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Paul Whibley took the lead in the motorcycle cross-country championship with victory at Rotorua in a race where fuel consumption played an important part.
The Pahiatua Honda rider, New Zealand dirt racing\'s man of the moment, made it two out of two with his victory at the second North Island round of the Suzuki national championship series. Whibley has also been enjoying success in enduro and motocross competition.
He won clearly at the end, nearly a minute ahead after three hours of hard, fast racing, but was pushed hard for most of the race by Ben Harding of Napier. Harding\'s KTM 200 was less powerful than Whibley\'s Honda CR250, but it had higher top speed thanks to better gear ratios, and it also had a bigger fuel tank.
That allowed Harding to get through the arduous race with two fuel stops instead of the three required by most of his rivals. He made good use of the time saved, and nearly took the lead from Whibley.
\"I tried to pass him up a big uphill and we were wobbling around a couple of inches apart, but I couldn\'t quite make it,\" Harding said. Harding also won the 200cc two-stroke class.
Whibley and Harding said they had been doing more than 120kmh on the longer straights, and the fast, bumpy track made it one of the toughest events they had ever contested. \"The circuit\'s really good, reall tough -- it wears you out,\" Whibley said.
Peter Broxholme of Tauranga rode extremely well to finish third outright on his little Honda CR125 - even after he had lost time by running out of fuel at one point. He was able to coast down a hill and push his bike into the pits, but the misfortune cost him valuable time.
Fourth outright went to Mark Penny of Te Awamutu, riding a Suzuki RM250. Steven Bird of Palmerston North won the open four-stroke class on his Yamaha WR425, and Wayne Jennings of Whakatane took the 300cc four-stroke class on his Yamaha YZ250F.
Meanwhile the second South Island round, run in fine, hot conditions at Mosgiel, saw victory go to Dean Baird of Christchurch ahead of Rangiora rider Ryan Currie, both riding Yamaha YZ250 two-strokes.
Christchurch riders took all the class wins. Grenville Button, who had won the first round outright, again claimed the open four-stroke class on his KTM 400, while James Lavender took the 300cc four-stroke class with his Yamaha YZ250F and Grant Oliver the 200cc two-stroke class on his KTM 200.
Suzuki National Cross-Country Championships, round two
North Island section, Rotorua --
Open two-stroke: Paul Whibley (Pahiatua) Honda CR250, 1; Mark Penny (Te Awamutu ) Suzuki RM250, 2; Mark Pizzini (Morrinsville) 3.
Two-strokes up to 200cc: Ben Harding (Hawke\'s Bay) KTM 2000, 1; Peter Broxholme (Tauranga) Honda CR125, 2; Brad Graham (Palmerston North) KTM 200, 3.
Open four-stroke: Steven Bird (Palmerston North) Yamaha WR425, 1; Kevin Archer (Te Kuiti) Suzuki DRZ400, 2; Ross Bird (Eketahuna) Suzuki DRZ400, 3.
Four-stroke up to 300cc: Wayne Jennings (Whakatane) Yamaha YZ250F, 1; Will Smith (Te Awamatu) Honda XR250, 2; Mark Pollard (Te Awamutu) Honda XR250, 3.
South Island section, Mosgiel -
Open two-stroke: Dean Baird (Christchurch) Yamaha YZ250, 1; Ryan Currie (Rangiora) Yamaha YZ250, 2; Matthew Squire (Timaru) Honda CR250, 3.
Two-strokes up to 200cc: Grant Oliver (Christchurch) KTM 200, 1; John Ross (Christchurch) Kawasaki KDX200, 2; Richard Powell (Dunedin) Kawasaki KDX200, 3.
Open four-stroke: Grenville Button (Christchurch) KTM 400, 1; Ian Thornycroft (Nelson) Yamaha WR400, 2; Steven Turner (South Canterbury) Honda XR650, 3.
Four-stroke up to 300cc: James Lavender (Christchurch) Yamaha YZ250F, 1; Joel Hennessy (Mosgiel) Yamaha YZ250F, 2; Jeremy Shaw (Timaru) Honda XR250, 3.
