Podium Finish And Class Win The Aim For May   1 Jun 2016

Podium Finish And Class Win The Aim For May

CAPTION: Titirangi's Callan May (Yamaha YZ250X), anticipating a tough weekend ahead. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

JUNE 1, 2016: Auckland's Callan May knows it might be "mission impossible" for him this weekend, but the 24-year-old is not one to shy away from a challenge.

The rider from Titirangi is fourth overall in the New Zealand Enduro Championships after three of five rounds and he feels strong as he heads off to race the final two rounds this weekend in what he expects will be extremely water-logged forestry land in the Central North Island.

The back-to-back final two rounds in the enduro nationals are set Waimiha, near Benneydale, on Saturday, and then in forestry just south of Tokoroa, the following day and he knows it will be a tough task for him to edge past the three men who are ahead of him in the points – Christchurch's Hamish Macdonald, Taupo's Brad Groombridge and Howick's Liam Draper.

"A sniff of a chance is all I need. If I can win both days this weekend and these other guys have a few problems, then it's certainly possible for me," said May.

And, riding a Yamaha YZ250X two-stroke machine, May is also in line for a podium finish in the battle-within-a-battle for over-200cc two-stroke class honours, although class rival Macdonald has a solid advantage for the title glory with three wins so far.

"It is going to be a very tough weekend, especially with the two days back-to-back, and it will be fairly muddy too after all the rain this week.

"Waimiha is a tough venue at the best of times and, while I need to push hard to get a win there, I can't afford not to finish either, so I will have to ride smart."

May spent the past couple of seasons racing major cross-country events in the United States – finishing sixth overall in the Grand National Cross-country Championships (GNCC) in the US on debut in 2014 and then settling for 10th overall in the same competition last season – but he has wasted no time in settling back into the Kiwi scene this year.

In his first full season of racing in New Zealand since he won the under-300cc four-stroke class at the enduro nationals in 2013, May claimed third place overall in the 2016 New Zealand Cross-country Championships that wrapped up near Nelson last month and his focus this weekend is on earning another podium finish in the parallel enduro competition.

"I'm a better rider now that I have the GNCC experience behind me, but the terrain is quite different in America than it will be in New Zealand forestry this weekend. I think I'm faster now that I was before tackling the GNCCs and I'm managing that without trying too hard now, so maybe that will make all the difference for me this weekend."

May is supported by Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Kiwi Rider magazine, BikesportNZ.com, MotoSR, Golden Tyres, Fox, Graphic Creation, GYTR and Yamalube.

ENDS

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