and 250cc world champion in 1991 . Smets was a five-time motocross world champion ( 500cc class in 1995 , 1997 , 1998 and 2000 and was then MX3 world champion in 2003 ). “ Those years racing the GPs were the best years of my life , although we did a lot of short trips overseas too , to Tahiti , Australia , Japan ,” said King . “ Fortunately , I had some good sponsors , like PCD Construction , through Wellington ’ s John Peters ( with him also an accomplished rider on the New Zealand amateur scene ). I just loved getting on planes and going racing . It was quite a life .” Darryll King did finally become a motocross world champion when , at the age of 43 , he was crowned FIM Veterans ’ Motocross World Cup Champion in 2012 , returning to compete at the same one-weekend event in 2014 and 2015 and finishing runner-up on both those later occasions .
MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS But it was racing at the MXoN that perhaps enthralled him the most .
“ The Motocross of Nations is such a big deal . New Zealand has had some great years and I believe there will be some even bigger years ahead ,” said King . “ The 1988 season was a big one for me , with racing the MXoN in France against American heroes Ron Lechien , Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward . We got to know them really well and also got to hang out with them afterwards . We were able to learn some things from them . “ But the MXoN event itself is just a massive experience anyway . The people that go there , the craziness of it ... it ’ s an insane event . “ I finished on the podium with Team New Zealand at Foxhills in 1998 . It was a mud race and we Kiwis all rode really well that weekend . Josh Coppins , my brother Shayne and myself all did well . New Zealand was on the podium twice more too , at Namur , in Belgium , in 2001 and at Matterley Basin , in the UK , in 2006 and those were obviously all great years for New Zealand . “ There ’ s plenty of speed around with the new guys today too . Look at Josiah Natzke , Brodie Connolly , Maximus Purvis , Cole Davies , James
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