Andy McGechan

Is there no stopping the Whakatāne-based Honda Team Rees juggernaut in this season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships?

When the third round of four in the annual motorcycle road-racing series wrapped up at the Hampton Downs circuit, just north of Hamilton, on Sunday afternoon, it was again 32-year-old Mitch Rees unbeaten and on the top step of the podium in the premier 1000cc superbike class, with his 57-year-old father, Tony Rees, climbing up to join him, on the second step.

Christchurch’s Alastair Hoogenboezem was forced to settle for the third podium spot on Sunday.

In terms of the series points, however, it is Mitch Rees comfortably in front, a massive 68 points ahead of Hoogenboezem, with Tony Rees in third overall, now just one point further adrift.

Every post was a winning one for Mitch Rees at the weekend, qualifying his Honda CBR1000 on pole – an achievement worth one additional competition point – before turning his incredible pace into a hat-trick of wins.

The two-time former New Zealand champion also set a new Hampton Downs lap record in the process.

Not unsurprisingly, Mitch Rees also claimed the Tourist Trophy title, an additional prize bestowed upon the various winners of the third and final race in each class at Hampton Downs.

In total, he has now won eight races from nine starts in this series and his only “failure” was finishing runner-up to Christchurch’s Dale Finch in one of his three races at round two at Timaru last month.

Evergreen multi-time former New Zealand champion Tony Rees said he was thrilled to be able to again join his son on the podium and, depending on what transpires at the fourth and final round at Taupō next weekend, the championships may well end up a 1-2 finish for the family.

“It was a perfect weekend I suppose you could say,” said Mitch Rees afterwards. “I have a good points buffer now and can possibly wrap up the title with a solid result in the first of my three races at Taupō’s finale next weekend.

“I actually had an issue to deal with regarding the bike in race one at Hampton Downs. It had rained midway through the day, and so we changed tyres after practice. Somehow the wheel rim got a dent in it, and this affected the bike’s handling in race one. I managed to ride around the problem.

“Dad did magnificently to finish where he did at Hampton Downs, too, especially considering he wasn’t feeling 100 percent. He just has so much experience that racing is second nature to him.

“It’s going to be a busy weekend at Taupō next week and the aim now is to make it a Rees family 1-2 for the championship. I like the Taupō track and hold the lap record there, so that’s a positive omen.”

The series wraps up with round four at Taupō on Saturday and Sunday.