KIWI RIDER 03 2020 VOL2 | Page 93

championship standings to the runner-up spot. Despite his absence, Rees is third overall in the title chase. Defending national superbike champion Daniel Mettam started the weekend ranked only sixth overall but he finished second overall in the class at Hampton Downs – thanks to his 2-2-3 score- card – and is now up to fifth in the series standings. There was a turnaround in fortunes in the Supersport 600 class too, with Upper Hutt’s Rogan Chandler making up for his disappointing results in the South Island to win the weekend in the 600cc class at Hampton Downs. Chandler’s hat-trick of wins in the class at Hampton Downs (including his winning the 12-lap TT race), saw him rocket from a distant fourth overall in the standings to the runner-up position, albeit still a massive points margin behind Hampton Downs’ fastest qualifier in the class, Whanganui’s Richie Dibben. Dibben finished runner-up to Chandler in each of the weekend’s 600cc races and actually extended his championship lead – he is now 60 points ahead of Chandler instead of 54 points ahead of the previous No.2 man, Palmerston North’s Ashton Hughes. Other class leaders after round three at Hampton Downs are Auckland’s Nathanael Diprose (Supersport 300, provisional); Whangaparoa’s Nathan Jane (650 Pro Twins); Taupo’s Andy Scrivener and Tina McKeown (Sidecars); Invercargill’s Cormac Buchanan (Supersport 150) and Nelson’s Tyrone Kuipers (GIXXER Cup 150). Christchurch’s Dennis Charlett won the Motul “ All the classes were well patronised and the superbike racing was consistently under the lap record. The big crowd would have been well entertained KIWI RIDER 93