Former World Motocross Champion Shayne King has replaced Darryl Hurly in the New Zealand Motocross
Team to contest the Acerbis Motocross of Nations in Belgium on October 5th.
Hurly's dreams of a second podium finish in the Des Nations were dashed after he came down in the
last round of the AMA Chevy Trucks US Motorcross Nationals held in Washington. His bid to get an early
medical clearance following an operation to his foot has failed. Hurley was part of the Kiwi team
that finished third in 2001.
These days, based in New Plymouth, Shayne King won the World Individual 500cc championship in
1996 and remains the only New Zealander to win an individual world motocross title.
The evergreen rider currently heads the leader board in the New Zealand 250cc MX championship,
which continues this weekend, he also holds a 50 point lead in the Stainetune Australian 4 Stroke Nationals over his brother Daryl.
In Belgium, he will team up with the young European based pairing of Josh Coppins (Honda) and Ben Townley (KTM)
to take on the world's best teams. The NZ team will command respect as King, Coppins and Townley
have "best ever" world individual rankings of one, two and six respectively.
