Motocross: Battle for glory to continue

Rotorua's Michael Phillips (Honda CRF450) will be looking to move up the MX1 (450cc) standings this Sunday in Pukekohe. Photo/Bikesportnz.com

Expect the heavyweights to come out swinging for the third round of the New Zealand Motocross Championships.

After two rounds, plenty of Rotorua and Bay of Plenty riders are near the top of the standings in the MX1 (450cc), MX2 (250cc) and 125cc classes.

The nation's elite motocross racers will head to Harrisville, on the outskirts of Pukekohe, on Sunday to continue their battle for glory at the third round of four in this season's New Zealand Motocross Championships.

As the series edges towards a conclusion in Taupo on March 22, the fighting is becoming ever more frantic, with time rapidly running out for challengers to make an impact.

Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper (Honda) leads the premier MX1 class by a comfortable 21 points from Scotsman Billy MacKenzie (Yamaha).

Meanwhile Taupo's Brad Groombridge (Suzuki), Rotorua's Michael Phillips (Honda) and Australian KTM riders Ford Dale and Kirk Gibbs are also scrapping for a podium finish.

In the MX2 (250cc) class, Mangakino's Kayne Lamont (Husqvarna) has so far proven himself the man to beat.

The 20-year-old Kiwi international enjoys a solid 27-points advantage over his nearest challenger, Dargaville's Hamish Dobbyn (KTM), with defending MX2 champion Scott Columb (Queenstown) in third spot overall.

Momentum is on Lamont's side - he has won three of the six races in this class so far, and finished runner-up in the other three.

If his pace and consistency can continue on Sunday, he will be very hard to beat.

In the 125cc class, Te Puke's pre-season favourite Logan Blackburn (Yamaha) suffered a nightmare run at Tokoroa, but will be looking to bounce back at Pukekohe on Sunday.

Misfortune at Tokoroa dropped Blackburn from first to third in the 125cc standings, while Hamilton's Josiah Natzke (KTM) and Atiamuri's Hadleigh Knight (KTM) shared wins at Tokoroa to move up to the number one and number two positions respectively.

Though only 15-years-old, Natzke has shown maturity beyond his years and he is a respectable 20 points ahead of Knight.

Blackburn is 15 points further back and will need a miracle ride at Pukekohe on Sunday if he is to burst back into one of the top two positions.

Tauranga's Aaron Wiltshier (KTM) will also be worth watching. Wiltshier was second in the 125cc standings after round one and had finished runner-up to Natzke in the day's first race at Tokoroa. Unfortunately, he crashed in the next race and did not return to the track. The BikesportNZ.com rider vows to be on the starting line again at Pukekohe.