Motor Sport
Teretonga Raceway will host some of New Zealand’s best motorcycle racers on Saturday.
Round two of the Southern Race Series, a joint venture between the Southland Motorcycle Club and Motorcycling Canterbury, is set to heat up as racers from throughout the South Island venture to the deep south.
Southland Motorcycle Club president Andy Underhay expects riders to produce some hotly-contested battles in the quest to add vital points to their overall tally.
“We know Teretonga is a favourite circuit for many riders and it will be great to see the series continue to unfold here,” he said.
“For our local Southland riders it’s a fantastic chance to have home turf advantage as they mix it up with visiting competitors.
“This series is designed to showcase the three tracks we have in the South Island and give competitors the challenge of having to contend with the variances of all three so it will be interesting to see how they adapt.”
Entry is free for spectators and the race schedule will feature all classes, including Superbikes, 300 Supersport, Supalite, Pro Twin, 125GP, Classics, 150 SuperSport, 250 Production, F4 Buckets, Super Motard and Sidecars.
Following the opening round at Levels Raceway in Timaru in September, New Zealand champion Alastair Hoogenboezem and his Yamaha Racing NZ team-mate Jake Lewis are first and second respectively in the Superbike ranks, while Dale Finch snatched a trifecta of wins to lead the 600 SuperSport title hunt.
Former NZ champion Dennis Charlett was undefeated in the 300 SuperSport division and will be eager to extend his lead. Expect a strong challenge from Southland teenager Cormac Buchanan who earned an impressive two seconds and a third on debut in the class in round one. Dan Jenkins recorded three wins in both the Superlite and F4 Buckets classes, while Buchanan leads the 125GP standings on his IM250 pre-Moto3 machine.
Auckland’s SJ Cavell dominated proceedings in the Pro Twin, while Andrew Rudd was equally impressive in the Super Motards. Ollie Cotton leads the 250 Production and 150 SuperSport Junior points tables.
The final showdown is scheduled for Christchurch’s Ruapuna Raceway on April 4.