KEY POINTS:
New Zealand has a podium finish in its sights for next month's big annual Motocross of Nations event in England.
Motorcycling New Zealand has named its three-rider team, plus a reserve, for the end-of-year fixture in Britain and, on current form, the Kiwis rate among the favourites to
win the coveted Chamberlain Trophy.
The Kiwi team for the September 27-28 event comprises Motueka-born MX1 world championship contender Josh Coppins (Yamaha, MX1), Hawera's Daryl Hurley (Suzuki, MX2) and Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper (Suzuki, open class). The reserve rider for the team is multi-talented Queenstown rider Scott Columb (Suzuki).
Auckland businessman and former GP mechanic Russell Burling is the team manager, with injured former New Zealand team rider Ben Townley assisting with logistics. MNZ motocross commissioner Mike McLeod, from Wellington, will be the FIM jury representative.
Coppins is now third in the motocross world championships and is within striking distance of the world crown with three rounds left to run.
Cooper is currently racing among the top 10 on the national championship circuit in the United States, while New Zealand 500cc motocross champion Hurley has just completed another season racing in Australia, finishing runner-up in the open class.
Columb races alongside fellow South Islander Coppins in the MX1 world championships.
"I'm very happy with the team picked," said Burling. "It's a pity Ben [Townley] is not available but Josh, Daryl and Cody have all been riding well lately.
"There is a 50-50 chance it will be wet in England at that time but all our men are good mud riders and it's great to have a team with so much international experience," he said.
The annual world teams' championship pits the top three riders from each country against each other in what is considered the Olympic Games of motocross, this year set for Donington Park, near Birmingham, on September 27-28.
New Zealand crashed out of the running during warm-up for last year's Motocross of Nations when it was staged at Budd's Creek, Maryland, south of Washington D.C.
But it is a confident Kiwi team that again makes the big trip abroad in its bid to win the Motocross of Nations.
New Zealand finished third - behind the United States and Belgium - when the event was last staged in England, near Winchester, in 2006.
"All they need will be an ounce of luck and they could take it out this year - they are fast enough," said MNZ CEO Paul Pavletich.
"Do you know were we can buy some luck?"