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The Metalman KMP Cross Country dirt bike team kick started their new season with a heap of trophies from the inaugural Napier 6 hour event over the weekend. The annual Hawke’s Bay event, hosted by the Pacific Motorcycle Club, sees the countries elite cross country riders take to the track for a gruelling 6 hours. The weather was picture perfect and made for an exciting day of racing. It was not only a test of rider endurance but also of bike endurance with many bikes failing to stand up to the task of 6 hours.
No stranger to this event was team rider Jason Moorfield (Te Kauwhata), riding in the veterans class with fellow Kawasaki rider Kevin Hermansen (Norsewood). Moorfield got off to a great start on his KLX450F taking the first corner in 2nd place. Doing 45 minute laps with a total of eight laps, these two experienced riders showed that consistency and endurance will come out on top. Moorfield and Hermansen ended their race day taking out the veteran’s class and finishing overall in fifth place.
Fellow team rider Luke Ramsey (Pukekohe) teamed up this year with Kawasaki rider Mason Phillips (Papamoa). This combination proved unstoppable on the KXF250 with Ramsey and Phillips taking out the 0-300cc 4 Stroke class and cleaning up the competition with an outstanding second place overall.
New to the event and recently becoming a senior rider, young Cam Downing (Taupiri) formed an alliance with fellow Kawasaki rider Gary Almond. These two talented riders gave it their best effort on the KX125 and showed the rest of the field they are two riders not to be taken lightly. They cleaned up their 0-200cc 2 stroke class and finished a respectable 13th overall.
Team Director Kimmy Herbert is impressed with the rider’s results given they haven’t raced since the Tarawera 100 in July 2009. Herbert says “We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our second cross country season together and these results will certainly boost the rider’s confidence”.
The next scheduled ride for the team will be the Bel Ray series starting in November 2009.
