Wednesday #3

Wednesday 06 February: Waitangi Day today and what a beautiful day it was in Auckland. Beaches were packed 'till sunset.

Al's Blog: After 8 years, or thereabouts, on the Committee of the Pukekohe Motorcycle Club, I have resigned. I have long held and practiced the workplace philosophy that if you don’t look forward to going to work in the morning, then go and do something else. I felt that about the Club and my ‘heart’ was longer in it. I want to spend my motocross time doing moto-media.net stuff and not having to do a Club duty. Not to say I am no longer involved. You don’t have to be on the Committee to help out. Since resigning I have spent three consecutive Saturday’s helping Tony Cooksley and Scott Willis with their Harrisville track preparations, working mainly on the irrigation. We had previously blamed the cows that graze there for chewing the sprinkler heads but it’s actually the roost that destroying them.

I enjoy doing that, as opposed to what goes on at Committee level.

At last Saturday’s practice (my Birthday) there was an extra early arrival with a KX250 for the 1pm practice. I went over and said "hello”. … it was the Aussie MX2 rider Jesse Dobson and his mum - nice people. He's 3 times Australian Junior Champion and just turned 16. He did three look-laps before getting stuck in and then rode endless laps as it was an all-in session. Good to watch a talent that has never been on H'ville before. On #7 he would semi scrub and land short but with a fist full of throttle and be gone over #8 faster than anyone else.

At Woodville he got taken out in the first Moto’s holeshot and at lap 1 was 25^th and went on to finish 10th. In Moto2 he was 8th and the same in Moto3 for a 7th overall. In that last Moto his best lap-time was slightly behind Kayne Lamont’s and just ahead of Cam Dillon’s. Be interesting to see how he goes at our Nationals.

The Italian MX Championship started at Riola Sardo (Sardinia) last Monday morning our time.

Joel Doeksen Facebook’d that their Maddii Racing team didn’t go because;

"Still a couple things have to be organised plus Marco (son of Corrado Maddii) and I are sick as a dog! Next weekend in Rome for sure!” That event is next weekend,10 February, at Malagrotta, Rome.

We went to Nitro Circus last Saturday night.

It was a surprise birthday present.
Was excited as did not go last time.
Have to say it was better than I thought it would be.
They said the crowd was 21,000 at North Harbour.
Park smart and you get away easily – having the motorway close is a big bonus.
Not all about the bikes either with an abundance of highly skilled guys on BMX, in-line skates, scooters, snow boards, wake boards, chilly bins, trikes etc.
Close to 3 hours entertainment.
Good to see Luke Smith back.
Loved the freight trains flipping - both motocycles and BMX.
Loved the 3-up backflip seen on this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ebwQ6D9jo&feature=player_embedded

Al's Blog: An approximately 17yr old male had collapsed (for whatever reason) at the bottom of the northern stand. St Johns were getting him onto the stretcher when he came to, jumped up and wanted to fight everyone. It took four burly security guards to remove him to a waiting ambulance. There were 1000’s of kids in the stand watching this disturbing carry-on. Call me old fashioned but when I was his age a Policeman would have walked up and smacked him over the head with his truncheon and dragged him away – it’s just too PC these days.

Aussie boys in the Monster Energy Supercross 250SX Class. Josh Cachia and Kade Mosig both qualified for the Main Event at the Oakland Round 4 where they finished 16th and 17th. Anaheim 3 last Sunday and Josh Cachia qualified 15th and finished 14th. Kade Mosig qualified 25th and finished 16th.

Transmoto in Aust says that Australian Off-Road Champion Toby Price has received an official offer to race all three Baja races for the American factory KTM team in 2013. Along with racing this year's AORC with the Motorex KTM Off Road Racing team, Price will contest the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. We can also expect to see him at desert races such as Finke and Hattah, as well as the Australian 4-Day Enduro.

Not good news from Stu Lamont on Sunday - son Kayne has broken his right collarbone. Wonder who will replace him at CMR KTM?

Checked the calendar and noticed that the final round of the 2013 Backflips NZ Motocross Champs at Taupo in on Easter Sunday !!! Not so sure that’s very clever? Not because it’s Easter Sunday but isn’t Easter family time?

Back in http://www.moto-media.net/?id=2208

I did an interview with Tony Cooksley. We talked about his project bike YZ250 2-stroke. Tony will replicate the same Pro Circuit engine that Chad Reed had in 2005 – the YZ250Si. Tony’s parts from Van der Laar Racing have arrived from Holland. Remembering the YZ 2-stroke has not changed for years except it’s BNG (bold new graphics) and this clever kit makes it look just like a 2013 YZ250F

new subframe – ready to bolt on
new 9.4 litre aluminum fuel tank fuel tank
new YZ250F front fender with two-stroke bolt pattern
new set of radiator braces
new YZ250F mud flap
new set of bolts and bits needed for conversion

Cheers
Alan Henderson

alan@h-hmedia.com
+64 27 7222757