Press Release

Hurley Podiums in South Australia

Team Shift Motul Suzuki riders produced impressive performances in round six of the 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals in Murray Bridge, South Australia on Sunday with podium finishes and overall honours in the Under 19s class.


Pro Open riders Luke Burkhart and Daryl Hurley were among the big movers of the weekend, finishing sixth and seventh in the opening Moto after slow starts. Burkhart moved even further up the order in Moto 2, running second on his Suzuki RM-Z450 before crashing heavily on Lap 13 and ending his race.


Second place eventually went to Hurley, who finished fourth for the weekend and remains in touch with the championship leaders entering the final three rounds.


Murray Bridge saw the return of Matt Moss to Pro Lites after a two-month layoff with a broken arm sustained in a crash at the season-opener.


Bouncing back from setup issues in qualifying which left him ninth, the young gun made an impressive return, finishing third in Moto 1 and fourth in Moto 2.


Lawson Bopping completed a strong weekend for Suzuki taking Under 19s honours and moving up to third in the championship, just seven points shy of top spot.


After finishing seventh in Moto 1, the Team Shift Motul Suzuki Under 19s rider picked up positions early in Moto 2, moving into the lead on lap nine and going on to take the race and round win.


Bryners Suzuki rider Michael Menchi recorded results of ninth and eighth on his RM-Z250 to leave the weekend fifth in the class standings.


Daryl Hurley:


"It was a challenging weekend for us but full credit to the Team Shift Motul Suzuki crew. They kept working hard all weekend and we were able to finish second in Moto 2 and fourth overall for the weekend which is was a solid outcome.


"We're still in with a shot at the championship but Lake Macquarie will be an important round for us, so we'll try and find some more speed between now and then."


Luke Burkhart:


"All weekend we were getting closer and closer to where we wanted to be and we were in a good position in Moto 2.


"Unfortunately I crashed heavily and landed fairly hard on my head which knocked me around a bit. It's disappointing but we'll move on and look for a good result at Lake Macquarie."


Matt Moss:


"It was great to get back out there and racing finally - the last two months have felt like an eternity. I felt comfortable on the bike and the Suzuki RM-Z250 performed really well.


"We're happy with fourth for the weekend so hopefully we can continue to race at the front of the field in the next couple of rounds and build some momentum for the Supercross season."


Lawson Bopping:


"I can't thank Team Shift Motul Suzuki enough for all of their hard work and John Tisdale for his support. I wasn't overly happy with my result in Moto 1, but to make up for it by winning Moto 2 and the weekend is a great feeling.


"It's been a really good weekend for us, especially to bounce back after our poor result in Western Australia last weekend. We're only seven points from the lead of the championship and feeling good for the rest of the year."


Jay Foreman- Team Manager:


"We picked up more championship points in Pro Open this weekend, which is what you have to keep doing.


"Unfortunately Luke had a big crash when he looked set for second in Moto 2. At least Daryl was able to come through and make sure the result stayed with Team Shift Motul Suzuki.


"It was great to see Matt so competitive straight away after his injury, third and fourth was a great result. Matt is a key part of our team and we're delighted to have him back on the bike.


"Lawson rode really well to win Moto 2 and win the round overall. It's the perfect reply after a tough run in Western Australia and really helps his championship challenge."


PRO OPEN: 1 Jay Marmont 259, 2 Craig Anderson 243, 3 Daryl Hurley (Suzuki RM-Z450) 220, 4 Cheyne Boyd 184, 5 Daniel McCoy 165, 6 Michael Addison 156, 7 Luke Burkhart (Suzuki RM-Z450) 151.


UNDER 19s: 1 Tye Simmonds 110, 2 Matt Ryan 107, 3 Lawson Bopping (Suzuki RM-Z250) 103, 4 Ross Beaton 93, 5 Michael Menchi (Suzuki RM-Z250) 90, 6 Shaun Williamson 90.

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