Motocross
The American crown may be starting to slip from the head of Kiwi motorcycle cross-country ace Paul Whibley, but he's no quitter and is determined to go down fighting.
The Pahiatua 34-year-old enjoyed a remarkably successful 2012 but so far this season has been unable to find the form that took him to two major titles in the United States, the Grand National Cross-Country Championships (GNCC) and the Off-Road Motorcycle and ATV (OMA) title.
However, despite the likelihood of being no better than a minor placegetter this time round, Whibley is determined to make strong showings in the races to come.
Heavy rain leading up to last Sunday's eighth round of 13 in the GNCC series at Masontown, West Virginia, made for slippery conditions, but Whibley was again quickest off the starting line and battled it out early with his Yamaha teammate Jordan Ashburn.