HAT-TRICKS GALORE | Bikesportnz

Timaru hosted round two of the New Zealand Motocross Championships on Sunday and hat-tricks were the order of the day.

With the four-round JT Racing-sponsored series now at the halfway stage, it is Mount Maunganui’s Cody Cooper (Honda, MX1), Australian Jay Wilson (Yamaha, MX2) and Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke (KTM, 125) who lead the respective championship classes after racing at Pleasant Point, near Timaru.

Defending MX1 champion Cooper had failed to fire at the opening round in Taranaki a fortnight ago, but he was back to his sublime best at Timaru on Sunday, finishing the day unbeaten, with his Honda team-mate John Phillips finishing runner-up each time, both riders strengthening their claims for the 2015 crown.

Rotorua’s Phillips had been third overall at the start of the day, but, apart from being unable to beat the enigmatic Cooper, he was more than a match for the rest of his MX1 rivals on Sunday.

Cooper has elevated himself from fourth after round one to now lead the standings, three points better off than Phillips, with visiting Australian KTM rider Kirk Gibbs slipping back from the runner-up spot after round one to be now third in the championship standings.

Round one winner in the class, Queenstown Yamaha rider Scott Columb, crashed during practice early in the day and this may explain why he did not dominate as he had in Taranaki.

Columb finished 12-11-11 in his three outings on Sunday and has slipped from first to fifth in the championship standings.

It was a similar story for Wilson in the MX2 (250cc) class and for Natzke (pictured here) in the 125cc class, with both riders also scoring hat-tricks on Sunday.

The MX2 class leader after round one, Wilson now leads new No.2 rider Hamish Harwood (KTM), of Takaka, by 20 points, while defending 125cc champion Natzke moved up one position to claim the No.1 spot in the class and he is now 11 points ahead of round one winner Cohen Chase (Yamaha), of Taupo.

Round three is set for Rotorua on March 8, with the fourth and final round at Pukekohe on March 15.

Leading standings after round two of the New Zealand Motocross Championships in Timaru:

MX1 class: 1. Cody Cooper (Mount Maunganui, Honda) 124 points; 2. John Phillips (Rotorua, Honda) 121; 3. Kirk Gibbs (Australia, KTM) 114; 4. Kade Mosig (Australia, Yamaha) 101; 5. Scott Columb (Queenstown, Yamaha) 99.

MX2 class: 1. Jay Wilson (Australia, Yamaha) 140; 2. Hamish Harwood (Takaka, KTM) 120; 3. Micah McGoldrick (Amberley, Honda) 105; 4. Scotty Canham (Rotorua, Kawasaki) 85; 5. Campbell King (Brighton, Suzuki) 83.

125cc class: 1. Josiah Natzke (Hamilton, KTM) 138; 2. Cohen Chase (Taupo, Yamaha) 127; 3. Ben Broad (Ngatea, KTM) 118; 4. Kurtis Lilly (Karaka, Husqvarna) 104; 5. Courtney Duncan (Otago, Yamaha) 101.

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