SAND BLASTING: Bryce Norman leads the way into a turn at Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club’s beach racing meeting at Makorori Beach. Picture by Liam Clayton
The weather was wet and cold but the action was hot for Round 2 of Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club’s beach racing series at Makorori Beach.
In the senior open class, road warrior Greg Hall (Kawasaki ZXR750) got off to a flying start but the saying “to finish first, first you must finish” rang true as his engine gave up.
With Hall out of the way, Graham Wedlake (Kawasaki KXF450) had a free run at the top spot. Two-stroker Nick Wilkie (Honda CR500) tried his best to get his machine on to the top spot but could not quite get there.
Results — Race 1: Wedlake 1, Wilkie 2, Hall 3. Race 2: Wedlake 1, Wilkie 2, Mark Cameron (Honda XR600) 3. Race 3: Wedlake 1, Wilkie 2, Cameron 3.
In the 0-to-500cc class, Wedlake (Kawasaki KXF450) again managed to hold off a strong attack from Wilkie (Honda CR500), while Jarrod Smith (Kawasaki KXF450) and Tom Claudatos (Suzuki RMZ450) had a good battle.
Race 1: Wedlake 1, Wilkie 2, Smith 3. Race 2: Wedlake 1, Wilkie 2, Claudatos 3. Race 3: Wedlake 1, Wilkie 2, Smith 3.
Burt Norman (Polaris Outlaw450) got his wish of three victories in the ATV (quad) class.
Try as he might, Rockie Ellmers (Polaris Scrambler 400) could not get his two-stroke machine even close to catching Norman. Graham Wedlake (Suzuki LTR450) had to pull out after Race 1 due to some loud knocking inside his engine.
Race 1: Norman 1, Wedlake 2, Ellmers 3. Race 2: Norman 1, Ellmers 2. Race 3: Norman 1, Ellmers 2.
The 0-250 class produced the most aggressive racing on the sand. Bryce Norman (KTM250) was king for the day, collecting three wins. Michael Fenwick (Yamaha YZF250) was having a good run until his machine packed up after Race 2. Ben Logan (Kawasaki KX250), Ben Delegat (Honda CRF250) and Mike Leahy (Yamaha YZ250) were passing each other all day.
Race 1: Norman 1, Logan 2, Fenwick 3. Race 2: Norman 1, Fenwick 2, Delegat 3. Race 3: Norman 1, Logan 2, Delegat 3.
It was good to hear the sound of cold steel roaring up the beach as Chris Wright fired up his Triumph Bonneville 750. It was amazing that any sand was left on the beach. Wright wasn’t running a transponder so he gained no official placings.
Stu Heaps’s Honda 125 was no match for Graham Stanaway and his 1948 DMW 200, who collected three wins.
Melissa Stanaway was happy with the way her 1954 James 197 completed all three races.
Race 1: Graham Stanaway 1, Heaps 2, Melissa Stanaway. Race 2: G Stanaway 1, Heaps 2, M Stanaway 3. Race 3: G Stanaway 1, Heaps 2, M Stanaway 3.
In the women’s class, Sophie Peach (KTM250) and Fritha Rau (Husqvarna 125) wondered where the competition had gone. Peach collected three more wins and Rau grabbed three second placings.
Race meetings elsewhere meant the Junior A and B classes were short of racers, so Branford Barwick (Honda CR125) and Quinta McDiarmid (Suzuki RM85) jumped in with the big boys and had a blast.
The Mini 65 class had some hard racing on little machines that really screamed. Claire Ellmers (Apex MXR), Brodie Reader (KTM65) and Jordan Fenwick (Kawasaki KX65) all gave it 100 percent to produce some close racing.
Race 1: Ellmers 1, Reader 2, Fenwick 3. Race 2: Ellmers 1, Fenwick 2, Reader 3. Race 3: Reader 1, Ellmers 2, Fenwick 3.
Trails, again made up the biggest class of the day. Cohen Laing (Kawasaki KXF110) managed to hold off a determined attack from Gemma Ellmers (Polaris Outlaw 90) to take out three wins.
Lochie Davidson (Yamaha TT90) had a tough battle against Jade Ellmers (Polaris Outlaw 90).
Newbie Hazel Harris (Honda CRF70) had a great first day, while Lila Murphy (Honda CRF70), Lucas Nicole (Yamaha 80) and Abby Fenwick (Suzuki JR70) all traded places during the three races.
Special mention must be made of Duncan Carmichael (Yamaha TT110) who showed some real racing talent. Carmichael wasn’t running a transponder but had three unofficial wins. He would be lethal on a KTM85.
Race 1: Laing 1, Gemma 2, Davidson 3. Race 2: Laing 1, Gemma 2, Davidson 3. Race 3: Laing 1, Gemma 2, Davidson 3.
The KTM50s of the Mini 50 water-cooled class were the bikes of the day. Jack Murphy, Travis Foss and Corrin Newman shifted some sand as they fought for the chequered flag.
Race 1: Murphy 1, Foss 2, Newman 3. Race 2: Murphy 1, Foss 2, Newman 3. Race 3: Murphy 1, Foss 2, Newman 3.
In the Mini 50 air-cooled class it was all on as four-year-old Ario Fenwick (Yamaha PW50) won his first race, despite the best efforts of Maia Claudatos (Honda CRF50) to stop him.
Race 1: Fenwick 1, Claudatos 2. Race 2: Fenwick 1, Claudatos 2. Race 3: Fenwick 1, Claudatos 2.
The next beach racing meeting is on July 21.