Cody Cooper chasing his third national title

TOP CLASS: Cody Cooper is chasing his third NZ Grand Prix motocross title at Woodville. PHOTO: Andy McGechan

Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper is determined to reclaim the top spot and win his third NZ Grand Prix motocross title this season.

The national MX1 motocross champion is firm favourite to win what is regarded as the biggest stand-alone event on the Kiwi racing calendar - the Honda-sponsored New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville on the weekend of January 28-29.

He won there in 2007 and 2014 and would like nothing better than to become a rare three-time winner when he lines up at this season's 56th annual running.

Cooper was denied that honour last year by Australian Dean Ferris, who rose up to claim the main trophy on debut at Woodville.

Cooper lived up to his star billing when he again won the MX1 class at Woodville last year, but it was a case of Cooper winning the battles but losing the war, with Ferris leading from start to finish in the gruelling Invitation Feature Race and becoming the 28th different main event winner at Woodville since the inaugural running in 1961.

Cooper won the MX1 class last year with a 1-2-2 score-card, finishing the day four points ahead of Ferris, and Otago's just-turned 20-year-old Courtney Duncan stunned the testosterone-fuelled MX2 (250cc) class to snatch that class win with an outstanding 1-3-2 score-line, while Fielding's Tony Cvitanovich did enough in finishing 4-4-3 to be crowned 125cc class champion at Woodville last year.

Not only did 15-year-old Cvitanovich win the 125cc class, but he was also rewarded with the Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy as the highest-placed senior 125cc class rider under the age of 22.

The winner of the spectacular river race class was Palmerston North's James Galpin.

The founder of the iconic event 56 years ago, Palmerston North's Tim Gibbes, has expressed enthusiasm that the Woodville motocross would live on forever.

"I'm not surprised that it's still a major event. I remember back in the beginnings when we had 5000 tickets printed but the call came back from the entrance gate at one o'clock in the afternoon that they'd sold out. The crowds just kept coming," said the 83-year-old former world championship rider.

"When this first became an international event, nobody in New Zealand knew what motocross was."

They certainly know all about it now and Cooper will again have some heavy-hitters lining up against him this year.

Kirk Gibbs will not be back this year, but Ferris is and recently won the Australian MX1 championship. Kiwi internationals such as Waitakere's Hamish Harwood, Mangakino's Kayne Lamont, Taupo's Brad Groombridge, Rotorua's John Phillips, Rangiora's Micah McGoldrick, Waitakere's Ethan Martens, Hamilton's Josiah Natzke, Mount Maunganui's Rhys Carter and Queenstown's Scott Columb also have good reason to fancy their chances.

Racing over the two days at Woodville caters for minis, juniors, women, veterans and seniors, with the novelty river race on Sunday always a crowd-pleaser.