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From - Tim Gibbes:
Final Round of New Zealand’s best known road race series.
The curtain comes down next Sunday at Manfeild, near Feilding – September 22 – on the 2002 Suzuki Championship Road Race Series, the final round of a 6 round series, alternating between the Taupo & Manfeild Motor Racing Circuits.
Six hundred & forty four riders have already enjoyed the 5 rounds to date & between 150 & 180 riders will appear next Sunday for the final.
Some of the class winners & place getters have yet to be raced through to the final race at Manfeild, so Sunday will see some “last ditch efforts”. In fact so close has been the racing in midfield & the vast improvements in riding ability through the series, that both B & C grade classes have been split into B & B PLUS and C & C PLUS. This will enable the midfield riders to gain fame of their own with C grade awards, while the PLUS riders qualify for separate awards – even though they will all race in the same races.
In the newly instigated “Rent-a-Racer” class it will be close to the finish as Wanganui’s Andrew Bretherton has only a 5 point lead over Hawera’s Bruce Hansen, who in turn leads Christchurch’s Brendon Marshall by 11 points. All ride Suzuki SV650’s.
Growing popularity with the Super Motard – “dirt bikes” transformed with street tyres & bigger brakes – sees Stephen Briggs (Auckland) & his KTM 660 leading by 30 points from Palmerston North’s Nigel Healey (KTM 520), with Kendric Younger from Paeora (Kawasaki KX500) but a doubtful starter for the final, just 3 points behind, so Dannevirke’s Brendon Stephenson (KTM 520) could easily capitalize and take out 3rd place.
Streetstock 150 is a class that has grown in popularity over the several years of the Suzuki Road Race Series, which while originally aimed at young riders, now finds a mixture of young & old. Despite being 3rd with 219 points – 10 points behind the leader, Auckland schoolboy Karl Morgan (Suzuki RG150) has been learning the trade very quickly, taking out several race wins in the series. William Richards, an auto machinist from Stratford (Suzuki RG150) enjoying his first year in this class, has a slender 2 point lead over experienced Wanganui campaigner Stew Graham (Kawasaki KR150). A class where anything can & does happen.
At the “front end” Mt. Maunganui’s Dean Fulton & his Suzuki GSXR1000 cannot now be beaten in Production Superbike or A Grade classes, leading Dennis Charlett (Palmerston North) on a similar bike by more than the 60 maximum winnable points at an event, while Putaruru’s Ronnie De Wys & his thundering Aprilia RSV1000 hold a comfortable 3rd place.
Going for his second # 1 plate in 3 years, Glen Tanner from Tauranga on his Kawasaki ZXR400 can’t be beaten in the Formula 3 Plus class, Craig Sergeant from Waipukurau (Husaberg 650) in a similar situation in the B Plus class, but all the other classes will be a fight to the bitter end.
Saturday is an open coaching & practice day for any motorcyclist, and Sunday dawns early with 21 races starting at 10.30am until about 4 pm. A midday break & “expression session” sees the wild & woolly humour on show.
Then after racing is over, the nearby Awards Evening will be the time for presentation of series prizemoney, awards, & general “talkabout” of a very popular series.
Gate admission for spectators is free.
More details, up to date results & media photos are available from:
Tim Gibbes – Phone (06) 353 0750 – mobile (025) 422 662
or E-mail Tim Gibbes
