YEAR

News Release

Bugden on His Way to Hat-trick

Australia's Robbie Bugden (Suzuki), on his way to New Zealand title win No.3. PHOTO BY: Andy McGechan - BikesportNZ.com

The likeable Suzuki rider, the New Zealand superbike champion in both 2007 and 2008, is on his way to winning another Kiwi title after he scored back-to-back wins at the first of five rounds in this year's New Zealand Road-race Championships series at Invercargill's Teretonga Raceway on Sunday.

The man named New Zealand's road-racer of the year only last month, Hamilton's Andrew Stroud, was runner-up both times, making it a Suzuki 1-2 at the top of the prestigious class.

Third best in the class was former Suzuki rider Craig Shirriffs, now riding for Honda, who benefited when Australian Gareth Jones suffered electrical problems on his Yamaha just three laps from the end of the first race.

"It's a good way to start the series," Bugden agreed. "The whole weekend went extremely well. I got a bit of a gap on the other riders in the first race but it was a real battle in the second one, with about four of us in a real battle.

"It was aggressive riding but I really enjoyed it," said the 28-year-old Brisbane man.

"It's my aim to make it three championship wins in a row. I think I can do it. I proved now that I can go fast from the first race so we'll just have to see how the other rounds work out."

Round two is next weekend at Levels Raceway, near Timaru, with rounds to follow at Christchurch, Feilding and finally Pukekohe on March 8.

Stroud was also pleased with his weekend's work.

"Robbie just got away from me in the first race but it was a much tougher fight in the second one. I really wanted to go with Robbie and I caught up to him on the last lap but it wasn't quite enough.

"It's good, solid points for me but I really want to beat him (Bugden) and that's obviously what I've got to do now if I want to move up the rankings."

While it was the usual suspects in the superbike class, there were a few surprises in the other classes raced at Teretonga on Sunday.

Defending 600cc class champion Dennis Charlett (Suzuki) had a day he'd rather forget as he finished an unaccustomed fifth in the first race and out of the points in the next race.

He is down at 11th in the standings after this first round and destined to play catch-up this season.

Australian visitor Gareth Jones leads the 600cc class but he has last year's runner-up, Christchurch Suzuki rider James Smith for close company.

Palmerston North's Glen Williams (Suzuki) got the defence of his formula three crown off to a flying start when he finished 2-1-1 at the weekend.

Taranaki's Terry Fitzgerald (Suzuki) won the first F3 race of the weekend but, in the next outing, he crashed on the opening lap and did not finish.

"The handlebars were bent and the foot-peg came off. I couldn't carry on," said the 50-year-old Bell Block man.

Fitzgerald suffered misfortune in the next race too when his radiator cap vanished.

"I think it must have been something we overlooked when he repaired the bike after the crash," he said. "I realised the bike was going to overheat so I came into the pits for some water and rejoined the race but it was effectively another DNF (did not finish) result for me."

Fitzgerald is sixth in the series standings and, like Charlett in the 600cc class, can be expected to fight back at the following rounds.

"My chances (of winning the title) are pretty slim now, unless Williams has problems too. I'll just go out now and try to put him under pressure."

Meanwhile, in the 650 Pro Twins class, Tauranga's Sam Love leads a Suzuki clean sweep of the top positions.

Suzuki riders fill the first eight spots in this class with Love clearly in charge after finishing unbeaten in three races at the weekend