NZ Veteran's and Women's Motocross Champs - Day 1We have endured shocking weather throughout September and moving the event came with it's usual problems. The Pukekohe MCC led by Scott Wilkins, his Committee and band of volunteers did a superb job at short notice. That's a big list from the start crew to the Ambos led by Dr Rosie to Finish Line crew, to the two guys in the Mule forever thumping in pegs and taping them off.
Motocross has been to 'Brass' and Sue Young's dairy farm for events before and whilst the lower paddocks dried as the day progressed, the top of the track turned into an impassable bog.
For Round 2 of the Women's Classes the track was shorted and the Club's huge John Deere tractor scrapped away the mud ready for the big boys turn. The good news was the rain more or less stayed away and it was reasonably warm. Overcast to sun and 20 degrees C. is tomorrow's forecast.
The racing was hard fought and the Junior and Senior Women turned on some of the best racing of the day.
Not to say the men was not exciting - the 35-39yrs Overs between Mike Cotter and Craig Brown made you hold your breath as the track conditions were diificult but these two in particular were hard at it and were just soo fast in the conditions. As I said it made you hold your breath !
Also in the 40-44yrs Overs there was a great fight between Darren Capill and the Master himself, Darryll King. Capes would get away to a handy lead only to be run down by DK. In that Class NZV8 racer John Penny battled with former Road Race Champ and Targa Rally competitor, Tony Rees.
Standout individual, of the day was the mercurial Mitch Rees. In Races 1 and 2 he 'showed a clean pair of heels' to the rest of his Class and won by 1:35 minutes and 1:07 seconds in the Unders and a staggering 1:54 (he lapped up to 2nd place) and 1:07 in the Overs. Standing on the pegs on the tricky uphill, even Commentator Neil Ritchie said it was the best he had ever seen #007 ride.
The 50+ Class belongs to Mosten Wadsworth who fought hard in Race 1 with Darryl August to win by 10 seconds and 53 seconds.
As I said above, the Women's Classes had some great racing. In the 12-16 Junior Class 2009 Champion Kimberley Murphy had her hands full with Pukekohe Club member Courtney Lindsay. At the end of the day Kimberley only has a 2 point advantage and she is riding two Classes with 3 Rounds to go.
In the Senior Women's Letitia Alabaster holds out Nikki Scott by 8 points with Alex Dillon only 4 behind. In R2 Dillon led out from Alabster then Alex did a 180 at the top of the track and dropped to 4th. Emma Davis was through to the lead and Alabaster was having to cope with a hard charging Nikki Scott. Then Davis went down and stayed down. Scott was hounding Alabaster and actually got past her for a few seconds but a determined Alabaster won it back and now Dillon was in 3rd. There was an absolute 'flying finish' that went well beyond the track proper with Alabaster winning by just 0.971. Great racing ladies !
I had a 'chat' with Nikki Scott who only got back from Belgium on Monday and will bring you up to date soon.
Full results for Saturday's two Rounds are up on MyLaps courtesy of Nicole Bol from MX Timing but the Overs and Unders classes are not split: www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=598480Da The 30-34 Unders was Damien King, Degan and Wilkins. The Overs was Brown,Baird and Bregman.
The 30-34 Overs was Damien King, Stewart and Yaxley. The 35-39 Overs was Cotter by 6 points from Brown and Wilson.
The Junior Women 8-12 was Cottam, Elwin and Jurd. The Vet Women was Managh, McCann and Palmer. In that Class was a sole 65cc rider, Oceaana Hardridge. You could not miss her in her pink gear but she was flying and on that rough track did soo well to stay on. Those little wheels in those big ruts and berms were no problem to her. Even on the one jump of the open terrain track she was getting decent air. Big ups to Oceaana !!
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