TEAM SUZUKI
SUZUKI’S HUNTER VALLEY SX DOUBLE

Team Raceline Pirelli Suzuki rising stars Lawson Bopping and Errol Willis took double victories in the Maitland round of the Super X, Australasian Supercross Championship at the weekend.

At 21, Pro Open rookie Bopping (pictured) took a popular victory in just his fourth premier class appearance, racing the Suzuki Fuel-Injected RM-Z450 to 2-2-2 results for the overall win in the Australian Hunter Valley during the Triple Header main event.

The result boosted Bopping up to fourth in the standings with one round remaining, 15 points off the series lead despite a non-finish in the mud at Melbourne's season opener last month.

"I'm so pumped for the team to win both of our classes between Errol and me," said Bopping, who also won his heat race in Maitland. "My starts were pretty good all night and I stayed in second. I was riding a bit tight in that last one, but I knew what I had to do to get the overall and it feels great.

"Supercross is more up my alley, compared to motocross, and every round is getting better and better. I'm disappointed that I couldn't finish round one, but I look forward to next weekend - I just wish the series went for longer!"

Motocross champion Willis won his third main event of the year in the Under 19s category, continuing his perfect season to date and extending his series lead to 25 points with that same amount up for grabs next weekend.

"It's been a perfect season so far and I really want to keep that going next weekend," Willis said.

"I'm really happy for Lawson and the team to win in the Open class as well, so we are all excited to finish the year on a strong note in Queensland."

Team manager Chris Woods was proud of his riders and a rewarding result for the team. With one race remaining this season, it's been a breakthrough year for the Raceline Pirelli Suzuki squad.

"Wow, what a night! To walk away with two overalls for the night was not just an awesome result for the boys, but fantastic for the whole team, as we've really been pushing hard for good results in the Super X," Woods commented. "It's great to be able to reward Suzuki, all of our sponsors and all the people that help us.

"Errol had a bit of a rough start to the day, but dug deep to get it done and took the win in both the heat and the final, which now puts him one point shy of wrapping up the championship.

"Lawson showed an extreme amount of patience tonight and didn't rush anything. He put down consistently fast lap times to take out his first, and the team's first Open overall. This is our first year competing in the premier class and we've learnt a lot. Hopefully the team can get back on the podium at the final round in Ipswich."

Chris Tisdale, General Manager of Team Raceline Pirelli Suzuki echoed similar sentiments: "It was a fantastic result this weekend for both Errol and Lawson. Errol recovered from a heavy crash in qualifying to again prove he is the number one rider in the U19s class. I was surprised that he got up from that crash. When he went down I honestly thought the championship was gone. Not only did he get up and come back for the heat, but he dominated. The kid is extremely tough and determined. Very impressive performance by Errol.

"Lawson's first Pro Open win was a very rewarding experience for the team. There are milestones in our lives that are always remembered and Saturday night was a milestone for Lawson. It comes as no surprise to us that he was on the top step of the podium. He is extremely fast and only needed strong starts in all three finals to achieve his maiden Pro Open win. His confidence will give him what he needs to repeat the result at the final round in Ipswich, so watch for him up there.

"Congratulations to Chris Woods and the rest of the team for all their hard work."


2011 Monster Energy Super X, Australasian Supercross Championship
Round Four - Maitland, NSW:

Pro Open Results:
1. Lawson Bopping (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki)
2. Jay Marmont
3. Chris Blose
4. Todd Waters
5. Dan Reardon
6. Tye Simmonds
7. Cody Mackie
8. Daniel McCoy (Motul Pirelli Suzuki)
9. Billy Mackenzie
10. Ryan Marmont

Pro Open Standings:
1. Jay Marmont 80
2. Tye Simmonds 75
3. Daniel McCoy (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) 72
4. Lawson Bopping (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) 65
5. Billy Mackenzie 61
6. Todd Waters 56
7. Dan Reardon 55
8. Ryan Marmont 52
9. Chris Blose 47
10. Michael Phillips 39

Under 19s Results:
1. Errol Willis (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki)
2. Sam Martin (Suzuki)
3. Thomas Larsen-Moss
4. Sam Duncanson
5. Geran Stapleton
6. Brayden Constable
7. Jarrad Davis
8. Tristen Cachia
9. Luke Reardon
10. Jack McNeice

Under 19s Standings:
1. Errol Willis (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) 75
2. Geran Stapleton 50
3. Corey Lucas (Suzuki) 48
4. Sam Duncanson 43
5. Thomas Larsen-Moss 38
6. Tristen Cachia 38
7. Mitch Norris 37
8. Brayden Constable 32
9. Jarrad Davis 30
10. Jake Williams (Suzuki) 29

DEAN FERRIS
Ferris podiums in Maitland

The penultimate round of the Australian SX series has seen Monster Energy Kawasaki racer, Dean Ferris,  notch up another race win for second overall in Maitland over the weekend.

A 7th place finish in moto 1 after a bad start saw Ferris turn that around in moto 2 when he took the holeshot and check out, riding a flawless race to take victory.  His starts let him down in the final moto but Ferris put his head down and clawed his way back to 3rd securing second overall for the round.

““It’s my first podium of the series so I’m excited about that. For me to put a whole night together and not lay it on the dirt is a huge plus for me. I’m tied for race wins with Moss but it’s crazy because he’s leading the Championship and I’m nowhere because I’ve pretty much winned it or binned it apart for tonight. Tonight I accepted getting a 3rd and a 7th with the race win. The Monster Energy Kawasaki KX250F is working really well. I’m really stoked that the boys could build me such a great bike,” commented Ferris.

21-year-old Ferris has experienced   rollercoaster results since the start of the series but the gutsy Kawasaki rider has not given up and is still searching for that overall win. 

The final round will take place at Ipswich QLD next weekend.