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Motorcycle racer Adam Youren got really fired up for the big Hawke\'s Bay cross-country event yesterday - because his bike wouldn\'t.
After starting near last the Napier rider passed more than 60 competitors during the three-hour event to take the victory, his second in two rounds of the North Island section of the Suzuki national championship series.
Cross-country races start with dead engines. Youren\'s was slow to start and the star rider had to watch the rest of the field disappear over the hill while he tried to kick his bike into life.
\"It certainly got the aggro up,\" Youren said. \"I pushed harder in the early stages than I would\'ve liked, because I could see the front guys were so far ahead.\"
Once he got his Suzuki RM250 going, the revved-up Youren began an inexorable charge to the front, took the lead around the two-hour mark and recorded a clear-cut victory on the 13km farm circuit in inland Hawke\'s Bay.
Pahiatua rider Paul Whibley led much of the race on his Honda CR250, but two punctures put him out of the race.
Steven Bird of Palmerston North recovered from a bad start and a puncture to finish second on his Suzuki RM250. His puncture almost turned out to be a blessing, as the replacement tyre proved better suited to the conditions than the original.
Hamilton\'s Mark Penny took third on another RM250, and King Country rider Kevin Archer continued the Suzuki run of success by finishing fourth outright and winning the open four-stroke class on his Suzuki DR-Z400.
Archer, who had finished second in the first round, was slowed by an attack of the flu. \"I achieved what I wanted to achieve, winning my class, but really I want to be up the front going for the outright win,\" he said.
Meanwhile Timaru rider Steven \"Turtle\" Turner belied his nickname as he dominated the South Island section race at Pleasant Point, South Canterbury, yesterday. Turner got faster and faster as the race went on, took the lead in the second hour and pulled away for a big win on his Honda XR400 four-stroke.
The battle for the open two-stroke class win went down to the wire. Mark Thompson was right on the back wheel of fellow Cantabrian Ryan Currie for the last few kilometres, pulled off a block-pass on the motocross section just before the end, and brought his Honda CR250 home just ahead of Currie\'s Yamaha YZ250.
Results of second round of Suzuki National Cross-Country Motorcycle Championship.
North Island section, Hawke\'s Bay -
Open two-strokes: Adam Youren (Napier) Suzuki RM250, 1; Steven Bird (Palmerston North) Suzuki RM250, 2; Mark Penny (Te Awamutu) Suzuki RM250, 3.
Up to 200cc two-strokes: Kevin Hermansen (Norsewood) Honda CR125, 1; Chris Penny (Hamilton) Honda CR125, 2; Robbie Howie (Thames) Suzuki RM125, 3.
Open four-strokes: Kevin Archer (Te Kuiti) Suzuki DR-Z400, 1; Ross Bird (Eketahuna) Suzuki DR-Z400, 2; Mark Whyte (Paeroa) Suzuki DR-Z400, 3.
Four-strokes up to 300cc: Mark Pollard (Te Awamutu) Honda XR250, 1; Lance Sutton (Drury) Kawasaki KLX300, 2; Grant Riddell (Te Kauwhata) Honda XR250, 3.
South Island section, Timaru -
Open two-strokes: Mark Thompson (West Melton) Honda CR250, 1; Ryan Currie (Rangiora) Yamaha YZ250, 2; Ross Duncan, 3.
Two-strokes up to 200cc: Damien Hammond (Christchurch) Honda CR125, 1; Richard Powell (Dunedin) Kawasaki KDX200, 2; Tim Greally, KTM 200, 3.
Open four-strokes: ; Steven Turner (Timaru) Honda XR400, 1; Alan Scales (Ashley) Yamaha YZ400F, 2; Andrew Scott (Timaru) Suzuki DR-Z400, 3.
Four-strokes up to 300cc: Grenville Button (Christchurch) Kawasaki KLX300, 1; Matthew Squire (Timaru) Honda XR250, 2; Grant Munro (Timaru) Honda XR250, 3.
Article courtesy of Bernard Carpinter and MNZ
