Cooper eyes win at Woodville
The past couple of years have been classic Aussie versus Kiwi battles in the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix, with the men from across the ditch stealing the spoils.
But Bay of Plenty’s Cody Cooper is determined to reclaim top spot and win his third grand prix motocross title.
The man from Mount Maunganui is the current national MX1 motocross champion and he arrives in Manawatu as the firm favourite to win what is regarded as the biggest stand-alone event on the Kiwi racing calendar – the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville on January 28-29.
He has won there twice before – in 2007 and 2014 – and would like nothing better than to win once more and become a rare three-time winner of the iconic Woodville event when he lines up at this season’s 56th annual running.
But that is easier said than done and Cooper was denied that honour last year for a second consecutive season, deprived both times by Australian visitors.
Cooper was stopped in 2015 by Australian Kirk Gibbs and in 2016 it was Dean Ferris who rose up to claim the main trophy on debut at Woodville.
Cooper had lived up to his star billing when he again won the MX1 class at Woodville last year, but it was a case of Cooper winning the battles but losing the war, with Ferris leading from start to finish in the gruelling Invitation Feature Race and becoming the 28th different main event winner at Woodville since the inaugural running in 1961.
Cooper won the MX1 class last year with a 1-2-2 score-card, finishing the day four points ahead of Ferris, and Otago’s 20-year-old Courtney Duncan stunned the testosterone-fuelled MX2 (250cc) class to snatch that class win with an outstanding 1-3-2 score-line, while Feilding’s Tony Cvitanovich did enough in finishing 4-4-3 to be crowned 125cc class champion at Woodville last year.
Not only did 15-year-old Cvitanovich win the 125cc class, but he was also rewarded with the Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy as the highest-placed senior 125cc class rider under the age of 22.
The winner of the spectacular river race class was Palmerston North’s James Galpin.
The founder of the iconic event 56 years ago, Palmerston North’s Tim Gibbes, has expressed enthusiasm that the Woodville motocross would live on forever.
‘‘I’m not surprised that it’s still a major event. I remember back in the beginnings when we had 5000 tickets printed but the call came back from the entrance gate at one o’clock in the afternoon that they’d sold out. The crowds just kept coming,’’ the now 83-year-old former world championship rider said.
‘‘I’m very proud of this event but it’s not all about me ... there has been a lot of work done by a lot of people over the years to make this a continuing success.’’
‘‘When this first became an international event, nobody in New Zealand knew what motocross was.’’
They certainly know all about it now and Cooper will again have some huge heavy-hitters lining up against him this year.
Kirk Gibbs will not be back this year, but Ferris will again be crossing the Tasman and, with his recent Australian MX1 championship win, he should be expected to feature.
Kiwi internationals such as Waitakere’s Hamish Harwood, Mangakino’s Kayne Lamont, Taupo’s Brad Groombridge, Rotorua’s John Phillips, Rangiora’s Micah Mcgoldrick, Waitakere’s Ethan Martens, Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke, Mount Maunganui’s Rhys Carter and Queenstown’s Scott Columb, to name just a few, also have good reason to fancy their chances.