Briggs wins in style. Officials disqualify safe entertaining racer?

This is what a lot of people came to see.

In what was another display of masterful machine control KTM's Stephen Briggs blitzed the Supermotard class at the annual Paeroa street races and grabbed a number of wins including a 'Bears' race.

At the time of setting this page we are under the understanding that Briggs was disqualified from a race for putting his leg out?

We spoke to Briggs today (Wednesday 23/2) and he confirmed that he had indeed been disquailifed from the first 'Bears' race. "I was told I couldn't race in F3 if I put my foot out" he said "..and then after having a great race with Steven Bridge in Bears I got the black flag." Briggs went on to say that Bridge had said he didn't have a problem with him putting his foot out in fact he said "Bridge is a good rider and knows what he's doing but he was getting out of shape a bit. I was certainly more concerned with his riding than mine."

SMNZ says "How can you get disqualified for putting your leg out?"

Saftey? (I've never heard of any speedway rider crashing because in ran into some other competitors leg and Speedway riders put there leg out occassionally?) Wouldn't it be unsafe to tell riders they can't put their leg out? (aren't they putting there leg out for balance).

Former world road race champion Hugh Anderson mentioned once that officials tryed to ban him from sliding. Anderson came from a dirt riding background and it was a natural thing to do but it was different so they figured it shouldn't be allowed. we better ban it.

Snow boarders were told "You'll have to get your own areas on the mountain" but now they are accepted because they're a huge new part of the scene (and now they don't have clear markings of where to go on the mountain yet it's accepted!). Last year there wasn't an F3 class for the streets because once the motards were told that they couldn't enter the numbers wern't there.

F3's lack of depth is another subject but look at Motards 28 entries at Paeroa and 25 at Wanganui. Those figures see it as one of, if not the biggest class out there. Again at Wanganui no issues were raised about riders putting their feet out but it comes to Paeroa and "sorry you'll have to change your riding style" (yes the style that sees everyone raving about your class)....please.

Granted it's different but for the first time in who knows how many years here is some new blood coming into road racing (a lot of the motard racers are motocrossers who are now able to try road racing) and you want to disqualify them?

 

We'll be trying to talk to the officials next week to see what their side of the story is.

 

Flood Floors F3.

For the third year in a row Craig Flood and his XR650 walked away with a national 'Battle of the Streets' title. Most everybody will remember Briggs from last year but it was Flood who won the Supermotard Battle of the Streets series and this year Flood again managed to grab a title

Flood freely admits to not being prepared for the series this year. He'd worked at getting a bit more out of the old XR650 but again it wasn't tested until the Wanganui round. Despite his bike catching fire in one race and the clutch basket falling to bits in a Paeroa race Flood somehow managed to grab the Formula Three Title this year.

"Briggs rode good this year (in taking the Supermotard title) and I'd have liked to have been better prepared but all isn't lost at least I didn't come away empty handed" Flood offered.

It remains to be seen if Flood will be able to coax a competitive bike out of the ageing Honda. However nobody will be taking the former Quad, 250 Production champion too lightly when they all line up at Wanaganui for Boxing day 2005. The old farm bike might have some life in her yet.

 

See Events for more info and entry forms for the up coming series.

The first round of the Husaberg Motosports Supermoto Championship is at Taupo on the 28th of Febuary 2005.

Check out all the top racers who have been doing a bit of Supermoto.

 

 

 

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