A BIT OF A TRADITION | Bikesportnz

Winning motocross titles is becoming something of a tradition for the Chase family from Taupo.

Yamaha rider Wyatt Chase was simply unstoppable as he romped to five wins from five starts to easily win the 15-16 years’ 125cc motocross crown at the three-day New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships near Te Kuiti at the weekend.

In doing so he made sure the Chase family carried on a winning habit, after his elder brother Cohen, who is now a senior rider and acted as his pit crew at the weekend, won the 14-16 years’ 250cc title at the junior nationals last season, when it was staged at Reefton, on the west coast of the South Island.

For 15-year-old Wyatt Chase, victory at the weekend was also his second consecutive national junior title after he had celebrated winning his first junior motocross title 12 months ago, on that occasion narrowly beating Taihape’s Hayden Smith (KTM) to take the 13-16 years’ 85cc class crown.

But his win this time around Chase was far more impressive as he raced his Yamaha YZ125 to five straight wins, untroubled after grabbing the holeshot each time, and he was never headed as he roared to victory.

Chase headed off Te Kuiti’s Sean Kelly (Yamaha), who finished with a 2-5-3-3-2 score-card for the event, making it a Yamaha 1-2. Third overall was Feilding rider Tony Cvitanovich (KTM).

“There was nobody got in front of me all weekend, except when I came around to lap riders,” he smiled.

What was more remarkable was that it was his first major meeting since breaking his collarbone and undergoing surgery after a crash in February.

“I only got the medical clearance to be able to ride three weeks ago,” he said.

“But I had been mountain-biking and going to the gym to keep my fitness up,” said Chase, a year 11 student at Tauhara College in Taupo.

“I intend to try to defend this title next season and perhaps also race the 14-16 years’ 250cc class as well, but, in the meantime, I will be heading across the Tasman to tackle the Australian Junior Motocross Championships near Perth at the end of September.

Chase is supported by Yamaha-Motor New Zealand, Filco Farm and Sport, Total Oil, Fox, Dunlop, Pro Taper, ODI, Talon, Backflips, CFX, MX Timing, K Tech, FMF, Nano Energiser, BikesportNZ.com, Moss Institute, Oxford Pies and Aspiring Health.