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FEBRUARY 18, 2007: It must have been an event that suited the locals.
The Top Trail Rider Enduro Series kicked off in New Zealand’s capital city today (on Sunday) with Wellington’s Hugh Lintott (Honda CRF450) showing himself as the man to beat overall in the central region phase of the series.
But the dirt bike race was close with Lintott beating national enduro ace Chris Birch (Auckland) to the finish by just one second at the end of four-and-a-half hours’ of riding over some of the lower North Island’s most demanding terrain.
Second overall was national enduro championships series leader Chris Birch (Auckland, KTM), while Wellington’s Rory Mead (KTM) was third.
Featuring two parallel but separate series -- the six-round Yamaha Central Enduro Series and five-round Yamaha Northern Enduro Series -- the aim of the two competitions is to encourage novice and first-timer riders to participate.
“And I think we really succeeded in that,” said series co-ordinator Steven Bird (Yamaha YZ250), a top national endurance rider who also finished fourth on the day on Sunday.
“We had a lot of first-time enduro riders show up and a few former greats dust off their helmets to give it a go too.”
He was thrilled to report that former enduro riding great from the 1990s, Stephen Blackley (Wellington), won the veterans’ class.
Manawatu brothers Jason and Mark Amey (both Palmerston North) each took top honours in the intermediate ranks, Jason winning the E1 (small bike) class and Mark hitting the top of the E2 (big bike) class.
“The course was spectacular,” said Bird. “The views of Cook Strait and Cable Bay from the top of the ridges were amazing,” he said, not that he had much time to take in the scenery. “Then we were racing along the beach, with waves lapping at the wheels. It was certainly an event that featured highs and lows.”
While the Central enduro series kicked off at Makara, in Wellington, on Sunday, the Northern enduro series is due to begin next month.
The series co-ordinators are Palmerston North’s Steven Bird and Auckland’s Shaun Stanbridge.
The two series are sponsored by Yamaha, Kiwi Rider magazine, Acerbis, Mitas and supported by Motorcycling New Zealand.
Yamaha TTR Northern Series:
Co-ordinated by Shaun Stanbridge, phone 09-479-1490.
Co-ordinated by Steven Bird, phone 021-215-9647.
