Offroad
Suzuki Juniors dominate down under
19 maggio 2008  The weekend was the home event for Suzuki's factory off-road outfit and its new Under 19s team, which made a stunning debut. Team Shift Motul Suzuki aces Daryl Hurley and Luke Burkhart maintained their top-five positions in the Pro Open standings despite an up-and-down weekend. Having qualifying a disappointing 10th on his RM-Z450, Hurley raced strongly to finish fourth in Moto 1 before crashing and finishing 10th in Moto 2. Burkhart qualified a strong third-fastest and finished fifth in the opening race but also had a tough run in Moto 2, suffering a flat tyre while fourth and dropping to seventh. By stark contrast, Suzuki RM-Z250 riders Mike Menchi and Lawson Bopping dominated the Under 19s class. New Zealander Menchi won Moto 1 aboard a Byrners Suzuki-entered machine while victory for Bopping in Moto 2 made it a sensational debut for Team Shift Motul Suzuki Under 19s - formed in the off-season as part of the manufacturer's commitment to supporting young riders. Making it a Suzuki 1-2 in the class standings, Menchi holds a one-point lead over Bopping after the opening round. Daryl Hurley: "It was a tough weekend but full credit to the Team Shift Motul Suzuki crew - even when things weren't going our way they kept working hard. "We managed to finish fourth in Moto 1 after not getting a good run in qualifying, and in Moto 2 it looked like we were going to get another top-five finish, but unfortunately I crashed. We're still in touch with the championship lead so we'll try to bounce back in Western Australia." Luke Burkhart: "I was pleased with our run in qualifying and Moto 1, to be up there inside the top five. "Moto 2 was going well, it's just a shame we had some bad luck with a tyre going flat with 10 minutes go to which cost us another good finish. "Our pace has been strong with the Suzuki RM-Z450 and I'm feeling good on the bike, so it's looking positive for the rest of the year." Lawson Bopping: "It's been a great weekend. I can't thank Team Shift Motul Suzuki and John Tisdale enough for their support and hard work to get to this point. "I wasn't particularly happy with my ride in Moto 1 so I was determined to make up for it in Moto 2 with a good result which is what we were able to do." Mike Menchi: "I'm really glad to be racing here in Australia and looking forward to this season. To win the opening Moto and round of the year and lead the championship is an awesome result, I'm stoked. The Suzuki RM-Z250 is simply an awesome machine, bring on the next round." Jay Foreman - Team Manager: "Unfortunately we didn't have a good weekend with Daryl and Luke in Pro Open - it wasn't how we wanted our home round to go. "Luke qualified very well and both guys picked up valuable points in Moto 1, but struck trouble in Moto 2. On the flipside it was a great result in Under 19s for Suzuki's junior riders. "It was very pleasing to see Michael and Lawson up there and each winning a Moto on a Suzuki RM-Z250. They both have big futures ahead of them, and we're looking forward to seeing them continue to develop." PRO OPEN: 1 Craig Anderson 181, 2 Jay Marmont 176, 3 Daryl Hurley (Suzuki RM-Z450) 154, 4 Cheyne Boyd 123, 5 Luke Burkhart (Suzuki RM-Z450) 115. UNDER 19s: 1 Michael Menchi (Suzuki RM-Z250) 39, 2 Lawson Bopping (Suzuki RM-Z250) 38, 3 Tye Simmonds 37, 4 Josh Cachia 34, 5 Matt Ryan 33. |
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