Sprockets 5yr and under
Aidan Dods from the Rotorua club joined local riders Reave Nepia-Anderson, Seton McKinnon, Walker Wallis and Brad O’Connell-Bacon for their five motos. These youngsters did well to battle the strong head winds on the first and third straights.
Sprockets 6yr mixed
Aliyah Lardelli raced off ahead of Jorja Rogers and Liam Spence in an all-Gisborne group.
Sprockets 7yr boys
Matt Hills (Gisborne) was again in a class of his own but club mate Leroy Hill and Hawke’s Bay’s Kody Shaw had 5 close races.
8-9yr mixed
Tauranga’s Jaydah-Lily Lees had five wins, setting the pace for the Hawke’s Bay chasers to follow, with Cameron McKay leading home Jett Rendle, Nora Troup and Jack Haszard.
10yr mixed
Will Skipper from the Rotorua club was the rider to bet on in this age group, although Gisborne’s Dane Berry pushed him hard. Often the winning pass came on the last jump. Jason McKay was third overall, with a mixed bag of results. He headed off Ruby-Anne Smith, who edged out Hawke’s Bay riders Thomas Colman Savage, Konrad Troup and Tom Ceselli.
10-11yr girls
Gisborne’s Cate Hills dropped only one race win to claim overall honours ahead of Zara Ranford of Taupo and Renae Colman Savage of Hawke’s Bay.
10-14yr female cruiser class
Krystal Smith led home sister Ruby-Anne Smith and Hawke’s Bay’s Aimee Shaw in five close motos. These three did double duty, riding in two classes.
11-12yr mixed
Sam Sandford of Hawke’s Bay led home Megan Williams of Rotorua. These two riders traded wins. Taupo’s Michael Ranford was third overall, from Gisborne’s Hayden Pragnell and CJay Ingram, who had a mixed day with a race win and a DNF (did not finish). Luca Rendle from Hawke’s Bay rounded out the group
12-13yr girls
Maia Colman Savage, a former age-group world champion, was first overall in this group with four wins from five motos, heading off Hawke’s Bay clubmates Aimee Shaw (who claimed a win in the last moto) and Maia Troup.
13-15yr boys
Hawke’s Bay’s Mason Colman Savage and Rotorua’s Ryan Newman had five close motos. Joshua Lardelli of Gisborne did a good job to clinch third, with Taupo’s Karl Hooper fourth. Dylan Lardelli had a hard landing in the warm-up, which ruled him out of the meet.
14yr girls
NZ2 Stevie-Lee Reuben from Hawke’s Bay beat Gisborne’s NZ5 Gemma Hills by one point as the two speedsters had five close motos. Between them, they took all the top-two placings. NZ6 Taylah Pragnell (Gisborne) was third overall, beating clubmates Krystal Smith, Kate McCosh and Tracy Panton.
17-39yr male
These guys were the stars of the afternoon with Ethan Rogers and Justin Nepia separated by three points on paper and often not much on the track. Phill Gill took home third place, ahead of Tim Smith for a Gisborne top four. Rotorua’s Chris Newson and Hawke’s Bay’s Nathan Sandford rounded out the group
30yr female cruiser class
Kelly-Marie McKay from Hawke’s Bay headed home Gisborne’s Sharyn Lardelli and Tracey Panton.
40-plus male 20in wheel
Tauranga’s Phil Pinkerton and Hawke’s Bay’s Jason Troup were tied on points after five motos. Gisborne’s Shane Pragnell was third overall but managed a moto win. Rotorua’s Dave Mohi was fourth riding his old school bike.
40-plus cruiser class
Troy Greaves of Gisborne was the man to beat but Phil Pinkerton (Tauranga) chased him hard. Gisborne’s Rob Graham led home Moore Haszard from Hawke’s Bay and the elder statesman of Tauranga BMX, Dennis Howlett, who proves you don’t have to be younger than 60 to enjoy the sport. It was good to see the other riders keep him company as he raced off to a win in Heat 5.
The next club night is tomorrow, with sign-on from 5.30pm. Anyone interested is welcome to join in the racing. Updates can be found on the Gisborne BMX Club Facebook page on race day.
