Suzuki Tri-Series leaders found as it winds down to Whanganui on Boxing Day

Wainuiomata's Shane Richardson leads the 600cc F2 Suzuki Tri-Series by 13 points after round one in Taupo and heading into round two at Manfield this weekend. PHOTO/Andy McGechan

Wainuiomata's Shane Richardson wasted no time in getting his campaign underway in the 600cc Formula Two class in round one of the 2017 Suzuki Tri-Series in Taupo at the weekend.

After qualifying fastest at Bruce McLaren Motorsports Park on Sunday morning Richardson then ran away to two effortless wins in the competition proper that afternoon.

The 22-year-old Wainuiomata joiner leads Upper Hutt Yamaha man Rogan Chandler by 13 points in the F2 standings, with Orewa's fellow Kawasaki rider Avalon Biddle third, just two points further back.

However, at the end of the day, it was probably more relief than celebration for Richardson who has had luck abandon him in past years and he will now look to consolidating his advantage at the two rounds that follow.

"I came within four points of winning this class in the series last year (won instead by Whakatane's Damon Rees) and crashed out of the competition while I was leading it at the final round in Whanganui the year before that (with Mettam taking the F2 trophy in 2015), so it's good to get a solid start this time around."

The newly-created GIXXER Cup class, set aside for riders aged between 14 and 21 and all on identical Suzuki GSX150F bikes, got off to a booming start.
Hamilton's Jesse Stroud, the 15-year-old son of nine-time former national superbike champion Andrew Stroud, scored back-to-back wins on Sunday.

He leads the class by 10 points from the "West Coast Warrior", 14-year-old Greymouth rider Clark Fountain, with Paeroa's Blake Ross, Taupiri's Zak Fuller and Whanganui's Ollie Dennison completing the top five.

As well as being an integral part of the three-round Suzuki Series, the GIXXER Cup grade of competition will also be a feature of the four-round 2018 New Zealand Superbike Championships, beginning at Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch, on January 6-7, with rounds to follow at Timaru, Hampton Downs and Taupo.

Riders will count six of seven rounds from these two separate competitions, discarding points from their one worst round, to determine the 2017-18 champion in this inaugural GIXXER Cup competition.

Leading standings after the first round of three in this year's annual Suzuki Tri-Series.

Formula one: 1. Scott Moir (Taupo, Suzuki) 51 points; 2. Mitchell Rees (Whakatane, Honda) 42; 3. Sloan Frost (Wellington, Suzuki) 36.

Formula two: 1. Shane Richardson (Wainuiomata, Kawasaki) 51; 2. Rogan Chandler (Upper Hutt, Yamaha) 38; 3. Avalon Biddle (Orewa, Kawasaki) 36.

Formula three: 1. Nathanael Diprose (Auckland, Suzuki) 51; 2. Ashley Payne (Whanganui, Suzuki) 44; 3. Gavin Veltmeyer (Auckland, Suzuki) 40.
GIXXER Cup: 1. Jesse Stroud (Hamilton, Suzuki) 50; 2. Clark Fountain (Greymouth, Suzuki) 40; 3. Blake Ross (Paeroa, Suzuki) 35.

Post Classics Pre-89 (senior, over-600cc): 1. Glen Skachill (Lower Hutt, Bimota) 51; 2. Matt Eggleton (Rotorua, Yamaha) 44; 3. S.J. Cavell (Napier, Yamaha) 40.

Post Classics Pre-89 (junior, under-600cc): 1. Scott Findlay (Auckland, Kawasaki) 48; 2. Dean Bentley (Lower Hutt, Yamaha) 47; 3. Terry Moran (Wellington, Kawasaki) 40.
Bears (senior): 1. Dwayne Bishop (Whanganui, Aprilia) 51; 2. Steve Bridge (Ngaruawahia, Ducati) 44; 3. Eddie Kattenberg (Te Awanga, Ducati) 40.

Bears (junior): 1. Zurrin Wikki (Hamilton, Triumph) 51; 2. Regan Phibbs (Mount Maunganui, IMD) 44; 3. Glen Eggleton (Rotorua, Ducati) 40.

Super Motard: 1. Richard Dibben (Whanganui, Honda) 51; 2. Duncan Hart (Tauranga, Yamaha) 44; 3. Aden Brown (Whanganui, Suzuki) 36.

Sidecars (F1): 1. Barry Smith and Tracey Bryan (Tauranga, LCR) 51; 2. Chris and Richard Lawrance (Auckland, LCR Suzuki) 37; 3. Adam Unsworth and Bryce Rose (Auckland, Windle Honda) 37.

Sidecars (F2): 1. Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes (UK, LCR Honda) 51; 2. Tony Baker and Shelly Smithies (Penrith, UK, Baker Suzuki) 43; 3. Gregory Lambert and Julie Caniper (UK, GLR Honda) 39.