NZ Title for the Honda Shop Racing Team

NZ Title for the Honda Shop Racing Team

by Andy McGechan | www.BikesportNZ.com
November 29, 2013

Champagne corks popped on Thursday night for The Honda Shop Racing Team as its No.1 rider rocketed away with the first national trophy of the new motorcycling season.

Mount Maunganui’s Cody Cooper took his Honda CRF450 to six wins from six starts in the 2013 New Zealand Supercross Championship series this week, his unbeaten run indelibly stamping Cooper’s and his new team’s authority on the first of this season’s national championship events.

The 30-year-old scored a hat-trick of wins at the opening round near Timaru on Sunday and then he continued his winning streak to record another hat-trick at the Brent Scammell Honda-sponsored second round on Thursday evening, amassing a perfect total of 120 points from his six championship outings in the premier senior Open Class category, wrapping up the title with a race to spare.

He finished the championship a massive 30 points clear of his nearest threat, Australian rider Sam Duncanson, although this also made it a satisfying Honda 1-2 finish in the class.

“I can’t complain with that result,” said Cooper afterwards.

“I backed off a bit in the last race because I knew I’d already wrapped up the title and the track was getting a bit sketchy.

“You could say I went into ‘safe mode’, just to make sure I didn’t have anything silly happen. My main aim this season is to win the motocross championships and so, with the title already won, I didn’t need to push hard in the final supercross race.

“It is important to be smooth in supercross and you can actually go faster while you’re looking slow.

“I’m starting up on my endurance training now, in preparation for the Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville, but I’m already feeling very good.”

Other class winners in the supercross nationals were Australian Jay Wilson (Senior Lites, 250cc, class); Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke (Junior 250cc class) and Australian Sam Noonan (junior 85cc class).

Supported by Crown Kiwi and Alpinestars and managed by former motocross world champion Ben Townley, of Tauranga, the high-profile Waikato-based outfit now switches back to motocross mode for the upcoming Honda Whakatane Summercross just after Christmas and the big annual Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville in late January, followed by the four-round New Zealand Motocross Championships, kicking off near Timaru in February.

ENDS

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