Veteran racer Fairbrother on right track

Greytown motorcycle racer Doug Fairbrother won at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park on Saturday during the lead-up to his fifth Isle of Man bid later this year.

Several racers with links to Wairarapa competed at the track north of Hamilton over the weekend. Fairbrother, co-founder of the Greytown Racing Team, took a first place in the open scratch class on his 1968 Triumph Bonneville.

Former Masterton racer Stephan Hodson took third place on his 1969 Bonneville and 18-year-old Finn Harman, Fairbrother's racing protege and apprentice, finished fifth - despite a crash - in the post-classic up to 250cc class.

Two other GRT members, from Carterton, took a sidecar for a run at the meet, Fairbrother said.

A minor mechanical fault was revealed on the 1971 BSA Rocket - which Fairbrother will be racing at the Isle of Man - during his first competitive outing on the machine at the weekend.

"A hole was burned in the piston. We're not sure why yet but it's minor and lucky we discovered it early."

Fairbrother said he would most likely run a Ducati at the Paeroa Battle of the Streets on Sunday and the BSA would next be raced at the Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park in Christchurch the following weekend.

Also as part of his build-up to the Isle of Man in August, he will compete in the Barry Sheene Memorial at the Sydney Motorsport Park from March 15 to 17.

Fairbrother will celebrate his 62nd birthday during the practice round lead-up to the Isle of Man Manx Grand Prix this year, a few days before he races in the Classic TT Pre-1974 up to 850cc class at the event.