FOUR TOUGH HOURS IN TAUPO

Suzuki riders dominated the popular Acerbis Four-Hour cross-country race near Taupo last season and there are plans afoot to repeat the dose this time around as well, although there will be different names to go on the trophies.

Mount Maunganui’s Rhys Carter and Paraparaumu’s Jesse Donnelly teamed up and shared a Suzuki RM-Z250 to win the gruelling race last year, edging out fellow Suzuki stars Josh Jack (Kaukapakapa) and Mark Penny (Te Awamutu), who tag teamed one another with their RM-Z250 and RM-X450 model Suzuki bikes respectively.

Carter, Donnelly and Penny are not entered this year, but Jack (pictured above) will be a starter this Saturday, this time taking his Coleman’s BikesportNZ.com Suzuki RM250 two-stroke and teaming up with Auckland’s Aiden Kiff (Kawasaki KX250F), and this dynamic duo should be among the favourites to win the race outright.

But perhaps the man most fancied to win is Taupo motocross ace Brad Groombridge.

The Action Suzuki RM-Z450 rider teamed up with Hawera’s Daryl Hurley to win the Suzuki Six-hour endurance cross-country race near Tokoroa a fortnight ago, although he’ll ride solo at the Acerbis event this weekend.

He is in hot form at the moment, too, having just won the MX1 class title at the annual Labour Weekend Motocross Extravaganza at Taupo over Labour Weekend.

He’ll now install a slightly bigger fuel tank on his RM-Z450 motocross bike and switch his mind over to cross-country mode, aiming to improve upon the fourth overall result he achieved when he won the ironman title at the Acerbis event last season.

“Because I’m riding solo, I’ll be able to complete two laps before each refuel, while the two-rider teams have to come in to the pits every lap to swap bikes/riders. This gives me a little advantage,” Groombridge explained.

“I’d really like to win the ironman trophy again, but it would also be very nice to win it outright. That’s the aim anyway.”

But, whatever, Groombridge’s plans might be, it is certain that it won’t be an easy ride for him with a slew of very talented riders among the nearly 400 riders entered for the day.

Also riding solo will be Masterton’s Reuben Vermeer, Morrinsville’s Simon Lansdaal, Auckland’s Julie Greenslade and Tokoroa’s Edwina Wooderson.

Riders can enter as individuals or two person teams – one bike per individual (ironman), or teams can choose to either ride two bikes or share one bike.

Top teams likely to feature near the front include Bay of Plenty pairings Aaron Wiltshire/Hadleigh Knight and Greg De Lautour/Ryan Knight, while challenges should also come from Callum Birch/John Sharland, Scott Birch/Nathan Sharland, Jake Whitaker/Tyler Mills, Brendon Imlig/Jesse Clarke, Callan May/Adrian Smith, Reece and Allan Burgess and Hayden and Nathan Tresselaar.

In the veterans’ ranks, it will be worth looking out for the Mark De Lautour/John Kirkaldie duo.

Junior riders are catered for as well with the Motomuck Junior 90 Race, run as a prequel to the main senior event. This will be the third year for this increasingly popular 90-minute junior race.

The venue for the race this weekend is very close to where the event was held last season, this time in forestry on the opposite side of State Highway 5. The 25-kilometre loop course is laid out in the Tahorakuri Forest, about 15 minutes’ drive north of Taupo and will be signposted from State Highway 5.