Yamaha's May Keeps the Win Streak Going

AUGUST 6, 2018: The win streak stretches on for Auckland motorcycle racer Callan May.

The 26-year-old electrician from Titirangi made it look easy as he took over the lead soon after the start of Sunday's Yamaha NZXC Cross-country Series race near Palmerston North and romped to a convincing four-minute win over fellow Yamaha ace Adam Easton.

This was May's fifth straight victory at a major event since returning to the sport after a frustrating eight-month spell sidelined with injury.

Sunday's race at the Taikorea Motorcycle Park near Himatangi was the second round of six in the NZXC Series and, after also winning the opening round of that too, near Tokoroa a fortnight earlier, it means he now has a solid points lead in the chase for the senior trophy.

It has been a sweet return to racing for May over the past couple of months, with him also taking his Yamaha YZ250FX to win rounds two and three of the Dirt Guide Series cross-country competition in June and July respectively, before dominating the second round of three in the separate Motomuck Two-man Series in the Woodhill Forest just over a week ago.

May rode solo to also win round one of the Motomuck Two-man Series and so he is solidly on top of the standings in that series too, with just the final round still to come.

Third best in Sunday's two-hour race at Taikorea, finishing about three minutes behind May and Easton, was Wainuiomata's Jake Whitaker (KTM 300 XC), with Whanganui's Seth Reardon (Yamaha YZ250FX) and Ararimu's Richard Sutton (Yamaha YZ125) rounding out the top five.

"I'm a little surprised I won so easily today, to be honest. I've been feeling under the weather with 'man flu' all week," said May afterwards.

"I didn't do any riding during the week and just rested up. I rode conservatively today and just tried to save my energy. I rode sensibly, but I still feel pretty tired now."

Meanwhile, the top finishers in the 90-minute junior race at Taikorea were Taupo's Wil Yeoman (Yamaha YZ125), Oparau's Hunter Scott and Tauranga's Jack McLean, followed by Morrinsville's Liam Calley and Muriwai's JayRoy Skinner.

The Yamaha NZXC Series continues at Muriwai on September 2; hits Matata on October 13; then heads to the Woodhill Forest, on November 10, before it finally wraps up at Waimiha, in the King Country, on December 8.

The race at Muriwai is a double-header event because it stands as both round three of the Motomuck Two-Man Series as well as round three of the Yamaha NZXC Series.

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