Just a couple of weeks after winning the big annual Suzuki Six-Hour cross-country motorcycle race near Tokoroa and Taupo’s Brad Groombridge is on the podium again, this time for winning a major stand-alone motocross event.

The Action Suzuki RM-Z450 rider teamed up with Hawera’s Daryl Hurley to win the Suzuki Six-hour endurance cross-country race near Tokoroa a fortnight ago, but he reverted to motocross mode at the weekend and went solo again to win the premier MX1 class at the big annual Labour Weekend Motocross Extravaganza in Taupo.

Groombridge finished 1-1-2 in his three outings on Sunday, edging out Auckland’s Ethan Martens (Altherm JCR Yamaha YZ450F) in the hunt for MX1 class honours at Taupo and installing himself among the favourites to win the MX1 class when the four-round national championships kick off in the New Year.

“It was pretty comfortable in the end,” said the 23-year-old Groombridge afterwards, although it took a remarkable come-from-behind fight for him to earn the overall class win.

“I convincingly won the first two races but I went down at the start of the third race, the feature race of the day, and was the last rider (out of 33) to get away.”

By the end of the opening lap, Groombridge was up to 19th place on the track and quickly moving forward.

“I was feeling comfortable and just concentrated on my own race.”

Within a couple more laps Groombridge had fought his way through to second spot and had begun hunting down the leader, Waitakere’s Martens.

“I ran out of time to catch him in the end. I guess you can’t win them all,” Groombridge shrugged.

“It’s a great way to start the season, on a high.”

Groombridge now prepares to contest the Suzuki-sponsored Acerbis Four-Hour cross-country Marathon at Taupo next weekend, and then the big annual Summercross event at Whakatane just after Christmas, followed by the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville in late January.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com