BMW snatches Superbike win at Hampton Downs.Copy and photos courtesy of Terry Stevenson. In race one, Australian Robbie Bugden took the hole shot from pole position on a Suzuki GSX-R1000, only to be passed by Frost a short time later. A mid-race challenge for the lead ended when Bugden ran wide on a corner and the pair began lapping traffic, allowing Frost to maintain his scintillating form until the chequered flag.
Sloan Frost explains his surprise victory, "I did well in qualifying and I just wanted to get out in front. There was a pretty stacked field so it doesn’t matter who you’re racing - you know you’re going to be racing a fast guy, so I tried to make my way forward and when Robbie passed me I wanted to pass him back as quickly as possible. "Even though I’ve been riding all winter I haven’t had much dry testing time because it’s all been wet weather riding. And now we’re developing the chassis and geometry set-up which I’ve never gone into before, but the California Superbike School taught me a whole lot of different riding techniques as I’ve been using bad riding techniques from my motocross days. I did all four levels and it has highlighted the area’s of the chassis we need to work on. "Handling-wise it’s real similar to the Suzukis, I’m having a little bit of trouble with it turning and I think that can be sorted out with fine tuning.”
Sloan Frost holds off Robbie Bugden in SBK Race 1. Photo: Terry Stevenson. The tables were reversed in race two after Bugden gained the lead and cleared off to enjoy a five second win from Frost, who proved his race one victory was no fluke, Andrew Stroud and Craig Shirriffs.
Robbie Bugden lowered Stroud’s lap record to 1:03.884s in heat two. "It all went well, I haven’t been here for some months so to come back and be right up the front from the word go has been positive! Every time I went out the bike got better so full credit to the team as we made some strong changes, so by the last race I had a bike that felt really good. To set a new lap record and win by five seconds puts us in good stead going into Manfeild next weekend!” Bugden says.
Current NZ Superbike champion and 2009 Suzuki Tri-Series champ Andrew Stroud had no answer in either race, although the experienced Hamilton racer was never far from the front action in both heats, and managed to snatch second from Bugden in race one. His form is sure to improve at Manfeild.
The Superbike action came thick and fast for the minor positions with the first seven riders lapping within one second of the race two winner. Craig Shirriffs earned a pair of tough fourth placings on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 and has to be a threat at Manfeild on Saturday. Hamilton’s Nick Cole crossed the line fifth on his Kawasaki after pulling out of race one, from a similar position while threatening fourth.
Australian Daniel Stauffer was slightly off the pace on a near-stock Yamaha R1 to take a fifth and sixth positions, while Bernard Racing team-mate and Canadian number two Andrew Nelson failed to fire at the front after a four-month lay-off, finishing eleventh and tenth respectively.
With one point earned for Pole position, Sloan Frost leads the series by a single point from Bugden. Round two of the $26,000 Suzuki International Tri-Series will be staged on Saturday December 18 at Manfeild and all eyes will be on Kiwis Sloan Frost, Andrew Stroud and Craig Shirriffs to see if they can hold out the sure to improve Australian and Canadian contingent. F1 Superbikes race 1:
Sloan Frost (Tauranga, BMW S1000RR), 1; Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, Suzuki
GSXR1000), 2; Robbie Bugden (Australia, Suzuki GSXR1000), 3; Craig
Shirriffs (Fielding, Suzuki GSXR1000), 4; Dan Stauffer (Australia,
Yamaha YZF-R1), 5; James Smith (Christchurch, Suzuki GSXR1000), 6.
F1 Superbikes race 2:
Robbie Bugden, 1; Sloan Frost, 2; Andrew Stroud, 3; Craig Shirriffs, 4;
Nick Cole (Hamilton, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 5; Dan Stauffer, 6.
Series points: Sloan Frost, 47; Robbie Bugden, 46; Andrew Stroud, 42; Craig Shirriffs, 36; Dan Stauffer, 31; James Smith, 29.
Davide Gozzini leads Jayden Carrick & Toby Summers. Photo: Terry Stevenson.
Defending
Suzuki Tri-Series Supermoto champion Davide ‘Speedy’ Gozzini lived up
to his world number two status by taking a second and first in his two
450 Supermoto heats. Toby Summers headed the Italian home in a close
race one, followed by Speedy Gozzini and surprise package Jayden
Carrick. With Gozzini winning race two, Carrick got the better of
Summers by just five hundreds of a second to complete the podium. 450 Supermoto race 1: Toby Summers (Auckland, Yamaha YZF450), 1; Davide Gozzini (Italy, TM SMX450F), 2; Jayden Carrick (Wanganui, Suzuki RMZ450), 3; Richard Dibben (Wanganui, Honda CRF450), 4; Andrea Occhini (Italy, Suzuki RMZ450), 5; Duncan Hart (Tauranga, Husqvarna SMRR450), 6. 450 Supermoto race 2: Davide Gozzini, 1; Jayden Carrick, 2; Toby Summers, 3; Richard Dibben, 4; Andrea Occhini, 5; Duncan Hart, 6. Series points: Davide Gozzini, 47; Toby Summers, 46; Jayden Carrick, 42; Richard Dibben, 36; Andrea Occhini, 32; Duncan Hart, 30.
Supermoto Open race 1: Scott Moir (Taupo, Aprilia SXV550), 1; Scott Birch (Rotorua, Aprilia SXV550), 2; Casey Bullock (Taupo, Aprilia SXV550), 3; Glen Haden Wanganui, Honda CRF490), 4; Lewis Waho (Taupo, Aprilia SXV550), 5; Craig Flood (New Plymouth, Aprilia SXV550), 6. Supermoto Open race 1: Scott Moir, 1; Scott Birch, 2; Casey Bullock, 3; Glen Haden, 4; Wade Thorburn (Taupo, Aprilia SXV550), 5; Craig Flood, 6. Series points: Scott Moir, 51; Scott Birch, 44; Casey Bullock, 40; Glen Haden, 36; Craig Flood, 30; Doug Stockwell (Auckland, Aprilia SXV550), 27. Wellington hot-shot Glen Skachill won both F2 600 Supers races on a Suzuki GSXR600, Scott Moir won both Open Supermoto races for Aprilia, and Graham Moorhead took his 1978 Suzuki GS1000 to two wins.
Former Marlboro Series star John Woodley re-visited the podium after his first race in almost three decades! Riding an MV Agusta R312 Woodley surprised many with a good turn of speed and is sure to enjoy better results at Manfeild and Wanganui over the next two weeks. John Ross won each BEARS race on his BMW S1000RR, with Joel Reed of Australia second and Woodley third in the first race. Peter Tanner grabbed second in race two, after falling without injury in the opening leg, followed by Reed and Woodley.
Peter Tanner slides out of the BEARS race. Photo: Terry Stevenson. Three
F1 Sidecar teams are on equal points going into Saturday’s round two
after some very close action. Adam Unsworth and Stu Dawes are tied on 45
points with sidecar pairing Ash Martin and Charles Bilby, and the Steve Bron/Dennis Simonsen duo. F2 600 Supers race 2: Glen Skachill, 1; Dennis Charlett, 2; Jaden Hassan, 3; Karl Morgan, 4; Phil Endean (Auckland, Yamaha YZF-R6), 5; Marcus Beagley (Auckland, Kawasaki ZX-6R), 6. Series points: Glen Skachill, 50; Dennis Charlett, 44; Jaden Hassan, 40; Karl Morgan, 34; Phil Endean, 30; Adam Chambers, 29.
F1 Sidecars race 1: Ash Martin/Charles Bilby, 1; Steve Bron/Dennis Simonsen (Wanganui/Masterton, Suzuki LCR1000), 2; Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe (Wanganui, Windle F1 1000), 3; Brian Read/Darren Prentis (Auckland, Kawasaki ZX-10R), 4; Darren Pate/Karl Verdell (Katikati, Kawasaki 1000), 5; Tracey Anderson/Jo Mickleson (Tauranga, Yamaha DMR 600), 6. F1 Sidecars race 2: Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe, 1; Steve Bron/Dennis Simonsen, 2; Ash Martin/Charles Bilby, 3; Des James/Jonathan Shaw (Auckland, GSXR1000), 4; Brian Read/Darren Prentis, 5; Darren Pate/Karl Verdell, 6. Series points: Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe, 45; Ash Martin/Charles Bilby, 45; Steve Bron/Dennis Simonsen, 45; Brian Read/Darren Prentis, 34; Des James/Jonathan Shaw, 32; Darren Pate/Karl Verdell, 31. Post Classic race 1: Graham Moorhead (Takapuna, Suzuki GS1000), 1; Sean Donnelly, (Paraparaumu, Kawasaki GPZ1100), 2; Russell Barker (Auckland, Suzuki GSXR1100), 3; Jason Hulme (Marton, Honda NC30 400), 4; Mike Webster (Wellington, Kawasaki ZXR H1 750), 5; Chris Sales (Feilding, Honda XR500), 6. Post Classic race 2: Graham Moorhead, 1; Russell Barker, 2; Sean Donnelly, 3; Paul Wootton (Waikane, Suzuki GSXR1100), 4; Jason Hulme, 5; Mike Webster, 6. Series points: Graham Moorhead, 51; Russell Barker, 42; Sean Donnelly, 42; Jason Hulme, 34; Paul Wootton, 31; Mike Webster, 31. BEARS race 1: John Ross (Christchurch, BMW S1000RR), 1; , Joel Reed (Australia, Aprilia RSV4), 2; John Woodley (Australia, MV Agusta R312), 3; Duncan Coutts (Whangarei, Aprilia RSVR1000), 4; Damian Mackie (Te Puke, Ducati 998S), 5; Darren Love (Australia, Ducati 1198), 6. BEARS race 2: John Ross, 1; Peter Tanner (Feilding, Aprilia RSVR1000), 2; Joel Reed, 3; Damian Mackie, 4; John Woodley, 5; Darren Love, 6. Series points: John Ross, 50; Joel Reed, 42; John Woodley, 36; Damian Mackie, 34; Duncan Coutts, 32; Darren Love, 30. F3 Sportbikes race 1: Daniel Kempthorne (Palmerston North, Suzuki SV650), 1; Terry Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Suzuki SV650), 2; Scott Moir (Taupo, Honda RSV450), 3; Geoff Booth (Dannevirke, Suzuki SV650), 4; Avalon Biddle (Orewa, Honda RS125) 5; Nick Southerwood (Auckland, Suzuki SV650), 6. F3 Sportbikes race 2: Terry Fitzgerald, 1; Geoff Booth, 2; Scott Moir, 3; Avalon Biddle, 4; Daniel Kempthorne, 5; Dean Bentley (Lower Hutt, Suzuki SV650), 6. Series points: Terry Fitzgerald, 47; Daniel Kempthorne, 42; Geoff Booth, 40; Scott Moir, 40; Avalon Biddle, 34; Dean Bentley, 29.
2010 Suzuki International Tri-Series Schedule; Round 2: Manfeild, December 18 Round 3: Wanganui Cemetery Circuit, December 26 |
