams.
After appearing to take the first heat to get used to a Robertson Holden Speedway track he hadn’t raced on before when he finished eighth, Lumsden then won the second qualifying heat, before taking out the final.
The Midgets lost some of their gloss when the outstanding Duane Hickman (Stratford) failed to finish the second qualifying race and didn’t reappear for the final.
Dion Mooney won the opening stockcar race ahead of Aaron Watson and Brandon Jurgeleit, two of the up and coming Palmerston North drivers. Cameron Renwick beat Ricky Garth and Matt Phippen in the second race, before Hamish Mcleod won the final ahead of Daniel Burmeister and Roydon Winstanley.
In a rarity on Friday night, the Manawatu Streetstock title required a runoff to decide the title, with the first three drivers level on 47 points after the three heats. Gisborne’s Cody Gooch cleared off to take the four-lap runoff. Paul Blinkhorne (Stratford) took second place after spinning Hewke’s Bay’s Dave Brand.