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APRIL 23, 2008: Who can stop the Chris Birch express?
That's the question as riders head to Pahiatua on Saturday for round four of the Yamaha-sponsored New Zealand Enduro Championships.
Birch leads the series comfortably after dominating at the earlier rounds and it will take something magical now from his rivals if the KTM star is to be brought back down to earth.
Birch is fresh and sharp too after finishing the weekend as New Zealand's top performer at the annual Australian Four-Day Enduro Championships in Warragal, Victoria, and it seems likely he'll again be too strong for his rivals back at home this weekend.
"It'll be a nice change," said Birch, who finished runner-up in the open class at the Australian event.
"Racing in the dust in Australia was very hard. I was riding blind a lot of the time. It'll be good to be back in New Zealand mud again.
"I'm expecting Pahiatua's Adam Reeves (Yamaha) to be fast. It's his home territory so I know he'll go well. I also think Whangamata's Jason Davis (KTM) and Wellington's Rory Mead (Yamaha) will be threats," said the 27-year-old Birch.
"Rory is a former trials rider so, if it is muddy and slippery, it will suit him."
Also expect Manawatu men Steven Bird (Yamaha), Ross Bird (Yamaha) and Morgan Dransfield (KTM) to be among the frontrunners at Pahiatua.
This weekend's big race doubles as round two of the popular Yamaha Top Trail Rider Enduro Series, a separate race-within-a-race that targets novice and enduro first-timers.
The Yamaha Top Trail Rider series is aimed at introducing beginners to the sport of enduro racing and the steadily increasing numbers of junior riders attending these events is vindication that the concept is popular.
The Yamaha New Zealand TTR series features two parallel but separate series -- the five-round TTR Yamaha Central Enduro Series and the six-round TTR Yamaha Northern Enduro Series.
The twin series are both sponsored by Yamaha New Zealand, Kiwi Rider magazine, Acerbis, Mitas Tyres, HJC Helmets and is supported by Motorcycling New Zealand.
