Nor'West News: April 21, 2022
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Thursday <strong>April</strong> <strong>21</strong> <strong>2022</strong> 7<br />
Credible finish for Finch in first superbike race<br />
GRAND PRIX: The action was tight during the Supersport<br />
300 title race as No.15 Dennis Charlett, of Redwood, and<br />
No.27 Jesse Stroud, of Hamilton, fought for the lead.<br />
Stroud eventually snatched the title on the run to the flag.<br />
PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE/STAR MEDIA<br />
COMPETITIVE: Dale<br />
Finch in action in the<br />
New Zealand Grand<br />
Prix superbike race at<br />
Ruapuna on Sunday.<br />
PHOTO: JOHN<br />
COSGROVE/STAR<br />
MEDIA<br />
• By John Cosgrove<br />
BISHOPDALE’S Dale Finch<br />
made the New Zealand Grand<br />
Prix superbike winners work for<br />
their trophies during Sunday’s<br />
main race at Ruapuna.<br />
He latched onto the back of the<br />
leaders right from the start and<br />
kept hounding them all the way<br />
to the finish line with a strong<br />
fourth place in only his first race<br />
meeting at the top level of superbike<br />
racing.<br />
The NZGP meeting marked<br />
a return by Motorcycling Canterbury<br />
to hosting the Grand<br />
Prix title races here over Easter<br />
weekend.<br />
Finch, the current NZ supersport<br />
600 national champion,<br />
made the step up to superbikes<br />
when he was offered a Kawasaki<br />
ZX-10R to race here this year.<br />
He is well known in motorcycle<br />
racing circles in Canterbury, over<br />
the years winning races and titles<br />
in three disciplines – speedway,<br />
motocross and road racing.<br />
About four years ago he tried<br />
his hand at road racing where in<br />
his own words he quickly “got a<br />
bit serious” about it.<br />
“We wanted to focus on winning<br />
the championship,” he said,<br />
and in 20<strong>21</strong> he won the national<br />
600 supersport title.<br />
In only his first outing in the<br />
superbike class he finished a<br />
creditable fourth in the NZGP<br />
title race, close behind winner<br />
Alastair Hoogenboezem, of<br />
Templeton (1st, Yamaha), Tony<br />
Rees of Tauranga (2nd, Honda),<br />
and Scott Moir, of Taupo (3rd,<br />
Yamaha).<br />
But Finch almost didn’t make<br />
the meeting as a Covid-enforced<br />
family separation saw him<br />
overseas, only arriving back in<br />
the country at the start of<br />
<strong>April</strong>.<br />
“When I was training for the<br />
supersport championship, I was<br />
dedicating all my spare time to<br />
winning the championship, so<br />
my fiancée Ali asked that if I won<br />
the championship could I do<br />
something for her.<br />
“She wanted to visit her home<br />
town of Coffs Harbour in NSW<br />
so as soon as we won it, she<br />
headed off while I stayed on in<br />
Auckland for three weeks before<br />
I planned to fly out and meet<br />
her and my two young children<br />
there.<br />
“But we went into lockdown<br />
and I couldn’t get over there, so I<br />
spent eight months here without<br />
her and the kids,” he said.<br />
Finch finally managed to get<br />
over to Australia in December.<br />
While there, he was offered a<br />
superbike to ride so he asked Ali<br />
if they could come back to New<br />
Zealand.<br />
He said it had been a year since<br />
he last rode competitively and his<br />
muscles were reminding him of<br />
the g-forces involved in top-level<br />
motorcyle racing.<br />
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS SORTED?<br />
TOYS<br />
7 MODELS<br />
$<br />
14. 95<br />
INC GST-<br />
$ 49. 95<br />
INC GST<br />
SHOP ONLINE FOR<br />
FREE CHRISTCHURCH DELIVERY<br />
www.rstradecentre.co.nz<br />
0800 99 99 76<br />
LOCATIONS:<br />
484 Papanui Road, Papanui<br />
68 Montreal Street, Sydenham<br />
HOURS:<br />
Monday - Friday 7.00am - 5.00pm
Change language