A talented three-man Kiwi motocross squad is revved up to race in the United Kingdom this coming weekend, determined to again challenge, and hopefully beat, the best riders in the world.
Every year, the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) lives up to its billing as the ultimate dirt bike spectacle and this weekend (October 5-6) the famous teams’ racing event will be held on the rolling grassland circuit at Matterley Basin, near Winchester, in southern England.
There are again more than 35 nations entered this year.
The MXoN, also commonly referred to as “The Olympic Games of Motocross”, is a one-weekend affair that brings together the world’s elite like no other motocross event.
The racers put aside the past season’s bitter rivalries from domestic or world championship competitions and unite instead along different battle lines, with three-rider teams formed up to fly under the flags of their respective homelands.
And it will be a slightly different trio of Kiwis racing at this year’s event in England to those individuals who flew the flag when New Zealand sent a team to the MXoN in France last year, where they managed to finish 14th overall out of 37 nations on that occasion.
The Kiwis will be determined to improve upon that at this season’s 77th annual edition of the MXoN in England, a venue where Team New Zealand stood proudly on the MXoN podium back in 2006, finishing third overall on that memorable occasion (behind the USA and Belgium).
Tauranga’s Brodie Connolly will be New Zealand’s MX2 (250cc) class rider this year, the young man joined by two riders who also have previous MXoN racing experience, West Auckland’s Hamish Harwood (MXGP class) and Tauranga’s Josiah Natzke (Open class).
In addition to previously representing New Zealand at the MXoN, all three riders are current or former national champions at home.
Harwood is the reigning national MX1 champion, while both Connolly and Natzke have previously won the 125cc crown in New Zealand, although they both now currently race larger capacity bikes internationally.
The New Zealand squad this year is again co-managed by former motocross world champion racer Shayne King, from New Plymouth, and successful Taupo businessman Bevan Weal.
King was the 1996 500cc motocross world champion and a sensational rider for New Zealand at MXoN events in the past and he agreed that the racing in the UK this weekend would be difficult.
“The team is en-route to England and, while we are under no illusions that this is a difficult assignment, we are extremely excited to represent New Zealand,” said King, a rider who raced for New Zealand at the MXoN on 12 separate occasions and twice helped Team New Zealand finish on the podium (at Foxhills, in England, in 1998 and at Namur, in Belgium, in 2001).
“The build-up has been solid for everyone and we are looking forward to a great weekend in the UK at one of the world’s most exciting tracks.
“Every year it’s the toughest motocross event in the world,” said King.
The Kiwis know it won’t be easy facing the world’s premier riders on such a massive stage, but each of them is determined to put on another good showing.
With generous support for this year’s campaign coming from various benefactors, the Kiwi contingent will arrive in England in a quietly confident mood.
The 2024 New Zealand MXoN campaign is sponsored by Penny Homes, Best Build Construction, Nutrition Systems/C4, DUB Construction, Priority Demolition, the Taupo Motorcycle Club with their Battle of the Clubs fundraiser event and Motorcycling New Zealand.
© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
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Here are the teams entered for the 2024 MXoN:
France (winners in 2023): Romain Febvre, Maxime Renaux and Tom Vialle.
Australia (2nd in 2023): Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Kyle Webster.
Italy (3rd in 2023): Mattia Guadagnini, Andrea Adamo and Andrea Bonacorsi.
Germany (4th in2023): Ken Roczen, Simon Längenfelder and Max Nagl.
Belgium (5th in 2023): Brent Van Doninck, Lucas Coenen and Jago Geerts.
Switzerland (6th in 2023): Jeremy Seewer, Arnaud Tonus and Valentin Guillod.
Spain (7th in 2023): Jorge Prado, Oriol Oliver and Rubén Fernández.
United States (8th in 2023): Aaron Plessinger, Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb.
Slovenia (9th in 2023): Tim Gajser, Jaka Peklaj and Jan Pancar.
Britain (10th in 2023): Tommy Searle, Max Anstie and Conrad Mewse.
Estonia: Gert Krestinov, Tanel Leok and Harri Kullas.
Latvia: Karlis Reisulis, Mairis Pumpurs and Edvards Bidzans.
South Africa: Tristan Purdon, Camden McLellan and Cameron Durow.
New Zealand: Brodie Connolly, Hamish Harwood and Josiah Natzke.
Czech Republic: Petr Polák, Julius Mikula and Jakub Terešák.
Brazil: Fabio Santos, Enzo Lopes and Bernardo Tiburcio.
Finland: Emil Weckman, Sampo Rainio and Jere Haavisto.
The Netherlands: Jeffery Herlings, Kay de Wolf and Glenn Coldenhoff.
Sweden: Isak Gifting, Arvid Lüning and Alvin Östlund.
Portugal: Luís Outeiro, Sandro Lobo and Paulo Alberto.
Slovakia: Tomáš Kohút, Jaroslav Katriňák and Pavol Repčák.
Lithuania: Domantas Jazdauskas, Marius Adomaitis and Erlanda Mackonis.
Canada: Dylan Wright, Kaven Benoit and Jess Pettis.
Chile: Sergio Villaronga, Benjamin Garíb and Diego Rojas.
Ireland: Cole McCullough, Martin Barr and Jason Meara.
Croatia: Matija Kelana, Matija Sterpin and David Petanjek.
Iceland: Mani Pétursson, Eiour Palmarsson and Alexander Kuc.
Poland: Jakub Barczewski, Jakub Kowalski and Damian Zdunek
Greece: Panagiotis Kouzis, Dimitrios Bakas and Christos Kotoulas.
Norway: Kevin Horgmo, Hakon Fredriksen and Cornelius Tøndel.
Japan: Haruki Yokoyama, Yuki Okura and Kainosuke Oshiro.
Denmark: Mikkel Haarup, Mads Fresoe and Nicolai Skovbjerg.
Romania: Krisztian Tompa, Zoltan Ordog and George Căbăl.
Uganda: Fortune Emmanuel Sentamu, Stav Orland and Ali Omar Waleed Al-Muzahim.
Austria: Michael Sandner, Michael Kratzer and Marcel Stauffer.
Venezuela: Anthony Rodriguez, Lorenzo Locurcio and Daniel Bortolin.