Rounds nine and ten of the 2003 South African Superbike Championship produced tight racing, new top challengers, lap records and sheer brilliance from the current title holder at AA Kyalami on Saturday (June 28). –
– Defending national Champion Russell Wood won both of the day’s races in superb style on his Autopage Cellular Yamaha. –
– In the process he set a new Kyalami 600cc Superbike lap record, and extended his current 2003 title points lead. –
– Wood did not have matters all his own way though – he had to earn every one of the accolades the hard way. –
– Following Saturday morning’s Official Qualifying session, Wood occupied pole position on his Yamaha, sharing the front row of the grid with Shaun Whyte (First Technology Yamaha), privateer Gavin Ramsay (Kreepy Krauly Yamaha) and Arushen Moodley (First Technology Yamaha). –
– The rest were not far behind – the first 11 riders on the grid were covered by less than a second. –
– A determined Arushen Moodley grabbed the lead at the start of the opening race, with Whyte, Ramsay, Wood, Stewart MacLeod (Cell C Suzuki), Greg Dreyer (Autopage Cellular Yamaha) and Sheridan Morias (Teazers Kawasaki) in close attendance. –
– Russell Wood had a game plan though – starting on Lap Two, he methodically passed one rider per lap, to relieve Moodley of the lead on the fourth tour. –
– Moodley fought back dementedly – over the last four laps of the race both he and Wood repeatedly broke Kyalami’s former 600cc Superbike lap record of 1 min 48, 40 seconds. –
– But Wood’s pace was not to be matched – on the very last tour he set a new record of 1 min 47,80 seconds, while winning the race for Autopage Cellular Yamaha. –
– Moodley finished second, leading home Gavin Ramsay, Shaun Whyte and Greg Dreyer. –
– Cell C Suzuki team mates Trevor Crookes, Noel Haarhoff and Hudson Kennaugh filled the respective fifth-, sixth-, and seventh places, with Kawasaki riders Sheridan Morias, Greame van Breda and Garth Norris rounding out the top ten. –
– Afterwards, third-placed man Gavin Ramsay was docked 30 seconds for moving his Kreepy Krauly Yamaha fractionally on the grid before the start of the race. –
– The penalty dropped Ramsay to 17th place in the results – news that the veteran rider took badly. –
– Relegated to the back of the grid for Race Two, Ramsay this time jumped the start properly. –
– He passed 14 other riders before the first corner and slotted his Yamaha into third place, on the heels of leaders Russell Wood and Arushen Moodley. –
– The three riders disputed the race lead for seven laps before the organizers decided to black-flag Ramsay. –
– That left Wood to take his second victory for the day, narrowly ahead of Moodley and a hard-charging Hudson Kennaugh. –
– Following a close, race-long battle, the next four places went to Shaun Whyte, Greg Dreyer, Sheridan Morias and Noel Haarhoff.
