FIM World MX Championship Round 7 at Matterly Basin this weekend holds a special place in NZ’s MX history- 2006 MXoN’s NZ’s Team of Ben Townley, Josh Coppins and Cody Cooper stood 3rd on the podium. USA claimed the victory ahead of Belgium.
Not only a proud moment for NZ Motocross, it was also 10 x World MX Champion Stefan Everts ultimate finale pre-retirement going 1-1 ahead of Team USA James Stewart and Ryan Villipoto.
A comment made from Davey Coombs (Editor in Chief RacerX) at the event shows how significant Everts win was:
DC: ‘One of my favourite moments came after the race, inside Alpinestars hospitality rig where Team USA were celebrating, in walks Stefan Everts, who just went 1-1 in the most amazing walk-off rides of all time. Immediately, the entire party- the riders, the mechanics, Roger DeCoster, the families the sponsors the hangers-on and even the visiting (and injured) Ricky Carmichael and Jeff Emig– all burst into loud cheers and a round of applause for the King of Motocross’.
DC: ‘It was pretty damn cool. I can’t imagine how good it must have felt to Stefan to have earned such universal respect with that last masterpiece of a race win. And when he saw me, he looked at me and smiled and said, ‘”Cover?”’
Full circle in 2015 and NZ has 16 year old Josiah Natzke lining up at Matterly Basin in EMX 125cc class- coached no less by the great Everts and mentored for the past few years by Townley.
NZ history in the making- certainly the ultimate opportunity for Natzke to train under the 2 most highly regarded MX Champions in the World and race at MXGP Rounds.
This development not only has significant impact on the making of future Motocross Champions but also continues a path set by former Grand Prix Motocross Champion (125cc 1978) and founder of Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development: Michele Rinaldi.
Michele Rinaldi guided Yamaha Europe Factory Team to win eight World Championships with Stefan Everts with four consecutive Titles 2003-2006 and guided NZ’s Josh Coppins winning seven Grand Prix’s from 2007-2009.
For Michele Rinaldi– ‘2015 MXGP has seen great racing, the show is tops and the inclusion of Support classes: EMX, WMX makes all the difference for future MX talent to make their mark in Motocross history’.
Matterly Basin: EMX 125cc Round 4: NZ Josiah Natzke, May 23rd, 24th
Words: Sharon Cox
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