Rosanna gives you an insight to round three.

Christmas Day and it was up with the birds and the pounding of the waves as we had driven as far as the Three Sisters on our way to Wanganui.

We arrived along with the usual flow of early birds ready to set up and take the bikes through scruitineering.

 It was then time to wander around and catch up with everyone and talk about the bikes and the previous two rounds of the Tri Series. Fish and chips was the common theme for dinner around the pit area or just plain bread and butter for those that had been lucky enough to live a shorter distance away so had indulged in christmas tucker. Khloe was here usual smiles even after such a long drive then it was time for bed. A little while later (10.30pm) The Stroud family arrived, they are privileged to have a area reserved for them as they Andrew is Suzukis sponsored rider. It was kids everywhere. An hour later and the whole eight were in bed and most of them asleep.

Boxing day dawned and the wake up call at 6.00a.m. and it was all on. Riders briefing and then it was tyre warmers on, leathers on and ready for action. Hold on there is only seven Stroud kids where was number eight????? After a lot of searching and the police being wrong three year old Joe was found playing quite happily on the other side of the cemetery. Nobody knows how he got there but he did.

Two practises with the second one being qualifying which saw the four on the front row all in the 50 second bracket. Dan Stauffer(Australia), Andrew Stroud, Ray Clee and Nick Cole.

Race one and they were off with everyone holding there breath until they all made it past turn one. Nick was back in seventh after a slow start (He is still trying to get used to the launch control), he then comes past me just after the railway lines and he is already moving to the front. About halfway through lap two It was Stauffer, Stroud and then Nick. It was a battle with these front three and when Nick got past Stroud the crowd really gets behind him cheering him on. Nick passes Stroud and goes after Stauffer with the finishing positions being Stauffer 8.25.145, Nick 8.31.562 and Stroud 8.34.877 (9.732 sec behind).

Great excitement in the pits of course and the public congratulating Nick on his demon passing. But that start!! Do you give up on the launch control maybe Nick??

Race two and Nick decides to keep using the launch control after adjusting it a bit and he got a much better start but got caught up behind a couple of ex motor crossers who do wide slides into the corners, Stroud gets past and Nick follows and once again Stauffer, Stroud and Cole are back at the front fighting it out to the very end this time with once again Stauffer wining followed by Stroud and then Cole. Nick still holds the lap record for F1 around Wanganui!!!!

The feature race call up and Nick qualified 2nd to Dan Stauffer and Andrew Stroud 3rd.

This was a race that had everybody on their feet with the same three guys out in the lead and pulling away from the pack. This came about with Nick getting the best start of the day for him. He was 3rd into the first corner alongside Stroud and Stauffer . Nick got a birds eye view of the battle between Stauffer and Stroud and in just a few laps Nick managed to pass Stroud and then he pulled away from him and chased down Stauffer, it was so fast that they broke the lap record on the last lap with Stauffer taking the lap record for Robert Holden Race and the win with Nick just 0.712 behind him. Bugger the races had been shortened due to being behind in time, we reckon another two laps it could have been different result. Andrew Stroud came 7.837 seconds behind in 3rd place.

The F1 points from race one and two saw Dan first with 51 points (1 extra points for pole) and Nick and Andrew on 42 points. As Andrew beat Nick in race two he is awarded 2nd place.

For the Tri Series points Nick ended up 2nd to Andrew Stroud moving from 5th to 2nd.

The day was perfect, the weather, the bike, the whole team. Young Khloe enchanted everyone with her smile, waving to her daddy as he went past and clapping for him when the crowd clapped.