Cambridge bike racer Morgan McLaren-Wood loves living life in the fast lane and a full-throttle approach has certainly been reaping rewards for the teenager.
The 19-year-old took his Bernard Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 to totally dominate the formula two/600cc class at round two of the 2024 Suzuki International Series at Manfeild, on the outskirts of Feilding, at the weekend.
So dominant was he, in fact, that he not only qualified his bike fastest in the class, but he also led every lap of every race over the two days and bagged an unbeatable hat-trick of wins in the process.
To further underline his control of the situation, he also recorded the fastest lap in all three outings.
It was also enough to see him rise from third overall in the F2 class standings after the series opener in Taupo a week ago, to now sit alone and on top, a staggering 22 points clear of his nearest challenger, Bulls rider Ashton Hughes.
“The points would have been a lot closer if Whanganui’s Luca Durning hadn’t crashed out of race three,” said McLaren-Wood, pointing out also that Durning had finished runner-up to him in the first two F2 races of the weekend.
“I give so much of the credit for my success to my coach and mechanic Brian Bernard,” said McLaren-Wood.
“He has been my coach since I started racing about three years ago and I’ve come a long way because of Brian.
“I was only third overall in the class after the opening round at Taupo, but that was my first time back on a bike since I’d crashed and injured myself while racing the British Supersport Championships at Thruxton.
“I’m really looking forward now to racing the final round of the Suzuki International Series at Whanganui on Boxing Day. If I can wrap up the series overall at Whanganui, that would be a real accomplishment.”
Meanwhile, fellow Suzuki star Richie Dibben finished his weekend where he had started, on top in two separate bike categories.
The Whanganui man continues to lead the new Adventure Bike class after a weekend-long battle at Manfeild with former New Zealand superbike champion Sloan ‘Choppa’ Frost, from Lower Hutt. The two men were racing similar Suzuki V Strom adventure bikes, Dibben’s an 800cc version and Frost on board a 1050cc model.
Dibben also battled handlebar-to-handlebar with visiting 2024 Isle of Man champion Davey Todd, from North Yorkshire, in the Supermoto class (for modified dirt bike).
Racing identical Suzuki RM-Z450 machines, the two men were unable to be separated as they battled shoulder-to-shoulder a long way in front of the chasing pack of riders in the Supermoto class.
Dibben qualified fastest in the Supermoto class and then registered a perfect 1-1-1 for the weekend, while Todd finished 2-2-2.
And now the competition is headed for a much-anticipated finale on the public streets of Whanganui’s world-renowned Cemetery Circuit in just 10 days’ time, December 26.
Other class leaders after the second round of three in the 2024 Suzuki International Series at Manfeild at the weekend are Whakatane’s Mitch Rees (formula one/Superbikes class); Auckland’s Tyler King (in both the formula three and Supersport 300 classes); Wellington’s Malcolm Beilski (Formula Sport, Senior); Whanganui’s Jeff Croot (Formula Sport, junior); Glen Eden’s Daniel Mettam (Post Classics, Pre 95, Senior); Tauranga’s Darrick Kattenberg (Post Classics, Pre 95, Junior); Hastings’ Gian Louie (Post Classics, Pre 89, Senior); Lower Hutt’s Dean Bentley (Post Classics, Pre 89, Junior); Panmure’s Adam Unsworth and Whanganui’s Bryce Rose (F1 sidecars); Whanganui’s Tracey Bryan and Auckland’s Kendal Dunlop(F2 sidecars).
The Suzuki International Series is supported by Suzuki New Zealand, Mondiale VGL, Auto Super Shoppe Tawa, Givi, I-Tools, Bridgestone tyres, Sharp As Linehaul Ltd Whanganui, TSS Motorcycles, Ipone, Inferno Design and Digital, Kiwibike Motorcycle Insurance Specialists, Cemetery Circuit Ltd.
DATES FOR 2024 SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL SERIES:
• Round 1, Taupo, Dec 7th and 8th;
• Round 2, Manfeild, Feilding, Dec 14th and 15th;
• Round 3, Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit, Dec 26th.
Words and photo by Andy McGechan
