Moss Races to Canberra Double Win 1

Team Suzuki Press Office - April 20.

Team Shift Motul Suzuki Pro Lite star Matt Moss showed his class with a flawless performance in both races of round two of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships at Canberra.

After qualifying second fastest, Moss proved unstoppable at the recently-revamped Fairburn Park course, grabbing the holeshot in both events and never being headed throughout both 30 minute motos. With his Suzuki RM-Z250 in peak tune, he cleared away to win the first race by more than seven seconds, and maintained his dominance in the second moto to finish with a 14-second winning margin.

After the disappointment of a DNF in the first leg of round one at Albury, Moss scored the maximum 50 points on offer to charge into third place of the Pro Lites MX Championship table. He is now just 11 points shy of the lead and, after his dominant performance at Canberra, has set the scene to take over from his rivals at the next round.

Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development squad member Lawson Bopping enjoyed similarly impressive results at Canberra.

The hard-charging Bopping qualified third fastest, and backed up that form by finishing fourth in the first moto and sixth in the second.

That strong points haul moved him up to sixth overall on the championship table and keeps him within striking distance of the top three positions.

In the Pro Open title race, Team Shift Motul Suzuki rider Cameron Taylor demonstrated his consistency in the new four-event format, finishing with an eighth and three ninth places.

With the next round in Toowoomba reverting back to the traditional two 30-minute moto format for Pro Open riders, Taylor's good haul of points at Canberra keeps him in touch with the leaders.

Jay Foreman - Team Shift Motul Team Manager:

"That was a great day, with Matt showing the form we know he's capable of. With two weeks work, the Suzuki RM-Z250 was right on the money with everything working well and Matt was in unstoppable form. We've been working closely with Team Joe Rocket Suzuki's Superbike Team Manager Phil Tainton on engine development and he's been instrumental in our success.

"We knew after Albury that we had the machinery, the speed and the talent and Matt proved that today. It also highlighted the value of the points he scored in Albury despite the setbacks there and demonstrated his growing maturity to put indifferent results behind him.

"It was another solid effort by Lawson too, who continues to show he is one of the rising stars of Australian motocross and another Suzuki rider to watch. He was quick again in qualifying and backed it up with two top-six results to make it a great weekend for Team Shift Motul Suzuki and Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development."

Matt Moss:

"That was a great weekend. I felt much more relaxed than I did at Albury and I think that showed in the results. Jay and the guys have put in a lot of work since the first round and the Suzuki RM-Z250 didn't miss a beat all weekend.

"We head to Toowoomba next which is a track that's typically been good to me, and I'm looking forward to repeating today's form."

Cam Taylor:

"It was a good solid effort out there today, particularly with the new four-race format. The RM-Z450 was flawless and I'm looking forward to going to Toowoomba in a couple of weeks where I'm confident the 30-minute motos will give us the chance to show just what the team's capable of."

Pro Lites Class Results:

Moto 1: 1: Matt Moss (Suzuki RM-Z250) 2: Luke George (Kawasaki) 3: Kirk Gibbs (Yamaha)  4: Lawson Bopping (Suzuki RM-Z250)

Moto 2: 1: Matt Moss (Suzuki RM-Z250) 2: Luke George (Kawasaki) 3: Tye Simmonds (KTM) 6: Lawson Bopping (Suzuki RM-Z250)

Championship Standings: 1: George 104 points 2: Simmonds 103 3: Moss (Suzuki RM-Z250) 93 4: Gibbs 92  5: Hoad 81 6: Bopping (Suzuki RM-Z250) 69.

Pro Open Class Results:

Moto 1: 1: Jay Marmont (Yamaha) 2: Ford Dale (Honda) 3: Craig Anderson (Kawasaki)  8: Cameron Taylor (Suzuki RM-Z450)

Moto 2: 1: Jay Marmont (Yamaha) 2: Ford Dale (Honda) 3: Todd Waters (Honda)
9: Cameron Taylor (Suzuki RM-Z450)

Moto 3: 1: Andrew McFarlane (Yamaha) 2: Codie Mackie (Kawasaki) 3: Ford Dale (Honda) 9: Cameron Taylor (Suzuki RM-Z450)

Moto 4: 1: Andrew McFarlane (Yamaha) 2: Jay Marmont (Yamaha) 3: Codie Mackie (Kawasaki) 9: Cameron Taylor (Suzuki RM-Z450)

Championship Standings: 1: Marmont 152 points 2: McFarlane 139 3: Waters 138 4: Mackie 120 5: Boyd 113  6: Anderson 99 7: Dale 82 8: Taylor  (Suzuki RM-Z450) 82.