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New Zealand\'s hottest new prospect in motorcycle racing Josh Coppins climbs back onto the world motocross stage later this month.
The talented 22-year-old from Motueka, 7th in the world last year, has been rewarded with a full contract by the highly-respected Suzuki factory.
He will contest the 16 rounds of this year\'s 250 championship, recognised as the top series in the world. The 250 attracts the top factories with their hot two-stroke bikes and the best riders - the larger 500 class and feeder 125 are considered lesser series.
Coppins\' first grand prix of the year is at Talavera, Spain on 19 March, the next a week later in Portugal. With two gruelling, 40-minute races each event, the championship continues throughout Europe and as far afield as Brazil, concluding in September.
A Suzuki rider throughout his career, the man they call Lizard is in his sixth year in the world champs.
After steadily climbing the ranks, he started last season as a privateer but was hastily given a factory bike as number three rider when he out-pointed the stars. Coppins received limited support - yet he finished top Suzuki rider and top privateer.
This year he carries the number 7 plate and has earned the respect due a top-ten racer.
\"We have a brand new bike, the RM250WS, which we hope will be a jump ahead of most of the competition,\" said Coppins from his team\'s base in Belgium.
\"We are on Pirelli tyres this season which should help at a lot of the sand tracks we strike in Europe.
\"In all, the package is right on song, my fitness is good and I just can\'t wait for the first GP.\"
Coppins won an international warmup event last weekend, beating the world number two as well as his own, experienced teammate.
\"You can\'t read too much into the pre-season races - everyone is conscious of not peaking too early,\" he said.
\"But just the same I was pleased with that showing against some of the best competition I\'ll have this year.\"
Strongly built at 1.77m and 76kg, Coppins carries traditional Kiwi modesty onto the world stage backed by a string of successes: first riding a Suzuki at age 4, he won his first race on an RM80 at age 8 and went on to take more national titles than anyone can count including year 2000 titles.
Coppins, who turns 23 on the 11th of this month, rates his French teammate Mickael Pichon a threat this season.
A year older, Pichon contested the world 125 champs in the mid-90s before establishing himself on the lucrative US motocross circuit. At 15th he was one of Suzuki\'s full factory riders beaten by Coppins last year.
There\'s no doubt that Suzuki and its team manager, former world champion Sylvain Geboers (Belgium), see the Lizard from a small town in Nelson, New Zealand as their man of the future.
They have provided Coppins with a personal trainer to accompany him throughout the year as he competes in a sport tougher on the body than almost any other.
Coppins has a Kiwi mechanic doing the technical work: Oamaru\'s Blair Selfe, himself a competent racer.
\"We get on well and of course it\'s great having another Kiwi - and another South Islander - around,\" said the Lizard.
A top ride in the top championship in the world - 2000 promises to be a big year for Josh Coppins. And at just 23 years of age he has several years to achieve his goal, the world 250 crown.
