Image: Andy McGechan (BikesportNZ.com).

Cody Cooper kicked off his 2016 New Zealand campaign with a bang over the weekend, taking out the MX1 overall win at the Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville.

The defending national champion and New Zealand native was met with stiff competition for this year’s event with Australia’s former MXGP contenders Dean Ferris and Todd Waters attending the race.

Cooper took the overall win by a slim margin of just four points over Ferris, while Jake Nicholls took the final podium position. New Zealand’s Rhys Carter and Harmish Harwood rounded out the top five with Waters finishing sixth overall due to a DNF in moto one.

In the MX2 category it was surprise winner Courtney Duncan who stole the show. The New Zealander took the overall win by four points over Josiah Natzke and MX Nationals regular Harwood. Former MX Nationals MXD champion Kayne Lamont took fourth followed by Ethan Martens in fifth.

Australian MX Nationals regular Joel Wightman finished seventh overall in MX2, a strong result considering he was aboard a mostly stock Honda CRF250R after his personal bike failed to make it New Zealand in time.

The invitation feature race saw Ferris reign supreme aboard his Yamaha in the five-lap dash, Cooper was a close second followed by Waters, Nicholls and veteran Daryl Hurley rounding out the top five.

Next on the New Zealand schedule is round one of the 2016 NZ Motocross Championships on 7 February in Timaru.

2016 Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix
Woodville, NZ

Invitation feature race results:
1. Dean Ferris (AUS)
2. Cody Cooper
3. Todd Waters (AUS)
4. Jake Nicholls
5. Daryl Hurley
6. Hamish Harwood
7. Brad Groombridge
8. Ethan Martens
9. Kayne Lamont
10. Kieran Scheele

MX1 results:
1. Cody Cooper
2. Dean Ferris (AUS)
3. Jake Nicholls
4. Rhys Carter
5. Hamish Harwood
6. Todd Waters (AUS)
7. Scott Columb
8. Daryl Hurley
9. Brad Groombridge
10. Kieran Scheele

MX2 results:
1. Courtney Duncan
2. Josiah Natzke
3. Hamish Harwood
4. Kayne Lamont
5. Ethan Martens
6. Cohen Chase
7. Joel Wightman (AUS)
8. Logan Blackburn
9. Aaron Wiltshier
10. Trent Collins

Click here for detailed results