ROAD NEWS
FORMER SUPERBIKE CHAMP ACCEPTS HIS OWN ‘ MISSION IMPROBABLE ’
By Andy McGechan
It may be considered something of a ‘ mission improbable ’, but former New Zealand Superbike Champion Sloan ‘ Choppa ’ Frost is licking his lips in anticipation for his latest assignment . The 40-year-old father-of-four from Wellington is currently preparing himself for the upcoming 2022 Suzuki International Series , where he will tackle the premier Formula One class on a machine that is actually classified as a “ sportbike ”, rather than an out-and-out race machine . The Suzuki International Series is scheduled for Taupo and then Manfeild , on December 3-4 and December 10-11 respectively , with the third and final round , as usual , set for the public streets of Whanganui , on the world famous Cemetery Circuit , to run on Boxing Day , December 26 . Frost will race a 1300cc Suzuki Hayabusa in this series , up against the race-bred superbike machinery of all the leading manufacturers , including such illustrious competitors as fellow
Suzuki rider and former national superbike champion Daniel Mettam . “ Let ’ s face it , it ’ s not probable that he will end up on top of the podium , but he ’ s going to have a lot of fun trying and that ’ s what it ’ s all about . It ’ s all about having fun and him highlighting to the bike community just how versatile the Hayabusa bike is ,” said Simon Meade , Suzuki New Zealand ’ s general manager of Motorcycle / ATV / Marine Marketing . Frost was Suzuki International Series champion in 2015 and twice New Zealand Superbike Champion , in 2016 and 2018 – then racing a Suzuki GSX-R1000 model superbike . He realises he will have his work cut out matching the likes of Glen Eden rider Mettam and Whanganui ’ s Suzuki hero Richie Dibben , among others , but he won ’ t be deterred . “ The Hayabusa is a heavy bike , hitting the scales at around 264kg , compared with the 203kg of a superbike , and it ’ s not built specifically to race . Sloan will have to put the
KIWI RIDER 17