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Pic - Executive Editor of Kiwi Rider, Ross MacKay:
Motorsport media man Ross MacKay will get to see what life is like on the other side of the pit wall this weekend as a competitor in the inaugural New Zealand Motorcycle Distributors' 300 km Endurance Race at Pukekohe's Pukekohe Park Raceway. MacKay, the Executive Editor of Kiwi Rider magazine and the man behind motorsport publicity consultancy FAST COMPANY, will share a Yamaha YZF-R6 600cc Sports Production bike with fellow Aucklander Todd Sutherland.
The bike is owned by Yamaha Motor New Zealand and MacKay and Sutherland's entry is backed by Kiwi Rider, New Zealand's leading motorcycle magazine.
The endurance race is the first of what is hoped to become a regular event according to organisers VKS TrackTime. In the 1980s and early '90s New Zealand had two annual long distance races for production motorcycles, a six-hour event at Manfeild Autocourse and a three-hour event at Pukekohe Park. However the increasing specialisation of motorcycles and flagging interest from competitors meant both fell from favour.
This weekend's race is open to 1000cc Production Superbikes and 600cc Sports Production bikes and has drawn a top-shelf entry from the country's road racers.
Heading the entry list is recently crowned New Zealand Production Superbike champion Tony Rees, one of a number of 'Ironmen' who intend completing the 300 kms without the assistance of a co-rider. Rees will ride the Yamaha YZF-R1 he used to win the New Zealand title.
Set to give Rees competition will be Suzuki stars Andrew Stroud and Ray Clee on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and top Honda riders Dean Fulton and Jared Love on a Honda Fireblade.
In the 600cc Sports Production class the battle for line honours is expected to be between Suzuki GSX-R600 teamsters Brian Bernard and Haydon Fitzgerald and Karl Morgan and Craig Shirriffs, and Kawasaki 'Ironman' John Hepburn.
MacKay is under no illusions about where he and Sutherland fit in the pecking order, pointing out that like several entrants he and Sutherland are in it to support the event as much as anything else.
"We're right behind Vince and Kristin and their event and decided that entering a bike in it was one of the best ways to show our support," says MacKay, who despite still being heavily involved in the motorcycle industry via his Kiwi Rider connections has actually done more racing on four wheels.
"That's right," he says. "Though I've been riding bikes since I was 12 and still ride one everyday I've done very little real road racing. I did all sorts of events on as well as off-road when I was at school and Varsity, but of late I've done my racing in karts and cars."
MacKay won races in his Fuelstar-backed Mazda RX7 in the mid 1990s, and finished fourth overall and won the Best Rookie' crown in the South Island series in 1996. He has also latterly returned to the country's kart tracks and is currently seventh overall in the Rotax Max Heavy Series.
The opportunity to compete in the motorcycle race at Pukekohe this weekend came about because of his close ties with the team at Kiwi Rider magazine. MacKay has worked on the magazine on and off for almost 20 years and remains Executive Editor, while teammate Todd Sutherland is the advertising manager of Bike Mart, Kiwi Rider's competition and classifieds magazine-within-a-magazine.
Sutherland is the one with the two wheel racing experience, having competed successfully in the 250cc Production and 600cc Sports Production classes.
The organisers of the NZ Motorcycle Distributors 300km race have put together a gala two-day programme to give the event the best possible start with practice and qualifying on Saturday plus a range of support races on Saturday and Sunday.
The feature race is set to start at 1.45 and the first bike is expected to cross the line just over two hours later.
An added bonus for motorcycle enthusiasts round the country is that the race will be telecast live on Sky TV.
MacKay and Sutherland's Kiwi Rider entry has the support of Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Ohlins suspension, Eurobike Wholesale, Forbes & Davies, Dold Industries, Motorsport Electronics, Henderson Motorcycles and RCM Performance.
Check Out The VK Tracktime Website:
