Knowing the will and talent of Matt Moss gave Motul Pirelli Suzuki manager Jay Foreman a heightened level of confidence as the team set about targeting the 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals MX1 crown after finishing runner-up in 2012.

The team’s 2012 and 2013 campaigns draw a striking resemblance, with measured starts leading to a flurry of top finishes at the business end of the season.

Last year, Todd Waters piloted the RM-Z450 to second, finishing 11 points shy of the title behind Josh Coppins.

This year Waters fronted the opposition effort, and ultimately went head-to-head with his former team which had reunited with Moss late in the piece, sending him into the thick of MX1 competition.

Foreman agreed that the team delivered its best results the further it progressed into the championship, a trend that was shown over the two seasons.

“We didn’t start the best the first few rounds with Todd [Waters], and again went with the same strategy,” said Foreman. “Each week we got better, and our bike got better.”

Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s plans weren’t locked in until relatively late in the piece, with the team facing a tough task to prepare for the upcoming season.

“It was such a late start [with Moss]. It wasn’t really until the first week in February that we got all the nuts and bolts of it together to go racing.”

With the Moss/Foreman combination winning three MX2 titles in seasons past, the move to tackle the MX1 championship was a natural fit.

“I knew Matt was going to be back,” said Foreman. “We’d won three Lites championships with him so I knew what he’s got inside of him; his will and his talent.”

Moss was able to harness these attributes and gained momentum over the course of the season, coming home with the 450cc class title with a 16-point advantage over Waters.