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The Suzuki Trans Tasman Challenge – 4/5 November – Pukekohe Race Circuit, in conjunction with LK500 Car Endurance Race.
Fresh from winning the Australian Formula Xtreme Series, the Supersport 600cc Australian Road Race Championships, and placing 3rd in the Australian Superbike Championship, Kevin Curtain, the 34 year old professional rider from Balmoral, NSW, Australia will be the favourite at the Suzuki Trans Tasman Formula Xtreme races at the Pukekohe Circuit near Auckland on November 4/5.
Riding an Australian “Radar’s Team Yamaha” YZF R1 1000cc bike, Curtain has vast experience world wide in road racing, having competed also this year in some rounds of the World Supersport support class to the World Superbike Championship.
Team mate in the highly successful “Radar’s Team Yamaha”, will be a youngster just turning 18 years as he arrives in New Zealand, Craig Coxhell from Shepparton, Victoria, & will also ride a Yamaha YZF R1 1000cc. Coxhell placed 4th overall in the Australian Superbike Championship, and 8th in the Australian Formula Xtreme Series.
Getting thirsty to confront the Aussie invasion “at home” is Kumeu’s Ray Clee, a 30 year old motorcycle technician, who will ride a 2000 Castrol Honda CBR900RRY in both Open Sports Production & the Trans Tasman Formula Xtreme Challenge races.
Already having experience racing in Australia, Clee doesn’t take the “Aussie invasion” lightly – he knows their high caliber, but will take them on with the same stock standard sports production bike as he rides in the Sports production class. The Formula Xtreme rules permit considerable modifications, but Clee’s especially modified Formula 1 bike will not be ready in time, so he will give away speed & power in return for skill.
A formidable list of successes since 1994 with several first places in 250cc production, 600 & Open Sports Production and Superbikes, puts Clee amongst the elite of New Zealand’s challengers.
The Castrol Honda 2000 CBR900RRY Clee will ride is bred to be a hyper-performance sportsbike, justifying its model name – “Fireblade”. With a dry weight of 170 Kgs & 152ps on tap, the “Blade” claims the highest power to weight ratio in its class.
A similar bike is coming with Australian Ian Hambridge, a 32 year old self employed earth moving contractor from Verrinbool, NSW. He is bringing a modified 2000 model Honda Fireblade CBR929RRY to the Suzuki Trans Tasman Formula Xtreme Challenge too.
Tickets for the Liquor King Drivesafe 500 Car race & Suzuki Trans Tasman Challenge are now on sale at all Liquor King outlets from Taupo North.
Or you can buy tickets direct from website www.lk.co.nz
(Provisional)
| SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2000 – Qualifying and Races | ||
| 10:00 – 10:20 | Liquor King DriveSafe 500 Qualifying 1 | Qualifying |
| 10:30 – 10:50 | Liquor King DriveSafe 500 Qualifying 2 | Qualifying |
| 11:00 – 11:20 | Allied Finance Super GT Series Qualifying | Qualifying |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Husqvarna Superpole | Qualifying |
| 12:10 – Race 1 | Allied Finance Super GT Series Race One | 10 Laps |
| 12:35 | Interval – Circuit Preparation Motorcycles | |
| 13:15 – 13:30 | Formula Xtreme, 600 Sports Production | Qualifying |
| 13:40 – 13:55 | Formula Xtreme, 600 and Open Sports Production | Qualifying |
| 14:00 – Race 2 | Suzuki 600 and Open Sports Production Race 1 | 12 Laps |
| 14:30 – Race 3 | Pirelli 600 Sports Production Race 1 | 10 Laps |
| 15:00 – Race 4 | Suzuki Formula Xtreme Trans Tasman Challenge Race 1 | 12 Laps |
| 15:30 – Race 5 | Pirelli 600 Sports Production Race 2 | 10 Laps |
| 16:00 – Race 6 | Suzuki 600 and Open Sports Production Race 2 | 12 Laps |
| 16:30 | Interval | |
| 16:45 – Race 7 | Suzuki Formula Xtreme Trans Tasman Challenge Race 2 | 12 Laps |
| SUNDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2000 – Qualifying and Races | ||
| 08:45 – 10:00 | The Tyreless 10,000 | 4 laps |
| 10:10 – Race 8 | Suzuki 600 and Open Sports Production Race 3 | 12 Laps |
| 10:40 – Race 9 | Pirelli 600 Sports Production Race 3 | 10 Laps |
| 11:10 – Race 10 | Suzuki Formula Xtreme Trans Tasman Challenge Race 3 | 20 Laps |
| 11:40 | Interval | |
| Husqvarna Superpole and Motorcycle Presentations at Victory Dais | ||
| RNZAF Display | ||
| Motorcycle Ride Past | ||
| 12:30 – Race 11 | Allied Finance Super GT Series Race Two | 15 Laps |
| 13:00 – Race 12 | Liquor King DriveSafe 500 | Cars Assemble at Pit Lane Exit |
| 13:05 | Pit Lane Opens – One Lap to Grid | |
| 13:13 | Two Minutes warning of Pit Lane Exit Closure | |
| 13:15 | Pit Lane Exit Closes | |
| 13:20 | National Anthem – Please Stand | |
| 13:24 | Two Minute Warning – to Warm Up Lap | |
| 13:25 | One Minute Warning and Engine Start | |
| 13:26 | Warm-up Lap Commences | |
| 13:30 | Race Start | Four Hours |
| 17:30 | Race Concludes | |
| 17:42 | Presentations at Victory Dais | |
| 18:00 | Rail Excursion Departs from Railway Corner | |
