Queenslander Robbie Bugden continues to lead in New Zealand.

The premier New Zealand Superbike Championship class was exciting with Suzuki men Robbie Bugden and Craig Shirriffs sharing the race glory at Sunday’s second round at Levels Circuit in Timaru.

Australia’s defending NZ Superbike champion Bugden won the first race and had looked to be on track to make it another set of back-to-back wins – just as he had at round one at Ruapuna Raceway a week earlier – but Shirriffs had other ideas and pounced to snatch the win away within sight of the flag.

“I didn’t think I could win that but saw my chance and was able to execute the plan I’d formed in race one,” Shirriffs said. “It is so very important to get points like these at this early stage of the season. Robbie Bugden is a true professional and it is so good for us Kiwis to be able to race against him.”

Triple R GSX-R1000 rider Budgen continues to lead the championship standings, still 10 points clear of Shirriffs, with a third Suzuki star Dennis Charlett finishing third and fourth at Levels and remaining third in the series standings.

Repsol Suzuki’s John Ross raced into the lead in the New Zealand Supersport Championship.

The 31-year-old Christchurch landscaper took his GSX-R600 to seventh in a wet first race and was then fifth in a tight freight-train of bikes at the chequered flag in the second 15-lap outing.

“We are off to round three at Teretonga next weekend and that’s my favourite track,” Ross said. “I’ll just have to see if I can win a couple of races down there.”

After Teretonga next weekend, the series takes a short break before resuming at Hampton Downs, near Meremere, on 16-17 March and finally wraps-up at Taupo Motorsport Park on 23-24 March.