Wednesday #6If you missed Moto-Media's detailed Patetonga race report: www.moto-media.net/?id=2307
For Championship points: http://www.mylaps.com/championship/index.jsp?id=46316
PukeMX.com is hosting Round 3 of the MX Nats on Sunday 10 March at Harrisville. Checkout this 20ft banner up high beside the Southern motorway at Takanini - thanks Clark Proctor from Metalman.
Paul Whibley Race Report from the OMA Round 1 Alabama
The 2013 OMA season started well, taking the FMF holeshot award and leading the way into the fresh woods. The trail was still covered in leaves and the recent rains had conditions a tad sloppy in places. While leading, I spent most of the time searching for arrows as the track hadn’t been used and ended up blowing a couple turns. Russell Bobbitt took advantage of one of my wide lines and came by up the inside. I continued to follow Russell and mid lap he blew a turn as well. I also overshot the arrows slightly but where I turned up ended being a real thicket of trees. I crashed my way through to the arrowed track but lost some time. Russell’s line ran wider but actually came onto the track in a better spot and he was able to hold the lead. As I re-joined the track Kailub Russell ran into my leg and I ended up toppling over onto
One 9 mile lap completed in about 32 minutes meant the race would run around five laps total. After gassing on the second lap I put my head down and tried to really bridge the gap but it wasn’t happening.
By the time the final flag flew I was still back in 5th, well behind my teammate Jordan Ashburn who was 4th.
Paul Whibley is supported by: AmPro Yamaha, Monster Energy, Shoei, Sidi, Smith, G2,Asterisk, Moto SR, Vortex Ignitions, EC3D, Bush Riders MCC, Darbis, GHQ, Sargent Motorcycles, Yamaha NZ, Rosscos Start Up Services, Works Connection, Pro Taper, Race Pace Services, Unabiker, Leatt Brace, Tire Balls, bikesportnz.com, Stuk, KettleClamp, Alliance Offroad, Ride Eng.
The AmPro Yamaha Team is supported by: FMF Kenda Yamalube Asterisk CV4 Cycle Gear Factory Connection GYTR IMS Leatt Brace MSR Pro-Clean Rekluse Shoei Slavens TM Designworks Cycra Twin Air Wiseco ZipTy Racing AllBalls Racing Pro Taper Stuk Ride Eng Mark Kariya image
This week’s Instagram favourite from: ryandungey Thanks @ktmusa for the 2012 championship winning bike. Thanks for a great year!
Nick Saunders’ (aka Gunna) Race Report
The Patetonga Club hosted round two of the motocross nationals, like always the club did a great job prepping the track. With another scorcher of a day the track soon dried out in the heat and by the second round of racing it was blue groove hard pack.
It was a tough day at the office for sure on the weekend. The first two races were great, I had good pace and was able to really mix it up with the top guy’s. I got tangled up with another rider in the final race of the day which put us both down, it cost me a lot of places as our bikes were all hooked up together. Nevertheless I kept charging to the end to salvage 11th. I have now moved up to 7th in the points and am not too far off Justin McDonald in 6th. The next round takes us to Pukekohe, a track that I have had good rides at over the years. Really looking forward to some good starts and strong finishes.
Thanks to everyone for the support.
Cheers Nick "Gunna” Saunders
Cody Cooper & Rhys Carter Race Report – from the Team Suzuki Press
Office
Kiwi Cody Cooper has strengthened his grip on the New Zealand Motocross MX1 Championship as the series reached the halfway point at Thames Valley on Sunday.
The 2011 title winner, riding the Moto City Suzuki RM-Z450, is now 20 points clear at the top of the series after the second of four rounds at Patetonga near Morrinsville, fending off Scottish former Grand Prix hero Billy MacKenzie and Australian pair Todd Waters and Kirk Gibbs. MacKenzie is second in the standings and the two Australians third and fourth respectively, while in fifth position is the next best of the Kiwi contingent; former national motocross and Supercross champion Daryl Hurley on the Action Suzuki RM-Z450.
Moto City Suzuki Team Manager Andrew Hardisty said: "Cody rode really well on Sunday. The bike's suspension settings are something we are still tweaking and we didn't have it quite right for his final race of the day, where he finished second to MacKenzie."
In the MX2 class, Cooper's team-mate Rhys Carter (Moto City Suzuki RM-Z250) was on the move: Carter won the day's first MX2 race, leading home defending MX2 Champion Darryll King. But a couple of crashes in the following races cost him dearly and he finished fourth in race two and 11th in the third, placing him fourth overall for the day and moving him up the championship rankings to third.
Said Hardisty: "Rhys has the determination to succeed and, with a little more good luck, he'll be able to move up even more over the next few races." The Moto City Suzuki team is supported by Suzuki New Zealand, Bel Ray, Pirelli, Renthal, The Dirt Guide, Taupo Diesel Solutions, BikesportNZ.com and Koromiko Engineering.
MX1 podium: Waters, Cooper and Mackenzie. Alan H. images.
Kieran Leigh’s Race Report.
The day was up and down, first moto was awesome but a couple of big crashes in moto 2 left me with no points and battled my way through the last moto for 13th overall on the day. It was fun to get a good start and stay in the top ten in moto 1 and I like Pukekohe so real stoked to head up there for round three.
Huge thanks to Deanzie for all his help, my family, Scott Wilkins and Team Scott Wilkins - Team Green Kawasaki image Green Kawasaki for all there support!
A big thanks to the Team Sponsors Kawasaki Team Green, Fly Racing, the Ilabb Family, Bridgestone, Shoei, RK, Performance Factory, Pro Circuit, and to my personal sponsor Discount Bins BOP,
Kieran Leigh
Mike Phillips Race Report
Alan H. image.
It was a much better day than round one two weeks earlier. But I guess you couldn’t have got much worse than round one. I moved into 13th in the championship and was happy how I was riding. With 2 rounds to go it’s just taking one race at a time and doing the best I can regardless of the overall championship standings.
I had fun on the rutty hard pack Patetonga track and look forward to the same kind of dirt at Pukekohe in two weeks time for round 3.
Cheers Mike Phillips
Latest from MotoGP test #2 at Sepang.
1 ROSSI V. Yamaha Factory Ra 2:02.028 2 MARQUEZ M. Repsol Honda Team +0.005 3 LORENZO J. Yamaha Factory Racing +0.013 4 PEDROSA D. Repsol Honda Team +0.052 5 CRUTCHLOW C. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +0.244 6 BAUTISTA A. GO&FUN;Honda Gresini +0.372 7 BRADL S. LCR Honda MotoGP +0.913 8 DOVIZIOSO A. Ducati Team +1.839 9 NAKASUGA K. Yamaha Factory +1.905 10 SMITH B. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +1.984 11 SPIES B. Ignite Pramac Racing Team +2.030 12 HAYDEN N. Ducati Team +2.071 13 YOSHIKAWA W. Yamaha Factory +2.562
 RIP – Lance Lowe - #99
Motorcycling New Zealand joins with the rest of the motorcycling community in sending its condolences to the family and friends of Lance Lowe, who tragically passed away from injuries sustained at the Paeroa Street Road Race on the 24th February 2013. This is a sad and difficult time for everyone involved in the sport.
A gathering of friends and family will be holding a memoriam at Rosebank Road Speedway on Thursday 28th February 2013, at 3pm, all are welcome. If you have any pictures or video’s please take them along so they can be shared. Please also take a plate of food to be shared. Flowers are welcome.
RIP Lance
Scotty Canham Race Report. This is my first Senior Nationals in the MX2 class. The 1st round at Timaru was good one for me, I really enjoyed the track even though it was very hot down there. I had really good races with a 12th, 9th and 10th and finished 11th overall.
Round 2 of the NZ MX Nationals at Patetonga. The
track looked pretty good and the day was going to be a hot one and this was
going to be my hardest track.
This week I need a few days to rest my knee then next week will get back into training and be ready for Pukekohe. I would also like to take this time to thank my family & friends for supporting me on race day, and my sponsors Patterson O'Connor Motorcycles, Carter's Tyre Service, Pinnacle Brokerage Insurance, Sign-It, Fly Racing, Babbit Bearings, Bikesportnz.com and Sue Birch from True-fit Rotorua.
Cheers Scotty #331
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Shayne Rice image.
