Kiwi Girls Stuns Americans

Kiwi Girls Stuns Americans

MAY 21, 2013: New Zealand's Courtney Duncan took the opening round of the Women's Motocross Triple Crown by storm in the United States at the weekend.

The Yamaha ace from Otago swept both motos of the day in her WMX class debut at the weekend’s 45th running of the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic, the opening round of the US motocross nationals in Sacramento, California.

Duncan beat Japan’s Sayaka Kaneshiro, who finished second overall with a 2-3 score, and Texas native Taylor Higgins rounded out the overall podium.

Australian Yamaha rider Mackenzie Tricker finished the day fourth overall.
Six-time WMX champion Jessica Patterson finished second in race two, but bad luck in the first moto gave her only 10th overall for the day.

“Today I achieved a dream I've had since day one,” said Duncan.

“To win my first ever Pro National in my debut is the best feeling in the world. Don't wake me up.”

It has been an outstanding year for the 17-year-old from Palmerston, halfway between Oamaru and Dunedin.

The former New Zealand junior motocross champion was in scintillating form as she made her senior motocross championships debut at round one of the 2013 series near Timaru in February.

She took her GMD Backflips Yamaha YZ125 bike to 1-2-3 results in her three 125cc class outings, enough to win the day overall from fellow Yamaha young guns Cameron Vaughan, of Rotorua, and Logan Blackburn, of Te Puke.

But, as the steam was still rising from her body at the end of the sweltering day’s racing, she announced that this was the only round of the domestic series that she would contest as she packed her helmet and boots for the United States.

The writing was already on the wall that perhaps she had out-grown competition in this part of the world and now, with her stunning back-to-back wins at the weekend, she has revealed that she is destined for greater things.

Words by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

ENDS

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