In fact, it was little more than a demonstration ride for Coppins, using his “downtime” in New Zealand this summer to begin his build-up for the 2008 Motocross World Championships.

His main opposition was, also not unsurprisingly, the New Zealand 500cc No.1, Hawera’s Daryl Hurley (Suzuki), but it was a junior rider, using the Whakatane event as a trial run in the senior ranks, who surprised most.

Warkworth’s Hamish Dobbyn (Yamaha), more used to racing 250cc and 125cc bikes and riding a 450cc machine at Whakatane for the first time in serious competition, stunned onlookers when he finished 4-3-5 in his three MX1 outings.

It was good enough for fourth overall in the class and the 15-year-old could well have finished on the podium if he not been docked 10 seconds in the first race for allegedly jumping the start. He finished third in that opening race but officials relegated him to fourth.

“I’m really pleased with how I went,” understated the teenager. “I held Josh at bay for a lap or so in race one but he got past me in the sawdust section. I even passed him back but he was really quicker than me everywhere.”

Another small bike specialist who was using the Whakatane event as a chance to test himself on the bigger, heavier and more powerful 450cc machines was Taupo’s Brad Groombridge.

The national 250cc No.4 wheeled out a Kawasaki KX450F for the first time at Whakatane and also set tongues wagging with his spectacular form. The 17-year-old Groombridge finished the day sixth overall in the MX1 class, just behind national 500cc No.2 Peter Broxholme (Tauranga), thanks to a 5-6-6 scoreline.

But most plaudits went to Coppins, unbeaten in four races, including the all-capacities feature final, the international Yamaha ace mostly untroubled by his domestic rivals. Coppins is the world No.1 in all but name.

He was runaway leader of the 2007 championships, in front by a whopping 107 points – two entire GPs up his sleeve -- after 10 of 15 rounds, but then he crashed heavily at round 11, the Czech GP, and a broken shoulder ruined his title bid.

He looks ahead to repeating his early 2007 season form again in 2008 and, baring another disaster, will be world champion by next September. Racing at Whakatane was all a part of his build-up regime.

“I’m pretty happy. Everything went alright,” he said matter-of-factly. “My riding improved throughout the day. It’s hard when I ride at events in New Zealand. I’m not here for a year and suddenly I’m racing here. It’s hard to get used to the different soil and different tracks (from Europe).

“I was very impressed with Hamish Dobbyn. I don’t know of any rider who comes fresh from the junior ranks and can run at this pace. He could be the next big thing.”

Taupo’s Rhys Carter may have been sick and vomiting with stomach bug troubles during the week but it wasn’t enough to slow him down on Sunday. Carter (Kawasaki KX250F) said he was “going to the toilet 24/7” in the week leading up to the Whakatane Summercross and only collected his new bike a few days before the big event, but the 18-year-old let none of that put him off as he raced to third overall in the MX2 class.

He was beaten to the top spot by Suzuki pair Luke Burkhart (Hawera) and Scott Columb (Queenstown).

“I am surprised to finish that high up,” he said afterwards. “I was quite disappointed to finish only seventh in the nationals (125cc class) but I had a great day today on the new 250. I had not been riding much either, because of my sore guts, but I felt okay today.”

For Burkhart, his win was a welcome change in fortunes. He had been heading for the national 250cc title when a crash at the final round of the series denied him glory. He was fully recovered and back to his best at Whakatane. Columb, who, like Coppins, had returned from Europe for a break before embarking again on a GP season, had early on looked to be in charge of the MX2 class but suffered several unfortunate spills in the day's final race and lost the initiative.

The Suzuki team-mates will again go head-to-head at the New Zealand Supercross Championships, which kick off near Motueka this weekend.

Leading results from the Whakatane Summercross: All-in feature final: 1. Josh Coppins (Motueka, Yamaha); 2. Peter Broxholme (Tauranga, Honda); 3 Nick Saunders (Taupo, Kawasaki); 4. Brad Groombridge (Taupo, Kawasaki); 5. Daniel Marshall (Hamilton, Honda).

MX1 class: 1. Josh Coppins (Motueka, Yamaha); 2. Daryl Hurley (Hawera, Suzuki); 3. Nick Saunders (Taupo, Kawasaki).

MX2 class: 1. Luke Burkhart (Hawera, Suzuki); 2. Scott Columb (Queenstown, Suzuki); 3. Youth MX: 1. Ethan Martens (Waitakere, Yamaha); 2. Cameron Dillon (Mangakino, Honda) Nathan Clare (Nelson, Yamaha).

Junior Women: 1. Alicia McLauchlan (Nelson, Yamaha); 2. Nikitia Knight (Atiamuri, KTM); 3. Casey Waterhouse (Tauranga, Yamaha).

Senior women: 1. Nellie Knarston (Auckland, Kawasaki); 2. Julie Managh (Tauranga, Honda); 3. Danielle Jack (Kaukapakapa, Suzuki).

Veterans (over 35 years): 1. Darren Capill (Whakatane, Yamaha); 2. Keith Paterson (Tauranga, Yamaha); 3. Mike Jennings (Whakatane, Yamaha).

Veteran’s (over 45 years): 1. Tony Cooksley (Bombay, Yamaha); 2. Rob Sutherland (Tauranga, Yamaha); 3. Mark Buxeda (Auckland, Honda).

Juniors (Saturday): 8-11 years 85cc: 1. Brandon Tipene (Auckland, KTM); 2. Kurt Langford (Katikati, Suzuki); 3. Tyler Breingan (Opotiki, Yamaha)

12-13 years 85cc: 1. Campbell King (Otago, Honda); 2. Logan Blackburn (Tauranga, Yamaha); 3. Callum Moore (Featherston, Yamaha).

12-14 years 125cc: 1. John Phillips (Rotorua, Kawasaki); 2. Kayne Lamont (Mangakino, Yamaha); 3. Tom Managh (Wanganui, Suzuki).

14-16 years 85cc: 1. Kayne Lamont (Mangakino, Yamaha); 2. Mitchell Rees (Whakatane, Yamaha); 3. Stuart Young (Napier, Honda).

15-17 years 125cc: Kieran Leigh (Cambridge, Yamaha) Cameron Dillon (Mangakino, Honda); Ethan Martens (Waitakere, Yamaha).

12-17 years 250cc four-stroke: 1. Brad Groombridge (Taupo, Kawasaki); 2. Hamish Dobbyn (Warkworth, Yamaha); 3. Matt Hunt (Mount Maunganui, Suzuki).