LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL

“Live life as if every day was your last.”

Those words are tattooed on the upper right arm of Taupo’s Brad Groombridge and he certainly lived up to them when he raced at the King of the Mountain Motocross in Taranaki at the weekend.

The short version of Sunday’s racing was this: Groombridge was unbeatable on Sunday.

The long version is this: Groombridge took his Bel Ray Pro Rider Suzuki RM-Z450 to win both MX1 class races and the King of the Mountain all-in feature race as well, repeating the success he enjoyed when winning the big stand-alone Mach 1 Yamaha-sponsored Taranaki event the last time it was raced in 2012 and continuing the winning trend he has enjoyed for the early part of this season.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for 23-year-old Groombridge with Rotorua’s two-time former national champion Michael Phillips (Bel Ray Honda Team CRF450) grabbing the early lead in all three races, the two MX1 races and the feature final.

But each time Groombridge managed to find a way past his fellow Bay of Plenty rival, although for the feature final he had to do that half a dozen times.

The lead changed at least six times during that final 20-minute race, the crowd mesmerised as Groombridge and Phillips cut and thrust around the steep Barrett Road Motorcycle Park circuit on the outskirts of New Plymouth.

But Groombridge was in front when it counted most, at the end of the final lap, Phillips nipping at his rear wheel and eventual third-placed Kawasaki rider Dion Picard, of Atiamuri, still 30-seconds behind.

Waitakere’s Ethan Martens (Yamaha) and Otorohanga’s Hayden Kanters (Honda) rounded out the top five. Kanters was the first of the MX2 (250cc) riders in the feature race.

“That was a bit of a battle that one,” declared Groombridge, as he slumped into a chair in the pits at the end of the feature race.

“I made a few mistakes on the slick track … in fact the track got trickier as it dried out during the day. The hard-packed soil was very treacherous and it was hard to pick lines. Michael (Phillips) was strong and he forced me to try different lines to get past him. I had to experiment a little,” Groombridge smiled.

“My fitness is probably the best it’s ever been at the moment and I’m looking forward now to the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville next weekend and then that national champs that follow next month.

“I hope I can keep my winning momentum going.”

Phillips was philosophical in defeat.

“This is the first decent race for me since about June, so it was good to be able to come here and perform at this level,” said the 27-year-old.

“I was faster than Brad on some sections of the track and he was quicker than me on others. The racing was clean. We trust and respect one another and so I enjoyed it today.”

The junior King of the Mountain feature final earlier in the day was won by Patea’s Ryan Gwynn, with Masterton’s Sam Guise finishing runner-up, Opunake’s Liam Read third and Whangarei’s Cameron Hill and Inglewood’s Leslie Longstaff rounding out the top five.

Class winners on Sunday were Groombridge (MX1); Kanters (MX2); Stratford’s Aaron Jane (125cc and under-21); Matamata’s Ben Lightfoot (MX3); Opunake’s Taylar Rampton (women); New Plymouth’s Mitch Rowe (veterans’ over-40); Gwynn (junior 15-16 years’ 125cc); Guise (junior 14-16 years’ 250cc); Read (junior 12-14 years’ 125cc); Hawera’s Kade Wilson (junior 14-16 years’ 150/85cc); Sanson’s Max Hefferen (junior 12-13 years’ 150/85cc); Matamata’s Brodie Connolly (junior 8-11 years’ 85cc); Patea’s Cullen Hurley (mini 9-11 years’ 65cc); Stratford’s Cameron Bond (mini 7-8 years’ 65cc); Hawera’s Ajay Jordan (mini 6-8 years’ 50cc); Rotorua’s Briarly Dodunski (mini 7-11 years’ trail bikes); Hamilton’s Joshua Walker (mini 6-8 years trail bikes); New Plymouth’s Vindylin Stanway (mini 4-7 years’ intro class).