The penultimate, third round of the 2026 Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championship took riders to Tect Park in Tauranga, where the rough, rutted track tested every competitor as the MX1 and MX2 title battles intensified ahead of the season finale in Rotorua.
In MX1, Maximus Purvis proved untouchable, sweeping all three motos to take maximum points and extend his unbeaten run through the opening three rounds of the championship. The Mangakino rider mastered the bumpy surface and controlled each outing to secure the overall with 75 points.
Adding further depth to the MX1 field was current Australian MX1 450 Champion Kyle Webster, who crossed the Tasman for pre-season race mileage ahead of the upcoming Australian championship. Webster impressed with 2-2-2 moto finishes for 66 points and second overall, providing a strong benchmark throughout the day. Josiah Natzke completed the round podium on 60 points, while Japan’s Kainosuke Oshiro placed sixth with 44.
Purvis’ dominant performance left his Team Manager, Josh Coppins, full of praise, saying he had delivered an “outstanding performance” that was “truly world class and I don’t say that lightly.” Coppins noted that Purvis had extra motivation after what he described as a disappointing Australian campaign last year, adding that “Kyle Webster, the current Australian MX1 450 champion, came across from Australia and Maximus won all three motos on the bumpy, rutted track convincingly and rode exceptionally well.”
Purvis was typically measured in his response, describing it as a “real good day for me” and adding, “I was really happy with how I rode and my fitness was sweet as too.” He now carries a 35-point advantage into this weekend’s final round in Rotorua.
MX2 provided some of the closest racing of the day, with a different winner in each moto and the overall decided by fine margins. Hayden Draper emerged with the round win after 5-2-1 finishes, tallying 63 points to edge Caleb Ward (61) and Flynn Watts (58). Draper admitted it had been “up and down for me with third in qualifying then 5-2-1 moto scores for the overall,” but his late charge in the final moto proved decisive.
Ward’s consistency keeps the championship battle on a knife-edge, with Draper holding just a two-point lead, 184 to 182, heading into the final round. James Scott remains firmly in contention despite a difficult day that included a start-line crash in moto two, which he said “ruined my chances of a higher overall result than fifth place.” Scott sits third in the standings on 173 points, 11 shy of Draper, ensuring the MX2 crown remains wide open.
Coppins summed up the class as “a bit of a tussle,” pointing to crashes and momentum swings throughout the motos, and predicting the title fight will likely come down to Draper and Ward, although Scott remains within striking distance.
Elsewhere, Phoenix van Dusschoten claimed the MX125 round win on 72 points ahead of Carson Carroll (69) and Arama Te Whetu (58), extending his championship lead to 219 points overall. In the MX3 Cup, Mischa Wenk took maximum points with 75, ahead of Morgan Berry (57) and Alex Bennett (56). Karaitiana Horne topped the MXW class with 75 points, followed by Amie Roberts (59) and Hannah Perris (56).
The event also featured a strong international flavour, with three Japanese riders competing across the MX1 and MX2 classes as part of their preparation for the upcoming All Japan Motocross Championship, which begins in mid-March. They will again line up at Rotorua for the title-deciding final round.
With three motos remaining in each class, the 2026 Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championship now heads to Rotorua’s Motorcycle Club Motocross Track, where championships in MX1 and MX2 remain on the line and the season’s most important races are set to unfold.
