Motorsport: Ben Townley all class at Taupo

Bay of Plenty rider Ben Townley was virtually unstoppable in this year's New Zealand Motocross Championships in Taupo.

Taupo-born Townley relished the chance to show his friends and family the kind of style and substance that has made him an international star as he raced away with the coveted MX1 crown at Taupo's fourth and final round.

Townley took his Carlton Dry Honda CRF450 to another hat-trick of wins on Sunday, each time finishing ahead of defending national MX1 champion Cody Cooper, of Mount Maunganui, as he emphatically rubber-stamped his authority on the MX1 class this season.

In all, Townley won all but one of 12 races - three at each of the four rounds - in this season's national championship, adding the national title to the Whakatane Summercross and Woodville GP titles he won earlier in the season.

Almost exclusively racing overseas since 2001, Townley was thrilled to return home and claim the most prestigious of New Zealand's motocross titles.

"It is the nature of my racing career that I have not been in New Zealand to tackle the nationals for so many years," the former world champion said.

"I didn't know what to expect. This is a great build-up for me to return to the international stage."

His next outing is expected to be at round one of the Australian Motocross Championships, north of Brisbane, on April 1.

Motueka's Josh Coppins finished overall runner-up to Townley in the motocross championships, while Cooper settled for third.

Bel Ray Honda team riders Justin McDonald, of Christchurch, and Michael Phillips, of Rotorua, finished the championships ranked fourth and fifth respectively, while Auckland's Hamish Dobbyn and Taupo's Brad Groombridge made it five Honda riders in the top seven in the MX1 class this season.

Meanwhile, Taupo's Bel Ray Huka Honda star Cameron Dillon also stood out on Sunday; the teenager finishing the day runner-up in the MX2 (250cc) class to eventual champion Darryll King, of Hamilton.

"Cameron crashed heavily during the supercross nationals and, although we had planned on him making a comeback during the motocross nationals and riding today at Taupo, he surprised a few people," said Bel Ray Honda tram manager Peter Finlay.

"He was on fire today and certainly finished on a high."