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From - Ray Whitham:
Tune into `Motor Sport Half Hour`
BIG DAY OUT AT TERETONGA:
Following outstanding performances by Southlanders Dominic Jones and Jeremy Holmes at last weekends NZ Motorcycle Grand Prix meeting at Ruapuna Park in Christchurch, Invercargill motorcycle fans should be out in force this weekend when the 2004 NZ Motorcycle Road Race championship series hits town.
Jones, an 18 year old student at Invercargill\'s James Hargest High School, became the first Kiwi to beat the very quick 17 year old English visitor, Midge Smart in the highly competitive 125GP class when he made wiser tyre choices and mastered the damp conditions better in the Grand Prix preliminary to lead Smart across the line by over 9 seconds.
And in the 250GP class, 22 year old Jeremy Holmes, in one of the best rides of the meeting beat championship leader David Manuell (Auckland) by less than a second to win the NZ 250GP Grand Prix title.
The two were stars in a Grand Prix weekend of starring performances and both will be hoping for repeat performances in front of home fans when the Motorcycle Trader & News sponsored series continues at Invercargill\'s Teretonga Park Raceway this coming weekend.
The all-class meeting is the final round of four in the 2003/04 championship for the Group 2 classes (125GP/250GP/Formula 3/Sidecars) and it is Round 4 of 6 for the two Group 1 Production Superbikes and 600 Sport Production classes. After Teretonga they will join with the cars in televised meetings at Taupo and Manfeild.
Encouraged by his Ruapuna win, Dominic Jones will be looking to do it all again on his home track and he will be joined by Steven Wood (Blenheim), Robbie Wynn-Parke (Auckland), Steven Groome (Kaiapoi),and outstanding newcomer, 15 year old Kapiti Coaster Jay Lawrence, in challenging the diminutive Smart at the popular southern circuit. Smart, 3rd in last years British 125cc championship, came to New Zealand specifically to win the 125GP title and in reality he will do so comfortably. He has a 54 point lead and there are 75 points up for grabs in the final 3-race round.
David Manuell\'s four-race winning streak in the 250GP class came to an end at Ruapuna in the face of a dogged ride by Kevin Brookes (Whangamata) in the Grand Prix preliminary, and although pipped by Jeremy Holmes in the Grand Prix, his 1-2-2 finish at the meeting still leaves him with a 43 point margin going into the final round. Nearest challengers Anthony McCarthy (Timaru), Pukekohe TT winner Hamish Laing (Wellington) and Brookes are separated by only 5 points, and their squabble over the minor money should divert them enough to give Manuell breathing space, which is something the now in-form Jeremy Holmes, on his home track, won\'t do. However, he doesn\'t have the points to worry Manuell\'s championhsip chances.
In the Formula 3 championship, Andy Bolwell (Oamaru) finally scored two wins, including the GP title, over points leader and defending champion Terry Fitzgerald (New Plymouth) but Fitzgerald\'s 24 point lead will be enough, barring any drama\'s, for him to retain his title. He and Bolwell should again provide close and exciting racing, while Derek Hill (Upper Hutt) needs only to maintain his good form to take out third place, ahead of a rapidly improving Jason Nairn (New Plymouth).
There are no former champions in the Sidecar class and the competition is razor-sharp as the 5-point margin between Phillip Law/Angus Ravenwood (Gisborne) and Spike Taylor/Dennis Simonsen (Masterton) indicates. As Taylor points out, he has finished in just about every place, except first, in the Sidecar championship over the years. The style of his NZ Sidecar GP win at Ruapuna however suggests that the elusive title win is perhaps only a few races away.
Double 2003 Isle of Man TT winner Shaun Harris (New Plymouth) is a star performer in the Blue Wing Honda 600 Sport Production class. His performance this year on the Honda CBR600RR is a class act and there is nothing to suggest he won\'t consolidate his championship lead at Teretonga. Inspired riding by Craig Gollop (Wellington), Gary Cunningham (Auckland) and Hayden Fitzgerald (New Plymouth), behind the established Craig Shirriffs and Dennis Charlett (both Palmerston North) will again make for exciting racing as this group sorts out the minor placings in the title chase.
The Suzuki New Zealand Production Superbike title is firmly in the grasp of defending champion Andrew Stroud (Auckland). Fellow-Aucklander Ray Clee has led Stroud in a number of races in the series and could win a race at Teretonga where both however could possibly be pushed for the first time by Jason McEwen (Palmerston North) who showed at Ruapuna that he might have finally solved his handling problems. He goes well at the southern circuit. Brian Bernard (Wanganui) still holds third place. All are on Suzuki\'s.
Ray Whitham
