Round 1 Timaru - race by race report

Preamble

• Awoke to drizzle outside, not really what we needed, nor the track.
• Just before we turned off to Pleasant Point they had been no rain so it looked promising.
• 5 minutes up the road it was raining again and quite heavy before we got to the small town of Pleasant Point.
• Last year I gave the Police a written ‘serve' for having a speed camera just before the 100 kph sign when leaving Pleasant Point. This year they had 3 cops as we went through at just after 7am. They had a MX van pulled over and a ute with a bike on a trailer. So much for Southern hospitality ! ... and they wonder why we have no respect for them. Time the Club got MNZ to put a warning on their Supplementary Regs and acceptance letter. It was the ‘talk' in the pits, I personally believe it was entrapment as they were only 20 metres from the 100 kph sign.
• I said Saturday that the track was on Howells Road. Part right but the metal road off it is Chisholm Road.
• The land is owned by Chris and Sharon McNight and the event is run by the South Canterburu MCC who have their own sponsors Kiwi Span, Backflips and GMD.
• Briefing was the normal first round of the National's fare.
• 3 practice laps and when the lead rider goes through Lap 3 the green flag goes out until, at 30 minutes the finish flag goes out.
• All 45 MX2 riders go out at once ? Mmmmm. However only 38 had signed-on.
• The 115% rule was explained.
• The start-gate would be top 30. As it turned out there was never 30 on the gate because the 115% had a big effect as previously explained. In MX2's, a field of 45, it cut the field off at 25th, 8 no-shows, so the remaining 12 went to MX3.
• Stewards made particular attention to incorrect colour backgrounds on Class numbers and riders having no back numbers. They would ignore it here but not at Round 2 Patetonga.

Practice and Qualifying

• 125 Class were out first and Ethan Martens was 2.24 seconds quicker than Micah McGoldrick but that reduced slightly.
• Next was Shaun Fogarty, Josh Jack and Cam Negus.
• Liam Underwood made the cut by the ‘skin-of-his-teeth' after a shifter sheared off in a rut – a rut ? in the first practice ? Yep, and there was more to come.
• MX2 were out and I caught up with Kayne Lamont's dad Stu. Kayne was to leave for the UK next Tuesday to join Maxxis Apico Suzuki but they have a problem with his British Visa and now have to take it day-by-day.
• Luke Burkhart was still fastest with 3 laps to go by a whopping 3.09 secs but the Aussies, Daniel McCoy and Cody Mackie slowly reeled him in to the tune of 0.7 and 0.8 secs by the end of the session.
• Mackie was insane through all the corners leading to the Finish.
• With a field of fast ‘youngsters' guess who was next ? DK and Broxy.
• MX1. Josh Coppins cracked 2 minutes flat at Lap 11 and stayed at the top followed by Justin McDonald, Cody Cooper, Michael Phillips, Hayden Clark and Jared Guthrie.
• I was talking to Robin Dillon – Cam's mum. Cam was going off to Europe with Ben Townley, to train, work and ride with him. With BT101's latest jaw injury, that departure has been delayed until … who knows when ? Cam may as well ride the Nationals until such time as he does depart.
• I also caught up with Barbara Phillips and asked what is happening with John ? I recently reported that he is not listed as an entrant in the MX2 British Champs - http://www.moto-media.net/?id=532   His team, DBG Team Suzuki, have Kieran Scheele and Bjarne Frederickson in MX1 but because the team and John Phillips does not have a track record in the UK or MX2 they have to wait. Team Owner Rex Michau is confident of getting one soon. Barbara said John is loving it up there but missing his big brother. John has been enjoying working on his Suzuki, getting everything right on what is a new brand for him.

RACING - ROUND 1

• With half hour qualifying sessions we were already 2 hours down. Riders were more than happy with their 30 mins and several were still bemoaning Woodville.
• MX3 were on the line and had the first of their 3 races.
• 125 Class, Micah McGoldrick led out but soon Martens was in the lead and won by 16.8 seconds. Fogarty came through from 5th for a very good 2nd.
• MX2 and Burga holeshots but at Lap 1 was back to 4th. He finished 10th.
• I was surprised to see Broxy leading but then again why was I ?
• Dillon's Lap 4 crash was a distraction – I feared he was hurt but he's tough.
• Mackie was in the lead and McCoy behind him with 3 laps to go.
• It's now 11:30am and the rain has gone and it's warming up.
• Lap 6 and DK is up to 5th.
• Burga is now down to 13th – wrist ?
• Lamont takes a very fine 3rd behind the Aussies. It was 6 secs back to Broxy and 14 to DK.
• MX1. Coppins was down about 8th around the corner. Coops almost last.
• Lap 1 and it's Mike Phillips, Justin McDonald and Hayden Clark. Coppins next and close. Then Jared Guthrie, Fogarty is down in 9th and Coops is already up to 12th.
• Mikey P hits the front – I was standing with his dad Dennis on the infield and he said Mike had, had a bad dose of food poisoning after the Motueka SX and had been troubled ever since. He said it effected his training but it wasn't showing – he was gone.
• Nice action from Coppins as he sets up McDonald for a very nice inside / outside move.
• Dust is coming up in places – what a change in three hours, getting hot.
• Clark was gone into L7 – later learned he had popped his shoulder.
• There was an incident at the Finish line with the two Masons – Phillips and Wilkie coming together. Wilkie crashing at the left hand steel pole and almost taking out the two flaggies. Those steel poles need rugby goalpost type protectors on them – could have been nasty.
• Coppins got close to Mike Phillips but then dropped back.
• Phillips won by 14.7 secs, then 2 back to McDonald, 32 to Coops and another 40 to Fogarty.

30 minute Lunch Break. Good idea especially with very muddy bikes from practice and Round 1 – it was a welcomed break. Track had formed up well with lots of ruts giving the riders lots of options as opposed to other tracks when muddy. The big muddy section between the back and the middle was only one line and I thought they would have scrapped the top away to open it up.

ROUND 2:

• 125 Class. McGoldrick holeshots and led briefly before Martens hit the front. Barr-Smith was a close 3rd then Picard.
• Towards the end Martens had moved out and Fogarty was coming.
• At the end Fogdog was only about three bike lengths behind him – 0.616 to be exact. Barr-Smith was 20 back.
• MX2 and DK leads out from Wiki, Mackie, Burga and Broxy.
• The top 10 are all close.
• Wiki moves down a place each lap ?
• Damien King and Groombridge are well down the field.
• Into Lap 8 Lamont is up to 5th but then goes down.
• Dobbyn held 14th for 6 laps then slid down the field.
• Mackie wins by 2.4 secs from McCoy, 7.5 to DK and 9.5 to Burga who was clutching his wrist.
• MX1 and Hayden Clark holeshots. Not long before Phillips was in the lead.
• Saw Coppins put it down in a slow corner - almost slow motion. Now has a big gap to Phillips. Couple of laps later he's caught Phillips up. As they emerge from the noth end of the track Coppins is in front.
• White flag and Coppins moves out, or has Phillips eased up. Coops is in 3rd by a big gap.
• 200 metres from the Finish and there was a funny incident. A guy on crutches struggled to cross the track before Phillips came around. Phillips swerved and gave him a squirt of roost, looked back and laughed.
• Coppins wins by 16 secs from Phillips, 9 back to Coops. 10 to McDonald and 33 to Clark.
• Clark said afterwards it was his first in a long-time. Also said apart from the pipe his Yamaha was stock standard.

ROUND 3:

• 125 Class: Martens was in trouble as he had the bike in 3rd and was left behind. At Lap 1 he was 6th. At Lap 2 he was into 3rd and stayed there.
• Josh Jack led for three laps before Fogarty took over. Barr-Smith was sitting in 3rd until he tweaked his right knee and slid down the field lap by lap. Roydon White was on a similar slide.
• Fogarty won by only 2.5 secs from Josh but it was 30 secs to Martens and 7 to Picard.
• 125 Class Podium: Ethan Martens 70, Shaun Fogarty 69, Scott Barr-Smith 54.
• Under 21yrs 125cc Podium: Ethan Martens 72, Scott Barr-Smith 60, Dion Picard 58.
• MX2: Burga holeshot and was gone. Mackie was chasing him and dropped it on the last lap letting DK through. Jayden Jessup held 4th for three laps until McCoy and Broxy went past. Burga won by 7.8 from DK, 12 to Mackie and 13 to McCoy. Both Aussies were tired boys.
• MX2 Podium: Cody Mackie 70, Daniel McCoy 62, Darryll King 58. Burga was 54 and Broxy 50.
• DK commented on the podium that it was the best track he had raced on in a long, long time due to soo many lines.
• MX1: Coops holeshots with Phillips and Coppins close behind. At Lap 3 Phillips was at the front with Coppins sitting a distance behind. Into Lap 9 he chose his moment and as I have already said he just took it up a level and hit the front. Coppins won by 7.5 from Phillips with Coops another 30 back.
• In that last race Phillips did 1:58.871 and Josh Coppins a 1:59.583, both the fastest times of the day.
• MX1 Podium: Josh Coppins 72, Michael Phillips 69, Cody Cooper 58. Justin McDonald was 4th on 56. On the podium Coppins said speed, lines and possibilities made it one of the best tracks.

Round 2 is at Patetonga this coming Sunday the 27th.