Motorcycles: Whanganui's Tarbon Walker looking strong in Superstock for NZSBK

Tarbon Walker, seen here at the Okoia Hill Climb in December, is contending for the Superstock 600cc title at the New Zealand Superbike Championships coming into Round 4 at Manfeild.

Having two checkered flags to his name from Hampton Downs has Whanganui's Tarbon Walker feeling confident heading into the fourth round of the New Zealand Superbike Championships in Manfeild this coming weekend.

The 20-year-old Walker has entered the Superstock 600cc class of the championships this season, having stepped up from being a Top 5 competitor in the development Suzuki Gixxer Cup division last summer.

The "middleweight" grade of the national circuit, the Superstocks compete in the same races as the more modified Supersport 600cc bikes, but have a different scoring system.

At Hampton Downs two weekends ago, Walker won Race 1 and 2 for the Superstocks, while coming second in the longer third race, which was also for the one-off Tourist Trophy, a prize he won last year for Gixxer racing.

Wellington's Dillon Telford, who has significant international experience in Superbike racing, took the Superstock victory in Race 3 and is the favourite for the season title.

"That's pretty cool to be dicing with him and some of the other heavyweights," said Walker.

"We're pretty close for [season] points, just need to be right at the top of it and not crash.

"Manfeild's my home track, so we're pretty confident.

"Whenever we come to run on these events, we're just getting faster and faster."

As a true racer, Walker would like to also be putting his bike ahead of the Supersport riders in his races, with his best result being fifth overall in one race where he was contending for the lead but chose to drop back due to the strain he was putting on his engine, settling for a class win.

If possible, he would like to improve his bike so he can enter Supersport next summer.

"We're only 1-2s behind those guys."

Racing at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon this weekend will be on Saturday and Sunday, following on from an unofficial practice day on Friday, hosted by Cemetery Circuit Ltd.

The final round will be in Taupo the following weekend.