Motorsport: True grit gets Linden Magee on track

Tauranga-based superbike rider Linden Magee in action.Photo/Supplied

Tauranga-based Superbike Team M1Motorsport's rider Linden Magee suffered a terrible crash in round two of the Suzuki Series in Australia.

But it did not stop the plucky Australian from competing just days later in round one of the New Zealand Superbike Series at Ruapuna Park and gaining a podium finish.

Flying back to New Zealand to race with a broken collarbone and fractured wrist, tenacious Linden "Magoo" Magee proved qualifying in 13th position on pole was not quite so unlucky, despite conceding that "it was hard to string a decent lap together in qualifying, and I made a couple of mistakes".

Magee finished ninth in the opening race.

"I feel much better knowing I was able to put the demons from the Suzuki Series Manfeild crash behind me. With just a couple of minor changes to the BMW, hopefully I can charge forward and improve on today's results."

On Sunday morning in race two, Magee came from the back of the grid. He crept his way through the Superbike pack, swapping positions with former M1Motorsport rider Sloan Frost, getting around his outside in the second-to-last lap to secure his first NZ race podium finish in third.

"I caught a bad start as the lights weren't working, and spent eight or nine laps playing catch-up and spent a bit of energy. Sloan and I diced, we touched, I ran out wide, then we diced again in the final lap but I held him off. It was a tough race," Magee said.

Magee secured fourth behind Dennis Charlett (Suzuki), Suzuki Series champ Nick Cole (Kawasaki) and Scotty Moir (Suzuki).

The weekend's results placed M1Motorsport third overall in the 2014 New Zealand Superbike Series.

Magee said he was pleased about that and was looking forward to taking part in round two at Timaru this weekend and that he wished to thank "M1Motorsport NZ and all our supporters and sponsors in getting us back on track".