Andy McGechan/www.BikesportNZ.com
Carlon Dry Honda Thor Racing's Ben Townley celebrated victory at the weekend's 51st annual Woodville Motocross, savouring in the accomplishment of acing the first of three big goals he's set for himself this season.
The 27-year-old also has his sights set on winning the national MX1 (450cc) class titles in New Zealand and Australia before the year is over, with success at Woodville a welcoming indicator of how his season might eventually pan out.
Winning at the Honda-sponsored event, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Townley when a rock found its way under his helmet during the feature race.
Townley finished 1-2-1 in his three MX1 (450cc) races to finish ahead of fellow Kiwi international Cody Cooper (Suzuki), Josh Coppins (Yamaha), Christchurch's Justin McDonald (Honda) and Hamilton's Hayden Clark (KTM). Townley then went on to wrap up the main prize by winning the nine-lap feature race, this time finishing ahead of Coppins, Cooper, McDonald and Queenstown's Scotty Columb (MX2 Suzuki).
This year's three-day festival of motocross marked more than half a century since New Zealand's largest stand-alone motocross event was created in 1961, an event that has since become a 'must' on the Kiwi calendar.
"This track was hard work today," said Townley. "It was one of the most technical, rutted tracks that I have raced on in many years. It was a good day, results-wise, but there is still plenty of work to do ahead of the nationals (which kick off near Timaru in two weeks' time)."
Meanwhile, in other racing at Woodville, Masterton's Luke Burkhart (KTM) served notice on his rivals by dominating the MX2 (250cc) class, a hat-trick of wins stamping his authority.
He beat reigning national MX2 champion Darryll King (Yamaha) and Queenstown's Scotty Columb (Suzuki) to the top step of the MX2 podium.
Tauranga's Logan Blackburn (Yamaha) was the surprise winner of the 125cc GP class, the BikesportNZ.com rider's win in the day's final 125cc race enough to clinch the title from fellow Yamaha men Cameron Vaughan, of Rotorua, and Katikati's Garth Amrein.
Top junior rider was Amberley's Micah McGoldrick (KTM), winner of the 250cc class and also the top man in the 250-125cc Champion-of-Champions race.
Hamilton's Josiah Natzke (Yamaha) won both the junior 13-16 years' 85cc class and the 150-85cc Champion-of-Champions feature race.
Taupo's Emma Davis (Honda) scored a hat-trick of wins in the women's GP class and Auckland's Chris Power (Honda) finished 1-2 to take honours in the river race class.
