DOWN TO THE LAST RACE

The racing went right down to the wire for the top women at the second and final day of action at the 2015 New Zealand Veterans’ and Women’s Motocross Championships in Taranaki at the weekend.

With just one race remaining in the senior women’s grade, there was virtually nothing to separate Pahiatua’s Letitia Alabaster from Motueka’s Katie Silcock at the top of the points standings, with Taihape’s Sarah Elwin and Te Puke’s Mary Wanhill also not far behind.

Whomever finished ahead after this final race at Opunake would be the 2015 champion at the Mach 1 Yamaha-sponsored event and, with rain and wind getting stronger by the minute, the key to winning would be getting a great start.

And that’s just what Alabaster did, snatching the lead within a few hundred metres and then stretching out her advantage, although a fast-starting Skye Edwards, from Nelson, kept her honest over the opening two laps.

Her main rival, Silcock, was forced to battle through traffic after an unaccustomed poor start and, although she managed to close in on Alabaster (pictured above) near the end, she ran out of time before the chequered flag came out and had to settle for runner-up in that race and also runner-up for the championship overall.

Elwin took the third podium spot for the senior women’s championship with Wanhill and Whangarei’s Zia Pitkethley rounding out the top five.

“I was two points behind Katie (Silcock) at the start of the day today and knew I just had to win races today,” said Alabaster, a 26-year-old motorcycle mechanic.

“I just had to do my best and not fall off trying. I took a few risks in the first race today and managed to win it (with 21-year-old mother-of-two Silcock finishing second) and that meant I was leading the championship, but only by one point with the final race to come.

“Once I had the lead in the final race, I just played is safe. I’m so stoked to win this. I’ve been working so hard for it, road cycling, running and riding as much as I could to build up. It’s awesome to win.

“It was five years ago that I last won this.”

The other title winners at the weekend were Te Awamutu’s Rachael Archer (junior women); Cambridge’s Sandra Hannon (veteran women’s class); Woodend’s Ben Petrie (veterans’ 30-24 years); New Plymouth’s Lionel Crowe (veterans’ 35-39 years under-200cc two-stroke and under-300cc four-stroke); Tairua’s Nick Prescott (veterans’ 35-39 years over-200cc two-stroke and over-300cc four-stroke); Nelson’s Bryan Heaphy (veterans’ 40-44 years under-200cc two-stroke and under-300cc four-stroke); New Plymouth’s Tony Parker (veterans’ 40-44 years over-200cc two-stroke and over-300cc four-stroke); Blenheim’s Steve Lange (veterans’ 45-49 years under-200cc two-stroke and under-300cc four-stroke); Whakatane’s Darren Capill (veterans’ 45-49 years over-200cc two-stroke and over-300cc four-stroke); New Plymouth’s Mitch Rowe (veterans’ 50-54 years all-in); Blenheim’s Moston Wadsworth (veterans’ 55-59 years all-in); Te Awamutu’s Graham Adams (veterans’ over-60 years all-in).