Australian motocross has enjoyed a wave of new talent in the Pro Open ranks during the last couple of seasons, one of the standouts for 2011 being Lawson Bopping.

Bopping is no stranger to the professional motocross scene in Australia, but so far this year as a rookie in the Pro Open category of the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, he’s proven he has the speed to battle with the best in the sport.

The 21-year-old stunned with a debut podium at Broadford’s season opener that was held in treacherous wet conditions, and has since backed that result up with a number of impressive performances.

“It’s been going pretty good so far and the first round was real good for me to finish on the podium,” Bopping told MotoOnline.com.au. “It rained, but I was able to get a fourth, a first and a second.

“In the last race I was in second and I was like, ‘cool, I’ll just stay here’ but I got a flat tyre with two laps to go. I couldn’t even make it up the hills, so I got a 16th in that one. I still got third on the day, so that was really good for the team and I – especially for my first ever national on the 450.”

From there Bopping has continued to display first class speed, hampered by small mistakes on occasion, but that’s not anything out of the ordinary in the frantic four-moto format that’s been introduced for the MX Nationals this season.

Appin saw Bopping finish seventh overall despite a DNF in moto three, his highlight at that round being a solid second in moto two following a battle of the rising stars alongside Dean Ferris.

Just one week later was the Raymond Terrace round and Bopping improved to equal fifth overall with experienced Victorian Cheyne Boyd, scoring 4-4-5-6 results.

So far as a rookie he sits fifth in the standings, just 11 points behind Jay Marmont in third place, and there’s a lot of racing to be contested following three of nine rounds run to date.

“It’s cool because everyone in the 450 class are good riders,” he explained. “It’s just cool to follow guys like Mackenzie, the Marmonts and those guys – you learn a lot.

“It’s so much different to the Lites where you just have to hang it out on the edge all the time. On the 450 you can pick your lines better and I think it’s more fun. For me it is anyway.”

After winning the New South Wales state titles last year and even beating triple MX Nationals Champion Jay Marmont in round two after tying with him in the first round, Bopping knew he wanted to switch to the Open class this season on a national level.

“I don’t think I’m a real aggressive rider on the track – well that’s what people say [laughs] – and my style sort of suits the 450 a little bit better,” Bopping said.

“Last year I raced the state titles and Jay was in it, but I didn’t feel it was a real good indication of where I was because most of them were mud races. He didn’t show up to the third round so I was like, ‘sweet!’, and won the title on the 450 and in the Lites.

“That was really cool for me and ever since then I wanted to race the 450, even during Super X last year. I was pretty much over riding the 250 after I started on the 450.”

With his step up to the Pro Open class in 2011, Bopping has reverted to the Raceline Pirelli Suzuki team, which is Suzuki’s factory-supported satellite team in Australia.

Even though he spent a season on the factory Rockstar Motul Suzuki team in 2010, he’s fully content with his position this year.

“It’s not that much different really on the Raceline Pirelli team,” Bopping said. “I get along well with Perry Morison, who is the boss of Suzuki, and he put together a really good package for me.

“I like working with [team manager] Chris Woods, since I worked with him in 2008 and 2009, and the team’s definitely getting bigger every year. It’s not far off a factory team, really. I’m happy where I am, so it’s sweet.”

Based in Braidwood, New South Wales, Bopping’s rise to the premier class of Australian motocross has been a constant progression. Already as a Pro Open rookie, he’s asserted himself as one up and comers who have what it takes to beat the best on any given race day.

“I live in Braidwood, which is in between Canberra and Batemans Bay, on a pretty big property and I’ve got three motocross tracks that are pretty decent,” he explained.

“I just ride as much as I can and then I’ve got a trainer in Canberra, Nick A’Hern from AXT Training. We do a boot camp type of thing on Tuesdays, plus I do a lot of cycling, running, gym work – just the normal type of stuff that most guys do for motocross.”

Considering he’s from the rural area of Braidwood, Bopping started riding at around five years of age and building confidence and speed from there.

“When I was young, about five I think, dad just bought me a PW50,” Bopping said. “He used race a bit, but not professionally or anything. I started riding, did a couple of club days down the coast, and I wasn’t good at all when I started [laughs]. I slowly got better and better, then later I won a few state titles as a junior.

“In my last year as a junior, Raceline Suzuki picked me up and I just went from there. When I went to seniors John Tisdale still supported me with bikes and gear, and then Suzuki came onboard. From there it just got bigger and bigger – I’ve just stuck at it, really.”

And for Bopping, sticking at it has been a wise move. With numerous Lites class wins and an overall podium finish in the 2009 Super X Lites season, the stars are starting to align for Bopping in the major leagues.

Keep an eye on him, because chances are he’ll gain even more strength and consistency with experience, and we have a feeling you’ll be hearing a lot more of him in the years to come.

Fast Facts
Date of Birth: 27 July, 1989
Nationality: Australian
Location: Braidwood, NSW
Height: 182cm
Weight: 72kg
Marital Status: In a relationship
Hobbies: MTB, BMX and Playstation III
Career Highlight: The 2009 Supercross series