Birch Closes in on Another National Title

Birch Closes in on Another National Title

CAPTION: Taupo's Brad Groombridge (Suzuki RM-Z450), perhaps a fly in the ointment for some of the regular enduro competitors at the weekend. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

APRIL 7, 2015: Rounds four and five of the New Zealand Enduro Championships in the South Island over the Easter Weekend break turned out to be another Chris Birch benefit, the Auckland man extending his unbeaten run to five in a row.

A double-header weekend of racing was expected to sort the men from the boys and Glen Eden's Birch (KTM 350 XC-F) showed he was still "the man" when it comes to enduro racing.

With just two rounds left to race in the KTM-sponsored series, the 2015 title is really his for the taking.

Multi-time former champion Birch was in scintillating form over the weekend and there were no surprises in his continuing to stretch his unbeaten run, but what may have come as something of a surprise was where Birch's main challenges came from, particularly at round four, near Christchurch, on Saturday.

Christchurch rider Hamish McDonald ended the day second overall on the steep course on Banks Peninsular, finishing just 49 seconds behind Birch, while a rider not a recognised enduro exponent, Taupo's Brad Groombridge, finished third overall.

Howick's Liam Draper finished fourth overall on Saturday and maintained his position at overall series runner-up.

Groombridge is an accomplished cross-country racer and is mostly recognised as one of New Zealand's leading MX1 motocross racers, but his performance in finishing third at this national enduro championship round is really something special for the Suzuki rider to celebrate.

Round five on Easter Monday was staged just down the road in the Berwick Forest at Mosgiel, inland from Dunedin, and once again Birch was supreme, albeit winning the day by just five seconds from fellow Auckland rider Chris Power, in his tightest winning margin this season.

Draper, riding a Husqvarna TE125, finished third on Monday and remains overall runner-up for the series, although still 29 points adrift of Birch.

Draper is, however, dominating the battle-within-a-battle for under-200cc two-stroke class honours.

Groombridge finished sixth overall on Monday, just behind Wellington's multi-time national moto trials champion Jake Whitaker, but, because these two South Island events were Groombridge's only enduro outings of the season thus far, he really has no chance of clinching top honours in either the overall or individual bike classifications.

The series continues with round six is at Waimiha on Saturday, May 9, and then wraps up at the seventh and final round near Tokoroa on Sunday, May 10.

ENDS

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