Could it be three in a row for the Kawasaki boys in the Bay this summer?

Team Green heads to Napier next month with its sights set on making it three consecutive wins at the popular Hawke’s Bay Six-Hour off-road motorcycle endurance race.

Fly Team Green Kawasaki riders will join forces with riders from the Metalman KMP Cross-Country team to take on some of the nation’s best off-road bike racers in Hawke’s Bay on Saturday, October 3.

Whakatane’s Joel Byrne teamed with Rotorua’s Michael Phillips on a Kawasaki KX250F to win the big race in 2007 and Byrne then joined Tauranga’s Ben Thomasen, on another KX250F, to take the trophy in 2008.

Byrne had hoped to defend his title with Te Kauwhata’s Luke Ramsey as his co-rider this season but, unfortunately, injury has now disrupted those plans.

Instead it will be Ramsey and Kiwi international Mason Phillips who team up in a bid to make it a Kawasaki three-peat in 2009.

These two riders are no strangers to the winners’ circle — Ramsey was runaway winner of the national cross-country championships in the under-200cc class earlier this year, while Mount Maunganui’s Phillips has just returned from a successful stint of racing in the national motocross championships in Canada.

The Hawke’s Bay event will be Mason Phillips’ debut ride for Team Green and, just a week later, he will switch to racing a Kawasaki KX450F at the New Zealand Motocross Championships opener near Timaru.

“I’ve only ever done two cross-country races in the past and I’m really looking forward to tackling this one,” said the 24-year-old Phillips.

“My move to Kawasaki has opened a lot of doors for me … like doing this event with a great team of people behind me. I’m really excited about racing in the Hawke’s Bay Six-hour and it will be good build-up for my national motocross campaign.”

In addition, Team Green manager Mike Cotter, of Cambridge, will team with Taupo’s Nick Saunders on another KX250F, meaning Kawasaki will have two very strong teams battling for honours in the competitive under-300cc four-stroke class.

Meanwhile, Te Kauwhata’s Jason Moorfield will team with Norsewood’s Kevin Hermansen to share duties on a Kawasaki KLX450 as they tackle the opver-35 years’ veterans’ class.

The other brands too will have a huge presence in Hawke’s Bay that weekend with Yamaha banking on Pahiatua’s national cross-country champion Adam Reeves to pull off the win, while Suzuki has Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny teaming up with Marton’s Cam Smith on an RM-Z250.

Also expect Auckland’s Sam Greenslade (Husqvarna), Whangamata’s Jason Davis (KTM), and Palmerston North’s Steven Bird (Honda) to feature near the front.

To complete the Kawasaki assault on this event, Huntly’s Cam Downing will pair up with Waitakere’s Gary Almond on a KX125 and battle for a podium spot in the under-200cc two-stroke class.

Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com