Armed with a revolutionary new machine and a new recruit, Team Shift Motul Suzuki heads to Penguin, Tasmania, this Sunday for the opening round of the 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals.
New Zealand aces Daryl Hurley and Luke Burkhart will represent the factory Suzuki outfit in Pro Open, riding the all-new, fuel-injected Suzuki RM-Z450, with Matt Moss joining Team Shift Motul Suzuki in Pro Lites.
Despite a campaign littered with injury, Hurley finished second in the 2007 Motocross championship, and enters the season having claimed both the New Zealand Pro Open Motocross and Supercross Championships over the summer.
Burkhart was also in action over the Australian off-season, wrapping up the Pro Lites New Zealand Supercross Championship.
He steps back up to the Australian Pro Open ranks this year, after his 2007 Pro Lites campaign was curtailed by a thumb injury.
Joining Team Shift Motul Suzuki for the first time, Australian rising star Moss will contest Pro Lites aboard a Suzuki RM-Z250.
Moss - a Pro Open Motocross winner last season - has already enjoyed a stunning start to his Suzuki return, taking out Pro Lites in the Stroke Supercross Summer Nationals, along with Pro Open and Pro Lites honours in the Yamaha Stadium Motocross Series.
"We are really looking forward to having a strong season, and the chance to get the new Suzuki RM-Z450 out on track," said team manager Jay Foreman
"The performance of the new model in testing and its limited racing has been very promising.
"Daryl and Luke head into the season race-fit and injury-free, after a summer racing in New Zealand where they both had championship success.
"It's exciting to have Matt on board, he has been riding exceptionally well so far this year and we think he will be one of the guys to beat in Pro Lites this year," Foreman enthused.
Hurley is confident heading into the opening round, saying, "This is the first year I've entered an Australian season without having had a recent injury or knee reconstruction, so my physical preparation has been good.
"Since the end of last year's Australian Motocross season, I've been racing in New Zealand which has gone well for us.
"In the last round of the Supercross Championship we debuted the new Suzuki RM-Z450 and it was amazing, especially for a brand-new, untested bike.
"We've now done some testing and we've made really good progress, we can't wait to get out there with it," Hurley added.
Burkhart is glad to be back on the team he ha sdone so much with in the past syaing, "It's great to be racing with Team Shift Motul Suzuki again in 2008, working with such a strong and professional team.
"After the run of injuries and bad luck we had last year, we're looking to be a title contender this year back up in Pro Open.
"We have already done quite a bit of testing on the new Suzuki RM-Z450 - it has been really strong and I felt at home on it straight away."
Moss is also confident following his great pre-season form, "Our results since the start of the year have been awesome; it's been a dream start," he said.
"To win a couple of the summer series' and be so competitive at every event was really promising, Jay and all of the Team Shift Motul Suzuki do a top job with the preparation of the bikes.
"I'm feeling good entering the season, our RM-Z250 is a great package and I think we can challenge for the Pro Lites Championship."
Team Shift Motul Suzuki will hit the dirt on Sunday, 6 April, kicking off the nine-round 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals.
