KIWI RIDER OCTOBER 2021 VOL.2 | Page 45

Ben Townley

New Zealand ’ s only other winner of a premier motocross title , Bay of Plenty ’ s Townley , made his mark internationally on both sides of the planet . Winning the MX2 World Motocross Champion title for KTM in 2004 was the start of a succession of victories for Townley , who then moved up to the bigger bikes and went on to secure multiple MX1 class GP wins and place third in the MX1 World Championships in Europe in 2005 . Moving to the United States , he won the AMA Supercross Lites East Coast title at his second attempt in 2007 and only narrowly missed out on claiming the AMA Motocross Lites title that same season ; with the decider coming down to the final race of the series and only 19 points between him and his Kawasaki team-mate Ryan

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