Local riders excelled when the second round of Motorcycle NZ's New Zealand Cross-country Championships was held out on the Smyths' Weber Rd property east of Dannevirke on Saturday, March 13, hosted by CHB Motorcycle Club.
This venue was arranged at the last minute because the CHB venue was considered too dry and dusty, Chris Smyth who is the NZ Cross-country Commissioner offering his place as an alternative.
A very challenging and interesting course was set with rugged terrain, ridgeline and fence line trails, areas of native bush and a particularly steep incline leading into a pine plantation before dropping into open farmland, with a bog that had mostly dried out since recent rain.
Top three riders in the Senior race Brandon Given (3rd - left), Paul Whibley (1st), Tommy Watts (2nd).
Signs and tape warned riders of potential hazards and generally the riders stayed clear of trouble although there were plenty of spills and many opportunities to pass which meant results were in doubt until the end of both races.
Senior race winner was Paul Whibley these days from Manawatu where he runs the Kaikorea MX Park but originally from the Tararua.
Paul called on all his 12-years of international racing experience to outlast his opponents in the three-hour race completing 10 laps of the 20km circuit, all the more remarkable because he was riding a Yamaha YZ 250 FX against others riding 450 machines.
Paul was second in the first race at Marton and looks forward to the final two rounds in Gore and Mosgiel to clinch the title.
Other Tararua riders to compete in the senior race were Ben Paterson of Dannevirke who was fourth in the 4.4 stroke under class and George Ellingham of Pahiatua who won the Under 19 Development class.
In the junior race, Wil Yeoman from Taupo beat local Eketahuna rider Luke Brown in a very close race in which the lead changed multiple times. There was barely 10 metres between the first two until the end when Luke, in an attempt to win, went over the handlebars but recovered to still retain second place.
Dannevirke rider Charlie Free found the going very tough and fell early but finished fourth in the same class while Luke's brother Sheldon Brown was second in the Junior 3 under class and Liam Brown also of Eketahuna was fifth in the same class.
The two South Island legs of the National Motorcycle Cross-country are on April 17-18.
