Taranaki Brothers Dominate Quad Nationals

Taranaki Brothers Dominate Quad Nationals

NOVEMBER 19, 2011: Stratford brothers Camo and Scott Keegan blasted their way to the top of the New Zealand quad bike racing scene at the weekend in a riding display that could only be described as phenomenal.

The two Taranaki men were in a class all their own as they took their Honda TRX450R-model bikes to finish 1-2 at the top of the premier grade at the McIndoe Group Motorcycles-sponsored two-day New Zealand ATV Championships near Te Kuiti, the only real threat to their respective positions coming from one another, although Tauranga’s Mark Goldstone (Yamaha) was always close enough to pounce if a mistake was made.

But Camo Keegan, in particular, doesn’t make many mistakes.

The 24-year-old mechanic won four of the seven premier grade races – and was runner-up in the other three – and also backed that up by winning the lesser 750cc open expert class as well, this time riding a CanAm 450.

Auckland’s Andrew Vincent (Yamaha) was runner-up in the 750cc open expert class, with another dual-class ironman, Goldstone, taking third spot on the podium.

Scott Keegan, a 22-year-old bricklayer, won the final three premier grade races of the weekend and that earned him the North Island title in the premier grade.

This is because there was double significance to Sunday’s four races, with points from those races being counted twice – Sunday’s races constituted the North Island ATV Championships and they also represented the final four of seven races to be tallied towards the national crown.

“It was tough doing two classes,” said Camo Keegan afterwards. “I was absolutely knackered at the end of the weekend. I played it a little safe on Sunday because I knew I’d done enough to get the national title just by finishing second to Scott in those last races. 

“I’ve been training pretty hard. I think fitness is the key to winning.”

For multi-time former champion Ian Ffitch, of Amberley, his 2013 title bid was to last just one and a half races. When he discovered his after-market rear shock was leaking oil on the start line for race two on Saturday, he quickly borrowed another bike – rival Camo Keegan generously offering up his spare bike for Ffitch to use – but Ffitch later withdrew from the race and opted to spend the rest of the weekend as a spectator.

“I didn’t feel comfortable trying to push hard on someone else’s bike,” Ffitch explained.

Other class winners were Warkworth’s Ben Smith (Suzuki), who won the 450cc production class ahead of New Plymouth’s Jack Burr (CanAm); Kaiwaka’s Curtis Cullen (Yamaha), who won the 250cc junior production class ahead of Auckland’s Lucas Burborough (Yamaha); Auckland’s Craig Ridgley (KTM), who won the veterans’ class ahead of Napier’s Wade Taylor (CanAm); Rotorua’s Emma Goldstone (Yamaha), who won the women’s class ahead of Napier’s Brittany Wealleans (Suzuki) and Massey’s Kyle Chandler (Suzuki), who won the clubmans’ class ahead of Kaiwaka’s Hemi Curtis (Yamaha).

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

ENDS

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