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MARCH 26, 2007: Te Kauwhata’s Luke Ramsey is in an ideal position.
With just one round of the North Island Motorcycle Cross-country Championships remaining, the 18-year-old Kawasaki rider continues to lead both the under-200cc two-stroke and under-21 years’ categories.
After winning both classes at the opening round in Pahiatua three weeks earlier, Ramsey (Kawasaki KX125) was again untouchable in the under-21 classification at round two near Rotorua on Sunday, finishing ahead of fellow Kawasaki rider Grant van der Drift (Rotorua).
Ramsey finished 10th overall on his tiny 125cc two-stroke on Sunday, but he was beaten in the race-within-a-race for under-200cc class honours by International Six Days Enduro ace Jason Davis (Whangamata).
Davis did not race this class at the series opener but has now made the switch to the smaller bike and this certainly kept Ramsey on his toes.
Though Ramsey has the points advantage, the under-200cc title chase will still go down to the wire at the third and final round in the Manawatu next month (April 15).
Only two of the three rounds count with riders permitted to drop their worst scoring effort. This means Davis will dismiss his zero score from round one and he and Ramsey will be locked in a winner-takes-all scrap for under-200cc class honours at the final round.
Rotorua’s Cam Negus and Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny traded blows at the front on Sunday, with Negus taking the win by a mere 32 seconds.
National cross-country champion Adrian Smith (Awakino) finished third, another 3m 22s behind Penny.
Te Kauwhata’s Jason Moorfield (Kawasaki), who was runner-up at round one, finished in sixth but, as second-best of the four-stroke under-300cc riders on Sunday, behind Penny, he continues to lead that class overall.
Rotorua’s John Phillips (Kawasaki) won juniors class after a very close tussle with round one winner Jason Price (KTM), the lead swapping back and fourth throughout the race.
Kawasaki’s Jason Dickey (Raglan) won the junior 12-16 years’ 85cc class at the opening round but had to settle for third in the class at Rotorua, the 12-year-old Dickey finishing behind Mangakino’s Kayne Lamont and Rotorua’s Reece Sharland.
Leading overall results from round two of the North Island Motorcycle Cross-country Championships near Rotorua on Sunday:
