Motueka’s Josh Coppins has a unique method of welcoming in the New Year – while other people may be nursing hangovers after a night or two of revelry, the semi-retired former Grand Prix motocross star is out indulging himself with an old passion and winning motorcycle races.

The 37-year-old two-time former world motocross No.2 did not make a name for himself racing on tar-sealed surfaces, but that’s something he’s become more akin to in recent years and when news came through that he’d won again the super moto section at the 25th annual Port of Nelson Streets Races on Friday, January 2, it didn’t really come as a surprise at all.

This year’s street racing campaign was Coppins’ fourth appearance and it rapidly became his fourth straight win there as well.

Coppins (Yamaha YZ450F), who officially retired from fulltime motocross racing after winning the Australian open class title in 2012 and now manages the Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team, was simply too slick for his opponents in Nelson, easily winning all five of his races and ending the day clear of two very experienced super moto racers, Reporoa’s Casey Bullock (KTM) and New Plymouth’s Mitch Rowe (KTM).

Coppins, also a multi-time former New Zealand and British motocross champion, has never really stopped riding since retiring from top-level competition over two years ago, although he’s still keen to ride whenever time allows, particularly now that international commitments don’t keep him away from competing at domestic Kiwi events.

“They had quite a big dirt section as part of the super moto track at Nelson this time,” said Coppins.

“That gave me a bit of an advantage over Casey (Bullock). I managed to pull a bit of a gap each lap. I’m also getting better at this form of racing now.”

Coppins also raced the super moto class at the Wyndham Streets races for the first time late last year, the final event of the internationally-renowned week-long Burt Munro Challenge.

Coppins scored a hat-trick of wins at Wyndham, between Gore and Invercargill, in November and now says he wants to “tick another one off” his bucket list by racing the super moto class at the next Cemetery Circuit event on Boxing Day (2015).

But Coppins will now slip back into the role of race team manager for the upcoming New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville.

He will have two Australian superstars crossing the Tasman to join his Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team squad for the January 24-25 event, Jay Wilson and Jacob Wright.

“Jay turns up here next week, while Jacob is currently busy training and testing for the CDR Yamaha Team in Australia.

“Our fingers are crossed too for national MX2 champion Kayne Lamont (who was injured at the annual Whakatane Summercross just after Christmas). We are hoping he can be fit to race again very shortly.”

The Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing team is supported by Altherm Window Systems, Yamaha, JCR, CRC, Ados, GYTR, Yamalube, Fox Racing, Hollands Collision Centre, Star Moving, Ward Demolition, Fulton Hogan, Pirelli, FMF, DID, NGK, Matrix, Renthal, Motomuck, Workshop Graphics, Motoseat, Hammerhead, SKF, Vertex Pistons, Rtech Plastics, Etnies, Biketranz, Fulton Hogan.

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

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