Four of the five
championship classes
were dominated by just
one rider at the South
Waikato Motorcycle Club’s
circuit at Amisfield
here can be no denying the supercross
talent of riders Ben Townley, Josiah
Natzke, Carlin Hedley and Korban
Paget. They were the men who dealt
out unbeaten performances at a damp
round one of the New Zealand Supercross
Championships at Tokoroa in the first
weekend of December.
Four of each the five championship classes
were dominated by just one rider at the
South Waikato Motorcycle Club’s circuit
at Amisfield, on the fringes of Tokoroa,
although, in each case, results were never
really certain until the final laps, with thrilling
cut-and-thrust racing being a feature of the
night.
Oropi’s Townley (SX1, open class), Mount
Maunganui’s Natzke (SX2, 250cc), Ohaupo’s
Hedley (SX Lites, 125cc) and Rangiora’s Paget
(Junior 250) each recorded a hat-trick of wins
in their respective classes, perhaps setting
the tone for how the championships might
wrap up at the final round at Winton, near
Invercargill, two weeks’ later.
In the remaining championship class, the
Junior Lites, it had looked like Hamilton’s
Nicholas Westgate would take charge after he
won the first two of three races on the night
at Tokoroa, but then visiting Czech Republic
rider Julius Mikula won the final race, while
Westgate managed only seventh, causing
something of a boil-over.
Westgate’s brother, Dylan Westgate, finished
with a 2-3-2 score-card on the night and this
was enough for him to end up level on points
at the top, only losing out to his sibling rival
on a count-back, while a 3-2-4 score-card
from Rongotea’s Rhys Jillings earned him the
third podium spot, just ahead of Mikula.
Townley, who was SX1 champ in 2016 but a
non-starter last season, battled early on with
fast-starting Taupo rider Cohen Chase, but
once in front, Townley was never threatened.
Nelson’s Reece Walker earned the third spot
on the night’s SX1 podium with a solid 3-2-3
score-card.
For the senior SX2 class riders, the Tokoroa
event was actually round two of the nationals
after the inaugural S-X Open Auckland, the
international event that was held at Mt Smart
Stadium the previous weekend, registering as
round one for them.
KIWI RIDER 35