Once again the rest of the world is looking this way as the Suzuki International Series prepares for blast-off in December, a competition seen as the perfect place for riders to showcase their undeniable motorcycle racing skills.
There are now just eight weeks to go before the flag drops for the start of the popular three-round series and competition organiser Allan ‘Flea’ Willacy is currently putting the final preparations in place for the start of the most popular motorcycle road-race series in the Southern Hemisphere, a competition that perhaps may inspire or open doors for Kiwi riders, and others too, who intend to make an impact on the world stage.
Last season’s outright winner of the Suzuki International Series, Whakatane’s Mitch Rees, left our shores to compete at the famous Isle of Man TT road race spectacular earlier this year and will head overseas again to race at Macau, in China, in November, before returning to compete in the 2025 Suzuki International Series.
Started in 2008, this year’s 17th annual Suzuki International Series – it skipped a year in 2021 due to the COVID-019 pandemic – as usual includes the world-renowned Cemetery Circuit public street race event in Whanganui on Boxing Day, a race day sometimes hailed as the “Isle of Man of the south”.
It all kicks off the busiest time of the year for New Zealand’s premier motorcycle road-racers and the international elite who make the trip Downunder.
The opening round of the series at the Taupo International Motorsport Park on the weekend of December 6-7 will again be highly anticipated, with the excitement continuing at round two at Manfeild, on the outskirts of Feilding, just a week later, on December 13-14.
It wraps up, as always, with the spectacular finale on Whanganui’s world-famous Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day, this traditional post-Christmas “street fight” perhaps the jewel in the crown for motorcycle road-racing in New Zealand.
It will again be celebrated as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier “round the houses” race meeting, sponsored of course by Suzuki New Zealand, but again too with additional high-profile financial support from Oceania’s leading freight and logistics provider Mondiale VGL.
Willacy said he was thrilled to be able “to work with so many great people” to make this series happen again in 2025.
Willacy also said he was delighted to report that a large number of entries have been received this year, with 16 international competitors signed up, arriving from the United States of America, Great Britain and Australia. It is the largest number of international entries seen in New Zealand since the Marlboro Series days in the 1970s and class entries for this year’s series are filling up fast.
“It’s fantastic also to have this continued support from Suzuki New Zealand,” Willacy said.
“The inclusive nature of the international series class rules allow club riders to compete alongside seasoned campaigners and these events are a launching pad for many of our up-and-coming competitors,” said Willacy.
“The various bike classes that are offered by this series cater for all motorcycle owners out there and we know this leads to the high participation numbers that we see in the Suzuki International Series each year. That’s what we’re all about, offering something for everyone.”
Early bird tickets are available until the end of November. For more details, interested parties should follow the link on the www.cemeterycircuit.co.nz web site.
DATES FOR 2025 SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL SERIES
• Round 1, Taupo, Dec 6-7;
• Round 2, Manfeild, Feilding, Dec 13-14;
• Round 3, Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit, Dec 26.
