KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Superbike series has already been decided _ when defending champion Australian Robbie Bugden blitzed the field yet again at Manfeild two weeks ago.
Although Bugden has the title, he won't be resting on his laurels this weekend for the fifth and final round at Pukekohe. There's the small matter of the NZ Superbike TT and the Geoff Perry Memorial Trophy to be decided.
Four points separate former champion Andrew Stroud and another Australian, Gareth Jones, in their battle for second and both will be keen to take either of the two prizes up for grabs home.
Lying in wait for the top three, and the rest of the field, is former road-race champion 40-year-old Tony Rees. As was his wont last season, Rees will make a rare appearance in an effort to upstage the current crop of elite riders.
Rees will be riding the Sam Smith 1000c Yamaha YZF-R1 and knows he's quick enough to put the frighteners up a few of the regular riders.
"Since Sam Smith injured himself at the third round of the championships at Teretonga his bike has not been used," said Rees.
"With all the work mechanic and former champion Dave Cole has done to prepare the bike, it'd be a crying shame not to ride it.
"I had a ride at Pukekohe a couple of weeks ago and my lap times were respectable. I hope I can get the same sort of results [this weekend] as when I did a one-off ride there last season.
Dennis Charlett has a 42-point lead over James Smith at the top of the 600 sports production class, with Jay Lawrence in third, and Charlett will have to have a seriously bad day for Smith to close the gap and take the title.
In the formula three battle Glen Williams has an even bigger points lead of 61 ahead of Terry Fitzgerald and, with 75 points available, Williams will not have to ride on the edge to win the championship
Fifteen-year-old Cam Jones is on course to become New Zealand's youngest road-race champion if he carries on his good form in the 125GP class.
He leads fellow Tim McArthur by 17 points.
Karl Morgan has already wrapped up the Pro Twins class. And now that sidecar pilot Steve Bron has come to grips with his new LCR outfit, ridden to a world championship by Briton Tim Reeves, he has pulled out to a 13-point lead over defending champion Andy Scrivener.
