Crowd Returns To Levels For NZSBK Action

Timaru laid on the weather and crowd numbers and riders provided the spectacle at the Star Insure New Zealand Superbike Grand prix, at Levels last Saturday.

The second round of the series, where New Zealand Grand Prix titles were at stake, attracted the biggest motorcycle crowd seen at the South Canterbury track in years.

The premier Superbike class was again dominated by Honda rider Mitch Rees who posted two wins and second, after Yamaha's Dale Finch set the pace in the damp opening race on Saturday.

The question remains, will Finch, Al Hoogenboezem (Yamaha), Tony Rees (Honda) and Rogan Chandler (BMW) be able to reel in the flying Mitch over the final two rounds.

One of the stars of the day was Avalon Lewis, who remains the only rider across all classes to maintain a 100% record – two pole positions and six straight wins for a maximum 152-point tally.

Riding a Yamaha R7 in the Protwins class, Lewis was at her magnificent best, winning easily from her nearest rivals Billee Fuller (Yamaha) and Scott Finlay (Suzuki).

Both Lewis and Fuller are using the championship to hone their race-craft before leaving for Europe shortly to contest the Women's World Championship.

Sidecar has been one of the series' attractions and they did not disappoint at Levels.

Barry Smith and Stu Dawe made their return to the series in a borrowed outfit after their demise at Teretonga. Only series points leaders Phillip Law and Angus Ravenwood stopped them making it a three-win clean sweep.

Never try to pick a winner in Superlites. Keiran Mair (Honda), Isaac Markham-Barrett (Krämer) and Karl Hooper (Suzuki) all scored a win apiece, Hooper emerging as class leader.

Luke Ryder, on an Aprilia 660, goes into the final two rounds of the Supertwins chase with a perfect two-round six-win record, but the class lost a Kiwi racing stalwart when Kevin Goddard crashed and suffered serious leg injuries which has forced him out of the championship. We wish Kevin a speedy recovery – and congratulations on the class lap record at Teretonga.

Lewis' husband, Jake, riding a Yamaha R6 in the Supersport 600 class, is another who ended the weekend with a perfect six-win record, though he gives up pole position bragging rights to Avalon – 2-1.

Going into the final,two rounds, Luca Durning (Ducati) and Seth Devereux (MV Agusta) have some speed to find if they are to snap Jake's winning streak.

The Supersport 300s once again provided close racing, where KTM riders Cameron Leslie (two wins) and Hamish Simpson topped the podium. However, in this fiercely contested class, Haydn Fordyce (Yamaha), Dennis Charlett (Yamaha) and Tyler King (Kawasaki) are all in contention.

Equally, no rider in the 150 class can afford mishaps going into the final two rounds. Nixon Frost came away with two wins at Levels, and Diego Petrucci one, but there are still plenty of points to be disputed by the likes of Seb Mitchell, Alvin Wu and Ryder Chamberlain.

Event promoter Mike Marsden, who launched the new-look series this year, was full of praise for the way riders and teams have embraced the series.

"We said we would do something to lift the championship and I think Timaru showed what we can do.

"There's a whole lot more to come, but I thank the riders who have bought into what we are trying to achieve.

Marsden said his investment in targeted pre-event publicity across various channels proved worthwhile.

"It was so good to see a crowd back at Levels.

"We tried to put on a fresh show, not only on the track, where the standard of racing was exceptional, but also offer other attractions.

"Our Legends Garage with past superstars Aaron Slight, Robbie Phillis and Mike Pero was a huge success as they mixed with the crowd, while visiting road riders also had the opportunity to take part in a track cruise," Marsden said.

Marsden said NZSBK had found a super-fan in United States visitor Adam Tromp, of Iconic Motor Bikes, in California, who was prolific in his social posts over the two rounds.

"He has over 300,000 social media followers, so thank-you, Adam, for spreading the NZSBK word.

"He was really impressed with what he saw and wants to return. I'll be calling on him in LA shortly and making sure he gets back here."

Marsden also made a point of thanking all the officials who played a part in making the event a success.

"I know it hasn't been the easiest of tasks and there were certainly challenges to overcome, but I am truly thankful that you made it happen."

Finally, congratulations to our New Zealand Grand Prix winners – Mitch Rees (Superbike), Jake Lewis (SS600), Barry Smith and Stu Dawe (Sidecars), Nixon Frost (SS150), Isaac Markham-Barrett (Superlites), Luke Ryder (Supertwins), Avalon Lewis (Protwins).

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