Already the champagne corks are popping for Bay of Plenty rider Hadleigh Knight and his team mate Kurtis Lilly.

The pair ride for the new Workshop Graphics Husqvarna Factory Racing Team and are already proving their value.

Reporoa's Hadleigh Knight racing to a podium finish at recent event in Timaru. Photo: Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com.

Knight and Lilly both ended up on the podium when the engines were shut off after racing at the opening round of the New Zealand Motocross Championships near Timaru on Sunday.

With finishing first and second in the opening races of the day in Timaru, Reporoa's Knight had been leading the MX2 (250cc) class by two points from Takaka's Hamish Harwood as the riders lined up for the third and deciding race.

However, while visiting Australian rider Jed Beaton won that final race, Harwood managed to snatch the runner-up spot and, unfortunately for Knight, this was enough for the South Islander to snatch away the bragging rights and the top step of the podium.

With Hadleigh finishing back in seventh in that third race, he had to settle for overall runner-up, albeit just six points behind Hamish.

With three rounds - nine races - remaining in the championship, there's plenty of opportunity for the Reporoa rider to strike back and his confidence is on a high after his solid first-round performance.

His team-mate Lilly, from Karaka, also had reason to smile with his 3-4-3 score-card in the 125cc class good enough for him to claim the No.2 spot on that podium, finishing just 14 points behind the day's winner, Ngatea's Ben Broad (KTM).

Workshop Graphics Husqvarna Factory Racing Team manager Howard Lilly is naturally thrilled with the weekend's results.

"All the hard work paid off for the boys," he says.

"The campaign has started just how we wanted it to and they have both positioned themselves well for the remaining championship rounds.

"I'm absolutely stoked to see Hadleigh leading and winning the first MX2 race.

"Hadleigh and Kurtis have been training together a lot lately and that seems to be working well for them.

"If we can be consistent from here, then anything is possible for the championship."

Meanwhile, the MX1 class winner on Sunday was Australian Dean Ferris, who won the day ahead of defending national MX1 champion Cody Cooper, of Mount Maunganui, and fellow Australian Todd Waters.

The series now heads to the Manawatu on February 28, with round three to follow at the Rotorua Motorcycle Club's track on March 13. The championship trophies get handed out at the Taupo finale on March 20.