The national supercross crown is in the balance.

Motueka’s Josh Coppins is tantalisingly close to wrapping it up and it’s really just his to lose now, with the former GP motocross star just one round away from winning the open class crown in this season’s Backflips-sponsored New Zealand Supercross Championships.

Only Canterbury’s Justin McDonald (Honda) and Bay of Plenty’s Cody Cooper (Suzuki) are two riders who may have something to say about that, both men within striking distance with just three points races to go in the open class.

McDonald is just 10 points behind Coppins and Cooper only another 16 points further back. The open class championship will go down to the wire.

The Senior Lites (250cc) division is perhaps a little more predictable, with Christchurch’s Craig Smith now 31 points ahead of fellow Honda rider Peter Broxholme, of Tauranga.

In the junior ranks, Atiamuri’s Dion Picard (Suzuki) (pictured above) leads the 250cc class by 14 points from Rangiora’s Micah McGoldrick (KTM).

Meanwhile, it looks like Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke (Yamaha) is well on his way to winning the Junior Lites (85cc) division. He is a huge 29 points ahead of Pahiatua Kawasaki rider Scott Sowry.

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