Rising Star From Timaru Has a Big Future
JANUARY 12, 2018: Timaru's Harry Parker may have a big future ahead of him, but, for now, all he's concerned about is putting on a good
show for his home-town fans this weekend.
The second of four rounds in the 2018 New Zealand Superbike Championships are set for Levels Raceway, just outside
Timaru, this Saturday and Sunday, and Parker is determined to see that a little home advantage can be converted into
solid points.
Although a relative novice, the 17-year-old is racing in two separate bike categories, the GIXXER Cup and the 250cc
Production class.
After the opening round of the national at Mike Pero Motorsport Park in Christchurch last weekend, Parker finds himself
fifth overall, behind leader Nick Cain, of Christchurch, Jack Cotton, also from Christchurch, Papamoa's Leon Jacobs and
Darfield's James Doherty.
Parker is also running among the leaders in the GIXXER Cup, with four of seven rounds now completed in that competition.
Reserved exclusively for riders aged between 14 and 21 years, the inaugural GIXXER Cup competition is a seven-round
affair, the first three rounds having been an integral part of the Suzuki Series pre-nationals competition, which
wrapped up on Boxing Day, and it continues on as a feature of the four-round superbike nationals.
That means that round two of the superbike nationals at Levels Raceway this weekend also acts as round five of the
GIXXER Cup.
Parker is riding a Kawasaki Ninja 250 in the 250cc Production class, the same bike formerly raced by fellow Timaru man
Grant Ramage, the 57-year-old multi-time former national champion who is also helping to mentor Parker.
"I only started road-racing in April last year, but I've had a lot of help from local guys Grant Ramage, Richard
Willetts and Brent Garven," said Parker.
"I didn't have such a great time in Christchurch last weekend because I crashed twice, once in each class, and that's
set me back a bit. But I did manage to finish second in the 250cc Production NZGP race and I got a trophy for that ...
my first trophy, the first of many I hope.
"Hopefully I can stay upright at Levels this weekend," he said.
Ramage, meanwhile, is still competing and currently he is ninth overall in the Supersport 300 class after the opening
round in Christchurch, just ahead of fellow Timaru man Willetts.
"I'm just doing this for fun these days, but I'm still managing the same lap times as I achieved last season. It's just
that the young men are going faster now. They should be going faster than me, though ... I'm just a fat, old man now,"
he laughed.
Meanwhile, a lot of the weekend's focus will no doubt also go on the premier Superbikes class, with the three riders on
top after last weekend's nationals series opener – Wellington's Sloan Frost (Suzuki), Glen Eden's Daniel Mettam (Suzuki)
and Whakatane's Mitchell Rees (Honda) – separated by just one point.
Leaders in the other bike categories are Christchurch's James Hoogenboezem (600cc Supersport, Triumph), Tauranga's Regan
Phibbs (Supersport 300, Yamaha); Hamilton's Jordan Burley (650 Pro Twins, Suzuki); Christchurch's Nick Cain (250cc
Production, Kawasaki); Christchurch's Dennis Charlett (Superlites, Suzuki); Rodney's Blayes Heaven (125GP, Honda); and
Auckland's Peter Goodwin and Kendall Dunlop (Sidecars), but nothing is secure and all the classes could be given a
shake-up at Levels this weekend.
After Sunday, the riders will cross Cook Strait for the second half of the season in the North Island.
North Waikato hosts round three at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, near Meremere, on March 3-4, before it all wraps up at
Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo on March 17-18.
The 2018 New Zealand Superbike Championships are supported by Honda Cars, providing safety/medical vehicles, Pirelli
tyres, Corprint, CTAS and MX Timing and the inaugural GIXXER Cup is supported by Suzuki New Zealand.