NZ INSIDER #61: TOWNLEY IS BACK

Transmoto’s weekly web-exclusive column, the NZ Insider, penned by Chris Ritchie. 

The penultimate round of the Oz MX Nationals this coming weekend at Echo Valley, Toowoomba will feature both Ben Townley and Cody Cooper under the Penrite Honda rig once again. Two-thirds of New Zealand’s Motocross of Nations team in the form of Townley and Cooper are looking to maximise their racetime ahead of donning the silver fern in Ernee, France in less than six weeks.
Townley had an injury scare at the previous round at Nowra, which he has quickly brushed aside to concentrate on the final two rounds of the MX Nationals. Following his appearance at Coolum next weekend, his attention will soon shift to Glen Helen, and the final round of the MXGP series as part of his buildup to the Motocross of Nations a week later.

The North Island Motocross Championship double-header for 2015 begins this weekend at Flipp’s MX Park near Palmerston North, hosted by the Manawatu Orion Motorcycle Club. Extended to two rounds this year, each event will feature both Junior and Senior class racing, spread over two days, with the second and final round four weeks later, over the weekend of 19-20 September at Mere Road, Hastings, in Hawkes Bay.
The two-round North Island series has been improved in order to fill the void in the moto calendar with a dwindling number of events on offer throughout the winter months. It will now bridge the gap between the various winter club days ahead of the unofficial season opener of MX Fest in Taupo over Labour Weekend in October.

Flipp’s MX Park is a popular hard sand-based facility which has played host to many club level events in the past, with the Manawatu Orion club using this opportunity to showcase its potential, with the intention of holding national level events in the future.

Josiah Natzke has been working hard preparing for his European EMX125 Championship finale, which is now less than a fortnight away at Assen. This will be his final event in Europe for 2015 before returning home for some family time and a dose of Kiwi summer before returning to Europe early in 2016. There is a possibility he may compete in selected summer moto events, but this has yet to be confirmed. His sole focus right now is working towards claiming his maiden European Championship title!

Finally, Kiwi MX legend Darryll King, also competing at Assen in the Veterans World Cup will do so aboard a KTM 450SXF, instead of his usual Yamaha machinery, having secured support from KTM in Europe for his one-off appearance, and World Cup title challenge.

We are looking forward to the possibility of having two of our countrymen aboard the podium at Assen!