KIWI RIDER 05 2019 VOL.2 | Page 33

LAUDER Even Stratford’s Josh Hunger (Husqvarna), Rotorua’s Bradley Lauder (Yamaha) and Cambridge’s Ashton Grey (Yamaha) who round out the leading bunch so far, could possibly count themselves outside chances of winning the series. In fact, it’s highly unlikely that any of the event winners so far will go on to be crowned national champion this year, with Buxton and Yearbury heading overseas to race and Birch also committed off-shore, leaving a vacuum that will almost certainly be filled by the likes of Reardon, Davis, Whitaker, Wightman or Taylor. When these riders drop their worst result, the points standings get a massive shake-up. The upcoming event at Martinborough and the round five event at Masterton could be pivotal in the championship chase, which will wrap up with a double header, rounds six and seven, on consecutive days in Hokitika in July. “Talking with some of the competitors, they are a bit nervous about heading to the West Coast in the middle of winter. It rains a lot down there so we can expect it to be wet, however, believe it or not, July is Hokitika’s third driest month of the year,” said Stevenson. Running in tandem with all of this is the six-round Yamaha North Island Enduro Championships, which shares the programme with the nationals for the five North Island venues, then has its separate final round at Masterton on October 12. “It’s a positive sign that there have been a lot of new riders coming into the sport this year,” said Stevenson. “Many riders have been trying the ‘intro’ class, where the entry fee is half the normal price and riders can enter without holding a current MNZ competition license. They can get a free MNZ day license at the event.” The Top Trail Riders’ Championship, for riders new to the sport, is also being run in conjunction with the nationals, with many riders rapidly improving their skills as they tackle the rough terrain and learn from watching the more experienced campaigners. 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 33