Image: Marc Jones.

Youthful Western Australian Connor Tierney will make his awaited SB Motorsports MX1 class debut in the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship after re-signing with the Victorian-based team.

The 22-year-old was scheduled to commence with the team last year prior to the MX Nationals cancellation, piloting an RM-Z450 in the premier class following a promising campaign in 2019.

“It’s great to return to the Flooringsales Suzuki team again this year,” Tierney commented. “Obviously I signed for the team in 2020 and everything was going great during the pre-season events we raced. I felt I had a real shot at running up front at national level, but as we all know the year was cut short and the team and I never got to go racing.

“To be back with the team for the 2021 season is great and we are picking up where we left off last year. I have spent far more seat time on the RM-Z450, which is a bike I really enjoy riding, and we are ready to go. I’m excited to go racing again!”

Flooringsales Suzuki will also field young Victorian Benicio Caiafa in the new MX3 class, in line to make his rookie debut for the team at Wonthaggi’s opening round on Sunday, 11 April.

Team owner Scott Brewster added: “It is exciting that we are able to go racing again in 2021. As everyone knows it was tough for the industry with no racing in 2020 and I am extremely proud of our team, Suzuki and all of our partners for pulling together to make this year possible.

“With Connor, I see great potential in his speed and with how young he is, I think he can factor into the front pack battles this year whilst he learns how to manage a MX1 class series, which is a great position for us to be in. For Benicio, he is a young rider based closed to the team in Victoria, who I felt needed an opportunity to go racing at a national level.

“There are very few opportunities for young riders to experience professional racing anymore in a low-pressure environment and that is the framework we aim to provide via Suzuki and the team, in a model that will hopefully encourage more teams to give young riders and their families a chance to go racing.”