Image: Andy McGechan (BikesportNZ.com).

Honda’s Cody Cooper has successfully defended his New Zealand Motocross Championship with a stunning performance at Taupo’s final round on Sunday.

Taking a slender lead over Australia’s former MXGP duo Todd Waters (Suzuki) and Dean Ferris (Yamaha) into the final round, Cooper’s 2-1-2 finishes at the final round was enough to clinch the 2016 crown.

Early title favourite Ferris won the opening moto for Altherm JCR Yamaha, however runner-up to Cooper in the second outing and another win in the third for the overall wasn’t enough to displace the experienced Kiwi for the number one plate.

Third overall for the round and championship was Queensland’s Waters, who was unable to match Cooper or Ferris for a round win during the series, but gained valuable seat time on the RM-Z450 across the four rounds.

In the MX2 category it was Altherm JCR Yamaha’s Kayne Lamont who won the final round over Hamish Harwood (KTM) and Jed Beaton (Yamaha), however it was Harwood the champion over final moto winner Beaton and Lamont.

With Cooper not securing a seat in Australia for 2016, major MX1 beneficiaries of the New Zealand series will be Ferris and Waters entering the local MX Nationals opener at Horsham, Victoria, in a fortnight’s time on 3 April.