KAWASAKI HERO TOO GOOD FOR HIS CHAMPIONSHIP RIVALS
OCTOBER 5, 2020: It is enough to make his rivals green with envy – the sheer dominance enjoyed by Kawasaki ace Josiah Natzke at the weekend.
With an amazing 10 wins from 10 starts, the Bridgestone Kawasaki Racing Team rider from Hamilton was simply unstoppable at the 2020 New Zealand Motocross TT Championships at Taupiri, near Huntly, on Saturday and Sunday.
The 21-year-old multi-time former national motocross champion dominated racing on both days, gaining maximum points by winning every race in both the MX1 and MX2 (250cc) classes by a comfortable margin.
“There’s not much happening overseas at the moment, so my focus is totally on the New Zealand scene at the moment,” said Natzke, sounding a warning for his rivals with the 2021 New Zealand Motocross Championships season just around the corner.
“This weekend was my first time this season on the 250cc bike and I am only racing the Kawasaki KX450F at the moment for a little extra bike time, but will be focussing solely on the MX2 class with the Kawasaki KX250F in the next couple of weeks.
“Kawasaki New Zealand has been supporting me really well and I will be looking to racing overseas again later in 2021, if the opportunity arises. Europe would not be my first option. I didn’t enjoy it so much over there the last time I was in Europe, but I would target a ride in the United States or maybe just in Australia. I would love to go racing for the Kawasaki Pro Circuit race team in America and I’m on the right colour bike for that,” he laughed.
“I’m doing everything I can to remain fit and fast. I expect to win races and, if I want to achieve overseas, then I have to prove it here first.”
He certainly proved he was international calibre with his blistering form at Taupiri.
Natzke was superbly backed up in the MX1 class at the weekend by team-mate Ethan Martens, the man from Waitakere eventually settling for third overall in the class, behind Natzke and Hamilton’s national MX1 No.4 Kayne Lamont.
“Kawasaki have been right behind me … Shane Verhoeven and Mike Cotter have been great,” said Natzke. “They go above and beyond for me. They know what my goals and plans are and they’re right on board with me on that.”
Other class winners at the weekend were Stratford’s Camo Keegan (ATV quad bike class); New Plymouth’s Mitch Rowe (in the veterans over-45 years, classic pre-1996 bikes and MX3 classes), Red Beach’s Joseph Andrell (senior 125cc class); Te Kauwhata’s Matthew Vining (veterans aged 40-44 years); Hamilton’s Amie Roberts (senior women); Raetihi’s Karaitiana Horne (junior women); Horotiu’s Carter Hanes (junior 250cc); Pukekawa’s Tyler Brown (junior 12-16 years’ 125cc); Cambridge’s Jared Hannon (junior 12-16 years’ 85cc); Taupo’s Declan Connors (junior 8-11 years’ 85cc); Hamilton’s Mikayla Rowe (class pre-2001 bikes); Scott Taylor (enduro bikes); Waitara’s Ollie Payne (mini 65cc); Helensville’s Adam Bockett (mini 50cc).
Meanwhile, Cambridge’s Mike Cotter, the general manager at Kawasaki New Zealand, showed he’d forgotten nothing from his heyday 20 years ago as he kept Natzke and current national MX2 No.3 James Scott, from Oparau, honest in the MX2 (250cc) battles.
Cotter, a 46-year-old father-of-two, races only rarely these days but muscle memory must surely have come into play as the three-time former New Zealand champion (in 1999 and 2000) finished a creditable third overall in the MX2 class.
Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
REDEMPTION FOR COURTNEY DUNCAN WITH ROUND WIN AT PENULTIMATE MXGP
Demonstrating exactly why she is the reigning FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) title holder, Courtney Duncan bounced back from a DNF on Saturday to take the overall round victory yesterday.
Racing at the Italian Mantova track for the second time in three days, Dunedin’s Duncan (24) upped the ante on her 2020 championship defence with a 2-1 set of results at the penultimate race meeting.
The two consistent races boosted the Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team’s rider into an all-out attack position for the final meeting in Pietramurata for the MXGP of Trentino in November. Her well executed round victory slots her into runner-up position, just four points down on the new championship leader Nancy Van De Ven of The Netherlands.
Now in her fifth season racing in the WMX, Duncan proved to the motocross world and to herself that she has the maturity, mental and physical strength to overcome a disappointing previous race where she had what she termed a “pretty nasty crash”.
“I’m so stoked with today – the moto win and the overall. Making up the points was great but to be honest with you, the thing I was most proud of was how I was able to forget about what happened on Sunday, regroup and to come out and put a performance like that in.”
“It makes me really proud – for the team and for everyone that supports me, it’s great. Obviously I needed to as well, it was quite bad, I was 14 points down. It was important that I made it up,” Duncan says.
Kawasaki New Zealand Managing Director Shane Verhoeven summed up how Duncan’s fans will feel about her comeback races.
“I think I speak for all of New Zealand in saying that we are ecstatic to see Courtney put in the work and bounce back from her round 3 crash and take the round 4 overall. It really speaks to her determination and character and we will be backing her to become back-to-back champion at the final round,” he says.
In the opening race, it was Van De Ven who claimed the holeshot and she was closely followed by Italian rider Kiara Fontanesi, Duncan and Germany’s Larissa Papenmeier.
Papenmeier then moved herself quickly into second, finding a few gaps in the first couple of corners, with Fontanesi and Duncan just behind her.
As Van De Ven began to pull away, Fontanesi found a way to pass Papenmeier for second. Fontanesi then caught on to the rear wheel of Van De Ven, while Duncan was looking to go through on Papenmeier as the battle for the win heated up. Eventually Duncan was able to move up a position on lap 6.
By the following lap, Fontanesi was the new race leader as Duncan began to push Van De Ven for second in order to claim as many championship points as possible. This battle for second continued until the chequered flag.
Eventually Fontanesi crossed the line in first, although she was penalised for jumping on a waved yellow flag which ultimately gave Van De Ven the win, with Duncan promoted to second, claiming valuable extra points and Fontanesi dropped to third.
In the second race, Duncan had well and truly found her groove, leading the field around the first turn, with Van De Ven second, Papenmeier third and Fontanesi fourth. The red plate holder going into this round Papenmeier then crashed out of fourth dropping down to 12th.
Duncan then went on to set the fastest lap of the race, as she extended her lead to 3.920 seconds and went on to cruise her way to a race win by 19.2secs.
With one round to go on November 1, the championship chase is heating up as Van De Ven leads Duncan by just 4 points, with Papenmeier dropping to third and Fontanesi in fourth. The five weeks to go before the final round, plays perfectly into the hard-working Kiwi’s hands.
“That’s great for me because it gives me more time with the team, more time to test and more time to put some work in with the [Kawasaki KX250] 21. Having some extra weeks is going to be great. I think I can really put a good stint in there and make a lot of improvements,” Duncan says.
While the final round will be a nail-biter for Duncan’s home-country fans watching her races online back in New Zealand, she’s gunning for the challenge.
“The points are close. It’s going to be whoever wins in Arco [the town hosting the MXGP of Trentino] is champion. It’s going to be a do or die situation and I’m excited for that,” Duncan wraps up.
WMX – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), 25:28.624; 2. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), +0:01.593; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +-1:58.382; 4. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:02.698; 5. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:23.631; 6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:25.880; 7. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:35.469; 8. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:43.571; 9. Line Dam (DEN, Yamaha), +0:59.409; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, KTM), +1:16.433.
WMX – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 25:40.460; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:19.231; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:37.942; 4. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:42.282; 5. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:44.658; 6. Line Dam (DEN, Yamaha), +0:50.077; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:51.165; 8. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:57.334; 9. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:06.966; 10. Jamie Astudillo (USA, KTM), +1:30.616.
WMX – Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 47 points; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 47 p.; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KAW), 28 p.; 8. Line Dam (DEN, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 10. Jamie Astudillo (USA, KTM), 21 p.
WMX – Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 166 points; 2. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 162 p.; 3. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 160 p.; 4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 156 p.; 5. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 128 p.; 6. Line Dam (DEN, YAM), 114 p.; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 102 p.; 8. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 93 p.; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 77 p.; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, KTM), 75 p.
Revised Women’s Motocross World Championship calendar
September 27 – MXGP Lombardia, Mantova circuit, Italy
September 30 – MXGP of Città di Mantova, Mantova circuit, Italy
November 1 – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata, Italy
Words: Catherine Pattison
Images: CREDIT MXGP
PHOTO: Boosting her title defence massively, Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team’s Courtney Duncan, of Dunedin, New Zealand, won the MXGP of Città di Mantova penultimate round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, in Italy yesterday. CREDIT MXGP.
FIM WOMEN’S MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (WMX) MADE ITS MUCH-ANTICIPATED RETURN IN MANTOVA, ITALY, YESTERDAY FOR ROUND THREE, OTAGO’S COURTNEY DUNCAN HAD THE BEST, THEN THE WORST OF RACES.
After a five-month Covid-19-induced break, the Dunedin rider made her comeback in convincing style on the sandy track with a win in the MXGP of Lombardia’s opening race.
The shortened race programme meant the WMX field lined up only hours later for their second race. Duncan (24) who rides for the English Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team had made her way up to second place when she had what she described as a “massive crash.” The impact over the jump was heavy enough to destroy the handlebars of her new 2021 Kawasaki KX250, leaving an uninjured but devastated Duncan unable to finish the race and collect any championship points.
She had gone into this round with a five-point lead over Larissa Papenmeier but the tables have now been turned with the German rider emerging as the round winner and taking over the championship’s red plate. She sits on 129 points, with Duncan holding on in fourth with 115 points.
Duncan took away the maximum 25 points in the first race after wasting no time moving into the lead. She then kept the hammer down to take an impressive win by 15.9secs from runner-up Papenmeier and Italy’s Kiara Fontanesi.
“It was an up and down day for me, which started off really well as I won the first race and felt pretty good. I had a comfortable lead and maintained it,” Duncan says.
In the second race, although she “didn’t get the best of starts” she quickly charged through to second, chasing the leader Nancy Van De Ven, of The Netherlands. Disaster struck as Duncan had a huge crash on one of the table tops, with her bike taking most of the impact. The damage to her Kawasaki meant the defending world champion was unable to fight back and was forced out of the race, which ultimately cost her the championship lead too.
“I’d made some passes on the opening laps and made my way into second. I wasn’t too far off the lead when I had a massive crash. I ran back to the bike but the handlebars were snapped so there was no way of finishing, which resulted in a DNF,” Duncan says
She only has a short timeframe to regroup with the WMX racing in Italy in only two days’ time on September 30. The MXGP of Città di Mantova, will be held at Mantova circuit again and the tough Kiwi will be fighting to regain the red plate.
“That’s the way life goes sometimes it doesn’t always go to plan. I can dwell on it, or I can go back to work on Tuesday and continue to fight. That’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to show up on Tuesday and give it everything I’ve got,” Duncan says.
Kawasaki New Zealand Managing Director Shane Verhoeven says: “It was great to watch Courtney race the new 2021 KX250 in dominating fashion in the first race at the MXGP Lombardia. The Kawasaki NZ team hope that she is feeling ok after her race 2 crash and we wish her all the best to regroup and finish out the season strong.”
The fifth and final WMX round will be held in Italy again, on November 1.
WMX – Race 1 – Classification: 1. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 25:35.691; 2. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:15.958; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:23.592; 4. Line Dam (DEN, Yamaha), +0:37.053; 5. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:43.306; 6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:48.586; 7. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +1:02.542; 8. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), +1:12.401; 9. Jamie Astudillo (USA, KTM), +1:20.477; 10. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +1:22.457.
WMX – Race 2 – Classification: 1. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), 26:01.397; 2. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:07.758; 3. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:12.095; 4. Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:15.000; 5. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:15.764; 6. Line Dam (DEN, Yamaha), +0:32.515; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:33.558; 8. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, KTM), +1:21.203; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:44.215; 10. Sandra Keller (SUI, KTM), +2:00.745.
WMX – Overall Classification: 1. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 44 points; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 41 p.; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 36 p.; 4. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Line Dam (DEN, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 25 p.; 8. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 25 p.; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 21 p.; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, KTM), 18 p.
WMX – Championship Classification: 1. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 129 points; 2. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 119 p.; 3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 116 p.; 4. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 115 p.; 5. Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 98 p.; 6. Line Dam (DEN, YAM), 87 p.; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 75 p.; 8. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 60 p.; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 60 p.; 10. Tahlia Jade O’Hare (AUS, KTM), 54 p.
PHOTO: Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team’s Courtney Duncan, of New Zealand, had a win and a DNF at the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship’s MXGP of Lombardia. CREDIT MXGP.
Revised Women’s Motocross World Championship calendar
September 27 – MXGP Lombardia, Mantova circuit, Italy
September 30 – MXGP of Città di Mantova, Mantova circuit, Italy
November 1 – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata, Italy
Words: Catherine Pattison
WOMEN’S WORLD MOTOCROSS CHAMP DUNCAN RETURNS TO EUROPE TO CONTINUE TITLE DEFENCE
The long wait is over and New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan has packed her bags and returned to Europe this week to continue her Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) title defence.
She has been home in Dunedin since March, flying back after the second WMX round in The Netherlands, with a five-point lead over her closest rival. Since then the MXGP calendar has been affected by Covid-19 and Duncan (24) has been waiting on a green light for the women’s racing to resume.Her final three rounds are all scheduled to take place in Italy. The first two meetings on September 27 (MXGP Lombardia) and September 30 (MXGP of Città di Mantova), which are both held on the hard sand Mantova track, are following the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship’s new racing format of mid-week races.
Duncan will remain in Europe and train towards the final Italian round – the MXGP of Trentino on November 1 – where she is targeting her name being re-engraved on the winner’s trophy for 2020.
“I’d be lying if I said I was happy with just one world championship. I want another one and that’s what I’m aiming towards. I want to go over there and ride to the best of my ability. I’ll be putting myself in good positions to score some strong finishes and the rest will come,” Duncan says.
She flew to England yesterday, to re-join her Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team at their Portsmouth base. Her self-isolation time will be happily spent getting straight onto her new 2021 Kawasaki KX250F and turning out some test laps at the team’s track.
“Kawasaki have bought out a whole new bike. It will be cool to go over there a few weeks early and get comfortable on it,” Duncan says.
She has borne the frustration of previous WMX races, such as the recent round in Turkey, being scheduled then scrapped, with her characteristic philosophical approach.
“Everything happens for a reason. I’m excited for the new schedule.”
“To be honest, I’ve just enjoyed being home training back in New Zealand and I made the most of the local tracks.”
Duncan was even able to enter a national race meeting for the first time in three years, competing at the King of Central in Cromwell in July. Easily winning her four races against both the MX2 men and in the women’s class, the race-pace outings gave her the edge she needed to head back into battle mode.
“There’s nothing like racing itself and getting behind the gate a few times. You learn different things in racing that you don’t pick up in practise. Even though this was a local event, it still got my adrenaline pumping and gave me an appetite for what I’ve got coming up in Italy,” Duncan says.
Kawasaki New Zealand Managing Director Shane Verhoeven says: “After what has been an uncertain year, I am excited by the news that the WMX championship is resuming again after round two.
While it has been exciting to watch Courtney train and race on local soil over the break, myself and the team at Kawasaki NZ would like to wish the champ all the best for the third round. As always, we will be cheering Courtney on from the other side of the globe!”
After double wins in the season opener and 4-2 results at the second round, Duncan leads the WMX series with 90 points. Germany’s Larissa Papenmeier is in second place on 85 points, while six-time world champion Kiara Fontanesi, of Italy, is third with 80 points.
“Thanks to my supporters and sponsors for everything you do for me. I’ll do my best to bring the world number one title back home to New Zealand for you all again come November,” Duncan says.
PHOTOS: New Zealand’s Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team rider Courtney Duncan finally has the green light to return to racing in Europe where she will defend her Women’s Motocross World Championship title over three more rounds.
2020 Women’s Motocross World Championship points
| 1 | 1 | Duncan, Courtney. | NZL | KAW | 90 |
| 2 | 423 | Papenmeier, Larissa. | GER | YAM | 85 |
| 3 | 8 | Fontanesi, Kiara. | ITA | KTM | 80 |
| 4 | 85 | Van De Ven, Nancy. | NED | YAM | 78 |
| 5 | 172 | Valk, Lynn | NED | YAM | 66 |
Revised Women’s Motocross World Championship calendar
September 27 – MXGP Lombardia, Mantova circuit, Italy
September 30 – MXGP of Città di Mantova, Mantova circuit, Italy
November 1 – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata, Italy
Photos: Kawasaki Europe, MXGP
Words: Catherine Pattison
MOUNT MAUNGANUI’S JOSIAH NATZKE (TRANSDIESEL SHELL ADVANCE KAWASAKI KX250)
Being the fastest man in the country and with the most race wins does not always make you a champion and that was a bitter pill to swallow for Bay of Plenty’s Josiah Natzke at the weekend.
It was a fierce fourth and final round of this season’s New Zealand Motocross Championships in Taupo on Sunday and perhaps the most ferocious of them all was Transdiesel Shell Advance Kawasaki Racing Team rider Natzke.
The 21-year-old from Mount Maunganui arrived at Taupo’s popular Digger McEwen Motorcycle Park second in the MX2 (250cc) class standings, just four points behind Mangakino racer Maximus Purvis, and with everything still to fight for.
Natzke had led the series from the opening round, but he lost that advantage at round three in Hawke’s Bay when another rider slammed into him at the start of one of his races, forcing Natzke to battle back from nearly a lap behind. He carved his way through traffic and finished eighth in that fateful race, his worst result of the series and one that would ultimately cost him the title.
When Purvis finished runner-up in both of the day’s first two MX2 races at Taupo on Sunday, while Natzke finished third in race one and then won race two, it set up an intriguing scenario – whomever of these two riders won the day’s final MX2 race would take the title for 2020.
Purvis rocketed into the lead in that final race and never looked back, although, if he had, he would have seen Natzke on another furious charge through traffic.
It was an inspiring performance from Natzke, once again proving himself one of the fastest men on the race track as he clawed his way to the No.2 spot, but unfortunately, this was not quite enough and he had to settle for the runner-up position overall for the championships, finishing the series just six points behind Natzke.
Third overall for the MX2 championship was Oparau’s James Scott.
The MX2 class in particular was bulging with talent and six different riders celebrated race wins during the series – Natzke the most prolific, with
four race wins to his credit over the four-round, 12-race series.
Purvis, Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh and Australian Kyle Webster (who raced only at round two and three) each scored two race wins, while Scott and Australian Caleb Ward each won one race.
Natzke had consistently been one of the fastest men all season, often eclipsing even the best of the MX1 class riders (who were on 350cc and 450cc bikes), but outright speed does not always translate into trophies, especially when you often don’t have luck on your side.
“I needed a better start in that last race. Purvis got in front at the start and broke away. I managed to reel him in near the end, but it wasn’t enough,” said Natzke.
“I should have won the championship, but I was beaten fair and square today,” he graciously said.
“I had been racing in Europe for five years before this and it wasn’t really a dream for me. I was sitting in my apartment by myself in Europe, feeling miserable. I was almost in a depressed state.
“Then I made the decision to come home and race for the Kawasaki team here and it was so cool. (Team management) Mike Cotter and Shane Verhoeven were so great and gave me so much energy and motivation. To look at where I’ve come from I’m so stoked about that.
“I wanted to win so bad today, but I’ll take this result on the chin and move forward now.”
It may be some consolation to Natzke that his 2019-20 season has been dotted with highlights – he won the MX2 class at the season-starting MX Fest event at Taupo last October and then also won the 2019 New Zealand Supercross Championships in the SX2 class, that competition wrapping up in November. He then also won the MX2 class at the 48th annual Whakatane Summercross motocross event near Matata in late December.
Natzke has plans to race for Kawasaki in Australia later this year but that is now on hold with worldwide fears of coronavirus impacting so many sporting competitions.
Meanwhile, in the MX1 class, visiting Australian Kirk Gibbs enjoyed a five-point buffer over Mount Maunganui’s defending national MX1 champion Cody Cooper at Taupo and, although Cooper won the final round, Gibbs did enough to clinch the title by four points.
There was no stopping Tauranga’s Brodie Connolly from winning the 125cc class crown. In total, he won nine of the 12 races over the four rounds, taking the title ahead of Tauranga’s Madoc Dixon and Auckland’s Cobie Bourke.
Natzke is supported by Kawasaki NZ, Transdiesel, Shell Advance Lubricants, Mainstream, Bridgestone, Rekluse, Alpinestars, 100%, Un4Seen Graphics, Pro Circuit, Moto HQ, Polisport, Koromiko Engineering, RK Chains, CFX Seats, Goodbuzz, Renthal Handlebars and MTX Sprockets.
Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
OTAGO'S COURTNEY DUNCAN STILL LEADING THE WOMEN’S MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (WMX) ON POINTS.
At only 24-years-old Duncan has a wise head on young shoulders and was philosophical about how the two races panned out.
“It was a difficult weekend for me. From winning a lot lately you realise that losing isn’t fun. I got beaten straight up this weekend and it hurt. Nothing like a little motivation moving forward though,” she says.
A fourth in the first race at the MXGP of the Netherlands was not the way the defending champion wanted to start her weekend.
“The first moto was not good – I got fourth. They really checked out on me as well. I didn’t have a great feeling but I didn’t do anything stupid. When I wasn’t feeling good, I just took a fourth,” Duncan comments on not trying to force a podium result on her 2020 Kawasaki KX250.
With six-time WMX Championship winner Italy’s Kiara Fontanesi first to the chequered flag, followed by Duncan’s other main rivals Dutchwoman Nancy Van De Ven in second and Germany’s Larissa Papenmeier rounding out the podium, the Kiwi had some ground to make up the following day.
“Obviously it fired me up. I had a better day and got second. For me, to be able to turn a really bad day around yesterday, to a somewhat good day today, is a real positive.”
Papenmeier won the second moto and Van De Ven was a close third. The results after the Netherlands round see Kawasaki Dixon Race Team rider Duncan still ahead by 5 points on 90, with Papenmeier on 85 and Fontenesi a further 5 back on 80.
Duncan now flies home to New Zealand to continue her training in between WMX races, with the MXGP of Spain held on April 18 and 19 and she’s not going to beat herself up about the fourth overall finish for the second round.
“You can’t always win. It was just one of those days and one of those weekends where I got beaten by better competition on the day. I don’t need to worry too much about it, as we knew these conditions were going to be tough for me. The wet heavy sand has never been one of my strong points. I definitely need to work on that area.”
One of the main disadvantages of being a New Zealander and being based at home in the off-season was not having the European tracks to practise on over winter. Many of Duncan’s rivals spend those months honing their skills in the sand, while she has to make the best of it come race weekend.
However, Duncan was quick to find the silver lining moving forward.
“We are in a good position and we have a big break now, so I can get some solid time in. There’s plenty of positives to take away from the weekend. If you look at last year, I left Valkensward 5 points down and this year I still have a 5-point lead in the championship. We made the best out of a bad weekend.”
Kawasaki New Zealand Managing Director Shane Verhoeven says: “We’re extremely proud to see Courtney ride smart and calculated motos in Valkenswaard. The track was extremely difficult and featured tough conditions we would not often see in New Zealand so to come away with the lead heading into the MXGP of Spain next month is testament to Courtney’s maturity and racecraft.”
WMX Championship standings after round one
| 1 | 1 | Duncan, C. | NZL | KAW | 90 |
| 2 | 423 | Papenmeier, L. | GER | YAM | 85 |
| 3 | 8 | Fontanesi, K. | ITA | KTM | 80 |
| 4 | 85 | Van De Ven, N. | NED | YAM | 78 |
| 5 | 172 | Valk, Lynn | NED | YAM | 66 |
2020 Women’s Motocross World Championship’s calendar
01 March MXGP of Great Britain – Matterley Basin
08 March MXGP of The Netherlands Valkenswaard
19 April MXGP of Spain intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos
17 May MXGP of Italy Maggiora
06 September MXGP of Turkey Afyonkarahisar
20 September MXGP of Emilia Romagna (Italy) Imola
—
Photos: Kawasaki Europe
Words: Catherine Pattison
DEFENDING WOMEN’S WORLD MOTOCROSS CHAMPION (WMX) COURTNEY DUNCAN HAS BEGUN HER 2020 CAMPAIGN WITH A DOUBLE VICTORY THIS WEEKEND
Battling through deep mud and ruts at the season-opening MXGP Great Britain at the popular British circuit of Matterley Basin, 24-year-old Otago motocross queen Duncan bagged the maximum 50 points on offer over the two races on her 2020 Kawasaki KX250. Riding for the England-based Kawasaki Dixon Race Team, she was the first to admit she took some time to warm into her winning ways.
“I’m happy to go 1- 1 here at the opener. I felt a little bit rusty. A little bit off the pace but that’s a given, since I haven’t raced in six months. I’m very happy to walk away with the full 50 points and I think we can be proud of that especially given the conditions – they weren’t easy. They were pretty difficult out there with a lot of mud,” she says.
In the first WMX race, Duncan got a good start, but her time in the lead was cut short as Dutchwoman Nancy Van De Ven, applied the pressure and jumped into the lead in the opening lap of the race. Meanwhile the returning six-time WMX champion Italy’s Kiara Fontanesi was not far behind in third. In the later stages, Sara Andersen, of Denmark was chasing Duncan and Van De Ven before crashing on the finish jump and with 8 minutes to go, Van De Ven found herself in trouble which allowed Duncan to gain back the lead. The New Zealand rider went on to comfortably win the race by 11.56 seconds over Fontanesi, with Lynn Valk, of the Netherlands in third.
In the second race, Duncan got into the same groove that saw her win nine out the ten WMX races last season and she stormed through to the chequered flag, claiming victory by just over 5 seconds from Germany’s Larissa Papenmeier.
Kawasaki New Zealand Managing Director Shane Verhoeven says: “We’re incredibly proud and excited to see Courtney continue this season with the same blistering form that saw her take home last year’s championship. While the track conditions were testing on the iconic Matterley Basin track, Courtney rose to the challenge on her 2020 KX250 to assert her dominance on the field.”
Duncan heads to the Valkenswaard track in the Netherlands this coming weekend for round two of six in this season’s WMX, with the championship leader’s red plate and the confidence that she’s got plenty more left in the tank.
“I’m stoked to get the first round win, I couldn’t ask for more. I can only go up from here. My goal is to just continue to improve and I think I can do that. The more bike time I get on the race bike with testing, I can up the pace. I look at improving each day and each race as it comes,” she says.
WMX Championship standings after round one
| 1 | 1 | Duncan, C. | NZL | KAW | 50 |
| 2 | 423 | Papenmeier, L. | GER | YAM | 40 |
| 3 | 8 | Fontanesi, K. | ITA | KTM | 37 |
| 4 | 85 | Van De Ven, N. | NED | YAM | 36 |
| 5 | 172 | Valk, Lynn | NED | YAM |
36 |
2020 Women’s Motocross World Championship’s calendar
01 March MXGP of Great Britain – Matterley Basin
08 March MXGP of The Netherlands Valkenswaard
19 April MXGP of Spain intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos
17 May MXGP of Italy Maggiora
06 September MXGP of Turkey Afyonkarahisar
20 September MXGP of Emilia Romagna (Italy) Imola.
JONATHAN REA AND ALEX LOWES EACH SCORED A CLOSE RACE VICTORY ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE OPENING ROUND OF THE 2020 WORLDSBK CHAMPIONSHIP
The final race of the weekend, over 22-laps, featured up to nine riders in the leading group, even at half race distance, but it was Lowes and Rea who made the decisive moves to go 1-2 in warm and dry conditions. Lowes was just 0.037 seconds ahead of Rea across the line, with Scott Redding 0.849 seconds behind Alex.
As temperatures rose for the final long race the leading bunch were closely packed but even as riders dropped off the group one by one there were four potential race winners again with just a couple flaps to go.
In the ten-lap Tissot-Superpole race, held at 12.00 noon today, Rea showed all his five time championship winning quality to pass race leader Toprak Razgatlioglu and hold on across the line for his first win of the year. Lowes, so close to being the opening race winner on Saturday, was fourth in the sprint race, just over 0.2 seconds from his new team-mate.
Rea’s Superpole race victory was particularly poignant as he received news overnight of the passing of his maternal grandmother back home in Northern Ireland. He dedicated his 89th career race win to his family.
In both races constant overtakes and aggressive passes were commonplace as the 2020 season started in an incredibly competitive fashion.
After his strong debut weekend on the Ninja ZX-10RR Lowes now leads the championship with 51 points. Rea is fourth overall on 32 points after his race one no-score on Saturday.
Qatar will now host the next round of the championship, under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit, between 13 and 15 March.
Alex Lowes, stated: “I knew when it got a lot hotter it was going to play into our hands as Marcel, my crew chief, had forced me to work really hard on old tyres in practice! When the grip dropped I knew I was going to be more comfortable than the other guys. In the second race there were so many people hitting everybody, Johnny trying to control the pace and Baz hit me a few times. It was hard just to stay calm but each time by past the pitbox I said to myself, ‘relax, stay calm, you have go the pace for the next ten laps – relax, relax.’ In the end, luckily, I had a bit more grip than the other guys and won race two. A great start here with Kawasaki. Obviously this track is a little bit strange so I need to just enjoy the moment, go to Qatar and refresh. We will see how we stack up but I am really happy with the first weekend.”
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I got a good start in the Superpole race and put my head down. It seemed like I was really setting the rhythm with a few laps to go. Toprak was showing me his front wheel, so I knew he was there. On the last lap, throwing the bike down the inside line, I knew I had a little bit more traction. I really wanted to win that Superpole race for my family. It would have been nice to do it again in that second one but it was very strange race. I did not have the experience of doing 22 laps from race one on Saturday. I was not sure how the bike would be. The temperature went to 45°C on track today too. Nobody seemed to want to come through and do the work. I set about my rhythm and with five laps to go I put my head down – but as soon as I completed this lap I felt a drop in the tyre again. Alex got by me and made a gap and although I had a close ride up to him on the last lap it was just not enough to get to the line first. We got to Qatar now and see what that brings. Yesterday we were 25 points behind, today we are 19 behind, so a positive day all-in-all after yesterday.”
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 12th and 11th today, to sit 14th overall. Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) had a very strong Sunday; finishing tenth in the Superpole race and then seventh in race two for 11th overall in the championship standings. Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) was 11th and then ninth in the races, for 12th place after the opening round.
2020 KRT Rider WorldSBK Statistics
Jonathan Rea: World Champion 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019
2020: Races 3, Wins 1, Podiums 2, Superpoles 0
Career Race Wins: 89 (74 for Kawasaki)
Career Podiums: 170 (128 for Kawasaki)
Career Poles: 23 (19 for Kawasaki)
Alex Lowes:
2020: Races: 3, Wins 1, Podiums 2, Superpoles 0
Career Race Wins: 2 (1 for Kawasaki)
Career Podiums: 22 (2 for Kawasaki)
Career Poles: 1 (0 for Kawasaki)
7 x Riders’ Championships (Scott Russell 1993, Tom Sykes 2013, Rea 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019), 1 x EVO Riders’ Championship (David Salom 2014)
5 x Manufacturers’ Championships (Ninja ZX-10R 2015 & 2016, Ninja ZX-10RR 2017, 2018 & 2019)
5 x Teams’ Championships (KRT/Provec Racing 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019)
Kawasaki FIM Superbike World Championship Statistics
Total Kawasaki Race Wins: 148 – second overall
Total Kawasaki Podiums: 437 – second overall
Total Kawasaki Poles: 88 – second overall
#NinjaSpirit
#Rea5stars
Words and Photos credit: Kawasaki Europe
