Penrite Honda Racing press release:

The Penrite Honda team made some positive inroads at Round 8 of the MX Nationals at Nowra on the weekend with Cody Cooper showing good pace following a solid fortnight of preparation leading into the event.

Cooper finished the opening moto tenth and holeshot Moto 2, leading the opening laps of the race before dropping back through the order to seventh. The New Zealand MX1 Champion finished the round eighth overall and sits ninth in the championship standings.

“I felt better on the weekend,” said Cooper “It is the first time I have led like that this season.

“The bike is great, I grabbed the holeshot but my bike fitness still isn’t where it needs to be I need to work towards lifting my intensity on the bike.

“I learned a lot from the weekend. One thing that is glaringly apparent is that there is no one at home (NZ) riding full time but the riders here in Australia are riding together and against one another during the week which means their intensity is up all of the time,” he added.

Ben Townley’s return on the weekend was short lived after a minor setback in practice prevented him from lining up for Moto 1.

“Everything felt great, I was easing into it during practice/qualifying and as I went in to a corner rut I lent in very low and my bars were scraping the embankment,”Townley explained.

“It tore my hand back and kept the throttle on and threw me off. It all happened so fast as it was unexpected.

“The team and I talked and I was in some serious pain so we felt there was no need to risk it as I am not racing for the championship and have some more races I am committed to at the moment, which include the final two rounds of the MX Nationals,” he continued.

The Penrite Honda team is already back in Melbourne preparing for the final two rounds of the MX Nationals as well as the impending Australian Supercross Championship.