Frost SloanSuzuki GSX-R1000 pilot Sloan Frost continues his domination of the New Zealand Superbike Championship after earning two race wins at Levels Raceway outside Timaru this past weekend (round three of four).The 34-year-old Frost now leads the New Zealand Superbike Championship by 43 points over John Ross, who currently sits in second overall. Ross and nine-time former Superbike Champion Andrew Stroud fighting tooth and nail to gain points over one another. This comes down to the rider; all three competitors are aboard nearly identical Suzuki GSX-R1000 bikes.
“Just a small change in temperature can make such a big difference with regards to tire choice and it was really just a matter of getting that right. After that I rode my own race, checking my pit board each lap and staying in front,” Frost says. “There are four races to go at the final round and I’m feeling confident. That’s my strongest track but there is still 100 points up for grabs, so it’s not done and dusted yet. I need to ride smart.”Ross secured two second place finishes on Sunday, that allowed him to gain a slight points advantage over Stroud who took home two consecutive fourth place finishes on Sunday. Stroud faced some tough competition from Tony Rees, who scrapped by into third place, in the first race and Scott Moir, in the second race.A mere 17 points behind Stroud, Moir remains fourth in the overall championship standings aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000.With a month of downtime between now and the next race, the riders have gone back to their respective homes to prepare for the fourth and final round of the New Zealand Superbike Championships at Hampton Downs, outside Meremere, on March 5 and 6.
Associate Editor Teejay Adams recently attended the Yamaha Champions Riding School in Las Vegas, and she took with her the Yamaha XSR900 that she’s been riding for a while. This is the retro-style version of the MT-09, and Teejay gives us her impressions of the bike, including her thoughts versus the XSR700 that she rode previously.
The guest segment of Motos and Friends is brought to you by the faster and most technologically advanced, 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa—one of the most iconic sportbikes ever. Check it out in person at your local Suzuki dealer now, or visit suzukicycles.com to learn more.
In our second segment, Teejay chats with Cait Maher, a contributing journalist at motorcycle.com and owner of a Yamaha TW200. The two ladies met at the recent launch of Kawasaki’s dual sport KLX230s. Teejay is a total novice off-road. Cait however, although quite experienced in the dirt including her recent venture on the District 37 Barstow to Las Vegas dual-sport ride, still doesn’t consider herself an expert. Both of these girls have a positive, upbeat attitude, and their fun, energetic outlook shines through. Cait is definitely a give-it-a-go type of personality. Her take on the various challenges, experiences and adventures that she’s had make for fun listening.
