YEARBURY ZIPS
TO EQUAL FIRST
AT ENDURO CHAMPS
see-saw battle has begun to develop
in this year’s New Zealand Enduro
Championships, with two men now
sharing the top spot in the premier grade.
Helensville’s Tom Buxton won the first
of seven rounds in the Yamaha and Mitas
Tyres-backed series near Whangamata
last month, with Cambridge rider Dylan
Yearbury finishing runner-up, but those
positions swapped around at round two
near Porirua on Saturday April 6.
Yearbury ruled the roost on the steep
forestry course off Moonshine Road, Kapiti,
edging out Buxton by just 16 seconds on the
timing clocks. That means, with both riders
hogging the top two spots thus far, they
share the bragging rights, although there is
still a long way to go.
Third overall on the premier AA course
on Saturday was Wainuiomata’s Jake
Whitaker, with Stratford’s Josh Hunger and
Whanganui’s Seth Reardon completing the
top five.
In terms of the championship, Yearbury
and Buxton jointly lead by 14 points from
Whangamata’s Jason Davis, who finished
eighth on Saturday, with Reardon just one
point further back and Whitaker another
point back in fifth overall.
“I was feeling good on the bike and enjoyed
the special tests at Moonshine,” said the
24-year-old Yearbury afterwards.
“I had no problems today and quite
enjoyed the track. It was tight in places and
hard work, but I liked it.”
Meanwhile, in the A course battle, it was
BY ANDY MCGECHAN
Tokoroa’s Nick Wightman who led the way
at Moonshine, crossing the finish line 46
seconds ahead of runner-up rider Ethan
McBreen, from Omihi, while Thames rider
Natasha Cairns was third overall on the day.
With back-to-back wins in the series thus
far, Wightman leads the trophy chase
for the A course riders, with Cairns and
Masterton’s Philip Bly second and third
overall respectively after two rounds.
Bly finished the day fourth overall at
Whangamata and at Moonshine too.
“It was interesting to note that, in the
junior support class, 13-year-old Wil
Yeoman, from Taupo, opted to ride the full
A course rather than the shortened junior
course,” said Motorcycling New Zealand
enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson.
“If he was eligible for the senior grades,
he would have finished third overall in
the A competition, and beaten` (Kiwi
international moto trials rider) Dylan Ball by
a considerable margin. He is one to watch
for the future.”
The Yamaha New Zealand Enduro
Championships next takes riders to the
South Waikato region for round three in two
weeks’ time, on Saturday, April 20.
The 2019 Yamaha NZ Enduro
Championships are supported by Mitas
tyres, Macaulay Metals, Best Build
Construction, Silver-bullet, Kiwi Rider
magazine, Dirt Rider Downunder magazine
and Moto Events NZ.
KIWI RIDER 15