Mosig and Crawford Surprise Break Through With Maiden Round Wins At Swan Hill
DPH Yamaha’s Kade Mosig and Queensland Husqvarna mounted privateer Nathan Crawford broke through to score maiden Moto and overall round wins in their respective classes at round six of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals held at Swan Hill, Victoria on Sunday the 6th of June.
On a chilly winter day, it was Motul Suzuki’s Matt Moss who fired the first shot in MX1 qualifying posting the fastest time in regular qualifying, before his twin brother Jake riding for the NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki team claimed his second Superpole win in a row edging out privateer Suzuki racer Jacob Wright by just over one tenth of a second.
When the gates dropped on the opening MX1 moto race of the day, Mosig who shot out of the gates to secure the opening holeshot of the day head of CDR Yamaha’s Billy Mackenzie with the two YZ450F mounted riders slowly opening up a small gate on the field.
Mackenzie held with Mosig and started to pile on the pressure, showing the Victorian rider his front wheel on a few occasions, before Mackenzie lost his second place position to Matt Moss then slowly drifted back through the field.
Mosig continued his push out front in the second half of the race, opening up a comfortable gap that he held to race end to claim his maiden 450-motocross moto win.
Championship leader Matt Moss crossed the line in second place just ahead of KTM Motocross Racings Kirk Gibbs with NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Monea in 4th and Motul Suzuki’s Rhys Carter in fifth with a fine ride.
Mackenzie after challenging for the lead early in the race finished 6th just ahead of Husqvarna’s Brock Winston and DPH Yamaha’s Sam Martin.
Joel Milesevic aboard his TM 300 racing under the FFRC banner for the weekend finished ninth place despite a first turn crash with Jay Marmont while Suzuki privateer Lewis Woods rounded out the top ten.
Mackenzie once again showed that the Yamaha’s were the bikes to beat of the concrete start at Swan Hill when he secured the holeshot in the second race ahead of Matt Moss, Kirk Gibbs, Jake Moss and Kade Mosig.
Mackenzie lead the opening stages of the race before a stall let the chasing group of riders by with Matt Moss taking over the lead. Jake Moss after a disappointing 11th place finish in race one, was a man on a mission, first making his way by Gibbs then his twin brother to seize control of the race.
While things were looking good for Jake, Matt was starting to have problems of his own, with Gibbs making his way by into second, before a stall by Matt Moss also allowed Kade Mosig through into third position and in prime position to take his maiden overall round win.
Up front Jake Moss continued a mistake free race to claim the race win and was followed across the line by Gibbs.
Mosig crossed the line in third position to give him a 1-3 result on the day, enough to edge past Gibbs 3-2 result and claimed an emotional round win.
“It has been a long time since I have been up and here and it is always a good feeling to get up here,” Mosig beamed from the top step of the podium. “The road to get here has been a long one, up and down and all around with all the stuff that comes with this sport, but to finally get this for myself, my family, my team and everyone it is a pretty surreal feeling.
“I am pumped the whole DPH Motorsports Yamaha team have been behind me since day one and they really have got me to were I am this year. We might have started a little late but the process that we have gone through and the bike we have built is unreal, I am loving it.
“I am really enjoying going racing, I am coming to these events and having fun which is the biggest thing for me and it is showing in my results.”
Gibbs was pleased with his second place overall finish and despite missing Superpole for the first time this year, left Swan Hill three points closer to the championship lead, with the South Australian now just 19 points behind Matt Moss.
“The main thing I wanted to work on this year is consistency and I have been able to do that,” Gibbs said. ” 2-3 is a good day, though I am a little disappointed I did not make it into Superpole.
“I struggled a little bit in that first race with a couple of little things going wrong, but things were a lot better in that second race.
“Congrats to Kade, he had an awesome day.”
Matt Moss in the dying stages of the final moto lost dropped to fifth place as Wright once again impressed in the final moto of the round working his way through to 4th place..
Matt Moss’s 2-5 result was enough to see him claim the final spot on the podium and continue to carry the red plate in to round seven at Conondale.
“Today was a bit of a shocker actually, “Matt Moss stated, “Not making excused I just did not ride really good and had a sore wrist after that first one.
“Hats off to Mosig who won his first overall today, I am happy for him.
“We will just keep moving forward, I am heading up to ride with my brother next week. I have been struggling not riding with anyone fast so I will head up there then come out swinging.
Jake Moss’s 11-1 was enough to edge pass his teammate Monea for 4th overall on the day.
In the MX2 Division the opening race was a battle of the two strokes and the pair of Serco Yamaha riders with one of the best races of the year playing out in front of the Swan Hill crowd.
It was KTM privateer Caleb Ward who looked as though he was going to claim the holeshot in the opening moto as he lead the first into the first turn, however a crash mid way through the turn allowed Serco Yamaha’s Jay Wilson to emerge as the race leader with SD3 Husqvarna’s Luke Arbon in second place and championship leader Luke Clout in third.
Behind the leading three sat a host of two-stroke machinery including the MXD Husqvarna pairing of Egan Mastin and Nathan Crawford.
Wilson looked in control of the race up front until arm pump set in mid moto allowing both Arbon and Clout to take advantage, with the pair battling it out for the lead.
On lap 11 Clout crashed with Mastin also getting caught up in the accident, while Clout was able to remount his bike and stay inside the top five, the crash put Mastin out of the race and the day after an impressive start for current MXD points leader.
Out front Arbon held strong to claim his third moto win of the season, while behind him Crawford had worked his way into second place finish just ahead of CMR Red bull’s Hamish Harwood and Clout who recovered to fourth place.
Errol Wills again impressed to round out the top five aboard his Yamaha YZ 250 two stroke.
In the second moto it was Crawford who claimed the holeshot ahead of Willis and Arbon. Arbon quickly moved into second place doing all he could to chase down Crawford out front with the knowledge that he needed to beat the young Queensland in order to secure the round win.
While the two riders never went toe to toe for the race lead, the battle between the two was intense in the second half of the race as lapped riders came into place with the gap continuously stretching a growing from lap to lap.
In the end however it was Crawford who put in a faultless ride to take his first ever moto win in the MX2 class and in turn became the first ever MXD wild card entry to win a MX2 overall.
“I was happy with my first moto at Wanneroo in W.A, but I had heaps of people telling me that I could have finished higher up on the ladder,” Crawford said from the podium. “I worked hard in the lead up to this round and came in with a bit of confidence and qualified not to bad.
“I had been working on my starts and the concrete start here was a bit of a hurdle but we got around that and I got a holeshot in the second moto and pushed as hard as I could to the end.
“Luke (Arbon) was riding really good and so was everyone else and I am really stoked to come away with the overall win.”
Arbon crossed the line in second place and despite finishing the day on equal points with Crawford had to settle for second position for the round. The result though moved him to third in the championship standings and only 24 points away from the points lead.
“I have been carrying a lot of confidence after the round win at Murray Bridge and have been putting in the work getting the bike to handle the way I want it to I have go my body fit, feeling good on the bike and I think it is showing in my results, “Arbon stated after his third straight podium performance.
“I am really enjoying being back at the track again and doing it for myself and my team who keeps me out on the track.”
Clout rode out another solid race to finish third in both the moto and the round finishing the day four points ahead of Harwood in fourth and once again extending his championship lead which now stands at fourteen points over Harwood.
“It was a bit of an up and down day, I just lacked a little bit of consistency.” Clout admitted. “But I was able to open up the points lead a little bit, so that was good and to be on the podium that’s even better.
“The team has been putting in the work, my mechanic Rab and Michael Marty has been getting these bikes dialed. Just a little bit more bike set up will get us there, these two strokes are pretty hard to beat and we have to be on the top of our toes to do that.
“I am looking forward to Conondale and trying to get on the top step there.
Rounding out the top five for the round was Wilson who claimed fourth position in the final moto.
Round 7 of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals heads to Conondale, Queensland on the 13th of July.
MX1 Superpole:
- Jake Moss 1:40.159 (5 points)
- Jacob Wright 1:40.234 (4 points)
- Adam Monea 1:40.692 (3 points)
- Billy Mackenzie 1:41.073 (2 points)
- Matt Moss 1:41.640 (1 point)
MX1 Round Results:
- Kade Mosig 65 (35, 30)
- Kirk Gibbs 62 (30, 32)
- Matt Moss 58 (32, 26)
- Jake Moss 55 (20, 35)
- Adam Monea 52 (28, 24)
- Billy Mackenzie 50 (25, 25)
- Jacob Wright 46 (18, 28)
- Broc Winston 45 (24, 21)
- Lewis Woods 43 (21, 22)
- Sam Martin 43 (23, 20)
Overall MX1 Championship Standings:
- Matt Moss 448
- Kirk Gibbs 429
- Jake Moss 403
- Adam Monea 396
- Billy Mackenzie 390
- Kade Mosig 330
- Jacob Wright 304
- Hayden Mellross 294
- Jay Marmont 290
- Sam Martin 287
MX2 Round Results
- Nathan Crawford 67 (32, 35)
- Luke Arbon 67 (35, 32)
- Luke Clout 58 (28, 30)
- Hamish Harwood 54 (30, 24)
- Jay Wilson 51 (23, 28)
- Errol Willis 51 (26, 25)
- Kale Makeham 47 (24, 23)
- Josh Cachia 44 (22, 22)
- Kayne Lamont 44 (25, 19)
- Caleb Ward 41 (15, 260
MX2 Championship Standings
- Luke Clout 384
- Hamish Harwood 370
- Luke Arbon 360
- Brenden Harrison 334
- Kale Makeham 334
- Kayne Lamont 333
- Jay Wilson 320
- Caleb Ward 313
- Errol Willis 240
- Ryan Marmont 234
DPH Motorsport Report
For the first time in the teams history, DPH Motorsport Yamaha Racing have taken top step in what was a fairytale ending to round six of the Monster Energy MX Nationals on the weekend.
Round six at Swan Hill dished out the winter weather, seeing the DPH Motorsport boys qualifying in icy conditions. Timed qualifying saw Sam Martin take 8th gate pick, while teammate Mosig took 6th.
For Mosig, moto one was where years of hard work, dedication, injuries, highs and lows all became worth it. Taking a huge hole shot, and running away to take his first MX1 race win of 2014. For Martin, after sitting in sixth place for the majority of the race, arm pump set in which saw him settle for eighth position.
In moto two, it was Mosig who was out of the gate in fourth, and with Matt Moss fading throughout the race, Mosig was able to move up a place, and finish the 30 minute moto in third. Martin, who was sitting comfortably in sixth, went down mid moto, which saw him finish in 11th.
Kade Mosig MX1 – 1st Overall (1st, 3rd): “Qualifying was good, I felt awesome in Qualifying today and it was actually my best qualifying in sixth,” he said.
“First moto, I just got an awesome start and I got my first hole shot, first round back, and that kind of kept the ball rolling for me.
“I felt really comfortable out in front and I just kept telling myself to relax and breathe. I just tried to do all those thing I used to do when I was up the front.
“At about then ten minute mark, I heard Billy Mackenzie come right up on me, and I knew he was going to come with a force, so I just told myself to block it out.
“Second race was hardcore. The start was really gnarly and everyone was just going hard and I didn’t feel quite as comfortable as I did in the first race.
“I just paced myself and saw all the front runners were right there. We got to the mid point of the moto and I just knuckled down and focusing on my race and got the job done.”
Sam Martin – 10th Overall (8th, 11th): “My first race today wasn’t too bad, but I would have liked to finish in sixth. I dropped back to eighth after getting really bad arm pump,” he said.
“Second race I felt a lot better, I think I was in sixth or seventh and halfway through the race I made a mistake and went down.
“I got back up after that one, and just did my own laps and got back to 11th, so not the best weekend for me, but gave it everything we had.
“The track at Swan Hill is awesome. Red loam – no one can hate it. It’s a good layout and I like going there, but sometimes you get good luck and sometimes you get bad luck.
“I know I have a good team behind me, Kade and I are both on the same equipment, so there’s no reason why I can’t do it too. Just need to come back better for next round.
Dale Hocking – DPH Motorsports Yamaha Racing Team Owner: “Fantastic day, and fantastic effort from Kade,” he said.
“He just pulled it out of the hat today, he rode very solid, very consistent, really used his head the whole day so it was fantastic.
“Can’t ask for much more than to win overall. Amazing effort from Kade, our sponsors and everyone behind us. To be a privateer team, here beating all the factory teams, it’s pretty special.
“All the effort, time and money is all worth it. This is the first win for the team ever and we couldn’t be happier.
“For Sam, he just needs to get a good start, if he can get a good start, he will be up there too.
“We’re just so proud of what we have achieved here this weekend and we couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
KTM Report
inishing on the podium in every round this year bar one, KTM motocross racing team rider Kirk Gibbs continued to show the consistency that is famous for winning titles at the sixth round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at Swan Hill in Victoria.
Gibbs’ 3-2 result gave him second on the day behind Kade Mosig, with Matt Moss filling out the minor placings.
In doing so Gibbs maintained second in the championship, and moved four points closer to championship leader Moss for four rounds to go.
Team mate Ford Dale returned to the track for the first time in the championship after a practice crash just prior to the season opener left him with a broken left arm, and set about knocking the rust off with two modest race finishes to test the conditioning levels.
Rob Twyerould – Team Manager: “It was pretty good for us today, we made some ground up in the championship so I’m very happy. First moto Kirk had started sixth and came up a few positions, but then a piece broke in his throttle and jammed it closed. He kept working it and eventually got it to open properly, but by then he’d dropped to seventh. He put his head down and charged and got back up to third, which was a really good effort. Ford just rode consistently and kept circulating, but his biggest issue was arm pump, but that will all come better. In the second Kirk started third, but got past Matt Moss for second behind Jake. The gap was like a yo-yo for a bit there, but it settled at two seconds. Kirk rode well and didn’t put a foot wrong. Ford had a fall on the first lap which put him behind the main pack, so he just put his head down and rode the moto out, which was good for him. He’s just got to get race-conditioned and get his eye back in.”
Kirk Gibbs (KTM 450 SX-F) – “It was a little bit up and down today but overall pretty good to come away with a second and make up a few points. The most important point for us was in that first moto when we had that throttle problem, it really saved the day for us when that came good, I was pretty close to pulling in which could have been very costly. I was lucky that it cleaned itself out and I could keep going forward.”
Ford Dale (KTM 450 SX-F) – “It was good to be back at the track with the boys, I haven’t been racing with the team since New Zealand so that was great. I’m not happy with my day obviously, but I guess I’ve got to take baby steps at first. I haven’t been back on the bike long and have missed half the season. Nothing can replicate race fitness unfortunately, when you’re having to hang onto a 450 on a real fast track. But I know what I’m capable of and I won’t be happy until I’m winning. You’ve got to start somewhere. But it’ll come.”
In MX2 Racing, Red Bull KTM-mounted Hamish Harwood had a difficult start when he had to switch to his practice bike in qualifying, but recovered well to be fourth on the day, losing just four points to championship leader Luke Clout and maintaining his second place in the championship. Tune Tech KTM’s Kale Makeham drew equal with fourth placed Brenden Harrison (Instant Security KTM), both now 26 points in arrears of third-placed Luke Arbon.
Hamish Dobbyn (KTM 250 SX) – “Today was okay, but just okay. I got two laps into qualifying and had an engine problem and my shock blew a seal. So we had to switch to the practice bike with the standard shock with a different spring weight and not re-valved for me. So that was hectic and I qualified 15th. I had a good start in the first moto, around fifth, but didn’t feel 100% on the bike, whether that was my setup or my lines, and I ended up third. Second moto I had a terrible start in twelfth, but got back to eighth, then crashed on lap three and went back to 15th then caught back up to seventh by the end of the race! That put me fourth, so it was an okay day, but not what I planned for or hoped for. So now I’m pretty keen to race at Conondale – I hear it’s a pretty good track.”
Husqvarna Report
After a sixth in Perth, Husqvarna-mounted Nathan Crawford has made his second cameo in the MX2 category an even more memorable one, with a moto win and the round win on count back alongside another Husqvarna – that of Luke Arbon.
The pair shared moto wins as the six round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals unfolded at Swan Hill, with MXD campaigner Crawford using the gap in that series to prove that the pace in the Under 19 category is genuine indeed.
The win is the fourth by a Husqvarna rider from six rounds, with Kayne Lamont winning rounds one and three and Arbon – who has now moved to within 24 points of the MX2 championship lead – winning the fourth.
Husqvarna Motocross Racing Team rider and current MXD Championship leader Egan Mastin also entered the MX2 fray at Swan Hill, but came together with championship leader Luke Clout in the first moto and fell heavily, hitting his head and withdrawing from the event.
And while the 250cc riders dominated, Husqvarna Motocross Racing Team rider Brock Winston chalked up his best round result of the series, going 7,3 to finish eighth on the day despite encountering vision problems in both motos.
Craig Anderson – Husqvarna Motocross Racing Team Manager: “Up and down for us today, Egan was running third in the first race and crashed with Clout, while Daniel McCoy aggravated a back injury in the first one and he just struggled a little bit and ended up pulling out, so we just got him to go out in the second and try to get a good start and ride as many laps as he could.
Brock was seventh in the first and then tenth, he had been as high as eight but he had to throw his goggles. He was riding good today, and had his best overall finish for the day, so that’s perfect.”
Brock Winston (FC 450 – MX1) “It was a pretty good day, definitely my speed was there and it was just a shame that in both races I ran out of tear-offs at the end. Both times I had guys in front of me where I could have maybe made something happen. We’re moving forward and that’s good. I got some alright starts and hung in there and my lap times were pretty good, it was a pretty decent day really. The first moto was the highlight for me, I felt like I rode really well and gave it everything I had. So we’re moving forward, happy days!”
Luke Arbon (TC 250 – MX2) “Not too bad, I didn’t get the overall but got some good points in the championship. I felt awesome in qualifying and was fourth so I was happy with that. I got off the concrete start well and into second. I had a bit of a battle with Clout and ended up getting into the lead and pulled a nice gap and won the first moto. Then in the second I got another good start in fifth and made a few quick passes, got into second in a couple of laps, and young Crawford was out front and I caught him a little bit but then the lappers got in the way a little bit and it was a bit of a game of cat and mouse, but he rode really well and I wasn’t able to catch him so congrats to him. I was happy with the 1-2 result – I made a lot of championship points so that’s the name of the game.”
Nathan Crawford (TC 250 – MX2) “I went out in the first moto and I got a decent start around seventh, so I just pushed as hard as I could in the first fifteen minutes and picked a couple off, then a couple went down and I battled my way into second and ended up copping Arbon’s roost by the last corner. So I knew that in the second moto if I got a good start I’d be able to do something with it. I ended up pulling the holeshot and I didn’t look back from there, I led from start to finish.
It was crazy, it was amazing. I went over the line and it was unbelievable, but it all went away too quickly. It’s gone now, so I’ll have to do it again. All the other rounds have MXD now so that’s the last MX2 round for the year, but regardless I’ll be there next year.”
Kawasaki Report
National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki enjoyed another successful round of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals at Swan Hill, Victoria with Jake Moss winning Superpole on his KX450F and going on to take a moto win.
Both Jake Moss and Adam Monea made Superpole at Swan Hill to keep their streak alive (having made Superpole at every round of the series so far). Jake Moss clocked the fastest lap time to win Superpole and $500 prize money while Adam Monea took 4th.
The Superpole win was an outstanding start to round 6 for Jake Moss. Looking to capitalise on his P1 qualification in moto 1, Moss got off to a good start and quickly found 4th place. Unfortunately he laid his bike down in mud on lap 11 which put him back to 7th. Another small get-off on the following lap meant he could only salvage an 11th place finish. The tables were turned in moto 2 however. Moss rode a phenomenal race to pass Kirk Gibbs for 2nd place and then pass his brother Matt to take the moto win. Jake Moss’s 11-1 results were good enough for 4th place overall for the round and 3rd place in the championship, just 45 points shy of the leader with another 4 rounds of racing to go.
Jake Moss say’s, “A Superpole win and a moto win is a lot to take away from the round but I’m obviously still disappointed with that 1st moto result. At Wanneroo I was the fastest on track and I was the fastest again this round on a track I don’t really like so that is a real confidence builder. I believe I’m going to be on top at the last 4 rounds. I just have to get this first race crash monkey off my back. It’s happened all year but I’ll get it done. I can still win the championship. I feel like I’m going to win. I just need to go out there and put the National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F on top.”
Adam Monea got his round 6 campaign off to a solid start with a 4th place finish in the opening moto. Arm pump in the late stages on the race prevented him from pushing for a top 3 finish. In moto 2, Monea finished the race off well after overcoming two separate crashes. He pushed hard to take 7th place with his 4-7 results leaving him in 5th place overall for the round and 4th place in the championship.
Adam Monea say’s, “It’s good to get into Superpole and get points. The track lines were getting blown out so it was hard to go as fast as the front guys but it was good to take some points. I rode tight in moto 1 and couldn’t race forward so I was pretty disappointed with that. Then in moto 2 I didn’t get the start I was hoping for and it turned into a bad race. I had a couple of crashes and just wasn’t riding well but I got it all together with about 12 minutes to go and started racing forward but it was too little too late and the damage was done. I’m pretty disappointed but I know my speed and fitness are there so I just need to get a start and finish the races in a position I know I can finish them in.”
National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki riders Jake Moss and Adam Monea will be fighting to further reduce the points margin separating them from the top of the leader-board at the 7th round of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals at Conondale, QLD on 13th July.
Veterans
Round 6 of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals at Swan Hill provided the chance for some of the vetrans of motocross racing to strut their stuff on the big stage, in the 2014 Swann Insurance Australian Vets Championship classes.
There were two Vets classes taking part in the event – the 30-39 year-old class and the 40+ class – each of which were given two races on the wonderful Swan Hill track.
In the 30-39 year-old class, it was a battle between two riders who have done great things for Australian racing in recent times in both motocross and enduro disciplines.
The big question leading into the round was whether recently retired motocross racer Cheyne Boyd could be challenged, with enduro star Glenn Kearney looking to be the biggest threat.
The answer in both races was a clear no.
Boyd easily accounted for the field of 12 riders taking his Yamah to two race wins, while Kearney onboard his Husqvarna was runner up in both motos taking second place for the round.
Honda rider Malcolm Cash steered himself to podium finishes in both races – his third placings in each moto enough to hand him third outright on the day.
Fellow Honda rider Travis Regeling finished the round in fourth, while Huqvarna pilot Steven Powell ended the day in fifth.
In the 40+ class, it was another well known name that stole the show, with Cameron Taylor recording back-to-back race wins on his Yamaha to claim overall round honous.
KTM riders Glenn Poole and Paul Novak both finished the round tied on 62 points, with Poole grabbing second overall as a result of a countback and Novak having to settle for third.
Mark Oberthur and Mike Reefman finished the round in fourth and fifth places respectively.
The next round of racing for the Swann Insurance Australian Vets Championship will take place at Coolum on 31 August.
Veterans 30-39 Results:
1) Cheyne Boyd 70
2) Glenn Kearney 64
3) Malcolm Cash 60
4) Travis Regeling 54
5) Christian Horwood 53
6) Steven Powell 51
7) Aaron Hunt 46
8) Jeremy Bennett 46
9) Julian Carafa 46
10) Stephen Moylan 42
Veterans 40+ Results:
1) Cameron Taylor 70
2) Glenn Poole 62
3) Paul Novak 62
4) Mark Oberthur 54
5) Mike Reefman 54
6) Daniel Phillips 50
7) Carl Woulfe 48
8) David Hill 44
9) Andrew Houlihan 42
10) John Platt 41
Both Luke Arbon and Lewis Woods have continued their dominating form, wrapping up their respective South Cup Privateer Championships at a stand out round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at Swan Hill on the weekend.
Over four selected rounds, both Arbon and Woods have proven that the privateers have what it takes to run up front, both enjoying top ten and top five results to finally take out the South Cup Privateer Championship at the last Victorian event.
Woods, who’s supported by Woods MX Snapes Logistics, earned the maximum 35 points at Swan Hill, to secure the Motul MX1 Championship, and says he couldn’t be happier.
“Being my first motocross season back from injury, taking this one out is a huge achievement for me, and I’m stoked.
“Winning the privateer cup is a huge bonus. Obviously I want to be a top five guy and achieve even more, but being top privateer is a childhood dream of mine, so it means a lot.
“The prizes we get for taking out a round of the privateer cup are a massive help. When you’re doing it mainly on your own every little bit helps.
“Having the privateer championship included this year, gives us the opportunity to be recognised and also give back to our sponsors that make it possible to go racing every weekend.
For SD3 Husqvarna’s Luke Arbon, taking out the privateer championship is a tick off the list for the young dominating two-stroke rider.
“It’s a pretty cool feeling wrapping this one up, and it’s something different that’s for sure.
“This has given the privateers something extra to race for, and we get some tyres and other bits and pieces out of it so it’s a good thing that’s for sure.
“Usually if you’re not running up the front, it’s hard to get exposure and hard to thank your sponsors, so this championship helps a lot.
“For me after this, I just hope I can keep winning races and overalls. I want to be in the championship hunt, and getting this ticked off is great too.
Round 4 – South Cup points:
MX1:
1) Lewis Woods 35
2) Joel Milesevic 32
3) James Booth-Elliot 30
4) Matt Ginders 28
MX2:
1) Luke Arbon 35
2) Riley Graham 32
3) Tom Jones 30
4) Matt Van Slooten 28
5) Thomas Ravenhorst 26
6) James Brown 25
Overall South Cup Championship points
MX1:
1) Lewis Woods 137
2) Matt Ginders 122
3) James Booth-Elliott 93
4) Brodie Hartin 53
5) Joel Milesevic 32
6) Alex Morris 30
7) Dylan Gosling 26
8) Chris Camilleri 24
9) Nick Bressan 23
MX2:
1) Luke Arbon 137
2) Riley Graham 119
3) Matt van Slooten 110
4) Tom Jones 107
5) Tomas Ravenhorst 99
6) Joel Milesevic
90
7) James Brown 74
8) Daniel Banks 63
9) Paul Humberston 23
Wilson MX Report
The Wilson MX boys have taken a step forward in what was a positive weekend at round six of the Monster Energy MX Nationals in Swan Hill on the weekend.
Qualifying was tough for all riders, with sub degree conditions out on the track. Luke Wilson managing a lap that saw him take 25th gate pick and Jake Emanuelli finishing the timed session in 20th.
Moto one saw both MX2 pilots dealing with their first and only concrete start of the year, into the first corner mid pack. Wilson taking 20th and Emanuelli having a solid ride with 15th at the end of the 30-minute moto.
In moto two, with the weather having warmed up, both Wilson and Emanuelli were more comfortable on the bikes and stuck it out on a tough rutty track to finish with Wilson in 17th and Emanuelli in 19th.
By the end of the final moto, both of the Wilson Mx boys had encouraging overall results with Emanuelli finishing round six with a 16th overall and Wilson rounding out the day in 17th.
Jake Emanuelli MX2 – 16th Overall (15th, 19th): “My day didn’t start off the best, qualifying 19th but I put that behind me and just went out in the first race trying to get it done,” he said.
“I didn’t get a real good start, and pretty much struggled all day sore arms and my fitness wasn’t too good.
“Other than that I got some points, and I’m closer to the top ten in the championship standings so just need to keep moving forward.
“The track was really good, it rutted up and got really rough which made racing a lot of fun out there. Looking forward to some warmer weather in Queensland though (laughs).”
Luke Wilson MX2 – 17th Overall (20th, 17th): “Today was not too bad. Things didn’t 100 per cent go to plan off the starts but other than that I felt really good,” he said.
“Pretty much the whole time I was on the track today, I felt like I was moving forward, and taking a big step with my riding, so that’s just what we need to keep doing.
“I’ve been working a fair bit lately, so I’m taking some time off work so I can get a bit more riding in, so it seems to be paying off after this weekend.
“Today was freezing out there, so we’re looking forward to some warmer weather over the next few rounds.”
Neale Wilson – Wilson MX Team Manager: “Happy with the weekend and the first round back,” he said.
“Luke had some minor issues with the clutch in the first race but we sorted that for the second one.
“Second race, he (Luke) had a great start but got boxed out and had to fight back through, I think if that hadn’t happened he would have been even better placed.
“Jake just needs to work on his fitness a little bit – he had a few dramas with his practice bike leading up to the race so wasn’t able to get as much riding done as we would have liked.
“But all in all it was a good day for us, and we made some progress.”
TM Racing Australia Report
Victorian Joel Milesevic has secured a top ten moto result aboard his TM MX 300 two stroke in the MX1 class at round six of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals held at Swan Hill in Victoria on Sunday the 29th of June.
Milesevic made the switch from the MX2 class to the MX1 class during the mid season break and proved straight away that is was a great decision as he raced to an impressive 9th place race result in the opening MX1 race.
The result could have been even better had he not got tangled up in a first turn crash that left him in second to last position.
Picking himself up, Milesevic raced through the field and by the time the chequered flag fell, was on the tail of the group of factory 450F’s battling over 6th position.
“I really enjoyed racing the 300 in the MX1 class on the weekend, it was certainly something different” Milesevic enthused. “Lining up on the gate there was no rubber smoke coming from my bike warming up the tyres just two stroke smoke!
“The bike was great, I was side by side with Dale when I caught him during the opening moto and was able to out drag him to the corner. The straight-line speed of the bike is awesome, just the initial speed out of the corners when it went hard pack later in the day made it hard.
“To be honest the first race was weird, after the crash at the start, I just put my head down and did not realise how many riders I had picked off. All of a sudden I looked up and saw my pit board reading 9th and saw the back of Winston and Carter in front of me!
“I did not think I was that far up the field. Then I noticed Mackenzie was in the group as well and I was shocked, I did not think I could catch top factory racers after a first turn crash.
“The Second race not so good, but we took a lot of positives out of it and know what to work on heading to Conondale. I am excited for the next round, I feel better on the bigger bike,” he concluded.
For Full Force Racing Components Joel Evans the day was one of mixed results with the Queenslander once again showing that he has the pace to run inside the top ten.
A mixture of bad starts and a crash in the opening moto stopped him from finishing inside the top ten for the round, but his 14-17 moto results for 14th overall for the round gave the TM MX 250 two stroke pilot his second best result for the season and Evan’s knows he is only two good starts away from his first top ten overall round finish.
“My day was a bit up and down, I had good pace all day, I felt good in qualifying but just did not get a good lap in,” Evans said.
“I could not get a good start off the concrete today! In the first race I was well back at the start but was coming through the pack pretty quickly and had moved into 16th when I got taken out by another rider, but that’s racing.
“The second moto I had another terrible start. I came through the field again and felt that I had good pace, rode consistent and ended up 14th for the race and the day, so all in all not to bad.
“I am looking forward to the next round at Conondale, even though I am more of a sand guy, the track there is fun and a bit old school and has the big extension jump for the fans, it is always a cool round.” Evans added.
CDR Yamaha Report
Round seven of the MX Nationals at Swann Hill will be one that the CDR Yamaha team would like to put behind them as fast as possible as both riders didn’t post the results they are capable of on a frustrating day for the factory Yamaha team.
Billy Mackenzie rounded out the day in sixth place with two sixth place results, while Jay Marmont came home in 12th.
The day promised so much for Mackenzie and after qualifying fourth fastest in the GoPro Superpole, he was feeling confident of a good performance. In race one he was well placed off the start and inside the top three when he fell from his bike and dropped down the field. He charged back to sixth place but the result could have been so much better.
Race two and Mackenzie hit the front as the field exited turn one. He led them around until he stalled the bike in the early stages and again dropped several spots. Again he battled hard to move through the field before again finishing sixth.
With six rounds in the books, Mackenzie sits in fifth place in the MX1 championship.
Jay Marmont also endured a tough day finishing well down the field in race one after a first turn crash before bouncing back to a respectable eighth place finish in race two. He finished the day in 12th place and sits ninth overall in the championship.
“It wasn’t one of our best days,” states team owner, Craig Dack. “Billy got himself into good positions in both races only to make costly mistakes and waste what could have been. He has been around long enough to know those mistakes cost you championships and he really has some work to do now if he wants to get back into the battle.”
“Jay did pretty well in race two but a first turn crash in race one ruined his day.
“I’m not real happy about today’s results as this team and these riders are better than that but we will keep fighting and be back stronger for the next round,” Dack concludes.
Serco Yamaha Report
Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout used smart racing and a cool head to increase his lead in the championship after action wrapped up at round six of the MX Nationals held at Swan Hill in Victoria.
Contesting the MX2 championship on his Yamaha YZ250F, Clout finished the day in third place with consistent 4-3 results in the two, 30 minute motos. Race one had Clout in the battle for the lead before falling and loose some time. He remounted and charged his way back to the front and made the pass for the race lead before crashing again. He scrambled back to his bike but could only manage a fourth place.
Race two and Clout moved his bike into third place early in the proceedings. With ‘no mistakes’ wringing in his ears after moto one, Clout rode a smart, yet conservative race to finish in third and make the final spot on the podium for the round.
Clout now carries a 14 point lead into round seven over New Zealander, Hamish Harwood.
“Race one was frustrating as I crashed twice and I should have won that race. I was angry at myself for letting that one slip.
“Race two I tried to sum up what was happening around me and who was where. When I noticed that I couldn’t see the guys near me in the championship, I just held my position and rode to get good points and build on my championship lead.
“It wasn’t a perfect day, but from a championship point of view, it was good,” Clout ends.
Jay Wilson rode strongly all day and finished with 9-4 results to claim fifth overall. Wilson holeshot race one and lead the race for considerable time before arm pump set in and he started to drop positions as the race wore on. With his forearms locked solid, Wilson hung on for a ninth place finish.
Things went much better in race two and Wilson found himself in a race long battle over positions 4-5 and 6. He kept the pressure on all the way and made a pass stick for fourth place in the final stages and that’s where he stayed until the finish.
“My arms pumped up so bad in race one,” Wilson explains. “I tried to relax and breathe to relief it a bit but it wouldn’t go away and just got worse later in the race.
Moto two was a better and I rode alright. I took a lot of roost from the bike in front of me as it was hard to pass, so I had to get aggressive at the end to make it happen,” Wilson said.
Wilson holds down seventh in the championship with four rounds remaining.
The Serco team now begin preparations for round seven at Conondale in Queensland. Being a home state event for the Queensland based team, Serco Yamaha will be out for a strong showing.
Motul Suzuki Report
Team Motul Suzuki rider Matt Moss’ defence of the 2014 MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, remains positive following a third place overall finish at Swan Hill in Victoria on Sunday. For teammate Rhys Carter, the round marked an opportunity to remember fallen countryman Trent Haywood.
Moss posted the fastest time in regular qualifying on board the RM-Z450, but ended up fifth in Super Pole on a quickly deteriorating track surface, before racing to second in the opening 30-minute MX1 moto. Fifth in moto two netted him third overall, now 19 points ahead of his closest rival in the title chase.
“I qualified first and felt really good, but having to go fifth in the Super Pole order was a disadvantage,” Moss explained. “The track blew out and the lines were a lot different by the time I had to do my Super Pole lap.
“In race one I didn’t feel the best, but I maintained what I had to do after hurting my wrist mid-way through the moto. Suzuki RACESAFE helped me, but it was aching in moto two and that was a shame. Overall though it wasn’t too bad and I’m really happy to head to Conondale now.”
Carter dedicated his weekend to Suzuki-supported New Zealand teenage racer Trent Haywood, who tragically lost his life earlier in June. Carter traded his customary number 12 for Haywood’s number 323 in his memory at Swan Hill as family and friends of the 14-year-old watched on after traveling from NZ.
His day started strongly, as fifth in the opening moto came following one of his best performances of the season. Moto two didn’t fare so well as he recorded a DNF due to a rare chain derailment during the moto, resulting in 17th overall for the round. That dropped him to 11th in the standings following six of 10 rounds, however just 22 points separates seventh through to 11th.
“Qualifying didn’t go that good for me, so to come away with fifth in the first moto was really good and my best result I’ve had,” Carter said. “I came from around 14th back up to fifth, so I felt really strong.
“In the second one I worked my way through again and was about to make the pass for fifth again, but I hit the wall jump on the circuit and the chain derailed. It was a freak thing, not something that has happened to me before, but it was a promising weekend overall.
“Trent’s family and a few of his close friends came over to the race, which was really nice to have them there. It was special for me and it meant a lot to race with his number during the round.”
