Waikato’s Darryll King is taking on the world … again … and he’s starting with the Australians this weekend.

The 41-year-old former world No.2 is heading back to Europe to have another crack at winning a world title, this time the Veteran’s Motocross World Championships, but first he plans on roughing up a few Australians.

“With help from the Craig Dack Racing Yamaha team, I am preparing a Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke for my Australian campaign. The bike is supplied by Yamaha Australia.

“I was always planning to race the Veteran’s Motocross World Championships in Europe this year but I only thought of this idea (of racing in Australia) after doing so well at the Auckland Motocross Championships (three weeks ago),” said King.

“I just felt like it would be a cool challenge. I enjoy racing the two-stroke Yamaha and might race one at some of the world vet rounds too.

“But I have a big decision to make next week, especially if I race well in Australia on Sunday. It might be too challenging to try to race both championships and I may race one of the series only. We’ll just have to wait and see.

“I really want to ride the MX2 (lites) class here and why not? It’s a cool challenge. I have already won three MX1 titles and Yamaha have great riders already in that class.

“I believe the YZ250 two-stroke will give me what I need against the 250f riders but I don’t honestly know how well I’ll go until the gate drops for race one on Sunday.

“Racing in New Zealand I got faster and faster at each event and I was racing two classes, so I could not give it everything I had in all the motos.

“If I ride well and get some pretty good results I will keep racing here over the eight-round series.

“Regarding the world vet champs, the dates have been changed from the original schedule and that means I would have to spend nearly a month in Europe just to do the first two rounds.

“Racing here in Australia this weekend is just an exciting challenge on the two-stroke. If I ride smart and the 250 two-stroke allows me to get good starts, I could be right in the mix.”

New Zealand will again have solid representation on the Australian motocross scene this season, with Kiwi MX2 No.1 Michael Phillips (Honda) lining up alongside King in the MX2 (lites) class.

Mount Maunganui’s national MX1 No.2 Cody Cooper spent the past two seasons racing in the AMA outdoor championships in the United States but now he is crossing the Tasman to tackle the open class in Australia.

Cooper will race for the factory-backed Australian Rockstar Motul Suzuki Team, the same Jay Foreman-managed team that fellow Kiwi Daryl Hurley rode for when he took the Australian open class title in 2005.

Warkworth’s Hamish Dobbyn also heads across the Tasman to take up a ride with the same Rockstar Motul Suzuki Team.

He will ride in the Under-19s Championship, filling the vacancy made by Lawson Bopping who has moved to the Lites class.

Meanwhile, Cambridge’s Kieran Leigh (Yamaha), Taupo’s Cam Dillon (Honda) and Rotorua’s John Phillips (Honda) fill the three spots set aside for New Zealand riders in the Australian Under-19 Championships.

The Australian national motocross championships kicks off in Horsham, Victoria, on Sunday. The eight-round series wraps up in Coolum, Queensland, on July 25.

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