KIWI RIDER 10 2018 VOL.1 | Page 80

STORY: Andy McGechan/ bikesportnz.com Mount Maunganui's Rhys Carter preparing for his Yamaha debut at the upcoming Motocross of Nations in the USA CARTER EAGER TO MAKE HIS YAMAHA DEBUT ount Maunganui’s Rhys Carter is counting down the days before he makes his race debut on his new Yamaha YZ450F. The 28-year-old signed to race for Yamaha last month, but he is yet to perform in a race proper and that will happen next month at the grandest of all dirt bike events, the annual Motocross of Nations, commonly referred to as the “Olympic Games of motocross”. Carter, a professional motocross coach and the 2018 New Zealand MX1 No.4, will be joined by national MX1 No.2 Cody 80 KIWI RIDER Cooper, also from Mount Maunganui, and Auckland’s two-time and current national MX2 (250cc) champion Hamish Harwood, in representing New Zealand at the MXoN at Red Bud, Michigan, in the United States on the weekend of October 6-7. “It’s a huge thing. I believe they have already sold 100,000 tickets for this event,” said Carter. “Every country in the world comes together with their three best riders and you just go hard at it. There are no gaps between riders... everyone is just jammed in and they’re going at it.