A rare moment in history indeed. 2019 NZ’s Courtney Duncan extends contract to race under Kawasaki Motor Europe (Steve Guttridge at helm) and Bike It DRT Team. And in 2006, NZ’s Katherine Prumm (now Oberlin-Brown) raced and won Women’s World Cup 2006 and 2007 under Kawasaki Europe’s Team Green boss- Steve Guttridge.
And that is some record- given Courtney commands 23 point lead heading into WMX Final Round at Turkey in 3 weeks- with potential to wrap up World MX Title with Race to spare.
Back in 2005, it was on invitation that Katherine gained opportunity to race Europe’s Women’s World Cup at co-incidently Sweden’s Uddevalla track (MXGP of this weekend), with full support from Kawasaki Team Green boss Steve Guttridge.
And it was Steve’s response of ‘”no problem, we’ll help Katherine out with KX250F bike…”‘ which has carried through all these years later to “‘we can see positive proof in Courtney’s winning performances on the track so far this season. She is a pleasure to work with both on and off the track, so we are very happy that she has committed herself to continue to race with Kawasaki in the future.”
Katherine most certainly paved the way for future Women MX riders to pursue a career racing dirt. For CD #151 watching far away in deep south of NZ, Katherine’s achievements of winning Women’s World Cup Title x2 was confirmation that chasing highest possible goals was doable.
And KP gained respect and recognition in doing so. As stated by President of Youthstream Giuseppe Luongo at FIM : ‘We also want to thank the 2006 and 2007 FIM Women World Cup winner Katherine Prumm as a great ambassador for the future Women World Championship”‘.
With NZ’s Courtney Duncan continuing legacy set mere 13 years previous, with no Kiwi World MX Champions in between, WMX Final Round at MXGP of Turkey, September 7-8th will be special moment.
For Courtney – for those Women MX Champions previous: Steffi Laier, Katherine Prumm, Livia Lancelot and Kiara Fontanesi– and for all future Women MX racers who aspire to be World MX Champions one day.
Header Photo: Katherine Prumm Team Green Kawasaki
Words: Sharon Cox
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