Supermotos Join Rally of NZ

Go Fast's Andy Pine came up with a refreshing new take of the Supermoto scene when he managed to get together a group of Supermoto racers to run in this years International 'Repco Rally of New Zealand'.

Just out of Hamilton it was Mystery Creek that played home to this year's international Rally and it was here that the Supermoto crew got to strut their stuff. There was plenty going on in the build up to the Rally cars firing themselves around the short 'Mystery Creek' special stage and the bikes definately added to the spectacle The Supermoto crew actually ran as the curtain raiser on Saturday and Sunday, running immediately before the Cars did their stuff. The bikes ran on a section of the stage used by the cars and ran two at a time. This made for great duels as the 17" shod machines struggled around the mainly gravel course.

Pine explained that although the bikes could have got around the course perhaps more quickly with more aggressive dirt tyres and wheels, the proirity here was entertainment and a bit of fun.

The bike componet was run as a series of heats with ultimate victory going to the last head to head race between Toby Summers (Yamaha) and Jayden Carrick. Summers maintained his form to win the final.

The $20 entry fee (no fee for my school age kids) was pretty good value with some off road remote control car racing (and they were jumping the height of a house each lap) and quad rides there to keep the kids entertained. The Rally cars didn't look that spectacular, particularly after watching the Supermoto boys, and are perhaps best seen on the other quicker stages. The 'work periods' however were a real eye opener with amazing things being done on these maga buck machines within the work areas which were not only inside but had grandstands set up so you could see what was going on.

A big 'good on you' to Andy Pine and we look forward to seeing more of the same in a couple of years when the international rally returns.