WORDS & PHOTOS:
ANDY MCGECHAN, BIKESPORTNZ.COM
The battle between the
Kiwis and Aussie invaders
reached boiling point as the
four-round 2019 NZ MX Champs
hit Rotorua for Round 2
class races this season.
When the 35-year-old Cooper
(Alpinestars Motul Honda CRF450) won
the day’s opening MX1 race at Pukekohe, it
gave the Kiwi hero a three-point edge over
the Aussie invader.
Cooper won the next race too and so his
advantage was boosted to six points.
However, with his tyres fast losing their
edge on the slick, hard-packed Pukekohe
dirt, Cooper succumbed to pressure
from Gibbs and was forced to accept the
runner-up spot in race three.
The end result for the weekend is that
Cooper is still on top, three points clear of
Gibbs, as the competitors head to Taupo
KIWI RIDER 25