PWR Yamaha riders win Senior and Junior NZ cross country classes
Yamaha Motor New Zealand Media Statement 19.04.21
TITLE PHOTO: Wil Yeoman in action at an earlier cross country round. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE GAPLIN
Following a massive two days of the New Zealand Cross-Country Championships’ double-header third and final rounds, two PWR Yamaha team riders won their classes, with Wil Yeoman also claiming the Junior title.
Taupo-based 15-year-old Yeoman is definitely a star on the rise, having finished the series unbeaten in the 4 Stroke Over class, winning each Junior round overall as well. He tackled the course near Balclutha on Saturday, then raced near Mosgiel yesterday, notching up victories in both.
At the third round, his Michelin Starcross 5 tyres grabbed the ground, giving him an “awesome start and the holeshot.”
He led from start to finish, managing to pull a small gap and maintain it to the race’s end.
“The track had a great variety - slippery, mud and rocks, with fast sections. I really enjoyed riding my YZ250FX which handled the conditions fantastically,” Yeoman says.
Racing in the fourth and final round yesterday, he repeated his holeshot performance but didn’t have it as easy in this race.
“It was a hard out battle with Bailey Morgan and Luke Brown, with the lead changing multiple times on a very fast farmland track. I made a pass with a couple of laps to go and held onto the win.”
“Congratulations to [Yamaha rider] Tommy Watts and [PWR Team Manager] Paul Whibley, who had an awesome battle to watch over the four rounds. Thank you to all my sponsors,” Yeoman says.
Whibley made it a Yamaha 1-2 overall for the Senior championships, finishing second to Napier’s Watts.
A former international cross-country star, Taikorea’s Whibley got away to a good start on Saturday and pulled a good lead.
“But as the track dried my advantage on the YZ250FX wore off and Tommy started catching me. The track was pretty fast and open and his YZ450F ate me alive on the open paddocks. I was happy to finish a close second to him,” he said.
Whibley switched to his YZ450F on Sunday, reasoning that he had already won his 4 Stroke Under class on his smaller capacity Yamaha.
“The track was super-fast so a 250 was not going to be able to keep up with the 450s. Tommy and I pushed to the front and by halfway we had pulled a gap over the others. He edged away from me slightly and I wasn’t able to close back in.”
“Tommy rode an awesome series and full congrats to him. I look forward to seeing where his racing takes him in the future,” Whibley commended his racing rival.
PWR Yamaha Team Manager Paul Whibley in action at an earlier cross country round.
PHOTO: CHARLOTTE GAPLIN
For Whanganui’s PWR Yamaha rider Seth Reardon, he confessed it was simply not his year but he was happy with his speed and fitness. He ended up fifth overall for the series and fourth in the 4 Stroke Over class.
A holeshot on Saturday saw him comfortably placed up with the front runners, however, it just wasn’t Reardon’s day.
“Unfortunately I crashed and damaged my brake causing me to fall, but I rode strong to the end on the fast open track and managed to place third overall and second in class for the day,” he says.
Yesterday’s race started out in a positive way and Reardon was feeling good on the first lap. While leading he rode through a deep creek crossing and sucked some water into his YZ450FX, causing it to malfunction and forcing him to retire on the fourth lap.
Reardon is determined to bounce back at the second national enduro round in Blenheim next weekend.
Seth Reardon in action at an earlier cross country round.
PHOTO: CHARLOTTE GAPLIN.
PWR Yamaha-supported rider Charlotte Russ won the women’s class on her YZ125.
The PWR Yamaha team (from left) Junior title winner Wil Yeoman, fifth-placed overall Senior Seth Reardon, Women’s class winner Charlotte Russ and 4 Stroke Under Class winner Paul Whibley. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.
RESULTS:
Round Three (Balclutha) Overall & NZXC Class Championship Overall –
Senior
1st Tommy Watts (YZ450F) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Over)
2nd Paul Whibley (YZ250FX) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Under)
3rd Seth Reardon (YZ450FX) – 2nd in class (4 Stroke Over)
9th Ethan Harris (YZ450F) – 5th in class (4 Stroke Over) _ Bayride Sponsored Rider
25th Charlotte Russ (YZ125) – 1st in class (Women’s)
Round Three (Balclutha) Overall & NZXC Class Championship Overall –
Junior
1st Wil Yeoman (YZ250FX) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Over)
2nd Luke Brown
3rd Bailey Morgan
Round Four (Mosgiel) Overall & NZXC Class Championship Overall –
Senior
1st Tommy Watts (YZ450F) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Over)
2nd Paul Whibley (YZ250FX) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Under)
3rd Sam Brown
7th Ethan Harris (YZ450F) – 6th in class (4 Stroke Over)
17th Charlotte Russ (YZ125) – 1st in class (Women’s)
40th Seth Reardon (YZ450FX) – 10th in class (4 Stroke Over)
Round Four (Mosgiel) Overall & NZXC Class Championship Overall –
Junior
1st Wil Yeoman (YZ250FX) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Over)
2nd Luke Brown
3rd Bailey Morgan
2021 NZ Cross Country Championship Results –
Senior
1st Tommy Watts (YZ450F) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Over)
2nd Paul Whibley (YZ250FX) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Under)
3rd Brandon Given
4th Sam Brown
5th Seth Reardon (YZ450FX) – 4th in class (4 Stroke Over)
12th Ethan Harris (YZ450F) – 10th in class (4 Stroke Over)
36th Charlotte Russ (YZ125) – 1st in class (Women’s)
2021 NZ Cross Country Championship Results – Junior
1st Wil Yeoman (YZ250FX) – 1st in class (4 Stroke Over)
2nd Luke Brown
3rd Bailey Morgan
2021 NEW ZEALAND ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP
• Round 1 – 11th April (Tokoroa)
• Round 2 – 24th & 25th April – hosted by Kapi Mana Motorcycle Club
• Round 3 – 5th, 6th & 7th June (race days TBC) – hosted by Kapi Mana Motorcycle Club
• Round 4 – 12th June (Masterton) & 13th June (Martinborough)
PWR YAMAHA TEAM WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS:
Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Yamalube, GYTR, YMF, YMI, Motomuck, un4seen, MotoSR, Oneal, Arai, Oakley, IMS, Zeta, Tire balls, TCX, Michelin, Renthal, Twin Air, USWE, EK Chain & Brownell Earthmoving.