Tauranga's Ben Townley spent five hours of brutal off-road racing making his mark on the third round of the of the 2019 Yamaha New Zealand Enduro Champs.
He's no regular on the New Zealand Enduro Championships scene, but certainly made an impact at the event over Easter Weekend.
New Zealand's best dirt bike riders took part in the round near Tokoroa on Saturday, with 34-year-old former motocross world champion Townley among those keen to hit the steep and rocky, tree root-littered trails at as close to full-throttle as they dared.
The last rider away on the premier AA course, Townley soon had his Yamaha WR450F up to pace and carving a path towards the front.
In the end, Townley clawed his way up the leaderboard to finish the day a remarkable third overall, the event won by Thames-based enduro specialist and fellow Kiwi international Chris Birch, with Helensville's young riding star Tom Buxton claiming the runner-up spot.