Stroud Ready for Victory

Wednesday March 14, 2012

Stroud Ready for Victory

Andrew Stroud needs to win at Hampton Downs on Sunday to stay in the hunt for his tenth NZ Superbike title during the penultimate round of the Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike Championship.

100 points are up for grabs from the four remaining races over two rounds, at Hampton Downs this weekend, and Taupo a week later. But a string of bad luck has left Stroud in fifth position, 40.5 points behind Australian Suzuki star Robbie Bugden, and just 5.5 points behind Sloan Frost in second position.

“There's been some great racing though I’ve also had a few issues this year”, Stroud explains. “I fell off in one race and had a blocked fuel filter in another. I was also too optimistic in Invercargill when I went out on slicks on a wet track that just didn’t dry as I expected. Being lapped twice by the whole field sure was a novel experience!”

To close the gap to a realistic figure Stroud must win both races at Hampton Downs, and no-one is better at taking pressure at the highest level than the father of eight who has nine NZ Superbike titles.

“I usually get the determination to dig deep and put it all on the line when it counts. As always I’ll do the best I can and we’ll see where the championship is at after the weekend.”

The stakes couldn’t be higher as Stroud expects to reach almost 300kmh at the end of Hampton Downs short front straight on his David Reid Homes Waikato GSXR1000!

The defending NZ Superbike and Suzuki Tri-Series champ says having the best tyres is also a key factor. “I have a lot of confidence in my Pirellis and I get a good feel for where the limits are. Having enough feedback to hold a controlled slide off corners and to brake at the absolute last second going into them is what it takes to go fast and win races, but I also realise this is a team effort which involves commitment from my family, my mechanics, our Ohlins suspension technicians, and a great group of sponsors,” Stroud says.

“I took over half a second off my old lap record at Ruapuna, and I won race one in Invercargill, so I know the pace is still there, it's just a matter of finding it on the day.”

A tenth title may be a big ask but the Waikato-based racer won’t give up easily, and you can be sure Stroud will be trying his hardest at Hampton Downs on Sunday when the Superbikes grid up for what may be a formidable showdown.

Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike Championship current points standings.

Robbie Bugden, 112.5; Sloan Frost, 77.5; John Ross, 75.5; Nick Cole, 73.5; Andrew Stroud (Hamilton, David Reid Homes Waikato Suzuki GSXR1000), 72.

2012 Castrol Power 1 NZ Superbike Championship Schedule;

Rnd 4: Hampton Downs, Waikato, March 17-18

Rnd 5: Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo, March 24-25

ENDS

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