with fellow Whanganui youth Luca Durning
rounding out the series podium (rounds
one and two counted only, with Whanganui
a stand-alone event for the GIXXERS).
“I am really happy with how I went. I
have lots more confidence this year,”
said Jesse Stroud, who notched up four
wins out of seven races in the series.
“It was great to have my dad racing with me
too. Dad beat me in one of the races too.”
Suzuki New Zealand’s Simon Meade, the
general manager of motorcycle, ATV and
marine marketing, said the GIXXER Cup
competition has been “absolutely fantastic”.
“We have achieved what we set out to do,
which was basically to get younger riders
to come through and to find the talent.
The cream always rises to the top.
“They don’t get the opportunity to
access this sport unless we give these
young ones the opportunity like this.
“Opening up the age limit meant we have seen
safer racing and better racing, because there
are race lines that the older, more-established
34 KIWI RIDER
riders are taking that the younger ones can
see and follow. They have cottoned on really
quickly and their race craft has improved. There
is less crashing and much better riding too.”
It’s also worth noting that GIXXER Cup racer
Lucy Dowman, from Whanganui, achieved a
rarity when she became one of the very few
females ever to achieve a solo bike lap record at
Manfeild’s round two, a position she held briefly
before Glen Eden’s Daniel Mettam eclipsed
her later in that same GIXXER Cup race.
And, also worth remarking about, Taupiri’s
Zak Fuller raced the GIXXER Cup class
the previous two seasons but he had now
elevated himself to the Formula Three class
for 2019 (where he finished a creditable fourth
overall) ... however, he chose to also make
a special appearance and race the GIXXER
Cup class at the Whanganui round only.
He won the day on the Cemetery Circuit
in the GIXXER Cup class, qualifying fastest
and then finishing 2-1 in his two races,
just enough to edge out Jesse Stroud
(who scored 1-2 results) at Whanganui.