The Daryl Hurley Story
Friday 10 May: Leaning on the fence at Taupo’s Round 4 there was two ‘youngsters’ next to me. “Who’s that” asked one as #912 in one of the MX1 racers passed. “Dunno” said the other. “Daryl Hurley” I said - “Ohhhhh” was the disbelieving response!
Later it 'dawned-on-me' that
younger riders are probably not aware of 36 year old Daryl Hurley’s hugely
impressive pedigree,
in particular
from 1997 to 2008.
He claimed his first
national title - the New Zealand Junior Motocross Championship - at 15yrs.
A privateer deal for 1997
saw him cross the Tasman to compete in the Australian Motocross Championship.
The following season, 1998, he landed a factory supported ride in Australia,
allowing him to turn professional. He collected second place in the 125cc
Australian Motocross Series and won the Pro 650 and Pro Outright Thumper
Nationals. Back home during that same year, Hurlz clinched another National
title to be crowned the New Zealand 125cc Motocross Champion.
Stepping up to the 250cc
Australian Motocross Championship in 1999, Hurlz claimed second place and again
dominated the Thumper Nats Series to be the Australian 4-Stroke National
Champion, this time clinching victory in the Pro 400 and Open classes.
In 2001, he joined the
Suzuki factory team; a relationship that was to produce strong results with
Hurlz winning the final round of the Australian Motocross Pro Lites
Championship aboard his Suzuki RM125. Continuing this success back in his home
country, Hurley won the 2001 New Zealand Motocross 125cc Series title and came
second in the 500cc class. Hurley was also crowned the New Zealand Supercross
250cc Champion, seizing victory in his second national title with Suzuki for
2001.
Hurlz exceptional form
carried over into 2002, claiming second place in both the Australian Supercross
Masters Pro Open Championship and the Australian Thumper Nats. Hurlz also
contested the 2002 New Zealand Motocross Championship, again winning the 125cc
title and scoring second place in the 500cc class.
With support from Suzuki
Jay Foreman, Hurley landed a guest ride with the Roger de Coster Suzuki factory
team in America and subsequently acquired a much sought after ride with the
international Motoworld Suzuki Team to contest selected rounds of the AMA 125cc
West Region Supercross series, AMA 250cc Supercross series and the AMA 125cc
Motocross Championship.
Racing in the AMA 125cc Motocross Championship in 2003,
Hurlz produced a string of outstanding performances including a personal
highlight of finishing eighth overall at Budds Creek in Maryland - a stunning
result for a privateer rider in the uncompromising US competition.
Suitably impressed by
Hurley's results, the Motoworld Suzuki Team signed him to compete in the U.S.
and World Championship events for 2004. He won Round 1 of the THQ World
Supercross Championship in Spain, 2004.
Completing his U.S. racing
commitments Hurlz returned to New Zealand at the tail end of 2004 to dominate
the 125cc Senior Motocross Championship, claiming the title for the fourth time
in his career.
Looking for the opportunity
to return to a factory supported team, Hurlz re-signed with long-term friend
and mentor Foreman to contest the 2005 Australian Motocross and Supercross
series with Team Shift Motul Suzuki.
Off to a flying start in
2005, Hurley won the New Zealand 250cc Supercross title for the second time in
his career.
Racing Suzuki's all-new,
four-stroke motocross weapon, the RM-Z450, Hurlz charged to victory in the
Australian Motocross Championship, securing the number one plate and the 2005
Rider of the Year Award.
Blasting into the
Australian Supercross Championship, Hurley demoralised the competition in the
opening rounds and looked certain to seal a second Australian title for 2005,
before a devastating knee injury left him sidelined and awaiting
reconstructive surgery. Making a full recovery, Hurlz returned to competition
in 2006 and led the Australian Motocross Championship from the opening round to
round eight before suffering a second season-ending knee injury.
The Suzuki star
subsequently endured the longest lay-off of his career ahead of the 2007
Australian off-road racing season. He battled injuries to secure second place
in the Australian Motocross Championship.
In 2008 he wrapped up both the New
Zealand Motocross and Supercross Championships.
In 2009 he was racing at
the NZ Nationals and on a wet October day at Rotorua he
attempted what was a very tricky
uphill triple. I can still see it,
a sickening crash in which he totally shattered his left ankle.
Photo at left courtesy of www.stuff.co.nz Under his left arm is his Renny Johnston who is still on spanners for Daryl.
That injury was to take a long time to
get over. It was also the turning
point in his career, time to concentrate on his family with wife Jo and two
children and his motorcycle business he co-owns with Zane Green - Action Suzuki
in Hawera.
2013 and there he was back competing in the four round MX1 Nationals.
#912 leads them out at Patetonga - that's Todd Waters #47 on his right. Photo - AlanH.
Photo - AlanH.
Photo - Phil Smith (Clmintiepix)
After those four rounds this was the Top 5 Overall.
1st Cody Cooper 289
2nd Billy Mackenzie 241
3rd Todd Waters 235
4th Daryl Hurley 182
5th Justin McDonald 174
Many thanks to Daryl and Suzuki Australia
for their input.