Courtney Duncan has twin goals this weekend — secure the Grand Prix win that will see her equal the record for most all-time in the women’s motocross championship, and take the lead in this season’s overall standings.
The three-time world champion has consistently been the fastest and most dominant rideron the WMX circuit since she burst onto the scene in 2016.
She has won more than half her races and her podium percentage is an incredible 78 per cent. When healthy, calling her dominant is not quite enough.
“I got my 20th Grand Prix win at the last round, which is quite cool and a bit of a milestone,” Duncan told the Weekend Herald.
“I’ve got one more to go to equal the all-time record of 21 GP wins, and hopefully by the end of the year, I’ll beat it.
“I’ve never really looked into things like this in the past too much, as I’ve always been so far off them [records]. Now that I’m getting close to a few records, you sort of want to try and chase them. It’s just a little bit of extra motivation.”
Courtney Duncan is a three-time world champion and has dominated the WMX circuit since 2016. Photo / Photosport
The third of this season’s six rounds is in Madrid this weekend, with two races each round. Lotte van Drunen of the Netherlands leads overall with 86 points, just one point ahead of fellow Kawasaki rider Duncan and Spain’s Daniela Guillen. Former six-time world champion Kiara Fontanesi of Italy is a distant fourth on 61 points.
“I’ve had some success here [in Spain] in the past and it has been good to me. The last two visits here have been victories for me, but each year, things are different. I’ll be hoping for success again, but past results don’t mean I’ll win again.
“You have to start from scratch and not let your guard down. Having said that, the track suits me, the dirt is good and it has some pretty big jumps that I like.
“We’ve had a solid start to the season and are only one point off the championship lead. A good weekend should leave us with the championship lead.”
After a win and a second in Switzerland at the start of April, Duncan showed she’s completely over the injuries picked up late last year which saw her finish seventh overall after winning the world title the previous three years.
“Everything is really good and I feel like we’ve had a solid few weeks’ training in the run-up to this weekend.
“To win GPs, you have to be on the limit all the time. To put yourself in that position on a race weekend, you have to replicate that during practice and training during the week.
“You’re on the edge a lot, but now I’m mature enough to know when to go for it and when to hold back a little bit. But then again in motorsport, or any sport in general, things happen sometimes. You’ve just got stay on your toes.
“There are some quick rookies this year, and then there are the riders who have been around for a few years who have the experience. It’ll make for some good racing and good battles.”
The Kiwi wants to take the lead earlier to stay out of trouble and manage races from the front. Although the 27-year-old isn’t carrying the No 1 plate this season, she remains the rider her rivals most want to beat.
