Ah but you see the old shield stopping the thrust bit would be easy to explain, do you watch Stargate SG-1?

See the ships are shielded but the shields are only one way they won't stop stuff being fired from the inside out only stuff being fired upon the ship. It would need to be this way for Wipeout or else the cannons would get smashed off surely? What about all the other stuff inderneath the ship that holds the other weaponry in place? You wouldnt want that burning to explode a rocket before you'd fired it off your ship now