The final round of the Central Cross Country series was held in slippery, wet, and cold conditions at Tinui, near Masterton. Conditions had dampened down the enthusiasm of many but the sun did keep making brief appearances between light rain.

We were lined up in rows of 5 and set off in waves since a suitable start paddock was not available. This system worked well. I was on the front row with fellow Yamaha rider Adrian Smith. I got a good jump on the FX and lead the way. I think we all had a hairy moment in the first turn just over a blind brow. The unexpected left turn was littered with ruts. I manage to swap my way through but I think others had problems and missed the turn or went down. I was able to complete the lap safely and push out to an early lead. Although the track was incredibly slick in a lot of places I only had one tip over and extended my lead with consistent laps.

At the end of the fourth lap I came in for gas and goggles. Set for the final stretch I was able to put in some good laps. The FX 450 was working perfectly with the MotoSR suspension and Carbsport helped me to muscle the bike through the slop.

With two hours on the clock I took the win. Turned out to be a pretty fun day with the track getting better as the day went.

 

1^st: Paul Whibley

2^nd: Jacob Hyslop

3^rd: Daniel Christie                                         Thanks to Andy @bikesportnz.com