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Words and pic by Andy McGechan: br>
Neville Coombe (46) and Peter Ploen (7), (pic) two great motocross names from years past, battle it out during the opening round of this year's Mister Vintage Motocross Series near Halcombe on Saturday. It was a case of four seasons in one day at the big vintage meeting, with blazing sun, frequent showers and gusty winds mixing it up with the more than 100 riders who showed for the first of four rounds this season.
Organisers confirmed it was an increase of about 30 percent on recent years, such is the growing popularity of the events catering for old machinery and (mostly) old guys.
Current-day hot-shots like Mitch Rowe turned up for a squirt at Halcombe too, borrowing a 1984-vintage CR500 to give six-time former champion Murray Anderson a chase around the rolling grassland farm circuit.
Round two is scheduled for Taupo on Sunday, March 13, with series sponsors Ssangyong promising to again bring American legend Brad Lackey to New Zealand for a ride. Lackey, the 1982 500cc world champion and America's first ever motocross world champion, loved his first visit to New Zealand so much in 2004 that he jumped at the chance to come again.
More info at Livewire VMX:
