THE FINAL ROUND | Bikesportnz

It is the last throw of the dice for motocross title hopefuls in Taupo this weekend.

It would be nothing short of sensational or perhaps disastrous, depending on your point of view, if Cody Cooper, Kayne Lamont and Josiah Natzke were not crowned respectively the national MX1, MX2 (250cc) and 125cc champions on Saturday afternoon.

Taupo again hosts the final round of the New Zealand Motocross Championships, this season’s four-round Backflips Clothing-sponsored series wrapping up on the popular Digger McEwen Motocross Park facility on the outskirts of the geothermal tourist town just as it did last year.

The only difference this time around is that the winners of all three championship categories seem to have been determined already – Cooper, Lamont (pictured here) and Natzke each with a race up their sleeves – although nothing can be taken for granted in the brutal sport of motocross and the various title challengers are bound to ensure that racing will be fierce indeed on Saturday.

Mount Maunganui’s Cooper (Honda) leads Australian-domiciled Scottish former Grand Prix star Billy MacKenzie (Yamaha) by a whopping 37 points, Mangakino’s Lamont (Husqvarna) leads Dargaville’s Hamish Dobbyn (KTM) by a massive 38 points and Hamilton’s Natzke (KTM) leads Aitiamuri’s Hadleigh Knight (KTM) by a huge 35-point margin.

With 25 points on offer for each race win, and only three races remaining for each class at Taupo on Saturday, the class leaders are therefore in very strong, although not unbeatable, positions.

A crash, a flat tyre, an electrical problem, a blown engine or a fuel glitch, for example, could see those title bids quickly unravel and championship hopefuls will plan to keep the pressure on.

Taupo’s Brad Groombridge (Suzuki), Australian KTM rider Kirk Gibbs and Rotorua’s Michael Phillips (Honda) will each be applying stress to Cooper and MacKenzie in the MX1 class, while Australian Jay Wilson (Yamaha), Rotorua’s John Phillips (Honda) and 2013 MX2 champion Scotty Columb (Yamaha) will no doubt turn the blowtorch on Lamont and Dobbyn in the MX2 class.

Natzke and Knight will be aware that Te Puke’s Logan Blackburn (Yamaha), Morrinsville’s Beau Yeandle (Yamaha) and Tauranga’s Ryan Metz (Yamaha) will be gunning for them in the 125cc class.

Racing kicks off at about 10am.

Leading standings after three of four rounds:

MX1 class: 1. Cody Cooper (Mount Maunganui, Honda) 217 points; 2. Billy MacKenzie (Scotland, Yamaha) 180; 3. Brad Groombridge (Taupo, Suzuki) 168; 4. Kirk Gibbs (Australia, KTM) 157; 5. Michael Phillips (Rotorua, Honda) 125.

MX2 class: 1. Kayne Lamont (Mangakino, Husqvarna) 216 points; 2. Hamish Dobbyn (Dargaville, KTM) 178; 3. Jay Wilson (Australia, Yamaha) 164; 4. John Phillips (Rotorua, Honda) 152; 5. Scott Columb (Queenstown, Yamaha) 151.

125cc class: 1. Josiah Natzke (Hamilton, KTM) 214 points; 2. Hadleigh Knight (Atiamuri, KTM) 179; 3. Logan Blackburn (Te Puke, Yamaha) 168; 4. Beau Yeandle (Morrinsville, Yamaha) 116; 5. Ryan Metz (Tauranga, Yamaha) 114.

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