Motorsport
Things are starting to look up for Pahiatua's Paul Whibley and his dual cross-country campaign in the United States, despite losing his brakes midway through his latest outing.
The 34-year-old former Manawatu forestry worker, affectionately dubbed "The Axeman" on the motorcycling scene, won two major cross-country titles in the US last season, clinching the Grand National Cross-country Championships (GNCC) and the Off-Road Motorcycle and ATV (OMA) crown.
However, his 2013 campaign to defend both titles has been hampered by a hand injury and by mechanical problems at the latest round of the GNCC series, the sixth of 13 rounds in the championship, in Indiana at the weekend.
Despite the setbacks, the tough-as-nails Kiwi Yamaha rider continues to dig deep and he came close to finishing on the podium.
The race started strongly for Whibley, taking his Yamaha YZ450F to the front at the start, before being pegged back by his Yamaha team-mate Jordan Ashburn, who slipped past for the lead soon after the riders passed the pit zone.
"I was riding a little tight and wasn't really flowing with the track early on," said Whibley.
"American riders Charlie Mullins and Thad Duvall slipped by before we had completed the first lap. I was trying to loosen up and not pump up by pushing too hard. I was following Thad when he went down when he spun over a rock in the track. I moved up to second when Jordan went down in a rocky creek as well."
Series leader Kailub Russell then made his presence felt, passing Whibley shortly afterwards.
Duvall, for his part, had recovered quickly and was soon looking for a way past Whibley. Going down a hill toward a checkpoint, Whibley clipped a tree and was sent over the bars. He was up quickly and back into it but soon discovered the bike had suffered more than himself. The bars were a little bent, but worse was that the rear brake lever had been bent under the engine casing.
"The next time I braked, the lever stayed down and began dragging. I stopped and tried to fix it, pulling it out from under the cases, but I couldn't manage to straighten it enough to prevent it happening again," Whibley said
"I continued that lap without using it and stopped in the pits for a quick fix. I was a long way back when I rejoined the race and the time I had lost to the leaders was going to be a big ask to make back, but I put on a charge to try to salvage some points."
Whibley soon passed Japanese Takashi Koikeda, then Chris Bach. The laps were winding down but he was still putting in some good times. A quick splash of gas and he also chased down Jordan Ashburn and moved by fellow Kiwi Rory Mead late in the race.
"Getting into fourth position was a solid finish, considering how far back I had been and at least I was earning some points," Whibley said.