Taupo’s Brad Groombridge has done it again.

The 24-year-old Bel Ray Pro Rider Suzuki star dominated the MX1 class at Labour Weekend’s big MX Fest event at Taupo, the traditional season-opener for the nation’s motocross fraternity.

Then he switched over from the RM-Z450 model Suzuki to ride the enduro version bike, the Suzuki RM-X450, riding solo to win the Acerbis Four-hour cross-country race near Taupo just a week later.

On Sunday he was back on the RM-Z450 and up to his same old tricks, this time bagging another major trophy by winning the premier MX1 class at the annual Auckland Motocross Championships near Pukekohe.

Groombridge won three races from three starts on Sunday, an even more comprehensive set of results than the ones he posted when winning the event for the first time last season.

He twice finished ahead of fellow Kiwi international Hamish Harwood, of Takaka, and was trailing Harwood in the third and final race of the day when CMR Red Bull KTM rider Harwood crashed heavily, gifting win No.3 to Groombridge, who was close behind Harwood at the time and lucky to avoid colliding with the fallen South Island rider.

“The track today was very difficult and treacherous,” said Groombridge. “It was drying out under the hot sun and the bikes were leaving black marks on the soil, it was that hard and compact. It was a very slick and rock-hard surface. Not pleasant at all.

“But it was a good warm-up for the season ahead.

“I had a good battle with Hamish (Harwood) and John (Phillips, of Rotorua). National champion Cody Cooper (from Mount Maunganui) was not yet back on the pace yet following his accident earlier this year, but I know he’ll be a force again when the nationals kick off in February.”

Runner-up was Waitakere’s Ethan Martens (Altherm JCR Yamaha), with Phillips (The Honda Shop Racing Team), Hamilton’s Darryll King (MXDK Yamaha Racing), and then the unlucky Harwood rounding out the top five.

“It was a good confidence-builder for me today,” said Groombridge. “I have been doing a lot of riding on hard-pack tracks because they will all be hard-pack surfaces at the nationals, no sandy tracks.

“I have been doing a lot of mountain-biking lately and my build-up is going well. I still need to be fitter, but I’m making good progress.”

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.

Groombridge is supported by Bel-Ray Lubricants, Suzuki Pro Rider Programme, Moto City Suzuki, Pirelli Tyres, Yoshimura, Oakley, Renthal, O’Neal Racewear, Zeta, DRC, Braking, The Dirt Guide, Talon, Performance Factory, Epic Decals, BikesportNZ.com and Taupo Diesel Solutions.

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

Full senior results can be found HERE, junior results HERE and mini results HERE

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Full story and more photos in your next issue of KIWI RIDER magazine.

Check back here on www.BikesportNZ.com during this week as we bring you more stories and photos from the weekend.