AMCC RND 2 Race Report

Wow, wow, wow!! Can a day of Cup Racing get any better? It seems each Cup Race Day goes to another level. Honestly I didn’t know where to look and who to focus on during these races, too much going on all over the race track, from the leading bunch right through the field. PB’s being punched out by many, lap record being lowered for the Ninjas by guest rider Jacob Stroud, quite a spectacle. This was also round 47 of Cup racing and we now have 145 Cup races behind us!

A perfect day dawned for Cup Racing on October 18th (Mine and Denise’s’ 40th Wedding Anniversary BTW). The track was warming up nicely and a field of 38 Cup Stars arrived to set up pit. For a bit of fun we had our Auckland and Hamilton Teams thing going on which added to the rivalry within the Cup gang, lots of banter and flag waving around the place.

Qualifying resulted in the usual suspects dominating the front 2 rows of each grid, with the exception of the Ninja Cup. We had Caleb Gilmore travel up from Christchurch to race Connor London’s Ninja 400. Caleb has just recovered from a broken wrist and he was itching to get back on track. He sure made his presence known by parking his ride on pole with a 1:15.928 ahead of Jesse Stroud, Jacob Stroud and Chris Smith rounding out the front row. It was our largest ever Ninja Cup grid with 9 bikes including a welcome return by Dave Readings.

The Hyosungs were lead by Cameron Leslie on the Protecta Insurance GT250R who posted a 1:22.732 nearly 2 seconds quicker than current Cup Champion Lozza May in 2nd, Benny Cook in 3rd and Tarbon Walker filling the last front row spot. After some laps together in the qualy the GO Girls Amber and Kendal posted 1:27.214 and 1:27.575 for 10th and 11th respectively, an awesome result for Amber in her second ever race meeting and Kendal returning after 2 ½ years off a bike!

The Grid of 38, lights, throttle, action!

The first of our 4 races kicked off with Caleb and Jesse going punch for punch on their Ninja 400’s and cracking the 1:14’s in a spectacular duel which resulted in Jesse taking the win by just 0.012. Chris Smith was not cruising either with a solid 3rd and keeping those youngsters honest that’s for sure. Dave Readings and Matt Hobbs were enjoying themselves with some good dicing for 6th and 7th respectively.

Cameron Leslie, Tarbon Walker and Benny Cook were the front 3 in the Hyosung Cup with just 1.7 covering them at the flag. Tarbon dipped into the 1:22’s in pursuit of a fast starting and consistent Cameron. Lozza May and Scotty Findlay were regularly posting 1:23’s and were separated by only 0.08 over the line. An impressive 1:28.421 PB by Tom Farrell was special and Tom was targeting ‘27’s next time out! Kendal posted a very impressive 10th in her first ride for a couple of years and was battling it out with Luke Uhrle who was having his Cup debut. We lost Doyle in turn 5, fortunately no injury but a few scratches on his immaculately presented GT250R.

Cameron Leslie pinned on his GT250R

Race 2 What a scrap this was between Caleb, Jesse and our guest Ninja Cup rider and past 2 x Cup Champion Jacob Stroud. One of the best Cup races I can remember with some superb skill and tactics on display by these 3 very talented riders. The lead changed several times but it was Caleb leading across the stripe for the last 4 laps and took the win by 0.019 from Jesse who was 0.05 ahead of Jacob! With Jacob not in contention for points though it was Chris (Hamilton Ninja Captain) who came in 3rd in the official results and enjoyed some good dicing with the Auckland Ninja Captain Sean White nudging Sean back to 4th by 1 second. Paiva had a lonely ride in 5th but posted some good laps and Dave and Matt got to know each other with some great racing for 6th and 7th, just 0.1 separating them.

Cameron didn’t want to dice with anyone after he passed Benny on Lap 2 for the lead and won by a ridiculous 6 seconds and posting a 1:22.755 lap on his way. Tarbon was well in the mix but a start from the wrong grid cost him a 20 second penalty. Impressive though was his super lap of 1:21.951, one of very few 1:21’s in Cup history. This resulted in Lozza May being 3rd, Joshy Augustine 4th and Doyzy Doyle nicely home in 5th and a good fighting between those boys. Scotty Findlay and Vaughan Maine went at it hard for 6th with Scotty getting there by just 0.03.I think the Best fighting of the Hyosung race was for 10th place! Kendal, Alex Buttman Butson and newbie Amber Erasmus were covered by just 0.34 and all churning out 1:26’s, PB’s for Kendal and Amber!

The GO GIRLS – Amber on her X4R and Kendal GT250R

Race 3 Unfortunately our much anticipated Le Mans start was red flagged after Tom jumped off at turn 5. An ambulance brought him back but he was ok but for some sore ribs and being disappointed after having some great rides in the first 2 races and setting PB’s. Our restart was of course a grid type and it was Jesse who launched his MTF Barrys Point Road- Ninja 400 into turn one ahead of Caleb and Chris. What a scrap these 2 had for the entire race. Using lapped traffic to their advantage and setting themselves up for any chance to gap the other. Nothing worked though for more than about 50 meters as they traded blows and Jesse just got the win by 0.276 with a best lap of 1:14.383.Chris was again a solid 3rd, Paiva came through for 4th and a good best lap of 1:18.164 ahead of Dave and Matt. Sean DNF’d with a dropped chain on the last lap after cracking a PB of 1:16.900.

The Hyosung Cup was again dominated by Cameron heading home Benny by 2 seconds. Tarbon came in 3rd and these 3 all posting 1:22’s. Nice ride by Cup newbie Vaughan Maine for 4th after fighting with Lozza. Also a close finish between Trent McDiarmid and Rory Garvey running in the mid 1:28’s. Its not easy for a 6’5” rider on a 250 but Trent sure gives it a good nudge!

Benny Cook leads Tarbon Walker – Cup battles!

Race 4 Despite Benny Cooks scintillating lap of the gods (1:21.797) Cameron still held on to win this 4th race by 0.232 for a clean sweep of pole and 4 race wins! Impressive from this new young talent who is a polite and modest competitor and loving the Cup racing experience. Great to see Cup Champion Lozza back on the podium with a 3rd place followed by Tarbon and Vaughan Maine who is starting to gel with the little 250’s. Alex Buttman Butson found some of his old form and cracked 6th with a fine 1:24.061 best lap, 0.2 ahead of Joshy. Kendal, Amber, Luke, Bretty Butler and Ryan Fletcher were covered by 1 second for 11th-15th place, great racing to watch and a steep learning curve of close racing for Amber (Chaotic Blonde) who was well up for it.

The Jesse and Caleb show was a cracker and worth the price of admission that’s for sure! (should have been $100 to watch this type of racing) These lads are talented and a blanket could cover them for most of the race as they knocked on the door of the lap record. Caleb got there first this time by a mere 0.016, about a wheel. Jesse matched h his lap record from last season with a 1:13.995. Chris put in an awesome ride for 3rd keeping the front two well in sight and set a PB of 1:15.627, not bad for a rider more than twice the combined age on Caleb and Jesse, lol. Impressive for sure. Sean was home 4th ahead of Paiva with a new PB of 1:17.488 and Matt got the better of Dave for 6th, also with a PB of 1:19.167.

The GO GIRLS Podium

Hyosung Cup Podium

These Ninja Cup racers are not Ninja Turtles by any means!

Just for the record the Auckland Teams were hammered by the mighty MOO LOO Teams in both classes. Thanks for comin the Moo Loo Captains say, Lol!

Hamilton Ninja’s 1028.5

Auckland Ninjas 658.5

Hamilton Hyosungs 1634

Auckland Hyosungs 1341

Other news is Phil and Cheryl London of WIL Sport are generously putting up the Ladies Trophys for the Cup this season and also offering a prize of a Te Moenga Lodge accommodation voucher for a lucky race volunteer worker at a season end draw.

That s a wrap folks from a scintillating Round 2 (or should that be round 47) of the Carl Cox Motorsport Cup. Not a typical way to spend ones 40th wedding anniversary I know, but that’s another story. Hope you all had a great day!

Huge thanks go out to Carl Cox Motorsport and all our much valued Cup sponsors for their fantastic support, Cliff Field of TT Kiwis for his amazing on board camera work and thank you again to all the volunteers who ran a very slick day of racing.

See you all on the 29th!