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The Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcycle races at Pukekohe on Sunday take on a new character and a new importance that reflects the long history of the titles.
The TT races in the Formula One, Two and Three classes will each be about 40 minutes long - nearly the length of a world championship Grand Prix - instead of shorter sprint races, as usually run in New Zealand.
In recent years the TT meeting has been simply a round of the national championships, with one race in each class carrying the TT title. Now it\'s a stand-alone meeting, the titles will carry more prestige, and riders can go all-out for victory without having to worry about their championship standings.
\"I\'m just going to go hell for leather - it\'s time I I did some winning,\" Formula One champion Dean Fulton of Mount Maunganui said.
Last season Fulton took an early lead in the championship and then rode cautiously so as not to risk his points lead. On Sunday, free of those constraints, Fulton will again be riding his championship-winning Kawasaki 750 superbike, with some new components that should make it even faster.
His main opposition should come from production champion Tony Rees of Kawerau, riding a 1000cc Yamaha R1, and fast young Hamilton rider Jared Love with his 900cc Kawasaki ZX-9R.
The Auckland-based BSL team are trying to prepare their 500cc GP bikes for the meeting, but are not sure whether vital parts will arrive in time. If they run, riders Stephen Briggs and Scott Buckley will be well placed to give the team its first title - the three-cylinder two-stroke can do 286kmh down the long back straight.
The TT meeting dates back to 1931, when a 10km unsealed road course was laid out on Waiheke Island in an effort to build a New Zealand version of the famed TT course on the Isle of Man. It ran annually there, except for the war years 1942-45, until 1950, and then moved to other circuits until Pukekohe became available in 1962.
Sunday\'s meeting also includes a two-hour Production TT, which will require most bikes to make two fuel stops, and two sidecar races.
For further information please contact publicist Bernard Carpinter, 025-528-744, or Motorcycling New Zealand general manager David Appleton, 07-828-7852
