Castrol Honda Colours Fly High

Castrol Honda Colours Fly High

Honda Racing’s Road Race Team finished their South Island campaign on a high at last weekend’s third round of the Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championships at Levels Raceway just outside Timaru.

For the first two rounds at Ruapuna and Teretonga Feilding’s Craig Shirriffs had been riding his Honda CBR1000RR in plain white livery and there was considerable discussion about what to call it, after Shirriffs received is new nickname “Windy” after being blown from the track by a wind gust during the “Burt Munro” event in November. Meanwhile New Plymouth’s Hayden Fitzgerald had his CBR1000RR in the traditional “Castrol Green, Red and White”

The Team had had limited success with Shirriffs having problems with his helmet visor during round one and was forced to ride his second bike at round two after his number one bike developed an electrical fault. While Fitzgerald continued with the set up of his freshly engined machine.

However Round three was the turning point for the team, with Shirriffs machine now in “Castrol” colours the team set about topping the qualifying charts, breaking lap records and running hard and fast with the leaders.

In race one Shirriffs, after an average start, fought back to ran with the two Suzukis of series leaders Australian Robbie Bugden and Hamilton’s Andrew Stroud, setting a new lap record halfway through the race. The race was hard and fast at the front, with Shirriffs finishing third and Fitzgerald fifth.

“I am more than happy with third at that sort pace,” said Shirriffs after the race.

Race two saw a similar pace, with Shirriffs right behind Stroud and Bugden, until the encountered some back markers. Unfortunately the leaders got through and Shirriffs had to wait. Leaving him to settle for another third, with Fitzgerald in forth.

The team is now keen to return home to the North Island and their home track of Manfeild for round four at the end of February (27/28).

In the meantime they will return to the streets for the Paeroa “Battle of the Streets’ on February 21st

Current Points Standing for

The Castrol Power 1 Superbike Championship

After three of five rounds

Andrew Stroud 128

Robbie Bugden 115

James Smith 86

Craig Shirriffs 77

Hayden Fitzgerald 64

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