Motocross: Townley wants Tarawera hat-trick

Ben Townley hopes to make it three wins in a row at the annual Honda Tarawera 100 this weekend. Photo / Bikesportnz.com

Bay of Plenty motocross rider Ben Townley is determined to make it three wins in a row at the Honda Tarawera 100 near Kawerau this weekend.

Victory for the former world and national motocross champion in the cross-country marathon would secure his hat-trick after back-to-back wins in 2013 and 2014.

Although Taupo-born Townley, 30, wrapped up his international riding career in March 2013, he showed his race craft was still sharp as ever when he rode his Honda CRF450 to victory in the 100-mile race last July.

But it was a close run thing - Townley came in just 21 seconds ahead of second-placed Brad Groombridge.

"I kept an eye on where the riders were behind me and just stayed steady and kept them there for the first lap, because I didn't want to push too hard when I was leading on a fresh track. I just had to be patient," Townley said of the 2014 race.

"But then I put the hammer down on laps two and three and then just tried to survive after that.

"To be honest, though, I couldn't have held Brad [Groombridge] at bay for another lap. I didn't realise he was coming so fast."

As he prepared to head once again to the hilly, farmland venue on the outskirts of Te Teko, Townley was in confident mood ahead of this year's race, although still wary of the competition.

"I'm a lot fitter this year and now have calluses on my palms too, so my hands are a lot tougher," he said.

"Brad will be tough to beat again and I know he fancies his chances after he got a sniff of the win last year.

"But I will probably also have to be concerned about Paul Whibley and Adrian Smith."

Pahiatua's Whibley (Yamaha YZ450F) and Mokau's Smith (Yamaha YZ250FX) battled throughout the New Zealand cross-country championships that wrapped up in May, finishing the series 1-2.

"I know that Whibley and Smith will be fast starters and that's really one of the keys to winning the Tarawera 100," said Townley.

"There is still a lot of race to go after the start but a good start puts a rider in control."

As well as winning outright, Townley won the over-300cc four-stroke class win at the Tarawera 100 last year.

Fellow Honda star and Rotorua rider Scott Birch (Honda Hamilton CRF250) won the under-300cc four-stroke class.

The 2015 Tarawera 100 takes places this Sunday.