Feilding’s Tony ‘T-Bone’ Cvitanovich never likes to do things by halves and so his full-throttle approach to racing at the weekend’s North Island Motocross Championships came as a surprise to nobody.

The 15-year-old took both his KTM 250SXF and KTM 125 bikes into battle at the two-day event, the first of two rounds in the series, at the sand-based Flipp’s Motorcycle Park circuit at Himatangi and, although he was the busiest rider at the event by far and scored more race wins than any other rider, he was also perhaps unlucky in that he did not win all three classes he entered.

He did achieve remarkably well, however, winning one class, sharing first place overall in another and winding up a close second in a third category.

Of the nine races he tackled, he won five of them and twice finished runner-up, dominating the junior 14-16 years’ 250cc class, finishing first equal in the senior 125cc class and settling for runner-up spot, behind Taupo’s Wyatt Chase (Total BikesportNZ.com Yamaha YZ125), in the junior 15-16 years’ 125cc class as well.

Cvitanovich was unbeaten in winning the junior 250cc class and lodged a 2-1-8 score-line to share top spot in the senior 125cc class, level with Pukekohe’s Kurtis Lilly (Cyclespot Group, Workshop Graphics, BikesportNZ.com Husqvarna TC125), who finished 4-3-2 on Sunday. Ngatea’s Ben Broad (CMR Red Bull BikesportNZ.com KTM 125) finished a close third overall in the senior 125cc class with a 1-13-1 score-line.

“It was an awesome weekend,” said Cvitanovich. “But I’m pretty knackered. My back and neck are a bit sore now but that’s okay because I’m on exam study leave and so I don’t have to go to school,” said Cvitanovich, a year 11 pupil at Feilding Agricultural High School.

“I’ll just have to stay home a study the books,” he laughed.

“It would be pretty awesome to be able to win all three classes when the series wraps up with round two in Hawke’s Bay (on September 19-20).

“But, to be honest, I had an advantage at the weekend because it’s my local track and I ride here a lot. I won’t have any such advantage in Hawke’s Bay and it may be a different story there,” said Cvitanovich, who is supported by AFC Motorcycles in Palmerston North, Target MX Coaching, CFX Seats, BikesportNZ.com, Crown Kiwi, Nationwide Accessories, Oakley goggles and Tawa Farms.

The other leading individuals were Taupo’s Brad Groombridge (Suzuki), who won the MX1 class; Rotorua’s Scotty Canham (Kawasaki), who won the MX2 (250cc) class; Pukekohe’s Kurtis Lilly (Husqvarna) who shared with Cvitanovich the top spot in the senior 125cc class; Chase (Yamaha), who won the junior 15-16 years’ 125cc class; Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis (KTM), who won the junior 12-14 years’ 125cc class; Oparau’s James Scott (Husqvarna), who won the 13-16 years’ 85cc class; Matamata’s Brodie Connolly (KTM), who won the 11-12 years’ 85cc class, and Rongotea’s Rhys Jillings (KTM), who won the 8-10 years’ 85cc class.

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

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