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September 18: Pahiatua’s Paul Whibley did what he’d been threatening to do all season when he wrapped up the prestigious overall title at the Suzuki-sponsored national motorcycle enduro finals at Taupo on Saturday.
Despite a couple of unplanned off-track excursions, the 22-year-old logger won both his class and the championship outright at Taupo’s ninth and final round.
His closest rival, Suzuki ace Kevin Archer, a 33-year-old bull farmer from Te Kuiti, finished third overall at Taupo but that was easily enough for him to claim the overall runner-up spot.
\"I was in a good position to win (having won outright five of the previous eight rounds) but I knew I couldn’t take anything for granted with Archer there,\" said Whibley.
\"The course was fairly tight, weaving among young saplings and older, more-established trees. The ground was littered with sticks and that made the surface quite tricky,\" he said.
Four of the series’ nine classes had already been determined before the Taupo finale, Whibley clearing away with the expert 250cc two-stroke title and Archer scooping up the expert 400cc four-stroke crown at earlier rounds.
But the battle was on at Taupo to decide who would be the overall champion. For that honour, the battle between Honda-mounted Whibley, Archer (Suzuki DRZ400) and the riders close behind them – defending champion Sean Clarke (Tokoroa, Suzuki RMX250) and two-time former champion Steven Bird (Palmerston North, Suzuki RM250) – was tight.
It was this same group of riders which dominated at Taupo, Whibley winning the day from Bird and Archer.
Te Awamutu’s Mark Pollard (Honda XR250) had earlier wrapped up the expert 300cc four-stroke class and Aucklander Chris Birch (Kawasaki KDX200) sealed the under-200cc two-stroke class title.
There is little time to rest for New Zealand’s elite off-road motorcyclists with preparations already underway for annual Suzuki Six-Hour Challenge, in Hawke’s Bay on September 30 and the Australian Four-Day Enduro championships, being held in New Zealand (Oparau, west of Hamilton), in February.
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LEADING final overall standings after Taupo’s ninth and final round of the NZ enduro championships (best seven of nine rounds count. Therefore, 140 points is a maximum score):
Championship overall: Paul Whibley (Pahiatua, Honda, CR250) 137 points; Kevin Archer (Te Kuiti, Suzuki DRZ400) 115; Steven Bird (Palmerston North, Suzuki RM250) 113; Sean Clarke (Tokoroa, Suzuki RMX250) 112; Mark Pollard (Te Awamutu, Honda XR250) 67.
Leading final class standings (best five of nine rounds count. Therefore, 100 points is a maximum score):
Expert 250cc two-stroke: Paul Whibley (Pahiatua, CR250) 100 points; Stephen Bird (Palmerston North, RM250) 88; Sean Clarke (Tokoroa, RMX250) 88.
Expert 200cc two-stroke: Chris Birch (Auckland, KDX200) 100 points; Todd Mardon (Hamilton, KDX200) 92; Terry Cameron (Tauranga, KDX200) 85.
Expert 300cc four-stroke: Mark Pollard (Te Awamutu, XR250) 100 points; Dene Humphrey (Auckland, DR250) 94; Jock McLauchlan (Eketahuna, Honda XR250) 73.
Expert 400cc four-stroke: Kevin Archer (Te Kuiti, DRZ400) 100 points; Elliot Kent (Hamilton, Honda XR400) 88; Tim Woodward (Te Paho, TE410) 81.
Intermediate 200cc two-stroke: Paul Davis (Cambridge, KDX200) 97 points; Andrew Bibby (Onga Onga, Honda CR125) 90; Wendy Buck (Auckland, RM125) 81.
Intermediate 250cc two-stroke: Kyle Daysh (Wellington, KX250) 97 points; Justin Stevenson (Wellington, KTM300EXC) 77; Brendon Pascoe (RMX250) 81.
Intermediate 300cc four-stroke: Gavin Prangley (Cambridge, XR250) 100 points; John Buxton (Helensville, XR250) 91; Murray Jensen (Te Puke, Honda XR250) 58.
Intermediate 400cc four-stroke: Solis Norton (Palmerston North, YZ400F) 98 points; Spence McClintock (Rotorua, Honda XR400) 74; Jason Amey (Palmerston North, YZ400F) 52.
Veterans: Shaun Stanbridge (Auckland, KLX300) 97 points; Mark DeLautour (Turangi, WR400) 94; Mark Haimes (Taupo, KDX200) 87.
