Wolland and Maine
go faster.“ I credit dad, Tony, and my younger brother Damon [ who sadly passed away in June 2023, aged just 28, due to an unexpected illness ] for getting me to where I am today, plus the support from my mum, Vicki, and my wife, Mihi, too.” It is a tribute to his brother Damon that Mitch Rees ran with the No. 92 on his Honda, the number previously raced by Damon.“ It is because of Damo that I got into racing road bikes. I was racing motocross and wasn’ t even thinking about doing road-racing until I went to work as a mechanic for Damo.“ I broke my leg quite badly doing motocross in 2013 and so, when I was healed up, I switched to racing road bikes. They’ re both very physical sports, but in different ways. Racing motocross you feel like you’ re being beaten up all the time, but road-racing is all about battling the G forces, changing direction from left to right and when you’ ve got more than 200 horsepower and a 200-kilo bike to rein in. It can be very demanding.“ I’ ll be back to try to defend my title next year and, as long as I still enjoy it, I’ ll carry on. To be honest though, I don’ t see me still racing at the
top level like dad has this season as a 57-yearold,” he laughed.
CLASS WINNERS National championship class title winners this season were Whakatane’ s Mitch Rees( Superbikes, GP and TT titles); Christchurch man Jake Lewis( Supersport 600 class title, GP and TT titles); Auckland’ s Cameron Leslie( Supersport 300 class, GP and TT titles); Christchurch’ s Avalon Lewis( née Biddle)( Pro Twins 650 class title and the GP title); Taupiri’ s Billee Fuller( Pro Twins 650 class TT title); Hokitika’ s Luke Ryder( Super Twins class title, GP and TT titles); Silverdale’ s Tyler King( Superlites class title); Paraparaumu’ s Isaac Markham-Barrett( Superlites class GP title); Taupo’ s Karl Hooper( Superlites class TT title); Lower Hutt’ s Nixon
KIWI RIDER 45