KIWI RIDER JANUARY 2021 VOL2 | Page 18

DIRT NEWS

DYLAN YEARBURY EXTENDS HIS WINNING RUN

I t has been quite a magnificent season of motorcycle racing for Waikato ’ s Dylan Yearbury . The 25-year-old Cambridge builder kicked off the 2020 season by finishing runner-up to fellow Kiwi international Hamish Macdonald in the New Zealand Enduro Championships – that competition abbreviated and having a late start and then an early finish in July because of the COVID-19 pandemic – and he finished that series ahead of notables Seth Reardon , from Whanganui , Helensville ’ s Tom Buxton , Raglan ’ s Jason Dickey and Manawatu ’ s Paul Whibley . A work-place injury then sidelined him from tackling the opening round of the New Zealand Extreme Off-Road Championship series in September , but he more than made up for that no-show by taking his Husqvarna TE300i to win all three rounds that followed – in Whangamata , Napier and Christchurch – to comfortably win that national title , this time edging out Wainuiomata ’ s Jake Whitaker and Buxton . It was the second time he ’ d won that silverware , having also won the inaugural New Zealand Extreme Off-Road Championship series in 2018 . The Husqvarna star then pushed on in late November to wrap up the 2020 Dirt Guide Crosscountry series , winning the delayed third and final round at Ohakuri , south of Tokoroa , on November 28 . Yearbury had finished runner-up to former Kiwi international Whibley at this series opener in June , but then rocketed to an impressive win at round two in July , finishing a solid 46 seconds ahead of Buxton , with Whibley claiming third overall that day . This series too was disrupted by the pandemic and the third and final round set for August was then postponed until now and it was a fully-fit and on-form Yearbury who showed up at Ohakuri for the final round . “ I got the holeshot ... a great start , and then I just rode off into the bush ahead of the bunch . I pulled about 30 seconds on my pursuers on the first lap and then another 30 second on lap two . I settled into a rhythm after that and just enjoyed riding on my own really ,” he laughed . Yearbury eventually crossed the finish line more than two minutes ahead of runner-up man Whibley . “ That ’ s all for me for the year now ,” said Yearbury . “ It ’ s certainly been a great season all-around . I wasn ’ t able to race overseas at all this year ( because of the pandemic ), but I guess I made up for that by winning races at home .” Whibley finished overall runner-up in the Dirt Guide series , with Buxton finishing third outright . The series honours in the intermediate grade went to Hamilton ’ s Rowan Watt , while the junior grade was won by Rotorua ’ s Daniel Bates , with Auckland ’ s Ryan Hayward and Whangamata ’ s Ethan Jameson rounding out the top three . Gisborne ’ s Angus Thomas won the mini 7-11 years ’ motocross grade , finishing ahead of Taupiri ’ s Fergus Fulton and Ongarue ’ s Zach Davey , while Rotorua ’ s Adrian Briggs won the mini 7-11 years ’ trail bike grade ahead of Te Puke ’ s Toby Ahomiro and Taupo ’ s Sam Brear . The Dirt Guide Series was sponsored by Michelin , Bel Ray , Renthal , O ’ Neal , DRC , Zeta , Kiwi Rider Magazine , Oakley goggles , Ogio , TCX boots , Yoshimura , Forest Trail Events and SatCo Logging Equipment .

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