New Altherm JCR Yamaha rider Cole Davies stuns on team debut
Altherm JCR Yamaha Media Statement
22.02.22
The newest and youngest Altherm JCR Yamaha motocross team recruit Waitoki's Cole Davies (feature photo) made a stunning debut at the Waikato Motocross Championships, winning the MX125 class, aged only 14-years-old.
Although his team manager Josh Coppins was unable to attend the twice-postponed event hosted by the North King Country Motorcycle Club on Saturday due to prior commitments, he was most impressed with Davies’ results.
“Although this is Cole’s first race meeting for the team, he has been riding for us for about eight months. This is his first actual event because he’s been locked down in Auckland for ages. It’s a pretty impressive achievement to be that young and win the senior 125 class. He was on the newly-developed 2022 YZ125 model and this great result suggests that Cole has a very exciting future ahead with us. We’re looking forward to the next step,” Coppins says.
Altherm JCR Yamaha’s MX1 and MX2 riders Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis (photo below) (YZ450) and Brodie Connolly (YZ250F), of Tauranga, both finished up in third place in their respective classes. Coppins says it was a sign of these challenging times, where the national motocross championship and all major motocross events have been cancelled due to New Zealand’s COVID-19 Protection Framework red traffic light restrictions.
“It was a strange day as the younger riders have been training hard and preparing regardless but the older riders have been working their day jobs, or they’ve been in an unknown state, wondering what’s going to happen with the future of racing with Covid.”
“We saw that in Maximus, who came in very underprepared. Although he led the first race for a long time, he was frustrated with his fitness. But as the saying goes, you reap what you sow and he hasn't done the work because he didn’t know what he was working towards.”
“We accept that and although third overall was not where he wanted to be, it was part of the current nature of the beast at the moment,” Coppins says.
Brodie Connolly (photo below) was similarly disappointed with his number three finishing position, as he was aiming for a win but he now has goals to work towards, Coppins says.
“Brodie is doing really well for us and he's a great addition to the team. He still has a few areas of his riding he needs to improve on to take it to the next level. He’s been working hard with Ben Townley on them and he knows what they are. Once he implements these changes, Brodie will make a really solid step forward.”
Some other notable Yamaha results were Darren Capill (ProMoto), who won the Vets 45+ years class and in the Junior Support 125/250 category Phoenix Van Dusschoten (Sargent Motorcycles) was the winner, with Tyler Cooksley (Mr Motorcycles) finishing in the runner-up spot. Motoland’s Halle Cox was second in the Women’s class.
Yamaha Motor New Zealand’s Motorsport Manager, Coppins thanked Townley for managing the Altherm JCR Yamaha team in his absence and the mechanics Tamas Toth and Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Nabe) for ably supporting the riders.
“We were also thankful to the North King Country Motorcycle Club for enabling us to go racing in these uncertain times. We don’t know what’s next for us in a motocross racing sense, however the team’s riders know what they have got to work on, so they’re ready to go once we get the green light,” Coppins concludes.
RESULTS
MX1
1st Hamish Harwood – 150
2nd Cody Cooper – 135
3rd Maximus Purvis (YZ450) – 128
MX2
1st Josiah Natzke – 150
2nd Hamish Harwood – 132
3rd Brodie Connolly (YZ250F) – 130
MX125
1st Cole Davies (YZ125) – 146
2nd Jared Hannon – 135
3rd Rian King – 126
PHOTO CREDITS: STEVE SMITH
ALTHERM JCR YAMAHA WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS:
Altherm Window Systems, JCR, Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Yamalube, GYTR, bLU cRU, YMF, YMI, Akrapovic, Holland Collision Centre, Ward Demolition, Star Moving, Contract Consultants, Fox, Workshop Graphics, Pirelli, DID, Renthal, Motomuck, Vertex, Twin Air, Motoseat & Zeta.