Taranaki's Renny Johnston (Husqvarna FE350), on his way to winning two New Zealand titles at the weekend. Photo by Andy
McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
He may describe himself as a "weekend warrior" these days, but Taranaki motorcycle shop owner Renny Johnston certainly
made the most of his Easter Weekend, taking an enduro bike to win two national motocross titles.
The 35-year-old father-of-two had assembled his a Husqvarna FE350 enduro bike just two days before the weekend's racing
at the 2021 New Zealand MX TT Nationals at Taupiri, and certainly didn't arrive at the North Waikato venue with any
great expectations of winning. He reckons he was "just there for a good time".
What was even more remarkable was that Johnston had taken the bike out of the workshop of his Inglewood business and,
with the 2021-model demo bike barely run in, he entered himself in the premier MX1 class at Taupiri.
He knew what was in store for him and his untested new machine, a couple of brutal days of racing against some of the
country's most experienced 450cc bike racers – from the motocross, cross-country, enduro scenes and even from the
road-racing community as well.
The racing was tight – Rotorua enduro and cross-country ace Ethan Harris had been on top of the MX1 class standings, but
just one point clear of Johnston, as the riders lined up for the final MX1 class race of the weekend.
Whomever finished in front of the other in this final showdown would take the glory.
In the end, Johnston finished his weekend with an impressive race victory, his 2-1-4-3-1 score-card in the five MX1
class races giving him the title by six points from Harris, who had suffered his worst result of the weekend, a fourth,
in that fateful final race.
Another Rotorua rider, Callum Dudson, rounded out the MX1 podium in third overall.
"I had ridden the same model bike before, so it wasn't as if I didn't know what the bike was like to ride or what it was
capable of," said the modest Johnston.
A glutton for punishment, Johnston had also entered with the same bike into the veterans' 35-44 years' class, therefore
giving his body and his bike double the gruelling workout endured by many of his rivals.
Johnston won this class too, finishing three points clear of renowned Huntly cross-country racing exponent Michael
Vining, Johnston therefore achieving two New Zealand title wins in the same weekend.
Other class winners at the weekend were Te Aroha's Luke van der Lee (MX2 class); Auckland's Damon Nield (senior 125cc
class); New Plymouth's Mitch Rowe (veterans' over-45 years and the Classic pre-1996 bikes class); Hamilton’s Mikayla
Rowe (women's class and the Classic Pre-2002 bikes class); Rotorua's Ticayla Manson (junior women’s 12-16 years' 150cc & 250cc class); Waimauku's Ruby Leach (junior women’s 8-16 years' 85cc and 150cc class); New Plymouth's Shane Smith
(clubmans MX3 class); Te Awamutu's Jack Carmichael (junior 14-16 years', 250cc); Waihi's Luke Maitland (junior 12-16
years', 125cc); Hamilton's Carson Mackie (junior 12-16 years', 85cc); Wairoa's Connor Cavaney (mini 65cc class) and
Helensville's Adam Bockett (mini 50cc class).
Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com