The motorcycle road-race season is coming together nicely for Bay of Plenty ace Duncan Hart.
The 38-year-old workshop manager from Tauranga leads the super moto class after two of three rounds of the popular Suzuki Tri Series and looks set to wrap up the series on the streets of Wanganui come Boxing Day.
Hart is an extraordinarily talented rider and his modified Yamaha YZ450F is obviously a very potent weapon, but luck has also played a part in putting him into prime position heading into the famous Cemetery Circuit.
Last season's super moto class winner, Wanganui's Richard Dibben, had been leading the series after finishing 2-1 in the two super moto races at the opening round at Hampton Downs just over two weeks ago, with Hart finishing 1-3 - after crashing in race two - and he therefore trailed Dibben by three points as the riders arrived at Manfeild for round two.
Hart finished runner-up to Dibben in the first race at Manfeild, but then it was Dibben's turn for some bad luck when he crashed in race two, remounting to claw his way back to third position, while Hart again finished runner-up.