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Photo - Johnny Hepburn, Kawasaki #52 at Teretonga:
KAWASAKI TEAM GREEN - Press Release:
Timaru’s Johnny Hepburn had a mixed weekend at round two of the Motorcycle Trader & News Road Race Championships held last weekend at Teretonga Raceway, just outside Invercargill.
With the weather not able to make up it’s mind from driving rain to clear skies.
The track conditions were changing by the minute.
The 39 year old scrap metal dealer tried all sorts of set ups on his SPV Kawasaki supported ZX6. He struggled with handling during the first race on Saturday afternoon, but using his years of experience, bought his ZX6 home in fourth place, behind reigning champion Shaun Harris (New Plymouth), points co-leader Andrew Stroud (Hamilton) and 2003 champion Craig Shirriffs (Palmerston North) all riding Suzukis.
Hepburn came out on Sunday morning all fired up for race two. Harris got the jump on the field at the start, leaving Hepburn battling with Shirriffs for second. The tussle continued for seven of the nine laps, until Shirriffs passed under brakes at "Castrol" corner and then held the hard charging Hepburn out till the finish.
The weather conditions deteriorated and race three was run in the wet. Hepburn got the hole shot and took a commanding lead from Stroud. He held the lead for eight of the race’s nine laps until elbowed out of the way by Stroud in a close encounter two corners from home. "I thought I had him covered," said a disappointed Hepburn after the race.
Having just returned to full-on racing, Hepburn is now fired up for the remaining three rounds of the Championship.
Prepared by Motorsport Network Ltd
