Makorori to host nationals

BEACH SPRAY: Graham Wedlake (left) and Jay Peach will be among those fighting out the senior open class at the Beach Racing Nationals being hosted by Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club at Makorori Beach tomorrow. Racing is set to start at 9.30am. Picture by Liam Clayton

Tomorrow the sand will fly as the Gisborne Motorcycle Sports Club hosts the 2018 Beach Racing Nationals at Makorori Beach.

In the senior open class, road warriors Jay Peach (Yamaha R6) and Greg Hall (Kawasaki ZXR750) will rip up the sand to keep their multi-cylinder machines ahead of single-banger motocross racers Daniel Fogarty (Yamaha YZF450) and Graham Wedlake (Kawasaki KX450F).

The Dillian Heaps Memorial Cup will also be up for grabs for the rider of the road bike with the highest points.

In the senior 0-to-500cc class, long-time two-stroke defenders Nick Wilkie (Honda CR500) and Peter Krinkle (Kawasaki KX500) will be back to take on four-stroker Kamie Hei and his Austrian-built KTM450.

The 0-250 class is the most competitive in beach racing. Dylan MacGregor has had a great season on his four-stroke KTM SX250 and he hopes to carry on his winning streak. Rivals Sam Spencer (Honda CR250) and Bryce Norman (KTM SX250) will go head to head for the chequered flag.

In the ATV (quad) class, newbie Jono Hall (Polaris Outlaw MXR450) has taken to all-terrain-vehicle racing like a duck to water.

But Ian Diack (Yamaha YFZ450), Chris Macpherson (Yamaha YFM700) and Phillip Macpherson (Kawasaki KFX450) aim to put up a wall of sand to keep Hall off the podium.

The sound of cold steel will again reverberate off the hills as the Classic/VMX (vintage motocross) bikes battle it out. British-bike racer Paul Arnott will pit his trusty BSA 650 against Chris Wright and his Triumph T140. Greg Pawson will look for a placing on his very fast Aerial 500 single. Melissa Stanaway’s James 197 two-stroke may be a little slower, but she has won more than one race because of its great reliability. The first British- bike racer home in Race 2 will also take home the Dave Crone Memorial Cup.

The women’s class will be back, with Fritha Rau (Husky 125) and Sophie Peach (KTM250) putting their European machines up against Jap-bike racer Elle Adcock (Kawasaki KX85).

Junior and mini classes won’t be racing for national titles but will be racing as no-points demonstration classes.

Sign-in starts at 8.30am, with racing from 9.30 at Makorori Beach. Prize-giving will be straight after the racing. Late entries will be accepted.