Sidecar honours wide open on tight track

Stacey Sellar has been dominating the New Zealand sidecar championship so far but reckons his flying Suzuki will not be suited to the tight Wanganui Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day.
Therefore, says Sellar, expect around three Australian bikes and maybe a couple of Kiwis to really get amongst each other in the 12 starters in the "modern" sidecar class. There are also 12 starters in the "sidecar classic" class.
Lap record holder Sellar and countryman Doug Chivas ? who dominated last year ? have both recorded similar times, and Sellar doesn't believe his Suzuki LCR machine this year, outstanding though it may be, will stand out on this circuit because it's a powerful handful.
"It was pretty bumpy at Manfeild, and I don't think Wanganui is that bumpy. But one concern we do have is going down Taupo Quay and where it bottoms out and comes back by the BP service station there ? so we might have to ride a different line there to get it through."
The Suzuki was getting up to around 245kph of its 280kph potential at Pukekohe, and Sellar believes he and "swinger" Kerry McLeod should get to at least 160kph on Wanganui, and maybe a bit more.
"But I don't believe I will be able to ride this as quick as I did the other one on Wanganui because the first one was more of a street bike. This is a faster bike, but whether you can ride it as fast on Wanganui...
"The other bike was more rigid and handled the bumps a lot better. This will handle the bumps, but because of the way the chassis is made you don't want to be forcing them, unnaturally through a corner ? you need to do it with finesse."
Chivas dominated Wanganui last year, as Sellar did the year before, while Sellar won all three Manfeild races at last weekend's meeting, and two from three at Pukekohe, breaking the chain in the other.
"I think there are three of our bikes who don't want to come second ? me, Doug Chivas and Ron Curran. I think there'll be some sparks flying and some tempers raised."
The other Australian bikes are ridden by Darryl Rayner and Mitchell Cluff.
Leading New Zealand riders are Angus Ravenwood, Dave Annan, Steve Prentis and maybe Andy Scrivener ? although the latter is not a certain starter.