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KAWASAKI RIDERS LEAD THE WAY
MAY 8, 2006: Kawasaki riders ran away with the small bike classes at this season’s national motorcycle cross-country championships, which wrapped up south of Blenheim on Saturday.
Norsewood’s Kevin Hermansen and Maramarua’s Scott Bregman led their classes from the outset of this season’s four-round series and easily wrapped up the under-300cc four-stroke and under-200cc two-stroke titles respectively on Saturday afternoon.
The two men raced courageously alongside riders on much bigger and faster bikes, as the bikes ducked between fence gates, through stony creek beds and along tricky forest tracks, and they humbled many of the men on the 250cc two-stroke and 450cc four-stroke machines.
But what was more remarkable, perhaps, was the inspiring style of Hermansen’s ride on Saturday.
With his Kawasaki propped up by lump of wood, acting as a make-shift bike stand, Hermansen watched in horror as, just moments before the shot-gun blast was due to herald the race start, his bike crashed to the ground and the timber punched a hole in his engine casing.
Furious work by his pit crew managed to seal the hole, using special fast-drying putty, and he was back in the race. With this drama playing on his mind, Hermansen started poorly and he was dead last as the bikes snaked across country at high speed.
Then came an inspiring ride from the 33-year-old Hermansen as he carved his way through the 47-rider field, taking himself and his Kawasaki KX250F from last to sixth overall by the end of the endurance race.
“The guys put in a really solid effort. They never gave up,” said Team Green Kawasaki manager Mike Ramsey. “Even with a hole in the crankcase and a flat tyre, these guys just grinned and battled on.”
Te Kauwhata’s Sam Speedy beat Waipukurau’s Hamish Thomas to the under-21 sub-category honours, while Kawasaki riders Luke Ramsey (Te Kauwhata), Brad Carlyon (Te Kauwhata) and Thomas Conway (Methven) filled out the top five in this section.
“It looks very healthy for the future of the sport too with these youngsters gaining experience in cross-country racing,” said Mike Ramsey.
Provisional leading overall class standings after the fourth and final round of the New Zealand Motorcycle Cross-country Championships near Blenheim on Saturday:
