KIWIS ON
THE PODIUM
IN AUSTRALIA
BY ANDY MCGECHAN
ll three New Zealand riders
competing in the Australian
Motocross Championships this
season ended up ranking inside
the top seven, two of these individuals
finishing the series on the podium.
Perhaps not since the days of
Taranaki’s King brothers, Hawera’s
Daryl Hurley, Motueka’s Josh Coppins
or Mangakino’s Kayne Lamont – all
previous national title winners in
Australia – have there been so many
Kiwis pushing for silverware across the
Tasman Sea and this year’s crop surely
rose to the challenge.
It has certainly been a glorious season
of motocross racing for Auckland-based
former Takaka rider Hamish Harwood.
Supported by Davey Motorsports
KTM Team in Australia, the three-
time and current New Zealand MX2
(250cc) champion took his CML KTM
Racing Team two-stroke bike to
qualify fourth fastest at the tenth
and final round of the Australian
Motocross Championships at Coolum,
in Queensland, on August 12, setting
himself up for a solid afternoon on the
treacherous sand track.
The 23-year-old South Islander, now
living in Royal Heights in Auckland,
raced his 2018-model KTM 250SX to
twice finish third in the MX2 (250cc)
class on Sunday, which also featured
him leading race one, as well as posting
the fastest lap time, and this was good
enough for the intrepid Kiwi to earn a
podium spot, third overall for the day.
But, even more significantly, this also
enabled him to clinch second overall for
the championship, Harwood ending the
series overall runner-up to Australian
international rider Wilson Todd.
Harwood had been locked in a battle
with Australian rider Aaron Tanti for the
series runner-up position, but Harwood
was too slick for Tanti in both races
at Coolum, Tanti finishing the day at
Coolum only eighth overall.
“I knew I had to keep an eye on where
Tanti was on the track, but we top three
riders actually lapped Tanti in race one,”
said Harwood.
“I knew what I had to do and when I
lapped Tanti, I knew I was halfway there.
I was riding well and, even though I led
the first race, I didn’t want to push too
hard either and risk throwing it all away.
It is hard work to race flat out in sand
for 30 minutes, but my fitness is very
good and I’d put in the hard work in
training, so it paid off.”
KIWI RIDER 15