Posted: Friday, 31st October, 2008 : 3:00 PM - - 4,478 Reads

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Tauranga’s Peter Broxholme showed that his ’09 CRF450R is more than a match for the MX1 field at the Nationals, but this weekend he will be up against Internationals, Josh Coppins (NZ), Billy Mackenzie (UK), Mike Brown (USA) and Garth Swanapole from South Africa.

Billy Mackenzie will be supported by the MX Team Honda Racing crew this weekend riding a prepared CRF450R9 alongside Broxy.

Hawera’s Luke Burkhart will still be watching from the pits and his ’09 CRF450R will again be ridden by Lower Hutt based Scotsman Barry Morris.

So that will mean open battle with three Honda CRF450R9 team riders lined up with no team orders. Rotorua’s Michael Phillips will lead charge in the MX2 class; alongside Christchurch’s Justin McDonald, both riding ’09 Honda CRF250Rs, both fresh from taking a win each at Rotorua. They are both really fired up knowing now they can beat the Suzuki and Yamaha team, as they did in race 1 and 2 of the MotoX Nationals.

Youngest member of the squad Taupo’s Cameron Dillon will race in the Junior 15-18years-250cc class. With him leading the Newly created Under 21 class, which race with the 125cc two-stroke class at the Nationals, he too will be keen to impress and fired up after his battle with Damien King last week.

This is the second International event the Taupo Motorcycle Club has run, the first being in 2006, just before the ’06 ISDE. The 2006 event attracted over 10,000 people and a similar crowd is expected this weekend.

“The Team’s focus is obviously the NZ Motocross Champs, but to fly the Honda flag in front of such a big crowd was an opportunity not to be missed” said team manager Shayne King from his New Plymouth base.

Several Honda dealer teams are also signed up to race this weekend and pitch their CRF riders against the International field.

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