VOL. 52 ISSUE 17 APRIL 28, 2015 P93
THE CIRCUIT
Just under a mile (.994 of a mile).
Nine corners. Gutters, pot holes,
train lines. Full gas, full brake, full
gas. No chance for a rest. It's no
wonder the Cemetery Circuit isn't
for everyone. But for those that do
race it, it's a buzz unlike any other.
Your start is on Ridgeway Street,
an off-cambered downhill approach
to turn one at Wilson Street. Get-
ting a good start is as critical as
passing opportunities are minimal
and everyone is out for blood
the second that red light goes
out. Through the 90-degree right
hander, down a short straight to
another 90-degree right and onto
the back straight of Taupo Quay. If
you're lucky you'll nab fourth gear
for a split second before hitting
the brakes, down one gear and
over the flip-flop of the train lines
at Heads Road. From here you're
full gas again as you throw the
machine into the right-left kink of
the Heads Road Cemetery, one of
the oldest European burial grounds
in New Zealand. Another short
straight sees you pop out from the
trees and into one of the best pass-
ing places of the whole track at the
90-degree right of Robert Holden
Corner and up Guyton Street. Yet
another 90-deree right sees you
fire your machine hard up the hill of
Ridgeway Street, the road becom-
ing evermore off camber before
plunging hard left back down the
start and finish straight. If you did it
properly and you were on a 1000cc
Superbike, you'd have got round
in about 49-seconds. And before
you've even had a chance to get
your breath, you're back onto Wil-
son Street for the next crack. This
is intensity at its best.
"I WENT FROM FIFTH TO 14
TH
IN THE BLINK OF
AN EYE. I WAS SCREAMING AT MYSELF. I'VE
NEVER BEEN SO P!SSED OFF. SO I THOUGHT,
'SCREW IT, I'M GOING FOR IT.'" –RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
country. However since joining
the Tri-Series a few years back,
the event's profile has grown
to such a level that everyone's
favorite sideburns, those of Guy
Martin, returned for a second
year running on a locally pre-
pared Suzuki GSX-R1000. He
was joined this year by fellow
TT hero, World Endurance and
Macau Grand Prix rider Horst
Saiger (who took the 2014
Tri-Series), Aussie father and
daughter duo Sophie and Phil
Lovett, Japanese star Kishimoto
Yoshi, Isle of Man Manx Grand
Prix newcomer lap record
holder Billy Redmayne and
internationally renowned female
racer Maria Costello. Oh, and I
had a crack on behalf of Cycle
News, too…
Sadly, no Americans were
present this year, however this
is something the organizers
hope to change over the com-
ing years.
These internationals were
joined by some of the fast-
est riders NZ had to offer,
including the redoubtable
Tony Rees, who took out the
premier Robert Holden Memo-
rial feature race on his Honda
CBR1000RR. Jayden Carrick,
Dennis Chartlett, Scott Moir
and Sloan Frost also pitched in
to make sure the internationals
didn't take their famous trophy.
And as far as a variety of
racing machines go, the only
place you're likely to find bet-
ter would be Pikes Peak. The
headline act is obviously the
