The annual Whakatane Summercross is one of the biggest motocross events of the Kiwi summer, and excitement is starting to build as riders and spectators alike anticipate an explosion of horsepower this coming weekend.

As usual, the popular Summercross event will be held just after Christmas, on the weekend of December 27-28, with juniors racing on Sunday and seniors on Monday.

Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper (Honda Racing Team CRF450), one of the favourites to win at Summercross again this season. Photo: BikesportNZ.com.

This season marks the event's 44th birthday, cementing it as one of New Zealand's premier stand-alone motocross fixture.

While the list of potential winners is as long as it is sparkling, most pundits will be picking Mount Maunganui's national MX1 champion Cody Cooper, who grew up in nearby Opotiki, to put his Honda Racing Team CRF450 on top of the senior open class podium once more.

Kiwi international Cody has won the main class at Summercross in the past and, considering the Honda Racing Team star's recent winning form at the Waikato and Auckland Motocross Championships, he rates as a firm favourite to win at Whakatane again this season.

As well as attracting the cream of New Zealand motocross to the Awakaponga circuit near Matata, the Honda-sponsored event will again this year provide a springboard for riders heading into the busy part of the season, culminating with the four-round championships in February and March.

Another Kiwi international, Motueka's Josh Coppins, will be expected to keep Cody honest, as will Auckland rider Hamish Harwood, Taupo'sBrad Groombridge, Tauranga's Roydon White and Mount Maunganui's Rhys Carter, who surprised by winning the event last season.

Yamaha's Josh retired from fulltime racing in 2012, but he has been racing selected events in recent weeks and shown he still has the pace to challenge. He won the MX1 class at the big annual MX Fest event at Taupo in October.

The 32-year-old has great support from Honda to make winning entirely possible, and he'll be joined by MX2 (250cc) class team-mates Logan Blackburn, of Te Puke, and Tauranga's Aaron Wiltshier.

The MX2 class is bulging with hot talent. Mangakino's former national MX2 champion Kayne Lamont (Yamaha) is on the comeback from injury and well on the path to full recovery, having won the MX2 class at Taupo's MX Fest event.

Hamilton's Josiah Natzke, Elsthorpe's Kieran Scheele, Ohaupo's Campbell Bailey, Dunedin's Campbell King, Atiamuri's Hadleigh Knight, Waitakere's Ethan Martens, Whakatane's Mitch Rees and Taupo brothers Cohen and Wyatt Chase also add star power to the entry list.

Oamaru's Joel Meikle and Nelson's Reece Walker add great depth to the MX2 class, as does Te Puke's Tyler Steiner, and none of these riders can be counted out.

It will also be worth watching for hot local heroes such as Whakatane riders Darren Capill, Sam Corston and Sam McPherson, women's class competitors Petri Rautenbach, Emma Marshall and Amy Corston and junior riders Sam Middleton, Isaac Olsen, Dom Beal, Wesley Milsom and Brodie Hatcher.

'This event will be the first big hit-out of the season to feature all the major teams,” says host Bay of Plenty Motorcycle Club spokesman Tony Rees.

'It is a great time of year for racing and, fingers crossed, the weather should be fine.

'The track has had a lot of alterations to improve it, with the crowd-favourite saw-dust section put back in. We like to offer a different track from each previous year.”

The Honda Whakatane Summercross is a two-day affair, with minis and juniors racing on Sunday and the seniors, women and veterans racing on Monday.