Round two of the MotoSR-sponsored New Zealand Grand National Cross-country Championship (NZ GNCC) series recently took on the sands of the Taikorea MX Park for the Metzeler Taikorea 500.
The minis had their own separate track that utilised the park’s Mini MX track and also a young block of pines.
Conditions were perfect under the tree canopy and a nice line soon formed around the track. Quinn Hawkes led the way on the first couple of laps and looked good to repeat his round one win.
Taikorea’s Colton Whibley was right on his tail and when Hawkes tipped over on a sandy turn Whibley pounced. Whibley put in some quick laps and extended his lead out for a comfortable win.
Hawkes maintained the second position, with Aiden Amey stepping up and owning the final podium spot.
The 90-minute junior race kicked off with the “10 seconds” call and a wave of the flag, just like the United States series on which this Kiwi series is loosely based.
The sand blasting was only just starting for most, but Sheldon Brown checked in up front at the end of lap one and was showing a clean pair of heels.
Consistently clicking of fast laps and growing a lead that would mature into over a minute lead by the time the chequered flag came out.
Leo Copping (pictured here in action at round one of the series) accepted the challenge and gave chase and kept Brown honest. Copping took a few seconds back over the last couple laps but ultimately had nothing for Brown and had to settle for second.
Still, Copping is holding onto the points lead for the series and has an eye on the big picture.
Third place was a thoroughly deserved and hard-fought result for Luke McBeth on his Kawasaki, and his consistency has his in second for the series.
Just after lunch and the big show kicked off.
Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis made up for a poor start and blasted through the pack to the lead by the end of lap one.
He set a scorching early pace and used his MX skills to smash the track into submission.
Taupo’s Brad Groombridge began a charge on lap three, setting the fastest lap of the day. Groombridge had taken an impressive soil sample on lap one but recovered well and now those who were up front were looking over their shoulder for the Beta on the limit.
Round one winner Jake Whitaker and Damon Nield where locked in a fierce battle for second place and where probably oblivious to anyone around them as they swapped potions several time during the two-hour race.
It’s not sure if Purvis was starting to feel some pressure from the war that was raging behind him, but on the 5th lap he threw it away and had a decent stack that would cost him 10 minutes.
The question was now was the Whitaker/Nield battle intense enough to keep them in front of the hard charging Groombridge. That answer would be yes.
Nield made the killer move and took the lead and had the determination to ride through the fatigue that was setting in to claim the win.
Whitaker held onto second with Groombridge taking the final spot. It was clear to see in these guys eyes as they crossed the line that they had left it all on the track.
It was an amazing race and it’s all tied up at the top of the leader board with Whitaker and Nield sharing a win each so far.
Bring on Burt’s Farm on October 15. Located in the Bay of Plenty, near Matata, the action is again expected to be fast and furious.
NOTE: The NZ GNCC Series – not to be confused with the GNCC Series in the United States – is actually a competition that New Zealand’s two-time former US GNCC series champion Paul Whibley created when he retired from full-time international racing and settled back at his Manawatu base at the end of 2014.
Whibley became New Zealand Cross-country Champion at his first attempt in 2015, but he has had plenty more on his hands in more recent years as he puts back into the sport he loves, running coaching clinics, overseeing his new series and, of course, bringing up his young son Colton, now a rising star in the sport.
The NZ GNCC series “cherry picks” from other established competitions, taking the best of the bunch to compile a separate-but-parallel four-round series.
2022 NZ GNCC CALENDAR:
Rnd 1: August 27, Ohakuri, Tokoroa (in conjunction with the Forestland XC Series);
Rnd 2: September 17, Taikorea MX Park, Manawatu;
Rnd 3: October 15, Burt’s Farm Trail Park, west of Matata;
Rnd 4: November 19, Maddix Park, at Ohauiti, near Tauranga.
© Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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