As the dust settles on the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championship’s second round at the Rotorua MX Track, some riders continue to shine, while others will have their work cut out for the final two rounds.
The Rotorua Motorcycle Club hosted a well-prepared event, which provided spectators with plenty of battles between riders across the classes.
Yamaha’s Maximus Purvis, of Mangakino emerged victorious again after his three-moto, MX1 campaign. Although, he didn’t have the same clean sweep of wins as he did at the opening round last weekend in Tauranga. Purvis led home Mount Maunganui Honda man Josiah Natzke for the first two races, with defending MX1 champion, Hamish Harwood, of Takaka, having to accept the podium’s third step.
Harwood put in a hard charge on his KTM machine in the final moto to finish on top, with Purvis runner-up and Australian Caleb Ward claiming a third. Points-wise Purvis won the round overall and leads the Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championship with 147 points which gives him a healthy 19-point gap over Natzke (128 points) and Harwood on 123 points.
For Purvis, it was a case of rinse and repeat success.
“Another good weekend for me coming away with the overall and I’m feeling good for the next round.”
Proving that even the frontrunners have to continuously hone their race craft, Purvis adds that he will be doing some work on his starts before Pukekohe.
In the 250cc MX2 category, the final result was harder to pick, with three different winners over the three motos. KTM campaigner Madoc Dixon, of Tauranga, began by once again switching out the top two spots with defending MX2 champion, Oparau-based Yamaha rider James Scott. Dixon took first blood, while Scott beat him to the chequered flag in the second moto.
It all came down to the third moto, and for Scott, it all came crashing down as he made a small mistake and took enough of a tumble to not be able to finish the race. That left the way clear for Auckland Honda rider Cobie Bourke to take the moto win and notch up enough points for second overall for the round.
Dixon claimed the podium’s top step for the second round and holds an 11-point lead over Bourke in the points standings, as the championship reaches its halfway mark. He certainly didn’t have it easy yesterday, with a crash in qualifying tweaking his neck and back.
“I managed to soldier on to win the first moto,” he says.
Crashing again in the second race didn’t leave him down and out and Dixon clawed his way back to second. Then an overheated shock in the final moto meant he had to nurse his bike home to third place and “cruise home for the overall.”
Over the next two weeks he says he will be “working on recovery and making sure my body is healing properly. I’m excited for Pukekohe and I’m usually pretty strong around there,” Dixon wraps up.
Yamaha Japan rider Souya Nakajima achieved a third place overall for the round, capping off the top three MX2 riders in Rotorua.
In the MX125cc class it was a farewell victory for Tauranga’s Yamaha rider Levi Townley. The talented youngster leaves for Europe tomorrow to contest the EMX Championship and will not be able to continue his New Zealand Championship campaign.
That leaves the fight for MX125 glory to Karaka’s Hayden Draper (Husqvarna) who finished in the runner-up spot overall yesterday and third-placed hometown boy Rotorua’s Delton Manson. Auckland’s Jack Ellingham (Yamaha) will no doubt be chasing hard for a top result after finishing two of yesterday’s motos amongst the first three riders to the chequered flag.
In the Women’s class, it was almost a complete repeat of the Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championship’s first round results, with Australian Taylah McCutcheon taking her Kawasaki to victory again. The difference in Rotorua was Kawasaki’s Karaitiana Horne, of Raetihi, was able to snatch the first win of the day in moto one denying the Queenslander a clean sweep. Once again, Yamaha’s Mikayla Griffiths (Taupo) was third overall.
In the non-championship MX3 category the round bragging rights went to Travis Taylor, who now has a sizeable points lead.
Motorcycling New Zealand Sponsorship and Media Manager Sarah Lindup says the organisation is incredibly pleased with how the motocross championship is progressing and everyone if looking forward to round 3 in Pukekohe in a few weeks’ time.”
CAPTION: The 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championship’s MX2 Championship leader Tauranga’s Madoc Dixon (KTM) didn’t have an easy round in Rotorua but he holds an 11-point lead over series runner-up Cobie Bourke. PHOTO CREDIT: CD PHOTOGRAPHY.
WORDS CREDIT: CATHERINE PATTISON.
NZMX CHAMPIONSHIP (ROUND TWO) RESULTS:
MX125
1st Levi Townley – 68
2nd Hayden Draper – 65
3rd Delton Manson – 62
MX1
1st Maximus Purvis – 72
2nd Hamish Harwood – 65
3rd Josiah Natzke – 62
MX2
1st Madoc Dixon – 67
2nd Cobie Bourke – 63
3rd Souya Nakajima – 54
Women’s
1st Taylah McCutcheon – 72
2nd Karaitiana Horne – 69
3rd Mikayla Griffiths – 58
MX3
1st Travis Taylor – 75
2nd Mitchel Gleeson – 58
3rd Mokey Vining – 58
NZMX CHAMPIONSHIP (ROUND ONE & TWO) RESULTS:
MX125
1st Levi Townley – 143
2nd Hayden Draper – 131
3rd Jack Ellingham– 110
MX1
1st Maximus Purvis – 147
2nd Josiah Natzke – 128
3rd Hamish Harwood – 123
MX2
1st Madoc Dixon – 132
2nd Cobie Bourke – 121
3rd James Scott – 112
Women’s
1st Taylah McCutcheon – 147
2nd Karaitiana Horne – 135
3rd Mikayla Griffiths – 116
MX3
1st Travis Taylor – 150
2nd Seaton Head – 117
3rd Mitchel Gleeson – 112