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Scoop
03-06-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Nelson Rider Continues To Lead After Round Two
South Islander Bailey Basalaj continues to lead the way, but the pressure may be on for him with the third and final weekend of racing now less than seven days away. He won the opening round of the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Enduro Championships near Nelson in April and probably felt there was a target on his back when he arrived at round two near Whanganui over King's Birthday Weekend. The Honda rider from Nelson was in his element as the first of three-rounds of the 2025 series was raced near home turf in the South Island, but he showed he could still produce the goods after crossing Cook Strait and heading three hours' north to Whanganui for two days of racing on Sunday and Monday. Bailey won the 'sprint' segment of the competition day on Sunday, but was forced to settle for third overall during the main enduro on Monday, although his 1-3 score for the two days was still enough to give him the overall edge over Masterton's Max Williams (who finished runner-up with 2-4 results over the two days), Whangamata's Ethan Jamieson (third, 3-7), Owaka's Blake Affleck (fourth, 4-6) and Amberley's Nathan Hodge (fifth, 5-5). The unluckiest rider in the premier Expert AA grade was perhaps New Plymouth's Josh Houghton (sixth overall for the weekend, with a 16-1 score-card). Houghton had a minor mechanic issue to deal with on Sunday and this obviously cost him dearly because he was certainly on fire on Monday, winning three of the five tightly-timed sections, ahead of Taupo's Wil Yeoman, and clinching overall honours for the day. "It was a fantastic course and the weather conditions perfect, testing for all riders, but still a lot of fun,' said acting Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson. 'It was just damp enough to keep the dust down and we really could not have asked for better. 'Josh Houghton was really on the pace on Monday and Wil Yeoman and Bailey Basalaj were too.' Best of the intermediate (A grade) riders at the weekend was Masterton's George Callaghan, followed by Whanganui's Jason Wakeling and Stratford's Megan Collins. Leading rider in the B–Trail class was Wakefield's Cam Clarke, with Palmerston North's Jarrod Amey topping the B-Junior class. The third and final round of the series is set for farmland near Masterton, next weekend, on June 7-8. In addition to Yamaha-Motor New Zealand, the 2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championships are supported by Motorcycling New Zealand, Tasman Pine Forests Ltd, Macaulay Metals, Best Build Construction, Silver-bullet web site and Kiwi Rider magazine. 2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Champs calendar: Round 1: April 25-26, Nelson. Day 1, 725 Dovedale Road, Day 2 Moutere Highway, 3.8km west of the Redwood Valley Hall. Round 2: June 1-2, near Whanganui.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Approaching Halfway Stage Anyone Could Still Win
Press Release – Bikesport NZ This season's ultimate off-road motorcycling competition could be the toughest yet, with so many different riders featuring at the top and each of them in contention for ultimate glory. Three rounds into the seven-round 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Hard Enduro Nationals and there have now been three different outright winners. Taranaki pair Luke Thompson and Sam Parker battled to an incredibly close first and second overall respectively in the premier Gold Grade over the two days at round one of the series in Taranaki back in March, with round two in Central Otago last month featuring several fresh faces at the top. Whitecliffs rider Luke Corson, Whangarei's Owen Broughton, Tokoroa's Jake Wightman, Owaka's Blake Affleck and Auckland's Mitchell Gallagher, among others, were the stand-out Gold Grade individuals at round two in the South Island over that Easter Weekend. Then the competition shifted north to Canterbury at the weekend just gone, and it was another handful of talented stars disputing the top positions, Wainuiomata's Jake Whitaker the Gold Grade stand-out, with Gallagher and Corson again featuring among the leading riders, while Amberley's Archer Pascoe and Omihi's Ethan McBreen also staked their claim. Whitaker was thrilled with his overall win at the weekend. 'It was a cool couple of days racing down south,' he said. 'Took a bit to get comfortable on the enduro cross track Saturday with a third-place finish for the day. Was happy to get out in the South Island high country Sunday morning and get into the main race. 'I Had some good fun battles with the boys earlier in the day, but managed to pull away in the afternoon. The track was set to a really good level and the organisers put on a great event once again.' Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson confirmed the racing was close and exciting over both days of the weekend. 'It was again pleasing to see so many riders showing up from as far afield as Invercargill in the south and Whangarei in the north, with riders from everywhere in between,' said Stevenson. 'The host Christchurch Off-Road Motorcycle Club did a great job and both days of racing were as challenging as they were enjoyable.' Round four is set for Northland on the weekend of July 19-20. Only six of the seven rounds will be counted, with riders expected to discard points from their worst result. The weekend was sponsored by Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Motorcycling New Zealand, Kiwi Rider magazine, Silver-Bullet and Mitas tyres. 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Hard Enduro Nationals calendar: Round 1: Taranaki, March 29-30; Round 2: Central Otago, April 19-21; Round 3: Canterbury, May 10-11; Round 4: Northland, July 19-20; Round 5: Wellington, September 27-28; Round 6: Canterbury, November 15-16; Round 7: Wellington, November 30. Content Sourced from Original url
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Approaching Halfway Stage Anyone Could Still Win
This season's ultimate off-road motorcycling competition could be the toughest yet, with so many different riders featuring at the top and each of them in contention for ultimate glory. Three rounds into the seven-round 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Hard Enduro Nationals and there have now been three different outright winners. Taranaki pair Luke Thompson and Sam Parker battled to an incredibly close first and second overall respectively in the premier Gold Grade over the two days at round one of the series in Taranaki back in March, with round two in Central Otago last month featuring several fresh faces at the top. Whitecliffs rider Luke Corson, Whangarei's Owen Broughton, Tokoroa's Jake Wightman, Owaka's Blake Affleck and Auckland's Mitchell Gallagher, among others, were the stand-out Gold Grade individuals at round two in the South Island over that Easter Weekend. Then the competition shifted north to Canterbury at the weekend just gone, and it was another handful of talented stars disputing the top positions, Wainuiomata's Jake Whitaker the Gold Grade stand-out, with Gallagher and Corson again featuring among the leading riders, while Amberley's Archer Pascoe and Omihi's Ethan McBreen also staked their claim. Whitaker was thrilled with his overall win at the weekend. 'It was a cool couple of days racing down south,' he said. 'Took a bit to get comfortable on the enduro cross track Saturday with a third-place finish for the day. Was happy to get out in the South Island high country Sunday morning and get into the main race. 'I Had some good fun battles with the boys earlier in the day, but managed to pull away in the afternoon. The track was set to a really good level and the organisers put on a great event once again.' Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson confirmed the racing was close and exciting over both days of the weekend. 'It was again pleasing to see so many riders showing up from as far afield as Invercargill in the south and Whangarei in the north, with riders from everywhere in between,' said Stevenson. 'The host Christchurch Off-Road Motorcycle Club did a great job and both days of racing were as challenging as they were enjoyable.' Round four is set for Northland on the weekend of July 19-20. Only six of the seven rounds will be counted, with riders expected to discard points from their worst result. The weekend was sponsored by Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Motorcycling New Zealand, Kiwi Rider magazine, Silver-Bullet and Mitas tyres. 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Hard Enduro Nationals calendar: Round 1: Taranaki, March 29-30; Round 2: Central Otago, April 19-21; Round 3: Canterbury, May 10-11; Round 4: Northland, July 19-20; Round 5: Wellington, September 27-28; Round 6: Canterbury, November 15-16; Round 7: Wellington, November 30.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Nelson Rider Leads Series After South Island Round
APRIL 28, 2025: South Islander Bailey Basalaj obviously relished racing on home turf as he won the opening round of the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Enduro Championships near Nelson at the weekend. The Honda rider was in his element as this first of three-rounds of the 2025 series marked its only visit to the South Island this season. The racing over the two days, Friday and Saturday, were at separate venues, both near Nelson. The concluding two rounds of the series will be held on back-to-back weekends in the North Island, near Whanganui on the weekend of June 1-2 and near Masterton a week later, on June 7-8. The nearest challengers for Basalaj in the Expert AA grade at the weekend were New Plymouth's Josh Houghton, Owaka's Blake Affleck and Nelson's Luke Heaphy (who finished runner-up to Basalaj on Friday), with Houghton the stand-out rider on Saturday, eventually winning three of the day's five special test sections and claiming the overall win for that day. In the end, however, Basalaj produced a solid 1-2 score-card for the two days and leads the championship standings in the premier grade after round one. Houghton finished runner-up for the weekend with 3-1 results, while Affleck claimed the third podium spot with a 5-3 score-card. Whangamata's Ethan Jameson (with 7-4 results) and Judgeford's Cameron Judd (8-6) rounded out the top five. Best of the intermediate (A grade) riders was Whanganui's Grant McKinlay, followed by Masterton's George Callaghan. "The combined Kapi-Mana and Nelson Motorcycle Clubs did a fantastic job to create tracks that were safe, exciting and challenging at the same time and the racing over both days was of the highest calibre," said Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson. 'The venues at the weekend were a mix of farmland on Friday and then a mix of steep, tight and open forestry on Saturday, so it was fast in some places and quite tricky in others,' said Stevenson. In addition to Yamaha-Motor New Zealand, the 2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championships are supported by Motorcycling New Zealand, Tasman Pine Forests Ltd, Macaulay Metals, Best Build Construction, Silver-bullet and Kiwi Rider magazine. 2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Champs calendar: Round 1: April 25-26, Nelson. Day 1, 725 Dovedale Road, Day 2 Moutere Highway, 3.8km west of the Redwood Valley Hall. Round 2: June 1-2, near Whanganui. Round 3: June 7-8, Ruakokoputuna Hall, Martinborough District, South Wairarapa.
Scoop
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Fresh Names Feature At Top After Round Two Of Series
Press Release – Bikesport NZ APRIL 23, 2025: Fresh faces were to the fore at round two of the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Hard Enduro Nationals in Central Otago at the weekend. Taranaki pair Luke Thompson and Sam Parker battled to an incredibly close first and second overall respectively over the two days at round one of the series in Taranaki last month, but it was a handful of different riders who stepped up to be noticed at the three days of racing that comprised round two in the South Island. Days one and two, on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, was the Schist Enduro X and this took riders to testing terrain at Wanaka, while day three on Monday, April 21, labelled the Hard Enduro, was staged at Moa Creek, Poolburn. Whitecliffs rider Luke Corson, Whangarei's Owen Broughton, Tokoroa's Jake Wightman, Owaka's Blake Affleck and Auckland's Mitchell Gallagher, among others, were the stand-out individuals in the South Island over the Easter Weekend. 'There were certainly no Easter bunnies in the South Island at the weekend,' joked Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson afterwards. 'It was pleasing to see riders showing up from as far afield as Invercargill in the south and Whangarei in the north, with riders from everywhere in between. 'The host Central Otago Motorcycle Club did a great job, with good numbers showing up. It's a pity it's the last Wheels of Wanaka … hopefully the club finds a way to keep the EnduroX running.' Round three is set for Canterbury on the weekend of May 10-11. Only six of the seven rounds will be counted, with riders expected to discard points from their worst result. The weekend was sponsored by Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Motorcycling New Zealand, Kiwi Rider magazine, Silver-Bullet and Mitas tyres. 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Hard Enduro Nationals calendar: Round 1: Taranaki, March 29-30; Round 2: Central Otago, April 19-21; Round 3: Canterbury, May 10-11; Round 4: Northland, July 19-20; Round 5: Wellington, September 27-28; Round 6: Canterbury, November 15-16; Round 7: Wellington, November 30.
