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The Warren Laugesen juggernaut continues to roll.
The Levin nursery manager was once again too slick and clinical for his rivals, stretching his lead in the Experts class at the North Island Trials Championships as he dominated rounds five and six in the Manawatu at the weekend.
The 33-year-old now has a virtually unassailable 42-point lead over his nearest rival, Hastings man Luke March (on an Italian Beta 270), with four rounds in the series remaining.
The weekend’s double-header meeting tested competitors to the limit.
Saturday’s round five near Woodville featured rocky gullies, steep tree-strewn slopes and a slippery creek section, while Sunday’s round six challenge was to conquer terrain littered with massive rocks, in a quarry near Linton.
Rounds seven and eight are set for Hamilton on June 23-24, with the series wrapping up with rounds nine and 10 in the Taranaki region on August 4-5.
It had been a battle between national champion Laugesen and rising star Jake Whitaker (Wellington) in the elite Expert class, honours shared between the mentor and his young protégé at the opening four rounds, but injury then forced Whitaker to the sideline.
Instead it will be left to experienced Expert class campaigners March, Wayne Thompson (Taranaki, on a Spanish Sherco 290) and Shane Clarke (Wellington, Beta 270) to keep Laugesen (French Scorpa 250) on his toes.
Laugesen also had a new challenge to contend with, one he’d imposed upon himself, using the event to debut his new four-stroke Yamaha-engined bike.
But Laugesen soon had the new bike’s characteristics, and his human rivals, well sorted.
“Yes, I won both days,” said Laugesen matter-of-factly. “But Saturday was a little tight. It took me some time to get to grips with the four-stroke bike. It has totally different power characteristics. It’s basically powered by a Yamaha WR250 and I had to have the power full on or not at all. There was no sitting back and relaxing.
“I think this weekend was a turning point for me and, unless something drastic happens, I should wrap up the series now. I think I’m just going to get stronger now the more I ride this bike.”
Meanwhile, in the A-grade class, Ashhurst’s Kevin Pinfold (Spanish Gas Gas 250) continues to lead, proving consistency counts for much in trials riding. The 51-year-old finished only third and fourth both days as Nelson youngster Nick Oliver (on a Spanish Montesa 250) cleaned up but he still enjoys a 26-point buffer over Oliver.
Wellington’s Carl Robson (Beta 250) in third in the class, a further 16 points behind.
Opunake dairy farmer Andrew Clement (Gas Gas 300), a former two-time national trials champion, finished the weekend close behind Auckland’s Peter Boettcher (Gas Gas 300) in the intense battle for Intermediate grade honours, with New Plymouth’s Tim Clemence looking to challenge the pair until he was forced to withdraw because of calf muscle injury.
Tauranga’s Kevin Gundry (Montesa 250) finished fifth and third on the two days and kept his hold on the No.2 spot in the Intermediate class standings.
LEADING series standings after round six of the North Island Trials Championships in the Manawatu at the weekend:
