Tauranga’s Jack McLean and Morrinsville’s
Liam Calley rounded out the top five juniors
for the series.
Best-performed of the junior 85cc riders
at Taumarunui was New Plymouth’s Sam
Parker, who finished a sensational 14th
overall in the junior race. Fellow Taranaki
rider Josh Houghton wrapped up the junior
85cc class for the series.
In the three-hour senior race that followed
at Taumarunui, it was a battle for the day’s
glory between early leader Dickey, former
world motocross champion Ben Townley and
fellow former Kiwi international Hadleigh
Knight, from Atiamuri.
Both Townley and Knight were both making
their first appearances in the series. Townley
took the lead early on lap two and never
looked back, eventually taking the win by
nearly three minutes from Knight, with
Whanganui’s Seth Reardon moving past
Dickey to claim third overall.
This was enough for Reardon to capture the
overall runner-up spot for the championship,
behind Dickey, with Raglan’s Brandon Given
claiming third overall for 2019.
With no riding under his belt since round
three of the series, six weeks earlier, and
the title already in the bag, a “less than 100
percent” Dickey was happy to settle for fourth
in the senior race at Taumarunui, while
Taupo’s Nathan Tesselaar rounded out the
top five on the day.
MNZ cross-country commissioner Chris
Smyth agreed the racing at Taumarunui’s
finale was a thriller. “It was good in particular
to see the close race by the juniors. It was a
tough and demanding track for the juniors
and for the seniors too. The riders would
have to have put a lot of thought in to survive
the distance.
“It was a great series and backed well by
the riders. With the likes of Loveridge and
Rooks, it will be good to see them now in the
seniors. Loveridge has a good pedigree there
with his dad racing also.
“Hopefully both these graduating juniors will
carry on their good form.”
TESSELAAR
REARDON
KIWI RIDER 33