Greatest Show On Turf Is Just Around The Corner

It is just a handful of weeks away now to the “greatest show on turf” – the biggest dirt bike race in the Southern Hemisphere – the annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville.

And the 61st running of the big Honda-sponsored event, on the weekend of January 28-29, 2023, is set to be another massive ‘superstar showdown’.

The iconic event celebrated its 60th in birthday in January 2021, but then the pandemic raised its ugly head and forced almost every major sporting competition nationwide, actually worldwide too, to be shut down.

Despite skipping a beat therefore in 2022, or perhaps even because of this, the next running set for early in the New Year is sure to be a cracker.

Host Manawatu-Orion Motorcycle Club president Brad Ritchie said he was "very excited to see it will be all back to normal for the event".

"It is always a very special occasion for everyone. It always starts the year off.

With the absolute heartbreak of not being able to run this event in January this year, but it seems to have picked back up to a new high level. The club's committee is determined to do it bigger and better than before and we have had wonderful support from the land owner and they're really exciting to work with.

"The puzzle is coming together nicely and everyone is really buzzing.

"All our main sponsors are back and we can't thank them enough either.

"This event sets the year up nicely because it all flows into the senior national motocross championships series in February and March. We'll have Sky Sport Next giving coverage to the event, so anyone that can't make it will still be able to view the racing. It will be screened live worldwide."

The outright winner of Woodville in 2021, Taupo’s Wyatt Chase, has now retired from racing, his Woodville win no doubt a career highlight, so picking a favourite this time around is anyone's guess.

Any overseas riders who do happen to show up for Woodville 2023 will regardless be up against an impressive array of other Kiwi internationals, experienced campaigners such as multi-time former New Zealand motocross champion and many time Woodville winner Cody Cooper, of Papamoa, Auckland's current national MX1 champion Hamish Harwood, Te Puke's Tyler Steiner, Mangakino's former national motocross champion Maximus Purvis, Rangiora's Micah McGoldrick, Helensville's International Six Days' Enduro (ISDE) gold medallist Josh Jack and Hamilton's former national champion and former Woodville winner Kayne Lamont, to name a few, in the glamour MX1 class.

"I few of our ISDE riders have already confirmed they'll be coming to do the river race, so that will be a bonus too," Ritchie added.

"They raced with great success in France earlier this year and they're back home now and will come and show us what they're made of."

Woodville is one of the biggest events on the Kiwi calendar and it will be an ideal build-up for a few of the Kiwi internationals who may now be seeking to resurrect their careers overseas now that the pandemic fears have eased.

Since the stand-alone event was first staged over half a century ago, in 1961, the Woodville Motocross has grown to become the jewel in New Zealand's motocross crown and hundreds of riders will battle over the weekend, including minis, juniors, seniors, women and veterans.

The long and illustrious list of previous winners includes New Plymouth's 1996 500cc motocross world champion Shayne King, Taupo's 2004 MX2 world champion Ben Townley, Australian champions Craig Dack, Kirk Gibbs and Dean Ferris, Britain’s Greg Hanson, American Willie Surratt and Sweden’s Gunnar Lindstrom, to name a few.

All ages and levels of ability are catered for by the Woodville GP event, with the novelty river race on Sunday also a major crowd-pleaser and perhaps appealing more to the enduro and cross-country racing brigade.

Racing over the two days attracts thousands of spectators to the Tararua region, filling motel rooms and camping grounds to the point of overflowing, the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville is a must-see spectacle for any motorsports enthusiast.

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

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