NZ Insider No.49: Josiah’s Rise

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

New Zealand’s Josiah Natzke headed across the English channel from his base in Belgium for the fourth round of the EMX125 European Championship, held in conjunction with the MXGP of Great Britain at the Matterley Basin circuit near Winchester in the south west of England over the weekend. The KTM Factory Junior star claimed his first moto win at the previous round at Talavera in Spain a fortnight earlier, proving he is a genuine contender for this year’s championship, and his confidence was running high heading to England.

His weekend started with 14^th position from the combined practice/qualifying sessions. The opening moto saw our Kiwi teenage star get a decent jump out of the gate, soon moving into the lead during the opening laps. While leading, he made decisive errors and surrendered the lead, subsequently losing touch with the leading pack, and finishing seventh. However in moto two, Natzke came out swinging and was able to come through for second, ahead of championship rival and teammate, Jorge Prado Garcia. Natzke was then credited with the second moto win after British KTM Factory Junior teammate, Conrad Mewse (who won the race) was then docked ten places for jumping under a waved yellow flag by FIM officials. The Overall classification put Natzke second, now 23 points adrift of Prado in the series, sitting third at the halfway point. His next round is this coming weekend at Villars sous Ecot in the east of France near the Swiss border.

It is surely only a matter of time until we hear the New Zealand anthem ringing out from the MXGP podium again. Here are the highlights from his second moto:

In other news, Ben Townley makes his long awaited return to racing this weekend at the fifth round of the Australian MX Nationals at the famous Coolum circuit on the Sunshine Coast. BT101 has just returned from another trip to Japan as part of his role as advisor working with Team HRC, and is using this weekend’s event as a precursor to potentially further events this season, including the annual Tarawera 100 enduro race near Kawerau July 4, a personal favourite of his. Look out for the 101 in some of the latest Troy Lee Designs kit, alongside Penrite Honda’s Cody Cooper and Ford Dale.

The Motorcycling New Zealand annual conference and AGM was held over the weekend at Queenstown, with multi-time road racing champion Glen Williams being declared a clear winner in the presidential race over industry stalwart, Paul Stewart. We have also received word of the tentative dates and venues for next year’s New Zealand Motocross Nationals, starting Waitangi Weekend, Sunday February 7, through to March.

With Pukekohe passing the hosting baton on to Taupo for 2016, the series will again be four rounds at Timaru, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Taupo, with the order still to be confirmed.