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May 8, 2006: Thames rider Adrian Smith finished the season as he started it, by winning.
The Honda rider ran away from the field at the fourth and final round of the New Zealand Motorcycle Cross-country Championships, south of Blenheim, on Saturday, finishing several minutes ahead of defending national champion Brad Thomas (Suzuki), Queenstown’s Lachie Columb (Honda) and the man who had been leading the overall points standings at the start of the day, Marton’s Cam Smith (Suzuki).
The KTM and Motorex-sponsored series kicked off near Pahiatua in early March with Adrian Smith and his namesake Cam Smith shoulder-to-shoulder as they raced to the finish line at the end of a gripping three-hour tussle, and it had looked early on as if it was going to be a similar finish at Blenheim too.
Adrian Smith (Honda CR250) and Brad Thomas (Suzuki RM250) were neck and neck as they led the rest of the 47-rider field around the 24-kilometre circuit, weaving through farm gates, along creek beds, up forest tracks and through turnip paddocks at breakneck speed.
But then, just three laps from the end, Thomas crashed at high-speed and there ended his challenge.
Adrian Smith was naturally elated with his win at Blenheim.
“I had a great tussle with Brad for the first four laps. Pity about what happened to him. I’ve never raced a track with so many rocks,” he said.
Meanwhile, it may take several days before the overall outright winner can be announced due to technical difficulties
However, individual bike class winners have been announced. With riders able to discard their worst result, Adrian Smith has won the over-200cc two-stroke class (on a countback from Thomas) and Cam Smith has won the over-300cc four-stroke class. Kawasaki riders Scott Bregman (Maramarua) and Kevin Hermansen (Norsewood) dominated the small bike classes, winning the under-200cc two-stroke and under-300cc four-stroke titles respectively.
Provisional leading overall class standings after the fourth and final round of the KTM and Motorex-sponsored New Zealand Motorcycle Cross-country Championships near Blenheim on Saturday:
