The New Zealand motorcycle road-race season kicks off this weekend and Taranaki’s Hayden ‘Blondini’ Fitzgerald plans on being in the running for a top prize.

He finished an unaccustomed ninth overall in the glamour superbike class in last season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships, his worst result in several years, but he’s hoping that a switch of bike brands in the off-season will reverse fortunes for him in 2012-13.

After several seasons as a Honda team rider, many of them successful – he finished 7th in the nationals in both 2007 and 2008, was fourth in 2009, fifth in 2010 and fourth in 2011, before his slide to ninth last season – but he now swaps colours and will make his official debut on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike this weekend.

The season kicks off on Saturday with the opening round of the Suzuki Tri Series at Hampton Downs, just north of Huntly, before heading to Manfeild, on the outskirts of Feilding a week later and, finally, it wraps up on the Cemetery Circuit, in the public streets of Wanganui on Boxing Day.

“Obviously I’d like to do well, but, to be honest, the Tri Series is just a warm-up for me. The nationals (which kick off near Christchurch in January) are my main focus.

“I had a few problems last season after making a few changes that didn’t work out for me,” said the 27-year-old New Plymouth signwriter.

“I gambled with a few set-up things and they didn’t pay off. I’m pretty happy with the new bike. It’s got to be good because, afterall, defending Tri Series champion Andrew Stroud rides one.”

Fitzgerald has already tasted success on the new bike, winning five out of six races at the latest round of the Victoria Motorcycle Club’s Winter Road-racing Series at Manfeild in late September.

“That was a good confidence booster,” said Fitzgerald. “Apart from that race meeting, I have not been doing a lot of riding but I’m pretty fit at the moment. I have been riding motocross to get fit, playing squash, cycling and running. I feel pretty good.

“I’m looking for a top-three finish this season. That’s definitely where I’m aiming to be.

“I have been getting a lot of Taranaki support. It’s amazing the sponsorship I have from businesses here and that’s been really encouraging too.”

Whatever happens this weekend, Fitzgerald can expect a tough time of it.

In addition to Hamilton’s Stroud, he’ll face such on-form riders as former 600cc champion Nick Cole, also of Hamilton, Wellington’s Sloan Frost, Christchurch’s James Smith and Feilding’s Craig Shirriffs.

In addition, the series has enticed multiple former champion and street racing legend Tony Rees, of Whakatane, to enter, along with such talented individuals Auckland’s Ray Clee and Christchurch’s Ryan Hampton, while national 600 supersport champion Dennis Charlett, of Christchurch, steps up to do battle on a 1000cc Suzuki superbike this season.

The series also features races for F2, F3, sidecars, post classic pre ‘89, BEARS, and 450cc supermoto bikes.

2012 Suzuki International Tri-Series calendar:

Round 1: Hampton Downs, December 8

Round 2: Manfeild, December 16

Round 3: Wanganui Cemetery Circuit, December 26

2013 NZ Superbike Championships:

Round 1, January 5 & 6, 2013, Christchurch

Round 2, January 12 & 13, 2013, Timaru

Round 3, January 19 & 20, 2013, Invercargill

Round 4, March 16 & 17, 2013, Hampton Downs

Round 5, March 23 & 24, 2013, Taupo

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