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| Yamaha NZ Rider lineup 2009 |
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YAMAHA NOT RESTING ON ITS LAURELS
CAPTION: Hamilton's Darryll King (Yamaha), continuing to spearhead the Yamaha motocross effort in New Zealand. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
FEBRUARY 4, 2009: National titles are safely tucked away but the battle continues and Yamaha has vowed to keep up the fight.
Cambridge rider Damien King ran off with the national MX1 and 125cc motocross titles late last year, as did Mangakino's Kayne Lamont when he won his class in the junior nationals, leading home a Yamaha 1-2-3 in the 13-16 years' 85cc division.
That's some pretty impressive silverware to hang up in the trophy room, but that doesn't mean the folk at Yamaha are resting on their laurels, quite the contrary.
This year the main thrust of Yamaha's motocross assault will again be centred around the factory-supported Subway Yamaha Team, with two-time former world motocross No.2 Darryll King again captaining the ship.
The Subway Yamaha Motocross team for 2009 will comprise Damien King, Cambridge's Keiran Leigh, Pukekohe's two-time former women's world motocross champion Katherine Prumm and the squad will also have many-time New Zealand champion Darryll King also racing selected New Zealand events, as well as tackling the world veterans' Motocross Championships in Europe.
In addition to the awesome foursome of the Subway Yamaha squad, Yamaha has incredible strength with it's 'satellite' riders -- Henderson Motorcycles is the backer for Warkworth motocross ace Hamish Dobbyn and Waikato Yamaha again supports Kayne Lamont.
"I am really looking forward to 2009," said Subway team boss Darryll King.
"We have the two-time New Zealand motocross champion Damien King heading our team line-up. Keiran Leigh will be our young rider who we will continue to help and develop throughout the year.
"Katherine Prumm will still be part of our team 100%. She will be attending selected events and supporting all Yamaha riders where she can.
"My focus is the world vet champs and selected events such as the Tarawera 100 and some of the motocross events throughout New Zealand.
"Hamish Dobbyn has the support of Henderson Motorcycles and he has a huge year ahead of him in Australia and beyond. I am really looking forward to watching his career move forward fast."
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| KING STILL THE MAN TO BEAT |
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Cambridge's Damien King (Yamaha), still the man to beat in this year's nationals. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
DATE: 10-Nov-2008
The Subway Yamaha team rider continues to lead two of the premier classes after round two of the New Zealand Motocross Championships near Hastings on Sunday.
The 32-year-old former Grand Prix star took his Yamaha YZ450F to finish second and third in his two MX1 (open class) outings on the steep, dry and dusty Hawke's Bay farmland circuit, enough to maintain his position at the top, two points clear of his nearest challenger, Tauranga's Peter Broxholme.
With Broxholme scoring identical points thanks to his 3-2 scoreline, the gap between the two remains the same. There are just two rounds to go to complete the series with the next event near Timaru on December 6-7 and the final set for King's childhood home of New Plymouth, just a week later, on December 13-14.
King (Yamaha YZ125) also leads the 125cc class and, with back-to-back wins at Hastings, he has stretched his advantage to 14 points over Taupo teenager Cameron Dillon.
"I'm definitely happy to still be leading both classes," said King.
"I didn't feel I had the pace in the MX1 class, though. It's hard to jump from one bike to the next and still doing everything perfectly. It takes me two or three laps to get going.
"It's hard to get the gear selections right when you leap from a 450cc four-stroke to a 125cc two-stroke and back again."
Meanwhile, fellow Yamaha rider Cameron Negus is fourth equal in the 125cc class.
The man from Rotorua, a renowned cross-country specialist, finished sixth and seventh on Sunday as positions swapped among the top 10 riders for lap after frenetic lap.
Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
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| SUBWAY YAMAHA MEN PASS ON THE SKILLS |
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CAPTION: Hamilton's Darryll KIng (right), helps give Feilding motocross rider Haki Waller a fitness work-out. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
AUGUST 12, 2008: Hamilton's Darryll King is the go-to guy for motocross in New Zealand.
The Yamaha ace, head of the high-profile Subway Yamaha Race Team, and his team-mate and brother Damien King were called upon by Motorcycling New Zealand to help train the champions of tomorrow and he was only too glad to step up to the plate.
New Zealand will, for the first time, host a motocross world championship event next year -- the 2009 FIM Junior World Motocross Championships, set to take place at Taupo next August 15-16 -- and the aim is for New Zealanders to fill as many spots as they can on the qualifying grid.
So far, more than 60 riders have been identified as "most likely to succeed" and they have so far been involved in two separate three-day MNZ coaching and fitness testing sessions in Hamilton.
The King brothers were integral in the two sessions, the first phase of the selection process that could, hopefully, see 20 or 30 of the Kiwi candidates progress to the qualifying stage of the world championships.
The vast international experience of the King brothers, former GP stars in Europe, was seen as an invaluable asset by MNZ, the sport's governing body in New Zealand.
Both Darryll and Damien King are multi-time national champions and Darryll King was world 500cc runner-up twice, in 1997 and 1998, before heading to Australia to pick up three national titles there. Damien is the reigning New Zealand 125cc champion.
Their early assessment of the young Kiwis hopefuls is both positive and encouraging.
"We want to get as many Kiwis qualifying as we can," said Darryll King.
"We have some amazing motocross talent in New Zealand but there is still a lot of hard work ahead for them to get to the level required to compete at world championship level.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge of getting them to that level."
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CAPTION: Hamilton's Darryll King (Subway Yamaha), virtually unbeatable in Tahiti. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
AUGUST 4, 2008: A New Zealander has been crowned king of Tahiti.
With Yamaha France supplying a new 2008-model YZ450F, Hamilton's Darryll King was primed to dominate at a two-day motocross race meeting on the Pacific Island paradise at the weekend.
Escaping the rough weather that has been dousing New Zealand in recent weeks, it came as a kind of working holiday for the former world 500cc No.2 and a multi-time New Zealand motocross champion as he agreed to also run one of his popular MXDK Motocross training schools for all the local riders from New Caledonia and Tahiti.
"We had more than 30 riders take advantage of the opportunity, which was fantastic. The school was free of charge for all riders," said King.
And when it came to the business of racing, King showed he could do just as well as he could teach, winning all but one of the six races he contested over the two days.
"I went 1-2-1-1-1-1 in the six 25-minute races," he said.
Finishing runner-up to King was Steve Kromodimedjo, from New Caledonia, and third was local rider Jairus Guillox.
“My first trip to Tahiti was 20 years ago. I have learned so much from the 12 races I have been to in Tahiti over the years," said King.
"The riders there are getting better and better. I wanted to offer some motocross training to the riders and it gives me a chance to keep my French at a high standard. We have planned to keep up regular trips to Tahiti and help out their top riders."
There is an international supercross planned for Tahiti on December 19-20 and King said the promoters want to arrange for a full New Zealand team - including 85cc and 250cc riders -- to attend.
There will also be riders at the event from the United States, Japan, Australia and France.
"This is exciting for New Zealand supercross and motocross riders and a chance for them to gauge themselves against international talent."
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| BROTHERS FINISH 1-2 AT YAMAHA TARAWERA 100 |
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CAPTION: Cambridge's Damien King (Yamaha), again on the top step of the podium. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
JULY 14, 2008: Sponsored by Yamaha and with Yamaha riders finishing 1-2, this season’s 31st annual Tarawera 100 cross-country motorcycle endurance race was a right royal occasion.
Fresh from dominating at the New Zealand TT Championships near Kuratau the previous weekend, two men named King stood side by side of the top of the podium when this year’s edition of the Yamaha Tarawera 100 wrapped up near Kawerau on Saturday afternoon.
Damien King (32) and his 39-year-old sibling rival and Subway Yamaha team-mate Darryll King finished 1-2 respectively.
Cambridge’s Damien King (Yamaha YZ450F) ended the race nearly two minutes ahead of Darryll King (Yamaha YZ250).
Darryll King led the more than 300 riders out of turn one but he soon had company as his younger brother began to close in on his more powerful 450cc bike.
“I was cold on the first lap but, once I warmed up I was soon up behind Darryll and took the lead from him on lap two," said Damien.
“It’s great to have a Yamaha 1-2 at an event they sponsor,” he said.
Damien King also won the over-300cc four-stroke class, while Darryll King's runner-up finish was easily enough for him to claim the over-201cc two-stroke class honours.
Meanwhile, Rotorua's former Tarawera 100 winner Cam Negus (Yamaha) took a YZ125 into battle this year, hoping to take the under-200cc two-stroke class win. He eventually finished a creditable ninth overall and settled for runner-up spot in the small bike class, behind Taupo's Brad Groombridge.
Whakatane rider Darren Capill (Yamaha YZ450F) made the most of his home-town support to finish 20th overall and win the veterans' 35-39 years' division, ahead of bike magazine journalist Shane McDonald, who was riding a Yamaha test bike.
Enduro and trials ace Rory Mead (Whitby) took a WR250F to 11th overall and runner-up spot in the under-300cc four-stroke class, behind Tauranga's Ben Thomasen.
Tokoroa's Sean Clarke won the super vets (over 40 years) class on yet another Yamaha.
It was a story of courage and determination for Mangakino's Kayne Lamont (Yamaha YZ125).
Making his debut at the Tarawera 100, Lamont suffered the worst of starts, becoming trapped on the steep and congested hillside just 300 metres into the race.
He eventually extricated himself from the mess but was nearly the last rider to get away.
After three laps of cut and thrust racing, the 15-year-old had passed more than two-thirds of the field and had worked his way up to 90th overall, good enough to rank 14th overall in the under-200cc two-stroke class.
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| KING BROTHERS WIN TT TITLES |
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CAPTION: Cambridge's Damien King (Yamaha) added an other national title to his CV at the weekend. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
JULY 9, 2008: There may not have been any jumps, but the snow, the ruts and the high speed still made winning a bit of a mission for Cambridge Yamaha rider Damien King.
But, as usual, the former GP rider coped admirably, taking his Subway Yamaha YZ250F to the top of the under-300cc four-stroke class at the New Zealand TT Championships near Kuratau at the weekend.
To compound his glory, the 32-year-old also raced a Subway Yamaha YZ450F to finish runner-up in the open class, missing out on the top step of the podium by just five points.
King finished no worse than third all weekend, beaten to the flag in the weekend's first open class race only by eventual title winner Brad Groombridge (Taupo) and fellow Yamaha rider Jayden Jessup (Wellington).
If not for that result, King may well have added the open class title to his weekend's tally. King eventually recorded 3-1-2-1-2 results in the open class.
But he was faultless in the under-300cc class, winning the title by a comfortable 16 points from Groombridge.
Though also a rival on the race track, Subway Yamaha team boss Darryll King spoke highly of his younger brother's performance.
"Damien and Brad were just two points apart when they went to the line for the last race," said Darryll. "He rode brilliantly all weekend. He did a great job and I'm proud of him."
Following a difficult weekend in which he collided with another rider at high speed and was forced to withdraw from one of the veterans' over-35 years races, Darryll King (39) at least had the consolation of easily winning the 250cc two-stroke title on a Subway Yamaha YZ250.
Though he completed just three of the five vets races, Darryll King still managed to end the weekend fifth overall in that class.
"I had a really enjoyable weekend," said Darryll King afterwards. "Riding in snow was fun but I tweaked my ankle, aggravating an old injury, and I fell a bit short in the 450cc class.
"It was good to win the 250cc two-stroke class and another national title at this stage of my career is always a good, positive result."
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CAPTION: Hamilton's Darryll King (Yamaha), still with the pace to match the country's best motocross talent. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
JUNE 3, 2008: He may be regarded as the grand old man of the sport, but don't you tell Darryll King that.
The 39-year-old was still able to mix it up with some of New Zealand's young rising stars at the weekend's big 25th annual Michael Godfrey Memorial Motocross near Christchurch.
In fact, the head of the Subway Yamaha team, now officially retired from the big time, even took the weekend's main prize, the trophy for winning the feature race.
"I left it with Rodney Faulkner of Canterbury Rides, the Yamaha dealer who sponsored the meeting. I won it for them last year too," King smiled.
King (Yamaha YZF450) also won all five over-35 years' veterans races and finished runner-up in the open class as well.
"I just ride for fun these days but I really wanted to go to this event. It's one of those special ones that I will dust off my boots and come out of retirement to race ... this one and the Yamaha Tarawera 100 (cross-country endurance race) too.
"I loved the racing. It was fantastic. Local rider Justin McDonald (who won the open class) is certainly very fast on his home track. I think he should be looking at racing overseas.
"I turn 40 in January and then I will be training hard to tackle the World Veterans' Motocross Championships in Europe," said King, who was twice runner-up in the 500cc world championships, in 1997 and 1998.
"My body still feels good and, although I'm not in the same shape I was as a younger man, I believe I'm still fast enough to compete with the veterans of Europe."
While in the South Island over Queen's Birthday Weekend, King conducted one of his popular MXDK motocross training schools.
"There was a good turn-out of riders and I was impressed with their attitude," he said.
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| KING LEADS YAMAHA RIDERS BY EXAMPLE |
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Subway Yamaha’s Chris Price, of Hamilton, on the podium at Patetonga at the weekend. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
DATE: 12-Feb-2008
Subway Yamaha Team boss Darryll King led by example at the Valley Motocross Championships at Patetonga, north of Morrinsville, at the weekend.
King raced both days, contesting both the veterans’ class on the Saturday – finishing ahead of Yamaha’s veteran’s world champion Tony Cooksley and a third Yamaha rider, Tauranga’s Keith Paterson -- and also racing in the 250cc two-stroke class the following day.
The 39-year-old King won all six races he entered over the two days.
He also set one of the fastest lap times recorded during the two-day meeting.
“I’m just riding for fun these days,” said the two-time world 500cc No.2 and many-time New Zealand champion.
Meanwhile, new Yamaha signing Katherine Prumm could not have asked for much more from her debut race on the Yamaha YZ250F, finishing eighth overall against the men in the highly-charged 250cc four-stroke class.
The two-time and reigning women’s world champion made the racing look easy.
“I was quite nervous before the weekend, but the day worked out really well and I ended up getting better and better throughout the day,” said the 19-year-old Prumm.
“The Yamaha YZ250F went really well and I am looking forward to my next event,” she said.
Fellow Subway Yamaha team rider, Chris Price, riding a YZ450FX, had his best results in more than a year, finishing second overall in the Pro Open class. Price held the lead for most of the day’s first two races, before getting passed by Nick Saunders (Kawasaki) in the final laps of each race.
Auckland’s Sam Greenslade finished third overall, while Ngatea’s Luke Temple (Yamaha YZ450F) finished 3-5-3 in his three open class races to take fourth overall for the day.
Temple also went out in the 125cc two-stroke class, finishing the day third overall as fellow Yamaha rider Cameron Negus (Rotorua) proved untouchable in winning all three races to top the podium.
Waitakere’s Ethan Martens (Yamaha) was unstoppable in the junior classes, winning all three 14-16 years’ 85cc races and also going unbeaten in the 15-16 years’ 125cc class.
In the 12-14 years 125cc class, it was a Yamaha 1-2-3 as Clevedon’s Joel Doeksen, Waitakere’s Broc Martens and Whangarei’s Michael Purdon hogged the podium, the trio between them sharing first, second and third in all the races.
“It was fantastic to have Katherine on board for the weekend,” said King afterwards. “She has a great presence at race events and I was able to give her plenty of tips to improve her skills on the track.
“The junior day on Saturday was super busy with record entry numbers. The Subway Yamaha motocross team had a prime position in the pits and we were busy signing autographs and helping Yamaha riders all day long,” King said.
“We are doing all we can to assist the Yamaha junior development riders and groom them so they can perhaps move on to the Subway Yamaha Team in the future. We just want to help as many Yamaha riders as we can.” |
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| YAMAHA’S PRUMM REVS UP FOR PATETONGA |
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Women’s world champion Katherine Prumm, with her new Yamaha YZ250F. (photo by Derek Houghton, MXDK Yamaha)
DATE: 4-Feb-2008
Blue is Katherine Prumm’s favourite colour and now motorcycles of the blue variety will play a large part in the racing career of the two-time women’s world motocross champion from Auckland.
It was announced this week that the 19-year-old will now race for Yamaha and she will defend her world title on a YZ250F in Europe this season.
After a glittering career, one in which she has won several New Zealand, Australian and then two world titles, the “Bombay Bullet” will have her first ride on her new Yamaha YZ250F at the Valley Motocross Championships at Patetonga next weekend (February 10).
“It’s a new team, a new bike and a new environment for me,” said Prumm.
“I’m really excited about my move to Yamaha. I believe it will give me my best chance of success in 2008.”
Yamaha New Zealand’s Peter Payne said it was “tremendously exciting” to have the world champion join the Yamaha family.
“We are delighted to help Katherine in her quest to lead the world,” he said.
Subway Yamaha Team leader Darryll King (Hamilton) was also overjoyed with the new development.
“I am thrilled to have Katherine Prumm in the squad. After seeing her ride at the Woodville GP, I can see that she really has really stepped up the pace.
“I want to help her as much as I can. I’m sure, with my own world championship experience, I can offer her plenty of advice,” said two-time 500c world No.2 King, also a many-time New Zealand motocross champion and the 250cc two-stroke class winner at last weekend’s big 47th annual New Zealand motocross Grand Prix at Woodville.
Prumm believes she is stronger, faster and even more confident than ever before, something that must ring alarm bells for her world championship rivals.
The five-round 2008 women’s world championships kick off in Bulgaria on May 11, with rounds to follow in Italy (May 18), France (June 15), Germany (June 29) and the Netherlands (September 7).
Prumm won the world crown in 2006 and successfully defended her title last season. The Yamaha ace is overwhelming favourite to repeat that in 2008. |
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KING WINS ANOTHER AUSSIE TITLE
CAPTION: Hamilton's Darryll King (Yamaha), top dog across the Tasman once again. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
AUGUST 3, 2009: New Zealand's Darryll King (Yamaha) is champion of Australia once again.
A staggering five year after he last stood atop the podium in Australia, the 40-year-old Waikato man returned at the weekend to win the inaugural Veterans' Cup at Coolum, in Queensland.
Unbeaten in his four races at the two-day meeting, King (Yamaha YZF450) easily finished ahead of former open class championship rivals Glen Bell and Peter Melton.
"I had two great races and felt pretty good on the bike -- Glen Bell was strong competition for me but I pulled away in the final laps," said King afterwards.
King last won the premier open class crown in 2004. In total, King won the main title across the Tasman three times, also claiming the trophy in 2001 and 2003, before scaling back his international roster to concentrate on running the successful Subway Yamaha team in New Zealand and also to operate his popular motocross training schools.
"I had a fantastic weekend. It was a blast to be back riding a CDR Rockstar Yamaha YZ450F. I had some great battles over the weekend with Glen Bell and Peter Melton. It was just like the old days."
With more than 25 riders lining up for the Veterans' Cup, series promoter Kevin Williams was impressed with the racing and is keen to have them stick around a while longer.
“I think bringing the vets class to the round has certainly brought another dimension,” Williams said.
“They bring another crowd with them and a lot of people from yesteryear have commented how good it is to see them out there."
King now switches his focus back to the domestic scene in New Zealand.
"The next big race for the Subway Yamaha team is the New Zealand Motocross Championships, which kick off on October 11. So we will be busy over the next few weeks riding and testing with (my brother) Damien and Cambridge's Keiran Leigh."
Damien King intends to defend both the national 125cc and open class crowns he won last year, while Leigh will tackle the 250cc class.
Darryll King had been a contender to win the World Veterans' Championships in Europe this season but injuries prevented him completing that series.
"I'm still not certain about racing the 2010 World Veterans' Championships. We will have to stay healthy and look towards being ready to head back to Europe earlier than I did for this year's opening rounds if I am going to have a serious shot at the world title."
MXDK Media 2009 |
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