from ... Rhys Carter

Summercross 27 December:
Summercross was the first race on the line-up and this year was their 40th Anniversary and it turned into the biggest race of the year as everyone was there. The format for the day was 2x10min motos back to back then another set of those in Round 2.   and Round 3 was one 15 minute moto. In the first set of motos I wasn't aggressive enough and had to settle for 5th and 4th. The next two motos where a lot better.  I got out of the gate and had good starts which made things a lot easier for me and I won those two races. The last race I got a bad jump and then got tangled in the first turn and was dead last on first lap. I put my head down and with only 15 minutes to work with I managed to work my way back to 4th and post fastest lap times which I was happy with.  I ended the day with 2nd overall.
 
Round 1 NZ Supercross - Timaru 04 January:
I was excited to start racing as I havn't raced Supercross for four years so was looking forward to racing. Practice and qualifying went good coming in with second fastest time which gave me a boost of confidence. The first two races where back to back which was fun and I managed to get an okay start in the first one and rode to 3rd place. The second race I got a good start but washed the front and went to the back of pack and with the races been short I had to settle with 4th. The last moto was an 8 lap final and I got a good start and stayed solid for 2nd in the race.  I ended up 3rd for the day
 
Round 2 NZ Supercross - Motueka 08 January:
The track was another fun track to ride and I was looking forward to racing. They held the South Island Champs the day before and in one of the races a guy jumped underneath me and I landed on top of him coming down pretty hard which ended my day. I went home and rested up and when I woke up in the morning I was feeling a little stiff but needed to ride. I missed the first practice and tested the body in the second practice - didnt feel too bad. Qualifying went good and I posted the second fastest time again which was good since I wasn't feeling 100%. First race I got caught in the gate and was dead last and worked my way back into 3rd place as the rider in front of me fell in last lap. Second moto I got a good start and half way through the moto I went to pass for 2nd and washed the front end, losing a spot, dropping me back to 4th where I finished. Third moto I got an okay start and made some quick passes into 2nd and got right in behind 1st.  I just couldn't find a spot to pass and had to settle for 2nd.
I again ended up 3rd for the day
 
Final round of NZ Supercross (and the North Island Champs) Taupo 14 January:
Being two events on the one day we had 5 races which made for a long day. I qualified 2nd again and was really liking the track. First race I got the holeshot and never looked back taking the win which was good way to start the day. Second race I got boxed in off the start and had to work my way through the pack and on the last turn made a pass for 2nd which was good. The third race got a good start and was sitting in 3rd. Couple laps into the race I made a pass for 2nd and couldn't get around the guy in front of me. With the 2nd in the third race, mean't I won the North Island Championship. The fourth race I got an okay start and made some quick passes but again had to settle for 2nd and the way the points come down it was who ever won the last race won the day. The last race I got a good start and made the pass for first on the first lap and led 'till the end which meant I won the day as well as the North Island's and finished 3rd in the Championship.
 
I was happy with how the Supercross went as it is not normally my thing but it gave me a-lot of confidence and now I can't wait for the Woodville GP and the four round NZ Champs that are coming up.
 
Thanks to everyone for there help to get down south and also my mum and dad for everything they do.
 
Cheers
Rhys Carter

Big Thanks to all my sponsors:  Suzuki NZ, Loose Kid Industries, Moto City, DVS Shoes, Fox Racing, Addiction,