GOB on the JOB « ..:ZM Meeanee Speedway

The 2010 Peter Barry Memorial Stockcar teams was everything it promised to be and more, the force of some of the attacks took our breath away let alone the victim in the car. Heat 1 was a match up between the Wanganui Vulcans and the fancied Maulers on home turf. HB won the coin toss to take pole and we all waited for the action to explode. Explode it did but not for HB as many had thought with the Maulers getting a good duff up. Ricky Kuru went infield early while Regan O’Brien was sent up the Napier straight wall but this was nothing compared to the 89v missile that took out Marty Cooke just in front of our commentary position. It has to be the hardest take out seen this season! and it was a relieved crowd who watched Marty walk away from a very sick looking Stockcar. At the flag the Vulcans had dominated heat 1 to win 175pts to the Maulers 20. Points placings were 89v, 86v, 98v, 84b, 96v………………..Heat 2 had the TeMarua Terminators on pole against the 2nd HB team Orange Roughies. Tony Darroch was receiving a lot of attention as well as handing it back but retired mid race. Rossco Ross leonard was causing carnage for the Roughies and was running strong but he was stopped dead in his tracks when put up the wall. With Tony Palmer also suffering a DNF it wasn’t looking good for heat 2. At the flag the Terminators had Terminated the Roughies by 160pts to 25. Placings were 7w, 622w, 171, 52w. Two heats down and both HB teams in need of a big comeback in round 2…………………The Auckland Alleycats came up against the firepower of the Palmerston Puma’s in heat 3 who have the 3 X NZ Champion Peter Rees who is one of the greatest blockers, hitters and runners any team could ask for. The Alleycats had won pole but at the green it was the Puma’s who took command. Rees was doing what he does best and that was run hard, hit hard but Auckland were lurking in the shadows waiting to leap on their prey. 833a Jason Palamountain was driving a great race for the Alleycats and was some how staying under the radar. It only took a moment for Rees to be caught up in traffic and the 833a found the gap he had been probing for and stormed through to take the major share of points in 1st place. At the flag it was a points win to Auckland by 120 to 75. Placings were 833a, 1nz, 33p,383a, 37p………………Heat 4 was a sign of things to come although at that stage we didn’t know it. The Raiders were up against the Kihikihi Crusaders who would start on pole. Waikato belted the Crusaders into submission in this heat to totally annihalate their challenge leaving only 2 damaged Kihikihi cars running. By the end of the heat it was a massive points win to the Raiders of 185 to 10. Placings were 93h, 95h, 94h, 98h, 29k……………….ROUND 2 and it was last chance saloon for the Roughies who were up against the on form Vulcans. Wanganui started from pole but found their second heat would not be as easy as they might have hoped. The Roughies displayed awesome team work to contain the them despite the 671 of Darroch climbing the Napier side wall. Mark Jones 571 was driving a strategic race fending off the opposition which resulted in a strong finish in third and a win for 171 Iremonger to grab a bucket full of points. On the line it was 171, 69v, 571, 86v, 89v resulting in a win for the Roughies 125 to 70……………….Heat 6 and local pride was at stake. The Maulers were also on the back foot needing a big win to make the runnoffs for podium places. They came up against the Terminators who were still on a roll from the result they had in round 1. Wellington started on pole and all I can say about this heat was the Maulers were on a mission and not one of the Terminators was untouched. Would it be a Mauling, will the Terminators be terminated?, it certainly looked possible but depite having everything thrown at them Wellington cars kept circulating to grab a share of points and deny the Maulers the huge win they desperately needed. At the flag it was a points win to HB of 110 to 85. Placings were 84b, 35w, 7w, 622w, and 81b. Beatle Tarrant drove a good race to take the 100 pts for the win……………..Heat 7 was the battle of the unbeatens. Alleycats up against the Raiders with Waikato on pole. This heat lived up to the billing as it was hard fought by both sides and certainly could have gone either way. The Raiders threw it all at Auckland but when the chequers came out it was a one, two across the line for the Alleycats to give them a win, after a protest from the Raiders team the results were reversed for 2nd & 3rd placings giving waikato the edge into the final heats 125pts to 70. Placings were 383a, 94h, 883a, 95h, 93h…………….The final heat of round 2 was the Puma’s against the Kihikihi Crusaders. The Crusaders were pounded by the Raiders in their opening heat and were now racing for pride. If you thought the Pumas would feel sorry for them how wrong you were. Kihikihi won pole but gave it to Palmy and then the Pumas procceeded to obliterate the opposition by taking the full maximum points available with the first 5 cars home to leave them as the top qualifiers of the 8 teams. At the line it was Palmy 195pts Kihi kihi 0………The totals after 2 rounds were Pumas 270pts, Waikato 255, Alleycats, Vulcans, and Terminators on 245, Roughies 150, Maulers 130 and the Crusaders 10pts. This meant a three way tie for third and a runnoff between the Auckland, Wanganui and TeMarua for the final podium place. With first across the line it all on at the drop of the green. In what was possibly the tamest race of the night it was the 98v of Dion Mooney securing third outright for the Vulcans with Wellington finishing 5th and Auckland 6. Auckland perhaps deserved more for their efforts and 6th wasn’t a true indication of their form…………In the final it was the Palmerston Pumas Vs the Waikato Raiders and as the form book suggested most peoples money was on the Pumas. Palmy would start on pole and the 3 x NZ champ Peter Rees stormed off and bashed his way through the back markers. It was looking a sure bet for the Pumas until Rees found a couple of immovable objects with H on the side of their cars and they managed to pin him on the wall. Tyson Wootten took up the challenge and you could sense from the crowd that the tide was turning. The Pumas had run out of tricks to pull and the Raiders crossed the line first to steal the Peter Barry Memorial Stockcar Teams title for 2010. The crowd went wild and the Raiders celebrated their come from behind win while the Pumas were left to wonder how they had let the championship get away. With probably the largest travelling support the Raiders were deserved champions but on the whole it was the HB Speedway public who were winners witnessing an awesome event that will only grow in stature and importance as the years go by. Well done to all the teams not only for your efforts on track but for honoring the memory of a great man, racer, mate, brother, husband, father, boss that Peter Barry was and also thanks to the Raiders for their $200 winning bid on the signed shirt I was wearing and David Jones for his bid on the Banner which will take pride of place above the bar in the clubrooms. All proceeds going to Project K that Peter thought so highly of………………………..Next week is a 7pm start and we have the best open wheel drivers battling to be North Island TQ champion, my commentator TXT question is how many cars are on track for the opening heat of that title and remember don’t txt the answer until I ask for it on race night………..Seeyou trackside next week for more dirt flying action at ZM Meeanee Speedway……………………Seeya Mike Wilson

sponsored by -