Tauranga riders could decide Whakatane Summercross

BIG CHANCE: Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper (Honda CRF450) is one of the favourites to win the MX1 class at Summercross. Photo: Andy McGechan

The annual Whakatane Summercross is an iconic "must-do" on the Kiwi motocross schedule, with this year's edition looming as a clash of the titans like never before.

It is one of the last major stand-alone motocross events on the calendar before the 2017 national championship series gets underway.

The Honda-sponsored Summercross will run from December 27 - 28. There is to be a reversal of the traditional race programme this year, with seniors on day one on Tuesday and juniors on day two on Wednesday as Summercross celebrates its 45th birthday as one of New Zealand's premier dirt bike events.

It could be a Western Bay showdown.

National MX1 champion Cody Cooper, now of Mount Maunganui, to face a heated battle with former national MX1 champion Ben Townley from Tauranga in the skirmish for top honours.

Cooper won the main prize at last year's Summercross, but Townley is also no stranger to winning there. Fellow Kiwi international Josh Coppins, a world class rider who has also won the Summercross trophy several times in the past, retired from fulltime racing in 2012, but he still might have a huge influence on who wins.

Coppins manages one of the race teams that will be out to stop the likes of Townley and Cooper and he will arrive at the Awakaponga circuit, near Matata, with current Australian MX1 champion Dean Ferris and former New Zealand MX2 champion Kayne Lamont, from Mangakino, ready to line up in the MX1 class.

The winner of the MX1 class at Taupo's recent MX Fest event, Mount Maunganui's Rhys Carter, and Brad Groombridge from Taupo will add even more depth to the premier class.

It will also be worth watching out for hot local heroes such as Whakatane riders Mitch Rees, Darren Capill, Sam and Amy Corston and junior riders Sam Middleton, Isaac Olsen, Dom Beal, Brandon Willis, Troy Gebert, Wesley Milsom, Brodie Hatcher, Flynn Watts and Aydan Hall.

"This event will be the first big hit-out of the season to feature all the major teams," Bay of Plenty Motorcycle Club spokesman Tony Rees said.

"It is a great time of year for racing and, fingers crossed, the weather should be fine."

The track has been spruced up for the event, with fresh saw dust trucked in to replenish that section of the course, while a giant new ski-jump has been constructed to add to the excitement for riders and spectators alike.

Riders and fans will use this event as a form indicator before the annual Honda New Zealand Grand Prix at Woodville on January 28-29, followed by the four-round nationals that kick off near Timaru on February 5.