Kapiti’s Sam Croft stormed his way to victory at this season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships, wrapping up the Prolites 250 title with a race to spare at the final round in Taupo on Sunday.

The 18-year-old from Paraparaumu took his Kawasaki Ninja 250R to eighth and third in his early outings at Taupo and this was enough to ensure he did not even have to line up in the third and final race of the day at Taupo’s finale.

All three Prolites 250 races at Taupo were won by defending champion Seth Devereux, the Christchurch Kawasaki rider rapidly making up ground for his earlier troubles in the series to eventually snatch the runner-up spot.

“I led the championship since round one and was not headed at any time,” said Croft.

“At best, I was 70 points clear of my nearest rival for the title, but I dropped a few points when I crashed at Hampton Downs (round four) and then was only 46 points in front when I arrived at Taupo.

“Apart from that crash, I had finished among the top two in every race before Taupo.

“Winning this is a fantastic feeling. It’s my first major title in my first attempt at the nationals. The first three rounds of the series were in the South Island, on tracks I’d never been to before, but I managed to go under the 2011 lap record at each one.”

In all, Kawasaki riders occupied six of the top seven positions. The rider who took the third spot on the podium was Auckland’s Daniel Mettam, riding a Hyosung.

Auckland’s Aaron Hassan (Kawasaki) finished fourth in the championship, while Croft’s elder brother, 19-year-old Andrew Croft (Kawasaki), surged up the rankings at Taupo to claim the No.5 spot.

Sam Croft hopes his latest success will propel him on to greater glory.

“I hope I have impressed some potential sponsors out there,” he said. “The way things are for me financially it may be that I can’t ride at all next year. I want to race the European Junior Cup competition next year but money is tight.”

Judging by his rapid rise up the national rankings, a smart investor would be wise to consider backing Croft and his ultra-reliable Kawasaki Ninja.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com