As the nation’s capital braces itself for the second round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, local rider and Pro Lites star for Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki Lawson Bopping is busy preparing for one of the toughest race formats facing riders this year.

In the gruelling Sprint format, riders must ride four back-to-back sprint motos, testing their physical and mental stamina, making for some thrilling racing for fans on 18 April at the Canberra Motorcycle Club.

Bopping said that despite a lacklustre performance at the Series opener at Horsham, he was looking forward to the second round and scoring some valuable points.

“I’m up at the Suzuki workshop in Newcastle at the moment doing some testing to get the bike ready for the Canberra round,” Bopping said. “Going into Horsham I was feeling really good but I just had a bad day – I had a bad suspension setting which was my own fault, and then it started raining and I just didn’t have it ‘on’ that day.

“But it’s going to be a good round, I’ve ridden the Canberra track for forever, and I think the club will do an excellent job preparing it.”

Having ridden the Sprint format in the Supercross Championship in 2009, the 20-year-old is well aware of the challenges facing riders in the second round.

“The new format will be interesting with four back to back races,” he said. “It’s going to be very tough – four short and sharp sprint races and little to no break in between, we did that format in the Supercross and it was pretty gnarly, and racing it for Motocross is going to be even harder because it’s a bigger track and we’ll be out there for a while so a good start is going to be the key.

“It’ll be the toughest format we face endurance wise, but it’s the same for everyone and there’s 100 points up for grabs – and I want those points! With shorter races it will be hard for anyone to dominate four races, and I don’t think the first round was a really good indicator of where everyone is at – there are 10 guys that could be quick so I’ll just have to be consistent and on my game.”

In between each moto the clock will start when the first rider crosses the finish line with only five minutes between the first and second races, 10 minutes between the second and third races and as a final hurdle, a return to the five minute break between the third and final races.

The Moto break down for all classes is as follows:
Rockstar Pro Open class – 4 x 15 minute motos
Motul Pro Lites class – 4 x 12 minute motos
Pirelli Under 19’s class – 4 x 10 minute motos

The second round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals will be held on Sunday, 18 April at:
ACT Motor Cycle Club
Fairbairn Park
Pialligo Ave
Majura District ACT

Admission:
Adult $30
Family (Two adults, two kids) $70
Kids (5-15 years) $15