Napier's SJ Cavell wins national 650cc superbikes title

Napier's SJ Cavell gets doused in water by his pit crew, the 35-year-old celebrating his first national title win. Photo / Andy McGechan, bikesportnz.com

Napier's SJ Cavell is basking in first-time New Zealand Superbike Championships class glory.

The Covid-19 pandemic-shortened 2021 season had it all.

Reduced from four rounds to three, just as it was last season when the virus first reared its ugly head, the third and final showdown for the 2021 New Zealand Superbike Championships (NZSBK) series at Taupō's Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park at the weekend was a thriller from start to finish and an apt way to wrap up the various battles for this season's silverware.

Cavell rode sensibly to rise from second overall at the start of the weekend to clinch the outright win in the closely-contested Pro Twins 650cc class ahead of Whangamata's Jarad Horn and Taupō's Karl Hooper.

"I've been riding bikes six years and this was my third national championships campaign," said 35-year-old Cavell.

"I started well last year but crash after crash meant my season unravelled. This season was all about just coming back and my goal was to be in the fight coming into the last round and I was.

"I'm really happy to get a race win under my belt early today. I had done the calculations before the last race and it was a case of weighing up risk versus reward and I didn't want to push when I didn't have to. I caught up to (Te Kauwhata's) Chris Defiori and (Whangamata's) Ben Rosendaal in the last race, but realised the risk of trying to pass wasn't worth me potentially not winning the title."

He says he won't be back to defend his title because he'll instead be racing in the Supersport 600 class in 2022.

"The series this year has produced some fantastic racing," said Motorcycling New Zealand road racing commissioner Grant Ramage.

"Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, we were down to just three rounds this year, and we can't control that, but we are already planning a six-round series for next year.

"What we may have lacked in quality this year, we certainly made up for in quality. Lap times have been really fast and there's a lot of talent coming through in the smaller bike classes. These are riders who will end up on the podium in the superbike class in the coming years."

Class champions this season are Whakatane's Mitch Rees (Superbikes); Christchurch's Dale Finch (Supersport 600); Napier's SJ Cavell (650 Pro Twins); Invercargill's Cormac Buchanan (Supersport 300 and Supersport 150); Tauranga duo Barry Smith and Stu Dawe (Sidecars).