Tyco Suzuki new signing Martin Barr took the overall victory yesterday at Fatcat in Doncaster during round two of the Red Bull Pro National Motocross series.
Barr only joined the Northern Ireland based team on Friday with barely enough time for the team to put his race numbers on the RM-Z450, but despite limited set-up time, it didn't hamper his progress. The 24-year-old stamped his authority with pole position in qualifying; following it up with second place in the opening moto after a race-long battle with team-mate Stephen Sword who finished third.
In the second moto, Barr took the holeshot then controlled the race from the front, eventually taking his first victory and overall top step for Tyco Suzuki by some eight seconds from Marc De Reuver. Series leader Sword brought his RM-Z450 home in third place which offered him the same spot in the overall results on the podium.
Martin Barr:
"I'm really happy with my first race for Tyco Suzuki. It started off perfectly when I was fastest in free practice and backed it up with the fastest lap in qualifying. I had a really good battle with Swordy in race one and I was happy to be back racing at the front. I managed to get past Stephen with two laps to go and finished second. In the second race I got the holeshot and controlled it from the front and took my first win on the RM-Z450. I let my riding do the talking and hopefully proved to a lot of people that I still have it. Thanks to the whole team and especially Philip Neill and Adam Lyons for giving me the opportunity."
Stephen Sword:
"It was a steady, safe and consistent day for me. The weather and track conditions were bad so it would have been very easy to get into trouble and lose points. Two third places are satisfactory and I still hold the lead in the championship. Canada Heights is next and one of my favourite tracks so I will be looking to extend my lead when we get there."
Adam Lyons - Team Manager:
"That was a great day for Tyco Suzuki. Days like that make us all very proud and with both men on the podium we've again demonstrated just how versatile and competitive the RM-Z450 package really is. That first moto was a classic with the boys racing together and swapping positions about eight or nine times. It was hard racing but they showed each other big respect.
"Martin has come in and done an unbelievable job this weekend, showing that with the right package he's a top-class performer. Swordy was also on the money today and looked every bit the quality rider we knew we were signing this year. This sets us up well for our home round of the British Championship at Desertmartin in a few weeks' time."
Championship Points: 1 Stephen Sword (Tyco Suzuki RM-Z450) 90, 2 Marc De Reuver 83, 3 Martin Barr 80, 4 Nicolas Aubin 74, 5 Gert Krestinov 56, 6 Josh Waterman 48.
