Yamaha Motor NZ clinches Superbike and 150 classes in shortened NZSBK Championship

09.04.2020

Yamaha Motor New Zealand Media Statement

Three Yamaha Racing Team riders will be having at-home celebrations, across the country, to mark two wins and a podium finish in the cut-short 2020 New Zealand Superbike (NZSBK) Championship.

In Christchurch, Alastair Hoogenboezem (27) will mark the day he won his first Superbike title (provisional), with his parents and two brothers, after Motorcycling New Zealand announced in a statement today that it is “calling the NZSBK Championship after the three rounds that have been completed.”

The final two rounds have been cancelled due to the unknown impact of Covid-19 to the sport.

Down in Invercargill, aged only 13-years-old, Cormac Buchanan, was thrilled to learn that he is likely the youngest rider in the sport’s history to win a New Zealand road racing title. He adds the Supersport 150 Championship to the NZGP and NZTT titles that he also won during the 2020 series.

While in Wellington, Rogan Chandler (22) was happy to have achieved his best-ever finish, with a second in the Supersport 600 class.

Christchurch-based Yamaha Racing Team rider Alastair Hoogenboezem has won his debut Superbike title in the 2020 New Zealand Superbike Championship on his 1000cc YZF-R1.

Photo: ASP

For 1000cc YZF-R1 rider Hoogenboezem, it was his third national title, earned in equally spaced time frames. He won the 125cc class in 2010, then five years later, in 2015, claimed the Supersport 600 trophy. Today he added the top-level 2020 Superbike silverware to his cabinet.

“I plan to defend it. There’s no class to move up to - this is it. So hopefully the wins don’t come every five years,” Hoogenboezem says, laughing.

Now in his fifth year in the Superbike class, racing in the highest-tier Yamaha Racing Team, Hoogenboezem has worked his way through the field from an awestruck youngster racing against nine-time Superbike champion Andrew Stroud in 2011, to the talented championship-winning rider he is today.

The circumstances surrounding his victory however, were in his own words - “weird.” “I’ve never had a win or title like this before. Normally I’d be up on the top step of the podium with the crowd cheering. It feels a bit weird. I’m excited but can’t celebrate it with anyone [outside his bubble] yet. I’m lucky that I was in the best seat in the house after Hampton Downs.”

Hoogenboezem is referring to the third - and now final round at Hampton Downs in March, where he bounced back from a significant crash in the first race to take out the prestigious TT title in the third race on his Yamaha YZF-R1. The closely-fought victory earned him enough points to snatch the overall title.

“Massive thanks to the team. Last year I didn’t think it could get too much better in terms of a ride in New Zealand but with Josh and Amy [Coppins] coming on board in 2020, it really ramped it up. This year, we had the team and the bike and the support and could just concentrate on the riding. It’s not an individual sport, it’s a team sport, so big thanks to Yamaha and the team’s and my own personal
sponsors,” Hoogenboezem says.

Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motorsport Manager Josh Coppins was understandably rapt to have captured the Superbike title in his first year with the team, saying it was unexpected but warmly welcomed. He wholeheartedly congratulated Hoogenboezem on his victory.

Yamaha-supported Cormac Buchanan, of Invercargill, dominantly won the Supersport 150 title in his debut NZSBK season.

Photo: ASP

Buchanan, who is supported by Yamaha and backed by his hometown dealership Rogers Motorcycles in Invercargill, says he will “remember forever” being awarded his first New Zealand championship.

“For sure it’s not the way I wanted to win the title - it would have been great to race those final two rounds and have the chance to celebrate with my Yamaha team mates but that’s not possible in the circumstances. Motorcycling New Zealand had to make a very tough call and made it with the safety of everyone in mind.”

The youngster has an enviable record, going through unbeaten in the Supersport class on his YZFR15, in his rookie NZSBK season.

“A lot of the credit for that goes to my coach Steve Bagshaw and my dad Stacey for always believing in me and backing me to achieve my goals.”

“It’s been an amazing experience to be in a winning environment with the Yamaha team and have the chance to learn from wicked riders like Alastair, Jake, Rogan and Harry. Our results overall across all the classes really shows the successful team culture that Josh and Amy Coppins and Steve Lloyd have created for us and I’m honoured to be part of that,” Buchanan wraps up.

Leaping up the standings, Yamaha Racing Development Team rider, Wellington’s Rogan Chandler finished second overall in the 2020 New Zealand Superbike Championship Supersport 600 class.

Photo: ASP

Chandler also would’ve loved to finish the season, especially having the chance to race on his home track at Manfeild. However, he took positives away from the fact that after the first round he was languishing in eighth place and made it through to second overall by the conclusion of the third round, courtesy of a stunning set of triple victories on his Yamaha YZF-R6 at Hampton Downs.

He credited the work put in by Robert Taylor (KSS Suspension) and Steve Lloyd, who manages the Yamaha Racing Development Team satellite squad, for helping to get him back in the game.

“We finally figured out mentally what makes me tick and what makes me ride well. At least I’ve learned all of that this year and I can go into next year super confident and keep that momentum up,” Chandler says.

All three Yamaha riders echoed the same sentiment - that it was a shame not to be able to share their achievements with their Yamaha Motor New Zealand team that has been so instrumental in their 2020 successes.

BAYRIDE COMMENT INSERT:

Nick Burke #42 on the Bayride Motocycles Yamalube R-6 made his debut in  NZSBK Supersport 600 class for 2020. Finishing 11th in the Supersport 600 rankings is impressive, on a virtually 'stock' Yamaha R-6 with 45 points.

Nick narrowly missed out in a Top Ten standing, only 2 points behind 10th place Jordan Burley (47 points).

Notably Nick finished the shortened series ahead of rivals such as 2019 series champion Avalon Biddle (12th) and TR20 racer Dillon Telford (13th).

We look forward to seeing the bike in new livery for the next outing and some more tight and exciting racing from Nick who you will find in the Bayride Motorcycles sales showroom when he is not on track.

Nick Burke #42

END OF BAYRIDE COMMENT

Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motorsport Manager Josh Coppins says he couldn’t praise the Yamaha Pit crew “Peter Fenton (Red), Nigel Friend, Hank Randell, Tim McArthur, Nic Bishop (Smokey) and Dave Cole” highly enough.

“My wife Amy and I put things in place but the brains behind the set-up, is those guys. I think we raised the bar this year, but I feel like we’ve only just scratched the surface with the crew, with the bikes, the riders and also with our set-up.”

“Our other Yamaha team members also deserve a mention with Timaru’s Harry Parker finishing fifth in the Supersport 300 class and Rangiora rider Jake Lewis sixth in the Superbikes. So, I’m really excited to move forwards with all our promising road racing riders into next season,” Coppins says.

Yamaha Motor New Zealand’s General Manager Alan Petrie says that on behalf of the brand and its fans, he congratulates the team’s riders on their fine efforts.
“We, like them, would love to have seen the series run to the full end. It is what it is and will not take away from the fantastic results.”

He commended Coppins on the success he has achieved in his first year in his across-racingdivisions role with Yamaha.
“He has really developed Yamaha’s fortunes in road racing. In off-road we’ve also had a very good year with the Altherm JCR Yamaha team claiming the national MX1 and MX2 titles,” Petrie says.

The level of fan and customer engagement has been heartening this season and reinforces Yamaha’s commitment to every level of rider, from novices to professionals, Petrie adds.

Coppins concludes that it has been a “huge motorsport year” for Yamaha.
“I feel like we’ve delivered but can do more. As always, we are looking forward to the future.”

*Results for the Superbikes and the Supersport 300 classes will remain provisional until technical checks have been completed. MNZ says it will do its utmost to get these done as soon as possible.

NZSBK CHAMPIONSHIP OVERALL:

Superbike (Provisional)
1st Alastair Hoogenboezem (YZF-R1) – 148
2nd Scott Moir – 145
3rd Damon Rees – 142
4th Lachlan Epis – 126
5th Daniel Mettham – 113
6th Jake Lewis (YZF-R1) – 110

Supersport 600
1st Richie Dibben – 207
2nd Rogan Chandler (YZF-R6) – 147
3rd Dale Finch – 111
4th Ashton Hughes – 105
5th Toby Summers – 96

Supersport 300 (Provisional)
1st Nathanael Diprose – 160
2nd Jacob Stroud – 140
3rd Jason Hearn (YZF-R3) – 130
4th Caleb Gilmore (YZF-R3) – 114
5th Harry Parker (YZF-R3) – 108
6th Campbell Grayling (YZF-R3) – 106

Supersport 150
1st Cormac Buchanan (YZF-R15) – 203
2nd Jacob Pierce (YZF-R15) – 164
3rd Oliver Cotton (YZF-R15) – 120
4th Jacob Skinner (YZF-R15) – 96
5th Olivia Goddard (YZF-R15) – 92
6th Liam Humm (YZF-R15) – 88
7th Hamish Simpson (YZF-R15) – 65

2020 NZSBK RACE SCHEDULE:
Round One – Ruapuna – 11th & 12th January 2020
Round Two – Levels – 18th & 19th January 2020
Round Three – Hampton Downs – 7th & 8th March 2020
Round Four – Manfield – 28th & 29th March *cancelled
Round Five – Taupo – 4th & 5th April 2020 *cancelled

YAMAHA RACING TEAM (YRT) WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS:
Yamaha Motor NZ, Yamalube, GYTR, bLU cRU, YMF, YMI, Akrapovic, Pirelli, Race Supplies,
GB Racing, JCR, Holland Collision Centre, Workshop Graphics & Sprint Filter.