Mokau’s Adrian Smith has done it again.

The 27-year-old Smith dominated the national cross-country motorcycling scene again this season, stamping his authority by wrapping up his 2013 campaign with a go-to-whoa victory at the weekend’s final round that simply stunned his opponents.

The Blackwood BikesportNZ.com Yamaha ace didn’t even have to show up at the fourth and final round of the New Zealand Cross-country Championships in Central Hawke’s Bay on Saturday, and there are probably a few people who wish he hadn’t.

Smith had successfully defended his 2012 crown when he wrapped up the 2013 senior title overall at the previous round of the series near Cheviot last month and so his appearance at the steep farmland race track at Ashley Clinton – about halfway between Norsewood and Waipukurau – on Saturday was really just a training exercise for him as he is also focussed on defending his national enduro crown, with that competition still in progress.

It could be said that Smith turned his “training session” on Saturday into a “coaching clinic” as he showed everybody how to race a dirt bike across the country, leading from start to finish and ending the gruelling three-hour marathon more than half a lap ahead of the eventual runner-up on the day and the series runner-up, Raglan’s Jason Dickey.

Smith was so far in front that, when he arrived in the timing zone with several minutes still left on the three-hour clock, he was waved away to complete another circuit of the demanding course. In the end, Smith was the only rider to complete 11 laps, with Kawasaki ace Dickey arriving at the zone after the three hours had expired.

“I wanted to win and win well today … just to make a point,” said the 27-year-old Smith, who ended his campaign with a 2-1-1-1 score-line for the series.

“The laps were short and that made it hard work. Because it was short, the track cut up quite rough, but it also meant I was soon familiar with the corners, jumps and blind bits and was able to remember most of the course. That meant I was able to ride aggressively … just like everyone else … and that was pretty tiring.”

Woodville’s Ben Exeter (KTM) finished third overall on Saturday, more than a minute behind Dickey, with Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny (Suzuki) finishing fourth, despite twice suffering from flat tyres.

Fifth was Maruia’s Ethan Bruce, although the young South Island Yamaha rider also fell victim to a flat tyre, suffered on just the second of his 10 laps.

Sixth and seventh overall on Saturday were Dannevirke’s Charles Alabaster (Husqvarna) and Cambridge’s Andrew Charleston (Honda) respectively, while eighth overall was Palmerston North’s three-time former national cross-country champion Adam Reeves (Yamaha).

Meanwhile, Stratford’s Karl Roberts (ninth overall on Saturday) took his Yamaha YZ450F to lead a Yamaha 1-2-3 in the 35-44 years’ veterans’ class this season, with Wellington’s Hugh Lintott and Dannevirke’s Brendan Kendall filling the podium.

Raglan’s Malcolm Given (KTM, 34th overall on Saturday) won the over-45 years’ veteran’s class title, making it a KTM 1-2-3 in the class as he finished the series ahead of Cambridge’s Greg McWhannell and Johnsonville’s James Oliver.

Huntly’s Rachel Parker (KTM) won the women’s grade for 2013, finishing the series ahead of Te Awamutu’s Jessica Dunn (Suzuki) and Taihape’s Sarah Elwin (Yamaha).

Waipukurau’s Ben Fryer won the 90-minute junior race, staged earlier in the day.

Fryer (Yamaha YZ125) had spent time in recent weeks training with Smith at his Mokau property and that experience obviously gave him an edge on Saturday, although Eketahuna’s Charlie Richardson (KTM) won the junior series overall, ahead of Pukekohe’s Isaac Clark (Honda), with Fryer settling for a national ranking of No.3 for 2013.

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

Leading results from the fourth and final round of the KTM New Zealand Cross-country Championships in Central Hawke’s Bay on Saturday:

Final round results:

Senior (3-hour) race:

1. Adrian Smith (Mokau, 11 laps); 2. Jason Dickey (Raglan, 10 laps); 3. Ben Exeter (Woodville); 4. Mark Penny (Te Awamutu); 5. Ethan Bruce (Maruia).

Junior (90-minute) race:

1. Ben Fryer (Waipukurau, 8 laps); 2. Charlie Richardson (Eketahuna); 3. Isaac Clarke (Pukekohe, 7 laps); 4. Ethan Breuer (Marton); 5. Josh Pilet (Marton).

Series results:

Senior overall: 1. Adrian Smith; 2. Jason Dickey; 3. Mark Penny; 4. Ethan Bruce; 5. Adam Reeves.

Class 1 (2-Stroke Over-200cc): 1 Adrian Smith (Mokau, Yamaha); 2. Ethan Bruce (Maruia, Yamaha); 3. Graeme Goodwright (Raglan, KTM).

Class 2 (2-Stroke under-200cc): 1. Sam Greenslade (Waitemata, Husqvarna); 2. Anthony Parker (Huntly, KTM); 3. Aaron Jones (Mokau, Yamaha).

Class 3 (4-Stroke over-300cc): 1. Mark Penny (Te Awamutu, Suzuki); 2. Ben Exeter (Woodville, KTM); 3. Adam Reeves (Palmerston North, Yamaha).

Class 4 (4-Stroke under-300cc): 1. Jason Dickey (Raglan, Kawasaki); 2. Simon Lansdaal (Patetonga, Husqvarna); 3. Andrew Charleston (Cambridge, Honda).

Class 5 (Veterans’ 35-44 years): 1. Karl Roberts (Stratford, Yamaha); 2. Hugh Lintott (Wellington, Yamaha); 3. Brendan Kendall (Dannevirke, Yamaha).

Class 6 (Veterans’ 45+ years): 1. Malcolm Given (Raglan, KTM); 2. Greg McWhannell (Cambridge, KTM); 3. James Oliver (Johnsonville, KTM).

Class 7 (Ladies): 1. Rachel Parker (Huntly, KTM); 2. Jessica Dunn (Te Awamutu, Suzuki); 3. Sarah Elwin (Taihape, Yamaha).

Junior overall: 1. Charlie Richardson; 2. Isaac Clark; 3. Ben Fryer; 4. James Galpin; 5. Taylor Rae.

Class 1&3 (Junior combined 2-stroke under-200cc/4-stroke under-300cc): 1. Jack Dalton (Marlborough, KTM); 2. Jackson Walker (Nelson, Suzuki); 3. Paul Bickley (Riverton, Honda).

Class 2 (Junior 2-stroke 0-200cc): 1. Charlie Richardson (Eketahuna, KTM); 2. Ben Fryer (Waipukurau, Yamaha); 3. Isaac Clark (Pukekohe, Honda).

Class 4 (Junior 4-stroke 0-300cc): 1. Ethan Breuer (Marton, Honda); 2. Taylor Rae (Cambridge, Honda); 3. Todd Keown (Invercargill, Honda).