We’re just a couple of days out from the final round of what has been a thrilling 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals. As has been the tradition for many years, the championship will reach its climax at the sand-based Coolum motocross track on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Why should you attend and watch (or race) this weekend? Here’s 10 damn good reasons right here on MotoOnline.com.au!

Two days are better than one
Coolum marks the first and only two-day event of the 2013 championship. In 2012, several two-day events were held, but this year that honour has been reserved for the finale. With the two-day event comes more prestige and a bigger atmosphere of celebration for all things moto.

The weather gods will smile
Nothing beats a Queensland winter. Lows of 10 degrees, highs in the high-20s, all wrapped up in crystal clear, bluebird days that scream “beach weatherrrrr!”. And each day is a carbon copy of the next. This time of year the Sunshine Coast certainly lives up to its name, and Sunday is shaping up to be a cracker.

Support classes
Two days means double the racing racing, which means more classes. Coolum will see the two classes of veterans, the popular KTM 2-Stroke Cup and Yamaha Pro Quad riders all get a chance to get behind the grips around the challenging Coolum track, as well as the MX1, MX2 and MXD classes. Saturday will host most of the support racing, as well as practice and qualifying for the premier classes.

Moss vs Waters + Styke
While the MX2 title has already been decided, the MX1 battle between current leader Matt Moss and early championship leader Todd Waters has yet to be wrapped up. Basically, this is a must-win for Waters, who needs to make up 25 points over the weekend. Stranger things have definitely happened in Motocross, and both riders will be more nervous than a frog in a blender before the gates drop. It’s all or nothing for both of these guys. What’s more, newly-crowned MX2 champion Luke Styke’s Serco Yamaha team has confirmed he’ll pull double duty with a one-off appearance in MX1 this weekend!

Crowd control
Coolum always attracts a massive crowd of fizzing moto fans. The grandstand seating, licensed tents, jaw-dropping weather, intense racing and huge pit area are all huge hits with the public. We expect at least 3-4000 people will roll through the gates on their annual pilgrimage to the Mecca of moto.

Industry bonanza
One thing never changes – the motorcycle industry comes out to party at Coolum. It’s like the Las Vegas version of Australian MX. There are parties, corporate tents and boxes, sponsors wining and dining their VIPs, and product launches. This year Monza Imports is also using Coolum to launch their Drift Innovation action cameras.

Can Harwood do it?
Kiwi Hamish Harwood has been a picture of consistency and showed a racing maturity that belies his age this year. He’s happy to settle for seconds and thirds if it means he can extend or protect his lead, and the strategy has worked a charm for him. He holds a handy lead in the MXD class, but his closest challengers Jay Wilson and Jack Simpson have either put in tonnes of laps around Coolum or are sand specialists. It’s shaping up to be a great little battle.

Riders love Coolum
Whether it’s a fast, flowing circuit, the crowd, atmosphere, the sandy loam or the choppy nature of the circuit, Coolum is a favourite for the vast majority of racers. 2012 MX1 champion Josh Coppins has even said he thinks it’s the best track in Australia.

Sunshine Coast support
Yep, the Sunshine Coast is one of the major sponsors of the 2013 MX Nationals. That means you can expect them to have pumped and marketed the event pretty hard up there on the Sunny Coast. More marketing equals more bums on seats, equals better atmosphere, equals more reason you should be there too.

Treat your old fella!
Last, but certainly not least, this weekend marks Father’s Day. And what more could the old man wish for than to spend a day in the sun, beer in hand, breathing in that wonderful smell of race gas and watching the country’s fastest racers tear apart one of Australia’s most iconic tracks. Trust us, your dad will love you for it.