Cooper Puts Honda on Top Again

COOPER PUTS HONDA ON TOP AGAIN

MARCH 26, 2017: With four consecutive New Zealand Motocross Championship MX1 crowns to his name, and five in total, it would be a foolish person indeed to bet against Mount Maunganui Honda hero Cody Cooper.

But, in fact, all bets were off at the fourth and final round of the 2017 New Zealand Motocross Championships in Taupo on Saturday with virtually nothing to separate Cooper from his main title threat in the premier MX1 class.

The Honda Racing Team star had led the national series from the start in Timaru in February and then embellished his position at the top with another solid performance at round two near Rotorua a fortnight later.

But then Cooper lost his series lead for the first time at round three near Palmerston North two weeks ago – slipping from 13 points in front to one point behind 2016 Australian MX1 champion Dean Ferris.

But Cooper was back to his scintillating best on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick of wins to dominate the day, re-taking the lead from Ferris and clinching the championship title at the same time.

It was Cooper's fifth consecutive national MX1 title win and his sixth in total, adding to the two MX2 (250cc) titles he won in previous seasons, and it has reinforced the 33-year-old’s status again as the best motocross racer in New Zealand.

Ferris was forced to withdraw from the final MX1 class race of the day at Taupo because of an electrical problem and this gave a huge points advantage to Cooper.

But, by then, the damage had really already been done, with Cooper having won the first two races of the day to give himself a seven-point buffer even before the gate had dropped on that final race.

A third placing or better in the final race would have been enough to hand the title to Cooper and his victory in that race, while Ferris failed to finish, was merely icing on the cake for the Kiwi hero.

“I guess I offered Dean (Ferris) a chance to win the title when I gave up my 13-point advantage at (round three in) Palmerston North. But I won all three races today and that was that,” said Cooper.

"I had to be a bit of an animal today. Dean (Ferris) had a go at me and it just fired me up. I knew I had to win the second race to give myself an edge for the final race and that meant riding outside my comfort zone. But, if I was riding outside my comfort zone, I knew Dean had to be too.

"I'll be back to defend the title again next year," he declared. "I can't wait."

Third overall for the series was fellow Mount Maunganui rider Rhys Carter.

Close friends as well as on-track rivals, Cooper and Carter will both now head to the United States in May to tackle the first two rounds of the American nationals, at Hangtown and then Glen Helen, both these venues in California.

Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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