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The first round of the national Cross Country championship was held on Suzuki rider Kevin Archer’s property near Taumarunui on 4th March. The event was run in good conditions with a large field, but the first lap saw a number of high speed crashes as the riders got to grips with the terrain.
Castrol Honda rider Stacey Oldeman was the victim of a first lap incident which saw him rejoin near the back of the field, charging hard to get back to third by race end behind Suzuki’s Kevin Archer.
The day, however, undoubtedly belonged to Castrol Honda Red Rider Paul Whibley, who once again showed the form which has seen him dominate Cross Country and Enduro this season. With a margin of several minutes between first and second, Paul’s first place was never really threatened.
In the 125cc class, Castrol Honda’s Peter Broxholme finished second behind hard-charging KTM rider Ben Harding.
Meanwhile, the same day, Castrol Honda Red Riders Richard Adamson and Cody Cooper competed in the Patetonga MotoCross.
Adamson, in the 500 Moto and 4 stroke classes, made it a clean sweep with six wins from six starts, treating the crowd to an awesome display of riding on the new HRC XR650. He was unchallenged from start to finish.
Teammate 17 year old Cody Cooper, riding both a CR125 and CR250 in their respective classes, also clean swept the field, winning every race in both classes despite a field of top riders including Kawasaki’s Calvin Ferguson.
Race team manager Dave Borlase said: ‘The performance of the Castrol Honda Red Riders last weekend was a reflection of the team’s commitment. The boys are clearly showing that given the right resources, they will produce top results week in, week out.’
