Motourage

Kiwi superbike riders Ryan Hampton and James Smith are ready to get back to top-level racing this weekend at the first round of the 2011 Suzuki Tri-Series at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park near Auckland, New Zealand.

Ryan Hampton

Hampton has been in action recently at the Greymouth Road Races and more recently at the Burt Munro Challenge where he won the Bluff Hill Climb and Road Race events. Commenting from Christchurch, NZ before making the trek north, Hampton said “I had great success down at the Burt Munro the other week, winning the New Zealand Road Hill Climb title, along with the new record time again. I won the Teretonga sprints and the Wyndham street races, so was great fun down there aside from the very average weather. I’m really looking forward to the Suzuki Tri-Series and getting a chance to mix it up with the national guys again. For 2012 my Castrol Honda is feeling great and our Bridgestone tires have shown some positive results. This year is going to be different for me; with the bike we have for the new season, things couldn’t be better, and I’m going to give it absolutely everything I’ve got.”

James Smith hasn’t raced much since last season, except a one off trip to Australia for one round of the ASBK Championship in Queensland and a club day at home. A tough year for James and wife Jenny, with their home damaged after the February earthquake. But the former three-time New Zealand 600 championship runner up is raring to go.

“I can’t wait to get the racing started,” said Smith. “I have only managed one club day so far so I’m really keen and excited to get back on the steel horse. I am coming in extremely determined after last year’s disappointing results, and it was real hard to stay motivated last year with what was happening here with the house and earthquake and all that. I’m very lucky I’ve got a supportive wife and the best sponsors who are still backing me.

The Suzuki Tri-Series starts this weekend at Hampton Downs. The series then moves to Manfeild on December 17 and finally Wanganui’s famous Cemetery Circuit on December 26.

Suzuki Australian Superbike Champion Josh Waters, multiple Suzuki Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles, multiple Suzuki New Zealand Superbike Champion Robbie Budgen and Suzuki Supersport Rider Troy Herfoss will be available at Springwood Suzuki to meet and sign autographs for fans.

Meet Robbie Budgen and other Suzuki champions at Springwood Suzuki in Underwood, Queensland on June 3

Venue: Springwood Suzuki

Address: 112 Kingston Road, Underwood QLD

Date: Thursday 3 June 2010

Time: 7:00pm to 8:00pm

You can also register to win a Suzuki Superbike two-up Ride with Shawn Giles on Saturday 5 June and general admission passes for Australian Superbike Championship Round 3, taking place in Queensland Raceway for the same weekend.

Waikato’s Andrew Stroud is the No.1 superbike racer in New Zealand once again. The 42-year-old father-of-seven convincingly won both the premier superbike races at the fifth and final round of this year’s Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championships at the new Hampton Downs circuit on Sunday, giving him a record eighth national title, and his first since 2006. Stroud seemed untroubled in winning the day’s first 15-lap superbike race – leading in from start to finish — but it was a different story in the second leg, the 20-lapper that also counted as the national TT title race.

In the second outing, Stroud had to power his Brother Suzuki GSX-R1000 through the field after a bad start, eventually snatching the lead from defending champion Robbie Bugden (Suzuki) at about the midway point.
Brisbane rider Bugden had no answer for Stroud, although he kept the Kiwi hero honest and harried him to the end, finishing less than a second behind Stroud.

“I didn’t get a great start and got pushed around a bit at the beginning,” said Stroud. “But I didn’t panic and when I saw the gap widening, I just put my head down a bit.  I beat Australian Shawn Giles to take the New Zealand superbike title in 2006 but, for the past three years, it’s belonged to Robbie (Bugden). It’s good to have it back … to take it back for New Zealand.”
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The weather looks set to hold, and the stage is set. It is now or never for lead riders in four of the six classes being competed for in the 2010 Castrol Power1 Superbike road race championship which concludes at the new Hampton Downs circuit south of Auckland today Sunday 28th March. The meeting also doubles as the New Zealand TT titles.

Christchurch school boy Alastair Hoogenboezem has already won the 125GP championship for 2010, but is also showing he wants to defend his 125TT title which he won last year. The battle for second in the championship is not over with Auckland pair of Avalon Biddle and Jaden Hassan equal on points 99 behind Hoogenboezem , the fight will be on between these two, with Hassan already getting second at Hampton Downs in the first race on Saturday.

The other champions already decided are in the Sidecar Championship. Wanganui’s Steve Bron and Dennis Simonsen have wrapped up the title after dominating most of the year with several lap records along the way. Second is yet to be decided, with current second placed pairing of Dave Annan/Warick Demmocks and third placed Peter Goodwin/Dion Weedon 23 Points apart.

The battle for the other four championships will come down to the wire; there are two races for each class today. In the Formula 3 Class Manawatu riders are fighting it out. Foxton’s Jason Easton and Two time and current Formula 3 Champion Palmerston North’s Glen Williams only 11 points apart. This will be close as both have won races throughout the season, with Easton taking first blood at Hampton Downs in the first race on Saturday.

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Hamilton’s Andrew Stroud could be forgiven if he seems a little preoccupied this weekend.

Though normally the friendliest of faces around the road-racing pits, the 42-year-old father-of-seven is likely this weekend to have no interest in idle chit-chat.

Waikato’s Andrew Stroud (Suzuki), ready to reclaim the national superbike crown this weekend. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

The fifth and final round of the Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championships hit the new Hampton Downs circuit, near Meremere, this Saturday and Sunday and Stroud is perfectly positioned to reclaim the national superbike crown he last held in 2006.

For the past three seasons the premier title has crossed the Tasman with Australian Suzuki star Robbie Bugden, but this year it’s the Kiwi Stroud who holds the balance of power, a massive 43 points in front of Bugden with just two races on Sunday to decide where the trophy goes this season.

Stroud took his Brother Suzuki GSX-R1000 to two commanding wins in the class at the previous round at Feilding’s Manfeild race circuit, while an electrical glitch meant Bugden failed to finish one of the day’s two superbike races and this may have ultimately crippled Bugden’s title defense.
“I have a good points advantage but I’m not taking anything for granted,” said Stroud this week.
“I need to finish only eighth or better in the first race and that should do it but that doesn’t mean I’ll be riding conservatively. I always race to win. ”
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It feels great to be able to post some real racing schedules for the first time in a long time.  We’ve been (not so) patiently waiting all winter long, and racing season is finally here. The next week brings us round one of the FIM World Superbike Championship and the Australian Superbike Championship, both happening at Phillip Island. Also, AMA Pro Road Racing returns to Daytona for the Daytona Sportbike class’s Daytona 200, as well as American Superbike, Supersport and AMA Flat Track. With the uncertainty that the US economy brings as well as the ongoing DMG fiasco, Daytona will be the first chance for many of us to take a peek into what 2010 has in store for American motorcycle racing.

Here’s what’s going on in the upcoming week:

At the Track

February 26-28
FIM Superbike World Championship Rd #1
Phillip Island Circuit, Victoria, Australia

February 26-28
Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship Rd #1
Phillip Island Circuit, Victoria, Australia

February 27-28
Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championship Rd #4
Manfeild Park, Feilding, New Zealand

February 27
XIIR – Extreme International Ice Racing
The Aud, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

March 3-4
AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Grand National Championship Rd #1-2
Daytona International Speedway Short Track, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA

March 3-5
AMA Pro Road Racing Rd #1
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA

On TV

Sunday, February 28
Superbike World Championship Rd #1
Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
SPEED
3:00pm-4:00pm (Same Day Delay) -Race 1
4:00pm-5:00pm (Same Day Delay) -Race 2

Friday, March 5
AMA Pro Road Racing – Daytona 200
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
SPEED
9:00pm-11:30pm (Live)

*The Official Motourage Daytona 200 Drinking Game: Drink every time Ralph Shaheen says “Under the lights.” You’ll be falling down by lap three.

Stroud can’t afford to relax

by Andy McGechan www.BikesportNZ.com

With just four races to go to decide where the national superbike title heads this season, it is not the time to back off and play it safe.  Quite the contrary, as championship leader Andrew Stroud (Brother Suzuki) would tell you.

Robbie Bugden leads Andrew Stroud and Craig Shirriffs. Photo by Andrew Bright, Championship Digital

The Hamilton rider is just 13 points in front of defending champion Robbie Bugden (Triple R Suzuki) at the top of the superbike standings and he’ll be pushing hard for more wins at the series’ penultimate event, the fourth round of five in this season’s Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championships at Manfeild this weekend.
“I’m not far enough in front to be relaxing just yet,” said the 42-year-old Stroud, determined to win back the title he last held in 2006.

Stroud knows Australia’s Budgen is a fierce adversary. The Brisbane rider is used to winning races – having won the New Zealand title for the past three seasons – although he hasn’t had it all his own way in 2010. There are two races for the superbike class at Manfeild on Sunday and a further two at the final round at Hampton Downs, near Meremere, to wrap up the series
“If I finish behind Robbie in these final four races, he’ll be leading the championship at the end … I know I can’t afford to let that happen,” said Stroud.

Meanwhile, Christchurch rider James Smith is on target for double celebration as he sits in a podium position in two classes, third overall in the superbikes class and on the top step in the 600cc Sports Production class. The 30-year-old printer shared the day’s overall honours with Hamilton’s Nick Cole (Kawasaki) at the previous round at Levels Raceway, just outside Timaru, last month and was therefore able to maintain his six-point advantage at the top of the standings. But, like Bugden, Cole is not a rival to be taken lightly. Cole has actually won more races in the 600cc class than Smith. Cole has won four of the six races thus far but a DNF thanks to a broken drive chain at round two has proved very costly in the Waikato man’s drive to nail down his first championship.

Foxton’s Jason Easton (Aprilia Tigcraft) is within just 11 points of defending champion Glen Williams (Suzuki), of Palmerston North, in the Formula Three class, while Dannevirke’s Geoff Booth (Suzuki) continues to lead the 650 Pro Twins class, albeit now by just three points from Christchurch’s James Hoogenboezem. Meanwhile, Hoogenboezem’s bother, Alastair (Honda), is still the man to beat in the 125GP class, a massive 69 points in front of Auckland teenager Jaden Hassan (Yamaha).

In the sidecars class, Wanganui men Stephen Bron and Dennis Simonsen (Suzuki) comfortably lead from Canterbury pair Dave Annan and Warwicks Demmocks (Suzuki).

Round 3 Report from Castrol Power 1 Superbike Road Race Championships 2010
by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Lap records fell in every class at Round 3 of the 2010 Castrol Power1 Superbike Championships at Levels Raceway Timaru last Sunday. The racing was witnessed by a large crowd of spectators; the largest seem at a motorcycle meeting at the South Canterbury circuit in years. Lap records were set and then broken in every class throughout the weekend. Official lap records at Timaru are now as follows:

Superbike: Andrew Stroud, Suzuki, 1.03.598
600SP: Nick Cole, Kawasaki, 1.04.809
F3: Jason Easton, Aprilia, 1.08.501
650 Pro-twin: Geoff Booth, Suzuki, 1.09.771
125GP: Alastair Hoogenboezem, Honda, 1.08.396
Sidecars: Steve Bron/Dennis Simonsen, Suzuki LCR, 1.11.512
Street Stock: Johnny Small, Suzuki, 1.17.891
Motard: Leighton Selfe, Honda, 1.12.606
Clubmans: Mark Taylor, Ducati, 1.10.781

James Smith Leads Nick Cole and John Ross during their titanic dual in the 600SP class at Timaru. Photo by Championship Digital.

Christchurch’s James Smith has double the reason to celebrate after the third round of five in this season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships on Sunday.

The 30-year-old printer is the only rider to tackle two classes this season and he’s surprising even himself by standing on the podium in both of them.

At round three of the series at Levels Raceway, near Timaru, on Sunday, the Suzuki star finished 2-1 in his two 600cc sports production class outings, sharing the day’s overall honors with Hamilton’s Nick Cole (Kawasaki) and maintaining his six-point advantage at the top of the standings.

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While we in the U.S. were freezing our dupas off this weekend, they were racing in New Zealand. Round 3 of the New Zealand Superbike Championships were at the Timaru International Motor Raceway on Jan 30 and 31.

Results from selected races are as follows. Stay tuned for more NZSBK race reports

Superbike Race 1:
Andrew Stroud
Robbie Bugden
Craig Shirriffs (New Lap Record 1.03.788)
James Smith
Hayden Fitzgerald

Superbike Race 2:
Robie Bugden
Andrew Stroud
Craig Shirriffs
Hayden Fitzgerald
James Smith

125GP Race 1:
Eric Oliver-Maxwell
Gordon Hastings
Adam McCutcheon
Jaden Hassan
Colin Hastings

125GP Race 2:
Alistair Hoogenboezem
Jared Hassan
Eric Oliver-Maxwell
Avalon Biddle

125GP Race 3:
Eric Oliver-Maxwell
Gordon Hastings
Adam McCutcheon
Jaden Hassan
Colin Hastings
Glen Orwin
Angela Buunk

Sidecar Race 1:
Stephen Bron/ DennisSimosen (New Lap Record 1:11.512)
Dave Annan/ Warwicks Demmocks
Peter Goodwin/ Pion Weedon
Graeme Harris/Colin Grace
Bill Newton/ Paul Bolton
Brent Hall / Phil Tomkins

Sidecar Race 2:
Stephen Bron/ DennisSimosen
Dave Annan/ Warwicks Demmocks
Peter Goodwin/ Pion Weedon
Graeme Harris
Bill Newton/ Paul Bolton
Brent Hall / Phil Tomkins

Sidecar Race 3:
Stephen Bron/ DennisSimosen
Peter Goodwin/ Pion Weedon
Dave Annan/ Warwicks Demmocks
Bill Newton/ Paul Bolton
Brent Hall / Trevor Stokes

600SP Race 1:
Nick Cole (New Lap Record 1.05.320)
James Smith
John Ross
Glen Skachill
Karl Morgan
Dennis Charlett

600SP Race 2:
James Smith
Nick Cole
John Ross
Karl Morgan
Jay Lawrence
Dennis Charlett

Other Timaru lap records set this weekend:
Geoff Booth 650 Pro Twin 1.09.711
Jason Easton F3 1.08.609
Jaden Hassan 125GP 1.09.294

Current Timaru lap records: UPDATED 31/1/2010
Superbike: Andrew Stroud    1.03.598
600SP: Nick Cole                    1.04.809
F3: Jason Easton                    1.08.501
650 Pro-twin: Geoff Booth      1.09.771
125GP: Alastair Hoogenboezem  1.08.396
Sidecar: Steve Bron/Dennis Simonsen 1.11.512
Street Stock:  Johnny Small   1.17.891
Motards: Leighton Selfe  1.12.606
Clubmans: Mark Taylor  1.10.781

A mix-up with the flag signals at Invercargill may yet have a long-term impact on this year’s national superbike championship.

There was a tinge of controversy to the weekend’s racing at the weekend’s second round of five in this year’s Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championships at Invercargill’s Teretonga circuit when the white last-lap flag was not shown to the race and championship leader, Suzuki’s Andrew Stroud, at the end of the prescribed 14 laps.  Instead it was waved after the 15th lap and, soon after that, there was a new man in front, defending champion Robbie Bugden (Suzuki).

Stroud had won the day’s first 15-lap superbike race, finishing ahead of Australian Budgen and Christchurch’s James Smith (Suzuki).  But Brisbane rider Bugden fought back in race two — Bugden, Stroud and Feilding’s Craig Shirriffs (Honda) battling furiously in a three-way fight at the front.  When race leader Stroud had a “moment at the hairpin” on the “extra” lap 16, Bugden pounced and crossed the line first.

After much deliberation, Bugden’s win was confirmed and it was an extremely disappointed Stroud who left the track at day’s end, his championship lead still intact, but with Bugden now up to second in the title chase, albeit still 13 points behind Stroud.

Bugden will have renewed confidence as the riders head to round three at Timaru’s Levels circuit next weekend.

“It has been recommended to me that I could protest this (flagging mistake),” said Stroud.  The same thing happened in a 125GP race on Saturday and they wound it back to the rider order on the previous lap. I filled out a protest form but then drew a line through the whole lot. I always race to the flag and to the spirit of racing, so I’ve left the situation as it is and I’m not protesting.  I’ll just carry on as it is and aim to finish in front of Robbie at the next rounds.  I blew it in that second race. On the lap I went in too hot in the last corner before the flag and overshot the bend and lost all my drive coming out.  But I’m still feeling confident. The Brother Suzuki is great and the Pirelli tyres are fantastic. I know a lot of the crowd are wanting to see the title come back to New Zealand (after Bugden has won it the past three seasons), and I hope I can satisfy their wants.”

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