Gale force winds brought a premature end to the 2015 edition of the New Zealand Supercross Championships in Winton overnight.

Gale force winds kept fire crews busy in Southland on Thursday night, creating “several incidents” around the region, forcing organisers of the Brent Scammell Honda-sponsored supercross nationals to wind up the championships shortly after qualifying.

Although it really meant little more than bragging rights, Motueka’s Josh Coppins (Yamaha) (pictured here), Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke (KTM) and Dunedin’s Campbell King (Suzuki) had been the fastest three individuals in the senior grades, while Alexandra’s Bryn Gilbert (KTM), Reefton’s Bailey Banks (KTM) and Balclutha’s Madison Latta (Suzuki) had topped the junior 250cc qualifying timing sheets. Best of the junior 85cc qualifiers had been Dunedin’s Codi Lyn (Honda) and Invercargill’s Jack Symon (KTM).

“The riders still put on a bit of a show for the good-sized crowd that showed up,” said event organiser Brent Scammell. “It’s a shame it was just too dangerous for there to be any serious championship racing though, where the riders would put everything on the line.

“We staged a couple of one-on-one races, just for fun, and the riders carved one another up pretty well … it was a great spectacle and the crowd enjoyed it.”

Southern Fire Communications shift manager Andrew Norris said there had been four or five callouts to deal with fires fanned by the winds, and to deal with trees that had fallen on power lines in Invercargill and Te Anau, and another to fix some loose roofing.

The New Zealand Transport Agency closed State Highway 94 between Te Anau and Milford Sound at 11.32pm because of strong winds.

The MetService was forecasting winds of up to 160kmh in the deep south right through to the weekend.

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

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