Following a day beset by problems at the opening round of the Suzuki International Tri Series at Manfeild a week ago, Hamilton’s Stroud struck gold at the second round of the series on the streets of Wanganui on Boxing Day.

The Tri Series defending champion took his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to runner-up spot in the day’s opening race on Wanganui’s Cemetery Circuit on Saturday, "boiling brake fluid" forcing him to relinquish his lead to main rival Craig Shirriffs, of Feilding, but Stroud was unstoppable in the next two outings.

It was also the turn for Shirriffs to strike a little bad luck as he crashed out of the second superbike race, thus swinging the series advantage back in favour of Stroud. 

The two men have now each recorded two wins, a second placing and a dnf in their four Tri Series superbike outings and it will go down to the wire at Monday’s third and final round at Taupo to decide the title.

In addition, Stroud won the coveted Robert Holden Memorial feature race, snatching the lead from Shirriffs on the final lap.

"Craig came past me early in the memorial race and then I got blocked by back-markers. Then he got held up and I lined him up on the last lap and passed him right on Suzuki corner. It couldn’t have been better really.

"I didn’t have a great weekend at Manfeild but it worked out for me here today," said Stroud.

Wanganui pair Stephen Bron and Dennis Simonsen won the F1 sidecars class on their Suzuki LCR, while New Plymouth’s Terry Fitzgerald and Palmerston North’s Glen Williams resumed their dog-fighting from Manfeild as they made it a Suzuki 1-2 in the Formula three-class.

Defending national F3 champion Williams had the upper hand at Manfeild but it was arch rival Fitzgerald, on another Suzuki SV650, who ended up on top at Wanganui.

It’s looking like being another fierce battle between these two great riders in 2010.