    |
 |
|
|
|
KAWASAKI MEN MAKING WAVES WORLDWIDE
MAY 29, 2006: New Zealand motocross racers are making their presence felt all across the globe.
Rotorua’s Michael Phillips and Taupo’s Nick Saunders (on virtually identical Kawasaki KX250F bikes) produced yet more fireworks as they set about attacking the leaders at round six of the Australian nationals near Newcastle on Sunday, while Gisborne’s Shaun Fogarty and Waitakere’s Ethan Martens set tongues wagging at round one of the United States motocross nationals in California.
The 19-year-old Phillips and 21-year-old Saunders, both key members of the Kawasaki-equipped Teknik Racing Team, are both now knocking on the door for top-10 spots in the talent-laden Pro Lites class in Australia.
Despite making slow starts to their respective trans-Tasman campaigns, Phillips is now up to ninth-equal and Saunders 13th overall with four rounds remaining.
“I finished seventh overall on the day at round five (in Barrabool the previous weekend) and I was pretty stoked with that,” said Saunders.
In the last three rounds, Saunders has moved from 21st overall to 13th.
“I need to keep chipping away and claw my way into the top ten.
”I had a good, consistent weekend in Newcastle, finished 12th and 10th, but I need to get more aggressive at the start. The racing is very close over here. The first three or four riders are a step above everyone else but the next 20 riders are all on the same pace.
“I could easily be running fifth if I had better starts. But my fitness is good and I’m getting stronger and faster with each ride, so anything’s possible.”
Phillips is also well aware of how tight the competition is.
Phillips had been seventh in the series standings prior to the weekend’s meeting near Newcastle but, though he’s slipped back to ninth equal, he is still in touch with the leaders and on target for a possible top-five result. Phillips is just three points behind the eighth-ranked rider and eight points behind the man in sixth.
Meanwhile, Fogarty and Martens have been making waves across the far side of the Pacific, both Kiwis tasting success in the motocross hotbed of California.
Supported by Red Baron Motorcycles and Kawasaki New Zealand, the two key members of the Team West Racing outfit decided to make the most of a break in the racing at home to give the US nationals a crack.
Racing in the amateur classes, Fogarty finished a surprising 9th in the 125-A class and 6th in the 250-A category, good enough to qualify for the “Regional Qualifier”.
Team owner Aaron Roberts explained that the event attracted top amateur riders from the north-west of the United States and several professional riders as well.
Fogarty then maintained his hot form to finish 3rd in the 125-A and 4th in the 250-A, that class won by internationally-renowned rider Mike Alessi.
Fogarty (Kawasaki KX450F) then competed in the one-off Trophy Dash race and was running second when he got spat over the handlebars.
Team West’s new signing, Martens had a difficult initiation to racing in the United States when he received an unpleasant “welcome to the USA” message in the form of a big shunt at the start of his first junior 125cc race.
He fought back to finish seventh.
The young Kiwi was running fifth in the next race, and gaining on the leaders, when a rider crashed in front of him and he stalled his bike.
“Even so, Ethan showed he is close to the top pace of juniors in the USA,” said an enthusiastic Roberts.
Both Fogarty and Martens will now turn their focus to racing in Australia, Fogarty entered for rounds seven, nine and ten of the Australian senior nationals and Martens in the junior nationals.
