- Rogan Chandler crowned 2026 NZ Superbike Champion, finishing the season ahead of Luca Durning.
- Taupō finale delivered intense racing, with multiple championships decided across the weekend.
- 2026 season one of the most competitive in years, with close battles across Superbike and support classes.
Rogan Chandler has been crowned the 2026 New Zealand Superbike Champion after a tense final round at Taupō, capping off one of the closest and most competitive seasons in recent years
The 2026 Star Insure New Zealand Superbike Championship came to a dramatic conclusion at Taupō International Motorsport Park last weekend, with Rogan Chandler crowned the new national Superbike champion after a hard-fought four-round season.
Heading into the final round, the title fight was finely poised between Chandler (M1 Motorsport) and fellow BMW rider Luca Durning (The Dentists BMW) who were joint on points, with Alastair Hoogenboezem (KMD Yamaha Racing Team) also in contention. The Taupō decider delivered exactly what had been building all season — intense racing under pressure, where every point mattered. The importance of Chandler securing pole position was made evident when a clash between visiting racer Max Stauffer in the NZ Superbike TT race and Luca Durning who were battling for second and third spots proved to be the deciding factor.
When the dust settled, it was Chandler who emerged on top, taking the win in race 1 & 2 followed by second in race 3, securing the title with 255 points, ahead of Durning on 229, with Hoogenboezem completing the podium on 176 points.
Title Fight Lives Up to the Hype
The Superbike class had been the headline act all season, with multiple race winners and momentum swinging between the leading contenders.
Chandler’s consistency across the championship proved decisive. While others had standout weekends, the BMW rider consistently scored strong points at every round, putting himself in the perfect position heading into Taupō — and delivering when it mattered most.
Durning pushed hard all the way to the final round, but ultimately couldn’t quite bridge the gap, while Hoogenboezem remained in the fight throughout what has been one of the most competitive NZSBK seasons in recent years.
Strong Performances Across the Classes
While the Superbike title grabbed the spotlight, championships were also decided across the support categories at Taupō.
In Supersport 600, Jake Lewis claimed the national title with a dominant 283 points, well clear of Haydn Fordyce and Ashton Hughes, while Jesse Stroud also pushed him hard around the Taupo circuit. In fact, Stroud took the win in the final Supersport race where he also claimed the Damon Rees Memorial Trophy, an award to commemorate the incredible racer who sadly passed away in the UK in 2023.
The Sportbike class delivered one of the closest finishes of the season, with Zak Fuller edging out Tyler King by just a single point — 209 to 208 — highlighting just how tight the racing has been throughout the championship.
In ProTwins, Dennis Charlett secured the title with 218 points, continuing a strong season in the category, while Hunter Charlett had an incredible season, securing the 150 Supersport and 300 Supersport titles. He also won the three feature races of the NZGP, Aaron Slight Trophy and NZTT in both classes. Pretty outstanding results for the young talent from Christchurch.
The sidecar championship was still to be decided, although a red flag and then a coming together of three outfits when one lost power after the start added some drama to the mix. In the end, Spike and Bubba Taylor took the win with the Carl Cox Motorsport sidecar of Barry and Dave Smith claiming second, although Dave wasn’t at the Taupo round having been injured at MotoFest. With Louise Blythe stepping into the swinger’s role for the final round, the team were pleased to take the win at the final race of the season.
Taupō Delivers Fitting Finale
The final round at Taupō formed part of the MotoMania festival, providing a strong backdrop for the championship decider with packed grids and a busy schedule both on and off the track.
With six national titles and the prestigious New Zealand Tourist Trophy on the line, the weekend delivered exactly what the championship needed — close racing, high stakes and a strong crowd to match.
The combination of competitive racing and growing spectator interest highlights the continued resurgence of the series under its current structure.
A Championship on the Rise
The 2026 season has been one of the most competitive in recent memory, helped by tighter regulations, strong rider depth and improved promotion of the series.
With Chandler now crowned champion and multiple classes producing close title fights, the championship continues to build momentum heading into next season.
The increased promotion certainly paid dividends of bigger crowds watching the action, while the spectacle of MotoFest was the perfect way that NZ’s national racing series can combine with the industry to not only increase crowd numbers but also provide a great day out for people who wouldn’t usually go and watch motorcycle racing. Let’s hope the momentum continues over the off-season so that we see new racers, more teams and bigger crowds attending the 2027 NZ Superbike championship.
2026 NZSBK Results
Superbikes
1. Rogan Chandler 255
2. Luca Durning 229
3. Al Hoogenboezem 176
4. Dave Sharpe 130
5. James Hoogenboezem 119
6. Morgan McLaren-Wood 87
7. Dale Finch 76
8. Max Stauffer 16
600 Supersport
1. Jake Lewis 283
2. Haydn Fordyce 181
3. Ashton Hughes 169
4. Jesse Stroud 141
5. Karl Hooper 141
6. Seth Devereux 128
7. Cameron Leslie 90
8. Keiran Mair 81
9. Logan Rowell 70
10. Jacob Pierce 25
Sportbike
1. Zak Fuller 209
2. Tyler King 208
3. Nixon Frost 135
4. Luke Ryder 114
5. Simon Attridge 91
6. Josh Goddard 65
7. Karl Kampenhout 52
8. Jesse Stroud 37
9. Jonny Lewis 33
10. Ben Rosendaal 26
ProTwins
1. Dennis Charlett 218
2. Azlan Blackwell 159
3. Cameron Leslie 152
4. Marcus Thompson 116
5. Vaughan Maine 106
6. Megan Kemp 89
7. Andrew Ness 74
8. Greg Percival 57
9. Shaun Parker 48
10. Scott Finlay 41
300 Supersport (Provisional result)
1. Hunter Charlett 303
2. Alvin Wu 167
3. Harriet Grace 150
4. Diego Petrucci 131
5. Chris Reynolds 120
6. Jakob Henderson 113
7. Joe Stroud 98
8. Lucas Hyslop 91
9. Seb Mitchell 85
10. Anson Huang 77
150 Supersport
1. Hunter Charlett 299
2. Ryder Chamberlain 236
3. Billy Macrae 185
4. Samuel Chave 132
5. Izzy Smith 128
6. Troy Stephens 97
7. Tyler Lambarth 74
8. Samuel Mabey 37
Sidecars
1. Spike Taylor & Bubba Taylor 213
2. Barry Smith & Dave Smith 208
3. Phillip Law & Angus Ravenwood 202
4. Burt Wolland & Vaughan Maine 133
5. Dave McArthur & James Williams 126
6. Peter Bradder & Vincent Kerslake 83
7. Peter Goodwin & George Vennell 56
8. Glen Spencer & Graham Wilkinson 55
9. Bryce Rickard & Andrew Shields 45
10. Simon Attridge & Vince Wood 33
