NZ Insider No.2: RIP Trent Haywood

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. 

This week’s Kiwi Insider begins on a sombre note, as we had to say goodbye to one of our rising Junior stars on the weekend, with Tauranga’s Trent Haywood succumbing to injuries sustained in a crash while competing at the famous Michael Godfrey Memorial Motocross event, held near Christchurch.

Haywood was credited with the Overall win in the 14-16 years Junior 250cc class, and will forever be remembered by all in the wider NZ MX community. The meeting was cancelled following the accident. Our thoughts are now with Trent’s family and friends. Rest in peace, Trent Haywood, #323.

Results from the annual Queens Birthday event, one of the largest in the South Island, saw Yamaha-mounted star, Courtney Duncan, sweep the Senior 125cc class with four wins from four starts. The MX2 class saw Yamaha’s Scott Columb trading wins with KTM’s Hamish Harwood, with Harwood edging out Columb for the Overall victory. Third was Nathan Clare.

Columb was on double duty, also competing in MX1 where he clinched the Overall win in his debut 450 appearance for Yamaha, ahead of Suzuki’s Brad Groombridge. Ethan Martens was third, also on board a Yamaha.

Also competing last weekend in the Australian MX Nationals at Wanneroo was Team Motul Suzuki’s Rhys Carter. Carter, in his debut Pro Open season alongside reigning champ Matt Moss, has been consistently in the top 10 since the opening round, steadily improving as the series progresses, knocking on the door of a top-five finish. However, it was a frustrating day in WA for Carter, with mechanical problems forcing a DNF in the opening moto, then seventh in the second, followed by a 13^th in the final moto for 17^th Overall. Carter now sits in eighth in the series standings at the halfway point. He is within reach of sixth, and knows he can continue his climb further up the ladder.

In other news, Penrite Oil Honda Racing’s Ben Townley finished second at the Manjimup 15,000 event, held at the Cosy Creek circuit, south of Perth. The former World MX2 champ went 3-1-2-2 for the weekend to finish six points behind KTM’s Kirk Gibbs, and ahead of Husqvarna’s Brock Winston. Townley benefitted from his appearance at the MX Nationals round at Wanneroo a week earlier, gaining valuable seat time in the sands of WA in preparation for the event, and hasn’t ruled out further events in Oz this season.

Also, May 30^th marked the 10 year anniversary of one of the greatest ever days in New Zealand motocross, with Josh Coppins winning MX1 and Ben Townley winning MX2 at the World MX GP on the Isle of Wight back in 2004. What a day it was!