“Superman” Only Slightly Slower than Speeding Bullet 8 Apr 2014
Related articles
- Niki Roderick Extends Depth To New Zealand Record Sport
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- All Whites claim historic point Sport
- Minister launches SmartGate in Wellington Travel
- Prime Minister to travel to South Africa News
- Brownlee Leads Aviation Mission To Shanghai News
- Trams to make a comeback on Auckland’s streets News
- Snow on The Remarkables Living
- Team Selected for Ultimate Ride Jet-ski Sport
- Trubridge Triumphs With Unassisted Freedive Record Sport
APRIL 8, 2014: He may be only slightly faster than a speeding bullet these days and possibly only able to leap small buildings in a single bound – maybe just the occasional letterbox – but Paul “Superman” Pavletich is still something of a hero.
The 55-year-old Ararimu man proved that he is probably just as fast as ever – now racing both cars and motorcycles – when he wrapped up the Auckland Car Club and Auckland Motorcycle Club’s respective annual championships at the sixth and final round of both series at Pukekohe and Hampton Downs, respectively at the weekend.
Pavletich drove a Nissan GTi two-litre saloon car to victory in the Auckland Car Club’s six-round, 18-race series and also raced a Kawasaki ZXR750 to win the Pre-1989 Post Classic class in the Auckland Motorcycle Club’s championships this season.
The Pre-1989 class is a competition for riders on superbikes manufactured before 1990. It is run over 18 races at six events and Pavletich won the series with a round to spare.
Pavletich’s main competitors in the car competition this season were fellow Aucklanders Graham Ball, Peter Ball and Peter Hooper, while it was Auckland’s Paul Webb, Whangarei’s Duncan Coutts and Te Awanga’s Eddie Kattenberg who kept him honest in the motorbike racing.
“To be fair,” he said “Eddie ‘The Kat’ Kattenberg, who finished the series fourth overall, did not contest all the rounds.”
Pavletich said he attributes his success to his team of key supporters, his brother Mark, a renowned engine builder, and his close friends Craig Griffin and Paul Boeyn.
“I can’t emphasise enough just how much this was a team effort,” Pavletich said.
Pavletich, the former CEO of Motorcycling New Zealand, the sport’s governing body here, has motorcycling in the blood, having raced with outstanding success throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and he returned to the race track in 1999, finishing fifth outright in the superbike class at the nationals that season.
He rode only occasional events after that as he dedicated his time to coaching other riders.
This season is the second time Pavletich has won the Auckland championships in both the car and motorcycle codes in the same year. He also completed this double back in 2000.
“I may sponsor a young rider on the bike next season and just concentrate myself on racing in the car series.”
Pavletich’s career highlights:
Bikes. –
Former NZ Road Race Champion
Wynns International series F2 winner
12 x Auckland Motorcycle Club Champion
Castrol Six-hour multi-class winner
NZTT title winner
Cars. –
4 times Auckland Car Club Champion
1 x 1600cc production class
1 x 1600cc modified class
2 x 2000cc modified class
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more