The main drawcard rider at the Swann Insurance International Motocross on Saturday and Sunday, Motueka's Josh Coppins certainly lived up to his star billing.
The Kiwi international had just completed his season on the world championship circuit by finishing an unaccustomed fifth in the premier MX1 class and this was a rare chance for the factory Yamaha star to return home and show his New Zealand fans the blistering pace of GP motocross.
Helping Coppins to give this lesson to the domestic riders and to also help attract the large crowd to the Digger McEwen Circuit on Taupo's outskirts, were fellow GP riders Billy Mackenzie (Scotland, Honda), Gareth Swanepoel (South Africa, Kawasaki) and junior world champion Matiss Karro (Latvia, Suzuki).
Though the teenage Karro demonstrated his remarkable skills in leading Sunday's first MX2 race, he soon dropped to the sideline with injury, giving Hawera's Daryl Hurley and Rotorua's Michael Phillips (Honda) the chance to rekindle their national MX2 championship battle.
Hurley won both races at Taupo and won the day from Phillips, who was twice runner-up, with Taupo's Brad Groombridge (Kawasaki) the third best, recording 5-3 finishes.
Clinching impressive results for Otago were Palmerston's Courtney Duncan and Oamaru's Joel Meikle who finished runners-up in their classes. Duncan (12) shone in a dominant performance that saw her second behind double FIM World Women's Motocross Champion Katherine Prumm in the women's section.
Meikle rode strongly to wind up second in the 8-11 years' 85cc class.
But it was the MX1 battles that most of the fans came to see. In those races, Coppins was sublime. He was unbeatable. He was smooth.
Coppins took out both MX1 races, winning the day ahead of Mackenzie and a surprising Darryll King (Hamilton, Yamaha) - the New Zealand veterans' motocross champion - at age 39, showing he's still got the pace to race at GP level.
Fourth best was Queenstown's Scott Columb, the Suzuki rider just back from a season racing GP motocross in Europe, while amateur racer Taupo's Nick Saunders (Kawasaki), produced a splendid 5-4 result from his day against the GP heroes.
Swanepoel suffered from poor starts all day and, although inspiring in his charges through the field, had to settle for fifth overall.
Coppins also won the best-of-the-best feature final, leading from start to finish, although Mackenzie drew uncomfortably close at the mid-stage.
Coppins was happy to hat-trick of wins at Taupo after a frustrating 2008 season in Europe.
"To tell the truth, I feel very tired. I'm a bit out of shape at the moment. Billy is a tough competitor. He rides on the edge. But, with a lap to go in the feature race, I just put the hammer down and was able to break him."
Leading results from the Swann Insurance International Motocross at Taupo at the weekend:
Feature race: 1. Josh Coppins (Motueka, Yamaha); 2. Billy Mackenzie (Scotland, Honda); 3. Gareth Swanepoel (South Africa, Kawasaki); 4. Michael Phillips (Rotorua, Honda); 5. Scott Columb (Queenstown, Suzuki); 6. Nick Saunders (Taupo, Kawasaki); 7. Jesse Donnelly (Paraparaumu, Kawasaki); 8. Jayden Jessup (Upper Hutt, Yamaha); 9. Cameron Dillon (Taupo, Honda); 10. Michael Menchi (Waikanae, Suzuki).
MX1 class: 1. Josh Coppins (Motueka, Yamaha) 50 points; 2. Billy Mackenzie (Scotland, Honda) 42; 3. Darryll King (Hamilton, Yamaha) 38.
MX2 class: 1. Daryl Hurley (Hawera, Suzuki) 50 points; 2. Michael Phillips (Rotorua, Honda) 44; 3rd equal Brad Groombridge (Taupo, Kawasaki) 36, Justin McDonald (Christchurch, Honda) 36 and Damien King (Cambridge, Yamaha) 36.
15-18 years 125/250cc race: 1. Cameron Dillon (Taupo, Honda) 50 points; 2. Ethan Martens (Waitakere, KTM) 44; 3. Jared Guthrie (Nelson, Suzuki) 38.
12-15 years' 85cc race: 1. Logan Blackburn (Tauranga, Yamaha) 40 points; 2. Brandon Tipene (Auckland, KTM) 34; 3. Blake Hardman (Wellington, KTM) 32.
Women: 1. Katherine Prumm (Drury, Yamaha) 75 points; 2. Courtney Duncan (Dunedin, Honda) 66; 3. Nikki Scott (Palmerston North, Kawasaki) 60.
Veterans: 1. Darryll King (Hamilton, Yamaha) 75 points; 2. Darren Capill (Whakatane, Yamaha) 66; 3. Bevan Weal (Taupo) 60.
12-14 years' 125cc class: 1. Joshua Jack (Kaukapakapa, Suzuki) 67 points; 2. Broc Martens (Waitakere, Yamaha) 64; 3. Joel Doeksen (Auckland, Yamaha) 59.
8-11 years' 85cc class: 1. Cameron Forlong (Tauranga, Suzuki) 72 points; 2. Joel Meikle (Oamaru, Honda) 58; 3. Dylan Walsh (Christchurch, KTM) 56.
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