Nz Champs 2009

[kiwi]

Two Titles Decided

After Saturday night's rain, the finals of the New Zealand Sidecar and Solo champs were run in warm sunny conditions at the Robertson Holden International Speedway. Les Plummer & Kervin Demanser went one better than last season, taking the NZ Sidecar Champs in a run-off, while Englishman Jason Bunyan successfully defended his NZ Solo title.

After the disappointment of the mechanical gremlins on Friday night, Palmerston North's Jade Mudgway arrived ready to show he is one of the country's top prospects, by aiming for a top-four place.

In the Sidecars the battle would be to see if the three Australian combinations which made the final 16 would be able to match the top kiwi combinations.

NZ Solo Champs

It was clear from the first heat that three-time and current champion Jason Bunyan (Milton Keyes, England) would be the rider to beat. Bunyan headed Mudgway in the first race.

Auckland’s Dylan Moohan and two star riders from Christchurch Andrew Aldridge and legend Larry Ross, a nine time former titleholder, were the other first round winners. Ross beat another favourite Craig Ramsay in his heat.

Ramsay led the way in the second round with a win, with Bunyan looking unbeatable, beating last years runner up Larry Ross. Aldridge and Mudgway won the other heats. Bunyan won his third race, this time beating Aldridge by the length of the straight. Mudgway then put himself right in the hunt for a podium finish with a tight fought win over Larry Ross with both riders side by side for the first lap before Mudgway broke away. 15 year-old Aucklander Sean Mason showed he has potential with a win in the third round as well.

Points after 3 rounds: Bunyan 9, Mudgway 8, Ramsay 8, Aldridge 8, Ross 7, Dylan Moohan (Auckland) 6.

Apart from the top spot which continued to appear a formality for Bunyan, the minor placings were turned on their heads in round four. Mudgway won his third straight race beating Mason, while Larry Ross kept on track winning his heat as well. Southland’s John Tuffley won his first heat, but further back Ramsay and Aldridge did their chances of a top finish plenty of harm when they both finished fourth and without points in their heats.

Points after 4 rounds: Bunyan 12, Mudgway 11, Ross 10, Aldridge 8, Ramsay 8, Moohan 7.

Bunyan put the title beyond doubt with an easy win over the hard chasing Mason. Christchurch’s Sean Cox won his first race of the final, while Larry Ross guaranteed himself third overall. The biggest moment in Mudgway’s young career started perfectly as he easily won the start against Aldridge and Ramsay. Despite a few nervous moments as he listened for any strange noises in his bike, Mudgway underlined his potential with a big win against strong opponents.

Bunyan was ecstatic with his win and although he’s an Englishman at the moment, it is probable he will shortly become a New Zealander, already owning a house in Auckland.

Mudgway put the gut wrenching feeling he had on Friday behind him with a bigger performance by finishing runner up, celebrating by doing a wheel stand down the straight.

For Larry Ross it continues a career that also includes a World Team title at White City with great Ivan Mauger.

NZ Sidecar Champs

The first shock of a meeting full of them came in the opening heat when favourite John Hannan and Jason Wallis got a poor start, only managing third place behind Australian stars Gary Moon-Mick Ing and the Truuts brothers Sefton and Clint.

Other wins in the opening round went to Nathan Ching-Dallas Kelman (Nelson), Craig Scott-Tony Hirini (Wanganui) and Palmerston North’s Russell Stuart-Andrew Parker who beat last years runner up Les Plummer and Kervin Demanser (Hawke’s Bay).

Moon went to the top of the points after another win in the second round with Plummer a point behind along with Scott. Australian duo Joshua Sinnott-Hamish Golding showed the Aussies were there to race by winning as well.

It all turned to custard for Moon in the third round when he lost control went wide, spun and rolled as he was hit by a following bike. The race was halted for a considerable time with Moon’s swinger Ing prone on the ground after a bike had rolled on top of him. He was eventually taken by ambulance to Palmerston North hospital.

The Sinnott-Golding team put themselves in the battle for the title with a win while Stuart and Parker got back on track after a crash in the second round. Hannon and Wallis finally won a race, but a third and second previously left them needing results to go their way.

Truuts, Ramsay, Stuart and Sinnott won the fourth round races tightening up the top with one race remaning.

Points after 4 rounds: Plummer-Demanser 9, Stuart-Parker 9, Ramsay-Hislop 8, Sinnott-Golding 8, Hannon-Wallis 8.

Stuart guaranteed himself a runoff at the least, winning the first race of the final round, but Plummer’s win meant a runoff for the title between the two. The same happened in the last heats with Ramsay grabbing a good win as did Sinnott.

The runoffs were tight with Ramsay beating Sinnott at the start and holding on despite a major challenge from Sinnott.

Stuart got the jump in the runoff for first but Plummer gradually wore him down and took the lead and the title on the second lap giving Plummer and Demanser their first title after numerous placings in their 24 years as a team.

RESULTS

Solos

Heat 1: 1nz Jason Bunyan, 21p Jade Mudgway, 6c Sean Cox
Heat 2: 27a Dylan Moohan, 75c John Ross, 7g Paul Habib
Heat 3: 23c Andrew Aldridge, 96i Alex Cunningham, 14i Jamie Moohan
Heat 4: 2nz Larry Ros, 19b Craig Ramsay, 21a Sean Mason
Heat 5: Ramsay, Cox, Jamie Moohan

Heat 6: Bunyan, Larry Ross, John Ross
Heat 7: Mudgway, Dylan Moohan, 18p Jason McKay
Heat 8: Aldridge, 66i John Tuffley, Mason
Heat 9: Mason, Cox, John Ross
Heat 10: Bunyan, Aldridge, McKay

Heat 11: Mudgway, Larry Ross, Jamie Moohan
Heat 12: Ramsay, Tuffley, Dylan Moohan
Heat 13: Larry Ross, Cox, Dylan Moohan
Heat 14: Bunyan, Cunningham, Habib
Heat 15: Mudgway, Mason, 55a Hayden Bagshaw

Heat 16: Tuffley, John Ross, Jamie Moohan
Heat 17: Cox, Hayden Bagshaw, Habib
Heat 18: Bunyan, Mason, Jamie Moohan
Heat 19: Mudgway Aldridge, Ramsay
Heat 20: Larry Ross, Tuffley, Cunningham

Final placings: 1st Jason Bunyan (Milton Keyes, England) 15pts, 2nd Jade Mudgway (PN) 14pts, 3rd Larry Ross (Chch) 13 pts

Sidecar Finals

Heat 1: 8n Nathan Ching-Dallas Kelman, 39p Andrew Buchannon-Philipa Burns, 56g Clive Ireland-Brendan Weber
Heat 2: 62v Craig Scott-Tony Hirini, 11b Dave Miller-Lewis Cox, 15aus Scott Christopher-Trent Koppe
Heat 3: 16aus Gary Moon-Mick Ing, 3nz Sefton and Clint Truuts, 19v John Hannon-Jason Wallis
Heat 4: 49p Russell Stuart-Andrew Parker, 2nz Les Plummer-Kervin Demanser, 32p Josh Lambert-Sam Carter
Heat 5: 13aus Josh Sinnott-Hamish Golding, Lambert-Carter, Buchannon-Burns

Heat 6: Plummer-Demanser, Hannon-Wallis, 52p Stuart Priest-Richie Dunbar
Heat 7: Moon-Ing, Scott-Hirini, 11p Mark Whyte-Gordon Campbell
Heat 8: Ramsay-Hislop, Truuts-Truuts
Heat 9: Stuart-Parker, Miller-Cox
Heat 10: Christopher-Koppe, Whyte-Campbell, Truuts-Truuts

Heat 11: Sinnott-Golding, Plummer-Demanser, Ramsay-Hislop
Heat 12: Hannon-Wallis, Scott-Hirini, Ireland-Weber
Heat 13: Truuts-Truuts, Plummer-Demanser, Kieran Payne-Stu Elston
Heat 14: Ramsay-Hislop, Priest-Dunbar, Lambert-Carter
Heat 15: Stuart-Parker, Hannon-Wallis, Ching-Kelman

Heat 16: Sinnott-Golding, Miller-Cox, Whyte-Campbell
Heat 17: Ramsay-Hislop, Whyte-Campbell, Hannon-Wallis
Heat 18: Stuart-Parker, Sinnott-Golding, Priest-Dunbar
Heat 19: Lambert-Carter, Ching-Kelman, Miller-Cox
Heat 20: Plummer-Demanser, Christopher-Koppe

Final points: 1st (after runoff) Plummer-Demanser (HB) 12pts, 2nd Stuart-Parker (PN) 12 pts, 3rd (after runoff) Ramsay-Hislop (PN) 11pts, 4th Sinnott-Golding (Aus) 11pts
Edited January 6, 2009 by kiwi

[Bavarian]

Why was Andrew Bargh a non-starter? (and David Bargh as well?)