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Honda XR650 mounted
Craig Flood won both the Supermotard races at the Cemetery circuit
meeting
News (thanks to Kiwi Rider)
Words Todd Sutherland
Forget what they showed you on TV. The real
action at the Boxing Day Cemetery Circuit meeting was
the Supermotard races.
Despite the dark ominous rain clouds rolling
in from the west, the Supermotard race (first of the day) remained
dry throughout. Never the less, right from the off the crowd
were treated to the sideways antics of Briggs, Stephenson and
the like, and as few spectators had ventured out to the qualifying
sessions held the previous day (Christmas day would you believe?)
they were gob smacked when Briggs treated them to a demonstration
of the techniques effectiveness when he swept up Craig Flood
(Energy Honda, XR650) and (leader) Craig Scott (Dave Leary Racing,
KX500) to take the lead on the start of the fourth lap.
The contrast in styles made for great viewing.
Flood later commented he was having problems of his own “I had
to concentrate on looking into the turns… I kept finding myself
busy watching him instead of going for the pass”. With Flood
pushing hard Briggs did get things a little ‘too’ sideways on
the last lap of that first race and the former ‘Battle of the
Streets Champion’ (250 production) capitalized, slipping under
Briggs and maintaining the lead to the finish. The assembled
masses loved it, shouting support each time the leaders past
by.
The second Supermotard race later in the day
saw New Plymouth Honda dealer, Flood again take race honours,
this time in emphatic fashion. Further down the field the start
was marred by a collision but in motard tradition the riders,
unfazed, remounted and continued. No longer spectateing, Flood
diced with Briggs before setting the fastest supermotard lap
of the day (54.703) and eased out a commanding lead. The big
500cc two stroke Kawasaki of Craig Scott again proved capable
of great things early on before succumbing to first Briggs,
then finally getting piped at the line by Nigel Healey on another
KTM. Farther back down the field Brendon Stephenson and Phillip
Gray, re-starters after the start straight fracas, were hamming
it up for the crowd with big slides and wheelies.
No less than 15 Supermotarders swelled the
smallish Formula 3 ranks. Surprise pole sitter (to the F3 regulars
at least) was Craig Flood on the Energy Honda XR650. Joining
him on the front row were fellow (partners in crime) motarders
Scott and Briggs. In the wet conditions of the first F3 race
the motards were dominant with 8 of the top 10 positions taken,
including the first 3 positions. Craig Scott was simply flying
in the wet conditions and it was only desperate work from Briggs
that kept him from taking line honours.
The afternoon’s dry F3 race saw the motard
front rowers knocked back to 3rd 4th and
5th place finishers behind the F3 special builds
(and not to mention riding talents) of Terry Fitzgerald (SV650)
and Steven Bridge (VeeArma F7). The F3 point’s table at the
end of the day had Briggs leading the table from Fitzgerald
and 3rd place shared by Craigs’, Scott and Flood.
Cemetery
Circuit 26 December 2002 Supermotards.
Points overall
Name Machine Sponsor Total
1
Craig Flood XR650 Honda Energy Honda 40 20 20
2
Stephen Briggs 660 SM KTM KTM NZ
34 17 17
3
Craig Scott KX500 Kawasaki Dave Leary 28 15 13
4
Nigel Healey KTM520 SX Central Motorcycles 25 10 15
5
John Fallwell Honda XR650'02 Cycletreads Ak 19 8
11
6
Brent Symes CRF450 Honda Dave Whitaker Honda 18
9
9
7
Craig Sullivan WR426F Yamaha Sawyer Motorcycles 16 6
10
8
Phillip Gray KTM SM Crash Test Engineering
13 13
0
9
Peter Hewer XR650 Energy Honda 12 4 8
10 Brent Neilson KTM 380 Twin City Motorcycles 12 7 5
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