Motourage

Robbie Bugden is on the hunt for his fourth NZSBK title

Robbie Bugden may be the defending Castrol Power1New Zealand Superbike Series champion however he’s not resting on his laurels for a successful defense of his Superbike crown. Bugden will be riding the new Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki Superbike Team GSXR1000 in the five-round title chase, starting at Ruapuna this weekend. Although an Australian, Bugden has won the last three NZ Superbike titles in a row, no small feat against New Zealand’s fastest riders aboard 200hp race bikes. But, retaining the Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike title won’t be easy. Fellow Suzuki rider Andrew Stroud may be Bugden’s greatest challenger, again, although Hondas Craig Shirriffs and Hayden Fitzgerald have displayed good form during the recent Suzuki International Tri-Series, won by Stroud. GSXR1000 mounted Ray Clee can never be discounted in any race.

Team manager Peter ‘Red’ Fenton is confident of success at Ruapuna, “The tests we’ve done so far have been very encouraging, and Robbie has just done the Australian Superbike championship. He’s been over twice in the last month, that went well because we’d been working with the K9 model GSXR1000 in Australia.”

Suzuki rider Sloan Frost is the name many people will be watching this season, including the Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki Superbike Team, who are assisting the promising Hamilton racer this season.

Fenton’s Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki Superbike Team is the most successful motorcycle race team in recent history, notching up no less than four major NZ championships using Dunlop tires over the past three years. Fenton also manages Bugden’s Australian-based Joe Rocket Suzuki satellite team, completing the 2009 Australian Superbike season in fifth position.

Having the right backing can be as important to a team’s success as having the fastest rider. Their effort on both sides of the Tasman this year will be boosted considerably with new support from Mack Trucks.

James Smith returns for his fourth season with the Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki Superbike Team. The Christchurch rider will be busy – Smith has elected to race in the big-bore Superbike class on a Suzuki GSXR1000, and in the ultra-competitive 600 Supersport class aboard the latest Suzuki GSXR600. Smith has recorded excellent pre-season results during his first rides on a Superbike, and the team is expecting consistent results from the 29 year old. In the 600 Supersport category, Smith is aiming to go one better this year than his runner-up positions from the previous two seasons, and with 2009 champ Gareth Jones absent from the series, Smith must be title favorite.

Regarding the championship Fenton says, “Our aim this year is to win both classes. Because our series is so short a small mishap can really cost us – a bit of good luck goes a long way in our championship I believe, and sometimes you make your own good luck. But I know that Andrew (Stroud), Craig (Shirriffs), Hayden (Fitzgerald), and you can never write off Ray Clee, Sloan (Frost) will be on the pace too, all those guys will be competitive. With a bit of luck on our side and with Robbie and James’ natural talent, we should win.”

2010 Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike Championship schedule:
Rnd 1: Powerbuilt Tools Raceway, Ruapuna, January 16-17
Rnd 2: Teretonga Park, January 23-24
Rnd 3: Timaru International Motor Raceway, Levels, January 30-31
Rnd 4: Manfeild, February 27-28
Rnd 5: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, March 27-28