Excitement Boost as Racing Calendar Expands   15 Jul 2015

North Island Motocross Championships

Excitement Boost as Racing Calendar Expands

JULY 15, 2015: Motocross excitement is set to grow as the sport's governing body here, Motorcycling New Zealand, steps forward with two additional new competitions for the racing calendar.

Dates for the upcoming 2016 New Zealand Senior Motocross Championships are set to be nailed down in the coming weeks, but, in the meantime, a two-round North Island Motocross Championships series has been announced.

Round one will be in the Manawatu, at the Flipp's Motorcycle Park near Sanson, on the weekend ofAugust 22-23, with the second round set for Hawke's Bay's new Mere Road facility, near Fernhill, on the weekend of September 19-20.
Each of these two-day meetings will feature junior racing on the Saturday and veterans', women's and support classes included with MX1, MX2 and 125cc racing on the Sunday.

"We have introduced these two events as a stepping stone for motorcycle clubs that aspire to host a major national championship event in the near future," said MNZ motocross commissioner Howard Lilly, of Pukekohe.

"Hawke's Bay will host the New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships in April next year and, for the Hawke's Bay Motorcycle Club, also organising the North Island Motocross Championships round will enable them to test the waters as far as resources and facilities are concerned.

"Hawke's Bay has missed out twice in recent times when applying to host the senior nationals and this creates a pathway for them to prove they have the ability to host top events.

"Everyone wants to host a national championship event and, as caretakers of the sport, MNZ wants to ensure that it can offer the best possible service for riders and spectators at major events. This is a way of ensuring that.

"In addition, the major national championship events are usually staged around February and March and by having the North Island championship events in August and September, we can spread the competition a little further and a little wider."

He said the host clubs would provide more details, entry forms and so forth, on their respective web sites in the coming days.

by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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