Rotorua's Mike Phillips can't wait for tomorrow's opening round of the national motocross championships in Timaru, his first race since cracking his eye socket in a crash two months ago.
Phillips will compete in the MX1 class, on a new 2012 Honda CRF 450 he has been testing over the past four weeks. "I'm feeling right at home on the new bike. I can't wait to get it out on the race track," he said.
Phillips finished third overall in last year's championship.
Fellow Rotorua rider Cameron Vaughan is expected to be a contender in the 125cc and under-21 categories.
After tomorrow, racing moves to Patetonga, then Pukekohe and finishes in Taupo on March 18.
