STYKE’S BUILD-UP CONTINUES
Australian KTM Motocross Racing Team rider Luke Styke continues to strengthen as he builds up to this year’s Australian Motocross Championship season.
Styke last weekend pushed on in his quest to accumulate international level competition as he carded equal fifth in the New Zealand Motocross Championships that kicked off at Timaru.
Three months back in the saddle after he spent most of 2016 off the bike with a recovering achilles tendon injury, Styke is working hard to add to his riding that vital last component that only exposure to top-class competition tends to extract.
His 6th, 5th, 6th haul at Timaru at the weekend showed the 2013 Australian MX2 champion certainly hasn’t forgotten how to twist a throttle, but he still has a few seconds to find before he replicates the form which saw him podium his career-first Australian MX Nats premier class outing at Horsham in 2015.
Defending New Zealand MX1 champion Cody Cooper (Honda), of Mount Maunganui, won the round from Australian Dean Ferris (Yamaha) with Mount Maunganui’s Rhys Carter (Kawasaki) third.
The Australian KTM Team’s lead rider and 2015 Australian Champion Kirk Gibbs is taking no part in this year’s New Zealand Championship, having been back on the bike for just a month after recovering from a broken femur suffered during training for the Motocross of Nations in the week after last year’s MX Nationals finale.
KTM Motocross Racing Team manager Jay Marmont said Style was still “finding his rhythm”.
Defending New Zealand MX1 Champion Cody Cooper. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
“He was getting good starts and staying on the bike, but we’re just missing the seat time component. As an ex-rider who raced with some of these guys just four or five months ago, I’ve been in that situation where everything is working during the week but not on race day, and when you aren’t quite there it seems worse than it really is.
“Kirk is back on the bike and going exceptionally well. It wouldn’t have been smart for us to take him to New Zealand at this point; our best bet is to get him into some races over the next few months and hopefully have him where he needs to be in time for nationals.
“At this stage, Gibbs’ first race will probably be the KTM Conondale Cup on March 5.”
Styke was philosophical about the position he’s in.
Australia’s Todd Waters, also in NZ to build-up for the Australian nationals. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
“You lose a lot of the intensity when you’re away from racing a while, and even though I’ve been back riding for three months, you can’t replicate what racing does. I had a massive crash at Woodville but everything is pretty good now – I’ve got a new trainer and we’re building. That’s why we’re in New Zealand – to iron out all the creases.
“For the rougher tracks, I haven’t got the bike quite back to where I want it yet, but, once I’m more comfortable it will be easier, so for now I’m just working to get a good balance and the right feel.”
MX1 class standings after round one of the NZ Champs
- Cody Cooper (Honda) 70;
- Dean Ferris (Yamaha) 65;
- Rhys Carter (Kawasaki) 62;
- Todd Waters (Honda) 55;
- = Jesse Dobson (Honda) & Luke Styke (KTM) 46;
- Hamish Harwood (KTM) 40;
- Kayne Lamont (Yamaha) 39;
- Brad Groombridge (Suzuki) 38;
- Kieran Scheele (Suzuki) 35.
Words by John Pinnell
© Photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
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