WORDS & PHOTOS:
ANDY MCGECHAN, BIKESPORTNZ.COM
2019 NZ MINIATURE TT CHAMPS
NEW ZEALAND TT CHAMPIONSHIPS
HIT THE EXTREMES
t could possibly be listed as a new
extreme sport, the 2019 edition of the
New Zealand Miniature TT Championships
at Taupiri over the weekend of May 4-5 was
extreme in so many ways. Both days started
off with chilly conditions and dense fog, with
visibility reduced to just 30 or 40 metres, but
this cleared by mid morning on both Saturday
and Sunday and then the days rapidly heated
up, warm jackets traded in for sunscreen and
wide-brimmed hats.
While the weather traversed both extremes,
the racing speeds achieved by the racers and
the excitement levels reached were extreme
too at the Kawasaki-sponsored event, which
was jointly run by the Huntly and Patetonga
motorcycle clubs.
The pristine grassland track allowed the
riders to reach eye-watering speeds, the
two-day event near Huntly pushing the
racers to their limits as the mostly flat
grassland paddock become rougher with
each successive race and, despite the terrain’s
largely placid and innocuous nature, it still
required plenty of fitness and tons of respect
from the competitors.
KIWI RIDER 59