WOMEN’S MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPION COURTNEY DUNCAN LEAVES NZ FOR WORLD TITLE DEFENCE

Courtney Duncan (24) flew out of Auckland for Europe on Wednesday to mount her 2019 Women’s Motocross World Championship title defence.

Dunedin’s Duncan has re-signed with the England-based Kawasaki Dixon Race Team for a further two years. After a summer of catching up with friends and family, she has knuckled down again – training hard on her 2020 Kawasaki KX250 towards bringing the winner’s silverware back home at the end of the six-round WMX season.

Kawasaki New Zealand Managing Director Shane Verhoeven says the Kiwi arm of the brand was proud to have Duncan representing ‘Team Green’ internationally.

“Courtney obviously gelled with Kawasaki and the Dixon Race Team last year and we are excited to see what that brings for her in 2020. She’s now familiar with the bike and team environment she’s in and she’ll be coming into the season confident. On behalf of Kawasaki New Zealand, we wish her all the best,” Verhoeven says.

 

Monster Energy has produced an mini-doco and accompanying media release below. 

Kiwi motocross star Courtney Duncan has her eyes firmly set on securing a second consecutive Women’s Motocross World Championship as she looks to defend her crown, with the series kicking off later this month the UK.

Duncan travels to Europe today to reunite with her 2019 Championship winning team with the World Champ also dropping her latest global content piece ‘Girl on Fire’  in conjunction with major sponsor, Monster Energy.

The 24-year-old says the ‘Girl on Fire’ film, which has been launched to millions of fans worldwide through Monster Energy’s global channels, is a depiction of the journey and sacrifice that took Duncan to the top of the world in 2019.    

“Girl on Fire represents my career I think, just all the setbacks, injuries and failures that I’ve had, and then to come back and finally win a world title last season, this video is a representation of that journey,” said Duncan.

“To win back-to-back world championships in 2020 with all the injuries I’ve had to endure would be really cool, it’s definitely the goal and why I’m packing the bags and heading back to Europe and I think I’ve got a good opportunity of achieving that goal.”

Duncan says the production was the biggest of her career to date and riding through fire and being part of a high-end production was an experience she’ll never forget. 

“It was the first time I’d ever done a film like this and having the fire in this shoot made it really cool. Literally riding through the fire, I’m not going to lie, was pretty daunting at the start but in the end, it was really cool, I could literally feel how hot it was flying through the air and I’d definitely do another one of those.”

A championship win in 2020 will see Duncan equal Kiwi motocross legend Katherine Prumm who was a devastating force in 2006 and 2007 winning both year’s World Motocross titles.

“To equal Katherine Prumm’s record would be really cool, I grew up watching her race so it’d be cool to equal that but at the same time I’m not a big stats girl, I just want to focus on riding to the best of my ability and I know if I do that we’re gonna win titles,” Duncan added.

Round 1 of the 2020 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship kicks off on February 20 at Matterley Basin in Winchester, UK.

2020 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championships

20/02/2020 – Matterley Basin, UK
06/03/2020 – Valkenswaard, France
17/04/2020 – Intu Xanadú, Spain
15/05/2020 – Maggiora, Italy
04/09/2020 – Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
18/09/2020 – Imola, Italy

KAWASAKI RACING TEAM UNVEILED ITS OFFICIAL FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RIDER LINE-UP AND NINJA ZX-10RR

Kawasaki Racing Team unveiled its official FIM Superbike World Championship rider line-up and Ninja ZX-10RR race machines for 2020 at the team launch yesterday in Granollers, near Barcelona – the final step before the season gets underway at Phillip Island at the end of the month.

Five-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea will be joined for this season by exciting new signing, Alex Lowes. Both will compete on the latest race specification Ninja ZX-10RR in a race livery that has inspired the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R KRT Replica and Ninja ZX-10R Peformance Edition road bikes that are now available to order at Kawasaki dealers.

The team now packs up for the first of the 13-rounds that will make up the 2020 season with the first official WorldSBK test taking place at Phillip Island, on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 February. The race weekend in Australia will start on Friday 28 February and finish on Sunday, the first day of March.

2019 KRT Rider WorldSBK Statistics

 

Jonathan Rea: World Champion 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019

2019: Races 37, Wins 17, Podiums 34, Superpoles 7

Career Race Wins: 88 (73 for Kawasaki)

Career Podiums: 168 (126 for Kawasaki)

Career Poles: 23 (19 for Kawasaki)

Alex Lowes:

2019: Races: 37, Wins 0, Podiums 9, Superpoles 0

Career Race Wins: 1 (0 for Kawasaki)

Career Podiums: 20 (0 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: 146 – second overall

Total Kawasaki Podiums: 433 – second overall

Total Kawasaki Poles: 88 – second overall

#LetTheGoodTimesRoll #NinjaSpirit

MOUNT MAUNGANUI’S JOSIAH NATZKE - TOP RIDER IN THE FIERCE MX2 (250CC)

FEBRUARY 2, 2020: Bay of Plenty’s Josiah Natzke is just where he wants to be, on top of the points standings after the opening round of the nationals.

The 21-year-old Transdiesel Eni Lubricants Kawasaki Racing Team rider from Mount Maunganui followed on from his post-Christmas win at the big annual Whakatane Summercross by also winning the day in the MX2 (250cc) class at the first of four rounds in this year’s New Zealand Motocross Championships in south Otago at the weekend.

Natzke won the first of Saturday’s three MX2 class races at Balclutha, and then finished third, behind Oparau’s James Scott and Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh, in the next race, keeping Natzke top of the table and with a four-point advantage over nearest rival Scott with just one race remaining for the afternoon.

The third and final race of the day was a barnstormer, with virtually nothing to separate the leading five riders – Australian visitor Caleb Ward, Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis, Walsh, Scott, and Natzke – as they fought handlebar-to-handlebar around the twisting Balclutha circuit.

Natzke eventually found a way past Scott and settled for fourth in that race, enough to seal the Kawasaki man a six-point lead over Scott as the riders now head to round two in the series, near Rotorua in two weeks’ time.

“Man, what a day it was at round one. I’m so stoked to come away with the overall win. I felt like I let myself down with what I wanted to achieve in the last two races, but anyway it was a solid day of racing,” said Natzke.

“A massive thanks are due to the whole team on the day for doing everything to make my life easier.

“I struggled the previous weekend (at the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville, where he settled for third overall). But at Balclutha I felt a lot more comfortable.

“I was the fastest rider on the track in both the first two races at Balclutha, but my energy reserves were all spent by race three. Even so, I’ve got the championship lead, so I can’t really complain.

“I love the track at Rotorua. It’s not far from my home, so I know that track well. The bike is perfect and suspension is dialled in, so I’m really happy with my situation at the moment.”

This is Natzke’s first season in New Zealand in about three years after spending time racing in Europe, and it is perhaps some of that European experience that has helped him into the position he’s now in.

Fresh after arriving home from the United Kingdom, Natzke made his debut for the Transdiesel Eni Lubricants Kawasaki team a glorious one in October when he won the MX2 class at the season-starting MX Fest event at Taupo. He then also won the 2019 New Zealand Supercross Championships in the SX2 class, that competition wrapping up in November, followed now by his success at the foot of the South Island at the weekend.

It seems Natzke is well attuned to the green bike and he’s certainly rated among the favourites to win again this summer.

Natzke is supported by Kawasaki NZ, Transdiesel Eni 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 by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Photos by ENI Kawasaki Race Team

Kawasaki's All-New TERYX KRX1000

Kawasaki’s all-new trail adventure Side x Side was built for high-adrenaline fun in the woods and on rock trails. Boasting the toughness, durability and reliability that TERYX models are renowned for, the KRX 1000 possesses the capability and confidence to tackle tough rock crawls, superb cornering and straight-line stability on rock/wood/desert trails, and superior comfort.

The powerful, high-torque 999 cm3 Parallel Twin engine is paired with a CVT transmission and centrifugal clutch, ensuring superb control for navigating tricky technical sections. The chassis, which features a high-rigidity frame with integrated ROPS, positions the wheels as far apart as possible, creating a sturdy platform. This is complemented by suspension with massive shock units and long wheel travel designed to overcome large obstacles and to soak up bumps on the trail. The roomy cabin with tall doors and adjustable high-back bucket seats delivers outstanding ride comfort, allowing driver and passenger to simply enjoy the ride.

The all-new TERYX KRX 1000 represents Kawasaki’s first challenge in the growing Sport Side x Side category, and an exciting new flavour for hard-core trail/adventure enthusiasts.

Let The Good Times Roll

Tyler Steiner joins the ENI Kawasaki Race Team

The ENI Kawasaki Race Team is excited to announce that Tyler Steiner will be on board the KX450 MX1 machine for the 2019/2020 season. Tyler is a very promising rider with some great results both here and abroad. With 2 years experience already in the MX1 class, the 20 year old from Te Puke is set for a great season ahead.

Some highlights include,

Competed Mini O’s in Florida 2014
2014 - Junior 125 nationals 2nd place
2016 - 125 junior and 250 junior nats 3rd place
2017 - MX1 labour weekend 5th place
2017 - China international 2nd place
2018 MX1 labour weekend 5th place

Welcome to the team Tyler, we’re excited to see what the season brings!

8 Oct 2019

NINJA H2 ORDER WINDOW NOW OPEN!

BECOME PART OF MOTORCYCLE HISTORY:
2020 Supercharged Ninja H2 order window is now open!

・Order period : 1st Oct, 2019 ～　20th Dec, 2019

・Production period : Jan　～　May, 2020

The H2R, H2 Carbon, and H2 are works-of-art and not just anyone can walk into a dealership and get their hands on one. Each model is handbuilt and must be pre-ordered and the window to do so is now!

Street legal H2 models feature a beastly supercharged, 998cc, in-line four engine that produces 231 horsepower, while the H2R boast 300 horsepower and are closed-course only.

With great power, comes great responsibility, which is why all H2 models are outfitted with the latest Brembo Stylma Calipers, Ohlins TTX rear shock, KYB Racing front forks, and Kawasaki’s Cornering Management Function to ensure optimal control and confidence on the street or track.

Don’t wait too long to become part of this exclusive ‘supercharged’ club—orders must be placed before Dec. 20th!

#Kawasaki #Supercharged #H2R #H2 #H2Carbon

7 Oct 2019

TEAM GREEN MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILAB

With the relaunch of Team Green, Kawasaki NZ is proud to announce that Team Green Merchandise is now available.

JOSIAH NATZKE JOINS ENI KAWASAKI RACE TEAM

Transdiesel ENI Kawasaki Race Team is excited to announce that the very talented Josiah Natzke will be a Team Green member for the 2019/2020 season!

The 20 year old from Mount Maunganui already has 3 years of
international experience (Maxxis British MX Championship and ADAC German MX Masters) to his credit. Combining a track record of titles both locally and abroad, Natzke is set for a much anticipated return to NZ racing! Some outstanding achievements include;
2014/15 NZ 125 Champion
2015 EMX125 Runner-Up
2016 EMX250 Switzerland 2nd Place
2017 EMX250 Latvia Winner
2018 250 NZ Supercross Champion

Welcome back Josiah - we look forward to a successful season!

7 Oct 2019