How quickly fortunes can change.

Just a week ago, Mount Maunganui’s Cody Cooper (Suzuki) was edging past fellow Kiwi international Josh Coppins (Yamaha) to win the New Zealand Motocross Championships’ MX1 title.

A fortnight before that it was Cooper who stood proudest of the Kiwis across the Tasman, the highest-placed New Zealander in the MX1 class when the engines were shut down at the end of round one of the Australian Motocross Championships.

All that was switched around at round two in Australia at the weekend, with Coppins the top Kiwi … in fact the top man full-stop … at the Appin track in New South Wales.

Coppins finished 2-3-4-3 to win the day in the MX1 class and has now rocketed from seventh in the championship standings to third place, just five points behind new leader Dean Ferris (Kawasaki), with round one winner Billy Mackenzie (Kawasaki) slipping back to second overall.

Cooper was untouchable in the first MX1 race of the day but a huge crash in moto two saw him taken from the track with serious rib injuries.

He attempted to race the third moto but withdrew and that was his day over.

The third Kiwi in the MX1 class, Rotorua’s Michael Phillips (Honda), finished 2-8-2-5 to end the day fourth overall. That result pushed him up from 10th to eighth overall after the two rounds.

Round three is next weekend at Raymond Terrace, NSW.

2011 Australian MX Nationals – Round 2 results:

 

Pro Open:

1. Josh Coppins (CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha) 80

2. Dean Ferris (Monster Energy Kawasaki) 76

3. Jay Marmont (CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha) 71

4. Michael Phillips (Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing) 69

5. Ryan Marmont (JDR Motorex KTM) 60

6. Cheyne Boyd (Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing) 54

7. Lawson Bopping (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) 51

8. Billy Mackenzie (Monster Energy Kawasaki) 48

9. Louis Calvin (Herb Watson Racing KTM) 47

10. Lewis Woods (Top Gear KTM) 42

 

Pro Lites:

1. Matt Moss (JDR Motorex KTM) 86

2. Kirk Gibbs (Serco Yoshimura Yamaha) 78

3. Phil Nicoletti (Monster Energy Kawasaki) 63

4. Cody Mackie (Team 07 Axis Motorsports Honda) 60

5. Daniel McCoy (Rockstar Motul Suzuki) 59

6. Ford Dale (Serco Yoshimura Yamaha) 58

7. Josh Cachia (JDR Motorex KTM) 58

8. Luke Styke (Yamaha) 54

9. Keiron Hall (Team 07 Axis Motorsports Honda) 53

10. 48 Kade Mosig (Berry Sweet Strawberries/Lucas Oil Honda) 50

 

Under 19s:

1. Errol Willis (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) 100

2. Shaun Redhead (GYTR Rockstar Yamaha) 73

3. Dylan Peterson (Team 07 Axis Motorsports Honda) 68

4. Luke Arbon (GYTR Rockstar Yamaha) 61

5. Kyle McKeddie (Mornington Kawasaki) 57

6. Dylan Long (Top Gear KTM) 51

7. Anthony Feliks (Honda) 47

8. Joshua Melis (Gecko KTM) 46

9. Corey Lucas (Suzuki) 42

10. Mitch Norris (JDR Moss Institute Suzuki) 41

 

Championship standings (after 2 of 9 rounds):

Pro Open

1. Dean Ferris 139

2. Billy Mackenzie 137

3. Josh Coppins 134

4. Ryan Marmont 128

5. Cheyne Boyd 123

6. Lawson Bopping 121

7. Jay Marmont 118

8. Michael Phillips 113

9. Louis Calvin 99

10. Cody Cooper 96

 

Pro Lites

1 102 Matt Moss 180

2 5 Kirk Gibbs 133

3 10 Josh Cachia 124

4 22 Phil Nicoletti 120

5 33 Cody Mackie 120

6 12 Brenden Harrison 111

7 65 Daniel McCoy 111

8 2 Ford Dale 107

9 26 Luke Styke 100

10 48 Kade Mosig 99

 

Under 19s

1. Errol Willis 181

2. Luke Arbon 155

3. Shaun Redhead 131

4. Dylan Peterson 113

5. Kyle McKeddie 99

6. Jacob Mcleod 89

7. Kale Makeham 84

8. Jacob Wright 83

9. Jake Emanuelli 83

10. Anthony Feliks 79

Photo courtesy Yamaha