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In his first season in motorcycle cross-country racing, Cam Smith has scored his first outright victory and has claimed the North Island championship in his class.
The Marton rider, 27, is a leading motocross racer but this season has branched out into cross-country and enduro, where he also leads his class in the national championships.
On Sunday, Smith won the first final of the Suzuki New Zealand Cross-country Championships near Waipukurau in Central Hawke’s Bay. It was the first time this season that riders from the two islands had raced together- the first three rounds had been run in separate North Island and South Island sections.
The three-hour race, on a fast track in rolling farm country, looked like having a close finish between Waipukurau rider Simon Hull, who led most of the race on his KTM four-stroke, Smith on his Honda CRF450 and Motueka rider Brad Thomas on a Suzuki RM-Z250.
But Hull lost time when he stopped to help a rider who \"hit a rock at 140kmh\" and then he had to pull out with a flat tyre.
Thomas and Smith entered the final 20-minute lap only a few seconds apart, but the race was decided when Thomas got stuck in a mud-hole. He settled for second outright and first in the under 300cc four-stroke class.
Smith won the open-four-stroke class, and clinched the North Island championship in that category. He also leads the national championship in the class, with the final to be run at Hanmer on May 23.
After the race some of the top riders said they were exhausted, and it had been strenuous going so fast on rough surfaces.
Smith was still feeling strong but agreed it had been a tough event: \"When you’re going flat out in fifth gear you can’t lose concentration. But my Bridgestone tyres were really good and didn’t slide out all day.\"
Mark Pollard from Te Awamutu finished third outright on his Honda CRF250X and took the North Island under 300cc four-stroke title with a perfect score of 60 points. In the national series, he is second to Thomas.
Norsewood rider Kevin Hermansen took fourth outright on his Kawasaki KX125, winning the under 200 two-stroke class and the North Island title in his category. \"I’m really tired,\' he said. \"There was a lot of rough and some of it was hidden – it was hard to read.\"
Hermansen won the North Island championship and stands first equal with South Islander Shane McGowen (Kawasaki KDX200) in the national series.
Auckland’s Steven Croad was struggling with the flu but still managed to win the open two-stroke class, finishing sixth outright on his Suzuki RM250. The victory gave him the North Island class title, and the lead in the national series.
Ross Bird from Eketahuna took the veterans class on his Yamaha WR250, claiming the North Island title narrowly and edging into the lead of the national championship.
Two Te Kauwhata riders won North island junior championships: Luke Ramsey (Kawasaki KX85) in the under 100cc class and Sam Speedy (KTM 125) in the bigger class.
