Dale stars in KTM debut at Woodville GP in New Zealand
New Zealand MX1 Champion Cody Cooper wins overall.
Image: Andy McGechan/Bikesportnz.com.
Queenslander Ford Dale won two from three MX1 motos at the annual Woodville GP in New Zealand today during his debut with the factory KTM Motocross Racing Team.
Dale was fastest in qualifying and then won the opening two motos, however aggressive fatigue following spending much of last year sidelined from a knee injury forced him out of the final moto.
The event was won by current New Zealand MX1 Champion Cody Cooper (The Honda Shop Racing) with 2-2-1 finishes from countryman Brad Groombridge (Suzuki) and Dale’s Australian teammate Kirk Gibbs, who went 5-3-3.
Dale was credited fourth overall, Justin McDonald (Honda) fifth and Billy Mackenzie (Altherm JCR Yamaha) sixth, in his first national outing since Coolum’s MX Nationals final in 2013. Mackenzie scored 14-5-4.
Cooper also won the feature race, heading Dale and Gibbs, while Groombridge and Mackenzie completed the top five.
“I feel really good overall, the bike was just unreal and the testing work is paying off,” Dale commented. “Our preparation for the nationals has started well. In the last moto I just cramped up, my hands locked up on the first lap so I came in.
“I was pretty gutted, I really felt like I was going to win but that’s the way it is so I’ve got to take the positives with the negatives. Everything with the team is working really well.”
The MX2 overall went to Australian regular Kayne Lamont (Husqvarna Red Bull Racing), from moto two winner John Phillips (The Honda Shop) and Hamish Dobbyn (CMR Red Bull KTM). Last year’s NZ MX2 champion Scott Columb (Altherm JCR Yamaha) was fifth overall after winning the final moto.
The opening round of the New Zealand Motocross Championship on 8 February at Timaru.
2014 Woodville Motocross Grand Prix
Woodville, New Zealand
MX1 overall results:
1. Cody Cooper 69
2. Brad Groombridge 58
3. Kirk Gibbs 56
4. Ford Dale 50
5. Justin McDonald 49
6. Billy McKenzie 41
7. Jesse Donnelly 39
8. Jesse Wiki 38
9. Dion Picard 34
10. Yu Hirata 33
MX2 overall results:
1. Kayne Lamont 67
2. John Phillips 57
3. Hamish Dobbyn 56
4. Rhys Carter 56
5. Scott Columb 48
6. Peter Broxholme 45
7. Kieran Scheele 41
8. Cohen Chase 35
9. Ryan Thompson 34
10. Campbell King 33
Feature race results:
1. Cody Cooper
2. Ford Dale
3. Kirk Gibbs
4. Brad Groombridge
5. Billy McKenzie
6. Hamish Dobbyn
7. Scott Columb
8. Justin McDonald
9. Yu Hirata
10. Darryll King
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