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Three-peat foremost on Duncan’s hit list as she returns to Europe

Courtney Duncan is the queen of the King of Central motocross event

GREEN MEANS GO AND THAT’S JUST WHAT YOUNG TYLER DID

FEBRUARY 9, 2021: Kawasaki has a new star rising on the horizon and that individual in Pukekawa’s Tyler Brown.

In fact, he’s no longer just on the horizon – now he’s up close and right in the face of his rivals.

The 15-year-old stormed to the top of the junior motocross pecking order when he won the 14-16 years’ 250cc class at the 60th anniversary New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville last month and that was surely a massive hint as to what might be coming up just a week later and the 2021 New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships in the Bay of Plenty.

It’s fair to say that Brown, a year 11 student at Onewhero Area School, had done his homework and it was now he who was doing the teaching, taking his bright green MR Motorcycles Kawasaki KX250 four-stroke bike to hand out a few lessons of his own at the junior championships at Tect Park, about halfway between Tauranga and Rotorua, over the long Waitangi Day weekend.

The 15-year-old won three of his five races over the three days and was a solid seven points ahead of his nearest rival, Hamilton’s Nick Westgate, with one race to go on Sunday afternoon, but still it came down to that final race of the weekend before he could eventually clinch it.

Brown crashed soon after the start of Sunday’s final 250cc race and was passed by another of his main title rivals, Invercargill’s Jack Symon, the South Islander moving his new Kawasaki up from sixth at the start to claim third spot and Brown therefore had to dig deep just to hold on to his fourth position in that decisive race.

Oparau’s Hunter Scott won the race, holding off a stern challenge from Westgate, with Symon finishing third and Brown fourth, enough for Brown to clinch the title.

“This is my first New Zealand  title. I’ve waited a long time for this. I won Woodville last week and now this, so it just feels really good to get it done.

“I felt the pressure after finishing only fourth in my first race of the weekend. So I put my head down and won the next three. Then I had an ‘off’ in the last race. A bit of nerves got to me I guess. There was a soft spot on the track that I couldn’t see through my dirty goggles, I tucked the front end of the bike in and down I went.

“I definitely should win a world record trophy for picking up my bike the quickest,” he laughed.

“I don’t really have any words to describe how I feel right now.

“Dad helps me out a lot and I couldn’t do any of this without him … or mum too. I had so much support, for which I’m grateful. A huge thanks to Kawasaki New Zealand and all my other sponsors too.”

Brown comes from a family of motorcycling high-achievers, his father Craig Brown not only his mentor and mechanic at the weekend, but also a top-five finisher in his senior championship days and more recently a national champion in the veterans’ grades as well. Tyler Brown’s grand-father, Mike Wilkins, was a national hare-scramble (cross-country) champion in his day too.

Other class winners at the weekend were Tauranga’s Madoc Dixon (15-16 years’ 125cc class); Tauranga’s Aidan Roberts (12-14 years’ 125cc class);  Whanganui’s Troy Bullock (14-16 years’ 85cc/150cc class); Waitoki’s Cole Davies (12-13 years’ 85cc/150cc class); Taupo’s Declan Connors (8-11 years’ 85cc/150cc class); Tauranga’s Levi Townley (8-11 years’ Pro 65cc class); Palmerston North’s Hannah Powell (12-16 years’ 125cc/250cc women’s class); Raetihi’s Karaitiana Horne (12-16 years’ 85cc/125cc women’s class); Taupo’s Mikayla Griffiths (8-11 years’ 85cc/150cc women’s class).

Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

PUKEKAWA RIDER SENDS STRONG WARNING TO RIVALS

FEBRUARY 2, 2021: Total dominance doesn’t come much better than this and Pukekawa teenager Tyler Brown will be in a confident mood as he heads now to the national championships.

The popular annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville has always been a magnet for the cream of New Zealand motocross talent, the two-day affair featuring former and current national champions across all the various categories.

And, it’s probably fair to say, a few future champions also revealed themselves at Woodville, the 15-year-old Brown among them.

Brown took his Kawasaki KX250F to record an impressive clean sweep of wins in his 14-16 years’ 250cc class during the junior phase of racing at this 60th anniversary Woodville event on Saturday.

The MR Motorcycles-sponsored star made it look easy, leading from start to finish in the first two of his three outings, although he was forced to work harder in his last race of the day, eventually battling through traffic to take another victory and set himself atop of the class podium.

Brown (Kawasaki) won race one by seven seconds from New Plymouth’s Logan Kerrisk (Yamaha), then he was even more impressive in race two, winning by 13.6 seconds from Te Puke’s Kyan Loomans (Yamaha).

In race three, he was beaten out of the start gate, but eventually caught and passed the race leader, Hamilton’s Nick Westgate (KTM), on the fourth lap of six and won that race also, zipping past the chequered flag three seconds ahead of Westgate.

“I have lots of confidence now going into the junior nationals next weekend,” said Brown, a year 11 student at Onewhero Area School.

“I expect to be challenged there by Kyan Loomans and Hunter Scott (from Oparau), but there are a few guys sidelined I think, so that should help me out a bit too,” he smiled.

“I’m just focussing on my own racing and hoping now to get the overall win at the nationals.

“I was on the 125cc bike last year and I did well, finishing third overall. I have never won a national title before and this will be my last chance to do that in the juniors, before I step up to the senior ranks.”

Brown’s scintillating performance will no doubt have his rivals scrambling to find answers ahead of the New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships being raced near Tauranga this coming weekend.

With his father Craig – formerly a top rider on the senior scene and still a frontrunner in the veterans’ ranks – to mentor him, it’s probably just a matter of time before young Tyler Brown is a New Zealand champion.

Brown is supported by MR Motorcycles in Pukekohe, Kawasaki NZ, Team Green, Bridgestone tyres, Shoei helmets, Fly Racing apparel, Ryan Young Contracting, Oakley goggles, Renthal handlebars, Polisport plastics, RK chains, Twin Air, Classical Doors Ltd and Bel Ray oils.

Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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