Taupo's Cameron Dillon saved his best for last at this year's New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships.
The K™ and Kawasaki-sponsored event was staged in his home town at the weekend and that meant he had plenty of vocal locals cheering him on as he chased down the two premier titles. The 16-year-old Kiwi international responded to the encouragement by winning them both on his blood-red Honda motorcycles.
But he probably had his team manager - former world champion Shayne King - a little bit worried as he trailed Whakatane Yamaha ace Mitchell Rees by one point as they lined up for the fifth and final race in the battle for 14-16 years' 250cc four-stroke honours.
It all boiled down to this: whoever of these two riders finished in front at the end of that race would be crowned champion and, after nine brutal laps of handlebar-to-handlebar action, it was Dillon who had the upper hand.
Rees settled for championship runner-up and Rotorua Kawasaki rider John Phillips ended the weekend in third.
Dillon also won the 15-16 years' 125cc class, albeit a little more comfortably, finishing 26 points ahead of Auckland K™ rider James Ainsworth, with Wanganui's Tom Managh (Suzuki) taking third.
"I'm glad that's over," declared Dillon afterwards. "I put everything into that last race. I didn't leave anything on the table.
"I'm going duck shooting now and having a rest from the bikes. Then I'll be training hard again for the Junior World Motocross Championships [also in Taupo, in August]."
Atiamuri's Dion Picard (Suzuki) won the 12-14 years' 125cc class after another final race thriller, beating Auckland K™ pair Joel Doeksen and Liam Underwood to the crown, while Dunedin's Campbell King (Honda) pipped Jacob Heath (Honda) for the 12-16 years' 150cc class title in another last-race run-off for glory.
Rangiora's Micah McGoldrick (KTM) was unbeaten in his five 13-16 years' 85cc class races and Hamilton's Josiah Natzke (Yamaha) was dominant in the 8-10 years' 85cc class. Christchurch's Dylan Walsh (KTM) showed consistency still counts when he collected the 11-12 years' 85cc title after class leader Kurt Langford (Kati Kati, Suzuki) crashed in the final race.
There were plenty of hard-luck stories to be told over the weekend.
Atiamuri brothers Ryan and Hadleigh Knight (both KTM), Mangakino's Kayne Lamont (Yamaha), Auckland's Paxton Tibbits (Yamaha), Feilding's Haki Waller (Kawasaki), Dunedin's Courtney Duncan (Honda) and Oamaru's Joel Meikle (Honda) all showed great pace but crashes, injury or mechanical failure robbed them of higher rankings.
Motorsport: Home-town Motocross win for Dillon
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