Gold Medals & High Flyers
Masters - Road Racing - Trials - MX - VMX
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Enjoyable weekend for lots of Tauranga riders in several motorcycle disciplines.
Masters MX: Gavin Weston came back from the Masters games with 2 gold medals, one for the 50+ cross country and one for the 50+ MX. "I had hard pack tyres on so there was a bit of a panic and new ones at Wanganui when we saw the weather down there", says Gavin, "and things weren't looking to good when I crashed upside down in the practice. However it all came together. In the cross country event, the riders left on the 2 hour race at one minute intervals according to their age. It was very fast in places - 140km - but also demanding. I came first and actually lapped the 2nd placed rider. I wasn't sure about the MX, there were heaps of man-made jumps but in the end, it was quite easy and I had three 1st places which gave me my second gold medal!"
MX Nationals Round 1 in Timaru saw Scott Barr-Smith and Logan Blackburn (pictured above) competing with other top riders along side the professionals.
Both Logan and Scott raced in the dual 125cc 2 stroke and Under 21 classes. Logan’s practice didn’t go so well as the track was really boggy and his bike was missing. He qualified 16th but raised his game when the racing began and his 13-9-12 finishes leave him in 10th place overall going into the second round at Patetonga on Feb 27. Scott had a fantastic day gaining 2nd place in the Under 21s behind Ethan Martens and 3rd in the 125cc behind Ethan and Shaun Fogarty.
Michael Phillips, Cody Cooper and Mason Phillips were 2nd, 3rd and 6th respectively in the MX1 class that was won by Josh Coppins. Peter Broxholme was 5th in the MX2.
Go to www.mylaps.com for full results.
Paeroa Street Races: Sloan Frost won the Bears class and was runner up in the Formula 1.
Steve Bryan re-teamed up with Andy Scrivener on the 1300 for a 2nd place in the sidecar event. Steve & Andy were last at Paeroa 2 years ago when they won the event. This year they raced with the same tyres as in 2009, lapped 0.2 seconds faster but came second because the winners had upped their game considerably.
"An up-through-2 gears-in-130 metres black line on the Paeroa start straight is proof we were there", laughs Steve.
Go to www.mylaps.com for full results.
Trials Group held their 1st local trial of the season. There was a good turnout at the Number 2 Road venue. Thanks to the McLeods for marking out the well set out sections and also the land owner, Richard Braun. There were hill climbs, treeroots and tricky turns. Some one didn't mark their card on one section so was deemed a 10, this was only a club trial but it is important to mark your cards. Click here for the results.
This event follows on from the very successful Bay of Plenty presence at the first 2 rounds of the North Island National Trials Champs held in Wellington over Waitangi weekend. BOP riders won every grade except the Expert category. John Haines from Rotorua won the Intermediate with Tauranga riders Jacob Gundry (Juniors), Gaby Gundry (Clubmans), Warrick Merriman (Presidents) and Phillip Shilton (A Grade) also topping the podium.
VMX Round: The latest round was in Waverly on a very soft and dusty track. Ray Hutt, Craig Ryder and Keith Paterson are reported to have done well. A couple of others "pansied out", acording to one who did. Results should be up soon on www.livewire.gen.nz
