A DOMINANT FORCE | Bikesportnz

He may be a senior class rookie, but Amberley’s Micah McGoldrick has shown himself to be a dominant force in the chase for national 125cc class motocross honours this season.

In his first season of senior competition, the 16-year-old South Islander has proven to be something of a revelation.

In nine races over the three rounds thus far, the CMR Red Bull KTM Team star has won all but two of them, another hat-trick of wins again lighting up his day at the third round of four in the New Zealand Motocross Championships at Pukekohe on Sunday.

This was enough to put McGoldrick a safe 26 points ahead his nearest challenger in the 125cc class, Rotorua’s Cameron Vaughan (MXDK Yamaha), with just one round – three races, worth 75 points – to come, at the fourth and final round at Taupo on March 18.

McGoldrick qualified fastest at the tricky, deep-rutted track at Harrisville, near Pukekohe, and then consolidated his position at the top of the 125cc class standings with three wins from three starts.

Guided by noted Canterbury motocross coach Antony Sproull, the teenaged McGoldrick proved himself a worth champion when coming from far back in the field to clinch wins in each of his outings on Sunday.

“My goal now is to ride safe and avoid making mistakes. That’s what I need to do to win my first senior motocross title at Taupo in two weeks’ time,” said McGoldrick.

McGoldrick will head to Australia in the coming months to contest the Australian Under-19 championships and, judging by his dominant performances in New Zealand, he should be a contender across the Tasman Sea as well this season.

Also outstanding at Pukekohe on Sunday were fellow KTM riders Shaun Fogarty, from Auckland, and Waikato’s Hayden Clark.

Fogarty, supported by Q Construction and Cyclespot Euro, finished the day second-equal overall in the MX2 (250cc) class on Sunday, level with defending champion Darryll King (MXDK Yamaha), of Hamilton.

“This is where I wanted to be at round one,” said a delighted Fogarty afterwards.

“I broke a finger at the Woodville GP (in January), so it’s been a bit of a struggle.”

Fogarty is up to sixth in the MX2 championship standings.

Despite injuring himself at round one and being forced to skip round two, Hamilton’s Clark came on strong at the weekend.

“I blew out my knee joint at round one, but I just hate giving up,” said the 21-year-old Clark.

Clark is ranked 14th overall in the MX1 class, despite only finishing four out of nine races in the series thus far.

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