MotoX: Kiwi battler stays hot in tougher grade

Hamish Harwood (KTM) had made another impressive showing across the Tasman this season. Pictures / Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Andy McGechan reports on a motocross success

For the second consecutive season, New Zealand's Hamish Harwood has made headlines across the Tasman as he continues to expand his impressive international motocross portfolio.

The teenager from Takaka, near Nelson, won the Australian MX Development (under-19) crown last year, and was a contender to make it two Australian titles in a row this year, despite stepping up a grade to the tougher MX2 (250cc) division.

The 19-year-old posted another solid performance in the tenth and final round of the series at Coolum, in Queensland, just over a week ago, and this took him to the runner-up spot in the championship overall.

The CMR Red Bull KTM Team rider finished 8-6-5 in his three MX2 class outings at the sandy Coolum track, and was thrilled with his No 2 spot, 47 points behind Serco Yamaha factory rider Luke Clout.

Essentially a privateer rider, operating out of a small van at the back of the pits, Harwood battled through a tough season in which his determination and consistency were clearly his strengths.

The South Island teenager's never-say-die attitude was perhaps never more evident than in the final race of the championship.

Husqvarna's Luke Arbon, who held the No 2 spot in the championship standings at the start of the day, crashed out early in the day's final MX2 race.

Harwood was also "bitten" by the rough track a few moments later, but he recovered from his spectacular crash to finish the race and gain the points he needed.

"I just knew I had to get back on the bike as soon as I could (after crashing)," said Harwood.

"I took a bit of a knock to the head and was a little dizzy, but there was a championship position at stake."

Harwood needed 23 points or more (an eighth placing or higher) to finish in second overall for the championship and that seemed assured as he battled between fourth and sixth place over the 12-lap race. He finished fifth.

"It has been a tough campaign," said Harwood. "I had to ride with a partially dislocated shoulder after a spill at round nine and I'd had a problem with my wrist since Raymond Terrace (round eight at the start of August).

"It's definitely good to finish second in Australia this year. I'm pretty stoked with that.
"I had a few problems to deal with but I guess other riders had a few problems too, and perhaps my problems weren't as bad as those experienced by a few other riders," said the modest Harwood, perhaps referring to fellow Kiwi Kayne Lamont, the Mangakino rider who led the MX2 standings through the early part of the championship before being forced out of the series.

Lamont crashed during qualifying for round eight at Raymond Terrace, New South Wales, early last month, breaking his collarbone.

Lamont (Husqvarna Red Bull WIL Sport BikesportNZ.com TC250) led the Australian MX2 championships after round one and was among those favoured to win the title.

But a string of bad luck - including injuring his collarbone in round five in May and his bike's rear wheel shattering on a big jump during round seven in July - meant he had slipped down the championships standings to seventh overall before the start of round eight.

Sidelined, he could only watch as his season dissolved and he ended the championship at No 9.

It was a depressing end to the season for the 21-year-old New Zealand MX2 champion, who had won more MX2 class races than any other rider by the halfway stage of the championship.

Fellow New Zealander Hamish Dobbyn, another infrequent campaigner in Australia this season and therefore not a title contender, also put his CMR Red Bull KTM machine near the top.

The man from Dargaville finished 1-5-DNF in his three MX2 races in round eight, scored 2-4 in his two races in round nine and 5-5-19 at Coolum's final round.

Follow Driven on Facebook and Twitter for the latest motoring news.