Girl Power at Castrol Superbike Championships

Team Honda Racing NZ
Motorsport Network Ltd
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THR 170209
Girl Power at Castrol Superbike Championships

125GP Avalon Biddle leads McArthur 39 Hoogenboozem 9 and Jones 33

The racing at this year’s Castrol Power 1 Superbike Championships has been second to none, as the Castrol circus slowly winds its way north from the southern most race track in the world, Teretonga Raceway outside Invercargill, where it started seven weeks ago.

The battle between the big boys on the 1000cc machines has been intense, but so has the racing in the smallest class in the Championships, the 125cc Grand Prix machines - so often the foundation of many Superbike careers.

Although series leader is Dunedin’s Tim McArthur, the rider we are all watching is the endearing 16-year-old Avalon Biddle from Orewa just north of Auckland, on her Honda RS 125. This feisty young lady has been denting male egos all season, picking up eight podiums from twelve starts and qualifying on most front row grids.

While all the other solo class are for machines based on production motorcycles, the 125cc Grand Prix machines are factory built Grand Prix bikes as seen on television at the MotoGPs.

The racing in this smallest class is just as hard and fast as the Superbikes, with just as many contenders for the wins. Over the twelve races so far in the series, we have had five different riders take the chequered flag.

Biddle came to the fore at round three, when she became the second only female to win a New Zealand Motorcycle Grand Prix on her 7-year-old Honda RS125. She also added the Warren Guy Memorial Trophy to her silverware collection.
The “Warren Guy Trophy” is presented to the best up and coming rider competing in the 125cc Grand Prix class.

Biddle last weekend went on to round four at Manfeild and posted a win and two seconds in the three races, showing the boys a clean set of heals in the last race of the round, when she led from start to finish.

To top that off Avalon secured her name in the history books by setting a new lap record of 1:13.624 seconds, beating an 11 year old record, held by none other than Craig Shirriffs’ brother Kris, who was present to witness the event, while assisting Craig in Team Honda Racing’s pit.

Both the Biddle Racing team and Team Honda Racing were stoked by the weekend’s results, all concerned were clearly ecstatic that Avalon was the new lap record holder. Indeed it was a popular achievement across the whole pits and with the organizing crew, who see Avalon as one of the ‘Sports’ future big names.

Biddle now has her sights clearly set on her home track (Pukekohe) and the New Zealand 125cc Tourist Trophy, which will be run as part of the final round of the series at Pukekohe on March 7/8.
A silverware double would greatly increase her chances of picking up the 2009 triple. The GP, the TT and the Championship.

Results so far in the
Castrol Power 1 Superbike Championships
125cc Grand Prix class:
Round One Teretonga 10/11-1-09
Race One:
1, Tim McArthur (Dunedin) Honda; 2, Avalon Biddle (Orewa) Honda; 3, Jaden Hassen (Auckland) Yamaha.
Race Two:
1, Mc Arthur; 2, Biddle; 3, Alistair Hoogenboezem (West Melton) Honda.
Race Three:
1, Mc Arthur; 2, Hassen; 3, Kenneth Jones (Hamilton) Yamaha.

Round Two Levels 17/18-1-09
Race One:
1, Kenneth Jones (Hamilton) Yamaha; 2, Tim McArthur (Dunedin) Honda; 3, Jaden Hassan (Auckland) Yamaha.
Race Two:
1, McArthur; 2, Cameron Jones; 3, Avalon Biddle (Orewa) Honda.
Race Three:
1, McArthur; 2, Alastair Hoogenboezem (West Melton) Honda; 3, Kenneth Jones.

Round Three Ruapuna 24/25-1-09
Race One:
1, Kenneth Jones (Hamilton) Yamaha; 2, Tim McArthur (Dunedin) Honda; 3, Jaden Hassan (Auckland) Yamaha.
Race Two:
1, Cameron Jones (Christchurch) Honda; 2, Avalon Biddle (Orewa) Honda; 3, James McKay (Hamilton) Honda.
Race Three:
125ccGrand Prix.
1, Biddle; 2, Hoogenboezem; 3, Hassen.

Round Four Manfeild 14/15-2-09
Race One:
1, Alastair Hoogenboezem (West Melton) Honda; 2, Avalon Biddle (Orewa) Honda; 3, Tim McArthur (Dunedin) Honda.
Race Two:
1, Hoogenboezem; 2, Biddle; 3, McArthur.
Race Three:
1, Biddle; 2, Hoogenboezem; 3, McArthur

ENDS

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