Nick Sutherland lands National Round Win for TM Racing Australia.

TM Racing Australia’s Nick Sutherland has given the team a national round win at the final round of the 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals held at Coolum on the weekend.

The 22 year old who currently resides in Boonah, Queensland won the final round of the Two Stroke cup with a 2-1race result after qualifying fastest in class with a time that would have seen him with the fourth gate pick in the MX2 class, just one tenth of a second of the second best time posted in the Pro Lites qualifying session.

When racing got underway on Sunday,Sutherland fought off nerves and a bad start in moto one to finish just behind 2013 two-stroke cup champion Errol Willis.

The 22 year old then put his pre race jitters behind him in moto two to take a race win despite an early race crash,giving himself and TM their first National race win and overall round win in 2013.

“In practice and qualifying I just went out checked a few lines out and was having fun with the track, Sutherland explained. “I went for my qualifying lap and it was a pretty solid lap. When I found out my time was right up there compared to the top Lites times I was pretty pumped.

“My goal going to Coolum was to run top 5 Lites times and I achieved that,” he added.

“I got off to a really bad start in moto one, honestly on the line I was so nervous, I think it was the first time I’ve ever had arm pump before the race even started,” the rider from lnverell, New South Wales said with a smile.

“I got onto Errol early on in the moto, and just stayed on him. I didn’t really make anything happen, so I was a little annoyed with myself after that one.

“I got off to a much better start in the second moto, I got out front and started to run away with it, before washing the front end out and crashing.

“I was able to get back and chase Errol down, and ended up with a good win,” Sutherland continued.

“I didn’t ride so cautious and nervous in that second race, I actually did the same time as I did in the first Moto, and the track had deteriorated a lot, so it certainly showed that I did not ride how I should have in the first one.”

After spending the past three months getting up to speed on the practice track, Sutherland enjoyed his first race back since late last year when he suffered a knee injury while racing in an Indonesian invitational and could not thank TM Racing Australia enough for providing him with the opportunity to be back behind a start gate.

“I had so much fun, it was the most fun I have had being out racing Motocross,” said Sutherland, I have been doing a lot of Matos lately and trying to keep myself in good shape.

“The bike was awesome on the weekend, we have not touched a thing on it since we pulled it out of the crate, it handle through the rough conditions so well, It was certainly a nice bike to ride.

“I have to give Andrew Franklin and the people at TM Racing Australia a big thanks for their support in my decision to race at last minute,” he concluded.

Sutherland was looking forward to a strong 2013 Australian Supercross Season after finishing sixth in the Pro Lites Championship in 2012.

Unfortunately a practice crash on Tuesday morning after Coolum has left him in doubt for the opening round of the championship with a collarbone injury.

More information on his injury and recovery time will be known in the coming days.