Coppins and Yamaha Turning Up the Heat

Coppins and Yamaha Turning Up the Heat

NOVEMBER 20, 2013: After two decades racing on the international scene, Motueka’s Josh Coppins knows a thing or two about handling heat and he reckons he knows how to apply it too.

And now, retired from fulltime racing and operating as the manager for the high-profile Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team, it really is his turn to take charge and turn the blowtorch on his opposition.

With that in mind, the Altherm JCR Racing Team has turned to just-crowned Australian supercross champion Jay Wilson to cross the Tasman and join the squad for the two-round New Zealand Supercross Championships, set to kick off this Sunday on the outskirts of Timaru.

The second round is scheduled for next Thursday evening at Winton, just 30 kilometres north of Invercargill, making it the southernmost supercross in the world.

Fellow Australian Matt Howarth will have the MX1 class duties for the team, making it a solid two-pronged attack from the blue and white Yamaha crew.

“Jay Wilson just won the under-19 supercross title in Australia last weekend,” said former Grand Prix motocross star Coppins.

Wilson won four of the five rounds in Australia and should be too strong for the mainly Kiwi riders at Timaru and Winton.

“I have worked with Jay before and he’s a great kid and from a nice family. I’m looking forward to seeing him race over here again.

“As a team we have tried to represent ourselves well at motocross, as we did at the Auckland Motocross Championships last weekend, and now at supercross nationals too.

“It is all about flying the Yamaha colours. We have approached Matt to ride the MX1 class because the only real alternative to that was for me to dust off my gear and ride the MX1 class myself. But, really, I’m too busy for that these days.

“We are supported by the Yamaha dealer network and it is important for us to be active in this, for the good of our sponsors.

“(National MX2 motocross champion) Scott Columb (of Queenstown) and I will race at the two-day Otago Motocross Championships near Dunedin on December 7-8, but that’s a rare ride for me these days.”

The Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing team is supported by Yamaha Motor New Zealand, CRC, Fox, Holland’s Collision Centre, Star Moving, GYTR, Yamalube, Pro Circuit, Alpinestars, Matrix, DID, NGK, Renthal, Pirelli, Etnies, Workshop Graphics, POD, Atlas, Motomuck, Uni, Giltrap Prestige, Hinson, Racetech Plastics, Vertex Pistons and SKF.

Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

ENDS

© Scoop Media