It’s how a sportsman deals with adversity that defines championship-winning potential and that’s just the steely character that father-and-son racers Tony and Mitch Rees are showing right now.

It was a difficult weekend for the Honda team-mates and “sometimes rivals” from the Bay of Plenty as the two men tackled the second round of three in the big annual Suzuki International Series in the Manawatu at the weekend.

Defending series champion Mitch Rees and his father Tony Rees were ranked No.1 and No.2 in the three-round series after the opening stanza in Taupo just over a week ago.

But now, after a tough couple of days of racing at round two at the Manfeild circuit, on the outskirts of Feilding, both riders have haemorrhaged vital points, trimming their advantage significantly.

Mitch Rees slid off his Honda CBR1000RR-R and failed to finish race one at Manfeild on Saturday, while Tony Rees crashed his distinctive red bike in the third and final F1 race on Sunday.

With an inflamed ankle, Tony Rees did not line up for the re-start.

The dynamic duo from Whakatāne are now first and third in the standings for the premier formula one/superbikes class.

Consistency from fast-improving Upper Hutt rider Rogan Chandler has earned him the No.2 position in the F1 standings and he is now just three points adrift of Mitch Rees.

It’s obviously a true family affair with Mitch Rees, who turns 33 in three days, and his 58-year-old dad, Tony, both still well-positioned to again make it an eventual Rees Honda Team 1-2 in this popular Christmastime competition.

Tony Rees just needs to get back past Rogan Chandler at the final round on the public streets of Whanganui in less than two weeks’ time.

With two of three rounds now under his wheels, Mitch Rees knows that, barring further disaster, he’s on track to make it five F1/superbike class titles in a row in this series. He won this premier class title in 2020, 2022, 2023 and also in 2024 (the series was not run in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

“I guess it will make the final round in Whanganui pretty exciting for the fans,” said Mitch Rees.

“Tony and I have dominated the racing so far, but riders such as Rogan (Chandler) and Luca (Durning) have been pushing pretty hard. It has certainly made the competition interesting. Dad doesn’t have anything to prove and, later this week, I’m sure he’ll make the decision about whether he races at Whanganui or not.

“We have accumulated a lot of crutches and moon boots over the years you know,” he laughed.

The Rees men have between them won all F1 races in this 2025 series thus far, although that is plainly tempered by the fact they have each also now suffered a non-finish race.

The series will wrap up, as usual, in Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day, including the Robert Holden Memorial feature race, a prestigious race that was won by Mitch Rees in 2022, 2023 and last year, too, by his late brother, Damon Rees in 2020 and by their father Tony on seven occasions (between 1990 and 2016).

Leaders after the second round of three in the 2025 Suzuki International Series are Whakatane’s Mitch Rees (formula one); Auckland’s Cameron Leslie (formula two/supersport 600); Silverdale’s Tyler King (formula three); Silverdale’s Tyler King (supersport 300); Paraparaumu’s Richard Markham-Barrett (formula sport, senior, over-600cc); Feilding’s Jordan Walters (formula sport, junior, up to 600cc); Auckland’s Paul Pavletich (Pre 89 post classics, senior, over-600cc); Auckland’s Scott Findlay (Pre 89, post classics junior, under-600cc); Upper Hutt’s Kieran Mair (Pre 95, post classics senior, over-600cc); Te Awanga’s Eddie Kattenberg (Pre 95, post classics junior, under-600cc); Tokomaru’s Barry Smith/ Whanganui’s Louise Blythe and Panmure’s Adam Uns-worth/Whanganui’s Bryce Rose (F1 sidecars) first equal; Whanganui’s Tracey Bryan & Jo Franzen (F2 sidecars); Whanganui’s Richie Dibben (supermoto).