Mitchell Nield took out his class during the New Zealand Enduro Championships. Photo/Andy McGechan
Mitchell Nield took out his class during the New Zealand Enduro Championships. Photo/Andy McGechan
The bike cost him only $400 to buy, but Bay of Islands rider Mitchell Nield still managed to turn it into a championship winner.
The 28-year-old, self-employed builder from Pakaraka, near Kaikohe, took a "freshened-up" 10-year-old Yamaha YZ125 to win the under-200cc class title at this season's New Zealand EnduroChampionships.
It was a performance that must serve as rich inspiration to any dirt biker who might have an old bike lying neglected in the back of their garden shed.
The 2017 national enduro championships wrapped up near Tokoroa on Queen's Birthday Monday and, although he had contested just two rounds before this sixth and final round of the series, Nield already had a firm grip on the class win.
In truth it was probably a foregone conclusion that he would win, considering he was the only rider to contest the under-200cc class this season, but his overall race results still stacked up stunningly well and deserve recognition.
Pitted against New Zealand's off-road elite, all of them on newer and more powerful 200cc, 250cc, 350cc and 450cc bikes, Nield finished seventh overall at round one near Nelson in February. He backed that up by finishing 14th overall at round two near Whangamata just a week later.
He skipped rounds three, four and five due to family and work commitments, but his final fling at the Tokoroa event was another impressive one, with Nield finishing the day 16th overall in the field of 100 talented riders.
Nield was naturally happy to take the under-200cc class win this season, but he also finished a remarkable 18th overall.
