“It was a harder day than I expected. I
wasn’t getting the good starts that I normally
do,” confessed Cooper.
“Each time we changed something for the
starts and, in the end, it worked out.
“This track is very hard to pass on. You’d
get close to making a pass, but then you’d
get roosted and lose all that ground again. I
need to do some more practice on my starts.
“But I’m happy with the overall result today
and I’m looking forward to coming back here
for the nationals.”
All of this followed on from Cooper’s MX1
class win at the annual post-Christmas
Honda Summercross at Whakatane and
rang another alarm bell for his national
championship rivals.
Cooper’s next assignment before the
nationals is the big annual New Zealand
Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville, also
sponsored by Honda, on January 26-27.
Then it’s into the business of trying to
reclaim the national No.1 plate, Cooper now
well set up for a return to Barrett Road on
February 3, followed by rounds in Rotorua
(on February 17), then Pukekohe (on
February 24) and, finally, the nationals wrap
up at Taupo on March 10.
CARTER
MX2
Mangakino racer Maximus Purvis seems
ready to take on the world, starting with the
best that New Zealand can throw at him and
then the cream of the Australians.
He proved this once again with another
stellar performance, this time winning
the MX2 class at the annual King of the
Mountain Motocross.
The 18-year-old Purvis won the MX2
(250cc) class at the big annual Whakatane
Summercross, just after Christmas, but his
winning efforts in Taranaki were possibly
even more vital than that.
His victory at the King of the Mountain
event was doubly important because this
Taranaki track is to be the host venue for
round one of the nationals on February
3. The Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team
rider knew a solid showing here would be
ideal preparation for his first New Zealand
MX2 class title bid. Purvis won the national
125cc class title in 2018 and this year he has
stepped up to the bigger Yamaha YZ250F
bike for his campaigns both here and
abroad.