Photo: James SmithDefending NZ Superbike champion Robbie Budgen fired the opening salvo during the first round of the 2010 Castrol Power 1 Superbike championship, at Ruapuna.
Budgen fought his way to the front after a low twelfth-place qualifying spot to win the rain affected Superbike race, held in difficult conditions.
Andrew Stroud led into turn one but was quickly overtaken by a fast starting Sloan Frost, closely followed by Bugden’s team-mate James Smith. All riding Suzukis. As the race wore on Stroud dropped back to fourth while Budgen made his charge with Smith and Frost in tow, which formed the basis for the three-way battle for victory.
Riding on his home track, Smith’s second placing to Bugden handed the Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki Superbike Team a well deserved one-two finish, with supported rider Frost completing the Suzuki dominated podium.
A dry race two turned out very different after Robbie Bugden crashed on the first lap. A broken handlebar forced the Australian out of the race in a sport where the stakes are so high that one small mistake - even a tiny slip, may cause a high speed crash.
Stroud stretched his lead as Frost went by Ray Clee for second, while Smith held a safe fourth. They crossed the line in that order in front of a large crowd.
Team manager Peter ‘Red’ Fenton says, “Another half a lap in the last race and Ray Clee and James (Smith) would have got Sloan, but James is happy with fourth as that puts him third overall for the weekend, and second overall in the 600 class.”
“We didn’t quite get the fairytale start but overall, we are happy. Robbie isn’t injured, the bikes OK, and Robbie always goes very strong at Teretonga – I think he’s won every race he’s entered there. We’ll just make sure we pull no punches down at Teretonga.”
The 600 Supersport category was dominated by Hamilton’s Nick Cole, who notched up two wins for Kawasaki, including the coveted NZ 600 Supersport Grand Prix.
James Smith and his Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki Superbike Team GSXR600 briefly lead the opening race and was never far from the front, taking second in both races. John Ross and Jamie Galway placed third in each race.
Glen Williams won two F3 races while Terry Fitzgerald won the F3 Grand Prix. Other winners included Alistair Hoozenboezem taking all three heats in the 125 class, and the Steve Bron/Dennis Simonsen pairing winning all three sidecar races.
Stroud leads the NZ Superbike championship as the teams head to Teretonga Park at Invercargill for round two this weekend.
Results from Powerbuilt Tools Raceway, Ruapuna
Superbikes race 1: 1, Robbie Budgen (Brisbane, Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki GSXR1000); 2, James Smith (Christchurch, Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki GSXR600); 3, Sloan Frost (Cambridge, Suzuki GSXR1000); 4, Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, Suzuki GSXR1000); 5, Ryan Hampton (Christchurch, Honda CBR1000RR).
Race 2, New Zealand Superbike Grand Prix: 1, Stroud; 2, Frost; 3, Ray Clee (Auckland, Suzuki GSXR1000); 4, Smith; 5, Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Honda CBR1000RR).
Superbike Series points; Andrew Stroud, 38; Sloan Frost,36; James Smith, 33; Ray Clee, 26; Robbie Budgen, 25.
600 Supersport, Race 1: 1, Nick Cole (Hamilton, Kawasaki ZX-600RR; 2, James Smith (Christchurch, Triple R Mack Truck Suzuki GSXR600); 3, Jamie Galway (Masterton, Honda CBR600RR); 4, John Ross (Yamaha R6); 5, Karl Morgan (Auckland, Suzuki GSXR600).
Race 2, New Zealand 600 Supersport Grand Prix: 1, Cole; 2, Smith; 3, Ross; 4, Galway; 5, Jay Lawrence (Wellington, Yamaha R6).
600 Supersport Series points; Nick Cole, 50; James Smith, 40; John Ross, 29; Jamie Galway, 29; Karl Morgan, 21.
2010 Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike Championship schedule;
Rnd 2: Teretonga Park, January 23-24
Rnd 3: Timaru International Motor Raceway, Levels, January 30-31
Rnd 4: Manfeild, February 27-28
Rnd 5: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, March 27-28
