DIRT NEWS
RM-Z450 bike in the enduro and cross-country
events that he raced at the motocross nationals,
the only alteration being to fit a larger fuel
tank or change the tyres.
With such a vast skill-set and tons of national
glory to go with that, Groombridge has plenty
of reason to feel proud and satisfied.
So you can imagine how hard it must have
been for him to answer the question: “What
one race was your best ever?”
“I guess my most notable achievements
would have to be my cross-country and enduro
championship title wins, along with my Acerbis Four-
Hour (endurance dirt bike race) wins as a solo rider.
Groombridge won this race outright a record
five times, four of those victories coming as a
solo (ironman) rider.
He first won the Acerbis race outright in 2010,
on that occasion riding as part of a two-man
team, sharing the riding duties that day with
Hawera’s former national motocross champion
Daryl Hurley.
But then Groombridge created history when
he won the Acerbis marathon in 2013, becoming
the first man to win it as an ironman.
Groombridge won it again as a solo rider a year
later, in 2014. He finished fifth overall in 2015,
although that was still good enough for him to
again take the ironman (solo rider) class trophy.
He was back on top in 2016, winning the
Acerbis outright and again as a solo rider.
“But in terms of my Acerbis race win that
stands out the most, it would probably be
the most gruelling one, in 2017.
“Me and Paul Whibley went back and forth in
the lead the whole race. It was raining and this
caused major vision issues for me. I ended up
riding without goggles. It was tough trying to
work out a spot where I could pass Paul without
getting filled in by the dirt roost from his rear
tyre, but I managed to make that happen. I was
eventually able to make the pass for the lead
with just over a lap to go. That was definitely
a stand-out race for me.
“I also believe that the 2010 Motocross of
Nations event in Denver, Colorado, would
have to be another memorable one for me,
not because I got any great results, but just
to be there and experience the atmosphere
that comes with this annual international
event (widely regarded as the “Olympic
Games of motocross”).
“The qualifying race on the Saturday, when
I holeshot it and led, was remarkable for
me. To holeshot and lead, even if only for a
short time... to achieve that in that kind of
atmosphere was something special. “There
are probably many races I could have chosen
to answer this question, but this race was
definitely a standout worth mentioning.
“I’m not exactly sure where I finished in that
qualifying race... 13th place rings a bell, but
I’m not too sure.”
When the current Coronavirus COVID-19
pandemic lock-down is lifted, it’s a certain
bet that we’ll see Groombridge out and
about hunting down more glory at national
championship level.
KIWI RIDER 19