Hard sand good for beach racing

GOING HARD: Lachlan Phillips-Crane (591) and Jaxon Pardoe (949) race in the mini 65 class at the third and final points round of Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club’s beach-racing series. Picture by Liam Clayton

A HARD surface at Makorori Beach made for some top-class action in the third and final points round of Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club’s beach-racing series.

The season placings will be announced at the club’s prize-giving at the end of the season.

Graham Wedlake was flying on his new Kawasaki KXF450 in the senior open class. He and Jay Peach (Yamaha R6) battled it out all day.

Nick Wilkie (Honda CR500) had a good day, with two podium finishes.

Daniel Hanley looked promising on his BMW K100 until the drive shaft let go.

Dylan MacGregor (Yamaha R1) had clutch issues all day but managed to win one race.

Results — Race 1: Wedlake 1, Wilkie 2. Race 2: Wedlake 1, Peach 2, Wilkie 3. Race 3: MacGregor 1, Peach 2, Wedlake 3.

In the 0-500cc class, Wedlake (Kawasaki KXF450) dominated, with three wins.

Wilkie (Honda CR500) and Peter Krinkle (Kawasaki KX500) had a great battle until engine issues in Race 2 ended Krinkle’s day of racing.

Race 1: Wedlake 1, Malcom Rau (Honda CRF450) 2, Krinkle 3. Race 2: Wedlake 1, Rau 2, Wilkie 3. Race 3: Wedlake 1, Rau 2, Wilkie 3.

The senior all-terrain vehicle (ATV) class was a feature of the day. Alana Andrews (Suzuki LTR450) was the rider to watch as she took to the hard sand and showed the boys how to corner sideways in style.

Her run almost ended in Race 2 when Phillip Macpherson’s Kawasaki KFX450 machine rode over the top of the Andrews quad on the first corner, causing a race restart. Local legend Ian Newman (Suzuki 750-powered Honda) had to rely on his superior straight speed to get past Andrews — she passed him on the corners — until his engine let go in Race 3.

Race 1: Newman 1, Andrews 2, Graham Wedlake (Suzuki LTR450) 3. Race 2: Newman 1, Andrews 2, Wedlake 3.

Race 3: Andrews 1, Wedlake 2, Newman 3.

Dylan MacGregor swapped his road bike for a KTM250 and dominated the 0-250 class. Ben Logan and Troy Andrews, both on Kawasaki KX250s, were passing each other all day, while Liam Swann (Suzuki RMX250) and Mike Leahy (Yamaha YZF250) had plenty of action.

Race 1: MacGregor 1, Logan 2, Andrews 3. Race 2: MacGregor 1, Logan 2, Andrews 3. Race 3: MacGregor 1, Andrews 2, Logan 3.

The women’s class had a spectacular start, Jessica Wedlake (Suzuki LTR450) flipping her quad in the practice race.

Then the engine of Gabrielle Phillips-Irvine’s Kawasaki KX85 blew up.

Alana Andrews (Suzuki LTR450) and Taylah Mitchell (KTM125) again fought out the top spot in practice, leaving Fritha Rau (Husky 125) with a clear road to bronze.

Race 1: Andrews 1, Mitchell 2, Rau 3. Race 2: Mitchell 1, Andrews 2, Rau 3. Race 3: Mitchell 1, Andrews 2, Rau 3.

In the Classic class, Paul Arnott (BSA 650) and Jake Williams (Triumph 750) weren’t racing for points but got in some practice for the nationals in August.

The Junior A class showed you don’t need to be a senior to go fast. Murdoch Rau (Husky 125) got off to a great start with a win in Race 1 but mechanical problems put him out for the rest of the day.

Simeon Mitchell (KTM85) was only too pleased to step up. Fritha Rau (Husky 125) gave it her best shot but just could not get past Mitchell.

It was good to see Branford Barwick (Honda CR125) on the sand.

Race 1: Murdoch Rau 1, Mitchell 2, Fritha Rau 3. Race 2: Mitchell 1, Fritha Rau 2. Race 3: Mitchell 1, Fritha Rau 2.

In the Junior B class, Nathan Nyhoff (Honda CRF150) was taking on Tate Wilson (Honda CRF150). With Hamish Higham (Yamaha YZ85) and Gabrielle Phillips-Irvine (Kawasaki KX85) having mechanical trouble, Nyhoff and Wilson had the class to themselves.

Race 1: Nyhoff 1, Wilson 2. Race 2: Wilson 1, Nyhoff 2. Race 3: Wilson 1, Nyhoff 2.

In the mini 65 class, Lachlan Phillips-Crane and Vincent MacGregor, both on KTM 65s, again butted heads all day until MacGregor came into Turn 1 too hot and hit the sand in Race 3. Jacob Adcock (Yamaha PW90) and Corbin Spencer had a great time but weren’t running transponders.

Race 1: Phillips-Crane 1, MacGregor 2. Race 2: Phillips-Crane 1, MacGregor 2, Emily Swann (Kawasaki KX65) 3.

Race 3: Phillips-Crane 1, Swann 2.

The trails class was all go, with the return of Claire Ellmers (Apex MXR Pro), who took on twins Gemma and Jade Ellmers, both on Polaris Outlaw 90s.

Race 1: Claire Ellmers 1, Gemma Ellmers 2, Jade Ellmers 3. Race 2: Claire 1, Gemma 2, Jade 3. Race 3: Claire 1.

It was good to see the youngsters having so much fun in the mini 50 class. Jaxon Pardoe (KTM50) unofficially won all three races but was not running a transponder, so Jack Bellingham (Yamaha PW50), the only one running a transponder, collected all three victories. Jake Grisdale (Honda CRF50) was all smiles as he was out to have fun.

The next meeting is the beach fun day, set down for Sunday this weekend. Racing starts at 10.30am.