Multiple New Zealand Superbike and Formula One Superbike champion, Mitch Rees, is in the United Kingdom as he prepares for his debut at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races.

The 32-year-old from Whakatāne will ride a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade for the Milenco by Padgetts Honda team in the RST x D3O Superbike TT, Milwaukee Senior TT and RL360/Opul Superstock TT races.

Rees will contest the North West 200 and opening round of the National Superstock Championship in preparation for his mountain vourse debut.

Rees comes from a family steeped in motorcycling, with father Tony being one of his country’s most successful Superbike riders, while younger brother Damon was a New Zealand Supersport champion who enjoyed success in the UK riding for both the Ashcourt Racing and Carl Cox Motorsport teams before tragically passing away in 2023 after a short illness.

Mitch himself was a relatively late starter to road racing, getting his first taste of the tarmac at the age of 21 after many successful years in motocross, which took him to the World Junior Championships.

However, since switching to road racing, it’s been success after success with four NZ Formula One Superbike titles to his name along with a brace in the Superbike class.

Riding the immaculately prepared Team Rees Motorcycles Honda Fireblade, he made it three Superbike titles this year.

In addition, he’s chalked up more than a dozen wins around the famous Cemetery Circuit at Wanganui with three of those victories coming in the prestigious, and coveted, Robert Holden Memorial Trophy race.

Racing at Whanganui has seen him come up against the likes of Peter Hickman, Davey Todd, Lee Johnston and Richard Cooper and after forging friendships with all of them, particularly Todd, Rees spent the whole of TT 2024 race week on the Island and is now eagerly looking forward to his Mountain Course debut.

“I’ve always enjoyed riding on the roads back home and so the TT has always been on my radar, said Rees.

“It’s obviously difficult to do being from on the other side of the world and we relied on Bruce (Anstey) to fly the flag for us for many years.

“But having met the likes of Davey and Hicky when they’ve come over to race in the NZ Suzuki Series, I started to discuss the TT with them more.

“I made it over to the Island for nine days last year and loved everything about it.

“I did a couple of laps with Davey and going over the Mountain for the first time was pretty mind blowing especially considering the speeds that they do!

“Since then, I’ve been doing my homework, doing laps on the PlayStation game and Milky Quayle’s on-board DVD to get used to the course as much as possible.

“I’ll be heading to the UK in April so will head straight over to the Isle of Man to get in plenty of laps with Rider Liaison Officers Milky and Johnny Barton.

“The main goal for 2025 is to be safe, learn the course and enjoy it. And with the Padgetts boys, I couldn’t ask to be with a better team.

“Clive and his crew are so well known, and so successful. And if you’re going to do something, it’s best to do the job properly.”