Waikato's Sloan Frost is one cool customer.
The superbike ace projects a calm demeanour in the pits and an unruffled persona on the race track, despite being widely tipped as the next big thing in New Zealand motorcycle road-racing.
The Suzuki rider they call "Choppa" is sharp, impressing with solid rides as he uses the popular Victoria Motorcycle Club's winter series as a key part of his pre-season build-up.
The New Zealand Superbike Championships kick off in December and Frost is convinced he can improve his national ranking of No6.
That "Choppa" ranks among the elite after fewer than two years in the sport is impressive enough, but even more incredible is the 27-year-old relative rookie is now also knocking on the door of the sport's established stars.
Frost recently raced his LG-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R1000 at the third round of six in the Victoria club's winter series at Manfeild, just outside Palmerston North, banging handlebars with long-time superbike stars Craig Shirriffs and Hayden Fitzgerald, both on Hondas.
Frost stunned onlookers by qualifying fastest and he then managed (two out of three) in his two superbike class outings. He then also produced a solid runner-up finish in the day's superbike feature race, chasing Taranaki's Fitzgerald to the chequered flag.
"It's quite good racing alongside Hayden and Craig ... I can learn so much from them," said the modest Frost.
A former dirt bike specialist, Frost switched to the road-race code two years ago because "I got sick of getting banged up in motocross".
It has been a steep learning curve for the Hamilton man but, never one to shy away from a challenge, Frost is now looking at heading offshore this weekend to tackle the Australian Superbike Championships.
"Yes, I'm crossing the Tasman to race at round four of their nationals, at Eastern Creek, just outside Sydney. My timing is great actually because this event doubles as round one of the new superstock class so I will actually be in at the beginning of that. I'm doing all the rounds.
"Superstock is a superbike class but without all the expensive modifications ... just standard bikes. I have already arranged for myself a 2007-model Suzuki GSX-R1000, similar to the one I'm racing here."
With race wins and lap records already in his wake, it won't be the last we hear of this rising star from the Waikato.
Motorsport: Choppa gives stars chill down the spine
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