It’s somewhat ironic that 2010, Year of the Tiger, was the last time the Nelson Tigers won teams racings’ greatest prize.
But while a panther doesn’t feature on the Chinese New Year Calendar, it has been Year of the Panther at the ENZED New Zealand Superstock Teams Champs ever since.
With two-time 1NZ Shane Penn leading the charge, the Panthers team boasts four other names well known to speedway fans: 3NZ Peter Bengston, Peter Rees, Scott Joblin and Scott Miers. In beating Manawatu Mustangs last year, which is really a Palmy B team, the Panthers notched their third successive win, and their seventh in eight years, continuing their strangle hold on superstock teams racing.
But the Tigers are heading to Palmerston North this weekend with renewed confidence that they can beat the unbeatable, despite having minimal preparation that has included a win against the Christchurch Glen Eagles in Nelson late last year followed by a loss to the Panthers a week later “When you’re on the track every car is the same,” says Nelson Tigers selector Daryl Peterson. “Their cars aren’t any better than ours, it will just come down to tactics on the night and if you get it right you can beat them.”
The Tigers, who finished third at the national champs last year, have selected regulars Jared Gray, Blair Cunningham, Shane Harwood, Dale Ewers and Dale McKenzie for the 2014 championship, while newcomer Ben Taylor will travel as the sixth driver.
Dale McKenzie, who lost his 2NZ title this year, might be out to prove a point at the teams champs, and comes into the Tigers having been unavailable earlier in the season. “He’s shown before that if you set him a task he will do it and he will do it well. I think there’s a big future for him in teams racing if he chooses that path.”
Shane has been arguably the form Nelson superstock driver this year with his out-of-town performances in particular. He finished fourth place at the New Zealand Superstock Championship and 11th at the World 240s just a week later.
But it’s a complete team performance that will be key to overturning the Panthers on their home track. “In the past we’ve had Jared and Blair as blockers but that could be different this year because they’ve proven their cars are just as fast. In fact we’ve got five cars that are all Toyotas and all as fast as each other, they’ll all capable of being in the top ten in New Zealand.”
With five years of teams racing under his belt, 24 year old Blair knows exactly how tough Palmerston can be on their home track. But he says you can’t go to the championship writing off the other teams either. “They’re just as strong but they just haven’t had the luck,” he says. “But they have the ability to do it.”
The Baypark Busters, Hawke’s Bay Hawkeyes, Manawatu Mustangs, Rotorua Rebels and Great Britian Lions all possess teams capable of winning, he says. “They’re all strong teams, as even as each other but it all comes down to reliability, luck and getting some guys across the line.”
Blair believes Nelson’s versatility will be its strength, with drivers able to change their roles with ease mid-race. “If something goes wrong we just change. Normally a few guys will block and there will just be one runner but that can all change in the first lap. But the hardest part is reading who is actually leading the race.”
The Nelson Tigers will travel across to the North Island on Thursday before the first night of racing on Friday at Robertson Holden International Speedway. Blair says the team was buzzing ahead of the championship and is always encouraged by the amount support that meets them in Palmerston North, with thousands of speedway fans expected, including a contingent of travelling Nelson fans. “We know we’ve got support and that helps a lot. It’d be a lot harder without it.”
