James Scott: eight points from a second MX2 crown
2024 MX2 champion and 2026 runner-up, who won the Rotorua finale.
By ROOST New Zealand desk · 17 October 2026
James Scott knows how fine the margins are in MX2. In 2026 he lost the national title by eight points, and he lost it to his own teammate.
The Oparau rider won the MX2 crown in 2024, his first senior national championship. The 2025 season was short for him: the record shows he raced only the first two rounds, although he still won motos at both Tauranga and Rotorua before dropping out of the series.
He came back with a point to prove in 2026. Riding a YZ250 for Altherm JCR Yamaha (BRM lists the two-stroke model), Scott spent the season in the title fight with Hayden Draper and Australian visitor Caleb Ward. At the Rotorua finale he won both of the final two races and the round overall with 72 points. It wasn't quite enough to get past Draper, who finished 253 to 245.
Winning the last round in the way Scott did shows he has the speed to win the championship. He's confirmed with Monster Energy JCR Yamaha for 2026–27, and team boss Josh Coppins has said the goal is for him to wrap up the championship.
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