Superbike: Whanganui teenager Caleb Gilmore is coming to grips with his Gixxer

Whanganui teenager Caleb Gilmore (27) leads the tight pack of Gixxer riders at Manfeild at the weekend with fellow Whanganui racer Cameron Goldfinch (28) in close pursuit. Photo / Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Whanganui teenager Caleb Gilmore is beginning to show signs of natural ability in a relatively short time after his podium finish in the Suzuki Gixxer 150 class at round four of the New Zealand Superbike Championships at Manfeild over the weekend.

The 15-year-old Whanganui High School student has only been racing since October last year and finished second overall in the class after a close battle that came down to countback to determine the round winner.

The racing was so tight at Manfeild that Gilmore finished the weekend first equal, only losing out to Taupiri's Zak Fuller on the countback rule (with Fuller having placed better that Gilmore in the last of the three races), while riders in third and fourth overall, series leader Hamilton's Jesse Stroud (son of nine-time New Zealand champion superbike rider Andrew) and Greymouth's Clark and Fountain, also ended the weekend with identical points.

Because it is a level playing field in this motorcycling nursery ground where all riders ranging in age from 14 to 21 are on identical Suzuki GSX150F machines, the cut and thrust racing has been about as feverish and frenetic as it can get.

Although it is Stroud, Fuller and Fountain who currently lead the way, the series could easily go one of 10 or 12 ways

Gilmore qualified fifth on the grid behind Stroud and in race one finished second, but in race two was able to time his run to perfection for the win and the chance to take overall honours.

Fourth place in the final race almost guaranteed Gilmore the overall and that's exactly what he did. Unfortunately, he finished first equal on points with Fuller bringing the countback rule into play.

"I was so pumped after race one that I wouldn't have cared if I got DNF (did not finish) for all the other races," young Gilmore said.

"Just to be up there was huge, but to get a first and have an overall (placing) was more than I could imagine. Thanks to all those who support me behind the scenes, this is just as much for them as it is for me."
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Gilmore only began racing in October last year and competed in the first two legs of the Suzuki Series,missing the final round on his home track on on Boxing Day. With the Cemetery Circuit raced on the street circuit, Gilmore did not meet the age restriction.
Gilmore has also missed the South Island rounds of the national series this year.

In the Gixxer class there were five Whanganui riders with Cameron Goldfinch picking up fifth for the weekend at Manfeild with strong rides from Luca Durning and Michael and Lucy Dowman.

Goldfinch and Sanson's Shane Miller also finished the event on identical points and only able to be separated by the countback rule.

"It has been a remarkable competition right from the beginning," said Suzuki's Simon Meade, the general manager of Motorcycle/ATV/Marine Marketing at headquarters in Whanganui.

"We believe it has been a wonderful inspiration for so many of these young riders and given them an insight into the sport and life skills to go with it. It really is all about growing future champions."

While the racing was certainly heated and intense at Manfeild, it was also interesting to see the close camaraderie that existed within the Gixxer Cup family of riders.

When Whanganui's Luca Durning crashed out of the weekend's second race, his bike shattered and almost was unrecognisable afterwards, the Gixxer Cup riders and their parents rallied around to offer a replacement for the young rider and he managed to finish eighth in the last race of the weekend on the borrowed bike.

The final round takes them to Taupo this weekend.