There will rarely, if ever, be such a gathering of motocross champions again in New Zealand as at this weekend's international event at Taupo.
Four men, including two New Zealanders, with 17 world titles among them will take to the starting gates for the one-off event, which willdouble as the Oceania championship.
New Zealand's 1995 500cc world champion, Shayne King, and 2004 MX2 world champion Ben Townley will mix it with Belgium's Stefan Everts, the reigning world MX1 champion, and countryman Joel Smets, five times a world champion.
Everts, who retires from competition this year, has won 10 world motocross titles in a legendary career.
Also in the field are reigning New Zealand champion Darryll King, who was twice runner-up in the world 500cc championship in the 90s, and Josh Coppins, runner-up in the 2005 world MX1 championship.
With the event being staged on the same track he learned to race on, Townley is probably the sentimental favourite, but Everts is a living legend and few would bet against him.
The Belgian was the top individual at September's Motocross of Nations in England, his two race wins helping his country to the No 2 spot on the podium, just behind the United States.
Townley, Coppins and Opotiki's Cody Cooper put New Zealand on the third step.
Everts is also a former outright winner of the International Six Days Enduro. This year's enduro kicks off for the first time in New Zealand in less than a fortnight, also in Taupo.
In the Oceania Championships, an annual event, the King brothers, Townley, Coppins, Cooper and Hawera's Luke Burkhart form the backbone of the New Zealand contingent.
"I really cherish coming home these days," said Townley, who headed for the United States this year after finishing third in the world MX1 championship last year.
Looking forward to his first race in Taupo in two years, he added: "The sport has become much more popular now in New Zealand and the race this weekend is going to be huge for New Zealand."
