Motorcycling: Podium finish for Richie in Taupo

Whanganui motorcycle racers appear to be shaping up well for upcoming assignments after podium finishes in the relatively low key CCMR Endurance event for Formula 1 and F2 machines in Taupō last weekend.

The three-hour event was partly a fundraiser for Kiwi superbike rider Damon Rees' British campaign and won by his father Tony and brother Mitch, both riding Honda 1000cc superbikes.

Second was the Barracks Sports Bar Racing Team Richie Dibben (Suzuki 1000cc) and teenager Luca Durning (Suzuki 600cc) with Whanganui's Tarbon Walker (Kawasaki 600cc) and Aucklander David Sharp (Kawasaki 1000cc) in third.

"It was a pretty good effort for us to finish second when we were on F1 and F2 machines while the winners were both on superbikes (1000cc)," Dibben said.

"It was a gutsy effort, The event is a three hour endurance test where we have turns in half hour stints.

"Luca is still young and coming along nicely on my old 600cc that he will be riding in the F2 Supersport class in the Suzuki Series. I'm happy with the way my superbike is going and I was pretty much matching the lap times Mitch Rees was doing and he's among the top two or three in that class."

Dibben won last season's New Zealand Supersport 600c title in his debut season cut short by Covid-19 and steps up to F1 this year, while Durning will contest the 600cc F2 class in the upcoming Suzuki Series.

Tarbon Walker was also using the event was a warm-up to the Suzuki Series followed by the nationals in the New Year where he will be competing on his Kawasaki 600cc.

Iain Hyndman
Whanganui Chronicle 31/10/20