SUZUKI RIDERS DIG DEEP AT TORRINGTON
Apr 2008
In some of the toughest conditions ever seen at a British Motocross championship event, round three of the Maxxis series saw Suzuki's three officially backed teams digging deep, as they endured a very wet and muddy Waggadon Farm venue near Torrington in Devon.
With a promising start to the MX2 category, Suzuki riders dominated qualifying by filling the top three spots. With Pascal Leuret topping the timing sheets, Jason Dougan and Elliot Banks-Browne followed the Frenchman home in timed practice, before an incident packed race-one changed fortunes.
However, despite promising qualification Pascal Leuret was set to finish his day early with an injured shoulder after being taken-out by another rider on lap one of the first race. Teammate Elliot Banks-Browne was left to fly the flag, quickly taking control of the situation to score another strong podium position on his RM-Z250 in third. Not alone in the top-ten, a further four Suzuki riders joined Elliot with Jason Dougan in fifth, Marucs Norlen in seventh, Carl Nunn in eighth and Lewis Gregory in ninth.
By race-two conditions were no better, but a determined Jason Dougan pushed hard, improving on his first race performance to score his best result of the season in second position. Following Jason home was teammate Marcus Norlen in fourth, Elliot Banks Browne in fifth and Carl Nunn in seventh.
In the MX1 class Brad Anderson was to have less success than his MX2 teammates. Despite qualifying in second spot and battling with eventual race winner Billy MacKenzie, a crash on the final lap of the race and a subsequent blow to the head from another rider's bike left the RM-Z450 rider unconscious, before getting back on the bike to finish in tenth. It was however agreed that Brad should not ride in the second race of the day.
The Suzuki Swift and Suso MVR-D now head to Spain for the second round of the World Championship.
