Brace yourselves for what could be the hottest New Zealand Superbike Championship season in many years, with plenty of fresh talent threatening to steal the thunder from the established heroes.

The 2018 nationals kick off at Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch, in a week’s time (on January 6-7), with rounds to follow at Timaru’s Levels International Raceway on January 13-14 and at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park near Meremere on March 3-4, before wrapping up at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo on March 17-18.

Could Mitch Rees be the “dark horse” in the superbike class in 2018? Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Most eyes will no doubt focus on the premier superbike class, where Taupo’s just-crowned Suzuki Series F1 champion Scotty Moir will be keen to see if he can maintain his momentum, while his Suzuki team-mate, Wellington’s 2016 champion Sloan Frost, will be determined to regain the crown.

Others likely challenge include such individuals as Glen Eden’s Daniel Mettam, Christchurch’s Alastair Hoogenboezem, Invercargill’s Jeremy Holmes, Tauranga’s Jay Lawrence, Taupo’s Connor London and New Plymouth’s Hayden Fitzgerald, to name a few.

If the pre-national Suzuki Series offered any clues, it could be that a few of these men get shunted aside by a virtual novice, Whakatane’s Mitchell Rees, about to start only his second season on a superbike and he is determined to knock the “old guard” off the top.

Rees, the son of 2017 national superbike champion Tony Rees, finished sixth in the superbike class at the nationals on debut last season. He is just 24 years old, but he proved himself a force to be reckoned with in this year’s Suzuki Series, eventually finishing third in the F1 class, just 10 points behind Mettam.

If he can reproduce that same sort of form, he will certainly impress in 2018.

Unfortunately, his dad Tony will not be able to defend his superbike crown, having fallen victim to a crash at round two of the Suzuki Series at Manfeild, leaving him with a broken hand. With his arm now in a plaster cast, the 50-year-old Rees will be in attendance, however, there to support Mitchell Rees’ campaign.

The 600cc supersport class, too, is expected to be a fiery affair, although perhaps Upper Hutt’s Rogan Chandler and Manukau’s Toby Summers loom as the most likely favourites, particularly so Summers, who was as exciting to watch as ever on his way to a superb runner-up finish in the Suzuki Series’ Formula Two class (despite crashing out of one of his six F2 races).

Kiwi international Avalon Biddle, from Orewa, Whangaparoa’s Nathan Jane, Hamilton’s Jacob Stroud, Rangiora’s Jake Lewis and Greymouth’s Ashton Hughes are also likely to feature.

The two men who fought a see-saw battle for top 600cc honours last year – eventual winner Damon Rees, of Whakatane, and Wainuiomata’s Shane Richardson – will not be contenders in 2018.

Rees is recovering from injury and expected anyway to step up to the superbike class when he does make a comeback, while Richardson has international commitments that will prevent him making a viable Kiwi campaign.

Scott Moir (8), the main winner at Whanganui on Boxing Day, with fellow Suzuki rider Daniel Mettam (34), both of whom could be expected to feature at the front of the superbike class during the 2018 nationals. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

All the various other classes – superlites, supersport 300 (previously known as lightweight production), Superlites, 650 pro twins, 250cc production, 125GP and 250 Mono and sidecars – are overflowing with talent and it is almost impossible to pick a winner and perhaps even less so in the newly-created GIXXER Cup class.

Also included as support classes in 2018 will be Formula One (basically last season’s superbike-spec bikes on harder tyres), supersport 600 B, Superlite B, supersport 150 (at the Christchurch round only) and the Carl Cox Motorsport Hyosung Cup (at rounds three and four only).

The GIXXER Cup is set aside for riders aged between 14 and 21, with all riders on identical Suzuki GSX150F bikes, and it got off to a storming start during the Suzuki Series.

This GIXXER Cup class continues on through the national series, making it a seven-round contest.

Riders will count just six of seven rounds from these two separate competitions, discarding points from their one worst round, to determine the inaugural GIXXER Cup champion for 2017-18.

The 2018 New Zealand Superbike Championships are supported by Honda Cars, providing safety/medical vehicles, Pirelli tyres, Corprint, CTAS and MX Timing and the inaugural GIXXER Cup is supported by Suzuki New Zealand.

For additional inspiration, see this promotional VIDEO

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

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