Another win and another series lead consolidated … is there no stopping Taupo’s Rory Mead this season?

The Yamaha ace easily won round two of the Central Enduro Championships near Wanganui on Sunday, placing himself a whopping 15 points in front of fellow Yamaha man Hugh Lintott, of Wellington, in the series standings.

Mead had also won the Yamaha-sponsored competition opener in Wellington in November, and he also comfortably leads the parallel but separate Yamaha New Zealand Enduro Championships series after four of six rounds, so it probably came as no surprise that the 24-year-old was again the dominant force on Sunday.

“Rory won by more than a minute (72 seconds) from Palmerston North’s Steven Bird (Honda CRF450),” said Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Gary Powell, who also rode at the event, finishing 13th overall on his Yamaha WRF250.

“The 147 kilometre course was marked out across 10 different farm properties and was a real mixture of terrain. I would say this was one of the best enduro events I have raced at in a long time.”

Third overall on Sunday was Marton’s Cam Smith (Suzuki RM-X450), with New Plymouth’s Larry Blair (KTM 300 EXC) and Bird’s brother, Ross Bird (Honda CRF450), from Eketahuna, filling out the top five.

The five-round Yamaha Central Enduro Championship now heads to Pahiatua for round three on May 8, followed by Martinborough on June 12, and finally it all wraps up near Taupo on July 23.

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