The 125cc podiums were painted bright orange during the junior phase of action at the 42nd annual Honda Summercross motocross near Whakatane at the weekend.

The high-profile CMR Red Bull KTM Race Team dominated racing in the 125cc classes at the big annual post-Christmas motocross spectacular on Saturday, team-mates Hadleigh Knight and Josiah Natzke capturing the two separate age divisions.

National junior motocross champion Knight, of Atiamuri, finished the day on top of the junior 16-17 years’ 125cc podium, although he had a huge fight on his hands to fend off privateer KTM riders Aaron Wiltshier and Anthony Parker.

It is fair to say that luck played a big part in the eventual finishing order and it was a modest Knight who acknowledged that afterwards.

“Aaron gave it to me easy, really, when he crashed while he was leading,” said the 17-year-old Knight.

Wiltshire still managed to recover and finish the day’s first 125cc race in third position, but that still left Knight in a solid position to win the class outright.

Knight’s advantage was then consolidated in the next race when Tauranga’s Wiltshire was again forced out while leading.

The sub-frame on Wiltshire’s bike snapped after a heavy landing from a jump and this time he was unable to continue.

Knight gratefully accepted his second “gift” win and, while Wiltshier bounced back to finally claim a win, taking the chequered flag in the day’s third and final race, his non-score in race two dropped him down to an undeserved 11th overall for the day.

Eventual runner-up for the day was Parker, the Tuakau KTM rider finishing 2-2-8 in his three outings, while Hawera’s Nick Hornby (Yamaha) was third overall and Auckland moto trials exponent Liam Draper impressed by finishing fourth overall on his Husaberg TE125 enduro bike.

“I was happy to settle for runner-up place in that last race … I knew Aaron couldn’t catch me in the points,” said Knight, who will begin his final high school year at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College in the New Year.

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s Natzke was also doing his bit to put the CMR Red Bull KTM colours on the top of the podium, scoring a convincing hat-trick of wins as he dominated the younger (12-15 years’) 125cc division.

Natzke finished ahead of Taupo Yamaha rider Wyatt Chase in all three races, with Ngatea’s Benjamin Broad (Yamaha) taking the No.3 step on the podium.

Rising young star Brodie Connolly, of Matamata, took his KTM 85 to a hat-trick of wins in the 8-11 years’ 85cc class, finishing ahead of fellow KTM rider Grason Veitch, of Dunedin.

Connolly then jumped on board his KTM 65 to score another hat-trick of wins and lead a KTM 1-2-3 sweep of the Pro 65 class.

Runner-up in the 65cc class was Palmerston North’s Hunter Miller, with Tauranga’s Sam Meredith finishing third overall.

Otorohanga’s Hayden Kanters (Honda) wrapped up the junior 12-17 years’ 250cc class, finishing ahead of Kyle Hartley (Honda) and Evan Hawkless (Yamaha), with a fast-improving Jack Jensen, from Hawke’s Bay, taking his Suzuki RM-Z250 to fourth spot overall.

Cambridge’s Trent Collins (Honda) ruled the 14-16 years’ 85cc class ahead of Wellington’s Adam Moss (Kawasaki) and Otorohanga’s Aaron King (Honda).

Another hat-trick of wins decided the 12-13 years’ 85cc class with Oparau’s James Scott (Kawasaki) winning three times and leading Tuakau’s Jesse Te Kani (KTM) and Te Puke’s Jordan Milsom (Suzuki) to the podium.

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

Senior results HERE

Junior results HERE

Minis results HERE

Tristan Tolley and Sam McPherson crash out … from Sam’s point-of-view …