Racing in the shadow of Mount Taranaki will be fierce this weekend as some of the nation’s elite motocross riders challenge for the title “King of the Mountain” for 2014?

A slew of former and current national champions will arrive in the Taranaki region this weekend for the big annual King of the Mountain Motocross, all of them capable of challenging for the crown on Sunday.

Taranaki riders may have a little local knowledge to boost their prospects on the familiar Barrett Road Motorcycle Park circuit, but that’s unlikely to daunt the handful of Kiwi internationals who have entered the Mach 1 Yamaha-sponsored event.

Former King of the Mountain winner Brad Groombridge, from Taupo, heads the star-studded list of entries for the main MX1 class, although he’ll have his work cut out fending off attacks from former national champion Michael Phillips, of Rotorua, and other leading 450cc riders such as Hawera’s multi-time former national motocross and supercross champion Daryl Hurley and New Plymouth’s former national 500cc champion Mitch Rowe.

Groombridge, Phillips and Hurley have all previously represented New Zealand at the annual Motocross of Nations – the Olympic Games of motocross – in Europe and the United States, although this time they come to race not as team-mates but as rivals.

Ngatea’s Luke Temple, Masterton’s Bjarne Fredericksen and Atiamuri’s Dion Picard will also be realistic to fancy themselves as contenders for the title this weekend, while Inglewood’s Nathan West, Hawera’s Brendon Mander, New Plymouth pair Renny Johnston and Jared Gwynn and Palmerston North’s Tom Hughes could also surprise.

With the big annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix set for Woodville the following weekend and the start of the four-round national championship series less than a month away, this event is regarded as an ideal opportunity for the nation’s elite to test themselves and build-up for the 2014 season ahead.

Otorohanga’s Hayden Kanters, a previous winner of the junior King of the Mountain feature race, has now graduated to the senior MX2 (250cc) ranks and he can expect a stern challenge from Hawke’s Bay’s Kieran Scheele, another rider with vast international experience, and regular frontrunner in the class, Taupo’s Nick Saunders.

Watch out also for local riders such as New Plymouth pair Jakob Vink and Ryan Gwynn and Stratford’s Aaron Jane to feature in the national125cc/under-21 grade, while New Plymouth duo Josh Holmes and Blair Holdt will be challenging for points in the MX2 class.

New Plymouth riders Ryan Gwynn, Callum Holdt and Sean Dent, along with Stratford’s Jayden Cooper, Inglewood’s Braeden Christian (pictured above), Hawera’s Kieran Baker, Opunake’s Liam Read and Stratford’s Sam Cleland will be tough to beat in the junior 125cc races, while Hawera’s Kade Bellve, Inglewood’s Leslie Longstaff, Hawera’s Ryan Little, Waitara’s Dean Vickers and New Plymouth’s Kyal Batchelor will have their 250cc bikes humming in pursuit of points in the junior 250cc class.

Also look out for New Plymouth’s Jonty Vink, Hawera’s Kade Wilson, New Plymouth’s Jesse Wickham, Stratford’s Cameron Bond, New Plymouth’s Nikholas Rangi, Inglewood’s Kade Ropitini-Black and other New Plymouth riders Logan Kerrisk, Ben Ekdahl, Sam Megaw, Leroy Gwynn and Vindylin Stanway, who could be expected to shine in the junior and mini grades.

Hawera’s Kendra Reid and Waitara’s Brenda Vickers should be among the stand-outs in the women’s grade.

Sunday’s racing – for juniors, seniors, veterans and minis – kicks off at about 10am.

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