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TAUPO LABOUR WEEKEND
MX SPECTACULAR:
27 OCTOBER
By - Mark #199
Taupo, the biggest and best MX event of the year. This year instead of just riding my Suzuki RM250 I was given the chance to ride a Suzuki DRZ430 as well, supplied by Underwood and Wilkins in Whakatane. I was excited about riding both classes until I saw the race program had me riding both bikes back to back. The Open Class and the 250 class, I decided to concentrate on my 250 since we had the final round of the Nationals on this track in 2 weeks time and just have fun in the Open Class.
OPEN CLASS MOTO 1
I got a good start at the back end of the Top 5 and ran at a reasonable pace, I got passed by Vance Carson and Corrie Sargent and thought to myself, ‘no worries, don’t push it’, the 250 race is next and I need all the strength that I can get so I just rode smoothly and looked for lines for the next race. With 3 laps to go I realised that Corrie Sargent had not pulled away from me so against my better judgement I picked up the pace and caught and passed him with 1 ½ laps to go and pushed hard to the finish, I placed 6th for the Moto.
250 CLASS – MOTO 1
I rode the DRZ straight to the start line and jumped on my waiting 250, I was a little out of breath but pumped and ready to go. Josh Coppins Hole-shot the race from Chris Maitland then Me. Maitland crashed in front of me on the first lap, I had to slow and ride off the track trying to miss his tumbling bike. This gave Josh a gap and he slowly pulled away to a 10 sec lead by the half way point. I was riding very well and pulled a 9 second gap over Shayne King who had now moved into 3rd place. With 2 laps to go I hit a wall, the DRZ had taken too much out of me and I started to make mistakes, SK closed in but I was able to hold him off and crossed the finish line a bike length a head of him.
Josh, Me, SK
OPEN CLASS - MOTO 2
This time I really did just cruise around and look at lines for my 250 race. I didn’t want a repeat of the 1st Moto. I had a good look at the track and finished 11th.
250 CLASS - MOTO 2
Josh holeshot, me in 2nd. Josh put in some fast laps and pulled another lead similar to the first race. I rode hard and by the end of the race had a 10 second lead on 3rd. On the last lap I took a bad line entering a fast sweeper hit a kicker and endoed in the berm. Cody Cooper passed me while I was getting back going, I finished 3rd.
Josh, Cody, Me
FEATURE RACE
I got a good start in the feature race, considering I was up against all the big 4 strokes, I was 4th around the 1st corner and I held that for a couple of laps until Ben Townley passed me on the KTM540. I stayed in 5th riding a good pace behind Josh, DK, SK and Townley until my back started giving me pain. I had twisted it in my crash in the 2nd 250 race and it was getting worse. I was forced to slow down and preserve my back for the final 250 race. Damien King and Corrie Sargent passed me and I finished 7th.
BT, DK, Josh, SK, Damien, Corrie, Me.
250 CLASS – MOTO 3
My Gate pick was No.38 right on the outside, I got a shocking start and had to move my way up through the field, I was held up quite a lot in the 1st few laps and struggled to make the necessary passes. I moved into 6th towards the end of the Moto and caught up to the rear of Jonothan Burkhart and Mason Phillips with Mike Cotter just ahead but I ran out of time and finished the Moto in 6th giving me 3rd overall for the Day.
