If it ’ s true that there ’ s no rest for the wicked , then Bay of plenty ’ s Cody Cooper must be a very bad boy indeed . And bad can mean very good in this sport . The Bridgestone Kawasaki Racing Team rider from Papamoa won the premier MX1 class at the season-opening MX Fest extravaganza in Taupo two weeks earlier , a feat that belies his “ senior citizen ” status in the sport as he beat all the rising young stars half his age . The 39-year-old Cooper then went on to race at the New Zealand Veterans ’ and Women ’ s Motocross Championships near Cambridge a week later . It was no surprise that he comfortably won the veteran men ’ s 35-39 years ’ class . With barely time to wash and refuel his distinctive green Kawasaki KX450F – and now with a 250cc version of the bike also loaded in the back of his trailer – Cooper showed up at the first of two rounds for this year ’ s Waikato Motocross Championships at the Moto Central track near Huntly on November 5 , this time prepared and willing to race in two separate bike categories .
Cooper so dominated all three MX1 ( 450cc ) class races at Huntly that it seemed he was already back in the pits and taking a drink while the other riders were still finishing . Te Puke ’ s Tyler Steiner ( Motul Honda ) ended the day runner-up in the MX1 class , coming out ahead of Cooper ’ s Kawasaki team-mate Micah McGoldrick in the battle for the remaining podium positions at the Kawasaki New Zealand-sponsored event . Cooper then took his standard , straight-outof-the-crate Kawasaki KX250F to win the day ’ s first of three MX2 ( 250cc ) class races , catching and passing fast-starting 18-year-old Kiwi international Brodie Connolly and then pulling away to take a commanding victory . Things turned a little sour for Cooper after that when he became caught in traffic at the start on the second MX2 race . By the time he ’ d clawed his way up from seventh position and into second , Yamaha Altherm JCR Racing Team rider Connolly had opened up a sevensecond lead and was fast disappearing over the horizon . Cooper knuckled down to his work and started
Brodie Connolly and Cody Cooper
36 KIWI RIDER