| Junior Nats Final Day | ||||
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 Well it’s all done and dusted and there were 7 classes and 6 champions.Here’s what I thought about Sunday and Overall. 8-10 85cc. Not much to say here other than Josiah Natzke just killed it. Kid checked out from the competition and just had intensity in his riding that not many other showed all weekend. I’m not sure if it was due to Natzke show of dominance but it seems like this class has dropped in depth of talent recently. 11-12 85cc. This class was all about heartbreak. Kurt Langford only needed to finish 17th in the last moto to secure his first New Zealand Junior title. He couldn’t manage it as he went a lap down after his bike wouldn’t start after a crash. Kurt broke his wrist in the crash but still carried on but never gained enough positions. Hadleigh Knight after blowing an engine up on the Saturday, went out and won the first moto on Sunday and while leading the second crashed and gave himself a real knock to the head. Had he won that moto he would have secured second outright. I wrote yesterday that if Joel Meikle could hold down food he would be fast. And he did hold down food and then won a moto. Stellar effort by the young fulla from Oamaru, and he has another year to go in this class. 13-16 85cc. Micah McGoldrick went 5 from 5. That’s impressive. It was a talent laden field and he had the most heart, and 3 holeshots didn’t hurt either. With Brandon Tipene only riding the 85cc, he got his act together and finished the weekend second overall. Good effort for his first year in that class. Haki Waller was seriously fast though the sawdust but couldn’t get his bike off the line. Most of you won’t know the name Dane Russell, but he’s a quiet achiever. He rode 2 classes all weekend and while he didn’t podium he should be very happy with his results, he was one of the few that managed to ride 2 classes and do all 10 motos. 12-16 150f. I haven’t really mentioned this class all weekend, that’s because its boring writing about 12 riders, many of whom would struggle to qualify in any of the 2 stroke classes. This class got interesting when class favourite Campbell “I’ve got the same last name but I’m not related” King hurt his ankle/ heel in an incident on Saturday. Out of nowhere, comes a rider no one has heard of, Jacob Heath and steals 2 motos straight from King. Last moto and tied on points, King nearly loses it all in the last lap but manages to hold out Heath for the win. This class needs some serious looking at as most spectators couldn’t understand why there were only red bikes in this class. 12-14 125cc. The moto gods did not smile on the Knight Family all weekend. Ryan Knight came into Sunday with a 6 point lead and left Sunday night in 6th place and on crutches. That’s racing though and I’m just going to chuck it out there, he was the fastest rider in that class and deserved to win. I never really rated Liam Underwood as a rider till this weekend but he has a new fan in me. He charged the whole of every moto and while he didn’t have the raw speed of Piccard, Knight or Doeksen, he was a good starter to put together solid motos. He could be one to watch in the future. 15-16 125cc. Ok we all know that Cameron Dillon won. I want to know though what did Tom Managh and Paxton Tibbets eat for dinner on Saturday night. Both of them rode exceptionally well on the last day, with Managh jumping from 8th to 3rd overall in just 2 motos. I thought Tibbets was going to get a moto win in the last race, but when he crashed I stopped thinking that. Kayne Lamont face planted into the saw dust and that’s why he didn’t feature in the results for Sunday. I’m going to say this right now, Josh Jack to win this class next year, wasn’t his year this year but he definitely has the speed. 14-16 250f. Easily the most exciting class of the weekend. Mitch Rees nearly did what everyone though was impossible and beat Cameron Dillon on his home track. In fact going into the last, it was a winner takes all type deal for the honors. Rees had the advantage for the first couple laps and then Dillon passed him and crashed and Rees had the advantage again, at this point every spectator in the place was watching this race and up on their feet cheering. It was that good. Dillon reclaimed the lead and it was all over as the chequered flag came out. Dillon won by 2 points, but Rees was by no means a loser, having taken 2 of the 5 moto victories of the class. I think he was probably my standout rider of the weekend. Overall a fantastic event, but I do question some of the rider’s fitness and how much desire they had. A lot of them content with just getting in the top 10, and very few showed the frustration of not winning or getting on the podium. I certainly hope I’m wrong or we may just be in trouble in a couple of months when the Euros show up. Comments, Suggestions, Ideas, Hate Mail or Money, please send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Have a great week. Leading final standings: 14-16 years' 250cc class: 1. Cameron Dillon (Taupo, Honda) 112 points; 2. 3. 15-16 years' 125cc class: 1. Cameron Dillon (Taupo, Honda) 125 points; 2. 3. 12-14 years' 125cc class: 1. 2. 3. 12-16 years' 150cc class: 1. Campbell King ( 2. 3. 13-16 years 85cc class: 1. Micah McGoldrick (Rangiora, KTM) 125 points (maximum); 2. 3. 11-12 years' 85cc class: 1. 2. 3. 8-10 years' 85cc class: 1. 2. 3 =. 3 =.
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