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APRIL 6, 2007: Rotorua’s John Phillips is fast running out of room to store all his trophies.
The 14-year-old Kawasaki rider battled and beat most of the country’s motocross elite as he raced his way to runner-up spot in the 12-14 years’ 125cc class at the three-day New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships in Mosgiel at the weekend.
He was beaten to the top step of the podium by Mangakino’s Cameron Dillon but he figures it won’t be long before he has the measure of that rival too.
Phillips finished third overall in the 13-16 years’ 85cc class last season but since then stepped up to the bigger bike, a two-stroke KX125, where he tasted immediate success, winning the national supercross title in the 12-16 years’ 125cc class at the start of the year.
But, soon afterwards, he dropped himself to the sideline after crashing heavily during practice. He was forced to spend six weeks recovering and this put a dent in his build-up plans for the weekend’s motocross nationals.
But, once back on his beloved Kawasaki KX125, the Western Heights High School fourth-former was soon back up to winning speed.
“I was second fastest in qualifying at Mosgiel,” he explained. “It had rained quite a lot and the track was very muddy.”
Phillips was consistent throughout the weekend’s seven races, only once failing to finish among the top three in his class.
“I had to battle back from dead last after crashing in one race,” he said. “Another rider clipped me and I travelled some way down the track with his still attached to my bike. I had to stop and untangle him and that cost me a lot of time.
“I rode like a crazy man after that and went from last place to sixth. That was my worst finish of the weekend.”
While Phillips was chasing Dillon (Honda) in the youngest 125cc category, fellow Kawasaki rider Aaron Stone was engaged in a battle with Bay of Plenty Yamaha pair Luke Temple (Ngatea) and Scott Barr-Smith (Tauranga) at the front of the 15-16 years’ 125cc class.
After seven blistering races, Huntly’s Stone (Kawasaki KX125) had to settle for third place, just six points behind runner-up Barr-Smith and only nine points behind eventual champion Temple, in what was some of the closest action seen at the nationals.
Christchurch rider Michael Smith enjoyed his first outing on board another Kawasaki KX125, finishing fifth overall in the same class. Smith showed his ironman capabilities by also racing a Kawasaki KXF250 four-stroke to third place in the 14-16 years’ 250cc class.
