WIN-STREAK ENDED | Bikesportnz

The winning streak enjoyed by Kiwi international Paul Whibley has finally been ended, but, fortunately, it only happened after he’d already claimed the championship title.

Pahiatua’s Whibley (Yamaha YZ450F) wrapped up the 2012 Off-Road Motorcycle and ATV (OMA) crown at the eighth round of 10 in the series in August and, for the remainder of the series, it was all about the Yamaha star maintaining his fitness and momentum ahead of also completing the parallel Grand National Cross-Country Championship (GNCC) series, hopefully with the same winning outcome.

His OMA series win in August made it a record fifth consecutive season that Whibley has won the crown and so settling for runner-up at round nine of the series at the “Moose Run”, in Illinois, at the weekend was not a major concern.

The 34-year-old former Manawatu forestry worker, affectionately dubbed “The Axeman” on the motorcycling scene, said it felt as though winter had arrived as temperatures were extremely cold.

“I grabbed the holeshot and tucked in as I led the way through the wide open corn fields. I ducked under the culvert that ran under the road then another under the railway, careful not to scrap my freshly painted helmet.

“Russell Bobbitt took the lead just before we ducked into the tight fresh woods for 40 miles of the track builder’s personal torture. There were all kinds of logs, at every imaginable angle and height. Everything that was close to the ground had been lovingly disguised in leaves and the rest were angled to take you down like a medieval jousting stick.

“Russell’s time at the front was short as he hit the deck, then either Nick Fahringer or I took another shot at leading until we suffered a similar fate and the order was reshuffled.

“Late in the lap, Nick made a break for it and punched out a 30-second lead. I pushed hard and reeled him in and passed him back just before the scoring zone. I led most of the second and final 40-mile lap until I got wedged in a rut exiting a creek crossing.

“Both Nick and Russell seized the opportunity and sped off as I pulled my bike out. Russell led by about 25 seconds going into the last part of the lap. I had the hammer down and caught Nick just as he dropped it in a turn. I soon could see Russell and reeled him in through the peat bogs. Coming to the final few turns on the motocross section before the scoring zone, I was close but there was no time to try anything.

“Russell had ridden a great race and took a well-deserved win, ending my OMA win streak at 17.

“Nick also rode a strong race and completed probably the closest top three in Moose Run history.”

Fellow Kiwi Yamaha star Adrian Smith, from north Taranaki, placed fourth in the Pro class and said he enjoyed the event.

However, 2012 New Zealand enduro and cross-country champion Smith also said he was staggered by how different the race was to anything else he had previously encountered.

Meanwhile, Whibley is fast heading towards making it two championship wins in the United States this season, with fingers crossed that he can wrap up the GNCC title at the final round at Loretta Lynn’s Hurricane Mills, in Tennessee this weekend.

Whibley is supported by Monster Energy, Sargent Yamaha in Masterton, MotoSR suspension, BikesportNZ.com, Graphic MX Creation and Yamaha New Zealand.

Leading results, OMA series round nine:

1. Russell Bobbitt

2. Paul Whibley

3. Nick Fahringer

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