Bay of Plenty’s Rhys Carter is the new king of Taranaki.

The 28-year-old 3Twenty3 Kawasaki Racing Team rider was in dazzling form as he completely dominated the Mach 1 Yamaha-sponsored annual King of the Mountain motocross near New Plymouth on Sunday.

Rotorua’s Josh Bourke-Palmer (Yamaha No.210) hunts down Cambridge’s Seton Head (KTM No.20) during this 125cc class battle at the King of the Mountain motocross on Sunday. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Mount Maunganui’s Carter took his Kawasaki KX450F to convincingly win all three of his races in the premier MX1 class and he then left no doubt about his superiority when he also led from start to finish in winning the all-in feature final, the last race of the two-day event.

Following some distance behind Carter in that all-important feature race were current national cross-country champion Brad Groombridge, from Taupo, and former national motocross champion Daryl Hurley, from Hawera, both riding Suzukis.

It wasn’t the first time that Carter had won the iconic Taranaki event, having won the King of the Mountain (KoM) trophy also in 2015, but Sunday’s performance perhaps had more significance for Carter because this is the same venue at which he will kick off his national championship campaign in just two weeks’ time.

The KoM win was also a welcome boost for him ahead of the Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix, set for Woodville next weekend, which will be quickly followed by the four-round nationals – round one in Taranaki on February 4, then Rotorua on February 25 and Hawke’s Bay on March 11m before wrapping up at Taupo on March 24.

“I didn’t have any real expectations arriving here,” said Carter afterwards.

“This is only my second ride back since recovering from an injury I sustained while racing in the United States in June. My first comeback ride was at the Whakatane Summercross (just after Christmas) and I finished runner-up that day, so I guess it’s all looking good for the rest of the season now isn’t it?

“It was really a last-minute decision to come here because the weather forecast wasn’t great and this event was cut short because of heavy rain last year. But I’m so glad now that I made the trip,” said the fulltime motocross coach.

“I finished fourth overall at the Woodville GP last year and third in the MX1 class at the nationals last year, so I feel it’s time for me to start winning.

“With all then coaching that I’m now doing, I think it helps me to focus also on my own riding and it’s certainly improved. I’m thinking about my technique all the time.

“Today was a dummy run for what I can expect in some of the bigger race situations, like Woodville and the nationals, so I was pushing quite hard today. I learned a few things about this track today and flowed quite well on it, so I’m feeling quite confident ahead of the nationals.”

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

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The veterans head through turn one during the 2018 King of the Mountain motocross in New Plymouth on Sunday. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Leading results from the 2018 King of the Mountain Motocross in Taranaki:

Senior King of the Mountain: 1. Rhys Carter (Mount Maunganui, Kawasaki); 2. Brad Groombridge (Taupo, Suzuki); 3. Daryl Hurley (Hawera, Suzuki).

MX1: 1. Rhys Carter (Mount Maunganui, Kawasaki).

MX2: 1. Brad Groombridge (Taupo, Suzuki).

National 125cc: Joshua Bourke-Palmer (Rotorua, Yamaha).

Veterans (over-35): Mike Fleming (Rotorua, Yamaha).

Veterans (over-45): Mitch Rowe (New Plymouth, KTM).

Women: Taylar Rampton (Opunake, Suzuki).

Junior King of the Mountain: 1. Brodie Connolly (Tauranga, KTM); 2. Grason Veitch (Dunedin, KTM); 3. Seton Head (Cambridge, KTM).

Junior, 14-16 years’ 250cc: Grason Veitch (Dunedin, KTM).

Junior 15-16 years’ 125cc: Seton Head (Cambridge, KTM).

Junior 12-14 years’ 125cc: Brodie Connolly (Tauranga, KTM).

Junior 14-16 years’ 85cc: Ben Wall (Ashburton, Husqvarna).

Junior 12-13 years’ 85cc: Rhys Jillings (Rongotea, KTM).

Junior 8-11 years’ 85cc: Kobe Thoms (Christchurch, KTM).

Junior 8-11 years’ 65cc: Astin Scott (Featherston, KTM).

Full results can be found HERE or HERE