Kiwi enduro legend Sean Clarke seems to have the right recipe to bake up a good dirt bike event.

The first of three rounds of the Clarke-organised Dirt Guide Cross-country Series was held at Tar Hill, just south of Tokoroa, on Saturday, with the parallel Dirt Guide Trail Ride Series event held at the same venue the following day, each event attracting good numbers of riders.

Sponsored by Kiwi Rider magazine, a total of 80 senior riders and nearly 30 juniors lined for their respective races.

Huntly’s Ryan Hoskins led from the shotgun start for the juniors and never looked back with a smooth and controlled race, taking the win from Taupo’s Greg De Lautour, with Tokoroa’s O’Neill Sinclair rounding out the top three.

Auckland’s Karl Power won the senior race later in the day, with a come-from-behind ride.

Power got a bad start and had to work his way through the field. Titirangi’s Callan May (pictured above) finished second with Napier’s John O’Dea third overall.

Hokianga’s Mitchell Nield was leading the race early on but a crash saw him drop back to finish sixth. Tauranga’s Reece Burgess finished fourth overall.

Putaruru’s Phil Skinner won the Intermediate grade overall with Tokoroa’s Mark Newton not far behind in second and 17-year-old Brendon Imlig, of Reporoa,  rounding out the top three.

“Everyone loved the track with a great weather the track conditions were almost perfect,” said Clarke.

May 28-29 is the date for the next round of the Dirt Guide series, which moves to a venue called “The Pylons”, on the Tirohanga Road, about 30 kilometres south of Tokoroa.

CALENDAR (trail ride on day two in each case):

Round one, Tar Hill, Tokoroa, April 30, May 1.

Round two, Pylons, Atiamuri, May 28-29.

Round three, Whakamaru, June 25-26.

For any other information, call Sean Clarke on 0275 996 045

© Photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com