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FEBRUARY 12, 2007: A streak of bright green hit the podium at the Valley Motocross Championships at Patetonga, near Morrinsville, at the weekend.
Taupo’s Nick Saunders stunned the big bike class with a brilliant series of rides on his Kawasaki KXF450 to finish runner-up for the day against several of the sport’s international heavyweights.
The Darryl August Motorcycles (DAM) Team Green rider finished the day shaded only by former New Zealand and Australian motocross champion Daryl Hurley, although the international superstar from Hawera was hounded all the way by Kawasaki’s Saunders.
Saunders beat national 500cc champion Darryll King (Hamilton) and international GP star Scott Columb (Queenstown) as he celebrated one of the best days of his career.
“I finally put all the pieces together and rode like I know I can,” said Saunders. “I’m getting used to the big bike now,” said the man who bounced back from a serious hand injury to finish seventh in the 125cc class at the nationals in October.
But there was nothing to hold the 21-year-old Saunders back at Patetonga.
He finished 4-2-3 in his three outings in what he described as “a heavily stacked field of stars”.
“I love the bike. It suits my riding style and I’ve bee getting great starts, which is very important at a track like Patetonga.”
Rotorua’s Michael Phillips (Red Baron Team West Kawasaki KXF250) was clearly the fastest rider on the track in the MX2 category but a run of bad luck denied him the win as national champion Damien King (Yamaha) put in a consistent performance to take the No.1 spot.
Phillips started dead last on one race when he crashed in turn one, but he then mounted a thrilling charge through the field to end up in fifth place.
Phillips easily won the next outing but then bad luck struck again in the third and final race. He stalled his bike on the starting grid and was again forced to play catch-up, rocketing through the field to finish fourth, good enough for runner-up overall on the day.
“The day didn’t really go according to plan,” said Phillips. “I know what I have to work on now for my Australian championship campaign (which kicks off near Melbourne in April) … I’ve got to work on getting good starts.”
Waikato’s Jesse Wiki (Hamilton Motorcycles Motocross Team Kawasaki KXF250) backed up Phillips by finishing the day third overall, making it a Kawasaki 2-3 on the podium.
Murupara’s Rhys Carter (Kawasaki KXF250) was fifth overall.
Wiki also rode a Kawasaki KXF450 to a remarkable seventh overall in the open class.
Meanwhile, fellow Hamilton Motorcycles Motocross Team rider Michael Cotter (Kawasaki KXF450) found form as the day wore on, finishing fifth overall in the tough open class.
The third member of the team, Chris Singleton (Hamilton) showed he was starting to come to terms with the new bike with the suspension now dialled in to suit him.
