First Blood to Defending Champion Frost

2017 NZ Superbike Championships

First Blood to Defending Champion Frost

JANUARY 8, 2017: The racing could not be much closer than was witnessed at the weekend's opening round of four in this season's New Zealand Superbike Championships.

Just 19 points separate the top three riders in the superbike class after two days of racing at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, on the outskirts of Christchurch, on Saturday and Sunday and there will be no time for any of the riders or the race fans to catch their breath with round two set for Invercargill in just a week's time.

Whakatane's Tony Rees and Wellington's Sloan Frost picked up the duelling from where they'd left off in the pre-nationals Suzuki Series when that wrapped up on Boxing Day, the two men now joined by Christchurch's Alastair Hoogenboezem, in making it a tight three-way scrap for top honours in the glamour class.

Glen Eden's Daniel Mettam, the national 600cc class champion last year, who has now stepped up to the 1000cc superbike, and Manukau's Tony Summers rounded out the top five in the superbike class after a fierce two days of racing at the Canterbury circuit formerly known as Ruapuna.

Frost qualified on pole and took the bonus point that went with that achievement, but then had to settle for a close runner-up to Rees in the first of the weekend's three superbike class races, staged on Saturday.

However, a pair of wins the following day propelled Frost to the top of the standings.

The racing was extremely close and it's possible a small blanket would have covered the leading three riders as they battled for glory in the final superbike class race of the weekend, the 20-lap affair that is also recognised as the one-off GP title race.

Frost and Hoogenboezem each took turns to lead this most-important race, but it was Frost in front at the finish, although the eventual 1.8-second winning margin over runner-up Rees perhaps flattered him.

"I didn't have a lot of tyre left at the end," said Rees afterwards. "I got caught up in a battle with Al (Hoogenboezem) and I lost touch with Sloan (Frost).

"It was close racing and I really enjoyed it."

It was a similar story in the 600cc supersport class where Suzuki Series rivals Damon Rees and Shane Richardson also reignited their rivalry, Whakatane's Rees, the 21-year-old youngest son of Tony Rees, leaving Christchurch with a slender six-point advantage over Wainuiomata's Richardson, with Rangiora's Jake Lewis not too far behind in third place overall.

The riders now head to round two of the nationals at Teretonga, on the outskirts of Invercargill, next weekend (January 14-15).

Class leaders after round one of the nationals:

Superbikes: 1. Sloan Frost (Wellington, Suzuki) 71 points; 2. Tony Rees (Whakatane, Honda) 61; 3. Alastair Hoogenboezem (Christchurch, Honda) 52.

1000cc Superstock: 1. Jeremy Holmes (Invercargill, Honda) 76; 2. Chris Defiori (Te Kauwhata, Kawasaki) 56; 3. David Sharp (Auckland, Aprilia) 39.

600 Supersport: 1. Damon Rees (Whakatane, Honda) 71; 2. Shane Richardson (Wainuiomata, Kawasaki) 65; 3. Jake Lewis (Rangiora, Triumph) 48.

Superlites: 1. Leigh Tidman (Taumarunui, Yamaha); 70; 2. Chris Defiori (Te Kauwhata, Yamaha) 61; 3. Gavin Veltmeyer (Auckland, Suzuki) 46.

Lightweight: 1. Andy McLaughlin (Christchurch, KTM) 71; 2. Sam Goulter (Ashburton, Yamaha) 61; 3. Lewis Dray (Ashburton, Yamaha) 33.

250 Production: 1. Campbell Grayling (Opunake, Kawasaki) 76; 2. James Squire (Timaru, Kawasaki) 53; 3. Rob Gibson (Tauranga, Kawasaki) 49.

Pro Twins: 1. Dennis Charlett (Christchurch, Suzuki) 76; 2. Josh Augustine (Auckland, Suzuki) 52; 3= Jordan Burley (Hamilton, Suzuki) and Peter Gunn (Christchurch, Suzuki) 40 each.

125GP: 1. Matthew Hoogenboezem (Christchurch, Honda) 66; 2. Chris Wallinger (Christchurch, Honda) 52; 3= Chris Cain (Auckland, Honda) and Damian Perriton (Ashburton, Honda) 46 each.

F1 BEARS (non-Japanese bikes): 1. Jonny Lewis (Nelson, Aprilia) 61; 2. Trevor Chapman (Christchurch, Buell) 50; 3. Jayden Scott (Waimate, KTM) 38.

F2 BEARS (non-Japanese bikes): 1. Derek Partridge (Dunedin, Ducati) 70; 2. Aaron Clarke (Rolleston, KTM) 66; 3. Rod Moore (Christchurch, KTM) 48.

Development class (Senior): 1. Paul Skinner (Ashburton, Kawasaki) 76; 2. Brent Cotton (Christchurch, Yamaha) 60; 3. Vanessa Woodley-Gill (Blenheim, Suzuki) 42.

Development class (Junior): 1. Jackson Cotton (Christchurch, Kawasaki) 76; 2. Luke Huddlestone (Christchurch, Aprilia) 56; 3. Joey Ransome (Ashley, Kawasaki) 45.

Sidecars: 1. Spike Taylor (Masterton) and Robbie Shorter (Tauranga) 76; 2. Peter Goodwin and Kendal Dunlop (Albany) 60; 3. Barry Smith and Tracey Bryan (Tauranga) 48.

ends

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