May Has Revenge Over Forest Course

May Has Revenge Over Forest Course

AUGUST 13, 2013: It was nearly the perfect comeback for Callan May when he raced the big annual Dead Toad Cross-country race in the Woodhill Forest, near Auckland, at the weekend.

It was ideal revenge, of sorts, for the Titirangi electrician because this was the same venue that cost him so much a year earlier, when he crashed out of the Dead Toad race, forcing him to the sidelines for three months with quite serious injuries.

“I had a cut liver and kidneys, torn cartilage and fractured three vertebrae and it stopped me from contesting the big annual Four-Day Enduro in Australia.”

However, at the 2013 edition of that event at the weekend, the Kiwi Rider BikesportNZ.com Yamaha ace made no mistakes and came incredibly close to upsetting the favourite, Tarawera 100 race winner Ben Townley, before eventually settling for second.

Incredibly, after more than three hours of brutal racing, May finished just five seconds behind former world motocross champion and 450cc rider Townley, of Tauranga.

“My mishap there last year was in the back of my mind when I turned to the Dead Toad at the weekend and, to tell the truth, I wasn’t too concerned about the result. I just wanted to finish. To nearly win it is a great outcome for me,” said the 21-year-old.

“I got a reasonable start after the shotgun blast and was about fifth as we entered the bush, about 400 metres after the start. It took me a bit of time to get past Auckland’s Freddie Milford-Cottam and Masterton’s Reuben Vermeer, but, after that, I was riding on my own for a while.

“I caught up to Auckland’s Chris Power and went past him when he had a spot of trouble with a log. I just ride smooth and consistent after that and then caught up to Townley near the end.

“I must have made up some time on him in the tight forest stuff. I even managed to pass him about halfway through that last lap but, on a steep, sandy uphill he powered back past me. I just couldn’t match the power of his 450cc bike.”

With May finishing second, Power (Yamaha WR450F) third, Vermeer (Yamaha YZ450F) fourth and Auckland’s Luke Mobberley (Yamaha YZ125) fifth, it meant there were four Yamahas in the top five.

Townley won the Expert over-200cc two-stroke/over-300cc four-stroke class title, ahead of Power and Vermeer, while May won the Expert under-200cc two-stroke/under-300cc four-stroke class ahead of Mobberley and Auckland’s Liam Draper.

The next big outing for May will be to tackle the annual Suzuki Six-Hour, just south of Tokoroa, at the beginning of October.

May is supported by Kiwi Rider magazine, TCX Boots, Fox apparel, Ariete Goggle, Michelin tyres, Graphic Creations, Yamalube GYTR, Victor Contractors, MotoSR, BikesportNZ.com and Yamaha Motor New Zealand.

ENDS

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