Smith Expected to Pose a Threat

2017 NZ Cross-country Championships

Smith Expected to Pose a Threat

MARCH 1, 2017: The rough and tumble world of cross-country motorcycle racing clicks into top gear this weekend with the opening round of the national series.

The first of four rounds in the 2017 New Zealand Cross-country Championships is set for farmland in the Central Hawke's Bay this coming Sunday and it will welcome the return to racing of record four-time national champion Adrian Smith (Yamaha).

The sheep and beef farmer from the Awakino Gorge, near Mokau, has simply been too busy with work to dedicate himself to racing for much of the past 12 months, but he's raring to go again and that should put his rivals, including 2016 national champion Brad Groombridge, on full alert.

It's interesting to note that Smith also announced his engagement to long-time sweetheart Lynette this week and she is also a great supporter of his racing.

Taupo's Groombridge (Suzuki) was in scintillating form in the cross-country nationals last season, although he was pushed all the way by Howick's Liam Draper (Husqvarna) and Titirangi's Callan May (Yamaha).

Draper has switched his focus to racing in the United States this season and that possibly leaves Yamaha pair May and Smith to pose the most serious threats to Groombridge's reign.

Others to watch for include Coatesville's Sam Greenslade, Rotorua's Bradley Lauder, Raglan's Jason Dickey, Rotorua's Scotty Birch, Taupo's Nathan Tesselaar, Palmerston North's multi-time former national champion Adam Reeves, Pahiatua's Charles Alabaster, Masterton's Allan Gannon, Maruia’s Ethan Bruce, Pukekawa’s Anthony Parker and Cambridge's Simon Lansdaal.

Wairoa's former national junior champion Reece Lister could spring a surprise and so too could Waimauku's Jake Wightman.

Best of the females last season was Te Awamutu's Jan-Maree Pool, who produced another strong ride to wrap up the senior women's title overall and she'll again be hard to beat.

The action was tight in the junior grade last season, where there was virtually nothing to separate Raglan's eventual champion Logan Shaw from Nelson's eventual runner-up Jackson Walker.

Taupiri's Zak Fuller was the best of the junior 85cc class riders last season and should be a frontrunner again this time around, as should junior women's class title winner Zara Gray, of Cambridge.

Sunday’s venue for round one is at Smyth's Property, 1375 Weber Road, Dannevirke.

The series then heads to Mosgiel for round two on April 2. Round three is set for Marlborough on April 30 and the final round is due in Cambridge on May 13.

The nationals venues are spread equally over the North and South Islands and Motorcycling New Zealand cross-country commissioner Chris Smyth reports there has been a tremendous amount of interest being shown by the riders, with full fields expected.

Points only for the best three of four rounds are counted, so riders will discard their worst result, ensuring the battle will go down to the wire.

The 90-minute race for the juniors on Sunday will start with a shotgun blast at about 9am, with the three-hour senior race set to follow at about midday.

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