Stroud faces big title challenge

Stroud made a flying start to the third round of the NZ Castrol Power 1 Superbike championship at Invercargill on Sunday.

The Hamilton-based racer took the lead on his David Reid Homes Waikato GSXR1000 in the opening lap at Teretonga Park which he held until another rider crashed, causing the race to be red flagged after four laps. In cold and very windy conditions Stroud lead Ryan Hampton and John Ross over the line before the race was stopped, with half points awarded for their efforts.

Having won the first part-race Stroud began the second edition of race one from Pole. He soon found himself battling with Hampton, and then Australian long-time rival Robbie Bugden and Wellington’s Sloan Frost. Light rain began falling mid-race when it became difficult to judge grip levels, leaving a cautious Stroud to eventually finish fifth to close his title points gap by one point to series leader Bugden.

The defending NZ Superbike and Suzuki Tri-Series champ said slick tyres can lose traction very suddenly in wet conditions.

Andrew Stroud:  "Robbie (Bugden) came up beside me in the second part and we were side by side for a couple of corners. He was going for it and upped the pace, then Sloan (Frost) was in the mix as well. We were all doing the same lap times when the rain started and straight away I dropped three seconds a lap, but some of the others didn’t slow as much. It’s a very competitive season where there are seven or eight guys all capable of running the pace.”

A wet race two turned up the unexpected for the 44 year old father of eight. Stroud took a chance on the track drying out early in the race - predicting the strong wind would quickly carry what looked to be improving weather. Slick Pirelli tyres were fitted to his David Reid Homes Waikato GSXR1000 at the last minute however the gamble didn’t pay off as lady luck left a soaked track and the most of the competitors using more appropriate ‘wet’ grooved tyres. The race was won by fellow Hamiltonian Nick Cole.

A disappointed Stroud said after the event, "It was totally wet and the sun came out with the wind up. I thought it could dry up quite quickly so I went out on slicks and everybody else was on ‘wets’, and it didn’t dry! There was no grip at all so there was nothing I could do once I made that decision. It was my call so I have to live with it. It hasn’t helped in the championship standings but it was good to win the first race.

Andrew Stroud racing his Suzuki GSXR1000 at Teretonga. Image credit: Dallas Alexander Fotocd.co.nz                             Thumbnail credit: Terry Stevenson.

"My David Reid Homes Waikato Suzuki was great all weekend and was definitely fast enough to win out there, I just made the wrong tyre choice. I know the Pirelli ‘wet’ tyres always work well at Teretonga, as last year I came from ninth up to second so I could have done alright if I had the ‘wet’ tyres fitted.”

With his run of misfortune hopefully over, Stroud needs to lift his game to challenge Bugden and take his tenth NZ Superbike championship and keep the premier title in New Zealand. It may be a big ask but no-one is better equipped and more experienced than the David Reid Homes Waikato GSXR1000 - Andrew Stroud combination as the NZ Castrol Power 1 Superbike championship heads to the North Island for the final two rounds in March.

2012 Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike Championship results from Teretonga Park, Sunday January 22.

Superbike race 1a: Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, David Reid Homes Suzuki GSXR1000), 1; Ryan Hampton (Christchurch, Honda CBR1000RR), 2; John Ross (Christchurch, BMW S1000R), 3; Sloan Frost (Wellington, BMW S1000R), 4; James Smith (Christchurch, Suzuki GSXR1000), 5;

Superbike race 1b: Robbie Bugden (Australia, Suzuki GSXR1000), 1; Frost, 2; Nick Cole (Hamilton, Kawasaki ZX-10R), 3; Ross, 4; Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, David Reid Homes Waikato Suzuki GSXR1000), 5.

Superbike race 2: Cole, 1; Frost, 2; Ray Clee (Kumeu, Suzuki GSXR 1000), 3; Smith, 4; Scott Moir (Taupo, Honda CBR1000), 5. Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, David Reid Homes Waikato Suzuki GSXR1000), 11.

NZ Superbike championship points after round three at Teretonga Park: Robbie Bugden, 112.5; Sloan Frost, 77.5; John Ross, 74.5; Nick Cole, 74; Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, David Reid Homes Waikato Suzuki GSXR1000), 72.

2012 Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike Championship Schedule;

Rnd 4: Hampton Downs, Waikato, March 17-18

Rnd 5: Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo, March 24-25

Copy credit to Terry Stevenson