News Release
Suzuki Cleans Up At Supercross Nationals
18 February 2008
The Suzuki juggernaut rumbles on at this season’s New Zealand Supercross Championships.
Team Suzuki leader Daryl Hurley was unstoppable at the third of four rounds of the New Zealand Supercross Championships in Manukau on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old Kiwi international, who wrapped up the national 500cc motocross crown on a Suzuki RM-Z450 last November, looks set to double the glory by adding the stadium equivalent of the sport to his trophy cabinet.
Hurley’s performance under lights on the circuit beside the TelstraClear Evenets Centre overshadowed everyone else, but only just. His team-mates Luke Burkhart and Scott Columb were pretty good as well.
Hawera’s Burkhart finished the night unbeaten in the Lites class (for 250cc bikes) and he took over the series lead in the division from Queenstown’s Columb.
Hurley, Burkhart and Columb were too good for the cream of New Zealand’s stadium motocross riders and also too slick for the visiting riders from the United States, Australia and Scotland.
Taranaki’s Hurley (Suzuki RM-Z450) was unbeaten in nine races at Manukau -- three open class races, five dash-for-cash tussles and the all-capacities feature final that set off fireworks to end the night in Auckland.
Columb (on an identical Suzuki RM-Z450) finished the night fifth overall in the elite open class and he remains second in the series standings. Dual-class ironman Columb is also runner-up in the open class, 47 points behind Hurley.
“My goal this year is to win the supercross title and then head across the Tasman to win in Australia again,” said Hurley as his team packed away the bikes into their big yellow truck. “It’s going to be a long, hard season, but it seems to be starting off okay,” he shrugged modestly.
The fourth and final round of the series is set for Wanganui’s Cook’s Gardens arena on March 1 and it now seems a mere formality that Team Suzuki will take both the elite senior titles again this season.
Burkhart won the open class in 2007 and Columb took top honours in the Lites class last season.
Meanwhile, in the junior classes, RM85 rider Dane Russell was on the charge, winning the night in the 11-12 years’ 85cc class from series leader Haki Waller.
Ngaruawahia’s Russell finished 2-1-1 in his three outings but, because this is the only round he has contested thus far, he does not feature at the top of the leader board. However, with just the Manukau event to his credit, Russell slots in at a remarkable fifth in the series standings.
It was a similar story for Kaukapakapa’s Josh Jack (RM85), who missed the earlier two rounds of the series but, after finishing the night runner-up in the 13-16 years’ 85cc class at Manukau, the 14-year-old suddenly finds himself fifth in the series standings.
Leading standings after the third of four rounds in the 2008 New Zealand Supercross Championships, held at Manukau on Saturday night: Open class:
1. Daryl Hurley (Hawera, Suzuki) 225 points (maximum);
2. Scott Columb (Queenstown, Suzuki) 178;3. Nick Saunders (Taupo, Kawasaki) 150.
Lites class:
1. Luke Burkhart (Hawera, Suzuki) 207 points;
2. Scott Columb (Queenstown, Suzuki) 171;3. Jesse Wiki (Hamilton, Kawasaki) 164.
Junior 14-16 years’ 250cc class:
1. Hamish Dobbyn (Warkworth, Yamaha) 207 points;
2. Ethan Martens (Waitakere, Yamaha) 176;
3. Davi Fisher (Papamoa, Suzuki) 168. Junior 12-16 years’ 125cc:
1. John Phillips (Rotorua, Kawasaki) 177 points;
2. Kieran Leigh (Cambridge, Yamaha) 152;
3. Mitchell Hilhorst (Atiamuri, Yamaha) 140.
Junior 13-16 years’ 85cc:
1. Roydon White (Tauranga, Yamaha) 208 points;
2. Campbell King (Dunedin, Honda) 136;
3. Mitchell Rees (Whakatane, Yamaha) 129.
Junior 11-12 years’ 85cc:
1. Haki Waller (Feilding, Kawasaki) 212 points;
2. Cody Murphy (Rangiora, Yamaha) 170;
3. Brendon Bond (Torbay, Honda) 143.
