Photo - Brad Thomas (And he rode one of the sponsors products.)
MNZ - Press Release:
Brad Thomas established himself as New Zealand\'s top cross-country motorcycle racer when he ran away with the final of the Suzuki national championships at Hanmer on Saturday. Riding a Suzuki RM-Z250 four-stroke, the Motueka rider won the tough three-hour race by more than seven minutes from Palmerston North\'s Steven Bird, on a Yamaha WR250F. Thomas claimed the national title in his 300cc four-stroke class with a perfect score of four wins from the four rounds he contested.
Thomas was the only rider to win one of the main four classes with a maximum points haul. The series does not recognise an outright champion but if it did then Thomas would have won it easily he scored three outright victories and one second place during the season, regularly beating riders on considerably more powerful bikes in the open classes. The 19-kilometre North Canterbury course was a challenging one, especially with heavy rain during the first half of the race. The rain made the steep, rocky course slippery and even the top riders suffered some falls -- but they agreed that they had enjoyed the challenge.
Leading motocross rider Cameron Smith from Marton finished third outright and won the open four-stroke class on his Honda CRF450, while Kevin Hermansen from Norsewood claimed the 200cc two-stroke class for the eighth time after coming fourth outright and first in class on his Kawasaki KX125. Victory in the open two-stroke class at Hanmer was not enough to gain Scott Bregman of Maramarua the national title on his Yamaha YZ250, as Aucklander Steven Croad came second in the class on his Suzuki RM250 and took the championship by three points. Croad struggled for visibility in the misty conditions as his glasses kept fogging up.
Christchurch rider Graeme Allan, who won the open four-stroke title last year, also had a visibility problem. He fell at the very first corner, restarted dead last and had so much mud thrown at him by the bikes he was passing that he had to stop at the end of lap one to change his goggles. Allan did well to recover and finish fifth outright on his Kawasaki KXF250, and third in the 300cc four-stroke class. Steven Bird\'s brother Ross, who lives in Eketahuna, won the veterans (over 35) class on his Yamaha WR250 and that wrapped up the national title for him in that category.
Suzuki New Zealand Cross-country Motorcycle Championships, final, Hanmer:
Open two-strokes:
Scott Bregman (Maramarua) Yamaha YZ250, 1; Steven Croad
(Auckland) Suzuki RM250, 2; Scott Fleming (Dunedin) Yamaha YZ250, 3.
Final NZ championship points:
Croad 77, 1; Bregman 74, 2; Nick McKenzie (Balclutha, Honda CR250) 70, 3.
South Island championship:
McKenzie 57, 1; Fleming 52, 2; Brent Christie (Ashburton, Honda CR250) 41, 3.
Open four-strokes:
Cameron Smith (Marton) Honda CRF450, 1; Neville Coomes
(Morrinsville) KTM 525, 2; Glen Manning (Lower Hutt) Husqvarna TE450, 3.
NZ
championship:
Smith 77, 1; Justin Shaw (Winton, KTM450) 65, 2; Ian Thorneycroft (Nelson, Honda CRF450) 64, 3. South Island: Shaw 57, 1 on countback; Thorneycroft 57, 2; Jason McFadden (Christchurch,Yamaha YZF450) 39, 3.
200cc two-strokes:
Kevin Hermansen (Norsewood) Kawasaki KX125, 1; Brad Graham (Palmerston North) KTM 200, 2; Shane McGowan, Kawasaki KDX200, 3.
NZ
championship:
Hermansen 77, 1; McGowan 72, 2; Graham 70, 3.
300cc four-strokes:
Brad Thomas (Motueka) Suzuki RM-Z250, 1; Steven Bird (Palmerston North) Yamaha WR250F, 2; Graeme Allan (Christchurch) Kawasaki KXF250, 3.
NZ championship:
Thomas 80, 1; Mark Pollard (Te Awamutu, Suzuki
RM-Z250) 72, 2; Bird 64, 3. South Island: Thomas 60, 1; Allan 57, 2; Joel Hennessy (Mosgiel, Yamaha YZ250F) 47, 3.
Veterans:
Ross Bird (Eketahuna) Yamaha WR250, 1; Chris Smyth (Dannevirke) Suzuki RM-Z250, 2; Phil Skinner (Pukekohe) Honda CRF250, 3.
NZ
championship:
Bird 75, 1; Skinner 69, 2; Simon McKenzie (KTM 525) 66, 3.
Teams, final positions:
Smoke Ya (Bregman, Coomes, Pollard) 1; Team FAs (Hermansen, S Bird, Mark Fuller) 2; Team Hydraulink (Croad, Murray Searle,
Graham) 3.