Resetting the bar at Mt Wellington

The planets aligned on the weekend for what has been coming for some time, a new F4 lap record and new PBs across the board!

To see the event results, click here.
Photos above with thanks from Paul Bryne.

We really didn't think the events of the last round could be beaten but here we are. Even with a number of regular riders not present, the club ran out of transponders with stacked grids turning up to battle at the Mt Wellington colosseum. The battle ground was still, warm and dry. Perfect for an unforgettable onslaught. 

Aaron came out swinging in A-grade race 1 as usual and skimmed his own lap record (28.806) by a meer 0.005s and put an unprecedented 11 seconds between himself and Nathanael. 4 of his 13 laps were in the 28s with his first lap posted at a respectable 31.077s from a standing start. Fierce. Nathanael was unfortunately riding ill and swung his axe through from 7th on the grid to 2nd place, running deep into the 29s. Chased by Steven, Henk wasn't messing around and posted his first ever 29s lap to take out the strongly contested 3rd place.

It has been said that there's an extra 1% hidden in the best of racers and that it takes a formidable foe to unleash it. Sunday was that day and rising to the challenge, even riding ill, Nathanael took it to Aaron in race 2. In 1 and 1/2 laps, Nathanael sliced his way from 5th to 2nd right behind Aaron. Trading 28 second blow for blow, the two pushed past the previous lap record to reset the bar to an unthinkable 28.483 for Aaron and an equally as impressive 28.502 for Nathanael. After 8 laps, the unusual happened, Nathanael crashed out and proved that even aliens can crash. In the same battle, Henk reposted his PB down at 29.906, joined by Steven who also broke the 29s with a 29.749 to take 2nd place by a half second. Meanwhile 6 riders behind them all posted 30s laps and all across the field, new PBs were set. Heated to say the least.

As if the A-grade melee wasn't tight enough, the pointy end of B-grade didn't disappoint! 6 of the 12 riders lapped right down to the 32 second lap cut off with James proving he could walk the line tightest, followed closely by Evan for second place. You could throw a blanket over Liam, Pete and Daniel who went three deep up to the line to cover half a second and finish in that order. Great racing. Michael unfortunately found that cut off point and had a lap stricken from the battle to place him 9th. Evan played it cool in race 2 and watched as both Michael and James posted laps under 32s to take them to the back of the standings. Daniel and Liam took out 2nd and 3rd.

New PBs continued to be set into C-grade in the solid field of 9. Fabiano showed that consistency is key to take two 1st in the races, closed contested by Scott and Aubrey. Patrick pushed hard and found himself under the time cut off in race 1 before crashing out.

Rick continues to get faster each meeting on the ESE F5 smoker pushing Nathanael along for a Nathanael 1, Rick 2 finish in both races. Mark posted 2 3rds to put him into 2nd place in the championship.

The wheel really fell off the chariot for Rick and Henk who were leading in the sidecar race 1 when... uhh... the wheel actually fell off. 2 wins for Chris Lawrence and swinger who close the gap to put them into 3rd place in the championship. Only 5 points cover the championship podium ensuring the battle continues to the end.

To see the current results of the F4 championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F4 B-Grade championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F4 C-Grade championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F5 championship, click here.
To see the current results of the sidecar championship, click here.

Lap records challenged in round 2 at Mt Wellington

It might have been a chilly winter's day on Sunday but that didn't mean the racing was any less heated!

To see the event results, click here.

F4 A-grade has been sufficiently pre-heated and the season is now set to boil. There's no doubt that this is some of the best race spectating around with non-stop battles up and down the 18 strong field. Aaron took pole position from Nathanael in qualifying by a fraction however when it's that close, pole position isn't enough. Aaron fought hard in race one but it was Nathanael's strong start which sealed it for him over the line by 0.4s. Henk showed strong consistency running ever so close to the 29 second club to take out 3rd with a healthy gap. Steven continued his strong season progress to 4th place in the challenging field.

Race two flashed in the pan and set the smoke alarm off! Racing clockwise at the bottom of the 29s bracket there's practically no clear passing opportunities. So when Nathanael once again got the jump on Aaron, you could almost feel his determination from the viewing stands as he dipped into the 28s during chase. With absolutely ridiculous precision, Aaron made space where there was no space and forced his way up the inside of Nathanael under braking into the midfield horseshoe left. Incredible. This is buckets though and the battle doesn't stop there as the two fought in and around lap traffic in the dying laps. Last lap. Half a lap to go. Aaron pushes for the inside of a back marker on turn 5 whilst Nathanael splits the difference and goes around the outside for a 3 wide sandwich. Nathanael leads for a split second before Aaron parked it next to him on the final corner. Clutches get spanked for the dash to the line followed by yells and hoots from the spectators. No one could call the result with it coming down to 0.002s on the line, points to Aaron. Congrats for taking out one of the closest finishes I've ever seen and for pole position all on your birthday. What a present.

The battle for 3rd place was just about as close, coming down to 0.2s between Steven who took it out and Henk who clearly has a new challenger. Dylan progresses strongly again, sticking it into 5th place in front of Mike, and Wil. It’s incredible to see the battles being had and the times being set in A-grade in the middle of winter. It’s a clear testament to how good bucket racing is as a training ground.

Bucket racing continues to grow with more new faces in B and C grade and just as many heated dog fights. Pete, Paul and John went at it in B-grade with Pete taking out race one followed by John and Paul separated by 0.1 seconds. Paul converted it into a win in race two followed by only 0.6s to Pete. 8 racers made up C-grade with equally tight battles separated by a fraction of a second across the field. Fabiano and Brian traded places in the two races ending up with one win apiece over the day.

F5 racing has me absolutely obsessed. Nathanael has set the bar so damn high, I’m all in scrambling to catch him. Thankfully it went very well for me setting pole position 0.1s off Nathanael’s lap record. Over the three races, Nathanael and I broke the lap record 5 times in the cool winter conditions. When you only have 14hp and you’re already doing consistent low 30s laps, there really is very little opportunity to pass going clockwise. Even more so when it’s captain smooth himself who doesn’t seem to ever stuff up! He got me off the line in both races despite me getting fairly reasonable starts. I couldn’t find a way past and unlike previous races, I learnt when to pull the pin and take the points without falling off. I’m still pretty chuffed though, a new lap record of 29.914 on a 50 (good enough for 3rd in F4) and every pole position since I got the bike is something I’m proud of. Rick took third place in both races whilst Mark, Henk and Terrene showed good progression through each race.

Sidecars continue to provide some great entertainment, drawing hoots and gasps from the crowd including one wheel and grass karting action. Rick and Henk continue their sidecar dominance with two wins.

To see the current results of the F4 championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F4 B-Grade championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F4 C-Grade championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F5 championship, click here.
To see the current results of the sidecar championship, click here.

MNZ Appoint Promotions Company For NZSBK 2017

Motorcycling New Zealand
Media Release
13 July, 2017

Motorcycling New Zealand Inc. General Manager, Vicky Hicks, and Road Race Commissioner, Greg Percival, wish to announce the appointment of Robert Cochrane and his business, Legends Events & Media Ltd., as a contractor for the NZ Superbikes and Road Race Championships for the next three seasons, 2017, 2018 and 2019 series.

‘We believe Robert can do a good job for the sport,’ says Greg, ‘he is a very experienced professional and has promoted a whole range of motorsport from speedway to 100 year motorcycle events, Longtrack, NZ Moto Trials, two Triumph Classic Festivals, MV Agusta Classic, the first three Barry Sheene meets and, in the past two years, the Truck Racing Festival at Taupo — the latter bringing in record crowds. He is under no illusion that he has a big project in front of him but I am confident he will make a strong impact for our sport.’

‘Robert’s role will be in communications, marketing and sponsorship. He has the runs on the board and we took note that during his career with Wellington Speedway, plus the classic and historic meetings run by our member clubs, and his Truck Racing Festival, that each year Robert has increased the sponsorship funds pool for those events. Greg and I will work directly with our MNZ member clubs while Robert’s focus will be on the business and promotion side of the series,‘ says Vicky.

‘Legends Events & Media Ltd. will negotiate national promotion deals and has some key targets to raise the profile of the events and our sport. This year there will be two rounds of the championship in the South Island and two in the North Island. A lot of consideration was given to the rider survey conducted at the end of last season and I thank all those who participated. Further announcements about the series will be made in the coming months,’ says Greg Percival.

South Island dates are Jan 7-8th, Jan 14-15th with North Island on Feb 25-26th and March 4-5th.

View fullsize

New competition ups the temperature in round one

The 2016/2017 AMCC Bucket Racing Championship - Round 1

To see the event results, click here.

Round one kicked off with a grenade! 19 riders entered F4 A-grade on Sunday which just shows how much the pace has progressed in the last few years. About 10 of those riders recently made the jump from B-grade which is always encouraging to see. In the second race, everyone was running 31s or faster which shows how well A-grade pushes you along. Still, the pointy end continues to be sharpened with a few riders (no prizes for guessing who) skimming the bottom of the 29 second bracket. Fierce!

A few congratulations first. One, to Aaron Hassan and the Morgan Engineering team who after a string of national level 'ring in' riders and loads of development, finally took the the maiden #63 win in race 1. Aaron also set the F4 pole position time and swung his dagger well in the 'knife fight in a phone booth' with Nathanael and Will. No easy task that! All of this on Darran's birthday too. Second congratulations to all the riders who set new PBs in the 30 second bracket, I believe there are a few of you. Now you just have to ride at the pace of those little 50s and you'll be onto something. Lastly, congratulations to the 'club bike' which chewed through over 10 litres of fuel on Saturday, almost not stopping at all and was crashed over 5 times. You deserve all the attention Henk's going to give you little feller.

Whilst it was a bit boring for me not to race in F4, it did give me a chance to excitedly watch the blood bath that was A-grade on Sunday. Aaron took out the win in race one in front of Nathanael and Will. Nathanael pulled out a 100% committed hail mary to get in front of Will in the dying laps of the race, otherwise they followed nose to tail, each dicing their way through lap traffic. The gap between Aaron and Nathanael on the line? 0.093 seconds! Seriously impressive riding. There was no stuffing around in race two as Nathanael cemented his position in the front with ELEVEN out of twelve laps in the 29 second bracket. You sir, deserved that win. Aaron picked up second 2.6 seconds behind and Will followed 3.5 seconds behind Nathanael. You all need to run gopros so we can re-watch these prison fights!

F4 B-grade looked a bit skinny with half the field taking a punt in A-grade but good racing was had none the less. Shane, Pete, Daniel and Paul fought a tough one. Shane rode a little too well and dipped under the B-grade cut off time in race one meaning he had a lap cut from the records. Hard luck shane. Pete wasn't far behind however and his consistency got the better of the young whipper snappers on his heals. Shane refined his times in race two and ran right down to the B-grade cut off time with a 32.089 to take the top step.

F4 C-grade continues to entertain with huge enthusiasm all round. Good to see a number of riders are now regulars and it's just matter of time before the times drop.

I rode an excessive amount of laps on Saturday preparing and I took absolutely everything I had to Nathanael in F5 on Sunday. I managed to get pole position which is 1/3 the battle but couldn't convert it. I crashed in race one whilst still holding onto hopes lap traffic would hold him up but it wasn't meant to be. Rick also went down in race one, probably due to his plastic tyres. My rhythm was broken and I got dropped in race two, finally placing second to at least take some points from the weekend. I was chuffed thinking I also at least had the fastest F5 lap of the weekend too but that wasn't meant to be either, Nathanael got me by 0.004s with a 30.204 lap. Damn. Must try harder. Only half a second separated Rick, Mark and Brian in race two showing how close the racing can be across the field. Rick finally picked off the final step on the podium and placed second overall for the weekend. Maybe I shouldn't sort out those new tyres for you Rick.

Aida and Will threw down the gauntlet to Henk and Rick in the sidecar races which lead to some pretty nail biting passing. Aida and Will ran off the track in race one but came back strong in race two to take the win. One a piece with Henk and Rick. Meanwhile, I think you could see the smiles of Karl and Veronica from space!

Photos of the racing over the weekend from Simon and Chris Cain can be found here. Paul Byrne also posted some stunners on the FB page here. Thanks Paul.

To see the current results of the F4 championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F4 B-Grade championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F4 C-Grade championship, click here.
To see the current results of the F5 championship, click here.
To see the current results of the Sidecar championship, click here.

Tight battles close 2015/16 AMCC Bucket Racing Championship

The 2015/2016 AMCC Bucket Racing Championship Final - Round 8

To see the event results, click here.

A massive congratulations goes to Nathanael Diprose for again taking out both AMCC F4 and F5 class wins this season. With 12 out of 16 race wins in F4, and 15 out of 16 race wins in F5, his consistency and dominance is hard to argue with. Of the 32 points races in the season, Nathanael suffered only one DNF. The machine development and seat time put in by Team Diprose over the years clearly show in the results and it's this level of riding and preparation which continues to set the bar.

Finishing on the podium in 14/16 races, 2 race wins and 7 second places, Will Ford fought hard to take 2nd place in the F4 championship. Solid riding Will, huge steps made this season. Pushing hard as always on a FXR150 among the gaggle of GP chassis, Henk Zeeven took 3rd place. A strong result from the fighting veteran. It's worth pointing out that both Ryan Fletcher, Dylan Bryne and Steven Lee progressed from C and B grades through to A grade to make their marks in the field this season. Always great to see riders making huge progress in a season, good riding guys.

It was good to see some really solid numbers in the AMCC B grade with 35 riders taking points this season. Clearly the field is growing strongly with a number of riders breaking into A grade later in the season. Once again, consistency wins championships and it was Warrick Head who took out/burgled B grade with 8/16 race wins for the season. Closely followed was Jay Leahy with 2nd in the championship who has made large steps this season. John Steer picked up 3rd place after a season of tight battles in this field of eager racers. Brief appearances on the podium from a number of riders in the two classes show there is some pace hiding in the field. Hopefully we'll see the continued pace into the new season and some fresh faces taking out the rounds.

F4 C grade was also hotly contested between Will Foster, Terrene Gibson and Liam Venter with Will coming out on top to take the win. Brian Read and Fabiano Pavia Santos made a few appearances on the C grade podium showing there are some close races still to come.

Dominic Howe Memorial Trophy race

This year's trophy race in honour of Dominic Howe was not meant to be. After being postponed last month due to low turnout numbers (weather influenced), the delayed race only got through one half of the 40 lap race before needing to be red flagged. A turn from dry to wet part way through saw a handful of riders all down at the start of the second half. With limited time left in the day and rain pouring down, the remainder of the race was called off. Results from the first half here. Congrats to Nathanael, Rod and Henk for taking the podium results. It was clear the 20 deep field had some close battles throughout.

Kick off for 2016/17

That's it for the 2015/2016 AMCC Bucket Racing season. The new season kicks off next month 9th and 10th of July at Mt Wellington. Reminder: don't forget to renew your MNZ Racing licence as processing day licences at the track is a terribly slow experience for all involved.

Photos of the racing over the weekend from Chris Cain can be found here. Paul Byrne has also posted some great photos on the FB page here.

To see the final result of the F4 championship, click here.

To see the final result of the F4 B-Grade championship, click here.

To see the final result of the F4 C-Grade championship, click here.

To see the final result of the F5 championship, click here.

To see the final result of the Sidecar championship, click here.

The 2015/16 AMCC Bucket Racing Championship — Round 6

Round 6 at Mt Wellington on Sunday 1st May 2016 showed consistency and precision are key in tightly fought F4 battles.

Nathanel Diprose. Photo: Jason Haselden, Alpha Imagery

The 2015/2016 AMCC Bucket Racing Championship - Round 6

Thanks to Nathanael for getting the results up on mylaps and also to our official time keeper Sam and her helper Josh over the weekend. I don't think people realise how much work goes into that, it's hugely appreciated!

To see the event results, click here.

Congratulations to Nathanael for taking out both points race wins. This makes 8 from 12 over the season. He is yet to have a DNF and is yet to finish off the podium. Solid racing dude! Your consistency and precision continues to challenge all of us chasing you! Some close battles up and down the A grade field between Rod, Will and myself, then Gary, Ryan and Kamil. Good to see you amongst it all in A grade Ryan, especially considering how long you've been riding.

Another big turn out for B and C grades which shows how popular F4 racing has become. Jay convincingly took out the first points race however Wil Killip was only 0.161s behind him in the second race after posting a 32 seconds flat fastest time. You're both surely on the cusp of moving into A grade? Close racing through out the whole fields of both B and C. It was hard to follow in the chaos but really entertaining.

The next round is the 21st and 22nd of May which is only a few weeks away. Please be aware there is a strong focus on reducing noise, particularly as we continue to see racers being kicked off tracks due to excessive noise (Ruapuna, Roys Hill, Te Puke etc etc). Do not be surprised if you are picked up from having too loud a bike, fix it now, no excuses at all.

No photos of the racing from Chris and Simon over the weekend with their hands full. Thankfully Paul Byrne and Jason Haselden were there taking some awesome shots. Paul Bryne's photos here, Jason Haselden's photos here.

To see the current state of the F4 championship, click here.

To see the current state of the F4 B-Grade championship, click here.

To see the current state of the F4 C-Grade championship, click here.

To see the current state of the F5 championship, click here.

To see the current state of the Sidecar championship, click here.