Jump to content

New Zealand Superstock Teams Championship

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New Zealand Superstock Teams Championship
CategorySuperstocks
Country New Zealand
Inaugural season1980/81 season
Teams13 as of 2024
Engine suppliers248 cubic inch V8
Tyre suppliersHoosier

The New Zealand Superstock Teams Championship is a 2-day event held annually at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The event attracts crowds of 14,000 people on each day of the event, as they are entertained by up to 14 teams, all fighting with full-contact allowed for the ultimate New Zealand speedway crown. In 2018, the event gave the region a $5.2M economic boost, an estimated $1.5M up from 2017.[1]

Racing

[edit]

Superstocks racing allows for full contact, hardcore racing around oval dirt tracks with concrete walls in close proximity to the outside of the track. Drivers are entitled to push one another into the infield, up the wall or into one another in the fight for victory. With no blue flags backmarker cars may wait for the lead pack and if drivers wish, may take out lead cars to best suit their team. Superstocks teams racing consists of 2 teams facing off in each race progressing through qualifying night for a chance to be in the grand final. Teams of 5 cars take part with 1 car from either team sitting out each race as a reserve car. With a total of 4 cars in the race for each team most teams use a 2:2 tactic with 2 cars attacking and going to the victory while 2 cars block the other team from taking out their attackers. Because of the all-out nature of the sport there are often many rollovers and cars up into the catch fencing, leading to red flags where cars must stop in as little distance as possible, hold position and wait until the accident is cleared and the green flag is shown once again.[2]

Deaths

[edit]

There have been two deaths at the Superstock Teams Racing championship.

On 9 February 2009, Peter Barry, aged 44, was flown to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition with severe head injury. He succumbed to the injuries six days later at 6pm, February 12.[3] Barry was driving a block car for the Kihikihi Kings versus the Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes when he lost consciousness from multiple hits between cars and the concrete wall. Barry's car continued to move slowly along the track for three quarters of a lap before a flag marshall stopped it. The coroner accepted fatalities were relatively rare in superstock racing, although the likelihood of injury was not. It was inherently high risk and violent, especially in teams' racing, where drivers crashed into each other on purpose. The coroner raised concerns about the HANS (head and neck restraint system) device, a safety item compulsory in many motorsports. The HANS device is now a primary piece of safety equipment used by every driver when racing.[4]

In 2022 the Championships were not completed after Stephen Penn who was driving for the Manawatu Mustangs crashed and sustained injuries leading to his death on the track.[5] [6]

Past Champions

[edit]
Past Champions
Year Date Held Teams Entered 1ST 2ND 3RD
2024 February 3/4/5 13 Canterbury Glen Eagles Rotorua Rebels Stratford Scrappers
2023 February 4/5/6 14 Canterbury Glen Eagles Palmerston North Panthers Gisborne Giants
2021 February 6/7 13 Rotorua Rebels[7] Canterbury Glen Eagles Gisborne Giants
2020 February 7/8 14 Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes Gisborne Giants Palmerston North Panthers
2019 February 2/3 13 Canterbury Glen Eagles Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes Wellington Wildcats
2018 February 3/4 14 Palmerston North Panthers Gisborne Giants Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes
2017 February 4/5 12 Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes Great Britain Lions Palmerston North Panthers
2016 February 6/7 12 Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes Great Britain Lions Gisborne Giants
2015 February 6/7 12 Palmerston North Panthers Wanganui Warriors Baypark Busters
2014 February 7/8 12 Baypark Busters Wanganui Warriors Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes
2013 February 8/9 13 Palmerston North Panthers Manawatu Mustangs Nelson Tigers
2012 February 4/5 12 Palmerston North Panthers Nelson Tigers Great Britain Lions
2011 February 4/5 11 Palmerston North Panthers Stratford Scrappers Nelson Tigers
2010 February 5/6 11 Nelson Tigers Great Britain Lions Manawatu Mustangs
2009 February 6/7 12 Palmerston North Panthers Nelson Tigers Great Britain Lions
2008 February 8/9 12 Palmerston North Panthers Wanganui Warriors Waikato Wanderers
2007 February 9/10 12 Palmerston North Panthers Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes Wanganui Warriors
2006 February 11/12 12 Palmerston North Panthers Nelson Tigers Manawatu Mustangs
2005 February 11/12/13 12 Manawatu Mustangs Canterbury Glen Eagles Baypark Busters
2004 February 20/21/22 12 Baypark Busters Palmerston North Panthers Waikato Wanderers
2003 February 21/22 12 Baypark Busters Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes Palmerston North Panthers
2002 February 22/23 12 Palmerston North Panthers Rotorua Rebels Baypark Busters
2001 February 23/24 12 Wellington Wildcats Stratford Scrappers Rotorua Rebels
2000 February 18/19 12 Nelson Tigers Wellington Wildcats Palmerston North Panthers
1999 February 19/21 12 Palmerston North Panthers Wellington Wildcats Bay of Plenty Raiders
1998 February 20/21/22 12 Wellington Wildcats Rotorua Rebels Palmerston North Panthers/Stratford Gladiators
1997 February 21/22 12 Stratford Gladiators Palmerston North Panthers Wellington Wildcats
1996 February 16/17 12 Taranaki Scrappers Rotorua Rebels Waikato Wanderers
1995 February 17/18 12 Waikato Wanderers Auckland Allstars Palmerston North Panthers
1994 February 18/19 12 Baypark Busters Rotorua Rebels Palmerston North Panthers/ Stratford Scrappers
1993 February 26/27 8 Waikato Wanderers Palmerston North Panthers Wellington Wildcats/ Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes
1992 February 28/29 10 Palmerston North Panthers Wellington Wildcats Christchurch Glen Eagles/Stratford Scrappers
1991 February 15/16 10 Palmerston North Panthers Nelson Tigers Baypark Busters/Waikato Wanderers
1990 February 16/17 10 Palmerston North Panthers Wellington Wildcats Stratford Scrappers/Rotorua Rebels
1989 February 17/18 10 Palmerston North Panthers Baypark Busters Waikato Wanderers/Nelson Tigers
1988 February 19/20/21 10 Stratford Scrappers Palmerston North Panthers Wellington Wildcats/Rotorua Rebels
1987 February 20/21 10 Stratford Scrappers Palmerston North Panthers Baypark Busters/Nelson Tigers
1986 February 21/22 10 Rotorua Rebels Wanganui Warriors Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes/Baypark Busters
1985 February 22/23 10 Palmerston North Panthers Stratford Scrappers Christchurch Glen Eagles/Nelson Tigers
1984 February 24/25 8 Palmerston North Panthers Stratford Scrappers Wanganui Warriors/Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes
1983 February 26/27 8 Stratford Scrappers Bay of Plenty Wellington Wildcats/Palmerston North Panthers
1982 February 26/27 8 Palmerston North Panthers Wanganui Warriors Palmerston North B/Stratford Scrappers
1981 March 7 8 Palmerston North B Wanganui Warriors Palmerston North Panthers/Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes
Team Records
Team Entered Semi Finals Finals Titles 2nds Races Wins Win%
Palmerston North Panthers 40 34 23 18 5 133 105 79%
Hawkes Bay Hawkeyes 40 13 5 3 3 96 50 53%
Nelson Tigers 37 11 6 2 4 84 42 50%
Stratford Scrappers 39 14 8 4 4 93 47 52%
Rotorua Rebels 38 12 6 2 4 92 45 47%
Wellington Wildcats 33 12 6 2 4 82 40 49%
Canterbury Glen Eagles 33 5 3 2 2 70 23 30%
Manawatu Mustangs 31 6 3 2 1 77 34 45%
Wanganui Warriors 30 10 6 6 72 24 33%
Waikato Wanderers 29 9 2 2 72 37 53%
Baypark Busters 27 12 5 4 1 64 39 63%
Auckland Allstars 26 3 1 1 61 18 26%
Great Britain Lions 11 5 3 3 41 25 61%
Otago Cougars 7 14 0 0%
Kihikihi Kings 7 14 4 33%
Gisborne Giants 6 4 1 1 21 14 65%
Bay of Plenty 4 2 1 1 10 6 60%
Stratford Gladiators 3 3 1 1 11 8 73%
Rotorua Rookie Rebels 2 4 2 50%
Te Marua Terminators 2 4 0 0%
Blenheim Vikings 2 4 0 0%
Nelson Vipers 1 2 0 0%
Wanganui B 1 1 0 0%
Hawkes Bay Allstars 1 1 0 0%

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Superstock Teams Champs rake in $5.2 million economic boost for Manawatū". Stuff. 23 April 2018.
  2. ^ "2017 General Rules & Regulations". speedway.co.nz. Midas Speedway, New Zealand. 2017. Retrieved 12 Sep 2024.
  3. ^ "Team's tribute to dead stockie". Stuff. 28 July 2009.
  4. ^ "Coroner questions speedway headgear". NZ Herald. 2010-02-11. ISSN 1170-0777.
  5. ^ "One dead following crash at Palmerston North speedway track". Newshub.
  6. ^ "'It's brutal': Commentator's shock as racer dies in crash at Palmerston North speedway". 4 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Rotorua Rebels beat Glen Eagles to win Teams' Champs final". 8 February 2021.