MotoX: Contenders make themselves known

Scott Columb (Altherm JCR Yamaha YZ250F). Picture / Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

MX Fest highlights top trio, writes Andy McGechan

It is going to be a sensational season of motocross this summer, especially if Brad Groombridge, Hamish Dobbyn and Scott Columb have anything to do with it.

The four-round New Zealand Motocross Championships are just around the corner and it was these men who demonstrated at the season-opening MX Fest at Taupo over Labour Weekend that they will all be title contenders.

National MX1 champion Cody Cooper (The Honda Shop Racing Team) was at the event too, but merely as a spectator while he continues his recovery from injury, and he may well have reason to be concerned that his two-year reign as champion will be under threat when the 2015 national series kicks off near New Plymouth on February 8.

The 24-year-old Groombridge (Bel Ray Pro Rider Suzuki), national MX1 class No3 last season, was in blistering form at Taupo, winning the MX1 class ahead of Dobbyn (Husqvarna), Columb (Altherm JCR Yamaha), Ethan Martens (Altherm JCR Yamaha) and John Phillips (The Honda Shop Racing Team).

In a stunning display of riding, Groombridge headed off New Zealand's elite 450cc riders and if he can continue this momentum, he should be a contender to win the MX1 crown.
"I was expecting Hamish to be fast and it's hard to be significantly faster than anyone else on this track or for one rider to completely dominate, so I knew I was in for a fight," said Groombridge.

Dobbyn's performance at the event was also remarkable, especially considering it was his debut ride at a major meeting on the big 450cc Husqvarna and he had been racing a 250cc bike in the MX2 class last season.

Hamish Dobbyn

"We've done nothing to this bike yet ... it's completely stock standard," said Dobbyn, just returned from representing New Zealand at the Motocross of Nations in Latvia.

"We still have a lot of testing to do with the bike but things are looking good.
"I have not spent a lot of time on this bike yet, but I was still hoping to be able to battle for the wins and that's what happened. I had a bit of bad luck in one race and ended up finishing ninth, so that cost me a bit."

Dobbyn was taken down in the first turn in his third of five MX1 class races at Taupo, but his charge through the field from last place to eventually claim ninth spot was an awesome sight.

Brad Groombridge

Meanwhile, it was a similar story in the MX2 (250cc) class where national champion Kayne Lamont was reduced to the role of spectator as he too continues his recovery from injury.
Josiah Natzke (CMR Red Bull KTM) - the national 125cc class champion last season - won the MX2 class overall, finishing the day ahead of former Grand Prix motocross star Josh Coppins, the retired racer who was acting as "fill-in" rider for Yamaha's Lamont.

Cameron Dillon (Huka Honda), Scotty Canham (Patterson-O'Connor Kawasaki), and Campbell King (Bel Ray Pro Rider Suzuki) rounded out the MX2 class top five.

South Island heroine Courtney Duncan took her Fox Yamaha YZ125 to easily win the National 125cc class at Taupo. Duncan finished the day with a 1-3-4-1 score card to beat Onewhero's Jayden Turnwald (MR Motorcycles BikesportNZ.com KTM) and Taupo's Aaron Smith (Epic Decals Yamaha) to the top step of the podium.