Wolland clinches series title

BEATING THE ODDS: Heading to Paeroa, the odds were clearly against Burt Wolland claiming the major spoils.

Consistency was rewarded when Masterton motorcyclist Michael "Burt" Wolland won the sidecar section of the 2013-14 "Battle of the Streets" series.

Two third placings at Wanganui on Boxing Day and a second at Paeroa last weekend gave him the title for the first time after having been runner-up and third on previous occasions.

"It's nice to get the monkey off the back, we've been close before but never quite got there," Wolland said this week.

In the sidecar with Wolland at Wanganui was Neville Mickleson of Hamilton but sickness ruled him out of the Paeroa meet and he was replaced by Aucklander Stu Dawes.

Heading to Paeroa the odds were clearly against Wolland claiming the major spoils as Hamilton rider Aaron Lovell, with Masterton's Dennis Simonsen in the sidecar, had chalked up two wins at Wanganui, thereby giving themselves a handy advantage on the points list.

However, things changed dramatically in the first of the scheduled two races at Paeroa, where Lovell crashed out and picked up no points as a consequence and an oil spill, which covered a large portion of the track, left the organisers with little alternative but to cancel the second race. And with Wolland's second placing having taken him to the top of the points table he could not be overhauled.

"Obviously we would have liked to have won one of the races but consistency is the big thing. If you finish each race and pick up good points at the same time you are always in with a chance," Wolland said. "We were always thereabouts and that's what counted in the end."

Wolland admits a preference for street racing, saying he enjoys the "hustle and bustle" of having spectators close to the action and the concentration required to race at high speeds while needing to ensure outside influences such as kerbs and lampposts were avoided.

"The margin of error is pretty small. It's important to stay focused the whole way through," he said. "It's exciting and a bit nerve wracking, you have to keep the mind on the job."