By Incorporated into the Burt Munro Challenge, the opening round of this year’s New Zealand Superbike Championship took place at a sun drenched, Teretonga Park.
The action on track was equally as warm as the weather, as a selection of New Zealand’s top riders jostled it out for rostrum finishes, in the three eight-lap big bike races.
Cemetery Circuit Races lap-record holder Mitch Rees (Rees Racing Honda) proved the undoubted crème de la crème from the weekend’s racing, capturing three race wins.
Father, NZ street racing legend, this week’s Bluff Hill Climb Champion Tony Rees finished top chaser in races one and two, with the second race particularly seeing the father and son duo evenly matched, with under 0.8 of a second between them, at the chequered flag.
43-plate carrier Alastair Hoogenboezem joined the Rees pairing on each race rostrum, post recording respective finishes of third, third, second.
Added riders competing known for their street-racing capabilities, included Dale Finch, Rogan Chandler, Richard Markham-Barrett and Heath Botica (Post Classic Pre 72 501cc + winner x4 – Burt Munro Challenge Teretonga Sprint Races).
The next New Zealand Superbike Championship round commences in below six days- time, at Timaru (14th-15th February).
Photo credit: Michael Wincott
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
