Bad day for Reporoa's Knight

Reporoa's Hadleigh Knight had an unhappy second round of the NZ motocross championships in the MX 2 class falling early in his second ride injuring his shoulder. PHOTO/STUART WHITAKER

Reporoa's Hadleigh Knight has effectively said goodbye to any chance of taking out this year's New Zealand motocross MX2 (250cc) title.

On a heavy Rotorua Motocross Club track on Saturday, Knight, who was sitting third in the championship going into the second round, recovered from an early fall in the first race to take sixth place, but fell again early in the second race.

That second fall damaged his shoulder and he was unable to continue or take his place on the start line for the third of the day's races.

"It's pretty disappointing, but it's part of the sport," said the 20-year-old. "I hit a bump wrong and it threw me off the bike - it high sided me."

He now faces a race to be fit in time for the third of the four round series in Palmerston
North on March 12.

"The championship is pretty much gone. I lost 50 points [on Sunday] so it's gone. It's a shame. I'm still going to ride though."

Good starts and clawing his way back from dead last to sixth in the first race were the positives from the day.

Action started late in the day after organisers played a waiting game to see if more rain would fall after the track had a drenching in the days leading up to the event.

Knight said the track was "a bit of a handful, but it was still rideable".

"In the morning it was a bit touch and go whether we could even get round, but in the end they did a god job in getting it raceable."

In the MX1 class, Mount Maunganui's defending champion Cody Cooper finished 2-2-1 in his three outings, enough for him to extend from five points to 13 the lead he had established at round one near Timaru a fortnight earlier.

His nearest challenger, Australian visitor Dean Ferris, had a frustrating day at Rotorua, dropping his bike several times during the course of the day, costing him valuable places in the process, as he posted a 1-5-3 scorecard.

Ferris remains in second spot, but he now has fellow Australian Todd Waters hot on his tail, another 11 points further back.

Mount Maunganui's Rhys Carter had been third in the standings after round one, but he managed only sixth overall for the day on Sunday and has slipped back to fourth in the championship standings.

"It was a good day for me," Cooper agreed. "I left the track with a bigger lead than I had at the start of the day and that's great. I'm riding within my comfort zone and feel that, if Dean steps it up, I can still go harder."

In the MX2 class, Takaka-raised but Takapuna-based defending champion Hamish Harwood again won the day, also extending his championship lead.

Christchurch's Dylan Walsh was also guilty of dropping his bike a few times too many, but he is still the closest to challenging Harwood's position at the top.

Walsh began the day 11 points adrift of Harwood, but ended it with a 20-point deficit.
In the 125cc class, it was the moment for Karaka's Kurtis Lilly to shine.

Trailing Taihape's Hayden Smith by just three points at the start of the day, Lilly turned in three solid rides, posting a 1-1-2 score-card and rocketing up to take a share of the
championship lead.

Nelson's Hayden Wilkinson remains third overall in the 125cc class after the Rotorua event, but he is now a massive 41 points behind the two co-leaders.

STANDINGS:
Leading overall standings after the second round of four in this season's New Zealand Motocross Championships at Rotorua on Sunday:
MX1 class: 1. Cody Cooper (Mount Maunganui, Honda) 139 points; 2. Dean Ferris (Australia, Yamaha) 126; 3. Todd Waters (Australia, Honda) 115; 4. Rhys Carter (Mount Maunganui, Kawasaki) 108; 5. Luke Styke (Australia, KTM) 108.
MX2 class: 1. Hamish Harwood (Takapuna, KTM) 142 points; 2. Dylan Walsh (Christchurch, Yamaha) 122; 3. Ethan Martens (Waitakere, Yamaha) 106; 4. Kaleb Barham (Australia, Husqvarna) 97; 5. Logan Blackburn (Te Puke, KTM) 89.
125cc class: 1= Hayden Smith (Taihape, KTM) and Kurtis Lilly (Karaka, Husqvarna) both with 141 points; 3. Hayden Wilkinson (Nelson, Yamaha) 100; 4. Jordan Milsom (Te Puke, Husqvarna) 90; 5. Dan Bell (Levin, KTM) 87.