ROAD NEWS
SUZUKI NZ PROVIDES BOOST TO POPULAR SERIES
by Andy McGechan
N
ew Zealand’s biggest stand-alone road-race
series has become a global phenomenon
and the remarkably-popular motorcycling
competition looks set to go full-throttle again in
2020 and beyond.
With the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
wreaking havoc across the sporting world these
past few months, the news that Suzuki New
Zealand would ensure its now-iconic three-round
Suzuki Series would light up the tarmac again this
summer was greeted with yelps of delight from
the motor-racing community.
And so, as riders shake off the cobwebs from
their lock-down, the revs are already building
for the start of the 2020 edition of the Suzuki
Series, a competition that has grown in leaps
and bounds since its inaugural running in 2008.
The 2020 Suzuki Series will kick off at Taupo
on December 6, then heads to Manfeild a week
later, on December 13, and finally wraps up on
the public streets of Whanganui’s Cemetery
Circuit on Boxing Day.
The iconic street race event in Whanganui on
December 26 will again serve as the spectacular
finale and this year it will be the 68th running of
the post-Christmas race meeting.
“It’s fantastic to have this continued support
from Suzuki New Zealand for another two years,
especially with the COVID-19 situation recently,”
said series organiser Alan ‘Flea’ Willacy.
“Although the borders may be closed for the
Northern Hemisphere, we have had plenty of
interest from Australia and, with the talent we
have in New Zealand, there will still be plenty of
great racing to see.”
The 2020 race programme will start to take
shape over the coming months and Willacy
hopes to be able to reveal some names before
the three-round series’ first race at Bruce
McLaren Motorsport Park, near Taupo, on
Sunday, December 6.
Suzuki New Zealand’s general manager of
Motorcycle/ATV/Marine Marketing, Simon
Meade, said he was thrilled to continue to
stand right behind the series.
“Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, people
needed to know they could go racing again and
we are happy to provide a platform for that.
“The various bike classes that are offered by this
series cater for all motorcycle owners out there
and we know this leads to the high participation
numbers that we see in the Suzuki Series
each year. That’s what we’re all about, offering
something for everyone.”
14 KIWI RIDER