New Zealand: Wicked Woodville

The biggest event on the Kiwi motocross calendar – the annual Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville – was held this past weekend, nestled just off the Manawatu Gorge. The 55th edition of the iconic event did not disappoint, and will go down as one of the best in history.

Australian Motocross of Nations team members and ex-MXGP campaigners, Todd Waters and Dean Ferris, added special international flavour in their return to Australasian motocross racing. Waters, in his return to Suzuki, joined the incumbent Brad Groombridge and visiting Argentinian Joaquin Fernandez under the MC2 Racing Team. Ferris began his 2016 season with Josh Coppins’ Altherm JCR Yamaha team as part of their ongoing relationship with CDR Yamaha in Australia.

Both Waters and Ferris knew beating the reigning national MX1 champ, Cody Cooper, on his home turf would be tough, with Coops fresh off victory in the King of the Mountain event (held near New Plymouth a week earlier) as well as having spent many hours over recent months riding with Ben Townley (before he flew to Europe for his highly anticipated MXGP resurrection).

Although Waters topped Qualifying, a broken wheel in the opening moto destroyed any chances he had at cracking the podium, but came back to claim third in the second moto, and finished the final moto with a win to take sixth Overall. Dean’s 2-1-4 put him in second Overall, on the pace all day long (he also won the all-important Feature Race on the day) and will be a serious threat over the coming weeks. The Aussie duo will continue their 2016 racing programme in NZ with the upcoming four-round New Zealand Motocross Championship.

Cooper’s 1-2-2 results proved too strong; enough to retain his Woodville MX1 crown for yet another year. The Tauranga man successfully weathered the Australian storm ahead of his imminent MX1 title defence beginning this weekend in Timaru. Visiting Englishman, Jake Nicholls, finished third for Husqvarna.

Courtney Duncan is a name that if you haven’t heard by now, you really should have after she stormed to an unbelievable MX2 Overall victory at Woodville, beating the likes of Kayne Lamont and Josiah Natzke. The recently turned 20-year-old stunned not only her male competitors but all those in attendance, reaping immediate rewards for the work she has been putting in with Josh Coppins in recent months, in preparation for her upcoming FIM Women’s World Motocross Championship debut. Natzke finished in second Overall, with fellow KTM rider, Hamish Harwood, in third.

In other news, Ben Townley is raring to go for his first competitive outing aboard his factory Suzuki RM-Z450 at the Hawkstone International MX this weekend in the west of England. He will follow this up with another pre-season international race at Valence, France, the following weekend before the MXGP series gets underway in Qatar on February 27.