Team #Suzuki Press Office – December 30.
Suzuki RM-Z450-mounted Rhys Carter and Brad Groombridge won three of the five races at Monday’s Whakatane Summercross in New Zealand.
3Twenty3 Racing Suzuki’s Carter claimed second overall, just two points behind MX1 series Champion Cody Cooper, while Groombridge was just off the podium in fourth place in the annual post-Christmas event.
"We certainly showed that riders on the Suzuki RM-Z450 will be title contenders this season," said MC2 Racing Suzuki Team Manager Andrew Hardisty.
"While we didn't manage to win the day overall, we did show that we have the potential and capability to win."
Carter, who won the MX1 class at Summercross last season, was disappointed to miss out on winning the MX1 class by such a slender margin this time around.
He said: "I lost out on winning here on a count-back in 2013 after a last-corner crash and it was a similar story this year. I thought I had the win in the bag in race two today, but then I dropped the bike in the final corner. I picked myself up to salvage third, but those lost points were what cost me in the end.
"Cody and I collided early in the last race and it was his turn to go down. It's a good thing I think when you see Cody (Cooper) being so aggressive towards me. It means I have him worried. Roll on the Woodville Motocross Grand Prix (at the end of January) and the motocross nationals (starting in February)."
Also impressive for the MC2 Racing Suzuki Team was Te Puke's Kyan Loomans, who took his new Suzuki RM85 to finish third overall in the junior 8-11 years' 85cc class, the 10-year-old finishing behind Tauranga's Madoc Dixon and Palmerston North's Seth Henson.
He said: "This was my first ride on the new Suzuki and I loved it. It is my best result at Summercross as a junior and I'm now really looking forward to the rest of the season."
