You definitely can’t keep a good man down and so it has taken Hamish Harwood no time at all to pick up the pace again after an enforced lay-off.
Injured while racing in Australia in August, the CML Makita KTM Racing Team rider from Westgate, in Auckland, has been a frustrated spectator on the sidelines in recent weeks, but he tasted immediate success in his first return to racing at Te Kuiti on Sunday.
The multi-time former champion – and actually the current national MX1 champion – showed up with two versions of his favoured Austrian-built KTM bikes at the second and final round of the 2022 Waikato Motocross Championships near Te Kuiti on Sunday.
And he wasted no time in re-stamping his authority on the sport, winning the day in both the MX1 and 125cc categories. He raced a KTM SXF450 in the MX1 class and a KTM SX125 in the 125cc class.
The 27-year-old Harwood finished 1-3-1 in his three MX1 class races on Sunday and completely dominated the 125cc class with a hat-trick of wins.
The glamour MX1 class was a virtual Who’s Who of Kiwi motocross talent with several current and former national champions lining up, including fellow Kiwi international Cody Cooper, from Papamoa, current national MX2 champion Maximus Purvis, from Mangakino, 2022 International Six Days Enduro gold medallist Josh Jack, from Kaukapakapa, former national MX2 champion Kayne Lamont, from Mangakino, and Massey’s current national 125cc champion Hayden Smith.
But Harwood was taking no prisoners. In fact, if it wasn’t for a couple of “silly” crashes, Harwood could potentially have won all three MX1 races on Sunday.
“I was dumb stuff really. I was in the wrong gear and not getting away with it when the back end of a dirt berm caved in on me and I had a slow tip-over. No damage done, but it cost me a placing and a bit of time.
“Starts were key at this track today and I mostly got those right.
“New Plymouth’s Rian King put up a great fight and kept me honest in the 125cc races,” said Harwood.
King (KTM SX125) had won this class at the series opener near Huntly and he finished runner-up to Harwood in all three 125cc races at Te Kuiti, earning him the overall series win.
“I was feeling quite weak after breaking my neck in Australia, but fatigue was not a problem today, even with me racing two categories,” enthused Harwood.
“I was a little bit surprised with how well I rode, to be honest. I have not spent much time on a bike lately. It was good to see where I’m at, but I’ve still got some work to do yet.”
Major title contenders have always had reason to respect Harwood and with him now indicating he will race both the MX1 and 125cc classes in the upcoming four-round senior New Zealand Motocross Championships in February and March, that respect should be doubly enhanced.
Other class winners at the Waikato Motocross Championships at Te Kuiti were Papamoa’s Cody Cooper (Kawasaki, MX2); Mount Maunganui’s Roma Edwards (Honda, senior women); Titirangi’s Ryan Buxeda (KTM, veterans’ 35-44 years); Te Awamutu’s Bryce McDougall (Honda, veterans’ over-45 years); Buxeda (MX3); Te Kuiti’s Luke Riley (GasGas, junior support 85/150cc).
© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
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