Motocross: Champs back after four years

Rotorua's John Phillips (Honda) - is among the leading riders in the MX1 class. Photo / Greg Henderson Photography

Rotorua's top motocross riders will enjoy home advantage when the New Zealand Motocross Championships come to town.

Local rider Michael Phillips said it had been about four years since a round of the national champs had been in Rotorua.

Phillips has been hard at work preparing the track for round three of the New Zealand champs on Sunday at his family's farm near Ngakuru.

"It is looking really good," he said about the track.

"I hurt myself in the first round [of the series] so I haven't been up to much other than sitting in a Bobcat and a tractor."

While Michael will not be racing on Sunday, as he recovers from a serious back injury, his younger brother John Phillips is sitting second in the MX1 (450cc) class, after the first two rounds in the four-round series.

He said John had been training hard ahead of the next round on Sunday.

"I think a couple of teams in Australia might be interested in him so watch this space," Mike said.

John is close behind MX1 series leader Cody Cooper, from Mount Maunganui, and could move up the standings this weekend.

While Cooper (Honda) leads the MX1 class, Australian Jay Wilson (Yamaha) rules the MX2 (250cc) class and Hamilton's Josiah Natzke (KTM) is on top in the 125cc division, but none of these riders can take anything for granted in Rotorua on Sunday.

Of the three class front-runners, Wilson was the only one to lead his respective class after the series opener in Taranaki last month.

The racing had a shake-up in round two, near Timaru a fortnight ago, and defending class champions Cooper and Natzke rose up the rankings to the No1 positions, but that could all change again in the blink of an eye.

Rotorua's Scott Canham (Kawasaki) is another good local rider to watch out for on Sunday in the MX2 (250cc) class.

The fourth and final round of the championships is set for Pukekohe on March 15.