to race this year.
This leaves Motorcycling New Zealand
motocross commissioner Ray Broad and
Team New Zealand co-managers Bevan Weal
and Shayne King with the task of finding a
completely new team before September.
“Last year’s riders are unavailable because of
either injury or for personal reasons, so this
year we have a clean slate,” said Broad.
“What we’ve got is an application process
in place and we’ll do full interviews with the
applicants and then review from there our
representation options.
“It is still the intention that we send a team
(to the Netherlands). However, if we are
unable to make a team, we’ll let everyone
know in due course. This event is tough and
it’s not a holiday. We need to have riders in
the team that will represent New Zealand
well at the event.”
CHASE
KING
New Plymouth’s King, the 1996 world
champion a rider for New Zealand at the
MXoN many times in the past, said the
race track at Assen would be “brutal” and
applicants should be under no illusions about
how tough it will be.
“Every year it’s the toughest motocross event
in the world, but the circuit at Assen will be
particularly challenging. It’s very deep sand,
like nothing New Zealand riders will have
encountered before.”
Perhaps the next team of Kiwi internationals
will emerge from the excellent racing that
was witnessed in Taupo.
The host Taupo Motorcycle Club again
produced a splendid track for the day’s
racing, with volunteers giving up their time
to groom and maintain it, while its officials
ensured the programme ran like clockwork.
STEINER
HURLEY & TOWNLEY
KIWI RIDER 111