Jones Arrives in New Zealand Yamaha “Young Gun” Australian Gareth Jones arrived in New Zealand yesterday, December 12, set for another season’s racing for Wanganui’s Brian Bernard. Jones will be Bernard’s only rider this season, although he will campaign both a Yamaha R1 in New Zealand Superbikes and a R6 in 600 Sports Production. “It is great to be back in New Zealand, we had a lot of fun last year and I am looking forward to this year’s Champs,” said Jones on arrival in Wanganui after an 18 hour journey, which started at 3am Australian time, on the Gold Coast and finished at midnight New Zealand time in Wanganui. The 21-year-old has just finished competing in the FIM European Superstock class for a UK based Suzuki team and finished 2nd Rookie, 9th Privateer and 18th overall. Unfortunately the team was underfunded and Jones was force to recruit a friend from Australia, to go over to be his un-paid mechanic. Funding was so tight, that at most rounds Jones and his mechanic and at times his mother had to bivac at the tracks. “It was a very tough European Summer but I learnt a lot and now know, whatever comes in the future, I can cope with it.” said Jones on arrival in New Zealand Jones raced a Yamaha R1 for Bernard in last year’s Castrol New Zealand Superbike Championship and finished 3rd overall. This season he has his sight clearly on winning a New Zealand Championship at the 2009 Castrol Power1 New Zealand Superbike Championships. He will also race at the Suzuki Tri-Series in December and the two major street circuits, Boxing Day’s Wanganui’s Cemetery Circuit on December 26 and Paeroa in mid February. “Last season we came to New Zealand to test the waters, this year I have my sights on a NZ title to take back to Europe in 2009,” Jones added. Jones has just completed a deal to race in the Dutch Superbike Championships, along with four starts in the German Superbike Championships next year and has at least two “Wild Card” entries in the World Superstock championships on a Yamaha R1 for Dutch based RT Motorsport.