Bopping claimed second overall in Canberra last weekend.

Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki’s Lawson Bopping made a superb return to form at the second round of the Rockstar Energy MX Nationals at Canberra last weekend, winning moto one on his way to claiming second overall for the round.

After qualifying sixth, Bopping rode to 1-4-4-7 results in the four moto format, leaving round two with a haul of 75 points.

“I was a lot happier with that result,” said Bopping. “I spent a lot of time on the track this week with Jay [Foreman] and the set-up of the bike was much more comfortable.”

Team manager Jay Foreman praised the hard work of his young rider, making a welcome return to the podium after a difficult season opener at Horsham in Victoria.

“Lawson spent a lot of time getting the bike right for this round and it showed in his results,” Foreman said. “It was a tough format and one that demanded four good results and Lawson came through in all of them. There’s still more time to be found in the RM-Z250 and we’ll do some more testing before the next round in Geelong.”

Bopping’s big points haul has lifted him to fifth place overall in the championship.

Suzuki’s fortunes are yet to turn around in the Pro Open class however, with Kiwi Cody Cooper struggling with the conditions and finishing the round in ninth place overall.

“Cody’s happy with the Suzuki RM-Z450, but I think we need to spend some time setting it up for local conditions,” said Foreman. “Cody is used to the softer, loamy surfaces you find in New Zealand, unlike the dry, hard-packed race tracks here. The bike is quick, we know how good Cody can ride, it’s now a matter of doing the hard yards in practice to get the right set-up.”

The third round of the series will be contested at Barrabool in Victoria on 2 May.