The long-awaited round three of five in the King of Ruapuna formula one series belonged to Christchurch rider Alastair Hoogenboezem who notched up three solid wins on Sunday.
But the former national superbike champion didn’t have it all his own way on his Yamaha YZR R1M as current national supersport champion and former speedway champion Dale Finch made him work hard.
Finch (Suzuki GSXR) pushed Hoogenboezem at every opportunity, keeping the small crowd entertained with some tight, competitive racing on show.
The delayed Motorcycling Canterbury KOR event attracted 87 riders from all over the South Island, including eight juniors and three riders from Wellington.
Round one and two of the series were cancelled, so Sunday was the first round with Hoogenboezem's wins putting him in the championship lead with two rounds to go.
The next big motor-cycle event in Canterbury will be round two of the Southern Race Series at Teretonga Park Raceway, Invercargill, on November 13, followed by round 3 at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, on April 17, 2022.
Motorcycling New Zealand has announced the dates for the 2022 NZ Super Bike Championship. Round one will be held on January 8-9 at Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, followed a week later by round two January 15-16 at Teretonga Park, Invercargill, before the series heads to the North Island in March 2022.
