Warriors fall short in final - February 2015
BACK TO BACK: Former WHS student Kyle Heibner receives the Spike Richardson Memorial Trophy as most outstanding driver of the weekend.
Once again, it was so near but so far for the Wanganui Warriors as they earned another runner-up finish at the 2015 Enzed Superstock Teams Champs in Palmerston North on Saturday night.
Having won both races in their pool on Waitangi Day, Warriors beat the Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes 160-35 in their semifinal on Saturday, making the championship race for the second year in a row at Robertson Holden Speedway.
This time the home team, Palmerston North Panthers, won through by beating the defending champions, Baypark Brawlers, 150-45 in the other semifinal.
The Warriors gave it everything but a collision coming off the wall between standout driver Kyle Heibner and Dion Mooney cost Mooney one of his front wheels, although Mooney would still manage to put leading Panther Peter Bengston up the wall.
Bengston saved his car and regained the lead, while the Warriors were further hamstrung when Bevan Humphrey, who had fought to the lead, lost oil pressure and had to retire before his engine blew up.
Heibner had earlier managed to put Panther Scott Jobin out of the race, but with Mooney hobbled and Humphrey gone, a battered Bengston was able to keep puttering around with the Miers boys - Scott and Jack - acting as his bodyguards to wrap up a 165-20 title win.
"We just haven't been able to crack the big one," said manager Steve Heibner. "It was a brutal team race. You need luck."
The Warriors have now been national runners-up three times after last year and 2008, while in the 30-year history of the championship, Wanganui-based teams have reached the final six times without victory.
There was some consolation as like last year, Kyle Heibner again received the Spike Richardson Memorial Trophy for most outstanding driver of the weekend, the first time a driver has claimed the prize twice.
"He's really stamped his authority as one of the top team drivers in the country," said Steve Heibner.
Unlike last year when they scraped through to the semifinals on overall points, the Warriors were comfortable Group C winners, beating Wellington Wildcats 145-40 and the Rotorua Rebels 165-20.
Against the Wildcats, Kyle Heibner put Rhys Greig up the wall and he rolled, while the team from the capital also lost Keegan Levien on the start with a blown diff, leaving three Warriors to finish with points.
The Rebels were then upset by the Wildcats, so came into the last pool match very aggressive, with Lance Ashton walling Humphrey and smashing Kerry Pojurksy. However, teammate Nick Vallance piled into Ashton during a melee, putting both cars out of the race, and the Warriors then took care of Paul Vazey so three of them could finish against the one Rebel.
In the semifinal with Hawke's Bay Hawkeyes, Heibner had some engine concerns in the warm-up, but then went on to drive hard into Quintin Butcher and Steve Jude, knocking the former back and the latter out of race.
Mooney and Humphrey then secured the lead as the Hawkeyes could only put a little damage on Shaun Pearson, before Wanganui wrapped up a 160-35 win.