Waikato’s Nick Cole gave himself a late Christmas present as he wrote his name into the history books on Boxing Day.

The 27-year-old Kawasaki rider won both Formula One (Superbike) races at the famous Cemetery Circuit race meeting on Boxing Day, the traditional third and final round of the annual Suzuki Series, and then capped off the day by also winning the stand-alone 10-lap Robert Holden Memorial feature race, the Wanganui event’s signature race, albeit with Taranaki’s Hayden Fitzgerald closing him down to finish the race a close second.

Cole’s storming final-round performance was also enough for him to overtake series leader and defending champion Dennis Charlett and snatch away the title from the Christchurch Suzuki rider.

“I finally cracked it,” beamed Cole afterwards.

The Hamilton fitter and turner had won the formula one class at Wanganui’s popular Boxing Day event last season too, but that day was cut short when heavy rain forced organisers to abandon the event before the Robert Holden feature race could be run.

Rain threatened this time around too, but never really amounted to much and, although it caused a few riders to slide off, Cole seemed to have no problem finding traction.

Cole rode exactly the same 2011-model Kawasaki ZX10-R bike that he’d campaigned last season and it never missed a beat at Wanganui.

“Winning this series is a first for me and it feels absolutely fantastic. But winning the Robert Holden feature race as well … that’s a real bonus,” said Cole.

Runner-up in the Robert Holden race was New Plymouth’s Fitzgerald (Suzuki).

“You really have to be smooth on streets circuits … especially today with conditions changing all the time. The races could start dry and end damp and then there’s the changes in light as you weave between the trees by the cemetery. I had a wee moment when the bike stepped out on me on one occasion, but you get that when you’re racing superbikes,” Cole laughed.

Cole won three out of six F1 races in the Suzuki Series – winning one of the day’s two F1 races at the opening round at Hampton Downs a fortnight ago, before struggling at Manfeild last weekend and then winning both races at Wanganui – giving him a massive 33-point series win over runner-up Charlett, with Wellington’s Sloan Frost (Suzuki) taking the third spot on the podium, four points further back.

“This is a fantastic start to the season. I’m looking forward to the nationals now (that four-round series due to kick off in Christchurch on January 5), but I’m not taking anything for granted and I know that Hayden Fitzgerald and Craig Shirriffs (of Feilding) are really flying at the moment and Sloan Frost and Dennis Charlett will come back strong too.

“I always knew Hayden (Fitzgerald) would go well here at Wanganui. He always does. He rode three classes today, so he knew what was happening out on the track.”

Although he didn’t win the feature race, it was still a brilliant day for Fitzgerald and he was, arguably, the most successful rider of the series.

He moved up from seventh overall after round two to finish fifth overall in the F1 class and he also won two other bike classes, the only rider to take a title in more than one division.

The Taranaki man rode a Suzuki SV650 to win the Formula Three (Superlites) class and also rode a 500cc 1962 Matchless G50 McIntyre to win the Classic Solos class.

“Finishing runner-up in the Robert Holden race is the best I’ve ever done here,” said the 28-year-old Fitzgerald. “I was catching Nick (Cole) too. I managed to get past (Whakatane’s) Tony Rees to move into second spot and then I just put the hammer down and went hard.

“This series has been great build-up for the nationals and I’m feeling confident I’ll do well.”

Other class winners in the 2013 Suzuki Series were Auckland’s Toby Summers (Yamaha, F2 600cc class); Whangarei’s Duncan Coutts (Suzuki, Pre-89 Post Classics); Wanganui’s Dwayne Bishop (Aprilia, Bears, non-Japanese bikes); Wanganui’s Richard Dibben (Honda, Super Moto); Auckland’s Adam Unsworth and Stu Dawe (Windle, F1 sidecars).

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

RESULTS:

Formula 1, race 1:  Nick Cole (Hamilton, Red Devil Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1; Sloan Frost (Lower Hutt, Fujitsu TSS Red Baron Suzuki NZ GSXR1000), 2; Scott Moir (Taupo, MotoTT Promoto Suzuki GSXR1000), 3; Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Team RCM Suzuki GSXR1000), 4; Tony Rees (Whakatane, Tony Rees Motorcycles Honda CBR1000), 5; Guy Martin (Great Britain, Suzuki NZ GSXR1000), 6.

Formula 1, race 2:  Nick Cole, 1; Scott Moir, 2; Hayden Fitzgerald, 3; Ray Clee (Kumeu, Auckland, Team RCM Suzuki GSXR1000), 4; Tony Rees, 5; Dennis Charlett (Christchurch, Underground Brown Suzuki GSXR1000), 6.

F1 final series points: Nick Cole, 130; Dennis Charlett, 97; Sloan Frost, 93; Scott Moir, 92; Hayden Fitzgerald, 87; Ray Clee, 83.

Robert Holden Memorial feature race: Nick Cole (Hamilton, Red Devil Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1; Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Team RCM Suzuki GSXR1000), 2; Tony Rees (Whakatane, Tony Rees Motorcycles Honda CBR1000), 3; Jayden Carrick (Wanganui, GJ Gardner Homes Suzuki GSXR600), 4; Adam Chambers (Clive, Lattey Civil & Precast Honda CBR600RR), 5; Guy Martin (Great Britain, GSXR1000), 6.

Formula 2, race 1:  Toby Summers (Auckland, R&R Power Sports Yamaha R6), 1; Adam Chambers (Clive, Lattey Civil & Precast Honda CBR600RR), 2; Thomas Kreutz (Germany, Yamaha R6), 3; Daniel Mettam ( Auckland, CTAS Honda CBR600RR), 4; Ashley Payne (Wanganui, GSXR600), 5; Shane Richardson (Wellington, CBR600RR), 6.

Formula 2, race 2:  Toby Summers, 1; Adam Chambers, 2, Jayden Carrick (Wanganui, GJ Gardner Homes Suzuki GSXR600), 3; Daniel Mettam, 4; Thomas Kreutz, 5; Ashley Payne, 6.

Formula 2 final series points:  Toby Summers, 144; Adam Chambers, 117; Daniel Mettam, 112; Thomas Kreutz, 107; Jayden Carrick, 95; Rhys Holmes, 70.

Formula 3:

Formula 3, race 1:  Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Suzuki NZ SV650), 1; Jay Lawrence (Ohaupo, Boyd Motorcycles KTM Duke), 2; Leigh Tidman (Taumarunui, RS450), 3; Gavin Veltmeyer (Auckland, Colemans Suzuki SV650), 4; Dean Bentley (Lower Hutt, TSS Red Baron Suzuki SV650), 5; Royd Walker-Holt (Kawakawa, Drury Performance Centre Suzuki SV650), 6.

Formula 3, race 2:  Hayden Fitzgerald, 1; Jay Lawrence, 2; Dean Bentley, 3; Gavin Veltmeyer 4; Royd Walker-Hoult, 5; Gavin Oxtoby (Wanganui, GSXR450), 6.

Formula 3 final series points: Hayden Fitzgerald, 94; Gavin Veltmeyer, 86; Royd Walker-Holt, 82; Dean Bentley, 76; Gavin McKay, 60; Gavin Oxtoby, 45.

 Supermoto race 1: Richard Dibben (Wanganui, Silicone Engineering Honda CRF450), 1; Toby Summers (Auckland, R&R Power Sports Yamaha YZF450), 2; Malachi Mitchell-Thomas (Great Britain, Silicone Engineering TM450), 3; Casey Bullock (Reporoa, KTM 450SMR), 4; Aden Brown (Wanganui, Balance Accountants Yamaha YZF450), 5; Ben Dowman (Wanganui, CRF 450), 6.

Supermoto race 2: Richard Dibben, 1; Toby Summers, 2; Aden Brown, 3; Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, 4; Ben Dowman, 5; John Oliver (Feilding, TM450), 6.

Supermoto final series points:  Richard Dibben, 137; Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, 122; Toby Summers, 118; Aden Brown, 97; Casey Bullock, 92; Ben Dowman, 87.

F1 Sidecars, race 1: Aaron Lovell/Dennis Simonson (Hamilton/Masterton, LCR1000), 1; Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe (Auckland, Boss Engineering Windle F1), 2; Michael (Burt) Wolland/Neville Mickleson (Masterton, NZ Moto Derbyshire 1000), 3; Chris Lawrance/Richard Lawrance (Auckland, Anderson R1), 4; Corey Winter/Tim Shepherd (Wanganui, Collins and Sons DMR600), 5; Spike Taylor/Astrid Hartnell (Masterton, Stealth Electric Bikes LCR Suzuki), 6.

F1 Sidecars, race 2: Aaron Lovell/Dennis Simonson, 1; Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe, 2; Michael Wolland/Neville Mickleson, 3; Corey Winter/Tim Shepherd, 4; Des James/Warren Miller (Papakura, LCR Yamaha R1), 5; Spike Taylor/Astrid Hartnell (Masterton, Stealth Electric Bikes LCR Suzuki), 6.

F1 Sidecars final series points:  Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe, 131; Chris Lawrance/Richard Lawrance, 108; Aaron Lovell/Dennis Simonson, 102; Spike Taylor/Astrid Hartnell 88; Michael (Burt) Wolland/Neville Mickleson, 87; Corey Winter/Tim Shepherd, 87.

BEARS

BEARS, race 1: John Oliver (Feilding, BMW S1000RR), 1; Rhys Holmes (Tauranga, BMW HP4), 2; Steve Mizera (Germany, Racetaxi99 BMW S1000RR), 3; Dave Oliver (Australia, Aprilia SXV550), 4; Mark Perry (Palmerston North, Aprilia) 5; Nick Prestidge (Hawera, Ducati 1098) 6.

BEARS, race 2: Rhys Holmes, 1; Steve Mizera, 2; Brian Bernard (Wanganui, Triumph Daytona 675), 3; John Oliver, 4; Dwayne Bishop (Wanganui, Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 5; Mark Perry, 6.

BEARS final series points:  Dwayne Bishop, 101; John Oliver, 99; Craig Trinder, 92; Rhys Holmes, 87, Steve Mizera, 87; Gavin McKay, 86.

Post Classic Pre’89

Post Classic Pre ’89, race 1: Jay Lawrence (Ohaupo, Bridgestone Tyres GSX1100), 1; Duncan Coutts (Whangarei, Planet Honda GSXR1100), 2; Sean Donnelly (Paraparaumu, Precise Print Kawasaki Z1000R), 3; Bernard Ryan (Moto Guzzi), 4; Dave Freeman (Paraparaumu, Suzuki 1100), 5; John Reid (Huntly, TZ250U), 6.

Post Classic Pre ’89, race 2: Jay Lawrence, 1; Duncan Coutts, 2; Sean Donnelly, 3; Dave Freeman, 4; Bernard Ryan, 5; Kevin Grey (Auckland, Suzuki McIntosh), 6.:

Post Classic Pre ’89 final series points: Duncan Coutts, 139; Jay Lawrence, 138; Sean Donnelly, 110; Paul Wootton, 85; Vince Burrell (Hastings, Moto Guzzi 72 Vsport), 76; Nigel Lennox (Auckland, Kawasaki ZXR400), 67.

Classic Solos

Classic Solos, race 1: Bernard Ryan (Moto Guzzi), 1; Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, G50 Matchless McIntyre), 2; Peter Tanner (Feilding, Norton Manx 630), 3; Guy Martin (Great Britain, Manx Norton), 4; David Hall (Te Awamutu, Norton Domi 500), 5; Vince Burrell (Hastings, Moto Guzzi 72 Vsport), 6.

Classic Solos, race 2: Hayden Fitzgerald, 1; Bernard Ryan, 2; Guy Martin, 3; David Hall, 4; Vince Burrell, 5; Mark Halls (Auckland, Norton Atlas), 6.

Classic Solos points: Hayden Fitzgerald, 48; Bernard Ryan, 47; Guy Martin, 38; David Hall, 34; Vince Burrell, 31; Mark Halls, 29.

Classic Pre ‘82 Sidecars, race 1: John Blaymires/Charles Bilby (Te Puke, Moto Guzzi 950), 1; Bryan Stent/Tracey Bryan (Wanganui, Triumph Trident 750), 2; Robert Hood/Mark Thompson (Wanganui, Norton Commando), 3; Mark Smith/Sid Sutherland (Carterton, 750 Triumph), 4; Gordon McKeown/Steve Bryan (Tauranga, 1975 BMW R90S), 5; Will Williamson/Julie Loveridge (Wanganui, Triumph T110), 6.

Classic Pre ‘82 Sidecars, race 2:  John Blaymires/Charlies Bilby, 1; Bryant Stent/Tracey Bryan, 2; Robert Hood/Mark Thompson, 3; Mark Smith/Sid Sutherland, 4; Nick Aston/Eddie Curlett (Wanganui, XS650), 5; Gordon McKeown/Steve Bryan, 6.

Classic Pre ‘82 Sidecars points:  John Blaymires/Charles Bilby, 50; Bryan Stent/Tracey Bryan, 45; Robert Hood/Mark Thompson, 40; Mark Smith/Sid Sutherland, 36; Gordon McKeown/Steve Bryan, 31; Nick Aston/Eddie Curlett, 29.