The big annual post-Christmas Whakatane Summercross is set to get even bigger.

As one of the last major motocross events on the calendar before the 2013 national championship season gets underway, the country’s elite riders are again flocking to the Bay of Plenty region in huge numbers and will line up for battle this weekend.

The Honda-sponsored Summercross features juniors on Saturday and seniors on Sunday, and it will this season celebrate its 41st birthday as one of New Zealand’s premier stand-alone motocross events.

While the list of potential winners is as long as it is illustrious, most will be picking national MX1 champion Ben Townley, of Tauranga, to again put his Carlton Dry Honda CRF450 on top of the podium.

Kiwi international Townley won the five races from five starts in the premier grade at last year’s Summercross.

More than 500 riders have signed up to race and, with more than 40 races on the two-day programme, there will be plenty to catch the eye.

The anticipated showdown between Townley and other heavy-hitters such as fellow Kiwi international Cody Cooper (Moto City Suzuki RM-Z450), of Mount Maunganui, Whakatane’s Mitchell Rees (Tony Rees Motorcycles Honda CRF450), Taupo’s Brad Groombridge (Huka Honda CRF450), former national MX1 champion Justin McDonald (Bel-Ray Lubricants Timaru Honda CRF450) and former Summercross champion Michael Phillips (Bel-Ray Lubricants Rowlinson Honda CRF450), of Rotorua, will likely feature as the main attraction for race fans.

British rider Alex Snow (JCR Yamaha racing team YZ450F) adds an international flavour to the event and his Grand Prix motocross experience should place him among the leaders.

Townley said Summercross was his “favourite event on the New Zealand calendar”.

“Everyone is in a holiday spirit and it’s a lot of fun. The track changes this year will give the riders more air time and that’s good for the spectators too,” he said.

Event race director Tony Rees, of Whakatane, said the course had undergone an extensive re-design, now incorporating a ‘super jump’, just to “sort the men from the boys”.

“Not everybody will be able to clear the jump, only the brave,” said Rees.

“But, in saying that, it’s not there to catch anyone out and it’s still a safe jump. Ben Townley has helped us with the track design and it’s stepped it up to another level,” said Rees.

The Honda Summercross boasts a galaxy of stars right across the various categories, with Hamilton’s national MX2 champion Darryll King (Fox DC Fuzion Yamaha), Queenstown’s No.2 Scott Columb (Yamaha), Mount Maunganui’s No.3 Rhys Carter (Moto City Suzuki), Tauranga’s No.4 Peter Broxholme (Honda), Kiwi international Kieran Scheele (Honda), of Elsthorpe, Waitakere’s Ethan Martens (Yamaha), Taupo’s Cam Dillon (Bel-Ray Lubricants Huka Honda), Rangiora’s Micah McGoldrick (Bel-Ray Lubricants Timaru Honda) and BikesportNZ.com star Kayne Lamont (CMR Red Bull KTM), of Mangakino, all expected to challenge for the MX2 (250cc) class trophy.

“The youth MX class is proving very popular with a lot of 125cc riders entered there,” said Rees. “We are again running a back-to-back format for the MX1 and MX2 classes, something that will really test to stamina and strength of the riders, as well as longer races for them later in the afternoon. In all, there will be five races each for both the MX1 and MX2 glamour classes.”

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