After a promising practice day, the Rowe Racing Team has hit the ground running in Christchurch with unprecedented success on Saturday at Ruapuna Park. With one qualifying session for each of Royce’s two contested classes this morning, limited time was utilised by the young racer, cementing pole position for both classes.

PIC: Royce off to a flying start

The Superstock Limited class, contested by 37 riders, was a crowded affair. The first two corners meant bumping elbows and fighting for space, with Royce managing to find his way to the front. After securing the lead, he never looked back, taking first place by a convincing distance.

PIC: A technical track slowly coming together

It was a similar affair in the Formula 2 class, with Royce fighting his way past 40 other racers to lock in first place. The bike performed well throughout the busy day, but the team has still decided to rebuild the clutch overnight as a precaution.

PIC: Confidence is high

It was an unexpectedly fruitful day for the team, with everybody stoked at how well bike and rider had performed. Royce had this to say, “Today the team had high spirits and a strong confidence in bringing something good to the table and we did just that. It was a hot day of racing (30°C) by the Kiwi’s standards. They were melting while the Aussies still had jumpers on! On a positive note, the track was nice and sticky. With some great starts today and a bit of maintenance to the clutch, I’m keen for some even better ones tomorrow. Getting my head around the track, the lap times just kept coming down. I’m keen to keep showing the Kiwis how us Aussies do it and I can’t wait to get back out there tomorrow.”

PIC: Royce on the way to another race win

The team has a further two races for each class tomorrow. Although the weather may be taking a turn for the worst, the team’s spirits are high and will be hoping to leave a lasting impression on the Land of the Long White Cloud.