Papamoa motocross racer Cody Cooper is now right in the wheel tracks of former Grand Prix star Josh Coppins after yesterday's third round of the NZ Championship at Rotorua.
Cooper rode his Suzuki to two wins and a second placing at the Horohoro track and is now just one point behind
Coppins (Yamaha) in the MX1 title race, with the decider at New Plymouth this coming weekend.
Cooper won the opening race, fought back to second behind Coppins in race two after a mid-pack start, and completed the day by winning the third moto. In that race, Mount Maunganui's Michael Phillips (Honda) gave Cooper's hopes an extra boost by finishing second and pushing Coppins into third.
Having trailed Coppins by 14 points after the opening round at Timaru last month, Cooper has won four races from six starts at Patetonga and Rotorua events and finished second in the two races he didn't win. Going into the title showdown at New Plymouth, Coppins has 203 points and Cooper 202. Michael Phillips is third on 180.
Also taking an overall win yesterday was Tauranga teenager Scott Barr-Smith (KTM) in the 125cc class.
When series leader Ethan Martens (Yamaha) could finish only fifth in the first race, Barr-Smith seized the chance to win his first national race. He then claimed two second placings behind Martens to secure the overall win by three points and also edged in front of veteran Cameron Negus (Rotorua) to gain second position in the championship.
