Canada Heights is the closest race of the Season for Route77energy MVR-D Honda so its always a busy race with Sponsors and Friends visiting the Team. The day started well with Matiss Karro getting 3rd in the Superpole lap behind the two Yamaha World Championship riders Zac Osbourne and Arnold Tonus. The first Race got away with both Karro and Lewis Tombs inside the top 12 and battling to move forward. The third member of the Team Erki Kahro started badly and was trying hard to move through the field on a fast Canada Heights track.
IMAGE / Gary Price
Matiss got to 4th and on the back of Banks Browne but didn't look like moving further forward than that. He was riding tight and 4th was a solid start to the day. Lewis battled all moto to get 11th at the end which was a hard earned haul of points.Race two and Karro got the holeshot and pulled a small advantage over the pack behind but it wasn't long before Tonus cane through into 2nd and got behind Matiss. Tonus then took the lead and pulled away at a steady pace each lap and his Team mate Osbourne was soon in behind the Latvian. After Osbourne went by Matiss picked up some lines and pace to hold onto a much closer 3rd spot. Lewis Tombs again had a race long battle just hovering around the top 10 placing which is impressive looking at who fills those spots.
Race three finally got underway after some delays with the MX1 races with Team leader Karro not getting a great jump but he salvaged it in turn one to be inside the top 8. He got his head down and got up behind Mel Pocock who was 3rd at the time and riding well. Matiss had a chance when Mel made a mistake and almost stalled the bike. The two of them came down a hill shoulder to shoulder which ended in them both going wide and Banks Browne passing both riders.
Matiss then passed Pocock and was starting to close on Browne again when wild card Joel Roelants made a hard pass which ended in Matiss on the floor and having to remount with bent bars and a sore shoulder. 6th place was the end result and missing out on the podium by a point and Banks Browne getting 4th overall on the tie break leaving Karro 5th overall on the day.
Lewis also had things slip away in the late stages after a strong ride through the pack he was inside the top 15 and looking at a top 10 overall when he made a mistake late on and crashed leaving him well down the pack and having to settle for 14th overall on the day. Team mate Erki Kahro had the best ride of the day in the last race when the track was at its toughest getting to 17th from a poor start and continuing his steep learning curve.
Next weekend is the first Red Bull Pro National race where Lewis Tombs and Erki Kahro will be Racing. Matiss Karro will have a weekend off before Bulgaria and the first World Championship event of 2011.
