Groombridge chases another win to add to dream run
Brad Groombridge is having an incredible season, and it’s not over yet for the 27-year-old Taupo locksmith.
He celebrated yet more dirt-biking glory a week ago when he won the third round of five in this year’s New Zealand Enduro Championships at Maruia, near Nelson, that result propelling him into the series lead. The competition’s final two rounds are a double-header this weekend.
Groombridge raced his Suzuki RMZ250 to win the New Zealand Enduro Championships in his “first serious attempt” in 2016, and now he’s on target to claim that silverware again.
He is again riding a Suzuki RMZ250 bike — and up against riders on 300cc and 450cc machines — but he had no problem coping with the horsepower handicap and he also had more than enough power to deal with deep water and mud at Maruia.
“There was a lot of standing water on the course on Saturday and I nearly got stuck a couple of times. I just couldn’t tell how deep the water was.” he says.
“At one stage I had water up to the seat, but I managed to pull the bike out and kept the engine running. Quite a few other riders had issues and I think I had a bit of luck go my way.”
The rider who led the series after the opening two rounds, Tom Buxton, is now racing overseas. This would have eased the pressure on Groombridge.
Also away on overseas assignments were leading riders Dylan Yearbury and Mackenzie Wiig, while
Sam Greenslade, who had been third overall in the enduro series after the first two rounds, lasted just 10 minutes at Maruia.
“I had injured my knee a couple of weeks back, but still thought I’d be good to race on Saturday,” said Greenslade.
“But the pain was too much and I didn’t last long. I’ll be out for six weeks.” It was Jake Whitaker who finished runner-up on Saturday, followed by Jake Wightman.
Chris Power, Cody Davey, Beau Taylor, Shane McGowan, Bradley Simpson, Josh Hunger and Tyler Mills rounded out the top 10.
Groombridge has proven himself the man to beat in New Zealand these past couple of seasons, his string of results surely enough to make his rivals weep.
He took a Suzuki RM-Z450 to finish fifth in the MX1 class at the motocross nationals in 2016 and he rode a Suzuki RM-Z250 to claim overall runner-up in the MX2 (250cc) class in the motocross nationals earlier this season, finishing behind defending champion Hamish Harwood, but ahead of Australian visitor and former Grand Prix racer Jay Wilson.
As well as winning the enduro crown for the first time in 2016, Groombridge won his first national cross-country crown that year, and then backed that up by defending his cross-country title in 2017.
He then wrapped up the 2018 national cross-country crown at the final round of the series, near Mosgiel a fortnight ago — making it three successive national cross-country titles — before switching back to enduro mode of the enduro nationals event at Maruia.
This weekend’s races are at the Santoft Forest, near Bulls, and Martinborough.