DUNCAN SALVAGES CHAMPIONSHIP SECOND IN THE BELGIAN SAND
After racing on the unfamiliar surface of sand in Belgium, New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan is a close second in the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship. PHOTO CREDIT: THIBAULT PHOTOGRAPHY.
An exacting weekend on the sandy Lommel track at the MXGP of Flanders-Belgium, has seen New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan fight hard to hold onto second overall in the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX).
The two-time consecutive title winner from Dunedin, missed out on a round podium for this second meeting, but bolstered by her two wins at last weekend’s season opener, she sits on 85 points – only two shy of new series leader Dutchwoman Shana Van Der Vlist (87).
Riding for the England-based Bike it MTX Kawasaki team, Duncan’s day didn’t start the way she’d hoped. As the gate dropped for the first WMX race, she came out further down the order in eighth place.
Duncan then got caught up in the first lot of race drama, when she was looking to dive down the inside of Denmark’s Sara Andersen. The pair touched, and both crashed as a result. Keen to salvage some points, Duncan slogged her way through the heavy sand to finish sixth, with Lynn Valk emerging the winner in front of her home crowd.
Determined to make amends in the second race, Duncan got off to a good start, leading a trio of her title rivals, Germany’s Larissa Papenmeier, Nancy Van De Ven, of the Netherlands, and Belgian Amandine Verstappen. Italian Kiara Fontanesi then stormed through the field making several attempts to pass the Kiwi Kawasaki rider for the lead, eventually succeeding by lap four.
Riding her Kawasaki KX250 hard, Duncan cemented herself into third after a fierce battle with Van De Ven, which went on for several laps. In the end it was Van Der Vlist who enjoyed her first WMX race victory as Fontanesi, and Duncan finished second and third respectively.
Duncan says the Belgian sand tracks are not replicated anywhere else in the world and certainly not in New Zealand where she spent the summer training.
“It was a tough day in Belgium’s sand but we knew it would be tough. The local and European girls live here, or can train here and it’s always going to be hard to compete with that.”
“It’s hard to accept though, especially after coming off double wins. However, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. I put my best effort into the two races, fought all the way to the chequered flag and banked important points.”
“I have to remind myself that championships are won on your bad days. I’m going to keep my chin up and keep working hard. We’re in a positive position and there’s a long way to go,” Duncan says.
Kawasaki New Zealand’s Managing Director Shane Verhoeven agrees with Duncan about the saying you win championships on your bad days.
“To see her display her characteristic grit and determination against riders more acclimatised to the deep sand conditions of Lommel in both motos was great to witness on MXGP-TV,” he says.
“Moto 2 was especially exciting to watch Courtney regather herself mid-moto, increase her intensity and pressure the front runners again late in the race. Good luck for the next round CD!” Verhoeven wraps up.
The WMX action heads to Turkey for a special double-header race on September 4 and 5, closely followed by a mid-week race on September 7 and 8.
Words: Catherine Pattison
Biggles Racing Team and Kawasaki New Zealand join forces.
Kawasaki New Zealand (Kawasaki Motorcycle Distributors) is proud to announce the partnership with Biggles Racing Team (BRT) for 2021/2022 road race season. The team will contest the NZSBK series aboard two new 2021 Ninja ZX-10R superbikes with riders Campbell Grayling and Jason Hearn.
Kawasaki New Zealand, owned by parent company, the Verhoeven Group (VGL) is a proudly NZ family-owned business and the association with BRT was a natural fit for KNZ.
BRT Team Owner/Manager Marcus Beagley has a history with Kawasaki and road racing, having previously raced a Ninja ZX-6R to a top 10 finish in NZ Supersport 600 class. Team partner Grant Shivas is also excited for the partnership. Grant’s involvement began by chance as a spectator at a motorcycle racing event. Naturally, Grant’s background in motorsport compelled him to become involved in the excitement of motorcycle racing.
Mike Cotter, General Manager of Kawasaki NZ believes the partnership will be the start of a long-term relationship and the timing could not be better, coinciding with the release of the all-new 2021 Ninja ZX-10R. “The team at Kawasaki are passionate about motorcycling with majority of staff participating in a full spectrum of motorcycling codes. Racing is something that we enjoy being a part of, so the opportunity to partner with Marcus, Grant and the team was an easy decision”, commented Mike.
Campbell and Jason join esteemed Kawasaki supported racers Avalon Biddle and Dave Sharp and are relishing the opportunity to step up to the premier class while learning to adapt to the ZX-10R as quickly as possible.
“Jumping from the Supersport 300 class straight into Superbikes is a big step for the riders and team but our expectations are realistic. This partnership is about the bigger picture and paving a way for future champions in road racing”, says Alarn Young, Marketing Co-Ordinator for Kawasaki NZ.
Biggles Racing Team is also supported by Dunlop tyres.
THREE-PEAT FOREMOST ON DUNCAN’S HIT LIST AS SHE RETURNS TO EUROPE
Two-time Women’s Motocross World Champion Courtney Duncan is primed and ready to make it a three-peat as she heads back to Europe for the 2021 race season early next week.
Poised, focused and fit, this 25-year-old young woman, hailing from Dunedin, has fought her way through the school of hard knocks and is an extremely different athlete to the teenager, who first began her international campaign in 2016.
“I’ve learned mainly through experience, and I look back on those years and analyse what I could’ve done to be better. I’m always aiming to make a 10% improvement annually and I know the areas to work on,” she says.
Duncan overcame a trio of tough seasons before changing brands and teams to sign with Kawasaki’s Dixon Racing Team in 2019. That year she achieved the goal she had been targeting since she was a young Kiwi kid ripping around her family’s paddock motocross track. Not content to tick the box once, she defended her title amongst a Covid-19-disrupted 2020. No prizes for guessing what’s at the top of her 2021 hit list.
“I’ve got to be honest; my goal is to be world champion three years running. However, every year is different and brings different challenges. For me it’s important to stay present and enjoy the process day to day – not look too far afield – and hopefully the results will follow.”
“I’ll do what I need to do in the weeks leading into the first round at Loket at the end of July. We will be giving it our best shot,” Duncan says of how she’s mapped out her title defence over the five 2021 WMX Grand Prix rounds, which span fourteen weeks and are hosted by five different countries.
Based with her Dixon Racing Team in England over the next four months and riding the Kawasaki 2021 KX250 Duncan will have some stiff competition vying for her crown. Six-time world champ Italian Kiara Fontanesi returns, racing under a new brand and DutchwomanNancy Van de Ven, who chased Duncan right to the very last 2020 race, is back and riding for a new team.
Duncan is ready for them.
“I’ve planned my campaign for this year and I feel like my build up has gone as well as I could’ve hoped. I’ve been working super hard and some solid bike time has me feeling really good on the bike. Thanks to everyone involved with supporting my preparation for the 2021 season.”
Grunt work in the gym, cardio sessions and regular physiotherapy maintenance also has her fighting fit off the bike. Racing last year in the KawiGirls Kings and Queens Motocross event, plus several appearances at local South Island meetings means that Duncan has had a chance to replicate race scenarios.
“It’s good to give back to the New Zealand motocross community. There’s some young talent coming through and that keeps me on my toes. It’s been six months since I raced on the international stage though and I miss that intensity.”
She doesn’t have long to wait, with the first WMX round scheduled for the Czech Republic on Saturday, July 24. Kiwi fans can follow Duncan over the race weekends through the MXGP website and Facebook page, to see results, photos and videos.
Kawasaki New Zealand Managing Director Shane Verhoeven says that “while the brand loves having Courtney on home soil making race appearances up and down the country, we’re even more excited to see her head back to Europe to defend her world title for a second time.”
“Courtney is doing exceptional things to raise the profile of motocross in New Zealand and abroad. The entire team at Kawasaki New Zealand is proud to be along for the ride and will be cheering her on the entire way,” he says.
PHOTO CREDIT: GEOFF GUTHRIE.
2021 Women’s Motocross World Championship calendar
1 Saturday, July 24 GP of Czech Republic, Loket
2 Saturday, July 31 GP of Flanders-Belgium, Lommel
3 Saturday, September 4 GP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar
4 Saturday, October 16 GP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos
5 Saturday, October 30 – GP of Trentino, Pietramurata
Queens Birthday Weekend Hours
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Rea Doubles Up As Lowes Finishes Strongly
Jonathan Rea (KRT) took both WorldSBK race wins on the final day of action at the Estoril WorldSBK round, with his team-mate Alex Lowes finishing sixth in the short Superpole race and then fourth in Race Two.
Jonathan Rea extended his championship lead in the FIM Superbike World Championship after two tough race wins under the sun on the new Ninja ZX-10RR.
In the ten-lap Tissot Superpole race, held one day after Rea had finished third in Race One, he was on top form again to take his third win of the 2021 season.
Rea, like his team-mate Alex Lowes, had chosen an SC0 standard rear tyre for the ten lap race, an unusual choice as the SCX was specifically developed for this intense sprint competition. The choice worked to perfection for Rea, who finally motored away from his rivals on the ‘X’ rear option, leading the final five laps, and winning from Toprak Razgatlioglu by 0.690 seconds.
In the Superpole race Lowes started from tenth after being caught in the wrong sector of the track during a yellow flag incident in Superpole on Saturday, losing his third best qualifying time as a result. Having started from tenth place again in the Superpole race Lowes fought through speedily and assuredly to secure sixth place.
In the final 21-lap race of the Estoril weekend Rea was involved in a fight for the win with other riders for a time, and finally Scott Redding. Redding fell shortly after Rea had passed him on lap 15. Rea kept up a strong pace until the end, again on an SC0 tyre choice, to win from Chaz Davies by 2.787 seconds. Rea has now won four 2021 races and increased his career WorldSBK victory total to 103.
In the second race Lowes started from the second row thanks to his good showing in the short Superpole race earlier in the day. He made the most of his better starting position and finished fourth, just under three seconds from the podium places.
In the championship standings Rea has 110 points, Razgatlioglu 75, Redding 72 and Lowes 62.
After Estoril, WorldSBK race action resumes for round three at Misano in Italy, June 11-13.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “They are never easy but race two was fun, to be honest. I had a proper moment with Rinaldi in T4 and could have been down and then Laverty came through with good pace. I thought I was in trouble because the majority of the grid had the SCX tyre, and I opted for the SC0. I really believed in it, to be honest. But after those three or four laps I wasn’t convinced. But, once I got a bit of clear track I could see that Toprak and Chaz were not going away, and I just tried to keep the gap. Then all of a sudden Toprak got a long lap penalty and that is like a free pass for track position. He is hard to pass. Scott was in a really solid rhythm but I was catching him in sectors two, three and four, but I was struggling a little bit in sector one. Step-by-step I got there. I was pretty happy to be able to stay there in the slipstream. I could feel Scott trying to pass in Turn Four and then I saw on my pitboard that he was out. Unfortunate for him but it gave me a bit of breathing space and let me concentrate on my race. Staying in the mid-1’37 lap times was pretty tough out there today because the track temperature was super-high. Kudos to Pirelli because obviously the SC0 tyre is working in quite a wide range, and also kudos to my crew because they made amazing decisions all weekend. To have one podium and two wins means it has been an incredible weekend.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “We made a good recovery today but the Superpole race was hard. Starting from tenth on the grid, and the first corner here being so small, it is difficult to make up a lot of places. Starting from the fourth row was tough, but I got on the back of the lead group, plus Michael Ruben Rinaldi. I felt a little bit faster than him but I could not pass him anywhere on the track. I got a second row start for the second race and that was also tough. In the hotter conditions I did not manage the SCO as well as Jonathan did. The last part of the race, when Razgatlioglu passed me again, I thought I am not fast enough to stay with him today. I wanted to be smart and get some points. I was in a decent position so it was a pretty good two Sunday races, a lot of information and a lot better than we managed here last year.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) fell in the Superpole race and was 14th in race two. He is 15th overall with 12 points. Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki Isaac Vinales was 17th and then 15th today and is now 19th overall. Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) placed 19th and 18th on Sunday in Estoril, his team-mate Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) no-scored in each Sunday race.
2021 KRT Rider WorldSBK Statistics
Jonathan Rea: World Champion 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020
2021: Races 6, Wins 4, Podiums 6, Superpoles 2
Career Race Wins: 103 (88 for Kawasaki)
Career Podiums: 191 (149 for Kawasaki)
Career Poles: 29 (25 for Kawasaki)
Alex Lowes:
2021: Races: 6, Wins 0, Podiums 3, Superpoles 0
Career Race Wins: 2 (1 for Kawasaki)
Career Podiums: 27 (7 for Kawasaki)
Career Poles: 1 (0 for Kawasaki)
8 x Riders’ Championships (Scott Russell 1993, Tom Sykes 2013, Rea 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020), 1 x EVO Riders’ Championship (David Salom 2014)
6 x Manufacturers’ Championships (Ninja ZX-10R 2015 & 2016, Ninja ZX-10RR 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020)
5 x Teams’ Championships (KRT/Provec Racing 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019)
Kawasaki FIM Superbike World Championship Statistics
Total Kawasaki Race Wins: 162 – second overall
Total Kawasaki Podiums: 463 – second overall
Total Kawasaki Poles: 94 – second overall
#NinjaSpirit
#Rea6
#FaceYourself
#Reach100
COURTNEY DUNCAN IS THE QUEEN OF THE KING OF CENTRAL MOTOCROSS EVENT
For all her southern fans who can usually only watch Courtney Duncan on the MXGP livestream, Cromwell’s King of Central motocross event was a chance to witness her at her scintillating best yesterday.
They were treated to fight-from-the-back masterclass by the two-time Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) winner, in the second MX2 race.
There were definite comparisons to be drawn with her penultimate 2020 race in Italy, where she went down right off the start line, before riding the race of her life. Duncan carved through the WMX field to win and secured enough points to help nail her second consecutive world crown.
Heading out as the sole female in the pack of 25 male MX2 riders yesterday, she made it through the first corner before “a rider went down in front of me and I had nowhere to go,” Dunedin-based Duncan says.
Her Kawasaki KX250 ploughed into the muddy Central Otago Motorcycle Club track and picking it back up, she displayed that never give up attitude, for which she has become renowned. Picking her way past the other competitors from dead last, Duncan thrilled all those watching from the track’s embankment.
Setting the race’s fastest lap, just under 4secs quicker than any of her rivals, she had the race leader Dunedin’s Ezra Holmes firmly in her sights. They sailed over the final jump virtually neck and neck, with Holmes just edging ahead over the finish line to win by 1.03secs.
Having won the first MX2 race by just over 5secs, Duncan saved her best for last and tore around the rutted, sandy, technical circuit like a whirlwind, taking the chequered flag 38.1secs ahead of Invercargill rider Jack Symon.
She wrapped up the MX2 class, 13 points ahead of Symon and clean-swept the three Ladies races.
While Duncan goes up against the quickest girls in the world in Europe, there was nothing like trading lap times with the Kiwi boys to help her improve.
“I had a good battle going on in the first MX2 race which was cool. Jack definitely kept me on my toes. He put me under pressure and that’s what I need to get better.”
“The men are generally more competitive. A lot more aggressive. They don’t want to get beaten by a girl – that’s the last thing they want. They don’t make it easy on me and it forces me to ride harder,” she says.
After competing in several North Island events, including the inaugural KawiGirls Kings and Queens Motocross event in December, the King of Central was Duncan’s first South Island hit out since competing at the Central Otago Motorcycle Club’s event last year.
After a minor injury break in January, she has been back training on her Kawasaki for a couple of months but there was “nothing like gate time,” she says.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been behind the gate, so it’s good to get the feet wet again.”
The first WMX round of five, is scheduled for July 25 on the Czech Republic’s Loket circuit and Duncan plans to head back to England to rejoin her Kawasaki Dixon Racing team at the end of June. The season has been condensed from its usual March to September timeframe, to wrapping up in three months, with the final round on October 31 in Italy.
As always, Duncan’s goal is to recapture the world championship – making it three from three.
“That’s what we are working towards. At the same time it’s not too much on my mind. I want to nail my prep and make sure I’m in the best shape I can be leaving in June. I’m making sure I’m doing the work and ticking all the boxes. Giving it my all each day.”
Duncan has made bike time the priority and goes riding four days a week – changing up the tracks. On top of that she hits the gym and does her cardio and recovery sessions to ensure she’s got the speed, as she builds a strong fitness base.
“Just doing whatever I can to be ready.”
WORDS: CATHERINE PATTISON
PHOTO CREDIT: SOPHIE PENNICOTT PHOTOGRAPHY MOTOCROSS.
Small Business Day - 9th April 2021
It’s a day where you might get paid to get a WOF, get a haircut, or get that leak fixed – it’s Small Business Day!
Spend with a small business on the day, share a pic of the experience, and you’ll be in to win $150,000 worth of prizes!
Get the details at www.smallbusiness day.co.nz.
T&Cs apply.
Charged Electric Balance Bike
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