By PETER JESSUP
The merging of the sports production and superbike classes to match the Australian motorcycle racing format promises intense action in round one of the national road-race series at Pukekohe this weekend.
A late decision was made yesterday to cut tomorrow's finale, the production superbike and Geoff Perry Memorial race, from 36 to 30 laps. It became apparent after mid-practice calculations that the big Yamahas would be gasping for gas before completing the longer distance around the 2.8km circuit.
They carry 40 race-minutes of petrol, with an estimated completion time of 38 minutes.
Tony Rees, on a Yamaha, was pleased with the decision, having gained a big power boost in practice with a shift to a less fuel-economic air feed to his carburettors.
He has switched to a ram air box for Pukekohe after using the standard air box to conserve fuel at last weekend's season-opening four-hour event at Manfeild. The difference was four instead of five fill-up stops.
Superbike champion Rees expects serious opposition from reigning sports production champion Andrew Stroud, whose Suzuki GSXR1000 pushed his R1 into second at Manfeild.
"It's the Suzukis to beat," said Rees, who has no regrets at the shift from Suzuki after aligning his Kawerau bike business with Yamaha.
Dean Fulton from Mt Maunganui (Kawasaki), Timaru's John Hepburn (Suzuki) and Jason McEwen (Honda) will all be up with Stroud and Rees.
McEwen, who was fourth at Manfeild in his first competition after an 18-month suspension, still lacks confidence, but intends making a serious assault on the four-round road race series.
"I need a lot more race-time and we're at a bit of a disadvantage as far as power goes," he said of his Honda VTR1000.
McEwen is also competing in the 600cc class at Pukekohe and plans to start in the street races at Wanganui on Boxing Day to tune him up for the rest of the road series, which continues at Ruapuna, then Teretonga, next month.
The street series drops the Gisborne meeting this year and winds up at Paeroa in mid-February, with the final road race for the nationals to follow at Manfeild.
The 600cc class also promises to be tight, with winter series winner Dennis Charlett favourite and fellow Palmerston North rider and past winner Shaun Harris sure to be up his tailpipe. They will both be on Suzukis.
Aucklander Glen Jeffrey hopes a change of bike and sponsor will bring a change in fortune. He was fourth and challenging for third at Manfeild when his chain snapped.
The 26-year-old has a fuel-injected Honda CBR600F4I from Japanese race team and parts distributor JHA and will also campaign a RS250R, a 1995 bike modified to 1999 specifications. His younger brother Brett, 23, will race a 600cc bike.
More than 170 riders are registered for the event, with all classes from classics through post-production to the superbikes to run a 10-lap race today and 30-lap TTs tomorrow. There are three sidecar races.
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