Horst Saiger leads NZ Suzuki Series – By Terry Stevenson
Lap records tumbled under sunny skies at Hampton Downs on Sunday, where Horst Saiger won both F1 Superbike races at record speed.
The Liechenstein resident was pushed in both heats by Pole setter Jaden Hassan, of Auckland, but no-one could stop the more experienced Saiger from taking both victories on his Red Devils Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Hassan jumped into the lead on his Suzuki NZ GSXR1000 in race one and held it until mid-race, when the Saiger steamroller took over. Hassan fell in the closing stages which promoted Taupo’s Scott Moir (Penny Homes GSXR1000) into second, with Tony Rees third on his Tony Rees Honda CBR1000RR.
2012 Suzuki Series champ Dennis Charlett, Hayden Fitzgerald and Sloan Frost rounded out the top six. Australian Linden Magee fell from his M1 Motorsport BMW S1000RR Superbike which couldn’t be repaired in time for race two.
Hassan, 20, initially lead race two until 43 year old Saiger reeled the Suzuki rider in after just a few laps. The pair continually swapped places until a small mistake by Hassan left Saiger a clear gap to take his second win for the day.
Moir was never far behind in a lonely race to finish third, with Rees taking a solid fourth for a good days racing. A resurgent Frost, Fitzgerald and Charlett battled for much of the race for fifth, who crossed the line in that order.
Toby Summers leads the Formula 2 category after a mixed day of racing for the 600cc front runners. Although equal on points with Honda CBR600RR rider Shane Richardson of Wainuiomata. Summers leads the F2 series way of a race win heading into round 2 at Manfeild on Sunday.
Man About Glass GSXR600 mounted Alistair Hoogenboezem, 22, lead the opening F2 heat but fell while passing a lapped rider with two corners remaining, handing defending F2 champion Summers victory on his R&R Power Sports Yamaha R6. Daniel Mettam and Adam Chambers collided while fighting for third position with Mettam regaining the track to eventually finish 10th. James Hoogenboezem, 24, rounded out the podium.
Summers took the holeshot for race two however Alistair Hoogenboezem was on a charge and came out the victor after a good battle at the front. Summers however had jumped the start and was penalised 20 seconds to cross the line officially tenth. Mettam and 16 year old Aaron Hassan, who qualified on Pole (as did his elder brother in F1), fought hard for what turned out to be second and third position.
16 year old Bailie Perriton of Ashburton rode very well to finish fifth and sixth in the two F2 heats.
No one could stop a superb riding Avalon Biddle on an Ozzy 450 in either leg of the F3 class. Avalon is trying to secure funding for another season racing in Europe for 2015. Riding in two classes New Plymouth’s Hayden Fitzgerald, and Leigh Tidman of Taumarunui shared a second and a third in each race.
Hamilton’s Aaron Lovell and new passenger Tracey Bryan (Tauranga) broke the sidecar lap record on their Barfoot & Thompson LCR Suzuki on their way to a pair of wins. Second position was filled by four-time Suzuki Series champions Adam Unsworth-Stu Dawe, of Auckland, on an aging 1988 Boss Engineering Windle F1 sidecar. The Auckland-based Chris Lawrance/Richard Lawrance brothers crossed the line third in both legs on their FFM Helmets Anderson R1 outfit.
John Oliver (Feilding) and Travis Moan (Auckland) were first and second in both BEARS events on their BMW S1000RR machines, while Richard Taylor (BMW S1000RR) and Dwayne Bishop (Aprilia RSV4) finished third in races one and two.
Eddie Kattenberg (Te Awanga) took his immaculate Bimota YB8 to a pair of wins in Post Classic Pre ’89. Phil Duxbury of Auckland and Paul Wootton from Waikane finished in that order over the two races on their Suzuki GSXR1100s.
Riders continue the Suzuki Series battle at Manfeild on Sunday, with the final round at Wanganui during on Boxing Day, where Guy Martin returns to race a Suzuki NZ GSXR1000 Superbike at the Cemetery Circuit.
$25 ‘early-bird’ tickets for the Wanganui round are available at to go in the draw to win a brand new $8,999 Suzuki DR650 SE after the last race – entrants must be present to win. Guy Martin will be making the draw!
2014 Suzuki Series results from Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Sunday December 7.
Formula 1, race 1: Horst Saiger (Liechenstein, Red Devil Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1; Scott Moir (Taupo, Penny Homes Suzuki GSXR1000), 2; Tony Rees (Whakatane, Tony Rees Motorcycles Honda CBR1000RR), 3; Dennis Charlett (Christchurch, Underground Brown Suzuki GSXR1000), 4; Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Team RGM Suzuki GSXR1000) 5; Sloan Frost, (Wellington, Fujitsu TSS Red Baron Suzuki NZ GSXR1000), 6.
Formula 1, race 2: Saiger, 1; Jaden Hassan (Auckland, Suzuki NZ GSXR1000), 2; Moir, 3; Rees, 4; Frost, 5; Fitzgerald, 6.
F1 Series points: Saiger, 50; Moir, 42; Rees, 38; Charlett, 32; Frost & Fitzgerald, 31=.
Formula 2, race 1: Toby Summers (Auckland, R&R Power Sports Yamaha R6), 1; Shane Richardson (Wainuiomata, Honda CBR600RR), 2; James Hoogenboezem (Underground Brown GSXR600), 3; Rhys Holmes (Tauranga, Yamaha R6), 4; Bailie Perriton (Ashburton, Fujitsu TSS Red Baron Suzuki NZ GSXR600), 5; Nathaniel Diprose (Auckland, Colemans Suzuki GSXR600), 6.
Formula 2, race 2: Alistair Hoogenboezem (Man About Glass GSXR600), 1; Daniel Mettam (Auckland, RCM Suzuki NZ GSXR600), 2; Aaron Hassan (Auckland, Suzuki NZ GSXR600), 3; Holmes, 4; Diproase, 5; Perriton, 6.
Formula 2 series points: Summers, Richardson & Holmes, 36=; Hassan, 35; Mettam & James Hoogenboezem, 33=.
Formula 3, race 1: Avalon Biddle, (Auckland, Ozzy Performance GSXR450/3), 1; Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth, Suzuki NZ SV650), 2; Leigh Tidman (Taumarunui, RS450), 3; Gavin Veltmeyer (Auckland, Coleman’s Suzuki GVR645), 4; Nick Southerwood (Auckland, Suzuki SV650), 5; Robert Whittall (Raglan, Suzuki SV650), 6.
Formula 3, race 2: Biddle, 1; Tidman, 2; Fitzgerald, 3; Ben Rosendaal (Whangamata, Suzuki SV650), 4; Whittall, 5; Royd Walker-Holt (Auckland, Kawasaki ER650), 6.
Formula 3 series points: Biddle, 51; Tidman & Fitzgerald, 42= ; Rosendaal & Whittall, 31= ; Southerwood, 30.
Supermoto race 1: Richard Dibben (Wanganui, Tyresheild 450), 1; Aden Brown (Wanganui, Harvey Round Motors RMZ450), 2; Duncan Hart (Tauranga, Mimico Yamaha YZF450), 3; Anthony Gerring (Waihi, Suzuki RMZ450), 4; Ben Dowman (Wanganui, Dowman Bobcats CRF450), 5; Richard Swain (Wanganui, Sharp As Linehaul CRF450), 6.
Supermoto race 2: Hart, 1; Dibben, 2; Brown, 3; Gerring, 4; Swain, 5; Dowman, 6.
Supermoto series points: Dibben, 48; Hart, 45; Brown, 42; Gerring, 36; Swain & Dowman, 31=.
Post Classic Pre ’89 race 1: Eddie Kattenberg (Te Awanga, Bimota YB8), 1; Phil Duxbury (Auckland, Suzuki GSXR1100), 2; Paul Wootton (Waikane, Suzuki GSXR1100), 3; Paul Russell (Auckland, Suzuki GSXR1100), 4; Sean Donnelly (Paraparaumu, Precise Print Kawasaki Z1000R), 5; Andrew Skelton (Pukekohe, Suzuki GSXR1100), 6.
Post Classic Pre ’89 race 2: Kattenberg, 1; Duxbury, 2; Wootton, 3; Russell, 4; Skelton, 5; Donnelly, 6.
Post Classic Pre ’89 series points: Kattenberg, 51; Duxbury, 44; Wootton, 40; Russell, 36; Skelton & Donnelly, 31=.
F1 Sidecars race 1: Aaron Lovell/Tracey Bryan (Hamilton/Tauranga, Barfoot & Thompson LCR Suzuki), 1; Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe (Auckland, Boss Engineering Windle F1), 2; Chris Lawrance/Richard Lawrance (Auckland, FFM Helmets Anderson R1), 3; Corey Winter/Tim Shepherd (Wanganui, Palmers Plumbing DMR), 4; Andy Scrivener/Steve Bryan (Taupo/Tauranga, DMR600), 5; Alex MacDonald/Andy Gorst (Kaiapoi, Daniel Smith Industries Dunoon Suzuki 1000), 6.
F1 Sidecars race 2: Aaron Lovell/Tracey Bryan, 1; Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe, 2; Chris Lawrance/Richard Lawrance, 3; Corey Winter/Tim Shepherd, 4; Andy Scrivener/Steve Bryan, 5; Alex MacDonald/Andy Gorst, 6.
F1 Sidecars points: Aaron Lovell/Tracey Bryan, 51; Adam Unsworth/Stu Dawe, 44; Chris Lawrance/Richard Lawrance, 40; Corey Winter/Tim Shepherd, 36; Andy Scrivener/Steve Bryan, 32; Alex MacDonald/Andy Gorst, 30.
BEARS race 1: John Oliver (Feilding, BMW S1000RR), 1; Travis Moan (Auckland, BMW S1000RR), 2; Richard Taylor (Wellington, BMW S1000RR), 3; Dwayne Bishop (Wanganui, Aprilia RSV4), 4; Jason Bardell (Wanganui, Aprilia RSV4), 5; Shaun Manson (Wanganui, BMW HP4), 6.
BEARS race 2: Oliver, 1; Moan, 2; Bishop, 3; Bardell, 4; Daniel Hanley (Auckland, Ducati 999), 5; Robert Groves (Lower Hutt, Triumph Daytona 675), 6.
BEARS series points: Oliver, 50; Moan, 45; Bishop, 38; Bardell, 34; Hanley & Groves 29=.
2014 Suzuki Series schedule
- Rnd 2: Manfeild, Sunday December 14
- Rnd 3: Wanganui Cemetery Circuit, Friday December 26
