Words & photos:
Andy McGechan/
bikesportnz.com
SUTTON
Dirt Guide XC Series 2018
SMALL BIKE NO
HANDICAP FOR
ARARIMU RIDER
e had the smallest bike in the
competition, but South Auckland
rider Richard Sutton showed during
this year’s Dirt Guide cross-country
series that winning trophies is less
about horsepower and more about a bike’s
reliability and a rider’s pure riding talent.
The 27-year-old plumber from Ararimu,
east of Ramarama, took his Yamaha YZ125
to finish third overall at the third and final
round of the Dirt Guide Series at Ohakuri,
south of Tokoroa, on July 22 and this,
coupled with his fourth overall finish at
round one in May and his runner-up result
at round two in June, enabled him to win the
senior Dirt Guide trophy outright for 2018.
Despite lining up in the senior expert grade
to race alongside riders on 250cc, 300cc and
450cc bikes, Sutton and his 125cc bike were
quick off the mark when a shotgun blast
signalled the start to the two-hour senior
race. He was among the leading bunch of
riders as the bikes shot off the forestry road
and into the undergrowth for the first time
and he found himself fifth overall at the end
of the first of what would eventually be five
15-kilometre laps.
Sutton knew he didn’t need to be
concerned that Wainuiomata’s Jake Whitaker
(KTM 300XC) was leading the race, or that
Titirangi’s Callan May (Yamaha YZ250FX) was
in the second position, because neither of
these two men had raced the series opener
and were therefore well behind in the series
points.
Sutton’s focus instead that day was on
staying ahead of Cambridge rider Ashton
Grey (Yamaha YZ450FX), the young man who
had started the weekend just two points
behind Sutton.
KIWI RIDER 85