NEW RM-Z450s ON FORM AT HORSHAM NATIONAL
 Team
Shift Motul Suzuki riders Daryl Hurley and Luke Burkhart have
continued their impressive starts to the Australian 2008 Rockstar
Energy Drink Motocross Nationals, scoring podium finishes
in round two at Horsham in Victoria yesterday.
After storming to victory in Tasmania last week, Suzuki's
new RM-Z450 again showed it will be a force to be reckoned
with throughout 2008.
Hurley and Burkhart qualified strongly, setting the second
and third fastest times respectively, less than one second
off Craig Anderson's benchmark.
Burkhart spearheaded the Suzuki charge in Moto 1, setting
the fastest race lap of the day en-route to second place.
And in Moto 2, he took the lead early and was on-track for
victory until contact with eventual winner Jay Marmont.
He fell to finish fourth but did enough to claim the final
position on the podium overall for the weekend.
Unable to repeat his Penguin holeshots, Hurley fought back
from slow starts in each race; taking fourth in Moto 1 and
third in Moto 2 to end the weekend with fourth overall. After
two of nine rounds, he is equal-second in the championship,
with Burkhart fourth.
Team Shift Motul Suzuki Under 19 rider Lawson Bopping received
a wildcard Pro Lites entry and made the most of his opportunity.
Bopping was instantly on the pace, qualifying a stunning
fourth-fastest on his Suzuki RM-Z250. The 18-year-old finished
sixth in Moto 1, but was forced out of Moto 2 after an opening-lap
incident.
After back-to-back race weekends, Team Shift Motul Suzuki
now have a short break before round three of the 2008 Rockstar
Energy Drink Motocross Nationals, at Conondale, Queensland
on 4 May.
Daryl Hurley:
"After such a great run in Tasmania last weekend, it
was good to back up with another strong performance here in
Horsham. Today just wasn't my day. My starts weren't the best
which cost us even better results, but to walk away with a
strong haul of points at a circuit which has never really
suited my style is very positive.
"The new Suzuki RM-Z450 was fantastic and didn't miss
a beat again which is a credit to the guys, and it worked
really well with our Bridgestone tyres. We've learnt a lot
in these two rounds which will put us in a good position for
the rest of the year."
Luke Burkhart:
"I'm really pleased with my results this weekend. I
was in a position to win today, but unfortunately I made a
small mistake and collected Jay Marmont in Moto 2.
"Even with that we were third this weekend, which along
with fourth last weekend is a great start to the year. It
has given me a lot of confidence that we can consistently
race at the sharp end of the field, and we plan to build on
that and keep moving forward."
Lawson Bopping:
"I was pleased with sixth in Moto 1, but unfortunately
things didn't go my way in Moto 2 and we were caught up in
a first-lap incident. That's the way it goes some times, so
we'll move on and take plenty of positives away from the weekend."
Jay Foreman - Team Manager:
"Overall, it was a good weekend for the team. I'm really
happy for 'Burga' - (Luke Burkhart) but his results don't
give credit to how well he rode all weekend.
"Daryl didn't get great starts, but showed plenty of
maturity and speed in recovering to finish inside the top
four in each Moto. We have identified some areas to improve
the Suzuki RM-Z450 as an overall package, so we're looking
forward to getting stuck in over the next couple of weeks
before we go to Conondale."
Pro Open results: 1 Craig Anderson 89, =2 Daryl Hurley (Suzuki
RM-Z450) 85, =2 Jay Marmont 85, 4 Luke Burkhart (Suzuki RM-Z450)
76, 5 Daniel McCoy 60, 6 Cheyne Boyd 51, =7 Troy Carroll 43,
=7 Nathan Crawford 43, 9 Cameron Taylor 40, 10 Michael Addison
38.
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