With two rounds down and two to go, the 2026 Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championship’s MX2 category has had a title fight shake up, while MX1 remains fully dominated by Maximus Purvis.
The Altherm JCR Yamaha rider from Mangakino was in full class conquering mode at the South Otago Motorcycle Club-hosted Balclutha round at the Riverside Reserve track on Saturday, with three holeshots and three wins earning him maximum points. He now leads the premiere category by 20 points over closest rival, Huntly’s Josiah Natzke (Honda).
Mirroring the first round’s results from Invercargill a week earlier, Natzke finished second on Saturday and Southlander Jack Symon (Honda CRF450R) repeated his third place. The Invercargill rider now sits 22-points behind Natzke, as the championship takes a three-month break before resuming in the North Island in February.
The MX2 category saw the rise of trans-Tasman contender Caleb Ward (KTM 250SXF), of Queensland. He didn’t feature on the first round podium but by the end of the three motos on Saturday, he topped the Balclutha points and also moved into tied-for-first place, in the championship, with previous leader Karaka-based Yamaha rider Hayden Draper.
Ward’s 3-1-1 results gave him a welcomed milestone.
“It was my first overall win in New Zealand, so it was really cool to get that,” he says.
After finishing the 2024 MX2 championship in third and the 2025 MX1 championship in fourth, Ward is hungry to snap up the top step of the 250cc category podium come the fourth and final round.
“I’ll go to the final two rounds and try to get a few more round wins and try to win the championship is the main goal,” Ward says.
Draper had a tough round on Saturday, with a 1-4-9 scoresheet giving him second for the round ahead of Altherm JCR Yamaha teammate, Oparau’s James Scott. Returning from a knee injury that sidelined him in the 2025 Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championship, Scott is only 4 points adrift of Ward and Draper in the MX2 points tally.
Levin’s Phoenix Van Dusschoten (GasGas) continued his victorious run in the 125cc class, taking the round win and holding a solid championship lead of 20 points over Waipukurau Yamaha rider Carson Carroll. Arama TeWhetu, of Tauranga, had a strong showing on his KTM125 to clinch the runner-up spot in Balclutha and move into third place in the championship.
There was no change in the MX3 class championship results with Invercargill’s Dekan Harris, fellow Southlander Dylan Marshall and Taupo’s Mikalya Griffiths finishing first to third respectively and retaining these positions in the overall title chase.
The two-round MX85 Cup wrapped up in Balclutha, with Nixon Coppins taking the victory after five wins and a second over the six races. Levi McMaster finished up second with Samuel Gray taking the third spot.
Motorcycling New Zealand Operations Manager Vicky Hicks says: “The opening two rounds of the Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championship have been fantastic, with close competitive racing across all classes. We now take a short break before round three, and I would like to acknowledge the outstanding support that makes this series possible. Thank you to our sponsors, our host clubs, the volunteers who give their time, and of course all of the competitors who continue to deliver such exciting racing. We are looking forward to coming back refreshed and ready for an even bigger second half of the championship in February.”
Round three is scheduled for February 21, 2026, in Tauranga at TECT Park, then moves to the Rotorua MX Track a week later for the finale on February 28.
NZMX CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS – ROUND TWO:
MX1
1st Maximus Purvis – 75
2nd Josiah Natzke – 64
3rd Jack Treloar – 58
MX2
1st Caleb Ward – 70
2nd Hayden Draper – 55
3rd James Scott – 53
MX125
1st Phoenix van Dusschoten – 75
2nd Arama TeWhetu – 62
3rd Carson Carroll – 60
MX3 Cup
1st Dekan Harris – 60
2nd Dylan Marshall – 60
3rd Mikalya Griffiths – 58
MX85 Cup
1st Nixon Coppins – 72
2nd Levi McMaster – 69
3rd Samuel Gray – 58
NZMX CHAMPIONSHIP OVERALL RESULTS (R1 & R2):
MX1
1st Maximus Purvis (YZ450) – 150
2nd Josiah Natzke – 130
3rd Jack Symon – 108
MX2
1st equal Hayden Draper – 121
1st equal Caleb Ward – 121
3rd James Scott – 117
MX125
1st Phoenix van Dusschoten – 147
2nd Carson Carroll – 127
3rd Arama TeWhetu – 103
MX3 Cup
1st Dekan Harris – 135
2nd Dylan Marshall – 126
3rd Mikalya Griffiths – 111
MX85 Cup
1st Nixon Coppins – 147
2nd Levi McMaster – 129
3rd Samuel Gray – 118
CAPTION: Maximus Purvis, Altherm JCR Yamaha’s MX1 rider, has been unstoppable so far in the 2026 Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championship, with six from six wins in the premiere class. PHOTO CREDIT: DEREK MORRISON PHOTOGRAPHY
2025/2026 Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championship calendar:
Round 1 16 November 2025 – Invercargill
Round 2 22 November 2025 – Balclutha
Round 3 21 February 2026 – Tauranga
Round 4 28 February 2026 – Rotorua
