Thirty of the best New Zealand and Australian riders will be at Moonshine Park in Upper Hutt today for the Oceania motocross championships.
Previous Oceania championships were low-key events, involving teams of three competing in two rounds as part of other meetings.
New Zealand won in 1999 and Australia were victorious
last year.
The Kapi-Mana Motorcycle Club, the biggest motocross-oriented club in the Wellington region, is organising the weekend's event.
"We're trying to put on a good promotion to lift the profile of the championship," club president Mike McLeod said.
Riders will race in four classes. Ten riders from each country will compete in open and 125cc classes and five from each country in women's and junior (up to 16) classes.
Top New Zealand riders in the open class include Cody Cooper, who won the 125cc class in the final round of the Asian supercross championship in Thailand last week.
The Bay of Plenty 18-year-old will ride one of Honda's new-generation CR450Fs.
James Robertson, of Palmerston North, will ride a Yamaha YZ426F, another new-generation four-stroke, and Nicky Urwin, of Tauranga, a Kawasaki KX250.
New Zealand 500cc champion Corrie Sargent, of Featherston, has a knee injury and is unable to ride.
Top Australians include Shane Metcalfe, Micky Cook, Craig Anderson, Paul Broomfield and Steven Andrews, most on 250cc bikes.
In the 125cc senior class, New Zealand has national champion Daryl Hurley, now based in Australia, Mark Penny, of Te Awamutu - both on Suzukis - and Aucklander Nigel Smith on a Yamaha.
Hurley was a member of the three-man New Zealand team who finished third in the annual world teams' championship in Belgium in September.
The 10 Australians include Jye Harvey, who did several rounds of the Asian championship this year. He rides a Kawasaki.
The New Zealand team include Cheryl Cotter, of Upper Hutt, on a Yamaha YZ125 and, in the juniors, Tinny Herrick, of Masterton.
- NZPA
