Today is the day we find out just who are the fastest and best motorcycle road-racers in this part of the world, particularly on the public streets of Whanganui.
Expect the crowds to flock to the blocked off public roads of Whanganui’s world-famous Cemetery Circuit, all keen to witness first-hand the handlebar-to-handlebar racing that signs off the Suzuki International series for 2024.
The Cemetery Circuit street motorcycle racing event is the much-anticipated finale of the three-round annual Suzuki International Series and it’s set to blast off this morning and run until about 5pm this afternoon.
It’s not hard to see why the annual Suzuki International Series each December has a huge following, both domestically and internationally too.
However, while the first two rounds of the 2024 edition of this motorcycle road-racing series have now been staged, it’s worth remembering that the best is always saved for last.
The racing on the twists and turns of Whanganui’s public streets – with part of the circuit actually zig-zagging past the Suzuki New Zealand headquarters on Heads Road – attracts worldwide interest every year, especially since this is one of the very few motorcycle street fights still being run anywhere in the world.
Suzuki International Series organiser Allan ‘Flea’ Willacy, the man who makes the whole thing possible and ensures it runs like clockwork. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
And, yes, the course does take the speeding riders past headstones in the inner-city graveyard, not to mention the competitors zooming close to road-side curbs, across white-painted lines, over railway lines and near to traffic islands. It takes your breath away just to think about it, although serious safety measures are in place.
It may be memorable again this year as Bay of Plenty father and son duo Tony and Mitch Rees get set to bang handlebars once more in the premier Formula One/Superbike class.
With UK rider Davey Todd also racing alongside fellow Brit and fellow 2024 Isle of Man winner Peter Hickman and Christchurch’s former national superbike champion Alastair Hoogenboezem in the F1 class, you just know there will be fireworks.
Whakatane’s Mitch Rees leads the way in this premier class, but he may be as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs on Thursday when he calculates the risks and rewards in his attempt to achieve a four-in-a-row win streak on Boxing Day.
Mitch Rees previously won the formula one class overall in the Suzuki International Series in 2020, 2022 and 2023 (the series was not run in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Meanwhile, the Robert Holden Memorial (RHM) feature race will no doubt be one of the highlights of Whanganui’s finale on the Cemetery Circuit.
It is a prestigious race that was won by Mitch Rees in 2022 and 2023, by his late brother Damon Rees in 2020 and by their father Tony Rees on seven occasions (between 1990 and 2016).
Other Robert Holden Memorial feature race winners in the past, who will also be racing in Whanganui this week include Taupo’s Scott Moir (the RHM winner in 2017) and Hickman (RHM winner in 2018).
Many eyes will perhaps also be on the racing between local Whanganui rider Richie Dibben and Todd in the Supermoto class (for modified dirt bikes), with these two international stars separated by no more than the thickness of their plastic fairings throughout the Supermoto action so far.
All the other various classes too will provide nail-biting excitement, the Formula Three class, the Supersport 300 and Formula Sports classes always close affairs, while it’s worth noting that Whanganui crews will be out in force in the Formula One, Formula Two and Pre-82 Classic Sidecars classes.
“It’s been a fantastic series so far, with great racing throughout the classes,” said Suzuki International Series organiser Allan ‘Flea’ Willacy (pictured here).
“We’re back to pre-COVID pandemic numbers in terms of rider entries and spectator crowds too. We’re incredibly rapt with the numbers,” Willacy said.
“The overseas competitors have not let us down, they’ve put on a great show and we expect more of the same today too.”
Meanwhile, German rider Wolfi Schuster and Frenchman Timothee Monot also add to the international flavour of racing this year, both of these riders entered in the formula two class at Whanganui.
Class leaders after the second round of three in the 2024 Suzuki International Series at Manfeild are Whakatane’s Mitch Rees (formula one/superbikes class); Cambridge’s Morgan McLaren-Wood (formula two/Supersport 600); Auckland’s Tyler King (in both the formula three and Supersport 300 classes); Wellington’s Malcolm Beilski (Formula Sport, Senior); Whanganui’s Jeff Croot (Formula Sport, junior); Glen Eden’s Daniel Mettam (Post Classics, Pre 95, Senior); Tauranga’s Darrick Kattenberg (Post Classics, Pre 95, Junior); Hastings’ Gian Louie (Post Classics, Pre 89, Senior); Lower Hutt’s Dean Bentley (Post Classics, Pre 89, Junior); Panmure’s Adam Unsworth and Whanganui’s Bryce Rose (F1 sidecars); Whanganui’s Tracey Bryan and Auckland’s Kendal Dunlop (F2 sidecars); Whanganui’s Richie Dibben (in both the Supermoto and Adventure Bike classes).
The Suzuki International Series is supported by Suzuki New Zealand, Mondiale VGL, Auto Super Shoppe Tawa, Givi, I-Tools, Bridgestone tyres, Sharp As Linehaul Ltd Whanganui, TSS Motorcycles, Ipone, Inferno Design and Digital, Kiwibike Motorcycle Insurance Specialists, Cemetery Circuit Ltd.
DATES FOR 2024 SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL SERIES:
- Round 1, Taupo, Dec 7th and 8th;
- Round 2, Manfeild, Feilding, Dec 14th and 15th;
- Round 3, Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit, Dec 26th.
© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here