Josh Coppins led the Rider’s standings for all but one of the fifteen Grand Prix in the 2007 MX1 World Championship. The New Zealander looked set to give the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team a successful title fence in his first year wearing blue colours but a stroke of bad luck that led to a shoulder injury ended his hopes. As the winner of the most Grand Prix (five), most motos (nine) and leader of the highest number of laps (almost double that of his next nearest rival) in ’07, the 30 year old starts 2008 again as one of the favourites for the MX1-GP crown on the YZ450FM.

The New Zealander has been an ever-present competitor on the Grand Prix stage since moving over from his native New Zealand in the mid-1990s and entering the 250cc World Championship as a privateer in 1996. Thanks to solid speed and early promise, backed up by a consistency that would become one of his main strengths, Josh reached the status of a factory-supported competitor in 2000 where he entered the top five of the final classification for the first time. He switched brands at the end of 2001 and his career really started to hit the heights. Living in Belgium and adopting a new training regime Coppins started to become a regular on the 250cc podium and pushed former team-mate Mickael Pichon hard for the title; ultimately finishing second.

Moving onto a 450 four-stroke for the MX-GP class in 2003 Coppins had elevated himself into the position of a championship contender. Sadly due to a serious pre-season injury he missed the first few Grand Prix. The resilient Kiwi recovered however to race again that same campaign eventually placing 12th. The inauguration of the MX1-GP category in 2004 saw the 29 year old still bearing the physical afflictions of the previous year’s crash but Coppins was once more a protagonist and celebrated an overdue and emotional first Grand Prix victory on the Isle of Wight in England on the way to third position overall.

The following term witnessed further progression as he was Stefan Everts’ closest pursuer for the MX1 crown and beat the legendary Belgian on two occasions (Sweden and South Africa) from sixteen rounds. The momentum gathered that season should have run into 2006 but five months of hard work over the winter was lost when a fall during practice led to a dislocated shoulder one week before the opening Grand Prix. Coppins missed the first seven races of the calendar but scored an impressive 3rd place on his return at the British Grand Prix and then missed the podium only once in the next seven events. In that period he became the only rider to beat a ruthless Everts that year after a close duel in Northern Ireland.

Coppins added a winning-edge to his reliable regularity (that includes four top three finishes in the last six premier class world championships) once he joined up with Yamaha for 2007. An impressive maiden triumph came at Valkenswaard for the season-opener and he set the pace for the championship with further victories, totalling three from the first four meetings. He went on to walk the podium nine times and led the standings by more than one hundred points with just four rounds remaining until sustaining a broken shoulder at the Czech Grand Prix. Despite trying every method of rehabilitation available Coppins was not fit enough to return and defend his advantage. He lost the lead in the series with only two motos of thirty left to run and in the eyes of many should have been a deserving champion.

Josh’s work rate is widely recognised in the paddock and his attention to machine set-up is also a major advantage. Articulate and friendly, Coppins is a worthy ambassador for the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team and there is unlikely to be a more determined rider in the paddock for 2008.