Motocross: Hadleigh Knight raring to race for Shirriffs trophy

Atiamuri's Hadleigh Knight will look to defend his under-22 title at the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix near Palmerston North this month. Photo/Andy McGechan

Atiamuri's Hadleigh Knight has extra incentive to win when he races at the annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville, near Palmerston North.

He won the special Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy at the Honda-sponsored event last season - the prize for the highest-placed rider in the feature race who is under the age of 22.

This year it will possibly be an even more significant achievement, with a separate race now being set aside to recognise the feat during the January 25-26 event.

To increase the profile of the Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy, an additional race will be slotted into the Sunday programme.

Instead of the young 125cc and MX2 (250cc) class riders being incorporated into the all-capacities Invitation Feature Race, where they would likely be overshadowed by riders on the vastly more powerful 300cc and 450cc bikes, the younger riders on smaller bikes will now battle exclusively among themselves in their own race.

The winner will be awarded the trophy on the podium immediately after the race by the Shirriffs family and by Roddy Shirriffs' best friend from those days, Palmerston North businessman and former national motocross champion Phil Turnbull.

"I would love to defend my Roddy Shirriffs title. That's the aim anyway," said Knight, 17, who will race his CMR Red Bull KTM SX125 bike.

"I expect it won't be easy though. I know I'll have a fight on my hands beating [Te Puke's] Logan Blackburn, and I reckon Tauranga's Aaron Wiltshire, Christchurch's Dylan Walsh and Hamilton's Josiah Natzke will be tough to beat too." With only 125cc and MX2 bikes in the race, it will allow the Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy contenders to really lock handlebars and should make the race exciting for spectators too.

The Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy race is just one of more than 40 races on the programme for the two-day event.

This year's 53rd annual event will again attract the cream of New Zealand's motocross talent, as well as several competitors from overseas.

Manawatu rider Roddy Shirriffs was only 21 when he died while racing at the famous Devil's Drop motocross track at Wanganui in 1976. It was later discovered that his spark plug lead had come loose just as he powered off the jump.