Whakatane's Damon Rees (Honda CBR600RR) in action during the opening round of the New Zealand Superbike Championships in Christchurch. PHOTO/ ANDY MCGECHAN
Whakatane's Damon Rees (Honda CBR600RR) in action during the opening round of the New Zealand Superbike Championships in Christchurch. PHOTO/ ANDY MCGECHAN
Whakatane's Damon Rees has been in hot form this summer and is looking unbeatable after winning at the opening round of the New Zealand Superbike Championships.
Fresh from victory at the 600cc class at the annual pre-nationals Suzuki Series, the 21-year-old Honda ace has now taken another scalp, this timewinning in Christchurch at the weekend.
As well as clinching the 600cc New Zealand Grand Prix title, Rees also set a new 600cc lap record for the track on Sunday, stopping the clock at 1 minute 31.09 seconds.
Rees ended his weekend six points clear of arch rival Shane Richardson, a solid platform on which to build his campaign as the riders head to round two at Teretonga, near Invercargill, in just a week's time.
"It's definitely a good start to my season," said an elated Rees. "We've done a lot of hard work in the build-up to this season and now it's paying off.
"I managed to get pole at Teretonga last season, so I think I've got a good chance of winning there next weekend too."
It was also three firsts on the same weekend for the young rising star - the first time he'd won a nationals race, the first time he'd won a GP title and the first time he'd won at this track.
Damon Rees celebrates after his weekend success. PHOTO/ ANDY MCGECHAN
Rees qualified his Honda CBR600RR on pole at the Canterbury circuit, formerly known as Ruapuna, circulating in an impressive time of 1min 31.6sec, a time that would have been good enough to qualify him sixth fastest in the 1000cc superbike class.
However, Rees was forced to accept runner-up spot as his bike mysteriously lost power during the first of the weekend's three 600cc races, although he still crossed the line just 4.5sec behind Wainuiomata man Richardson.
But it was all Rees the following day after he roared off to a pair of convincing victories - winning by margins of 5.7 and seven seconds respectively - the final race a gruelling 20-lapper and doubly significant because it was also recognised as the one-off GP title race.
Meanwhile, in the 1000cc superbikes class, just 19 points separate the top three riders - defending champion Sloan Frost finishing in first with and Honda's Tony Rees (Damon Rees' 49-year-old father) in second and Alastair Hoogenboezem in third.
Frost qualified on pole and took the bonus point that went with that achievement, but then had to settle for a close runner-up to Rees in the first of the weekend's three superbike class races, staged on Saturday.
However, a pair of wins the following day propelled Frost to the top of the standings.
The racing was extremely close and it's possible a small blanket would have covered the leading three riders as they battled for glory in the final superbike class race of the weekend, the 20-lap affair that is also recognised as the one-off GP title race, Frost winning from Rees and Hoogenboezem.
"I didn't have a lot of tyre left at the end," said Tony Rees afterwards. "I got caught up in a battle with Al [Hoogenboezem] and I lost touch with Sloan [Frost].
"It was close racing and I really enjoyed it."
The riders now head to round two of the nationals at Teretonga, on the outskirts of Invercargill, next weekend before they head north for round three at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo, on February 25-26, with the finale at Hampton Downs, near Meremere, on March 4-5.
