[Features]

NZ Insider No.20: NZ MX Teams

9 years ago | Words: Chris Ritchie

Welcome to our weekly web-exclusive column, Transmoto‘s NZ Insider. Penned each week by Kiwi, Chris Ritchie, the NZ Insider will present the story-behind-the-stories on NZ-related dirt bike happenings across the globe. 

This week, we look at how the upcoming summer season is shaping up for the manufacturer-supported New Zealand motocross teams, with less than two weeks now until the annual Labour Weekend Extravaganza takes place in Taupo. The mega MX weekend has been dubbed MX Fest for 2014, with a number of additional events including Ben Townley’s concept of Speedcross coming to life, as well as burnout competitions amongst others, and marks the unofficial start of the Kiwi summer motocross season. Most new rides and teams should be sorted by then. Here’s how it’s shaping up so far…

With the expansion of KTM’s stable to now include the Swedish marque Husqvarna, as we are seeing right across the world, look out for more support, and white machines across the start gates in both MX1 and MX2 classes.

Hamish Dobbyn revealed recently at the Motocross of Nations in Latvia (where he represented Team New Zealand in MX1) that he has made the step up to the 450 full-time, and is penciled in to campaign the all-new 2015 FC450 in MX1. No word yet on who will accompany him under the Husky tent, however.

Under the KTM EZ-Ups, look for Team New Zealand’s MX2 representative, Hamish Harwood, stepping up to the 450SX-F for the summer in MX1. He will be joined by 2014 National 125cc champion, Josiah Natzke, who moves up to the 250F and the MX2 class.

For the Japanese brands, Yamaha with Altherm JCR Yamaha, it will be recent Motocross of Nations Open class rider and Team Captain, Scott Columb, continuing his full-time switch to the 450 for the NZ season into MX1. Columb will be joined in MX1 by 2014 CDR Yamaha revelation, Jacob Wright who continues with CDR, and now JCR. Team Owner, Josh Coppins, confirmed Queenslander, Jay Wilson, will return and line up in MX2 for another season tripping between Oz and NZ yet again to campaign the NZ MX season.

The big news from last week regarding Yamaha is the switch of NZ MX2 champion, Kayne Lamont, from Husqvarna to Yamaha, although not under the JCR awning. He will be close by on his own deal for season 2015, and then moving to the Altherm JCR squad for 2016.

Suzuki has expanded their effort to two supported riders in both MX1 and MX2 under the Moto City Suzuki stable, managed again by Team Owner, Andrew Hardisty. Rhys Carter and Brad Groombridge, a formidable combination, will steer the Suzuki challenge in MX1, and in MX2, Dunedin’s Campbell King will be joined by Tauranga’s Logan Blackburn, stepping up from the 125 class, and switching from Yamaha.

Honda’s representation comes in the form of The Honda Shop racing team, managed by Phil Empson, who takes over from Ben Townley, freeing up BT to campaign ‘selected events’, and spend more time with his growing family. Incumbent MX1 champion, Cody Cooper, is back to attempt a three peat at the MX1 title after recovering from knee surgery which kept him out of the majority of the MX Nationals this year, and is joined by Rotorua’s John Phillips who steps up to the 450 for his rookie season. New signing, Aaron Wiltshier, who switched from his KTM 125SX to the Honda squad, will spearhead their MX2 title challenge, and looks to be at home on his new CRF250R already.

For Kawasaki, their dealer-support team looks likely to again feature Paraparaumu’s Jesse Donnelly in MX1 aboard the new 2015 KX450F, and as of yet, the identity of his teammates has yet to be announced, although we hear Hawkes Bay’s Kieran Scheele will be back again in MX2.

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