Motorcross: Groombridge starts season with a roar

Taupo's Brad Groombridge got his domestic season off to a flying start with a win at the MX Fest in Taupo over Labour Weekend. PHOTO/ANDY MCGECHAN/BIKESPORTNZ.COM

It is going to be a sensational season of motocross this summer, especially if Taupo's Brad Groombridge has anything to do with it.

The 24-year-old Bel Ray Pro Rider Suzuki Team star, and national MX1 No3 last season, was in blistering form at the season-opening MX Fest in Taupo over Labour Weekend.

He won the MX1 class on Sunday after coming extremely close to winning the inaugural Speedcross event on Saturday night.

In a stunning display of riding, Groombridge headed off a series of threats from New Zealand's elite 450cc riders including fellow Kiwi internationals Hamish Dobbyn (Husqvarna), of Warkworth, Queenstown's Scotty Columb (Altherm JCR Yamaha), Waitakere's Ethan Martens (Yamaha) and Rotorua's John Phillips (The Honda Shop Racing Team).

If Groombridge can continue this momentum, he should be a contender to win the MX1 crown when the four-round New Zealand Motocross Championships kick off in New Plymouth in February.

"I couldn't quite win the final race of the day and that would have been a bonus [with an entry into Australia's famous Manjimup 15,000 Motocross event the prize], and I congratulate Hamish Dobbyn for winning that, but the main aim for me was winning the class outright," Groombridge said.

"It was all about consistency today and not hitting the ground. I didn't actually think I would be able to ride today after my big crash at last night's Speedcross. I was a bit sore today but I guess I came up with the goods in the end.

"My fitness is very good and I'll keep working on that as the nationals approach ... there are a few other big events for me to concentrate on too, starting with the Acerbis Four-Hour cross-country race this weekend, and then the Auckland Motocross Championships, the annual Whakatane Summercross and the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville."

Meanwhile, Honda rider Ben Townley won the inaugural Speedcross event - a hybrid event that mixes speedway with supercross - on Saturday night. Townley, who lives near Tauranga, swooped in to claim the top prize when the two lead riders in the final race of the night - Groombridge and Dobbyn - collided and crashed just two corners from the end.

Hamilton's Josiah Natzke won the MX2 class overall, finishing the day ahead of former grand prix motocross star Josh Coppins (Altherm JCR Yamaha) and Taupo's Cameron Dillon (Huka Honda).