KIWI RIDER 09 2019 VOL1 | Page 28

M NZSBK DATES SET ark your calendars, because MNZ has confirmed the dates and venues for the 2020 NZ Superbike Championship. Like this past season, the 2020 NZSBK Championship retains the five round format starting off in the South Island in early January, then working its way North. The 2020 season kicks off at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park on January 11, 2020, before moving to Levels International Raceway in Timaru the following weekend (January 18-19, 2020). We then see a month-long gap in racing as NZSBK takes a break for the majority of the busy month of February before returning on February 29 for the third round at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park between Hamilton and Auckland. Round 4 takes place at Circuit Chris Amon (Manfeild) in Feilding the weekend of March 28-29, before the finale of the series at Taupo’s Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park the weekend of April 4-5. NZBSK 2020 CALENDAR ROUND 1 January 11-12 Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch ROUND 2 January 18-19 Levels International Raceway, Timaru ROUND 3 29 Feb-01 March Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Waikato ROUND 4 March 28-29 Circuit Chris Amon, Manfeild, Feilding ROUND 5 April 4-5 Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo Classic TT to prove nothing will keep the Flying Kiwi down for long. Anstey, who has been battling cancer, dominated the race on his 250cc two-stroke Honda to clinch his sixth win in the Classic TT, and his third in the Lightweight class with a massive lead of over a minute from his Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles teammate, Davey Todd. TRIUMPHANT RETURN FOR ANSTEY A fter two years away from the high-speed world of TT racing, Kiwi Bruce Anstey returned to the Isle of Man’s Mountain Course in triumphant fashion during the 2019 28 KIWI RIDER “It’s awesome to win. I can’t believe it”, said an emotional Anstey from the winner’s circle. “Everyone – the team, Clive (Padgett), my family have just been awesome. I was right in the zone but on the last lap I was really nervous and just short-shifted – I was not trying to go fast – just get it to the end. The last two years have been really tough. If it wasn’t for Anny [his partner] I wouldn’t be here.” Anstey clinched the race win with a final lap of 116.157mph and Todd’s 114.889mph lap secured the runner-up spot. Behind the Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles’ pair, James Hind was on a charge and set the fastest lap on the final circuit – 116.601mph securing the British rider the final podium place.