New Zealand’s Daryl Hurley is back on top of the world after the Hawera man won the over-40 pro class at the 2018 edition of the Dubya USA World Veterans’ Motocross Championships.
Racing at the Glen Helen, San Bernadino track in a blazingly-hot Southern California at the weekend, the 42-year-old Hurley (Suzuki RM-Z450) finished runner-up and then first in his two races in this class, eclipsing British former Grand Prix racer Kurt Nicoll (KTM), who finished 3-2, and American Dirt Rider magazine test rider Kris Keefer (Yamaha, 1-4).
This was multi-time New Zealand motocross champion Hurley’s second Over-40 World Vet Championship title after he also won it in 2016.
Over a long and glittering career, Hurley has been a regular visitor to the top step of the podium.
Hurley won four New Zealand 125cc motocross titles (in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004) before moving on to win the New Zealand MX1 title in 2007, following by his winning the New Zealand MX2 crown in 2008.
He also won the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix title at Woodville in 2005 and again in 2009.
Hurley won the opening round of the World Supercross Championships at a muddy Estadio Olimpico in Seville, Spain, in December 2003. He beat South African Grant Langston (who was later crowned 2007 AMA motocross champion) to the chequered flag at that event in Spain, as well as Americans Tyler Evans and Heath Voss.
Hurley became Australian 125cc motocross champion in 2001.
He won the Australian open class title in 2005, failed to defend it when he became injured in 2006 and injury again slowed him in 2007, although he still managed to finish runner-up (behind Daniel Reardon).
He was injured and on crutches when he was called to the stage to receive the Taranaki Sportsperson Of the Year award in November 2005 and he was named Taranaki Sportsman of the Year in December 2009.
Three times he was selected to join New Zealand’s three-man Motocross of Nations world teams championship squad, but he also had to give up his spot because of injury on a couple of occasions, the most notable being in France in 2005, which allowed Cody Cooper to debut for the Kiwi team. He was also injured soon after being selected for the 60th running in England in 2006, again allowing the position to open up to Cooper.
Hurley was the 125cc rider in the New Zealand MXoN team which finished third at Namur, Belgium, in 2001, and was also one of the Kiwi team that finished 7th at the MXoN in Lierop, in the Netherlands, in 2004.
He won the 40-44 years’ class at the New Zealand Veterans’ and Women’s Motocross Championships at Eltham in November last year.
This year was the 34th annual running of the Dubya USA World Veterans’ Motocross Championships.
© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
OVER-40 PRO
- Daryl Hurley (Suz)…2-1
- Kurt Nicoll (KTM)….3-2
- Kris Keefer (Yam)…1-4
- Steve Powell (Suz)…5-6
- Todd Gravitt (KYM)…7-5
- Matt Karlsen (Kaw)…6-7
- Matthieu Smith (Hon)…8-8
- Bill Fosnock (Hon)…9-9
- Craig Brown (Kaw)…11-10
- Barry Surawski (Yam)…13-11
- Shawn Bushnell (Hon)…12-13
- Robb Floth (Kaw)…14-12
- Andreas Hengstberger (Hus)…9-17
- Ed Foedish (Yam)…17-15
- Troy Cardiel (Hon)…16-16
- Jeremy Chausse (KTM)…31-3
- Tim Tynan (Suz)…19-16
- Jonas Lantz (Kaw)…20-18
- Brook Fluker (KTM)…18-21
- Julien Cerny (KTM)…10-30
70+ ALL CLASS
- Jim O’Neal (Yam)…2-1
- Bill Maxiam (Hon)…1-2
- Roque Colman (Hon)…3-3
- Steve Machado (Yam)…4-4
- Edger Perriton (Hon)…6-5
- Jody Weisel (KTM)…8-6
- Michael Lambert (Kaw)…7-7
- Tim Kennedy (Yam)…5-9
- Lars Larsson (KTM)…9-8
- Josef Cerny (KTM)…11-10
- Richard Harrier (Hus)…10-11
- Rich Stuelke (KTM)…13-12
- Ernest Cabral …12-DNF
- Tom Stephens (KTM)…14-DNS
60+ EXPERT CLASS
- Isao Ida (Hon)…2-1
- Mark Kaestner (Yam)…1-2
- Eric McKenna (KTM)…3-3
- Tony Cooksley (Yamaha)…5-4
- Mike Harper (KTM)…4-5
- Trey Jorski (KTM)…6-6
- Chandler Sato (Hon)…7-7
- Jim Butts (KTM)…10-8
- William Harper (KTM)…9-9
- George Ellinger (KTM)…8-10
- John Atwood (Yam)…13-11
- Willie Amaradio (Yam)…12-12
- Pete Vetrano (Hus)…11-13
- Joe Pena (Yam)…15-14
- George White (KTM)…16-15
- Jim Hanson (Hon)…14-17
- Dave Bowman (Hon)…17-18
- John Fitz (KTM)…19-18
- Dean Brooks (Suz)…18-DNF
55+ EXPERT CLASS
- Robert Engel (Kaw)…1-1
- Tommy Grandstroem (Hon)…2-2
- Bob Weber (Hon)…3-3
- Michael Clement (Hus)…5-4
- Robert Reisinger (Hus)…4-5
- Chris Cole (KTM)…7-6
- Bryan Schritte (Kaw)…10-7
- Bryan Friday (KTM)…8-10
- Chandler Sato (Hon)…11-8
- Mark Buxeda (Hon)…12-11
- Genji Atsushi (Hon)…17-9
- Dave Fontes (Hon)…13-13
- Ken Smith (KTM)…15-12
- Eddie Jaramillo (Kaw)…14-14
- Dale Vanmatre (Yam)…16-15
- Joe Melton (Yam)…6-DNS
- Milt Reimer (Yam)…9-DNS
- Derek Wedding (Hon)…18-DNS
50+ EXPERT CLASS
- Don Bisceglia (Hus)…1-1
- Darren Cahill (Yam)…2-2
- Rick Ellis (KTM)…3-3
- Glenn Carmody (Kaw)…4-6
- Seve Nelson (Yam)…6-5
- Matt Dawson (Hon)…7-7
- Glenn Clarke (Hon)…11-4
- Robert Reisinger (Hus)…10-8
- Giovanni Spinali (Yam)…9-9
- Loren Pochirowski (Kaw)…12-13
- Ed Heacox (Yam)…16-10
- Vincent Krioski (KTM)…15-11
- Milt Reimer (Yam)…14-14
- Dan Bonham (Yam)…18-12
- Jorge Negretti (Yam)…5-DNF
- Alexander Hahn (TM)…20-15
- Micheal Krattli (Hon)…19-16
- Joe Sutter (Hon)…17-18
- Chris Radzinski (Kaw)…13-DNF
- Ken Smith (KTM)…21-DNF
- Bob Weber (Hon)…8-DNS
- Michael Martin (KTM)…DNS-17
- Pasha Afhar …22-DNS
45+ EXPERT CLASS
- Mike Reefman (Yam)…1-1
- Fabio Occhiolini (Hon)…3-2
- Graig Davis (Hus)…2-3
- Antonio Ciampi (Hon)…4-4
- Dean Warren (KTM)…11-5
- Micheal Calhoun (Kaw)…10-6
- Mark Oberthur (Yam)…5-DNS
- Chuck McCarty (Kaw)…6-DNS
- Glenn Carmody (Kaw)…8-DNS
- Brian Storrie (Hus)…8-DNS
- Vincent Krioski (KTM)…9-DNS
DNF Justin Crawford (KTM)…DNF-DNS
30+ EXPERT CLASS
- Jeff Loop (Yam)…1-1
- Toby Ring (Hus)…2-3
- Mirko Milani (KTM)…5-2
- Micheal Carter (Hon)…3-5
- Billy Jervich (KTM)…6-4
- Stephen Heishton (Hon)…4-7
- Brody Jennings (Yam)…7-6
- Jesse Mobley (Suz)…10-8
- Lucas Frye (Hon)…9-9
- Cale Noble (Hon)…8-DNS
DNF Daryl Hurley (Suz)…DNF-DNS
25+ EXPERT CLASS
- Dominic Desimone (Hon)…1-1
- Jeremy McCool (Yam)…2-2
- Garrick Noble (KTM)…3-3
- Billy Lea (Yam)…4-4
- Austin Meyers (Hon)…5-5
- Stephen Martin (Hon)…6-6
- Vince Giancana (Suz)…DNF-7
- Scott Noble (Yam)…7-DNF