Local duo set for Coppins battle

Looking to chase down Josh Coppins in the second half of the New Zealand motocross champs isn't the only assignment facing leading Bay of Plenty riders Cody Cooper and Michael Phillips.
Before the third round of the national series at Rotorua on March 20, both Cooper and Phillips will battle with Coppins on another front at the Australian motocross champs in Victoria, starting March 13.
They're raced over nine rounds with the final at Coolum in Queensland on July 30-31.
For Cooper it will be the second season leading the Rockstar Motul Suzuki MX1 effort, while for Phillips a late call-up sees him replacing an injured Todd Waters in MX1 for the Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing squad.
Phillips has previously raced in MX2 for the Australian Honda team, finishing seventh last year, and isn't worried about contesting two championships at the same time.
"The first round in Australia is really to find out where you fit in and how much work you still have to do," said Phillips. "Then it's back to New Zealand for the last two rounds. My focus is to stay consistent."
While Cooper was in Australia last week to participate in the official launch of the Australian champs, where he was fastest in a one-lap shootout, Phillips flew out yesterday morning to begin gearing up for the Aussie nationals.
"I've got a solid five or six days of testing before the first round," said Phillips.
"We'll ride as many different tracks as we can get on to and test everything."
It was a sore Phillips who flew to Australia yesterday after a tough second round of the NZ Champs at Patetonga on Sunday.
He won the opening MX1 race then crashed in the next two but battled to sixth and eighth placings which still earned him third overall. "I feel a bit beaten up and bruised with scraped elbows, that sort of thing."
Patetonga was the second race since a December shoulder operation for Mt Maunganui's Mason Phillips (Kawasaki) who moved forward in the MX1 championship standings.
A qualifying crash was a painful start to Phillips' day but he improved with each race and finished strongly with two fourth placings and is now fourth-equal.
In MX2 (250cc), the best of the Tauranga riders is Peter Broxholme (Honda), who is fifth in the series. Broxholme began with a sixth placing then rode to seventh with a damaged radiator in race two before delivering his best ride with a fourth place.
The round win and MX2 series lead went to veteran Darryll King who won the opening moto and followed up with a third and a second. Also winning were Australian Cody Mackie (Honda) and Taranaki's Luke Burkhart (KTM).
King leads the MX2 class on 125 points from Mackie on 122 and fellow Aussie Daniel McCoy (Suzuki) on 120.
Mt Maunganui's Rhys Carter (Suzuki) continued his return from injury, with a strong fifth placing in the opening MX2 race and was ninth and 11th later in the day. He remains seventh in the MX2 standings at the mid-point of the series.
Appeal donationThe Maddix Park motocross facility at Ohauiti is donating all entry fees this week to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Fund. The main MX track, mini track and trail loop are open from 8.30am till dusk (weather permitting) and all entry fees paid from Monday to this Sunday will go to the appeal. Maddix Park is located at 465 Rowe Rd, Ohauiti.
Events hat-trick
There are three local motorsport events this weekend. The Waihi Beach Dirt Track Club is in action from 11.30am on Saturday and speedway resumes at Baypark on Saturday night after a four-week break. On Sunday, Motorsport BOP has a gravel motorkhana event at the TECT All Terrain Park motorsport hub with competition from 10.45am.
Cox shines
A busy weekend for Bay of Plenty Kart Club racers began with 15 drivers at a training day run by Niki Urwin and Justin Herbert on Saturday followed by the first round of club racing on Sunday.
A field of 47 drivers contested the club day, the grids boosted by several visitors looking for track time at Fagans Valley Raceway ahead of the Rotax Challenge round at the track on March 26-27.
A big influx of newcomers to the Cadets class saw the field split into rated and unrated drivers.
Reece Hendl-Cox won the rated class for experienced drivers and Hamish Williamson was best of the newcomers.
Josh Adlam swept the junior restricted racing with five wins and also unbeaten on Sunday was Stuart Gould in the Rotax Max Heavy class.
The senior lights class was won by Corey Green who pipped Carly Tollenaar by one point while a strong Rotax Max Lights grid of 10 drivers saw Nicholas Carpenter finish equal on points with Michael Scott with victory in the final earning Carpenter the overall win.
BOP Kart Club:
Cadets (rated): 1 Reece Hendl-Cox 4pts; 2 Jack Derry 8pts; 3 Adam Bell 14pts.
Cadets (unrated): 1 Hamish Williamson 4pts; 2 Blake Evans 8pts; 3 Gemma Winters 11pts.
Junior Restricted: 1 Josh Adlam 4pts; 2 Blake Harris 8pts; 3 Taylor Harte 11pts.
Junior Yamaha: 1 Chrisden Lee 4pts; 2 Nik Pervan 9pts; 3 Josh Anderson 10pts.
Formula Junior: 1 Samuel Carpenter 5pts; 2 Nicole Parker 6pts.
Senior Light: 1 Corey Green 5pts; 2 Carly Tollenaar 6pts, 3 Deon Symes 13pts.
Racket 120cc: 1 Keith Rawlinson 5pts.
Rotax Max Light: 1 Nicholas Carpenter 7pts; 2 Michael Scott 7pts; 3 Steven Gaskell 8pts.
Rotax Max Heavy: 1 Stuart Gould 4pts; 2 Ray Hewlett 8pts; 3 Rob Bull 12pts.
Open: Bradley Tremain 4pts