Motorcycling New Zealand Inc

12 hours ago

WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND
Saturday 21 May
Summer Series Rd 3 hosted by Victoria MCC
Sunday 22 May
Club Day hosted by Central Hawkes Bay
Kaitoke Club Day hosted by Bucket Racing NZ
Garmac Engineering Rd 1 hosted by Wanganui MCC
Taranaki Club Day hosted by Bucket Racing NZ
Canterbury TT Series Rd 1 hosted by Canterbury ATV Association
Club Trial hosted by Hawkes Bay MCC
Have A Go Day hosted by North Canterbury Dirt Riders Club
Club Champs Rd 3 hosted by Hamilton MCC
Yamaha King of Central hosted by Central Otago MCC ... Read MoreSee Less

Motorcycling New Zealand Inc

3 days ago

TITLES DECIDED IN 2022 NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY SERIES

CAPTION: Te Awamutu's Nixon Parkes (KTM 125SX), one of only three riders to win a race in this season's cross-country championships. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

In eight championship races over four rounds there were just three different race winners this season, but plenty of motorcycle category trophies were still to be decided when the 2022 New Zealand Cross-country Championships finally wrapped up at the weekend.

Remote farmland at Porangahau, in Central Hawke's Bay, was the scene on Sunday for the fourth and final round of the 2022 season and, while the two main titles had already been sealed at the previous round near Dannevirke a month earlier, there was still the matter of determining who would take home silverware in the individual bike categories.

Oparau's James Scott (Honda) won each of the three rounds of the Yamaha-sponsored nationals that had already been staged, easily clinching the senior crown overall for this season at round three near Dannevirke last month, with Napier's Tommy Watts (Yamaha) and Taupo's Wil Yeoman (Yamaha) forced to settle for second and third overall positions respectively.

Cambridge's Jared Hannon (Kawasaki) was similarly impressive in wrapping up the junior title on the same day in April, Easter Monday. Like Scott, Hannon had also compiled an unbeaten 1-1-1 score-card from the first three rounds.

But this did not diminish the significance of Porangahau's final round on Sunday, with a few more chapters still needing to be written.

It was business as usual for Scott on Sunday, who again won the three-hour senior race, making it an unbeaten string of four wins from four starts for the series.

Runner-up to Scott was Yeoman, with Watts settling for third place on Sunday.

These three riders will remain highly active over the coming weeks as they work to prepare themselves to race, not as rivals, but as team-mates, when they tackle the International Six Days Enduro event in France in late August and early September.

Senior class winners were settled at the weekend, with Scott taking the four-stroke over-300cc class honours and Watts winning the four-stroke under-300cc class.

Other senior class winners were Yeoman (two stroke over-200cc class); Dannevirke's Ben Paterson (Yamaha, two-stroke under-200cc class); Waipukurau's Stephen Sergeant (Kawasaki, veterans' 35-44 years class); Feilding's Hugh Lintott (KTM, veterans' over-45 years class); Auckland's Charlotte Russ (Yamaha, women's class) and Te Awamutu's Jack Carmichael (Husqvarna, under-19 class).

Sitting second in the junior points before the start of Sunday's racing was Te Awamutu's Nixon Parkes (KTM) and, with Hannon opting not to travel to the race on Sunday, it left the way clear for Parkes to step up and take the junior race victory at this final round, thereby joining Scott and Hannon as one of only three riders to win a race outright this season.

Parkes finished Sunday's 90-minute junior race five minutes clear of runner-up Blake Lusk (New Plymouth, Yamaha), with Taupo's Josh Yeoman (Yamaha) completing the junior podium.

In the battle for overall honours in the junior grade (behind Hannon), Parkes' win on Sunday gave him the nod over Lusk, New Plymouth's Josh Houghton (Husqvarna) and Josh Yeoman.

In the battle for junior bike class titles, Hannon had already sealed up the four-stroke over-200cc title, while Parkes collected the two-stroke over-85cc title and Eketahuna's Ollie Corbin (KTM) won the under-85cc class.

Motorcycling New Zealand cross-country commissioner Chris Smyth said Sunday's racing was a "stern test of character" with heavy rainfall overnight turning parts of the course into a quagmire.

"It was one of the wetter events we've had in the past 10 years of running this series. It makes winning, or even just finishing, an event like this all that much sweeter," he said.

"It was great to see a couple of the senior riders from past years putting something back into the sport too, with Brad Groombridge coaching Nixon Parkes and Kevin Hermansen coaching Ben Paterson to some great successes.

"This series wouldn't have been possible without the ongoing sponsorship of Yamaha New Zealand and also thanks to the support of bike parts and accessories wholesaler Northern accessories."

Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com ... Read MoreSee Less

Motorcycling New Zealand Inc

7 days ago

WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND
Saturday 14 May
Nothing, do what you like..
Sunday 15 May
NZ Cross Country Champs Rd 4 hosted by Central Hawkes Bay MCC
Honda Hub Summer Series Rd 4 hosted by Taranaki MCC
Omihi Trial hosted by Pioneer MCC
Nelson Club Day hosted by Bucket Racing NZ
BEARS Winter Series hosted by the BEARS MCC
Have A Go Day hosted by Canterbury ATV
Final Race Day hosted by Pukekohe MCC
Bruce and Bai Cup hosted by Manawatu Orion MCC
Powerzone Hasler Memorial hosted by South Otago MCC ... Read MoreSee Less

Motorcycling New Zealand Inc

1 week ago

2022 New Zealand Cross-country Championships

LAST THROW OF THE DICE FOR CROSS-COUNTRY TITLE HOPEFULS

CAPTION: Auckland's Charlotte Russ (Yamaha), with a stranglehold on the women's cross-country title this season. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

There's just one round remaining, but still plenty to fight for at the fourth and final round of the 2022 New Zealand Cross-country Championships at Porangahau this weekend.

The main two titles are already safely tucked away, but there's plenty of silverware yet to be decided.

Oparau's James Scott (Honda) won each of the three rounds of the Yamaha-sponsored nationals that have already been staged, easily clinching the senior crown overall for this season at round three near Dannevirke last month, with Napier's Tommy Watts (Yamaha) and Taupo's Wil Yeoman (Yamaha) forced to settle for second and third places respectively.

Cambridge's Jared Hannon (Kawasaki) was similarly impressive in wrapping up the junior title on the same day, Easter Monday. Like Scott, Hannon also compiled an unbeaten 1-1-1 score-card from the first three rounds.

But the story doesn't end there.

Currently sitting second in the junior points is Te Awamutu's Nixon Parkes (KTM), with New Plymouth's Josh Houghton (Husqvarna) and New Plymouth's Blake Lusk (Yamaha) close behind, this trio of talented youngsters separated by just three points and therefore still locked in a torrid battle to decide the overall runner-up position for 2022.

And then there's still the matter of deciding the individual bike category titles and that's what will be the main focus at the fourth and final round in Central Hawke's Bay this coming Sunday, the 90-minute junior race first on the programme, quickly followed by the three-hour senior race.

The venue for Sunday's racing is 702 Mangaorapa Road, Porangahau.

Scott can't be headed in the fight for four-stroke over-300cc class honours, although Rotorua's Callum Dudson (Honda) will still be keen to clinch overall runner-up honours, while Watts has a stranglehold on the race for the four-stroke under-200cc class silverware. Havelock North's Ben Hislop (Yamaha) will be looking to seal the runner-up spot (behind Watts) in this class on Sunday.

Yeoman has a firm grip on the two-stroke over-200cc class title, nine points clear of Drury's Richard Sutton (Yamaha) and Dannevirke's Ben Paterson (Yamaha) looks solid in the two-stroke under-200cc class, albeit just three points ahead of Helensville's Luke Uhrle (Beta).

Waipukurau's Stephen Sergeant (Kawasaki) and Feilding's Hugh Lintott (KTM) currently lead the two veterans' classes, while Aucklander Charlotte Russ (Yamaha) and Te Awamutu's Jack Carmichael (Husqvarna) lead the way in the women's and under-19 classes respectively.

In the junior grade, it will likely be a battle for runner-up glory (behind Hannon) in the four-stroke bike class between Taupo's Josh Yeoman (Yamaha) and Eketahuna's Sheldon Brown (KTM), with Whanganui's Ben Clare (Yamaha) also possibly in the running.

The tussle for two-stroke over-85cc honours will be between Houghton and Lusk, while Eketahuna's Ollie Corbin (KTM) and Raetihi's Karaitiana Horne (Gas Gas) will dispute the top trophy in the under-85cc class.

Motorcycling New Zealand cross-country commissioner Chris Smyth said he was encouraged by the "sizeable turn-out" of riders at all rounds so far this year and expects another good showing on Sunday.

2022 NZ Cross-Country Champs

Round One – Sunday, February 27 – Bush Riders MCC, Marton

Round Two – Saturday, April 16 – Bush Riders MCC, Pahiatua/Masterton

Round Three – Monday, April 18 – Central Hawke's Bay MCC, Dannevirke

Round Four – Sunday, May 15 – Central Hawke's Bay MCC, Porangahau.

Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com ... Read MoreSee Less

Motorcycling New Zealand Inc

2 weeks ago

WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND
Saturday 07 May
Winter Series Rd 1 hosted by North Harbour Mini Motocross
Peter Brown Memorial hosted by Marlborough MCC
CAMS AGM Meeting - hosted by Classic Action Motorcycle Sport
Waikato MX TT Champs hosted by Patetonga MCC
Sunday 08 May
MX Club Day hosted by South Canterbury MCC
Twin Shock Have A Go Day hosted by Ixion MCC
Club Trial hosted by Tauranga MCC
Magic Series Rd 2 hosted by Hawkes Bay MCC
Southland Cup Rd 3 hosted by Southland MCC
Vinduro Trail Ride hosted by Waitemata MCC ... Read MoreSee Less