NZ Insider No.6: Battle Of The Clubs

Welcome to our brand new weekly web-exclusive column, Transmoto‘s NZ Insider. Penned each week by Kiwi, Chris Ritchie, the NZ Insider will present the story-behind-the-stories on NZ-related dirt bike happenings across the globe. 

There was plenty of action at the Battle of the Clubs Motocross at Taupo, held on Saturday, June 28, with the South Waikato Motorcycle Club coming out on top, with their strong team of Oliver Ayre (Junior 85cc), Wyatt Chase (Junior 125cc), Ben Broad (Junior 250F), Cohen Chase (MX2), Dion Picard (MX1) and Nigel Gainford (Vets). Second Overall went to the Taranaki A team, led by Daryl Hurley, and third was Nelson, led by Josh Coppins!

The event is held in a similar format to the Motocross of Nations, with the three Senior classes combined into three races: MX1-MX2, MX1-Vets, and MX2 -Vets, and similarly, the Junior classes also into three races: Junior 85cc-Junior 125cc, Junior 125cc-Junior 250F, and Junior 85cc-Junior 250F, with the points system of 1^st = 1 point, 2^nd = 2 points, and so on, therefore the lowest total points across the six classes needed for the Overall victory.

Local Taupo boy, Cohen Chase, used the event as build-up for his upcoming trip to Belgium to contest the World Junior Motocross Championship in early August, alongside fellow countryman, KTM’s Josiah Natzke. The pair will compete in the Junior 125cc class, pitting themselves up against the best in the world. We wish them well!

Also, across the ditch at Swan Hill for the return of the MX Nationals saw Motul Suzuki’s Rhys Carter start the day strongly with a fifth in the opening moto, where he wants to be, but then while going for another top five finish in the final moto, his chain came off! Look for Rhys to bounce back at Round 7 in Conondale in a fortnight. Kayne Lamont had an average day on his Husky TC250 with an uncharacteristic 6-12 for ninth Overall. After such a strong start to the series, Kayne knows where he should be, so I’m sure he will be back up front soon enough!

KTM-mounted rider, Hamish Harwood, continued his consistent run with 3-7 for the 2 motos, and fourth Overall, and remains second in the championship hunt, only 14 points behind leader, Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout. I’m picking the Lites class to go down to the final moto at Coolum, with the Kiwi boys sure to be in the mix until the bitter end!

This coming Saturday the fifth of July is the annual Tarawera 100, one of the largest offroad events in NZ, with the best in Cross Country, Enduro and MX up against each other for an all-out battle. Last year’s event was won by Ben Townley, but with BT, and 2013 runner-up Adrian Smith both absent from the entry list, the battle will be fought by Cross Country stars, Chris Power and Adam Reeves (both Yamaha), and the motocross duo of Brad Groombridge (Suzuki), third in 2013, and John Phillips, recently moving up to the Honda CRF450, with plenty of other talent looking to claim the prestigious Tarawera trophy for 2014.