It was the perfect start to the summer motocross season for Tauranga’s Ben Townley, although there was nothing summer-like about the race conditions.

The Carlton Dry Honda star won four races from four starts at the 41st annual Honda Summercross motocross near Whakatane at the weekend, repeating the win-streak he had achieved at the same event last year.

But the event wasn’t really living up to its name this time around, with conditions a stark contrast to the sensationally sunny settings the junior racers had enjoyed a day earlier and it could well have been five MX1 class wins from five starts for Townley if the organisers had not wisely chosen to reduce the event programme when torrential rain turned the Awakaponga circuit into a very unpleasant quagmire.

MX1 class runner-up was Bel Ray Timaru Honda rider Justin McDonald, of Christchurch, with visiting English GP star Alex Snow (JCR Yamaha Racing YZ450F) taking third spot on the podium.

“I’m pretty happy with my results today,” said the 28-year-old Townley afterwards.

“I have had quite a bit of time off the bike and it’s a long season ahead of me, so I’m not really up to proper race speed yet. I still have a lot of testing to do with the new bike but there’s no place like a real environment such as this to test things.”

Meanwhile, the MX2 class was an absolute thriller, with perhaps any one of five or six riders capable of snatching race wins.

And while three separate individuals shared the race wins during the soggy day, it was Mount Maunganui’s Rhys Carter (Bel Ray Moto City Suzuki RM-Z250) who took the ultimate prize, the trophy for winning the class overall.

Carter never finished below third all day, his consistency ensuring he wrapped up the overall win, albeit by just one point from Taupo’s Cam Dillon (Bel Ray Huka Honda CRF250), but it was his last-race, last-corner pass on Queenstown rival Scotty Columb (JCR Yamaha Racing YZ250F) that was the highlight of the day.

“I didn’t know how the points stacked up during the day,” said Carter. “I was just taking each race one at a time.

“I did know I was leading the points going into the last race, but there wasn’t much in it and if I hadn’t made the pass on Scotty right at the end of the last race, I wouldn’t have taken the overall.”

Dillon was forced to settle for second and national No.2 Columb, having his debut ride on a Yamaha after his recent switch of brands, ended the day in third spot overall.

More to come …

© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Leading results from the 41st annual Honda Whakatane Summercross:

MX1: 1. Ben Townley (Honda) 220 points; 2. Justin McDonald (Honda) 178; 3. Alex Snow (Yamaha) 172.

MX2: 1. Rhys Carter (Suzuki) 196; 2. Cam Dillon (Honda) 195; 3. Scott Columb (Yamaha) 174.

Youth MX: 1. Hadleigh Knight (KTM) 151; 2. Kairyn King (Yamaha) 137; 3. Logan Blackburn (Yamaha) 136.

Vets 35-44 years: 1. Darryll King (Yamaha) 165; 2. Darren Capill (Yamaha) 146; 3. Stacey Oldeman (Honda) 139.

Vets over-45 years: 1. Mitch Rowe (Yamaha) 165; 2. Greg McWhannell (KTM) 146; 3. Glen Woods (TM) 129.

Junior 250cc, 12-17 years: 1. Hadleigh Knight (KTM) 160; 2. Cameron Vaughan (Yamaha) 155; 3. Billy Frank (KTM) 138.

Junior 125cc, 16-17 years: 1. Courtney Duncan (Yamaha) 165; 2. Hadleigh Knight (KTM) 146; 3. James Anderson (KTM) 133.

Junior 125cc, 12-15 years: 1. Cohen Chase (KTM) 160; 2. Josiah Natzke (Yamaha) 155; 3. Nick Hornby (Yamaha) 138.

Junior 85cc, 14-16 years: 1. Sean Kelly (Kawasaki) 160; 2. Jacob Steel (Honda) 151; 3. Cole Blake (KTM) 142.

Junior 85cc, 12-13 years: 1. Josiah Natzke (Yamaha) 165; 2. Wyatt Chase (KTM) 150; 3. Maximus Purvis (Honda) 138.

Junior 85cc, 8-11 years: 1. James Scott (Kawasaki) 160; 2. Jesse Te Kani (KTM) 144; 3. Daniel White (KTM) 135.

Women: 1. Courtney Duncan (Yamaha) 165; 2. Emma Davis (Honda) 150; 3. Kimberley Murphy (Honda) 138.

SENIOR AND VETS RESULTS – SUNDAY

MINI RESULTS – SATURDAY

JUNIOR AND WOMEN’S RESULTS – SATURDAY