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STARS OF TOMORROW DO BATTLE TODAY
APRIL 24, 2006: The world championship contenders of tomorrow were out in force at the New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships near Rotorua during the weekend.
The three-day meeting, sponsored by Kawasaki and with support from Silkolene and Kiwi Rider magazine, attracted a bumper crop of young stars to the rolling farmland circuit south of Rotorua with 290 riders signed on to battle the elements and each other over a gruelling nine-race programme for each of the five championship classes.
It was a nailbiting finish to the “big boys” class at Rotorua with Kawasaki hero Brad Groombridge seemingly well on course to take the main prize in the 15-16 years’ 125cc class.
But it wasn’t to be with an uncharacteristic slip-up costing the young man from Taupo dearly.
Groombridge crashed on the last lap of his second-last race of the weekend and that saw him slip from four points in front to 21 points behind with just the final race to go. South African Hayden Clark, who now lives in Ngaruawahia, instead took the title and Groombridge was forced to settle for second.
Groombridge moves up to join the senior ranks for the first time next weekend, confident he’s learned from his big mistake and certain he’ll give the top men of the sport a few things to think about.
“I believe I can run top five or top-10 against the men.”
Kawasaki riders Aaron Stone (Huntly) and Rhys Carter (Murupara) also showed glimpses of brilliance over the energy-draining weekend of racing with Stone consistently inside the top 10 all weekend. Carter finished as high as second and third on occasion but then fell foul of the tricky, rutted and often slippery track.
Gisborne’s Matt Hunt finished the weekend unbeaten as he ran away with the younger 125cc class, for riders aged between 12 and 14 years, while Mangakino’s Cameron Dillon won the most senior of the three 85cc divisions, for riders aged between 13 and 16 years.
Honda rider Dillon was hounded all the way by Kawasaki team-mates Michael Wade (Warkworth) and local hero John Phillips (Rotorua).
Visiting Australian Jacob Blomfield (KTM) was best among the 11-12 years’ 85cc riders with Kiwi stars Kayne Lamont (Yamaha), Scott McKinstry (Honda) and Regan Hose (Kawasaki) all lining up to take shots at him.
Feilding youngster Haki Waller (Kawasaki) had been among those favoured to challenge the dominant Dion Picard (KTM) in the “nursery” class, for riders aged 8-10 years, but several difficult moments robbed him of valuable points over the weekend.
LEADING overall standings from the Kawasaki-sponsored New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships near Rotorua over the weekend:
