Harrisville Highlights

maddix park mx

HIGHLIGHTS OF PUKEKOHE MCC's HARRISVILLE CLUB DAY - 21 FEB

130 riders turned out for Saturday's practice on the 20th.  Club Day on the next day and 170 Seniors and Juniors turned out plus 50 Minis.   The pit area was choker block. 

 

Ben Townley was there with the TLD Honda 450 looking very smart. 

 

Check out the colouration of the ProCircuit front forks ?

Cody Cooper was also there on his MotoGB Suzuki and brought along Honda Rider Craig Smith who is a reserve in the Junior Oceania Team. 

KTM's Ethan Martens and Shaun Fogarty were there.  Shaun was on the McNabney KTM 250F as his 450 had a leaking bottom end seal that was getting worse.  Shaun was not using a transponder so no points but he went very well.

King brothers Darryl and Damien were there.   DK had no transponder so did not figure in the results but rest assured he was up there.  Tony Cooksley was up the sharp end also but his transponder was not registering.

 

Blake Gillard was also there on his privateer LA KTM 450 - LA being a derivation of Los Amigos.  Blake's is furtherest away. Two other team members were riding - #880 Jan Doeksen in MX2 and #121 Adrian Dennis in Senior Support.

 

MR Motorcycles had a big Kawasaki lineup;  Craig Brown, Jimmy Sutherland, Hamish Stone, Aaron Stone and Scott Wilkins on the RM125. 

 

The roof over the Medic Room had gone up during the  week and there will be one along the centre-front by Auckland Champs / Oceania weekend.  

Who else 'significant' was there ?  Nick Saunders, Kieran Leigh, Cam Dillon, John Phillips and Josh Jack. Making his return after two broken feet was AMPS 'factory' rider Greg Pratt. 

Don't know what I did but 100 images from Round 1 have 'disappeared' ?

They were running Jump 1½ which gives the more skilled riders a huge amount of air time. 

 

Ben Townley

 

Cody Cooper

 

Blake Gillard

Lots of 65 and 85s. Oceania 65cc selection Josiah Natzke was clearing it completely.

Once again Doug Smith had done a great job with a new layout and ripping /watering .  Practice was muddy so the wash bays were busy, busy.

In MX circles north of the Bombays, 'a select few' were asking why Sean O'Conner was selected in the Oceania Team over either Aiden Kiff or Brandon Tipene.  Brandon has been on a 125 for some time but fitted the age group and his dad Troy, entered him as the Oceania 'Wildcard'.  According to Troy the MNZ answer was a firm no.  Troy decided that he had a point to prove and turned up for Club Day with not only his KTM125 but also Joel Doeksen's championship winning Doeksen Racing YZ85 big frame.  As far as I was concerned Sean is quick on Harrisville,  he had got the selection and good luck to him but I did kinda see Troy's point.  The Junior 13-16 Years 85cc results tell the real story but what about Aiden Kiff ?

 

 

 

Aiden Kiff 

 

Brandon Tipene

 

Sean O'Conner

The fields were fairly full and due to time constraints Junior 125 classes were split start as were the National All-In. 

Nats Race 1:  54 starters but only 25 had transponders.  The MX1 boys were sent out first.  Townley the holeshot with Gillard behind.  Into Lap 5 Townley went down hard in the turn above where you turn left to the step-up which was being bypassed - it was still quite slippery.  Took him plenty of kicks to re-start.  He then cut the track and rejoined behind Coops and Gillard - no transponder, no problem. Gillard was having obvious rear brake problems and waved 2nd and 3rd through.  He continued for another lap and then caught King (Damien) and then Cooper. After a few more laps he managed to get to the front and pull out a 30 second lead with just a front brake.  Coops was 2nd and Damien 3rd.  I saw what remained of Gillard's GOLD fren pads, just a molten mass - send 'em back !!

Nats Race 2:

 

MX1 Race 2: The Honda is Ben Townley, #302 Cody Cooper, #15 Blake Gillard, #24 Damien King

 

MX2 Race 2:  #98 Ethan Martens, #4 Nick Saunders, #210 John Phillips, #31 Darryl King

Predictable start but a big drama into lap 4.  In that class, life was good for James Ainsworth.  He'd been selected for the NZ Oceania Motocross Team - as one of five riders in the 125cc/250cc  15-18yrs class.  Well deserved it was too.  The Club Day was a good opportunity to practice.  NZ Oceania team-mates Cam Dillon, John Phillips and Reserve Craig Smith were also there.

This is Craig Smith form Timaru.   Coming up over the BIG jump # 1½, whips - as you do !!   James Ainsworth will be behind him so camera is ready.  Un-be-known to me as James hits the top of the take-off the bike suddenly wheelied.  At that speed there was little he could do but hang on as he was a passenger.  I caught the action from the other side of the gully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He crawled to the side of the track, then stood up as the Paramedic arrived who firstly checked him for concussion. Unbelievably he then donned his helmet and rode out of the gully. 

Whilst all this was going on riders were into the 5th lap and double drama. Blake Gillard's rear hub let go.  Luckily it was into a corner and not on a jump.  Ethan Martens crashed out also and whilst he had a couple of abrasions there was fears that he had popped a rib. I'm fairly sure it was a Townley, Cooper, King but without transponders and no notes, who knows ??

 

Nats Race 3 and only 24 riders in total turned out.  The other 30 had gone home ?  #901 is Kieran Leigh, #934 Stephen Smith

For 'official' results see:  http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=506620

 

Blair Books sent this photo in of  BT 'staring down' Hamish Stone over the container jump.

 
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