The CMR Red Bull KTM motocross race team is going from strength to strength as its alliance with KTM New Zealand continues to build.

Hot on the heels of an extremely successful 2014 season, team manager Cannon Smith, of Auckland, is proud to confirm that KTM New Zealand will again support the CMR Red Bull effort, keeping it one of the most feared and respected team line-ups in the national championship paddock.

The team excelled this season, finishing 1-2 in the senior national 125cc class with Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke and Atiamuri’s Hadleigh Knight taking the top two spots on the podium when the series wrapped up in March, while Dargaville’s Hamish Dobbyn finished runner-up in the MX2 (250cc) class.

“It’s great to have young talent like this to nurture,” said Smith. “And we will have more of that happening in the new season too. It’s great to have all our sponsors returning, showing continued faith in what we are trying to achieve.”

The rider line-up for 2015 will comprise Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis (85cc), Rangiora’s Dylan Walsh (125cc), Waikato’s Natzke (MX2, 250cc) and Takaka’s Hamish Harwood (MX1, 450cc).

Purvis is back and fully fit after injuring himself earlier this season, while Walsh is a new addition to the team.

Meanwhile, both Natzke (pictured here) and Harwood will step up a grade for 2015, Natzke moving from the 125cc division to tackle the MX2 class and Harwood moving off the MX2 bike to climb aboard the powerful 450cc KTM as he now tackles the MX1 class.

New team member Walsh was a revelation at the KTM-sponsored New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships, held near Greymouth in April, proving to be untouchable over the weekend.

Walsh took his BikesportNZ.com-backed KTM125 to win all five races in the 15-16 years’ 125cc class over the weekend, easily winning the national title ahead of Ngatea’s Ben Broad (Yamaha) and Hawera’s Nick Hornby (Yamaha).

He joins the CMR Red Bull KTM squad with high hopes of repeating the senior 125cc success that Natzke provided the team last season when, at age 15, the Hamilton teenager became the youngest rider ever to win a national title in New Zealand.

“This should be a great line up to follow on from our fantastic performances of last season,” said Patrick Stafford, of KTM New Zealand.

“Hamish Harwood and Hamish Dobbyn have also achieved some really good results in Australia this year, having been supported by both CMR and KTM Australia, and Josiah Natzke was outstanding in Europe earlier this month. Now Harwood will move up to the premier class and Natzke will move up too, continuing our philosophy of developing riders through the CMR team.”

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

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