Motorsport: NZ riders aim to clean up at Aussie motocross

New Zealand motocross riders are set for a clean sweep of the Australian championships in the final round at Wonthaggi, Victoria, on Sunday, Taranaki's former world champion Shayne King says.

King's elder brother, Darryll, on 326 points, needs just two more points to secure his third Australian Pro Open title in four years, and Shayne is second in the standings on 278.

If Shayne wins the first 30-minute heat at Wonthaggi, Darryll only has to finish 19th or better in the same race to guarantee the championship remains in his keeping.

The battle between 35-year-old Darryll, on a Yamaha, and Shayne, 32, on a Honda, will be a highlight at the seaside track near Phillip Island, and there will be high New Zealand interest in the Pro Lites and women's championships.

Cody Cooper, 20, has a 11-point lead in the Pro Lites and Hasting's Mary Perkins is just four points behind Australian leader Lisa Irwin.

Adding more interest in the women's race will be the appearance of rising New Zealand star Katherine Prumm.

The Pukekohe High School sixth former easily beat Perkins to win all three women's races in the first round of the New Zealand championships in Timaru last Sunday and Shayne King believed Prumm would win at Wonthaggi.

Shayne, the 1996 500cc world champion, said his brother deserved to win the title after doing a fantastic job all season.

"But you never know -- it's not over until it is over and I'm just going there to give it my best shot," he said.

"I basically rode away from him in the first round of the New Zealand championship last Sunday, so I'm optimistic."

Shayne believed Cooper would win the Pro Lites championship and Perkins would have the edge over Irwin.

But he was sure that both women were going to fight for the minor podium placings behind Prumm in Sunday's race.

"I am confident Mary will win the championship -- she is very good on sandy tracks and I believe she has what it takes."

Prumm's appearance at Wonthaggi would be good for her future.

" I said to her about three months ago she should go to Wonthaggi because she's old enough now to ride in the open grade.

Shayne reckoned she was among the top five fastest women motocrossers in the world.

Winning all three Australian titles was a given, if nothing major happened on Sunday.

"It's a fantastic feat obviously to go over to and beat the Australians at their own game for the whole season.

"It's unbelievable for Kiwis to do that because we have to travel over there every week and race and it makes it harder and all the rest of it. But as Kiwis, we are very determined and Darryll and myself have done it for a long time."

- NZPA