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Young motocross sensation Josh Coppins shoulders new responsibility for Suzuki this weekend in Belgium.
At the home nation grand prix of his top-rated Corona Suzuki factory team, the fast-improving Kiwi expat is being asked to fly the flag as an equal of his French teammate who leads the world 250 championship.
Until now Motueka-born Coppins, just 23, has been rated a support rider for his experienced colleague Mickael Pichon.
But that has begun to change with Coppins mounting the podium to deliver a Suzuki double-whammy to international television audiences at recent grands prix.
Now fourth in the title chase and pressing hard for third, the modest young professional racer has caught his Suzuki team bosses by surprise.
\"There have been no team orders for me to make sure Mickael gets the big points, but then it wasn\'t really expected that I\'d be in front of him,\" said Coppins from the team\'s base north of Brussels.
\"Last weekend in Slovakia I beat Mickael in the first moto and he spent quite a few laps trying to get past me in the second; we ended up equal on points for the event.\"
\"That led to a bit of a discussion here with our team manager Sylvain Geboers this week.\"
\"But it\'s cool, Sylvain has told me to ride my own race and achieve the best placing I can for myself and Suzuki. If we get two riders on the podium, especially first and second, that\'s the ultimate.\"
For Mr Geboers, a top world championship racer 30 years ago who now runs a slick outfit for Suzuki, a big showing in his motocross-mad nation is a matter of pride.
The 1854m Kester track at Dworp 25km from Brussels is a familiar one for the team and Coppins is looking to use the home advantage to put more pressure on the world\'s best in this glamour class of a tough sport.
The championship continues until September.
Championship standings:
1 Mickael Pichon (France) Corona- Suzuki 277 points,
2 Eric Bolley (France) Honda 230,
3 Pit Beirer (Germany) Kawasaki 189,
4 Joshua Coppins (NZ) Corona- Suzuki 171,
5 Claudio Federici (Italy) Yamaha 157.
