NZ’s rising young talent racing Pro MX and SX – Cole Davies and Brodie Connolly. Both rider’s have grown up developing their skills racing New Zealand’s club, regional, and National Motocross Championships and now have secured high end results in America’s AMA Supercross Championship and Australia’s MX and SX Championships for Cole and Brodie respectively.
The career trajectory of both rider’s has moved upwards over the past 12 months with Cole winning 2024 Supercross Futures AMA National Championship and racing 2025 AMA Supercross Championship on debut – nailing his first podium at Anaheim 2 and taking his first 2 wins at Round 4 at Glendale. The impressive achievements has not gone under-the-radar of Media, fans, and mainstream audience both within the USA and back home in NZ, with comments from Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villipoto, and Jason Thomas saying ”that kid’s trajectory is abnormal…to go next level in a year is massive…and his precision on the bike and speed in the whoops is something else for a rookie”.
For Brodie, winning Australia’s 2024 MX2 ProMX Championship was confirmation that the guy who just ”loved to do jumps at 15 years of age” was fully focused on achieving victorious results against equally competitive MX rider’s in Australia, while simultaneously setting long-term goals on racing in America’s Supercross Futures Championship. As stated in a recent release: ”I will stay and defend my MX2 Title in 2025 Penrite ProMX Championship and intend to ride full-time in America next year”.
Cole Davies and Brodie Connolly having fun riding a SX track in NZ in December 2021 Film: @jordandavies43
If the challenge to pursue a racing career in America and Europe remains daunting for rider’s based within each continent, spare a thought for those dreaming big, of sealing a deal to race with the best Factory Teams in Australia and America. For Cole and Brodie, neither pathway has been straight forward, with Cole grabbing opportunities when they appeared to further develop his skills on the track, and Brodie maintaining his never-give-up attitude – whether that was with or without a full-time ride – taking P3 overall in Australia’s MX Championship in 2022 on debut.
Such determination to race against the best in the world having grown up riding good-ole-kiwi-dirt has been the main driving force set by NZ’s Ben Townley and Josh Coppins – a mere 18 years ago. In fact, Cole’s double win at Glendale’s Triple Crown Round 4 at the weekend, broke a very long drought of a Kiwi rider standing on the top step of the podium in AMA Supercross Championship West 250, since Ben Townley’s AMA SX Championship East 250 victory in 2007. And, for Brodie, the last NZ rider who won Australia’s MX Championship MX2 was Cody Cooper in 2004.
Brodie Connolly shows how his talent developed in NZ heading into race Junior MX World Championship in 2018. Film: MXlink @ James Bennell.
With Cole making his debut season with Star Racing Yamaha in America and Brodie continuing with Polyflor Honda, both rider’s show how their earlier years of training and preparations under the watchful eye of BT and Josh have shaped and sharpened their sense of resolve amid a cut-throat sport. For Cole, decisions have been made with the utmost accuracy on what would be the best pathway forward as stated in a recent interview post Glendale: ”I felt I already knew the track as I gamed it the night before…my biggest competition is myself…I just focus on me”.
And Brodie: ”It was probably more my decision to stay and race in Australia for 2025, there definitely was talk about going straight to America after Melbourne and racing some Supercross. It had been a massive year, and I was feeling pretty run down and like I needed a break. To go over and race a few Future SX races then come back and race here, if it didn’t go to plan, it would have interrupted my pre-season”.
With such strength of mind from both Cole and Brodie, the legacy of NZ rider’s continues to fascinate those watching track-side on what will come next.
Header photo: Cole Davies: Credit RacerX Brodie Connolly: Credit @foremostmedia Graphics: MXLink
Words: Sharon Cox.
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