Nelson Rider Continues To Lead After Round Two

South Islander Bailey Basalaj continues to lead the way, but the pressure may be on for him with the third and final weekend of racing now less than seven days away.

He won the opening round of the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Enduro Championships near Nelson in April and probably felt there was a target on his back when he arrived at round two near Whanganui over King’s Birthday Weekend.

The Honda rider from Nelson was in his element as the first of three-rounds of the 2025 series was raced near home turf in the South Island, but he showed he could still produce the goods after crossing Cook Strait and heading three hours’ north to Whanganui for two days of racing on Sunday and Monday.

Bailey won the ‘sprint’ segment of the competition day on Sunday, but was forced to settle for third overall during the main enduro on Monday, although his 1-3 score for the two days was still enough to give him the overall edge over Masterton’s Max Williams (who finished runner-up with 2-4 results over the two days), Whangamata’s Ethan Jamieson (third, 3-7), Owaka’s Blake Affleck (fourth, 4-6) and Amberley’s Nathan Hodge (fifth, 5-5).

The unluckiest rider in the premier Expert AA grade was perhaps New Plymouth’s Josh Houghton (sixth overall for the weekend, with a 16-1 score-card).

Houghton had a minor mechanic issue to deal with on Sunday and this obviously cost him dearly because he was certainly on fire on Monday, winning three of the five tightly-timed sections, ahead of Taupo’s Wil Yeoman, and clinching overall honours for the day.

"It was a fantastic course and the weather conditions perfect, testing for all riders, but still a lot of fun,” said acting Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson.

“It was just damp enough to keep the dust down and we really could not have asked for better.

“Josh Houghton was really on the pace on Monday and Wil Yeoman and Bailey Basalaj were too.”

Best of the intermediate (A grade) riders at the weekend was Masterton’s George Callaghan, followed by Whanganui’s Jason Wakeling and Stratford’s Megan Collins. Leading rider in the B–Trail class was Wakefield’s Cam Clarke, with Palmerston North’s Jarrod Amey topping the B-Junior class.

The third and final round of the series is set for farmland near Masterton, next weekend, on June 7-8.

In addition to Yamaha-Motor New Zealand, the 2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championships are supported by Motorcycling New Zealand, Tasman Pine Forests Ltd, Macaulay Metals, Best Build Construction, Silver-bullet web site and Kiwi Rider magazine.

2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Champs calendar:

Round 1: April 25-26, Nelson. Day 1, 725 Dovedale Road, Day 2 Moutere Highway, 3.8km west of the Redwood Valley Hall.

Round 2: June 1-2, near Whanganui.

Round 3: June 7-8, Ruakokoputuna Hall, Martinborough District, South Wairarapa.

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