By winning the first of her two Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) races at the final round in Turkey overnight, New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan has tightened her grip on the world title for 2023.
If she repeats the dose, or even just simply goes close, in race two on Sunday (the early hours of Monday morning NZ time), she will claim her fourth women’s world championship crown in five years.
The Kawasaki ace won the WMX title three times in consecutive years – in 2019, 2020 and 2021 – before missing out on a fourth world title last year through injury.
Duncan started her weekend at the Turkish GP a solid 16 points clear at the top of the 2023 WMX standings – ahead of Spanish GasGas rider Daniela Guillen – and Duncan’s first-race success at the Afyonkarahisar circuit overnight means it’s very nearly “job done” once again for the 27-year-old Kiwi.
Third overall in the current standings, behind Duncan (248 points) and Guillen (227 points), is just-turned 16-year-old Dutch rider Lotte Van Drunen (Kawasaki, 216 points).
An analysis of the points situation reveals that Duncan needs only to finish a lowly and unaccustomed 17th or better to wrap up the title tomorrow morning.
Duncan topped both practice sessions in Turkey by more than 1.5 seconds and led every lap of racing after holding a smart tight-line through turn one to grab the holeshot and establish a 2-second advantage over her chasers already during the opening lap.
Maintaining her composure throughout the entire 20-minute-plus-two-lap race, she claimed her sixth moto win of the season and her sixth victory from seven career starts at the Turkish facility in Anatolia.
With a 21-point advantage, and an unchallenged 6-1 buffer in the moto-win tie-breaker, over her sole remaining title rival, Spanish rider Guillen, Duncan needs only to finish 17th or better in the final race of the championship.
“The day started well with fastest in practice to set me off on a high and a good start put me in the right position from the word go in racing,” said Duncan afterwards.
“After that I just rode smooth and smart; nothing crazy, nothing flash, just enough to bring it home and put myself in a strong position to get the job done tomorrow.
“I’ve always felt good when I come here and I know how to ride the track. I just need to keep my guard up; it’s not over until it’s over.”
Duncan has now won six of the 11 races held so far this season (compiled over the five previous GPs, coupled with her race one win in Turkey), while Van Drunen has won four races this season and Guillen only one.
© Words by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
Photo courtesy Kawasaki Europe
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