    |
 |
|
|
|
Yamaha Press Release
Photo: Barry Morris
A great pic taken by NZ's top MX scribe.
Email Andy: He may have a photo of you in his extensive files?
Morris braced for an uphill battle
It may now be quite an uphill battle for Yamaha ace Barry Morris, but the talented racer has not given up hope of snaring a top-three finish in this year's Ssangyong-sponsored 2005 New Zealand Motocross Championships.
Morris' campaign suffered a huge setback at round two in Timaru on Sunday when the man they call the “Flying Scotsman” struggled to pull out any of his trademark fast starts.
Even so, though he finished off the podium in each of his three 125cc class outings, a lacklustre performance by his high standards, Morris is not ready to give up hope.
The Wellington-based 26-year-old remains on track for a top-three outright finish but knows he'll need to step up the pace at the remaining two rounds.
Morris finished 7-8-5 in his three races at Timaru and that saw him slip back from third to fourth overall in the series standings.
“It wasn't a good day,” understated Morris. “I suffered arm-pump in the first race and got caught in a bike pile-up in the second race and got away last. It just wasn't a very productive afternoon for me.
“I suppose the test of a true champion is a rider who can battle on through adversity. I like to think that's the kind of person I am.”
Snapping at Morris' rear wheel on the rankings list is another Yamaha rider, Cambridge's Damien King. The former GP star finished 6-9-4 in his three 125cc class races and has moved up one place from fifth to fourth in the standings, now just one point behind Morris.
The 250cc class was a happy hunting ground for Rotorua's Cameron Negus.
The Yamaha rider rocketed from eighth to fifth overall in the series standings after a solid string of result in his three races at Timaru. A model of consistency, Negus finished 6-6-5 on the day, while fellow Yamaha rider Nigel Smith (from Pukekohe) finished 8-10-8 to slip one place and settle at seventh in the standings.
Te Puke's Mason Phillips continued to charge hard in the 500cc class and he remains fifth in the rankings after finishing 5-4-4 at Timaru.
The national motocross series now heads to New Plymouth on October 16 and winds up at Rotorua on November 20.
