A maximum effort from
the Mini Riders
M
Christchurch’s Kobe Thoms, who finished runner-up
in the 9-11 years’ 65cc class this season
by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
aximum results were a feature of the
mini bike race action at West Melton
on the first weekend of November.
The popular annual New Zealand New
Zealand Mini Motocross Championships
were staged at Moore Park, near
Christchurch, on November 4-5, with several of the
classes being totally dominated by just one rider.
Maximum point scores were achieved by the
winner of the premier 9-11 years’ 65cc class,
Darfield’s Tyler Wiremu clean sweeping all five
races over the two days of the event, sponsored
this year by KTM New Zealand, Tracktion.
co.nz and BCC (Baird’s Collision Centre).
Wiremu finished the championships an impressive
25 points clear of last season’s 7-8 years’ class
champion, Leeston’s Kobe Thoms, with Invercargill’s
Seth Morrow fighting his way to the third step
on the 9-11 years’ class podium. Otorohanga’s
Cooper Phillips also battled hard, forced to accept
fourth overall as he finished just five points short
of a place on the 9-11 years’ class podium.
It was a maximum effort this year also from
Thoms’ younger brother Kase Thoms, the
Leeston lad moving up a grade after winning
the 6-8 years’ 65cc class title last year to tackle
the 7-8 years’ 65cc class this time around.
Kase Thoms was unstoppable as he won all five 7-8
years’ races, with Rotorua’s Delton Manson claiming
the No.2 spot and Taupo’s Declan Connors settling
for third overall. Dunedin’s Alex Gilchrist was another
rider to celebrate an unbeaten run of wins as he
d ominated the 7-11 years’ bike trail bike class.
Gilchrist’s main rival, Christchurch rider Sam
Pickens, finished runner-up on four occasions
and dropped valuable points when he crossed
the finish line third in the final race of the
weekend, but it was still good enough to
take the overall No.2 ranking. Third overall in
this class was Pukekawa’s Ryan Tangaroa.
In was nearly a clean sweep also for Cambridge’s
William Pluck, who won four out of five races in
the 7-11 years’ small trail bike class – and he was
Delton Manson
Seth Morrow