Changing of the guard at the top
The demise of national champion Peter Rees paved the way for two rising stars of Palmerston North stockcars to climb on to the top two national spots at the final of the New Zealand champs at Arena Manawatu last night.
It didn’t take until the end of the third heat for Ree’s hopes of a threepeat to end though he must have been surprised it was fellow Palmerston North driver Stu Rackham who fired him into the wall and out of contention.
It was a night for the Palmerston North youngsters though with Jayden Ward coming out the victor narrowly ahead of fellow Palmerston North driver Chevron Taniwha with their respective fathers Graeme Ward and Gavin Taniwha both racing in the event.
Ward said he was determined to win the Machinery Specialists national title at the Robertson Holden Speedway for a couple of reasons.
‘‘ I really wanted this title,’’ Ward said. ‘‘ Dad won the title here and I wanted this one for one of my pit crew who died two years ago.
‘‘ I thought I’d blown it though when I backed into the wall with a couple of laps of the third heat left.’’ The national stockcar champs has only been decided at Arena Manawatu twice with Jayden Ward following in his father’s footsteps with Graeme Ward winning in 2002.
It’s been a rewarding month for Chevron Taniwha who also won the New Zealand Grand Prix.
‘‘ This is the icing on the cake,’’ Taniwha said. ‘‘ We’re on a tight budget.’’ Dale Robertson the 2005 national champion was rapt to come home in third place.
‘‘ It was never going to be easy for any visiting driver with so many Palmerston North cars in the final,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘ I’m definitely pleased with third.
Even without the hit by Rackham, Rees would have had a battle on his hands with the brilliant drives of Ward, Taniwha and fourth- placed Zac Harris. Rees made a big charge to finish second in the first heat, but Ward was too quick and won comfortably, though the big movers were Taniwha and Wellington’s 2005 national champion who did well to finish third overall after only making the finals by winning the repechage.
Another brilliant Ward drive in the second heat left him three points ahead of Taniwha going into the final heat followed by Robertson and Harris, with Wellington’s Scott McIntosh the only other realistic contender.
Chevron
Taniwha’s
father
Gavin blocked brilliantly to allow both Ward and Chevron Taniwha to get to the front. At one stage Taniwha had the entire field held up behind him before a fellow Palmerston North Pumas team- mate Darrel Wallace was pushed into him rolling him on to his roof and out of the race.
Gavin Taniwha had done his job though allowing the Ward and the young Taniwha to close right up on Robertson who had begun the race at the front of the 30- car field, with Ward finishing third and Taniwha fourth enough for a Palmerston North one- two.