Kiwi international Josh Coppins may have decided to hang up his helmet at the end of this season, but his influence on the sport will be felt for years to come.

The man from Motueka, twice runner-up and twice third in the world motocross championships in a Grand Prix career spanning nearly two decades, announced he was retiring from all forms of racing at the end of his 2012 Australian Motocross Championships campaign.

Coppins (Yamaha YZ450F), a multi-time New Zealand motocross and supercross champion and winner of the big annual Woodville Motocross on five separate occasions (1996, 1999, 2000, 2008 and 2011), is leading the Australian Motocross Championships after eight of 10 rounds, ideally positioned to end his illustrious career on a well-deserved high.

The 35-year-old father-of-two said it would be a nice way to sign off on his racing career, “especially after having one hand on the Australian crown, but being denied” by a disastrous first-turn crash at the final round last season.

Coppins enjoys a 12-point lead over Australian rival Todd Waters (Suzuki) in this year’s series, with the next round set for Moree, in New South Wales, on August 19, with the tenth and final round due at Coolum, in Queensland, on August 26.

“After that I will retire from all racing,” said Coppins.

“I may do the odd bit of trials riding, supermoto and trail-bike riding, but no high-level stuff.

“I am actually still undecided on exactly what I will be doing after racing but I will remain working for Yamaha in some capacity with Yamaha motocross in New Zealand, but also possibly as an advisor, trainer and test rider in Australia or Europe too.

“Yamaha has been great to me and we’ll sit down in the next few weeks to nail down a role for me with the company.

“My focus in the short term, though, is to win the Australian open class title.”

Coppins began his GP career in Australia, as a 16-year-old racing the 125cc class at the Australian GP at Manjimup, in Western Australia, on August 29, 1993.

It is therefore perhaps fitting that his final professional race will also be in that country, hopefully wrapping up the open class title at the final round of that domestic series on August 26, almost exactly 19 years to the day since his Manjimup appearance.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Full interview and more photos from Josh’s career in your next issue of KIWI RIDER magazine.