I
t has mostly been the locals who have
dominated the series over recent years, with
Liechtenstein rider Horst Saiger (Kawasaki) in
2014 the last time that an international had won
the premier Formula One class overall, although
overseas talent has always been a threat.
Who can forget UK rider Peter Hickman
(BMW) and his last-gasp Robert Holden
race win at Whanganui in 2018?
However, while visiting British champion
Cooper did shatter the four-year Kiwi F1
class streak in December 2019, sweeping
both the major trophies in the three-
round contest, he was certainly pushed
all the way by the local stars.
The Suzuki hero from Nottingham was
invited to New Zealand to race for the first
time this year and he delivered all that
was expected of him when he wrapped
up the F1 class outright at the series’ third
and final round on Whanganui’s famous
Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day.
He then exceeded those expectations
when he also clinched victory in the stand-
alone all-capacities Robert Holden Memorial
feature race at Whanganui’s finale.
The Robert Holden race win came at the
end of a thrilling handlebar-to-handlebar
battle with Whakatane’s Damon Rees (Honda
CBR1000SP1), the young man who will,
incidentally, shortly head off-shore to challenge
Cooper on his home turf in the UK in 2020.
The likeable Englishman will seek to defend
his British Superstock 1000 championship
title at home, but he’ll have Rees, and
Wainuiomata’s Shane Richardson too,
lining up against him in the UK this year.
The 36-year-old Cooper (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
showed right from the opening round of the
2019 Suzuki International Series, in Taupo on
December 7-8, that he was a fast learner,
taking virtually no time at all to learn the
unfamiliar Kiwi race tracks, although he
was forced to settle for overall runner-up
Above and below: Richard Cooper (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
Scott Moir (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
26 KIWI RIDER