Sand trails beckon gun riders

Northland motocross riders will be out in force for the first round of the Battle of the Dunes at Kaitaia's Ahipara Sand Track.
The Battle of the Dunes is a three-round series with each of the three Northland-based motorcycling clubs hosting an event.
Kaitaia Motorcycle Club will run round one on Sunday on a  a farm property in nearby Ahipara.
Each round attracted around 120 people, said Rawene's Damon Nield, who will be contesting the event with his brother Mitchell.
"It's a great event and the good prize money brings  more people into the mix," he said. "There are a few top riders from Auckland coming up for it but it will be mainly local riders competing."
 It will be the fourth annual Battle of the Dunes, and the event keeps getting bigger  as riders travel from afar to ride on the nice, easy sand tracks with a few jumps, Nield said. 
A few gun riders would be competing, Nield said, including Auckland's Olly Sharp and Whangarei's Ross Chapman who  would be hard to beat in the pro (Expert As) section.
Various classes incorporating all age-groups will be in action at the event as competitors ride for club supremacy as well as individual success.
Mini classes include the 50cc section, 65cc 8-10yrs, 11-12yrs and Trail 7-12yrs up to 110cc.
Junior classes include the 85cc 8-12yrs, 85cc 13-16yrs and 125cc 12-16yrs while senior riders in the Novice, Vets, Intermediate (Bs) and Experts (As) will be chasing prize money.
Following this weekend's event, Maungaturoto Motorcycle Club are scheduled to host round two at Te Kopuru Sand Track on September 6, depending on track conditions.
If the track is unsuitable for racing, round two will move to Ruakaka Sand Track where the third event  will be staged, hosted by Whangarei Motorcycle Club on September 13.
Individual prize money and trophies will be awarded to competitors who score the most points over the three rounds, while the Club Trophy will go to the club with the most points after the three weekends competing.
Entrants are not required to have a Motorcycling New Zealand licence for the event but they must have a Maungaturoto, Kaitaia or Whangarei club membership and choose one club  for the series.
Temporary three-week-only memberships are available on the day for $20. Sign-on for each event is at 8-9.30am and the riders' briefing is at 9.45am sharp before the 10am practice round. Contact Maungaturoto club Catherine 027 356 5031, Whangarei's Ray 027 573 6633 and Kaitaia's Dave 021 804 889 for more information.