TARAWERA 100 ON SATURDAY

Cross-country dirt bike marathons such as the fabled Tarawera 100 require speed, courage and stamina in equal doses.

And that’s where former Papamoa man Cody Cooper is in his element.

The former national open class motocross champion and three-time previous winner of the Tarawera 100 heads to the Kawerau venue for Saturday’s race with one thing on his mind – to win it again.

This year sponsored by Tony Rees Motorcycles, the 100-mile (160-kilometre) race distance from which the event draws its name is typically a battle of doggedness and determination as much as it is a battle of pace and Cooper knows that, even as winner in 2007, 2010 and last year too, he can’t afford to rest of his laurels.

Cooper (Suzuki RM-Z450) could well expect that his biggest threat on Saturday will come from very close to home, his own Mount Maunganui house-mate Rhys Carter (Suzuki RM-Z250) finishing runner-up last year and an entrant this time around as well.

Third best last year was yet another Bay of Plenty rider, Tauranga’s Reece Burgess (Husaberg FE450), with Hamilton’s Darryll King (Yamaha YZ250) and Mokau’s Adrian Smith (YZ250F) filling out the top five and these talented individuals are again expected to be among the leading contenders.

Others to watch out for include Whakatane’s Mitch Rees, Waitakere’s Ethan Martens, Auckland’s Mike Skinner, Whakatane’s Michelle Waghorn and Auckland’s Julie Greenslade.