New Zealand Senior Moto-cross Overview 1973-2016

Ivan Miller leads Steve Harrison and Peter Ploen 

The 1970s really took off with more over the counter moto-cross bikes becoming available , riders making names for themselves included Peter Ploen , Moss Smith , Gary Goodfellow , Ross Horsborough , Peter Boyle , Phil Turnbull , Greg Brinck , Craig Coleman to name a few.

International riders continued to come to New Zealand in the 1970s, including Paul and Steve Harrison from the UK who were regular top performers . World 125cc Champion Gaston Rahier came out to New Zealand for a selected events as did World 1978 125cc Champion Akira Watanabe .

The North vs South Moto-Cross was started in 1956 by Mr Ernie Pink and Tom McCleary Senior and was raced for many years before being confined to the history books.

With a view to the future in the late 1970s Junior Moto-cross started , and eventually after rules were put in place the New Zealand Junior Moto-cross Championship came in to exsistance. This would be the start for a number of riders who would eventually make International names for themselves in the senior ranks. Three riders can be pointed out as marking the pathway to International success . Darryl Atkins , Darryll King and Shayne King would all make their mark in Junior competition and then in the international arena and all three would have success in Australia , USA and especially Europe.

Other notable New Zealand racers in the 1980s were names like Graeme Allan , Bryan Patterson , Murray Anderson , Frank White , Ashley Major , Warren Timpson to name a few. They came up against many overseas racers , Perry Leask , Jonathan Wright , Greg Hanson from the UK and from Australia Jeff Leask , Dave Armstrong , Ray Vandenberg , Glen Bell Craig Dack and Steven Gall among others . They all came and raced in New Zealand.

In 1996 New Zealand had it's first World Champion when Shayne King won the 500cc Championship. In 1997 Darryll King would take second in the championship and Shayne in third. In 1998 Darryll would finish second again. Since then Josh Coppins and Ben Townley continued the winning ways with Townley becoming New Zealand's second World Champion in 2004 in the MX2 Championship. The next year saw Coppins finish second in the MX1 championship and Townley in third.

 Bryan Patterson - Pic Stu Newby

In 2006 New Zealand rider Katherine Prumm won the FIM World Womens Cup and would take it out again in 2009. Tony Cooksley won the World Veteran Cup in 2007 and Darryll King took out the Veteran's Championship in 2012.

Josiah Natske finished second in the European EMX125 Championship in 2015 , and is joined by Courtney Duncan who has embarked on the campaign to win the Women's championship , some ten years after Katherine Prumm . Courtney has already won two rounds at the time of writing. Another young rider and New Zealand championship winner 14 year old James Scott is also racing Europe in 2016 in the European Honda 150 Championship.

The New Zealand team has placed third in the Moto-Cross of Nations on three occasions , 1998 , 2001 and 2006 and New Zealand has held only one world championship event , the Junior Moto-cross championship in 2009 .

The sport has had a rich history both on a domestic scale and on the world stage that all Kiwis can be proud , and there is no reason why this won't continue. 

Senior Motocross Champions – 1973-2016

1972/73 A Grade 1^st P.Ploen

1973/74 A Grade 1^st P.Ploen B Grade 1^st P.Turnbull C Grade 1^st A.Major 125cc 1^st R.Shirriffs

1974/75 A Grade 1^st P.Ploen

1975/76 A Grade 1^st P.Harrison

1976/77

A Grade 1^st I.Miller B Grade 1^st F.White C Grade 1^st C.Conlon

125cc A 1^st P.Turnbull 125cc B 1^st C.Coleman

1977/78 Open 1^st I.Miller 250cc 1^st G.Brinck 125cc 1^st T.Meeks

1978/79 Open 1^st G.Brinck 250cc 1^st P.Ploen 125cc 1^st T.Meeks

1979/80 Open 1^st I.Miller 250cc 1^{st Equal} C.Coleman-/G.Goodfellow 125cc 1^st M.Anderson

1980/81 Open 1^st I.Miller 250cc 1^st C.Maindonald 125cc 1^st M.Anderson

1981/82 Open 1^st F.White 250cc 1^st M.Anderson 125cc 1^st R.Saunders

1982/83 Open 1^st J.Leisk 250cc 1^st M.Anderson 125cc 1^st T.Meeks

1983/84 Open 1^st B.Patterson 250cc 1^st P.Leask 125cc 1^st J.Wright

1984/85 Open 1^st M.Anderson 250cc 1^st P.Leask 125cc 1^st G.Hanson

1985/86 Open 1^st G.Allan 250cc 1^st C.Dack 125cc 1^st D.King

1986/87 Open 1^st G.Hanson 250cc 1^st G.Allan 125cc 1^st S.King

1987/88 Pro-126cc and over. 1^st D.King Pro-125cc 1^st D.Atkins

1988/89 Pro-126cc and over. 1st S.King Pro-125cc. 1^st L.Andrew

1989/90 Pro-126cc and over. 1^st S.King Pro-125cc. ?

1990/91 Pro-250cc. 1^st D.King Pro-125cc. 1st D King

1991/92 Pro-250cc. 1^st S. King Pro-125cc. 1^st D.Atkins

1992/93 Pro-250cc 1^st S.King Pro-125cc 1^st S.King

1993/94 Pro-250cc 1^st S.King Pro-125cc 1^st S.King

1994/95 Pro-250cc 1^st A. Hardisty Pro-125cc 1^st D.King

1995/96 Pro-250cc 1^st Darryl King Pro-125cc 1^st Damian King

1996/97 Pro-500cc 1^st S.King Pro-250cc 1^st S.King

1997/98 500cc 1^st M .Rowe 250cc 1^st J.Coppins 125cc 1^st J.Coppins

1998/99 500cc 1^st M.Cotter 250cc 1^st M.Cotter 125cc 1^st D.Hurley

1999/2000 500cc 1^st C.Sargent 250cc 1^st M.Cotter 125cc 1^st A.Hardisty

2000/2001 500cc 1^st C. Sargent 250cc D. King 125cc L. Burkhart

2001/2002 500cc 1^st Darryll King 250cc ? 125cc D. Hurley

2002/2003 500cc 1^st S.King 250cc 1^st S.King 125cc 1^st C.Cooper

2003/2004 500cc 1^st S.King 250cc 1^st S.King 125cc 1^st D.Hurley

2004/2005 500cc 1^st S.King 250cc 1^st S.King 125cc 1^st C.Cooper

2005/2006 500cc 1^st Darryll King 250cc 1^st Darryll King 125cc 1^st Damian King

2006/2007 500cc 1^st D. Hurley 250cc 1^st M.Phillips 125cc 1^st Damian King

2007/2008 MX1 1^st Damian King MX2 1^st Darryl Hurley 125cc 1^st Damian King

2008/2009 MX1 1^st J.McDonald MX2 1^st M.Phillips 125cc 1^st Damian King

2010/2011 MX1 1^st C.Cooper MX2 1^st Darryll King 125cc 1^st E.Martens

2011/2012 MX1 1^st B. Townley MX2 1^st Darryll King 125cc 1^st M. McGoldrick

2012/2013 MX1 1^st C.Cooper MX2 1^st S.Columb 125cc 1^st C. Vaughan

2013/2014 MX1 1^st C.Cooper MX2 1^st K.Lamont 125cc 1^st J.Natske

2014/2015 MX1 1^st C.Cooper MX2 1^st J.Wilson 125cc 1^st J.Natzke

2015/2016 MX1 1^st C.Cooper MX2 1^st H.Harwood 125cc 1^st B. Broad