Dibben leads charge for local riders

ON THE HUNT: Former Wanganui sidecar racers Adam Unsworth (left) and Stu Dawe are hunting their fifth Suzuki Series F1 title with four already safely in the cabinet. PHOTO/STEVENSON, UNSWORTH & DAWE

WANGANUI riders fared reasonably well at round one of the Suzuki Series at Hampton Downs at the weekend with defending two-time Supermoto champion Richie Dibben leading the charge.

Dibben on his Tyresheild 450 claimed race one while Wanganui's Aden Brown (Harvey Round Motors RMZ450) finished close behind with Duncan Hart from Tauranga holding third.

In race two Hart turned the tables beating both Dibben and Brown, but for his consistency Dibben completed the meeting leading the series with 48 points. His victory in race two gave Hart on 45 a three-point edge over Brown in third in 43.

The way Dibben performed at Hampton Downs suggests he remains hot favourite to take the Supermoto championship out for the third year running with Manfeild to come on Sunday and the final round on Wanganui's Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day.

Brown, a relative newcomer competing in his second season in the class, looks poised to do serious battle with Hart in the final two rounds.

Meanwhile, in the sidecar championship former Wanganui racers Adam Unsworth and Stu Dawe look to have their work cut out on their aging 1988 Boss Engineering Windle F1 machine to rein in Hamilton racer Aaron Lovell and his new swinger Tracy Bryan, who is formerly from Wanganui.

The Lovell/Bryan partnership beat Unsworth and Dawes - now based in Auckland - into second place in both races at the weekend with Auckland brothers Chris and Richard Lawrance crossing the line third in both legs on their FFM Helmets Anderson R1 outfit.

Lovell and Bryan lead the points board with 51, while Unsworth/Dawes sit back on 44. The Lawrance brother are third on 40 just four ahead of Wanganui's pairing Corey Winter and Tim Shepherd.

However, Unsworth and Dawe will be relentless over the next two rounds as they search for their fifth series win.

Wanganui's Jayden Carrick made a great fist of his F1 Superbike debut finishing third in qualifying only to crash in race one. The damage to his machine, however, meant a no-show in race two.

Fellow Wanganui debutante Glen Haden, on Carrick's old F2 bike finished midfield, although he had earlier noted he fully expected his first season in the 600cc grade would be tantamount to an apprenticeship.

Lap records tumbled under sunny skies at Hampton Downs on Sunday, where Horst Saiger won both F1 Superbike races at record speed.

The Liechtenstein resident was pushed in both heats by Jaden Hassan, of Auckland on pole, but no one could stop the more experienced Saiger from taking both victories on his Red Devils Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R.

Hassan jumped into the lead on his Suzuki NZ GSXR1000 in race one and held it until mid-race, when the Saiger steamroller took over. Hassan fell in the closing stages which promoted Taupo's Scott Moir (Penny Homes GSXR1000) into second, with Tony Rees third on his Tony Rees Honda CBR1000RR.

2012 Suzuki Series champ Dennis Charlett, Hayden Fitzgerald and Sloan Frost rounded out the top six. Australian Linden Magee fell from his M1 Motorsport BMW S1000RR Superbike which couldn't be repaired in time for race two.