It was so near yet so far again for Tauranga's Peter Broxholme when he finished runner-up in the New Zealand MX1 motocross champs for the second consecutive year on Sunday.
The Honda team leader finished tied on points with Yamaha rider Damien King, who claimed the title on a countback.
It was even closer than last year's result when a final round victory left Broxholme just four points behind at the end of the series.
``I'm gutted but I'm also stoked to have been able to race at all after the crash I had at Taupo,' said Broxholme.
``I've continued to step it up. I definitely want that national title and I'll be back even stronger next year.'
Leading the series after the Labour Weekend opener at Rotorua, Broxholme dislocated his shoulder at the non-championship international meeting at Taupo a week later.
``The injury has restricted my training a bit and you do have it in the back of your mind,' he said.
Broxholme posted fourth and third placings at the New Plymouth final, one spot behind Damien King each time to lose his four point advantage.
``I led a fair bit of the first race but then I made a mistake. I had the speed but Damien was more solid.'
Eventually the MX1 title was decided with King and Broxholme tied on points and Queenstown's Scott Columb (Suzuki) just two points back
``It was a weekend of high drama,' said Broxholme. ``You couldn't write scripts like that, especially with what happened in MX2 as well.'
In the smaller bike class Broxholme's Honda teammate Michael Phillips (Rotorua) went into the last race with a 19-point lead but he stalled early in the second race.
To restart the bike he rolled downhill in the opposite direction to the track and was disqualified. The race win saw Hawera's Daryl Hurley (Suzuki) clinch the title.
Tauranga teenager Scott Barr-Smith (KTM) completed his first attempt at the senior nationals by taking fourth in the under-21 class and also sixth overall in the 125cc contest. A much-improved final round performance by Mt Maunganui's Mason Phillips (KTM) saw him second behind Hurley at New Plymouth and sixth in the championship.
Later this week Broxholme will have surgery to remove some plates in his wrist and he will miss the Whakatane Summercross race on December 28.
Local motocross enthusiasts will rally around injured racer Ben Thomasen this weekend.
Thomasen was seriously injured in a crash at the third round of the NZ Motocross Champs near Timaru earlier this month.
From 10am on Sunday the Tauranga Motorcycle Club has a fun day at its Maddix Park track to raise funds to assist Thomasen's recovery.
Thomasen sustained internal injuries and also broke his back, pelvis, elbow, wrist and both ankles in the accident. The event is being organised by friends of Thomasen with help from Maddix Park, the Tauranga Motorcycle Club and local bike shops.
The MX track and trail loops will be open and a demonstration race by top pro riders is at 1pm. There will also be spot prizes and raffles. The cost is juniors and seniors $20, minis $10 and families $50. Spectators will be asked for a gold coin donation.
Kawasaki Team Green manager Mike Cotter is organising support for his injured rider.
``I have opened a bank account where any donations to help Ben and his family through this difficult time can be deposited,' said Cotter. ``Ben is in Christchurch Hospital where the doctors expect him to be for at least three months before he can be transferred closer to home in Tauranga.'
The Maddix Park track is at 465 Rowe Rd, Ohauiti.
Papamoa racer Cody Cooper has made an early start with the Joe Gibbs Racing Yamaha team he'll race for in the US Supercross and Motocross nationals this season.
Cooper's race debut on Yamaha machinery came in Switzerland where he finished fourth on the opening night of the Geneva supercross and sixth the following evening.
``The first night of racing in Geneva was good for me. I was riding a little tense in my heats but I got a good start in the main and rode a lot better,' said Cooper.
``Night two was a little rough. I crashed in the first corner of the first heat so had to do the LCQ (last chance qualifier) but got into the main and had to start behind the guys that were on the front line of the gate.
``I had a bad start but came through to sixth in that race.'
Cooper's JGR MX teammate Josh Grant won the Geneva Friday night main event.
``I now know what to expect at LA next month and how the team works as a race team now,' Cooper said.
Cooper is spending the leadup to Christmas in Florida training with fellow Kiwi Ben Townley.
Young Tauranga mechanic Ryan Hunt claimed the New Zealand under-23 stock car title at Stratford Speedway on Saturday.
The title was being staged for the second time and attracted a field of 34 drivers. It caters mainly for the large number of young drivers who have progressed through the Youth Ministock ranks in recent years.
Hunt, 20, led the points chase after third placings in the first two heats. He started his Ford Falcon XR6 powered car from grid 30 in the final heat and made it through the traffic to fifth and won the title by six points.
``I had a pretty good run and in the last heat I had some people helping me,' said Hunt.
Rotorua-contracted racers Alan McRobbie (Tauranga) and Douglas Stanaway (Rotorua) tied for second with McRobbie clinching the run-off decider. Katikati's Brent Haynes continued his recent top form and finished 10th.
It was Hunt's first attempt at the U-23 title and his biggest win to date having just started his fourth season in the stock car racing.
With a major individual title under his belt Hunt's attention now turns to teams racing. He's a member of the Baypark Bulldogs squad for the teams nationals in Wellington on December 27-28.
Baypark sprint car driver Skinny Colson was the best-placed Kiwi at the opening round of the Thunder Down Under international series at Wellington's Te Marua Speedway last weekend.
Colson was competitive throughout the night with fourth fastest qualifying time, a second placing in the dash and a strong drive to third in the 30-lap main event behind US stars Craig Dollansky and Joey Saldana, both driving for the Auckland-based Salter Motorsport Team.
The other Baypark car to finish the main event was Flamecrusher driven by US driver Bill Rose who was 10th in the car usually driven by Bernie Gillon.
Title hope slips away for Bay's Broxholme
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