Australian Dean Ferris has dominated the opening round of the 2016 New Zealand Motocross Championships held in Timaru.
Ferris racing for Josh Coppins JCR Altherm Yamaha team while in New Zeland kicked off the day in fine form, topping qualifying with a 2:16.906 lap time, just over one-second faster than regining New Zealand champion, Cody Cooper and 2.8 seconds faster than Wilsons MX Suzuki rider Todd Waters.
Ferris won the opening race from Cooper by just over two-seconds with Waters a futher 20 seconds back in third place. Scott Columb and Brad Groobridge rounded out the top five but some 50 seconds off the race lead.
It was more of the same in the second moto with Ferris once again claiming the win, but this time ahead of fellow Australian Todd Waters with a 7.5 second winning margin with Cooper just a further two seconds back in third. Columb once gain finished in fourth with Hamish Harwood claiming 5th.
With a perfect sweep of the day on the line Ferris held on by the narrowest margin to win the final moto of the day by just two seconds from Cooper with Waters less than a second further back in third. The result netted Ferris a perfect 75 points to start the championships, with Cooper finishing the day second overall 9 points adrift with Waters rounding out the podium two points further back.
Columb finished the day tied on 49 points with Hamish Harwood with Groobridge in 6th overall on 47 points.
Jed Beaton replicated Ferris's qualifying result in the MX2 class, putting a Aussie mounted Yamaha rider on top of the time sheets in both classes.
However it was Hamish Harwood who backed up his 4th place finish in the MX1 class with a moto win and first overall on his way to winning the MX2 class that left Timaru has the happiest MX2 pilot of the day. Harwood finished with 2-1-3 results for the round to lead home Hadleigh Knight 1-2-7, with Beaton settling for the final step of the podium.
A 9th place finish in the opening moto ruined any chance of a round win for the Tasmanian, though he was able to bounce back with a 3rd place finish in moto 2 and a race win in the final moto of the day to finish third overall.
Kayne Lamont went 4-4-5 for the round to finish 4th while Micah McGoldric rounded out the top five on the back of 5-8-3 results.
The second round of the 2016 New Zealand Motocross Championship will be held on the 28th of February at the Manawatu Orion Motorcycle Club.
MX1 Round and Championship Standings
1. Dean Ferris - 75 Pts
2. Cody Cooper - 64
3. Todd Waters - 62
4. Scott Columb - 49
5. Hamish Harwood - 49
6. Brad Groombridge - 47
7. Justin McDonald - 40
8. Daryl Hurley - 38
9. Yu Hirata - 33
10. Campbell King - 31
MX2 Round and Championship Standings
1. Hamish Harwood - 67
2. Hadleigh Knight - 61
3. Jed Beaton - 57
4. Kayne Lamont - 52
5. Micah McGoldric - 49
6. Ethan Martens - 48
7. Logan Blackburn - 46
8. Cohen Chase - 41
9. Joel Wightman - 39
10. Sam Cuthbertson - 38
For Full Event Results -
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Top Image: Dean Ferris
Credit: File (Andy McGechan)
