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Kings Rule The Roost At Woodville:
>New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix Woodville, January 25th 2004.
The glamour event of the New Zealand motocross season was held in superb weather conditions this past weekend at the Woodville, Manawatu track just outside Palmerston North.
This event is the biggest of its kind on the New Zealand motocross calendar, and this year the Blue Wing Honda sponsored event attracted close to 700 entries with a number of international riders amongst them.
Due to team mate Cody Cooper having a prior engagement, namely contesting the Australian Supercross Championship, Shayne was called in at short notice to substitute for Cody in the hotly contested 125 class. Given that Shayne was already entered in the 500 class, the day was set to be a veritable iron man event for the 33 year old Honda rider.
Despite Shayne’s vast experience there were some doubts in his mind as he fronted up for the first 125 race: ‘I had not ridden in this class for eight or nine years, so I was a little apprehensive on the start line in that first moto, but I got away really well and ended up winning the moto by five seconds!’
The second 125 race was not to go Shayne’s way; bogged down in mid pack at the start he fought his way through to an eventual fourth place. Older brother Darryll King took the race win whilst the third and final 125 race of the day was won by yet another King, younger brother Damien. The overall class win went to Darryll King with Shayne second and Damien third for an all King podium!
It was a similar story in the 500 class with the King brothers filling the podium positions yet again, though this time the win went to Shayne with Darryll second and Damien filling out the final spot. The first 500 race was won by Darryll with Shayne taking out race two, meaning the overall win was down to the result of the final race. Darryll led from the start and looked invincible, but any celebrations in the Yamaha camp were to prove somewhat premature with Shayne piling on the pressure Darryll made a rare mistake crashing in a deep rut within ten metres of the finishing line allowing Shayne to take the win.
With the class racing decided it was time for the big race of the day the New Zealand Grand Prix title which had attracted the finest of New Zealand’s motocross talent, there was little doubt in the spectators minds that this was the race that Shayne had come to win as they witnessed a superb ride from the former World Champ.
By race finish Shayne had lapped the field down to 14th place, sealing his record eighth New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix victory.
‘All in all the day was a great start to 2004, especially as I was still recovering from a compound fracture of my finger that I suffered at the end of last year’ said Shayne speaking after the race from the victorious Castrol Honda Red Riders pit.
