WAVING THE KIWI
P
erhaps not since the 1990s have so many
Kiwi motorcycle racers ventured overseas
in search of glory as this season. Between
1990 and the early 2000s, New Zealand
race fans at home were tuning in weekly
to hear news of their heroes racing in
Australia, the United States, Africa and Europe.
They weren’t disappointed, with great international
success being enjoyed by riders such as the King
brothers from Taranaki – Darryll, Shayne and Damien
– Tokoroa’s Daryl Atkins, Motueka’s Josh Coppins,
Glen Eden’s Chris Birch, Bombay’s Katherine Prumm,
Taupo’s Ben Townley, Papakura’s Tony Cooksley
and Manawatu’s Paul Whibley, to name a few.
Kiwi race fans are tuning in again in even greater
numbers this year as news comes in from all
around the world of New Zealanders locking
handlebars with some of the world’s elite.
New Zealand is being represented this year
COURTNEY DUNCAN
76 KIWI RIDER
by Andy McGechan/bikesportnz.com
in Australia, the United States, Great Britain
and Europe and could be on the verge of
celebrating another world championship
title win before the year is out.
The brightest of the Kiwi stars this year has
undoubtedly been Otago’s Courtney Duncan. The
22-year-old Yamaha rider was unbeatable at the
third round of six in the Women’s Motocross World
Championships (WMX) in Germany on May 20.
Her back-to-back race wins at the German circuit
of Teutschenthal, near Leipzig, was her second
clean-sweep of the season – she has now won five