The Making of...the Cemetery Supermoto Circuit

Report: Todd S

Bike racing has been happening on the streets of Wanganui since 1951 but it wasn't until 2002 that 'dirt bikes' first got their own race.

Legends of road racing have always enjoyed the circuits squirt and turn nature but it was local man Wayne Marshall who was the driving force behind putting in an additional 'dirt only section'.

Marshall was a bit of a pioneer of 'motarding' back in the eighties himself. He lead many a formula two race on his Kawasaki motocrosser. The crowd certainly enjoyed seeing him doing well back then and were simply mesmerized when riders like Stephen Briggs appeared en mass, nearly twenty years later. Papakura's Brigg's lead the charge and had the big KTM sliding sideways on the way INto most of the tarmac only 'supermotard' turns. Briggs and co secured "dirt bikes' into the program from that moment on.

Understandably the Cemetery Circuit committe had a winner with the series as it was and many baulked at Marshall's idea of adding in a 'dirt only' section. With over 250 helpers on the day there was plenty going on as it was, why make it harder?

But once a terrier has a hold of something it just won't let it go. The committe told Marshall that if he could do it without drawing from the 'on the days' resources, he could fill his boots.

Next he approached Paul Keenen who owns Keenen contractors. Paul also owes the land adjacent to the circuit and here was the only practical place to run the dirt section. The involvement of Keenen contractors is in fact imperative to the sucess story of the Cemetery Circuit 'Supermoto'.

Marshall rustled up help from club president Richard Managh and a dozen or so local supermoto / motocross riders who worked tirelessly, not just on the Supermoto section but preparing the entire track, Monday to Thursday after work for a month preparing the circuit.

From there on it was all go. Entries were notified and volunteers were lined up to marshal the section on the day. When boxing day rolled around New Zealand's most prestigious Supermoto race joined New Zealand's most prestigious street race on the days card.

KiwiRider magazine also saw that a huge effort had been made here for the Cemetery Circuit races to evolve so they sponsered the 450cc class and put up the "Bikemart Supermoto Cup".

For those in the sport too it is obvious that as much fun as racing Supermoto bikes on tarmac circuits is without strict rules it wouldn't last.

The natural progession to making a machine more competitive is making it more like a road race machine. Lower, steeper steering ...progressivly making the machines more like everything else out there. Less able to perform in the very manner that made them popular in the first place.

Thanks to Marshall, the committe and his band of helpers, the addition of jumps and a dirt section has meant the spectacle of Supermoto is set to live on for some time yet.

Everyone that helps make the Cemetery Circuit races what they are today deserves a pat on the back. But the following deserve special recognition from the Supermoto fraternity because their sterling efforts have helped ensure that Supermoto gets onto the grand stage that is Cemetery Circuit Racing.

Thanks to Lloyd McKenzie, and the track building team, lead by team leader Grant Fergusson (of team A.F.R.I.C.A fame), Ross McKenzie, Scott McKenzie, Simon Dibben, Scott Dowman, Jayden Carrick, Glen Hayden, Joel Daniels,James Daniels, Connor McCormick, Damian Andrews, James Odonnell, Tyler Ireton.

Thanks also
S2 Class sponsored by KIWI RIDER MAGAZINE
S1 Class sponsored by LYNDSAY TAIT & ASSOCIATES LTD.
FEATURE RACE sponsored by WHITELOCK SUZUKI.

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

 

 

 

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