Championship wide open after Yamaha rider Adam Reeves crashes, writes Andy McGechan
How quickly fortunes can change in the world of cross-country motorcycle racing.
Up one week and seemingly untouchable, then down and out the next. That was the story for Pahiatua's Adam Reeves as the Yamaha rider crashed while leading at a rain-drenched round two of the Suzuki-sponsored New Zealand Cross-countryChampionships near Waipukurau on Sunday.
Meanwhile, it was almost the opposite scenario for Marton's defending champion, Suzuki rider Cam Smith.
Handicapped with an injured shoulder, Smith was right out of the picture in terms of points at the series opener near Christchurch a week earlier, but on the podium at Waipukurau and back in the hunt for the title.
But the biggest winner at Waipukurau on Sunday was Te Awamutu veteran Mark Penny. The 34-year-old Suzuki rider snatched the lead on the last lap and powered his way to an impressive victory.
Norsewood's Kevin Hermansen (Kawasaki KXF250) had led with one lap remaining but lost his advantage when he came into the pits for a vital refuel.
Penny (Suzuki RM-Z450) and Smith (Suzuki RM-Z450) opened a small gap at the front and Penny eventually won the seven-lap, 175km marathon by just 10 seconds.
Hermansen came home third, just a minute later.
Whitby's Rory Mead (Yamaha YZF450) finished fourth, with Palmerston North's Morgan Dransfield (Honda CRF450), Hawke's Bay's John O'Dea (Suzuki RM250) and Taranaki's Greg Ngeru (Honda CRF450) taking fifth, sixth and seventh respectively at the finish.
Again, the best of the small bike finishers was Pukekohe's Luke Ramsey (Kawasaki KX125), finishing eighth overall as he won the battle for under-200cc two-stroke class honours.
"I have been taking a more relaxed approach to racing in recent times and that seems to help," said Penny.
Only three of the four rounds count towards the national title, so the championship is now very much a wide open contest.
"I didn't race at round one because it was too expensive for me to travel down south. So that means I really have to make the last three rounds count," Penny said.
Earlier in the day, Napier's Lance O'Dea (Suzuki RM-Z250) won the 90-minute junior race, this race counting as round four of the North Island Cross-country Championships, with Rotorua's Cameron Vaughan, riding a Suzuki RM85, finishing ninth overall to win the battle for small bike honours.
