Hamilton’s Darryll King will finally hang up his helmet at the end of the 2013 motocross season, but hopefully not before he’s made it three title wins in a row.

The aim for the 43-year-old world veterans’ champion is to make it a three-peat of New Zealand MX2 titles this summer, adding the 2013 crown to the ones he collected in 2011 and 2012.

He will no longer run the official Yamaha racing team – that duty passes across to recently retired former New Zealand and current Australian motocross champion Josh Coppins, of Motueka – and instead King will concentrate solely on defending his national MX2 title.

King will race his Fox DC Fuzion Yamaha YZ250 in the MX2 class this summer.

King’s new freedom will enable the multi-time Australian and New Zealand motocross champion and former 500cc world No.2 to concentrate on devoting all of his efforts to defending his national MX2 crown this summer and also give him time to develop his new coaching project.

“Yamaha is continuing to support my plans to go racing,” said King. “But I will also be very busy with my latest project.”

King has set up a motocross academy, a natural progression from the hugely-successful MXDK Coaching Schools he has run over the past few years.

“It will be called the Fox Yamaha Motor Xperience Academy, which will also feature the Fox Yamaha Motor Xperience Camps.

“This is basically a motocross school, operating all around the country, in association with the various local dealers. It will cater for young and old and not just motocross racers, but all off-road bike riders, such as enduro and cross-country riders too.

“The camps will be two or three-day affairs and allow riders to immerse themselves in the dirt bike culture, a chance to hang out with top motocross riders and learn from them.

“I have run the factory Yamaha team here in New Zealand for the past 10 years and now it is time to hand that over to Josh. I know it’s in good hands.

“I want to put aside time to concentrate on defending my MX2 crown. It would be nice to sign off my career on top, celebrating a three-peat of wins. It’s a big challenge but the bigger the challenge, the more effort I want to put in. I have the resources and the experience. Bring it on.”

King will had a tough time this year with last season’s No.2, Queenstown’s Scotty Columb, switching from Suzuki to join him on Yamaha and riding the same YZ250 two-stroke bike that King favours.

In addition, King will face tough challenges from national No.3 Rhys Carter (Moto City Suzuki) and Motocross of Nations Kiwi team rider Kayne Lamont (on the CMR Red Bull BikesportNZ.com KTM), of Mangakino, along with on-form riders such as Tauranga’s Peter Broxholme (Honda), Auckland’s Shaun Fogarty (Kawasaki) and Waitakere’s Ethan Martens (Yamaha), to name as few.

The four-round New Zealand Motocross Championships kick off just outside Timaru on February 10.

After Timaru, the four-round national series heads to Patetonga for round two a fortnight later (February 24), with round three at Pukekohe on March 10 and the fourth and final round set for Taupo on March 31.

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