The Team Suzuki No.1 is confident he can add the New Zealand open class supercross crown to the 500cc motocross title he picked up last November.
If he can achieve that -- and the odds strongly favour the 30-year-old Kiwi international -- then he would be the country‰Ûªs best dirt bike rider this season in both the outdoor and stadium versions of the sport.
Hurley (Suzuki RM-Z450) dominated at round one of the New Zealand Supercross Championships near Motueka a fortnight ago, winning all three races in the big bike class, and he has established a solid nine-point buffer over his nearest challenger, fellow Team Suzuki rider Scott Columb.
The next round is this Saturday night in Tokoroa, using a popular purpose-built permanent track that has been in operation since 1989. Tokoroa‰Ûªs venue was the first such facility established in New Zealand and continues to draw huge crowds each time the floodlights are switched on.
‰ÛÏThese are the sorts of events we must produce to bring the sport to wider attention, in front of bigger crowds, and to sharpen up our young riders, said Hurley. ‰ÛÏIt was being able to race supercross that earned me my factory slot in Australia.‰Û
