The New Zealand Superbike Championships kick off in Christchurch this weekend and so will begin the battle to find the nation’s best motorcycle racers across half a dozen important different categories.

Most eyes will no doubt focus on the premier superbike class, where defending champion Dennis Charlett will be hoping a little home-town support and local knowledge of the Ruapuna Raceway circuit will give his campaign a spur in the right direction.

Charlett didn’t have the best of warm-ups to his title defence, finishing an uncharacteristic fifth overall in the just-completed Suzuki Series, a competition he won in 2012, although he did dominate at the Port Nelson Street Races a few days ago.

It is uncertain anyway whether the Suzuki Series should be regarded an accurate litmus test for the four-round New Zealand Superbike Championships that now follow, with the superbike class winner, visiting Austrian Horst Saiger, not staying on to compete at the nationals and a handful of leading riders, such as Christchurch’s John Ross and Invercargill’s Jeremy Holmes, being no-shows for the Suzuki Series.

Other riders, such as Auckland’s Jaden Hassan and the Hoogenboezem brothers from Christchurch, Alistair and James, produced very impressive performances during the Suzuki Series but were not entered for all three rounds and were therefore unable to finish on the podium.

With the form shown by 20-year-old Hassan at rounds one and two of the Suzuki Series, he could easily rate as favourite to win the New Zealand superbike crown in 2015.

It would pay also for Charlett to show respect to Boxing Day’s Cemetery Circuit winner Tony Rees, of Whakatane, Wellington’s Sloan Frost, New Plymouth’s Hayden Fitzgerald, Australian Linden Magee and even superbike class newcomer Jayden Carrick, of Wanganui.

Taupo’s Scott Moir was a revelation during the recent Suzuki Series and finished runner-up to Saiger overall, but he cracked his wrist in a fall at Manfeild on December 14 and this may cause him problems.

The 600cc supersport class could be another very interesting proposition with the two-time and current Suzuki Series winner in the class, Manukau’s Toby Summers, perhaps the odds-on favourite to win, although he may face stern opposition from an unexpected quarter with the late announcement that champion Spanish rider David Vazquez is coming to race here.

Summers will also no doubt be wary of the threats posed by the Hoogenboezem siblings, Holmes and fellow Kiwi frontrunners such as Daniel Mettam and Adam Chambers, to name a few.

Wainuiomata’s Shane Richardson and Christchurch’s Seth Devereux will also be 600cc class contenders.

Ashburton’s Balie Perriton won the national 250 production class crown last season and has since moved up to the 600cc class and, after a successful season in Australia, where he finished third in the FX300 series, he should be a threat at home this season.

Battles for national titles begin this weekend also in the Pro Twin, 250cc production, Post Classics, Superlite, 125 GP and sidecars classes.

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

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