MotoX form book goes out the window

Otago's Courtney Duncan (No151) and Taupo's Cohen Chase (No45) grabs the lead while defending champion Josiah Natzke (No1) crashes to the ground at the start of this 125cc class race in Taranaki. Picture / Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Favourites fail to shine, writes Andy McGechan

The form book has been thrown out the window after the first of four rounds of the New Zealand Motocross Champs.

The riders head to Pleasant Point, near Timaru, for round two of the JT Racing-sponsored series this weekend with all bets off and anything possible following the upsets and surprises at round one near New Plymouth.

None of the riders who had been tipped as title favourites ended up on the top steps of their podiums at round one, although there is no doubt that highly fancied defending champions Cody Cooper, the MX1 class No1 from Mount Maunganui, and Josiah Natzke (KTM), the 125cc class No1 from Hamilton, will be seeking to redress that.

Queenstown's Scott Columb (Yamaha YZ450F) ended up on top of the MX1 class at New Plymouth, closely followed by Australian Kirk Gibbs (KTM) and Rotorua's John Phillips (Honda).

Cooper (Honda) finished the day fourth overall.

Columb's performance in Taranaki was something of a resurrection, and a timely one.
Columb was given the hard word by his race team boss just after Christmas, "shape up or ship out".

With patchy form leading up to the start of the nationals, Columb was not among those fancied to win the MX1 crown this season and his boss at the Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team, Motueka's former Grand Prix star Josh Coppins, took him aside to lay down the law on New Year's Eve.

Columb has since been on the podium at every major event he's raced and the highlight came with his winning the day in Taranaki.

The 31-year-old finished third in the first of three MX1 class races in Taranaki, behind Yamaha teammate Kade Mosig and Gibbs, then he convincingly won the next two races.
Columb's 3-1-1 scorecard gave him an eight-point overall win over Gibbs (2-4-2), with Phillips finishing 6-2-4 and taking the third step on the podium, another seven points further back.

"I was expected to be on the podium every time I raced, but I wasn't," said Columb. "It's a pressure situation because, in this sport, if you don't perform, there is always someone else ready to step into the position and replace you."

Meanwhile, with Mangakino's national MX2 (250cc) champion Kayne Lamont (Yamaha) sidelined with injury before New Plymouth's event and Rotorua's Mike Phillips (Honda) sent to the sideline because of a crash during it, it helped Australian visitor Jay Wilson (Yamaha) to top the podium in the MX2 class.

Amberley's Micah McGoldrick (Honda), Takaka's Hamish Harwood and Otorohanga's Hayden Kanters (Yamaha) were the next best in the class at New Plymouth and should also feature during racing at Timaru this weekend.

Taupo's Cohen Chase (Yamaha) won the 125cc division in New Plymouth.

Natzke convincingly won the first two 125cc races at New Plymouth, but a massive crash at the start of the day's third and final race drove him head first into the ground.

He finished eighth and salvaged overall runner-up spot for the day. The smart money will possibly still be on Natzke to successfully defend his crown. He is just four points behind Chase and there are still a maximum 225 points available.

Third best on the day at New Plymouth was Ngatea's Ben Broad (KTM) and, just one point behind Natzke, he must also fancy his chances.

Round three is set for Rotorua on March 8, with the fourth and final round at Pukekohe on March 15.