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Hawera’s Daryl Hurley has been sidelined with injury since July last year, stripping away his points lead in the Australian National series and costing him any chance of successfully defending his title across the Tasman.
But the 2005 Taranaki Sportsperson of the Year was back with a vengeance at the 46th Annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville on Sunday, a surprise last-minute entry in the MX2 small bike class, for 125cc two-stroke and 250cc four-stroke machines.
It was a tentative Hurley (30) who finished runner-up to Suzuki team-mate Scott Columb (Queenstown) in the day’s opening race but, once the cobwebs were blown away, Hurley was untouchable, winning the next two races and collecting the class win.
“I was only really at Woodville for the ride. I didn’t expect to win,” said Hurley.
“I’ve only been back on a bike for a week now and was riding really tense and tight. But, after the first race today, I knew what I was capable of.”
Columb, on a virtually identical Suzuki RM-Z250, finished the day runner-up, making it a Suzuki 1-2 in the MX2 class
Columb had wrapped up the National Pro Lites Supercross title at Tokoroa the previous weekend, with Suzuki team-mate Luke Burkhart taking the open class title.
With his Woodville win under his belt, Hurley is now ready to launch himself into serious training for another season waving the Kiwi flag across the Tasman and winning back the Pro Open crown.
Not content with winning the MX2 title at Woodville, Hurley also put his diminutive Suzuki RM-Z250 four-stroke into battle with the big open class machines in the two invite-only international feature races.
Hurley finished 3-2 in the international race, good enough for third overall, behind winner Cody Cooper (Mount Maunganui, Honda CRF450) and Darryll King (Hamilton, Yamaha YZF450).
Suzuki tasted success across the board with Auckland’s Sam Mobberley, Whangarei’s Joel Johnson and Waikanae’s Adam Rutten all featuring on the podium in their respective junior classes.
Rutten also finished runner-up to Warkworth’s Hamish Dobbyn in the Junior Champion of Champions race, while Kaukapakapa’s Danielle Jack, riding another of the popular Suzuki RM-Z250 bikes, finished third overall in the inaugural women’s GP class at Woodville.
