The Woodville MX GP podium for the premier MX1 class saw Taupo's Wyatt Chase (centre) take the No1 spot, with west Auckland's Hamish Harwood (left) in the No 2 position and Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper third overall. Photos / Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
The Woodville MX GP podium for the premier MX1 class saw Taupo's Wyatt Chase (centre) take the No1 spot, with west Auckland's Hamish Harwood (left) in the No 2 position and Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper third overall. Photos / Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
It was a special weekend of motocross that had everything – high-intensity dirt bike action, a slew of different race winners, weather that remarkably switched from chilly to baking hot and, of course, a significant birthday party.
The 60th annual Honda-sponsored New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville on Saturday and Sunday was a celebration of the sport, the popular event at the eastern end of the Manawatū Gorge achieving a landmark in more ways than one.
It was not only marking six decades since the sport was properly introduced to New Zealand in 1961 by now-87-year-old Palmerston North man Tim Gibbes, but it was also for the first time being run in conjunction with the first round of four in the 2021 New Zealand Motocross Championships.
It was a rare double honour – the opening round of the national championships tied in with New Zealand's largest stand-alone motocross event – and the riders rose to the occasion.
With all three races in each class counting toward the Woodville GP titles and only the first two of the three races being deemed eligible for the national championships, the event threw up separate podiums in each class.
Taupo's Wyatt Chase, therefore, won the Woodville GP crown for the first time and west Auckland's Hamish Harwood, incidentally the GP winner last season, missed out on repeating the feat, but left Woodville with a slender six-point lead in the premier MX1 class for the national title hunt.
Hamish Harwood is the points leader after opening round of the 2021 New Zealand Motocross Championships on the outskirts of Woodville on Sunday.
The national series continues at Rotorua in three weeks' time (on February 21), with round three to follow at Pukekohe on March 20. It all wraps up at Taupo on March 28.
Mangakino's Maximus Purvis won the MX2 (250cc) class for the Woodville GP trophy and he also leads that class for national honours, while the same applies for Matamata's Brodie Connolly in the MX125 class.
In addition, Connolly also leads the points in terms of Under-19 age-group honours.
Motueka's Roma Edwards topped the women's class at Woodville and she also leads the chase for Women's Cup honours.
Motorcycling New Zealand Motocross commissioner Ray Broad said it was a spectacular weekend of racing, with so many riders and a large crowd thrilled to be a part of the 60th celebrations.
"The first two races of GP carry over points towards New Zealand titles, so when we head to round two at Rotorua, those riders still have it all to play for and the fierce battling that we saw at Woodville will continue on.
"We knew that, with all that goes on here at Woodville, it was always going to be difficult getting through three championship-length races, which is why the last round of sprint races weren't counted towards national championship points."
Broad added that the 2021 Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville, and all of the other rounds of the nationals too, would be livestreamed on the Sky Sport Next programme and also repeat screened on Sky Sport.
For 21-year-old Taupo rider Chase it was a particularly special weekend as he won his first Woodville GP title in the premier 450cc MX1 bike class.
"This is a massive win for me," said Chase.
"This is a title that all motocross riders want to win and it's great that my name will go on the trophy alongside so many legendary riders that have gone before me."
Woodville GP: Wyatt Chase Taupo (MX1 class and main Woodville GP trophy), Maximus Purvis Mangakino (MX2 class), Brodie Connolly Matamata (MX125), Roma Edwards Motueka (Women), Cam Negus Rotorua (Veterans), Paul Whibley Palmerston North (River Race), Connolly (Roddy Shirriffs Under-19 trophy).
Senior NZ Motocross Champs points:
MX1 class: Hamish Harwood West Auckland 47 points 1, Chase 41 2, Cody Cooper Mount Maunganui and Kayne Lamont Hamilton 40 3 equal.
MX2 class: Purvis 50 points 1, James Scott Oparau 44 2, Josiah Natzke Mount Maunganui 40 3.
