AGAINST ALL THE ODDS | Bikesportnz

The short story is that Oamaru’s Joel Meikle is the new national motocross champion in the 13-16 years’ 85cc class; the long story is that his battle to win was against all the odds.

Meikle was untouchable as he led a Honda 1-2-3 at the top of the category, the teenager winning five races from five starts at the New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships near New Plymouth at the weekend.

But the manner of his domination, though remarkable in itself, is only part of the tale.

The 15-year-old, a year 11 pupil at Waitaki Boys’ High School, raced old technology against the powerful might of more modern machinery and the situation with his health also meant it was probably a miracle that he was even able to line up at the Taranaki circuit at the weekend.

Meikle raced a 2007-model CR85 two-stroke bike, a type of motorcycle that has not now been produced for several seasons, while his main rivals, Te Awamutu’s Jacob Steel and Alexandra’s Bryn Gilbert, lined up with Honda’s latest four-stroke technology, campaigning CRF150R model bikes.

To make it even tougher still, Meikle was returning to action after a long lay-off – he had broken his leg in February last year and later broke his collarbone in another crash – and his ‘human engine’ was a little down on power – suffering from a rare form of arthritis and taking medication for the disorder that depletes his immune system, Meikle can be struck with painful twinges at any time.

“I had 15 months off last year and lost seven kilograms too. So it was great to be able to race this weekend and win my first national title.

“Next season I plan to ride a Honda CR125 and a Honda CRF250 as well and I hope to go racing overseas soon too. I want to be a professional racer … it beats working for a living,” he laughed. “No, seriously, racing motocross is very hard work, but it can be very rewarding too.”

While Meikle was dominating the 13-16 years’ 85cc class, fellow Honda star Maximus Purvis was doing exactly the same in the 11-12 years’ division.

The Mangakino rider took his Honda CR85 to five straight wins, ending the weekend 19 points clear of Cambridge’s Trent Collins (Suzuki RM85), with Oparau’s James Scott (Kawasaki KX85) finishing third overall, 10 points further back.

Ten-year-old Grason Veitch (KTM 85) won the youngest of the championship categories, the 8-10 years’ 85cc class.

Dunedin’s Veitch finished third in the class last season but made his intentions to win very clear when he aced his first three races of the weekend. Minor spills in his next two races merely delayed the inevitable and he recovered to twice cross the finish line in second spot to wrap up the crown by seven points from Walton’s Brodie Connolly (KTM).

Leading results from the 2013 New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships in Taranaki:

13-16 years 85cc class:

1st Joel Meikle (Oamaru, Honda) 125 points

2nd Jacob Steel (Te Awamutu, Honda) 97

3rd Bryn Gilbert (Alexandra, Honda) 90

4th Tony Cvitanovich (Feilding, KTM) 84

5th Aaron King (Otorohanga, Honda) 82

11-12 years 85cc class:

1st Maximus Purvis (Mangakino, Honda) 125 points

2nd Trent Collins (Cambridge, Suzuki) 106

3rd James Scott (Oparau, Kawasaki) 96

4th Reece Lister (Hawke’s Bay, Yamaha) 95

5th Clayton Roeske (Taperwera, Yamaha) 80

8-10 years 85cc class:

1st Grason Veitch (Dunedin, KTM) 119 points

2nd Brodie Connolly (Walton, KTM) 112

3rd Marshall Phillips (Christchurch, Suzuki) 98

4th Jake Meikle (Invercargill, KTM) 87

5th Bailey Hardwidge (Turangi, Honda) 77

Comments are closed.