OFF TO A FLYING START

It’s official, the Kiwi motorcycle road-racing season is off to a flying start.

There was a huge buzz in the air as the popular annual Suzuki Series got underway at the undulating Hampton Downs race circuit near Meremere at the weekend, but there is no time for riders to catch their breath with round two set for Manfeild this coming weekend.

Hamilton’s Andrew Stroud had been the dominant force in the popular series in recent times, taking his Suzuki GSX-R1000 bike to win it for four consecutive seasons before losing the Formula One crown to fellow Suzuki ace Dennis Charlett, of Christchurch, last season … and then Stroud announced his retirement from racing earlier this year.

But it could well be yet another Suzuki rider, Wellington’s Sloan Frost, who moves in to take the premier Formula One trophy this year, although Frost is first going to have to overcome Kawasaki hero Nick Cole.

Frost battled all weekend with Hamilton’s Cole (Kawasaki ZX-10R), winning the final Formula One race of the day but he was eventually forced to settle for the runner-up spot overall and the two men head to Manfeild this coming weekend separated by just three points.

Cole finished 1-2, while Frost produced 3-1 results, as defending champion Charlett, from Christchurch, came home 2-6 to take the third step on the day’s F1 podium.

Taupo’s Scott Moir finished the day fourth and Te Awamutu’s David Hall both of them Suzuki riders, rounded out the top five.

“This is a great start to the season,” said Cole afterwards.

“This result exceeded my expectations. I only had my first ride of the season on this bike at a practice day at Hampton Downs last weekend. I’m thrilled I am on the pace so quickly,” said the 27-year-old fitter and turner.

“I’m riding the same 2011-model Kawasaki I raced last season … it’s just been spruced up a bit. So that means I was comfortable on it straight away.

“In the first race today I got a great start and then I just put in some hard laps. It’s crucial to create a gap on the other riders right from the start.

“I knew Sloan (Frost) would be the man to beat and I am happy to be on the pace with him so early in the season.”

Frost also knows he has a tough assignment ahead.

“I finished third in the first F1 race by just .0001 of a second,” lamented the 32-year-old Frost. “It all came down to tyre choice really.

“I decided to go with slicks because, even thought the track was wet, it was drying quickly. However, it took two or three laps for those tyres to warm up properly on the cool tarmac. I got up to second place and had an epic battle with Dennis (Charlett) and, in the end, he beat me across the line.

“I felt I needed to redeem myself in the next race and that I did, winning it ahead of Nick (Cole). I had a bad start but was in the lead inside the first lap.

“It was close racing and, at one stage when Nick was trying to go around the outside of me, I could feel his bike rubbing on my left boot. We have been racing each other a while and we trust each other though.

“This series is certainly going to be tight.”

Defending F1 champion Charlett was philosophical about his weekend.

“I didn’t do myself any favours by only qualifying in 10th spot but I’m happy with how my races went,” said the 45-year-old.

“I’m feeling great on the bike and there is still a long way to go in the series. It’s certainly not over yet. If this was a bad day for me, then it was not too bad.”

The third and final round of the Suzuki Series is the legendary Boxing Day public street race on Whanganui’s famous Cemetery Circuit.

The four-round national championship series follows immediately afterwards, so the Suzuki Series is the perfect time for national title hopefuls to be showing their mettle.

Other class winners on Saturday were Auckland’s Toby Summers (F2 600cc class and Super Moto classes); New Plymouth’s Hayden Fitzgerald (F3 sports bikes); Whangarei’s Duncan Coutts (Post Classics); Australia’s Craig Trinder (Bears, non-Japanese bikes); Hamilton’s Aaron Lovell and Dennis Simonson (sidecars).