KING TO BE HONOURED | Bikesportnz

Waikato’s Darryll King is the victim of his own success.

The 43-year-old New Zealand MX2 motocross champion has just arrived back in New Zealand after a brief holiday in Europe following his success in winning the World Veterans’ Motocross Championships title in England last month.

With barely time to unpack his bags, King has been urged to board a flight to Belgium to be on site at the Motocross of Nations in Belgium this weekend, where he will join all of the FIM world champions at a special end-of-season awards ceremony.

King raced to world championship glory at the British GP at Matterley Basin, near Winchester, in August.

The Yamaha ace was simply unstoppable on the rolling grassland circuit, winning both of his races, finishing the weekend ahead of Spaniard Xevi Colomer Genis (Suzuki) and Sweden’s Mats Nilsson (Yamaha) respectively.

That success will be formally recognised in Belgium this weekend, King sharing status as guest of honour with all the other motorcycling world champions for 2012.

“I am stoked to finally be a world champion and am honoured to be a part of the world champion award ceremony this weekend as well as being there to cheer the New Zealand motocross team on as they blast around the track in Belgium.

“We will return home next week and begin preparations for the Taupo Labour Weekend Motocross Extravaganza. This will probably be my last racing season. There are new opportunities awaiting me and I’m excited about those.

“I will be riding the Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke bike for the upcoming racing season.

“I really enjoy the two-stroke machine and, even though I raced the YZ450F four-stroke for the world championships in England, the lighter two-stroke machine is still my favourite Yamaha to ride.”

King goes to Belgium this weekend with the blessings of Yamaha New Zealand ringing in his ears.

“We are delighted for him,” said Yamaha New Zealand’s Peter Payne, from Auckland.

“He has won more than 60 national motocross titles here in New Zealand over the years and, in addition to that, he has national titles in Australia and in other countries as well.

“He was twice runner-up in the 500cc motocross world championships in the 1990s and has done a lot for the sport in New Zealand. He is a legend and he’ll be seated alongside some other sporting legends too this weekend.”

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