Decorated racer Dennis Charlett, with his 15-year-old son Hunter, who achieved a rare double-treble feat at Round 4 of the 2026 New Zealand Superbike Championship in Taupō. Photo / MNZ, Derek Morrison
Decorated racer Dennis Charlett, with his 15-year-old son Hunter, who achieved a rare double-treble feat at Round 4 of the 2026 New Zealand Superbike Championship in Taupō. Photo / MNZ, Derek Morrison
The Star Insure NZ Superbike Championship wrapped up with its fourth and final round at Taupo International Motorsport Park over the past weekend.
The organisers are pleased with the turnout of the championship, which has drawn record crowds and brought the introduction of two new awards in honour of retiredracer Aaron Slight.
Slight, who raced successfully at an international level, has long mentored and supported young Kiwi racers.
The Aaron Slight Championship Trophy was presented to the winner of the Superbike class of the New Zealand Superbike Championship.
The second award, the Aaron Slight Trophy, was contested across all seven championship classes.
For this, a new feature race of the same name was established at the Hampton Downs round of the championship.
The Aaron Slight Trophy race links with the NZ Grand Prix title (held at the first NZSBK round at Ruapuna), and the NZ TT title races (held at the fourth NZSBK round in Taupo), to form a “triple crown”.
Christchurch teenager Hunter Charlett, 15, who competes in two classes, has won the Aaron Slight Trophy in a special “double-treble” achievement.
He not only won overall championship titles in the 150 Supersport class and the 300 Supersport class, but he also won the NZ GP races, the Aaron Slight Trophy races and the NZ TT races in both of those classes.
Meanwhile, the NZ Superbike TT races and Superbike Championship overall were turned upside down when Rogan Chandler’s closest rival, Luca Durning, and Australian Max Stauffer crashed out of second and third places.
Hunter Charlett (#1) leads the Supersport 300 field at Round 4 of the 2026 New Zealand Superbike Championship, held in Taupō. Photo / MNZ, Derek Morrison
With Durning gone, Chandler claimed the TT title, the NZ Superbike Championship, the Geoff Perry Memorial Trophy, and the Aaron Slight Championship Trophy.
Jake Lewis, a six-time national champion, signed off on his championship career by winning the 600 Supersport crown and TT title in his class.
It was no easy win, as young guns Jesse Stroud and Haydn Fordyce pushed him all the way.
Stroud won the final 600 Supersport race and the Damon Rees Memorial Trophy.
Sidecar races were plagued by red flags and non-finishes.
2026 Superbike Champion Rogan Chandler (centre) celebrates winning the Aaron Slight Championship Trophy. He is flanked by Aaron Slight (left) and NZSBK series promoter Mike Marsden. Photo / MNZ, Derek Morrison
Adam Unsworth and Bryce Rose won the TT title, but overall honours went to Spike and Bubba Taylor, whose third place in the final race was enough for the main prize.
Tyler King won the TT title in the Sportsbike class, but Zak Fuller rode for the points, finishing third to take the championship by just one point.
The ProTwin TT crown was grabbed by Cameron Leslie.
