It appears history repeats after New Plymouth’s Rian King dominated every race he entered at the weekend’s big annual Michael Godfrey Memorial Motocross in Canterbury.
His dad, 1996 500cc motocross world champion Shayne King, won this trophy more than 30 years ago and this week the now 54-year-old said he was proud to report his youngest son Rian had done the exact same thing at the weekend.
Rian King, aged 19, dominated the event over King’s Birthday Weekend, winning the MX2 (250cc) class, and the all-in feature race too, as well also clocking the fastest time overall across all classes (even besting the 450cc class riders, led by fellow Honda man Justin Mcdonald, from Christchurch).
King’s elder brother Curtis King, aged 21, finished third overall in the MX2 class, behind Appleby’s Wills Harvey.
The natural rolling grassland track is located at Waipara, near the turn-off to Hamner Springs.
“This is the biggest motocross event held in the South Island and there have been some pretty impressive names on the trophy over the years. I believe that’s the first time a father and son have had their names on the same trophy,” said Shayne.
Meanwhile, it was Harvey who claimed runner-up spot to Rian King in the feature race, with Curtis King third, Mcdonald fourth and Nelson’s Luke Heaphy rounding out the top five.
Shayne King won it as a 21-year-old in 1991 and his elder brother Darryll King also won this trophy in the past.
Perhaps it’s just a matter of time before either of the King boys go on to emulate their dad and win a world championship crown too in the future.
© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
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