It was a Canterbury double at the weekend, with Christchurch riders Dennis Charlett and John Ross dominating the two main classes at the opening round of this season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships.

And it also meant that Suzuki remained on top of the New Zealand road-racing scene after this first of four rounds in the championships at Mike Pero Motorsports Park (Ruapuna), on the outskirts of Christchurch, on Saturday and Sunday.

Charlett (pictured here) finished third overall in the premier superbike class last season, ending the 2012-13 series behind Australian Suzuki ace Robbie Bugden and Feilding Suzuki rider Craig Shirriffs, but it was Charlett all the way this time around, the 45-year-old father-of-five and grandfather-of-three taking his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a stunning hat-trick of wins on his local track.

Runner-up to Charlett each time was winner of the just-completed Suzuki Series, Hamilton Kawasaki rider Nick Cole, and they head to round two of the championships at Levels Raceway, near Timaru, next weekend separated by 15 points.

Visiting Australian Linden Magee (BMW) claimed the third spot on the podium, but he heads to Timaru a solid 24 points behind Cole.

Another of this season’s favourites, Wellington Suzuki ace Sloan Frost, is fourth overall after this opening round. Frost finished 8-4-5 on his hastily prepared bike – his original bike was damaged beyond repair in a Boxing Day crash at Wanganui and a replacement offered by TSS Red Baron and Suzuki New Zealand.

Rounding out the top five in the superbike class was Whakatane’s Tony Rees (Honda), who impressed with 6-5-6 results at the weekend. He is just one point behind Frost.

Manawatu’s Shirriffs had a difficult weekend, forced to burn the midnight oil to repair his bike after crashing heavily during practice at the track on Friday. He managed 7-9-8 in his three superbike races and is currently eighth in the standings.

By winning the weekend’s third superbike race, Charlett also secured the New Zealand GP crown, adding icing to the cake for the popular former 600cc class champion.

“This weekend was a fantastic start to the series,” said Charlett.

“Winning the Grand Prix and getting my name on the cup with a lot of famous names is really something,” said Charlett.

“It is going to be tight between me and Nick this season I think. It will come down to who is the most consistent throughout.

“Nick beat me at Levels last season but I have a new bike now and it’s going really well. It has a lot more horsepower. I’m probably 20 kilograms lighter than Nick and that makes a big difference too.”

The winning wasn’t so clear-cut for Ross in the 600cc Supersport class, the defending champion winning two of his three races but forced to settle for second to fellow Christchurch rider Seth Devereux (Kawasaki) in the other, damp race.

However, at the end of the day, the 32-year-old Ross had taken his Suzuki GSX-R600 to a commanding 28 points clear of his nearest rival for the title, yet another Christchurch rider, Alistair Hoogenboezem (Suzuki).

“I won the first race (in the 600 Supersport class) on Saturday but the second race, on Sunday morning, was wet and I was just happy to get points there,” said Ross.

“The third race was a really good three-way battle between me, Alastair Hoogenboezem and (Auckland’s) Toby Summers. It went right to the line.

“To win the GP title was really fantastic. I’ve never won that before,” said the New Zealand No.1 “That has always been a bogey race for me. I suppose I’ve done away with the bogey now.”

Ross, the director of Christchurch company Circuit Asphalt, laughed when it was suggested his job gave him an unfair advantage.

“Yeah, I guess you could say I’d know what’s happening under my wheels.”

Rangiora’s Jake Lewis (Kawasaki), briefly back home after winning the European Junior Cup this season, won the 250cc Production class GP title after a fierce fight with Ashburton’s Baillie Perriton (Kawasaki).

Meanmwhile, other GP title winners were New Plymouth’s Hayden Fitzgerald (Superlites, Suzuki SV650); Clive’s Tyler Lincoln (125GP, Honda RS125); Kawakawa’s Royd Walker-Hoult (Pro Twins, Suzuki SV650); Te Awanga’s Eddie Kattenberg (Post Classics, Yamaha FZR1000) and Hamilton pair Aaron Lovell and Dennis Simonson (Sidecars, LCR1000).

The GP title winners in each case are also the championship points leaders in their respective classes.

Round two is set for Levels Raceway, Timaru, next weekend (January 11-12) before the series takes a month-long break and resumes at Taupo Motorsport Park on March 22-23, that third round including the New Zealand TT title races. The championship wraps up with a double-header final round at Manfeild Park, on the outskirts of Feilding, on March 29-30.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com