The World Superbikes Kiwi Connection 1988 , 89 , 90 and 1992.

The World Superbike Championship races at Manfeild Auto Course near Palmerston North were New Zealand's first World Championship road race event in the NZACU's history. But many people don't realise the role that New Zealand played in those early days getting the series started.

American Steve McLaughlin had been developing an idea since the 1970s after a discussion with the late Warren Willing ,the great Australian racer and tuner , after Willing  had mentioned about a similar series that was raced in Australia. Superbike racing in America started in 1976 with the creation of the AMA Superbike Championship. McLaughlin himself was the winner of the first event , but the Championship went to Reg Pridmore.

The idea of the Superbike World Championship series developed in the mid 1980s , with the idea to run the series along the AMA rules with a few changes. Two of those differences being overbored cylinders and the use of stock carburettors. World Superbikes would be open to 750 four cylinder four strokes and 1000cc twins.

By the late 1980s the FIM TT Formula 1 championship had largely become irrelevant.  The Superbike championship was originally going to be the four stroke championship as at that time two strokes ruled World Grand Prix racing.
 

McLaughlin managed to convince the FIM with help from the NZACU's FIM representative Ken Duncan that a series was worth it's time . There was a lot of resistance from the FIM congress , but the proposal was accepted provided McLaughlin could find enough circuits to sign up .

In 1987 McLaughlin with partners that included Kiwis Keith Jones and Brian Lawrence formed Sports Marketing Limited. Mclaughlin would receive 35% of the company's shares.Brian Lawrence was at the time working for Global Motorsports , a division of the Global Sports and Promotions company which in turn was a part of the bigger Madison Corporation who promoted other niche sports around the globe. Keith Jones was the managing director of Global Sports and Promotions.

Circuits were approached thoughout 1987 and nine rounds were locked in for the first season 1988 . Donington Park , Hungaroring , Hockenheim , Osterreichring ,Sugo , Le Mans , Estoril , Oran Park and Manfeild . Sports Marketing Limited (McLaughlin , Jones and Lawrence) funded the 1988 series itself as it was unable to attract a series sponsor. The company pledged to provide a travel fund of £25,000 at each round of the 1989 championship , to be split among the top 25 riders from the 1988 championship.

The search for funding continued in to 1989 , with Keith Jones travelling the globe in an effort to find a title sponsor at help alleviate the mounting debts. Just one week before the opening round of the 1989 series , the Madison Group called Jones back to Auckland for a board meeting. Parent company Madison Corporation had decided that , after almost a million dollars having been spent on the series and no sign of return , they would not support the WSBK in 1989. Sports Marketing cease trading in March 1989 .The NZACU and Manfeild Promotions would together run the New Zealand round in 1989 , so to help secure the future at least till the next year (1990) .

The FIM stepped in to save the series , but agreed only to fund the travel fund for the first round only. Almost immediately the President of the FIM , Joe Zegwaard , and the Japanese advertising agency Dentsu (through their representatives Moto Co) started negotiations. It must be remembered that Mr Zegwaard was previously opposed to McLaughlin and the WSBK proposal.

At the same time that Denstu made an intial offer , a rival bid had been placed by former car racer Maurizio Flammini. 
 

Dentsu had approached the FIM with an interest to take control of the WSBK from 1990 . However they were more concerned with the ongoing efforts to secure television coverage rights for the 1992 Olympic games , and as such their talks with the FIM and Mr Zegwaard had not come to a conclusion by the end of 1989. As the deal wasn't finalised the deal offered from Flammini was accepted.

There was much legal wrangling between Flammini and Dentsu , resulting in a joint venture in which Flammini was contracted to handle adminstration of the series and Dentsu were to provide and distribute the television coverage. The Joint contract was to last to the end of 1992. Dentsu secured a title sponsor in Diesel Jeans for three years 1990-91-92.

New Zealand did not have a round in 1991 , instead a one off Pan Pacific Round was run. The NZACU did manage to convince the FIM and Flammini to allow a round of the World Championship back in New Zealand in 1992.

At the end of 1992 Denstu did not renew it's contract and the full control of the series was handed to Flammini.

The World Superbike Championship was never to see New Zealand again after 1992 , increased costs and demands from Flammini did not make it possible to run a round in New Zealand. The Italians simply did not want to come to New Zealand unless of course the new demands and conditions were met.

Which was a big loss especially after it was an American and a couple of Kiwis and NZACU who had help get the series started and also it was the beginning of an era of New Zealand having riders fighting for the World Championship . Aaron Slight , Simon Crafar were part of the leading riders for much of the 1990s and not forgetting Gary Goodfellow who had won race 1 in Japan in 1988 . However New Zealand would never see them or the many resident kiwi racers on home ground in World Championship action after 1992.

The World Superbike Meetings still hold the record for the largest crowds ever at Manfeild Raceway for all forms of motorsport. It is also ironic now just how different Manfeild is now in terms of facilities compared to then. It could easierly run a round now with the modern facilities.

For the record the first year in 1988 pole position went to Davide Tarddozzi on a Bimota YB4 with a time of 1:10.48 and a new lap record was established by Stephane Mertens on another Bimota in a time of 1:11.26. Race 1 was won by Fred Merkel(Honda RC30) from Fabrizo Pirovano(Yamaha) and Kiwi ex-pat Gary Goodfellow (Honda RC30) and Race 2 by Stephane Mertens from Australian Malcolm Campbell (Honda RC30) and another Australian Rob Phillis (Kawasaki GPX750) in third . Merkel won the title from Italians Fabrizo Pirovano(Yamaha) and Davide Tarddozzi . Best performing resident Kiwis in Race 1 were Glenn Williams in 10^th , Mike King in 12^th and Andrew Stroud in 13^th . In Race 2 it was again Glenn Williams in 8^th and Andrew Stroud in 9^th and Dale Warren in 14^th .

The 1989 round saw pole go to reigning champion Fred Merkel . Englishman Terry Rymer (Yamaha OW01) won Race 1 from Kiwi rising star Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750) with Fred Merkel(Honda RC30) third. Race 2 was won by Stephane Mertens (Honda RC30) from Malcolm Campbell (Honda RC30) and Fred Merkel (Honda RC30) . Merkel took his second World Title. Aaron Slight set a new lap record at Manfeild in a time 1:08.17 in race 2 , but did not finish the race. Best performing resident Kiwis in Race 1 Glenn Williams in 8^th , Simon Crafar in 10^th and Eddie Kattenberg in 12^th. In Race 2 it was Andrew Stroud in 6^th , Simon Crafar in 10^th and Grant Ramage in 12^th.

The third year 1990 saw Australian Rob Phillis(Kawasaki ZXR750) on pole . Race 1 was won by Terry Rymer (Yamaha 0W01) from Frenchman Raymond Roche (Ducati) and Rymer's team mate Rob McElnea (Yamaha OW01). Race 2 was won by Rob Phillis from Terry Rymer and Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750) . Slight failed to finish race 1 due to an electrical problem . Best performing resident Kiwis in Race 1 were Andrew Stroud 8^th , Tony Rees 9^th and Russell Josiah in 11^th . Frenchman Raymonde Roche won the Championship. In Race 2 Andrew Stroud took 7th , Tony Rees 9th and Russell Josiah 10th .

A one off Pan Pacific Road Race round was run a Manfeild in 1991.

The last year of the World Superbikes in New Zealand in 1992, saw a large factory entry , certainly the last year could not be compared with the first year. Italian Ducati factory rider Giancarlo Falappa took pole with a time of 1:06.740 . American Doug Polen took out race 1 on the factory Ducati , from Kiwi Star Aaron Slight on the Factory ZXR750 Kawasaki , who smashed his own lap record to set a new fastest time of 1:07.380 . Third was Raymond Roche on another Factory Ducati. In race two was the closest race ever at the Manfeild Superbike rounds. Ducati team mates Polen and Falappa dueled to the line with Polen setting a new lap record of 1:06.970 , but Falappa taking the win by 1/100^th of a second with third place going to Aaron Slight. Polen won the World Title for a second time .

It was a fitting goodbye to Manfeild and with the last race being so memorable and a Kiwi on the final rostrum . The best Kiwi resident riders in Race 1 were Tony Rees in 11^th , Russell Josiah in 13^th and Paul McQuilken in 14^th. In Race 2 Rees in 12^th , McQuilken in 13^th and Josiah in 14^th. Fastest Kiwi Qualifier had been Rees with a time of 1:09.960 just behind future World Champion Troy Corser.

The World Championship continued to be run by Flammini for many years . It is now run by the Dorna who also have the commercial rights to MotoGP championship.

Written for the 100 years of Motorcycling New Zealand Inc. © 2016 Ian Dawson