Ben Townley's winning streak in the New Zealand motocross championship was interrupted after seven races on Sunday afternoon, but the Tauranga-based former world champion has extended his lead in the title race with one round remaining.
It was business-as-usual early on Sunday at the Harrisville track near Pukekohe as Townley topped MX1 qualifying on his Honda CRF450 and led home Motueka's Josh Coppins (Yamaha) and Papamoa's Cody Cooper (Suzuki) in the opening moto to take his seventh consecutive win.
But a first corner pile-up in the second moto put Townley last in the 30-rider field. He raced back into contention to finish second behind Coppins.
"I went into the first turn and just got ploughed from behind. I had the bars turned hard and I couldn't control the bike," said Townley.
"I was able to ride back to second behind Josh but it's a shame because I'd been hoping to sweep the series."
Townley completed the day by winning the third moto ahead of Coppins and Cooper and he leads the MX1 standings with 222 points from Coppins on 201 and reigning champ Cooper with 168.
"I really had a hectic week leading up to Pukekohe. I flew out to Australia on Monday for the Carlton Dry Honda team photoshoot and then tested with the team Tuesday and Wednesday. I had more sponsor commitments on Thursday before flying back again on Friday.
"It was a lot of time on the bike in the space of seven days and with a two week break till Taupo (the final round of the NZ Nationals) I'm going to take some rest and recovery time."
Honda racer Justin McDonald (Christchurch) moved ahead of Rotorua's Michael Phillips (Honda) into fourth spot during the Pukekohe round while Rotorua's Brad Groombridge (Honda) and Mt Maunganui's Mason Phillips (Kawasaki) remain seventh and eight respectively.
The other Tauranga race winner on Sunday was MX2 rider Peter Broxholme (Honda) who had a day of mixed fortunes - posting a fourth in race one, winning race two and then finished his day with an eighth.
"In the first race I couldn't quite pass Shaun Fogarty to get third on the last lap," said Broxholme.
"In the second race I managed to say with DK (Darryll King) as we came through the pack and then we had an amazing battle with John Phillips, passing and re-passing each other.
"I managed to sneak through on the inside to get the lead and a bit later DK had a crash and ended up sixth."
In the third moto Broxholme was pushed wide and lost ground at the start.
"I ended up crashing on the second lap and after that eighth was the best I could do," said Broxholme.
Broxholme is now up to third the MX2 title chase behind the duelling Darryll King (Hamilton) and Scott Columb (Queenstown).
Suzuki's Columb won the day with his 2-3-1 effort while King posted a 1-6-2 sequence on his Yamaha, leaving them one point apart. King has 196 points, Columb 195 and Broxholme has moved up to third on 153 points while Papamoa's Rhys Carter (Suzuki) in now fourth after a consistent run of two fifths and a sixth at Pukekohe.
Te Puke's Logan Blackburn (Yamaha) rode back onto the podium in the 125cc class as Amberley teenager Micah McGoldrick (KTM) produced an unbeaten performance.
Blackburn, 17, had slipped from third in the championship following a bike problem in the first race the previous weekend at Patetonga but his front-running 2-3-2 effort at Pukekohe has put him back in a clear third place.
McGoldrick leads with 219 points from Rotorua's Cameron Vaughan (Yamaha) on 190 and Blackburn on 162 - now well clear of Rotorua's Cam Negus (Husqvarna) on 134.
Katikati's Garth Amrein (Yamaha) continued his climb up the 125cc standings after missing the first round at Timaru. He was fifth overall at Pukekohe and is now ninth in the championship.
The final round of the MX Nationals is at Taupo's Digger McEwen MX Park on March 18.