Premier Silverware, Lap Records Captured By Rees

Bay of Plenty-based Honda rider Mitch Rees was in scintillating form again this season, winning almost everything that came his way in this season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships.

When the fourth and final round at the annual motorcycle road-racing series wrapped up at the Taupo International Motorsport Park circuit on Sunday afternoon, the 32-year-old was content to sit back and reflect upon a season that saw him claim his third national title in the premier 1000cc superbike class and also win the one-race GP and TT titles as well, at Timaru and Hampton Downs respectively.

Rees previously won the superbike class title in 2021 and then again in 2023.

In addition to all those remarkable achievements, the man from Whakatane also qualified fastest at all four rounds and claimed lap records at Timaru (although not ‘officially’ because it was only in qualifying and not during a race), Hampton Downs and Taupo along the way.

It was a hectic, drama-filled series and it could also have so easily ended up with his 57-year-old father Tony Rees joining him on the podium, an incredible son and father 1-2 result for the championship, until bad luck intervened and a rare crash sent Tony Rees skidding down the track on day one at Taupo on Saturday. Tony Rees withdrew from the rest of the event after that, explaining he had been unwell all week anyway with a virus.

Instead, it was Christchurch’s Alastair Hoogenboezem who finished the series runner-up to Mitch Rees, with superbikes class rookie Rogan Chandler, from Upper Hutt, claiming third overall and, even though absent for the final two superbike races on Sunday, Tony Rees still earned fourth overall.

In all, Mitch Rees won 11 of the 12 superbike races over the four rounds and he’d actually done enough after winning Saturday’s sole superbike race to earn the title with Sunday’s two races to spare.

His only “failure” in the series was in race one at round two at Timaru when a wrong tyre choice caused problems and he opted back off his pace and “not risk in one race any chance of maybe eventually taking the title” later on. He was satisfied to finish runner-up to Christchurch’s Dale Finch in that one race.

“I knew that I just had to play it safe and just pocket some good points,” Mitch Rees explained.

“The title win was comfortable in the end. I had won the title in 2023 with an entire round to spare, but it was a six-round series that year.

“It was a much shorter series this year, so to still win the title with two races to spare is pretty cool too.

“I guess you could say I’m at the peak of my powers at the moment, but I do still think I can go faster.

“I credit dad, Tony, and my younger brother Damon (who sadly passed away in June 2023, aged just 28, due to an unexpected illness) for getting me to where I am today, plus the support from my mum and my wife too.”

It is a tribute to his brother Damon that Mitch Rees ran with the No.92 on his Honda, the number previously raced by Damon.

“It is because of Damo that I got into racing road bikes. I was racing motocross and wasn’t even thinking about doing road-racing until I went to work as a mechanic for Damo.

“I broke my leg quite badly doing motocross in 2013 and so, when I was healed up, I switched to racing road bikes. They’re both very physical sports, but in different ways. Racing motocross you feel like you’re being beaten up all the time, but road-racing is all about battling the G forces, changing direction from left to right and when you’ve got more than 200 horsepower and a 200-kilo bike to rein in. It can be very demanding.

“I’ll be back to try to defend my title next year and, as long as I still enjoy it, I’ll carry on. To be honest though, I don’t see me still racing at the top level like dad has this season as a 57-year-old,” he laughed.

Meanwhile, other national championship class title winners this season included Christchurch man Jake Lewis (Supersport 600 class title, GP and TT titles); Auckland’s Cameron Leslie (Supersport 300 class, GP and TT titles); Christchurch’s Avalon Lewis (née Biddle) (Pro Twins 650 class title and the GP title); Taupiri’s Billee Fuller (Pro Twins 650 class TT title); Hokitika’s Luke Ryder (Super Twins class title, GP and TT titles); Silverdale’s Tyler King (Superlites class title); Paraparaumu’s Isaac Markham-Barrett (Superlites class GP title); Taupo’s Karl Hooper (Superlites class TT title); Lower Hutt’s Nixon Frost (Supersport 150 class title and the GP title); Christchurch’s Hunter Charlett (Supersport 150 class TT title), Masterton’s Michael Wolland with Glendene’s Vaughan Maine (sidecars class title and TT title); Palmerston North’s Barry Smith with Auckland’s Stu Dawe (sidecars class GP title).

Please note, the Supersport 300 and Supersport 150 class results remain provisional only, with protest outcomes still pending.

2025 NZ SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON CALENDAR:

Round 1, Feb 7-9, 2025, Teretonga Park, Invercargill (part of Burt Munro Challenge week);

2, Feb 14-15 (Friday and Saturday), 2025, Levels International Motor Raceway, Timaru;

Round 3, March 8-9, 2025, Hampton Downs;

Round 4, March 15-16, 2025, Taupo International Motorsport Park.

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