Scott Columb (28) has certainly turned a blowtorch of pressure on Hamilton's Darryll King as the pair are separated by a mere point after Sunday's third round of the New Zealand Motocross Championships near Pukekohe.
While defending champion King (43) maintains the slim advantage in the MX2 class, it was Columb who won the day.
The Queenstown Suzuki ace finished second to King in the first race after suffering "arm pump" from trying to keep the back of his RM-Z250 under control on the sticky, clay-based track.
A wheelspin in the second race plummeted him down to 14th place but he fought his way back to third and, despite another rider's wheel bashing his elbow as they sailed over a jump, victory was his in the final outing.
Columb's results shaved back the six-point advantage King held after round two, assisted by the older rider crashing in the second race and having to settle for sixth.
Changing the gearing on his motorbike has aided his starts - allowing him to take a holeshot in race three - and with further testing over the next fortnight, Columb hoped to have it nailed by the fourth and final round in Taupo on March 18.
He is gunning for dual MX2 national honours, as he won the New Zealand Supercross Championships earlier this year and is keen to bag his first national series motocross win.
He has come close before, missing out on a motocross title by a single point and is keen to wage an epic battle with King to prevent history repeating itself.
"She's all on. I'm looking forward to it," Columb said.
