Peter Broxholme for company at the front
and then Brad Groombridge caught up.
“I was riding a little cautiously because I wasn’t
too sure where the track went and the track marker
arrows were a little confusing for me.
It meant I missed a corner while leading and
I had to double back and see where I went wrong.
“Brad [Groombridge] passed me, but I got
back by him at the first re-fuel stop. I got held
up by lappers on lap three and this helped
Brad to reduce the gap. I pitted again for
fuel and that’s when Brad got past me.
“I stayed on his rear wheel and, on the final lap,
I discovered the line I should have been taking
earlier. I passed Brad and then simply pulled out a
gap on him... out to nearly four minutes in the end.
“The new bike was perfect for the job and
having the electric start was great.
“I might be 33-years-old now, but I’m older
and wiser,” he laughed. “I’m winning more
races now than when I was younger.”
Finishing less than a minute behind runner-up
Groombridge (Suzuki RM-Z450), and completing
the podium, was Reporoa’s Hadleigh Knight (KTM
250SX-F), with Titirangi’s Callan May (Yamaha
YZ250F), Whakatane’s Mitch Rees (Honda
CRF450R) and Cambridge’s Ashton Grey (Yamaha
YZ250FX) rounding out the top half dozen.
Cooper will continue to work now to build-
up for racing at the Motocross of Nations in
England on the first Sunday of October. He
will be joined by fellow Mount Maunganui man
Rhys Carter and Hamilton’s Josiah Natzke in
forming the three-rider New Zealand team
for this “Olympic Games of Motocross”.
When he returns from Europe, he will attempt
to again win the annual Honda Summercross at
Whakatane and then the Honda New Zealand
Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville in the New
Year. His national motocross championship
title defence will begin straight after that.
1. Cody Cooper (Mt Maunganui)
Honda CRF450RX, 2h 44m 40.627s
2. Brad Groombridge (Taupo)
Suzuki RM-Z450, + 3m 54.642s
3. Hadleigh Knight (Reporoa)
KTM 250SX-F, +- 4m 35.842s
4. Callan May (Auckland)
Yamaha YZ250F, +9m 09.783s
5. Mitch Rees (Whakatane)
Honda CRF450R, +11m 58.807s
6. Ashton Grey (Cambridge)
Yamaha YZ250F, + 13m 11.870s
7. Peter Broxholme (Tauranga)
Honda CRF450RX, +13m 29.065s
8. Wyatt Chase (Taupo)
KTM 250, +13m 31.479s
9. Reece Lister (Hawke’s Bay)
KTM 250F, +13m 34.920s
10. Cameron Vaughan (Rotorua)/ Yamaha YZ250F
Dion Picard (Rotorua) Suzuki RM-Z450
+15m 28.309s.
www.ntbracing.co.nz
ntbracing@mac.com
KIWI RIDER 27