    |
 |
|
|
|
PHILLIPS AT HEAD OF KAWASAKI AVALANCHE
APRIL 17, 2006: Rotorua’s Michael Phillips headed an avalanche of Kawasaki riders at the New Zealand Four-stroke Motocross Championships near Te Awamutu at the weekend.
Teenager Phillips comfortably won the 250cc class, his first national motocross title, beating former Grand Prix star Damien King (Yamaha) and new Honda signing Justin McDonald in the process.
Kawasaki riders filled out five of the top 10 spots in the popular 250cc class with Taupo’s Nick Saunders, Gisborne’s Shaun Fogarty, Tauranga’s Ben Thomasen and Hamilton’s Jesse Wiki chasing Phillips, King and McDonald all the way to the finish.
Each of the Kawasaki men rode virtually identical KX250F motorcycles
“There were more than 40 riders on the start gate, so a two-row start was needed. It was madness,” said Phillips (19).
“My day went quite smoothly though. Last year at this event I crashed out on the first day. I finished 1-1-1 in my three races on Saturday and then settled for 2-2 on Sunday. I fell off in the soft, powdery soil but I knew I had enough points up my sleeve to beat King and McDonald. It was tough because the soft soil hid all the ruts and there were a lot of crashes when riders got caught out.”
Phillips finished fourth overall, then riding a Kawasaki KX250 two-stroke, at the New Zealand Motocross Championships last November and the weekend’s title win represents a significant breakthrough for the Rotorua man.
“Hopefully this will be the first of many titles for me,” he laughed.
Saunders finished fourth overall in the class, with Fogarty fifth, Thomasen seventh and Wiki ninth.
Kawasaki riders did well in the other categories too with dual-class ironmen Fogarty and Saunders riding their Kawasaki KX450F bikes to finish fourth and fifth respectively in the 450cc class. The three King brothers – Darryll (Yamaha), Damien (Yamaha) and Shayne (Honda) – brought their world championship experience to bear as they hogged the podium in this class.
Shayne King rode a Honda CRF450 but he races a Kawasaki KX450F when in Australia and is currently running third in the Australian Motocross Championships after two of 10 rounds.
Meanwhile, nobody could touch Kawasaki rider Katherine Prumm in the women’s class at Te Awamutu.
The 17-year-old from Pukekohe, the current women’s world No.2, was never headed all weekend as she won all five races in her class.
Prumm (Kawasaki KX250F) is preparing for a busy season abroad.
Starting next month, Prumm begins her assault on the 2006 women's world motocross championship. The first round is on May 7 in Teutschental, Germany, and the final round on July 2 at Uddevalla, Sweden.
She will also race two events in the six-round United States nationals.
