News Release
Watch Out New Zealanders, Robbie Bugden Hasn't Finished With Us Yet
11 March 2008
The Australian wrapped up a successful defence of his New Zealand Superbike Championship a fortnight ago at Manfeild but this didn’t stop him turning up to race at the fifth and final round of the series at Pukekohe on Sunday.
Remarkably, he was beaten for the first time in New Zealand this summer when fellow Suzuki rider Andrew Stroud pinched the win in the day’s opening superbike race on Sunday, but that was probably just a speed bump in his otherwise flawless Kiwi campaign.
And, as the champagne poured at the end of a sun-baked day at Pukekohe, the Brisbane man immediately signalled he’d be back to defend his title in New Zealand next summer too, saying “it’d be the first thing I’d demand in a contract for 2009 … to be able to race here again”.
“I’d do everything I could to come back. I love the country and the people and the racing too.”
Without a full factory ride in Australia, he has been free to pick and choose what races he competes in outside of his home, but the way he dominated in New Zealand this summer and it would seem remarkable if the 27-year-old wasn’t elevated to factory status next year.
“I loved the Suzuki GSX-R1000. It’s so much better than last year’s bike … and, remember, I won on that one too. The bikes are so good now. It’s just up to us riders to keep up with them.”
The race one defeat on Sunday was Budgen’s first of the series and for Hamilton’s Stroud, the win was a consolation for him after a long, hot season spent chasing his fellow Suzuki star.
“The racing’s been like this all season … handlebar to handlebar,” said the 40-year-old father of six (and soon to be seven with his wife Karen expecting again).
“I’ve really enjoyed the racing but not finishing second. Robbie’s done a magic job really.”
Between them, Suzuki mates Bugden and Stroud took pole position and then won every superbike race in New Zealand this season, smashing lap records around the country as they went.
Suzuki also won the 600cc sports production class with Christchurch’s Dennis Charlett taking the title ahead of fellow Suzuki rider James Smith, also from Christchurch, while Karl Morgan (Suzuki SV650) led a Suzuki 1-2-3 in the pro twins championship, easily winning ahead of Dannevirke’s Geoff Booth (Suzuki SV650) and Tauranga’s Alan Zitnik (Suzuki SV650).
In another Suzuki 1-2-3, Palmerston North’s Glen Williams (Suzuki SV650) won the formula three class ahead of fellow Suzuki riders Terry Fitzgerald (New Plymouth) and Steven Wood (Blenheim).
Wanganui pair Stephen Bron and Dennis Simonsen took their Suzuki-powered rig to a hat-trick of wins at Pukekohe and easily wrapped up the sidecars title.
In all, Suzuki won five of the six categories this season.
RESULTS: Leading results from the fifth and final round of the New Zealand Superbike Championships at Pukekohe at the weekend:
Production Superbikes: Race one:
1. Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, Suzuki)
2. Robbie Bugden (Australia, Suzuki)
3. Gareth Jones (Australia, Yamaha)
4. Craig Shirriffs (Feilding, Suzuki)
5. Tony Rees (Whakatane, Yamaha)
Race Two, Production Superbike TT:
1. Bugden
2. Jones
3. Shirriffs
4. Stroud
5. Damian Cudlin
Championship final standings:
Bugden 245;
Stroud 176;
Jones 170;
Shirriffs 145;
Cudlin 92.
600 Sports Production class: Race One:
1. Midge Smart (Inglewood, Yamaha)
2. Dennis Charlett (Christchurch, Suzuki)
3. Jay Lawrence (Wellington, Kawasaki)
4. Jason Hulme (Marton, Yamaha)
5. Nicholas Cole (Hamilton, Kawasaki)
As a mark of respect, the field chose not to race again on Sunday, after the fatal accident at the end of race one.
Championship final standings:
Charlett 192.5;
Smith 140.5;
Lawrence 122.
Formula Three: Race One:
1. Terry Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Suzuki)
2. Jason Nairn (New Plymouth, Suzuki)
3. Glen Williams (Palmerston North, Suzuki)
Race Two:
1. Steven Wood (Blenhiem, Suzuki)
2. Fitzgerald
3. Nairn
Race Three, NZ Formula Three TT:
1. Williams
2. Wood
3. Nairn
Championship final standings:
Williams 304;
Fitzgerald 273;
Wood 246.
Pro-Twins 650: Race One:
1. Karl Morgan (Auckland, Suzuki)
2. Geoff Booth (Dannevirke, Suzuki)
3. Alan Zitnik (Tauranga, Suzuki)
Race two:
1. Morgan
2. Booth
3. Tom Bos (Christchurch, Kawasaki)
Race Three, NZ Pro-Twin TT:
1. Morgan
2. Booth
3. Anthony Stephens (Invercargill, Suzuki)
Championship final standings:
Morgan 375;
Booth 242;
Stephens 210.
Sidecars: Race One:
1. Stephen Bron/ Dennis Simonsen (Wanganui, LCR Suzuki)
2. Peter Goodwin/ Gavin James (Bay of Islands, LCR Yamaha)
3. Andy Scrivener/ Steve Bryan (Taupo, Sowersby Hyabusa)
Race Two:
1. Bron/ Simonsen
2. Leighton Minnell/ Louise Blythe (Wanganui, LCR Suzuki)
3. Goodwin/James
Race Three, NZ Sidecar TT:
1. Bron/ Simonsen
2. Goodwin/ James
3. Minnell/ Blythe
Championship final standings:
Bron/Simonsen 270,
Scrivener/ Bryan 221,
Goodwin/ James 182.
125cc Grand Prix: Race One:
1. James McKay (Hamilton, Honda)
2. Tim McArthur (Dunedin, Honda)
3. Cameron Jones (Christchurch, Honda)
Race Two:
1. Cameron Jones
2. Adam Chambers (Clive, Honda)
3. Mc Arthur
Race Three, NZ 125cc GP TT (in two parts):
1. McKay
2. McArthur
3. Chambers
Championship final standings:
Cameron Jones 293.5;
McArthur 253.55;
Chambers 173.5.
