Legends Join Forces

Legends Join Forces

NOVEMBER 4, 2013: Two former world champions have joined forces this week to ensure that current national MX1 champion Cody Cooper hangs onto his No.1 number board.

Bay of Plenty's former MX2 (250cc) motocross world champion Ben Townley has now been joined by Taranaki's former 500cc world champion Shayne King in a bid to help The Honda Shop Racing Team hold onto the premier New Zealand crown and also, perhaps, to clinch the domestic MX2 title in 2014 as well.

With King's New Plymouth-based accessory and apparel company – Crown Kiwi Enterprises – now signing on as a major sponsor for The Honda Shop Racing Team, team manager Townley and team owner Phil Empson know they'll have all the elements they need to succeed.

“Crown Kiwi, and Alpinestars products in particular, will play a big part in The Honda Shop Racing Team's campaign this season and beyond,” said King.

“This is the biggest global motorsports brand in the world, showing so much innovation and development in our sport. The Alpinestars products are all about protecting the rider and ensuring his or her longevity in the sport. Recently Alpinestars have added American star Eli Tomac to an already very strong global rider line-up and having this association here is very exciting.

“I used to race against both Ben and Cody in my day and I fought fiercely with them. Now I'm there to support them, which is pretty cool.”

Townley was thrilled with the new association.

“I'm excited about the relationship we'll have with Shayne, Crown Kiwi and the Alpinestars products. Alpinestars only started making the apparel in 2003 and I started wearing their gear straight away. I won my world title a year later, the first rider to become a world champion with Alpinestars. I have been a part of the Alpinestars family for 14 years.”

Empson, owner of The Honda Shop Racing Team, said everything was starting to fall into place for the new team.

“Time has been our enemy. We concentrated on getting Cody on board as our MX1 rider and then started getting sponsors on board. Shayne is still an active rider, so he has a feel for what's happening in our sport.

“Our aim is to win both the MX1 and MX2 titles in New Zealand in 2014. We certainly have a team coming together now that can do that.”

Cooper has already been wearing Alpinestars boots for many years and is pleased it will be “business as usual” for him.

“I love the boots. I love the gear and I feel very comfortable in it,” he said.

The Honda Shop Racing Team had its first official outing of the season at the Waikato Motocross Championships near Te Kuiti at the weekend and finished unbeaten in both the MX1 and MX2 categories.

For more information on Alpinestars products please visit www.crownkiwi.co.nz or contact them at sales@crownkiwi.co.nz
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