SA champion Russell Wood will be under pressure when the Superbike Championships moves to Port Elizabeth this weekend. A small slip up could see him lose the top position.
South African champion Russell Wood will be under pressure when the Superbike Championships moves to Port Elizabeth this weekend. A small slip up could see him lose the top position.
Rounds five and six take at the Aldo Scribante circuit on Saturday. Yamaha racer Wood has 75 points so far this season with three wins and a second place from four race starts. He is followed on the table by Yamaha’s Shaun Whyte, who has 61 points, and Arushen Moodley on 58. Stewart MacLeod (Suzuki) follows with 35 points, while Alex Lenearts (Yamaha) and Hudson Kennaugh (Suzuki) are tied in fifth place on 27 points apiece.
Riders can score a maximum of 40 points on Saturday and Wood could be caught if he fails to score any points.
“This is the hard part of any season. All the teams and riders are developing towards maximum efficiency with their new motorcycles, and the gaps between the top six riders get smaller, race by race,” said Wood.
“From here onwards, every title point will be earned the hard way, Likewise, what looks like a healthy points lead can disappear with a single mistake,” he said.
“Victory in the morning’s race counts for 15 points, while winning the afternoon’s race earns 25 points. Clearly, those who can preserve their tyres and have usable rubber left to push over the final few laps will be the day’s most successful point earners,” Wood said.
His team-mate, Greg Dreyer (pictured), will be racing with injured feet after crashing in the opening rounds at Kyalami and Killarney.
“The new Yamaha R6 is radically different from the Hondas and Suzukis I rode in the past three years, and it takes a while to adapt. We will try to get as much seat time as possible at Aldo Scribante before the race to determine whether my injured left foot will impede my riding. However, I am sure to race, and be on the front-running pace. That way, Russell and I can ride as a team,” Dreyer said.
