Rangitikei Opens Series With Two Scorchers

FEBRUARY 3, 2025: And there we have it – after one extremely hectic weekend, New Zealand’s motorcycling community is already halfway towards discovering who will be crowned the nation’s top cross-country racers for 2025.

The four-round Yamaha New Zealand Cross-country Nationals series kicked off on two separate farmland properties at Waituna West, near Rewa, the series opener on Friday, with the second round happening just two days later, on similar terrain, also near Rewa, on Sunday.

The two concluding rounds are set for the South Island, both at venues near Gore, and they will follow in seven weeks’ time, in March.

And, as the riders start to prepare for a trip to the deep south next month, we already have strong indications as to who might be the top individuals in the respective junior and senior grades.

It will probably come as a surprise to nobody because the two No.1 riders from 2024 are both well-placed to hang onto their rankings in 2025.

Defending junior champion Nixon Parkes, from Te Awamutu, comfortably won the 90-minute junior race on Friday, finishing ahead of Eketahuna’s Sheldon Brown and Rotorua’s Hadlee Fowler, and Parkes then repeated the dose at round two a couple of days later, this time leading Brown and Masterton’s Harvey Williams past the chequered flag.

It was a little bit tighter in the senior grade, with defending champion Callum Dudson, from Rotorua, winning the three-hour senior race on Friday by nearly three minutes from Taupo’s three-time former national cross-country champion Brad Groombridge, with Nelson’s Bailey Basalaj claiming third overall.

The finishing order was reversed on Sunday, with Groombridge beating Dudson to the chequered flag by two minutes and five seconds, while Basalaj again rounded out the podium.

This means Groombridge and Dudson are equal first in the early running, with Basalaj third in the standings, and they’ll head to Gore with plenty to fight for.

Round three is set for farmland near Gore on Thursday, March 20, and then it all wraps up with the fourth and final round on Saturday, March 22.

Meanwhile, the battle for senior women’s honours is shaping as a two-rider tussle between Stratford’s Megan Collins and Auckland’s Charlotte Russ, while best of the veteran grade riders are Otorohanga’s Trevor De Malmanche (35-44 years), Palmerston North brothers Mark and Jason Amey, with an equal share of the lead in the 45-54 years’ division, and Whanganui’s Danny Willemsen (over 55 years).

In the junior grade, Parkes is the obvious favourite for overall and four-stroke over-200cc class honours, with Fowler leading the two-stroke over-85cc class; Waitoa’s Chad McGovern leads the under-85cc class and Rotorua’s Grace Fowler tops the junior women’s standings.

Motorcycling New Zealand cross-country co-commissioner Paul Whibley, who shares those responsibilities with Manawatu’s Claire Clare, said the weekend produced the “highest calibre” of racing.

“We have had two great venues and two intense days of racing,” said Whibley.

“The tracks have come together well, and the racing has been very close. The senior title chase looks very tight between Brad and Callum and, with all rounds counting for points, it should go right down to the final round.

“Open farmland is always going to produce fast racing, although we’ve created a course that will slow them down a little bit in places, to keep it safer and yet still challenging, with gullies and tree sections. The weekend at Waituna West has been a good start to the series.”

In addition to Yamaha Motor New Zealand, the series is supported by Forbes & Davies, Arai helmets, USWE, BS Battery, Blur goggles, O’Neal apparel, Forma boots, Metzeler tyres, Motomuck (distributors of bike, motorcycle, car and marine cleaning products) and Stux NZ Gloves.

2025 Yamaha New Zealand Cross-country Nationals calendar:

Round one, Friday, January 31, Rewa, Waituna West;

Round two, Sunday, February 2, Rewa, Waituna West;

Round three, Thursday, March 20, Gore;

Round four, Saturday, March 22, Gore.

Credit: Words by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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