But, at both these events in Taupo and Manfeild, the Dowman crew produced consistent performances, enough to take the points advantage as the riders now head to the public streets of Whanganui for the traditional Boxing Day finale on the spectacular and internationally renowned Cemetery Circuit.
Peter Dowman, a 63-year-old aircraft engineer, and daughter Lucy, a 22-year-old upholsterer, have grown rapidly into their roles as a winning sidecar team.
Racing bikes is nothing new to Lucy, who has been racing classic bikes for five or six years. She also raced in the GIXXER Cup 150 for several seasons, but the sidecar gig with her dad is a relatively fresh pursuit.
They raced together in the F2 sidecars class for the first time in the Suzuki International Series last season, finishing a creditable third overall, and now they’re top of the pile with just the Whanganui race meeting to come.
“We are achieving personal best lap times almost every time we get onto the track now. We took three seconds a lap off our times here at Manfeild from last year,” said Peter.
“It’s just all about spending time on the bike. My son Michael and I spent a lot of time on the bike at the Auckland Motorcycle Club Championships and that got me used to riding the bike a bit faster. Michael also races classic sidecars.
“I’m not concerned for Lucy racing sidecars. It’s as safe as houses,” he laughed.
Lucy is looking ahead with just a little trepidation to racing on the twists and turns of the Cemetery Circuit.
“It will be my first time on the F2 bike at Whanganui, but I am double-classing because I’ll race with my brother James in the classic sidecar class there as well,” she said, obviously keen to have the opportunity to sharpen her race craft and add to her experience.
The Suzuki International Series is again a season being run in conjunction with the New Zealand Superbike Championships (NZSBK) series, with the first two rounds recognised as rounds one and two of both parallel but separate competitions.
Suzuki International Series promoter and organiser Allan “Flea” Willacy said he was extremely pleased with how well all the riders adapted to the challenging conditions at the weekend.
“The whole weekend went really well,” he said. “It has been great racing on both days in the wet and the dry. The riders all rode responsibly.
“A massive thanks to all the marshals who were out track-side for us all weekend. They do a marvellous job.”
The Suzuki International Series phase of the 2023-24 season wraps up, as always, on Whanganui’s famous Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day.
The Boxing Day “street fight” is not part of the NZSBK series and that six-round NZSBK competition resumes in the New Year, with rounds three, four and five in the South Island – at Christchurch, Timaru and Invercargill respectively – with the series then travelling north again to wrap up with round six at Hampton Downs, near Huntly, in March.
Class leaders in both 2023-24 series after round two at Manfeild are: Whakatane’s Tony Rees (F1/Superbike class); Invercargill’s Cormac Buchanan (F2/Supersport 600 class); Taupo’s Karl Hooper (F3/Pro Twins); Feilding’s John Oliver (Formula Sport, Senior); Whanganui’s Jeff Croot (Formula Sport, Junior); Hamilton’s Jesse Stroud (Supersport 300); Hamilton’s Joseph Stroud (GIXXER 150); Upper Hutt’s Keiran Mair (Supersport 150); Taupo’s Karl Hooper (Post Classics, Pre-89, Senior); Auckland’s Scott Findlay (Post Classics, Pre-89, Junior); Invercargill’s Jon Rawcliffe (Post Classics, Pre-95, Senior); Christchurch’s Jordan Leslie (Post Classics, Pre-95, Junior); Whanganui’s Richie Dibben (Supermoto); Panmure’s Adam Unsworth and Whanganui’s Bryce Rose (F1 Sidecars); Whanganui’s Peter and Lucy Dowman (F2 Sidecars).
• Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit is on December 26 (the third and final round of the Suzuki International Series, but not part of the nationals).
