The 2025 New Zealand Motocross Championships kicked off in the Bay of Plenty on Saturday with the popular TECT Park, near Tauranga, hosting the spectacular one-day event.

After a frantic first phase of competition, the four-round series already promises to deliver the goods and a handful of riders will now have targets on their backs after they’d each sounded alarm bells to their rivals with unbeaten performances.

Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis (MX1 class), Tauranga’s Levi Townley (125cc class) and Australian visitor Taylah McCutcheon (women’s class) each proved to be untouchable on the day.

In the MX2 (250cc class) it was another story, however, with Ōpārau’s defending national champion James Scott winning one race, but Tauranga’s Madoc Dixon winning two.

Unfortunately for both these title contenders in this mid-sized bike class, their other races were a bit of a mixed bag and so, when the points were tallied up, neither rider was in a dominant position, although both had an equal share of the series lead.

Scott finished 3-1-3 in his three outings on Saturday, while Dixon chimed in with 1-6-1 results, the two men level and just seven points ahead of the third-best individual, the MX2 class winner from the Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville last month, Tauranga’s Cobie Bourke.

Meanwhile, Pukehina’s Flynn Watts leads the battle-within-a-battle in the MX2 class for glory in the under-19 sub-category.

Mount Maunganui’s former Kiwi international Josiah Natzke finished runner-up to Purvis in the MX1 class, with defending MX1 champion Hamish Harwood settling for third overall at Tauranga.

Following behind Townley in the 125cc class was Karaka’s Hayden Draper, with Levin’s Phoenix Van Dusschoten third overall, while Raetihi’s Karaitiana Horne was runner-up to McCutcheon in the women’s class, with Taupo’s Mikayla Griffiths third best.

Round two takes riders to Rotorua on February 22, followed by Pukekohe the following month, on March 8, and, finally, it all wraps up with a second visit to Rotorua on March 15.

The national series attracts riders from the length and breadth of the country and this year has again drawn international competitors – several from Australia and Japan – with eventual winners, or runners-up in the various classes regularly going on to represent professional teams, or their country, in overseas competitions.

2025 New Zealand Senior Motocross Championships

Round 1, Saturday, Feb 15, 2025, Tauranga Motorcycle Club;

Round 2, Saturday Feb 22, 2025, Rotorua Motorcycle Club;

Round 3, Saturday, March 8, 2025, Pukekohe Motorcycle Club;

Round 4, Saturday, March 15, 2025, Rotorua Motorcycle Club.

-Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com