NZ Motorcycle Road Race Endurance Title - Pukekohe - 7th & 8th May 2005

NEWS FLASH the
"NZ Motorcycle Distributors 300"

Those of us old enough (and fortunate enough) will remember the heady days of the Castrol Six Hours. When all the importers strutted their stuff and the fans flocked to Manfield to soak it all up.

Are we now to see a modern version of an event that captured the attention of enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts? Check out VKTrackTime.co.nz

The VK Tracktime team of Vince Sharpe, Kristin Hawthorne and Geoff Evans confirm their planned promotion for the NZ Endurance Road Racing Championship. This event is set down for the 7/8 May, 2005 at Pukekohe, and will run under the banner of VK Tracktime presents the "NZ Motorcycle Distributors 300".

The race is over 2 hours and ten minutes and will cover 330 km approximately, for two classes being Production Superbike and Sports Production motorcycles run concurrently. Additional to this are supporting classes of Post Classic and 125 GP bikes with some specialist stunt riding and a band to finish off the weekend.

The highlight of the promotion is the negotiations to hopefully secure LIVE BROADCASTING by Sky Sport One for both the qualifying sessions (1 hour Saturday), and the Endurance Race and other weekend events (3 hours Sunday). A package will also be made up for delayed coverage to Free to Air TV.

Numerous attempts to secure outside sponsorship have proved an exhaustive and challenging experience. With the time frame becoming critical to the success of the planning, the NZ Motorcycle Distributors Association including Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Triumph, Aprillia, BMW and Ducati have combined to financially secure the event. Additional sponsors include the Metzeler and Dunlop distributors, Forbes and Davies, Protector Insurance and Kiwi Rider magazine.

TOP MOTORCYCLE BRANDS IN 300K TITLE FIGHT:

Motorcycle road racing teams and brands will pitch themselves into the unique and demanding sport of endurance racing at the newly resurfaced Pukekohe circuit on the weekend of May 7 & 8. The NZ Distributors 300k is an official national championship event where anyone of a dozen teams riding five different brands of sportsbikes could lift the title. Intensifying the competition is the resurfaced track surface at Pukekohe Park Raceway that many riders believe will lead to lap records being broken in both the Superbike and Sports Production classes.

Major manufacturers Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha have all entered credible teams into the 300k event. With live television coverage on Sky Sports motorcycle distributors are keen to promote awareness of their road machines.

Television viewers and racegoers will see the latest Superbikes and 600cc sports bikes take to the grid for a traditional Le Man race start where riders sprint across the track to their machines. Local race legend Eric Bone will drop the chequered flag and send teams into action at 1.45pm Sunday May 8th.

Race organiser Vince Sharpe is a strong advocate of the long distance race format which was last run as a national title in 2001. “We are committed to ensuring endurance racing regains its stature and be recognised as an exciting and entertaining motor sport discipline and to once again become a permanent fixture on the annual motorcycle road race calendar”.

Sharpe uses the hare and the tortoise analogy to characterise the unpredictable nature of the endurance event; “ It’s a race of attrition where even the best teams, machines and riders can be eliminated by crashes, re-fuelling mistakes or backmarkers. Sometimes an unfavoured team can circulate long enough and quick enough to finish on the podium”

The entry list of machines for the 300K mirrors the current World Superbike competition with a high calibre line-up of Honda CBR100RR’s, Kawasaki ZX-10R’s, Yamaha YZF R1’s, and Suzuki GSXR1000R’s. Triumph has also confirmed the entry of two machines – two Daytona models, a 650 and a 955.

A full race card of 125 Grand Prix, Post Classic motorcycles, Endurance Qualifying shoot-outs, stunt displays and post-race entertainment will run at Pukekohe Raceway over the weekend of May 7th and 8th.

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