As the sun settled behind the clouds at Rotorua’s MX Track at the end of the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championship’s final Saturday of racing, the winners’ points were tallied in readiness for their trophy presentations at the evening’s prizegiving function.
Throughout the misty morning that gave way to a blazing hot afternoon at the well-prepared track that was raced in the opposite direction to round 2 – which was positively received by the riders – battles were being fought throughout the classes to determine the final pecking order.
The MX1 opening race was fraught, with championship leader Mangakino flyer Maximus Purvis, of Yamaha, claiming the holeshot and comfortably leading the moto’s early laps. Then he hit the dirt, which saw Takaka’s Hamish Harwood snatch the lead on his KTM, with Honda’s Josiah Natzke (Mount Maunganui) in hot pursuit. Purvis fought hard to reclaim the lead briefly, before he crashed again, leaving Harwood to fly by for the win and Natzke to take second.
Under team instructions to preserve his championship lead in the second moto, Purvis rode smart for a third spot on the podium and left Natzke and Harwood to squabble over first and second. After a cat-and-mouse changing of positions, it was Harwood who emerged victorious with Natzke once again close behind in second.
It meant there was everything to play for in the final moto, with the thinnest of points’ margins separating Harwood and Natzke, and Purvis needing fourth or better to claim his second MX1 title.
Purvis shot out of the gates for the holeshot, leaving the field in his wake, and never relinquishing the lead. Australian visitor Caleb Ward found his motocross mojo and flew through for the runner-up spot and a consistent Harwood took the third spot.
The defending champion was gracious in relinquishing his title to Purvis as Harwood accepted his second placing in the MX1 championship.
“On my part I know I could be better. I had a little mistake early on just before the championship but that’s part of racing. That’s motocross and something we’ve all got to deal with. Max was riding awesome this year and even if I was on form, I don’t know if I could beat him. It would have been good to see if we could battle a bit more, but congrats to him,” he says.
Purvis was happy to go out on a high.
“I got a good start in that one [third moto] and got a good flow going and stayed on the bike that time. Definitely feels good to end the season on a win. I’m going to head to Aussie this week and will go try to do it [win] over there,” Purvis says of his Australian Motocross Championship campaign which begins this weekend.
Natzke was third for the championship and after competing overseas recently says its “it’s been fun being back home racing.” He credited Motorcycling New Zealand for putting on a well-run motocross championship and also his MX1 rivals for pushing him hard.
“Everyone is going fast. Winning is hard. We’ve got a high level of racing here,” he says.
Despite not riding between rounds due to a shoulder injury, legend veteran rider Opotiki’s Cody Cooper – aged 41 – demonstrated why he has been so successful over the years. The GasGas rider held onto the first MX2 moto’s lead and didn’t give it up despite relentless pressure from up-and-coming Pukehina 18-year-old Flynn Watts. The 23-year age gap proving that experience can still win out over youth. Husqvarna rider Hayden Smith, of Taihape, rounded out the podium in third.
The pace was too hot for Cooper in moto 2, with youngster Watts surging past him early in the race, giving him a “bit of clear air” and he never looked back, surging on for the win. Tauranga’s KTM rider Madoc Dixon stepped up his game for the runner-up spot, while Auckland’s Cobie Bourke (Honda) taking third.
Determined to go out in a blaze of glory in what he hinted may be his final New Zealand-level moto, Cooper once again gave it everything he had and bought his bike home first to the chequered flag and notch up a satisfying round overall victory. Smith was runner-up but was still left with a slight points deficit to Bourke, which handed them third and second respectively in the final MX2 championship standings.
The man on top of the championship was Dixon and it was a sweet victory indeed considering this time last year he was laid up in a hospital bed with an injury. “To say I’ve come a long way is an understatement. I’ve put in a lot of hard work,” Dixon says of his ascension to the pinnacle of the 250cc class.
In the MX125 classes there was a trio of riders that aced the podium every race. In the number one spot, it was Auckland’s Yamaha rider Jack Ellingham, who claimed the top step in all three motos and consequently the round win. The next two positions switched around with home track boy Rotorua’s KTM rider Delton Manson going 2-3-3 and Karaka’s Hayden Draper (Husqvarna) notching up a 3-2-2 results set.
In the final tally up however, it was rising star Draper who claimed the MX125 Championship trophy – an impressive feat considering he was doing double duties racing in the MX2 class as well. Ellingham was runner-up and Manson was third.
Draper put his success down to “feeling good.” But he confirmed it was no easy ride. “It’s definitely a tough track to double class on,” he says.
The Women’s class started the day with the news that Australian visitor Taylah McCutcheon was not racing due to injury. In the first moto Kawasaki’s Karaitiana Horne, of Raetihi, took the lead and stormed through to the end with it, leaving Amie Roberts, of Hamilton, to claim the runner-up spot and fellow Yamaha rider Mikayla Griffiths (Taupo) in third.
In the second outing, there was a break-through win for Griffiths after she snatched the holeshot and controlled the race the whole way through. Horne initially chased her hard but a crash set her back to third while Roberts shot through to second. A determined Horne regained the runner-up position by the end of the race, while an ecstatic Griffiths was in a state of disbelief on the moto podium and credited “really pushing to my limits,” for her debut victory.
Horne was back to her best in moto 3, taking the win and with it the championship title from a field of 18 women. Aged only 16 she already has four Junior NZ titles, an Australian Junior title and now two Senior NZ Championships to her name.
Having McCutcheon racing in New Zealand provided some good competition she says.
“It was pretty tough for me but also really good for me leading up to the Aussie series that I’m going to do.”
Griffiths was second and Roberts third in the championship and along with Horne, this trio forms part of the five-rider Kiwi female team heading over to the 2025 FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup in Wonthaggi, Australia this week. Olivia Bodle and Milla Dahlenberg complete the team.
In the non-championship MX3 category a huge field of 53 riders enjoyed racing on the Rotorua track. New Plymouth’s Travis Taylor took the class win for the season, with Te Aroha’s Mitchel Gleeson second and Brandon Hoskins, of Huntly rounding out the podium.
Motorcycling New Zealand (MNZ) Sponsorship and Media Manager Sarah Lindup enjoyed attending the “fantastic end to the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Championship in Rotorua at round four. The battles on track for those riders racing for the top spots provided the crowds with plenty of nail-biting entertainment.”
On behalf of MNZ she thanked all the clubs, sponsors, officials and volunteers that helped make this series so successful.
The next New Zealand Motocross Championship returns earlier than usual later this year with the first and second rounds held in November (dates TBC) in the lower South Island, followed by two North Island-based rounds in February 2026.
CAPTION The smiles say it all for the Altherm JCR Yamaha team (from left) as the Team Manager Josh Coppins, MX1 Championship winner Maximus Purvis and his mechanic Tamas Toth celebrate Purvis’ second MXI title victory after the final round of the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championship is Rotorua yesterday. Photo credit CD Photography.
Words credit Catherine Pattison.
NZMX CHAMPIONSHIP (ROUND FOUR) RESULTS:
MX1
1st Hamish Harwood – 70
2nd Maximus Purvis (YZ450) – 65
3rd Josiah Natzke – 60
MX2
1st Cody Cooper – 65
2nd Flynn Watts – 62
3rd Hayden Smith – 60
MX125
1st Jack Ellingham (YZ125) – 75
2nd Hayden Draper – 64
3rd Delton Manson – 62
Under 19
1st Flynn Watts (YZ250F) – 75
2nd Wills Harvey (YZ250F) – 60
3rd Cody Griffiths (YZ250F) – 60
Women’s
1st Karaitiana Horne – 72
2nd Mikayla Griffiths – 67
3rd Amie Roberts – 62
MX3
1st Travis Taylor – 75
2nd Mitchel Gleeson – 60
3rd Mokey Vining – 53
NZMX CHAMPIONSHIP OVERALL RESULTS:
MX1
1st Maximus Purvis – 275
2nd Hamish Harwood – 260
3rd Josiah Natzke – 257
MX2
1st Madoc Dixon – 235
2nd Cobie Bourke – 226
3rd Hayden Smith – 207
MX125
1 st Hayden Draper – 270
2nd Jack Ellingham– 249
3rd Delton Manson – 220
Under 19
1st Flynn Watts – 272
2nd Hayden Draper – 225
3rd Wills Harvey– 223
Women’s
1st Karaitiana Horne – 282
2nd Mikayla Griffiths – 236
3rd Amie Roberts – 222
MX3
1st Travis Taylor – 297
2nd Mitchel Gleeson – 230
3rd Brandon Hoskins – 174
CAPTION: Photo by CD PHOTOGRAPHY