With the New Zealand Motocross Championships just around the corner, there is perhaps no better time than now for riders and teams to be polishing their performances.

The CMR Red Bull KTM Team certainly proved they will be up to the challenge when the 2015 nationals kick off in Taranaki in February after the “orange brigade” celebrated a series of solid results at the weekend’s annual Auckland Motocross Championships near Pukekohe.

One of the team’s stand-out performances came from young South Islander Hamish Harwood, making his debut in the big bike class on Sunday and surprising many observers with his fluid style and pace first time out on the 450cc bike.

The 19-year-old twice finished runner-up to eventual winner and Taupo’s current national MX1 No.3 Brad Groombridge and then shot into the lead in the third and final MX1 race of the day, looking strong and well-positioned to record a breakthrough win on debut in the class.

Unfortunately for Harwood and for his team, he crashed heavily while leading Groombridge (Bel Ray Pro Rider Suzuki RM-Z450) and had to be stretchered from the track. He was taken to hospital where he underwent an immediate operation to mend a punctured bowel.

While there is no time-frame given yet for a return to racing, the tough Takaka teenager demonstrated that he will again be a force to be reckoned with when he does eventually return to racing.

CMR Red Bull KTM team manager Cannon Smith said: “Hamish was exceptional today. He certainly kept Brad honest. He deserved to finish the day runner-up and would have if he had survived race three.

“It was the first real hit-out for the team and were achieved some very pleasing results right across the board. Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis won the junior 13-16 years’ 85cc class on Saturday and (Australian import) Caleb Ward and Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke were very impressive in the MX2 (250cc) class on Sunday.”

Natzke, the 15-year-old national 125cc champion who has now stepped up to the KTM 250F to tackle the MX2 class for 2015, stunned national MX2 champion Kayne Lamont, of Mangakino, when he comfortably won the first MX2 race on Sunday.

The positions were reversed in the next race and that left the two riders equal on points as they lined up for the final MX2 race of the day.

Unfortunately for Natzke, he too crashed and, once mobile again in about sixth position, he had his hands full battling with a gaggle of very fast riders, including Ward, who had moved up to second spot, Rotorua pair Michael Phillips (The Honda Shop Racing Team CRF250) and Scott Canham (Patterson O’Connor BikesportNZ.com Kawasaki KX250F) and Hamilton’s Jesse Wiki (Boyd Motorcycles KTM250F).

He said that, with the track surface deteriorating, he “didn’t feel safe” to push any harder and eventually settled for fifth position in that race. This was still good enough for Natzke to end the day overall runner-up, behind Valleyfresh BikesportNZ.com Yamaha rider Lamont, with his 17-year-old KTM team-mate Ward taking the third step on the podium.

Ward, meanwhile, was also impressive as he used the Auckland event to acclimatise to New Zealand race conditions and showed great improvements as the day wore on.

Ward, from Cairns in Queensland, is ranked fifth in the MX2 class across the Tasman this season and he finished 3-6-2 in his three outings on Sunday.

The CMR Red Bull KTM team now prepares to tackle the Whakatane Summercross on December 28 and the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville on January 25.

The four-round 2015 New Zealand Motocross Championships kick off near New Plymouth on February 8.

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

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