Honda Team Riders
Dominate at Waikato
Champs
H
by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
e may not have led at the start of the
first race, but he was in front at the
end and that’s what counts. Once
he got wound up, Honda Racing
Team rider Cody Cooper was simply
untouchable at the annual Waikato
Motocross Championships, on the outskirts of
Te Kuiti, on the first weekend of November.
After fighting through traffic to win the
first race, he snatched the lead quickly in
each of the remaining three races and then
looked comfortable as he led a Honda 1-2-
3 to the top of the MX1 class podium.
Cooper comfortably won all four races in this
premier class, crossing the line 3.5 seconds
ahead of Honda team-mate Micah McGoldrick
in race one; 10.5 seconds ahead of Taupo’s
Cohen Chase (KTM SXF450) in race two; 17.1
seconds ahead of McGoldrick in race three and
then 5.6 seconds ahead of Honda team-mate
John Phillips in the final outing of the day.
“I don’t like being behind other riders and
getting dirty at the start of races. It makes the
clean-up at the end of the day to be such a
chore,” laughed Cooper. “But it was good for
my intensity training to be behind the bunch
and have to work past the other riders.
“It was a peg draw for the starting positions and
I got the No.21 pick for the gate, which wasn’t
so good because the track was quite muddy
at the start of the day. I didn’t get a good start
in the first race, but I was okay after that.
“I am still carrying a little bit of an injury, so
I wasn’t pushing hard the whole time.
“I was trying to keep my feet up and on the
foot-pegs, but that’s not always possible
here because the ruts get to be so deep.”
It probably came as no surprise that 34-year-
old national MX1 champion Cooper would
dominate the MX1 class, but what did come
as a pleasant surprise was the performance of
young team-mate McGoldrick. Tauranga-based
Cody Cooper
Micah McGoldrick
KIWI RIDER 27