The Bridgestone Kawasaki Race Team is set to cease its operations, effective immediately, signalling an unfortunate end to a winning operation in New Zealand.
The team will not now contest the 2024 New Zealand Motocross Championships or other significant events in the future.
As the decision has been made from Kawasaki Motors Limited (Japan) to distribute directly to the New Zealand market as part of Kawasaki’s global strategy, the management of Verhoeven Group has subsequently made the tough decision to wrap-up its race team activities.
Team manager Shane Verhoeven, alongside Verhoeven Group’s general manager Mike Cotter, (previously general manager for Kawasaki Motorcycle Distributors) look back fondly on the success of the team over the years.
The team was originally founded by Derek Hayward under the 3Twenty3 banner, a homage to Dee and Derek’s late son Trent. Back then, the team promoted Suzuki motorcycles with Rhys Carter heading up the effort in MX1.
Since morphing from 3Twenty3 to the Kawasaki Race Team, the team has gone from strength-to-strength with notable performances from the likes of Cohen Chase, Josiah Natzke, Ethan Martens, Micah McGoldrick and Cody Cooper.
Another of the team’s achievements was to extend its allocation of team spots outside of the usual MX2/MX1 classes to add a woman to the roster, signing Zara Gray to the team in November 2021.
After several years of narrowly missing out on winning New Zealand motocross titles, Cooper captured the team’s first New Zealand motocross MX2 title (and personally his 10th title) in 2023. It was a positive way to mark the end of an era.
In addition, Kawasaki rider Flynn Watts, from Pukehina, is the current national champion in the premier 14-16 years’ 250cc class after he dominated at the 2023 New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships in Southland earlier this year.
Kawasaki has enjoyed plenty of success in New Zealand over the years, even celebrating a famous “Green Sweep” when the Kawasaki brand scooped up the titles in every senior motocross championship category available in 1984 (with Rotorua’s Bryan Patterson winning the 500cc class, alongside UK imports Perry Leask, on a 250, and Jonathan Wright, on a 125).
They did the same thing in 1995, when there were only two premier classes (with Taranaki’s Darryll King winning the Pro 250 class and Tokoroa’s Andrew Hardisty winning the Pro 125 class). Also in 1995, Kawasaki swept the juniors (12-15 125cc Steven Hart, 14-15 85cc Cam Anderson, 12-13 85cc Reece Sutherland and 8-11 85cc Cody Cooper).
The Bridgestone Kawasaki Race Team said it would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to their sponsor partners: Keith, Kyne, Adrian, Luke, Hayden and the team at Whites Powersports, Antony and the team at SP Tools, Wayne and the team at Mainstream, Adam and the team at Normans Transport, Luke and the team at LM Graphic Designs, Roger and Denise at DR Trim, Damien from Power Parts Depot, Hylton and the team from Motomuck and Derek and the team at Koromiko Engineering for all their support and dedication to the team over the years.
They’d also like to give thanks to their mechanics George, Craig, Lee and Matt for their hard work during race season.
© Photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
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The Bridgestone Kawasaki Racing Team celebrates as Cody Cooper (Kawasaki KX250F) wraps up the national MX2 title at the 2023 senior nationals. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com