Fogarty aims for clean sweep

HARD TO BEAT: Graham Wedlake (left) and Alana Andrews will be among the contenders in the ATV (all-terrain vehicle) class in Round 2 of Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club’s beach racing series at Makorori Beach tomorrow. Picture by Liam Clayton

HOLD on to your speedos as Round 2 of the Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club beach racing series rips into action tomorrow.

Senior 0-to-open-class racer Daniel Fogarty (Yamaha YZF450) will be hoping for a repeat of Round 1 with three more wins, but he will have to contend with Graham Wedlake (Honda CRF450), who will have his gearing sorted for the 800-metre straights.

Wedlake knows he needs not just speed to beat Fogarty; his bike will have to corner like a Lamborghini.

In the Senior 0-500cc class, double-classer Wedlake (Honda CRF450) is still smarting that his plans of a clean sweep in Round 1 were spoiled in Race 3 by long-time two-stroke racer Peter Krinkle (Honda CR500).

Wedlake will try everything he can tomorrow to stop Krinkle getting gold.

In the Senior 0-250 class, Bryce Norman (Suzuki RM250) managed a clean sweep of three wins in Round 1. He won’t find it so easy this meeting as Ashley Andrews (Kawasaki KX250) and Wairoa’s Murray Swann (Kawasaki KXF250) have joined the party and are looking for the top spot.

In the ever-popular ATV (all-terrain vehicle) class, Ian Newman (Suzuki GSX750-powered Honda) will aim for three wins from three starts again. Bryce Norman (Polaris 450) will join the battle, while Alana Andrews and Wedlake (both on Suzuki LTR450s) will be tough to beat. Mike Ramsey hopes to be down from Tauranga demonstrating his heavily modified Suzuki GSX1100-powered Polaris ATV.

Alana Andrews (Suzuki LTR450) will want to carry on dominating the Women’s 0-500 class. Gabrielle Phillips-Irvine (Kawasaki KX85) will continue to keep the pressure on Alana and anyone else who gets in her way.

Troy Andrews is still beaming after a clean sweep of the Junior A (125cc) class in Round 1. Murdock Rau (Kawasaki KX85) and Ben Logan (Honda CR125) will be going all out to put a wall of sand in Andrews’ way.

At the last meeting, Sophie Peach (KTM85) and Phillips-Irvine (Kawasaki KX85) fought it out all day in the Junior B (85cc) class. It won’t be any different at this meeting.

In the Mini 65 class, Luka Fogarty (KTM65) will again face Wairoa’s best, Emily Swann (Kawasaki KX65).

The Trails class will be open for any rider under the age of 15 on a farm or trail-type bike.

In the Mini 50 class, Lachlan Phillips-Crane (KTM50) hopes to make it another perfect round. Lucas Scott-Haenga (Suzuki DRZ) and Jaxon Pardoe (Yamaha PW50) will look to have as much fun as they did in Round 1.

Sign-in is at 8am, with racing set to start at 9am at Makorori Beach.