Stroud strikes back to win Superbike Tourist Trophy

Media release from Motorcycling New Zealand
Sunday 18 March

Stroud strikes back to win Superbike Tourist Trophy

Andrew Stroud secured one of New Zealand motorcycle racing’s top prizes, the Tourist Trophy, and put himself back in contention for the national Superbike championship at Hampton Downs today.

The nine-times Superbike champion closed in on the series leader, Australian Robbie Bugden, by beating him fair and square in the preliminary and then seeing him drop out of the TT after his chain came off.

Stroud, from Hamilton, won the TT for Suzuki after a long battle with Wellington rider Sloan Frost, who led for much of the gruelling 20-lap race on his BMW. Conditions were difficult as the track was drying out after a shower.

“It was very hard to read the surface,” Stroud said. “You could definitely see it was wet at the last corner and it was never totally dry there for the whole race.

“With two laps to go I decided it was time to really put my head down and I passed Sloan on the inside going into turn one.”

Ray Clee of Kumeu crossed the line third but a time penalty for jumping the start dropped him to fourth, behind fellow Suzuki rider Craig Shirriffs from Feilding.

The preliminary Superbike race saw an enthralling race-long battle between Stroud, Bugden and Bugden’s Suzuki team-mate James Smith from Christchurch, positions changing frequently.

Bugden came to the meeting with a big points lead but is now just 10.5 points ahead of Stroud going into next weekend’s final round at Taupo.

Auckland’s Jaden Hassan, 17, came back from serious injury – suffered in a crash at Timaru in January – to win the TT title in the 600cc Supersport category, and also the preliminary race in that class.

“I broke three bones in my back,” Hassan said. “They told me I would have to stay off bikes for three to six months.

“This is my first national title and I’m just so happy.”

In both his races Hassan brought his Yamaha home well clear of Suzuki riders Glen Skachill (Wellington) and Dennis Charlett (Christchurch).

Winners of TT titles in other categories were: 600cc Superstock, Daniel Ormsby (Christchurch, Yamaha); Superlite, Glen Williams (Palmerston North, Suzuki); 650 Pro Twins, Robbie Stokes (Christchurch, Suzuki); 125cc GP, Glen Orwin (Auckland, Honda); and Prolite 250, Seth Devereux (Christchurch, Kawasaki).

MOTORCYCLE RACING
Castrol Power1 New Zealand Superbike Championships, round four of five, Hampton Downs
Superbikes – Race one: Andrew Stroud (Hamilton) Suzuki 1; Robbie Bugden (Australia) Suzuki 2; James Smith (Christchurch) Suzuki 3; Nick Cole (Hamilton) Kawasaki) 4; Ray Clee (Kumeu) Suzuki 5; Scott Moir (Taupo) Honda 6.
Race two, NZ Tourist Trophy (TT): Stroud 1; Sloan Frost (Wellington) BMW 2; Craig Shirriffs (Feilding) Suzuki 3; Clee 4; Smith 5; Rhys Holmes (Katikati) BMW 6.
Championship points (provisional): Bugden 132.5, Stroud 122, Frost 97.5, Cole 91.5, Smith 82, Clee 81.

600cc Supersport – Race one: Jaden Hassan (Auckland) Yamaha 1; Glen Skachill (Wellington) Suzuki 2; Dennis Charlett (Christchurch) Suzuki 3; Karl Morgan (Auckland) Suzuki 4; Jeremy Holmes (Invercargill) Honda 5.
Race two, TT: Hassan 1; Skachill 2; Charlett 3; Morgan 4; Josh McGrath (Australia) Yamaha 5.
Points: Charlett 162, Skachill 132, John Ross (Christchurch, Suzuki) 116, Morgan 85, McGrath 82.

600cc Superstock – Race one: Daniel Kempthorne (Palmerston North) Yamaha 1; Jake Lewis (Christchurch) Yamaha 2; Johnny Small (Timaru) Suzuki 3. Race two, TT: Daniel Ormsby (Christchurch) Yamaha 1; Lewis 2; Small 3. Points: Lewis 176, Ormsby 146, Small 138.

Superlite – Race one: Glen Williams (Palmerston North) Suzuki SVR650, 1; Neil Smith (Blenheim) Yamaha YZF-R450, 2; Richard Newbery (Geraldine) Kawasaki ZXR450, 3. Race two: Williams 1; Smith 2; Gavin Veltmeyer (Auckland) Suzuki 3. Race three, TT: Williams 1; Smith 2; Veltmeyer 3. Points: Williams 285, Smith 209, Newbery 179.

650 Pro Twins – Race one: Anthony Singer (Leeston) Suzuki 1; Nick Southerwood (Auckland)) Suzuki 2; Robbie Stokes (Christchurch) Suzuki 3. Race two: Stokes 1; Southerwood 2; Tyler Firn (Hastings) Hyosung 3. Race three, TT: Stokes 1; Southerwood 2; Firn 3. Points: Stokes 300, Singer 279, Bryan Hill (Ashburton, Suzuki) 186.

125cc GP – Race one: Glen Orwin (Auckland) Honda 1; Seth Devereux (Christchurch) Special 2; Daniel Mettam (Auckland) Honda 3. Race two: Orwin 1; Dave Manuell (Auckland) Honda 2; Troy Guenther (Australia) Yamaha 3. Race three, TT: Orwin 1; Manuell 2; Mettam 3. Points: Hafiq Azmi (Malaysia, Honda) 215, Mettam 191, Devereux 173.

Prolite 250 – Race one: Aaron Hassan (Auckland) Kawasaki 1; Daniel Mettam (Auckland) Hyosung 2; Seth Devereux (Christchurch) Kawasaki 3. Race two: Sam Croft (Raumati South) Kawasaki 1; Devereux 2; Mettam 3. Race three, TT: Devereux 1; Croft 2; Mettam 3. Points: Croft 257.5, Devereux 211.5, Mettam 182.

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