There were a ton of thrills, plenty of spills but no real surprises when the New Zealand Supercross Championships wrapped up at Taupo this weekend.
Queenstown's Scott Columb completed the job he started when he dominated round one of the three-round series near Timaru just over two weeks ago, securing the MX2 supercross title with another solid performance on Saturday and showing he will certainly be a contender when the motocross nationals kick off in South Canterbury on February 12.
Columb didn't win the day at Taupo - that honour instead going to fellow Suzuki star Rhys Carter, of Mount Maunganui - but Columb's 3-1-2 results at Taupo were enough to give him a whopping 18-point championship-winning margin over visiting Australian Geran Stapleton (Honda), while Carter had to settle for third overall in the Backflips Clothing-sponsored championship.
That the 28-year-old Columb should dominate the series as he did was something of a surprise considering he had been off the race scene, sidelined with injury, for nearly two years.
"I'm back, that's for sure," beamed Columb afterwards.