Otago riders Scott Columb and Courtney Duncan had stunning returns to form at the annual Michael Godfrey Memorial Motocross near Christchurch at the weekend.
Palmerston's Duncan had an unblemished race record with four wins from four in the senior 125cc class on her Yamaha YZ125. The 18-year-old also dominated the separate women's grade, winning each of her outings.
Duncan said she was happy to be back racing again after taking some time out since the start of
the year because she ''just had a few things we needed to sort out''. ''I'm enjoying it more than ever.''
The Queenstown-based Columb (30) had a victorious debut on his new Yamaha YZ450F, with three wins and a runner-up finish. He won the premier senior MX1 class, ending the abbreviated event six points clear of Taupo's Brad Groombridge.
''I was conserving my energy a little bit in race four, expecting that I'd need that for the feature race coming up. But it wasn't to be, with the event cut short by the tragedy,'' Columb explained.
Although pleased with his winning form after recovering from a shoulder injury, his celebration was tinged with sadness because of the death of fellow competitor Trent Haywood (14) in a junior class on Sunday.
Haywood, of Tauranga, crashed on a jump and died during the first of Sunday's junior 14-16 years' 250cc class races. As a sign of respect, the rest of the day's racing was abandoned.
''It was a horrible way to end the event,'' former national champion Columb said.
''Trent died doing something that he loved and he was riding so well, too. I extend, on behalf of my Altherm JCR Yamaha Team, condolences to the Haywood family.''
Columb said his YZ450F was ''brilliant'' and he was happy with his results after having several weeks off the bike resting an inflamed shoulder injury he sustained at round two of the motocross nationals in February.
He also raced his Yamaha YZ250 in the MX2 class although a crash in the first race saw him finish 7-1-2-1 in his four outings to end the event runner-up to Takaka's Hamish Harwood.
Columb and Duncan are likely to be in New Zealand for the winter months but are open to accepting racing opportunities overseas.
