Dean Ferris dominates MX1

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team’s star rider, Dean Ferris, continued his outstanding start to the 2018 motocross season by taking another dominant victory at round two of the MX Nationals, held in perfect conditions over the weekend.

The Appin track was at its best with a challenging layout, well prepared dirt and a good size crowd on hand to witness Australia’s best motocross riders do battle.

Ferris, who has been the benchmark for Australian racing for the past two seasons, again set the bar high with an impressive performance that saw him dominate both races contested in the premier MX1 division and extend his lead in the championship.

The day didn’t start out as he had planned, missing the top five fastest qualifying times and therefore not able to compete in the Raceline Superpole event and the handy three points on offer. But, the ship was soon righted in moto one as the gates fell and Ferris powered his Yamaha YZ450F into the lead and set off at a brisk pace. His rivals kept him in sight but a relentless and determined Ferris kept his head down and went on to take the race win by 16 seconds.

Moto 1 Results – Appin MX Nationals Thor MX1 450

1. Dean Ferris
2. Kirk Gibbs +16.334
3. Brett Metcalfe +16.341
4. Dylan Long +42.866
5. Luke Clout +54.622
6. Kade Mosig +67.32
7. Rhys Carter +79.591
8. Caleb Ward +79.755
9. Mitch Evans +88.799
10. Connor Tierney +96.541

Moto two didn’t go drama free as the race needed to be stopped when a rider fell and required urgent attention. Once the track was clear, the field was re-gridded in the running order with Ferris at the front of the pack and the remaining 20 minutes of racing was completed. Ferris was the first rider across the finish line and claimed the race win when times of both parts of the race were added together.

Ferris has now won all four motos contested at the opening two rounds and already holds a commanding lead in the championship but the two-time champ understands there is plenty of work to be done and a long way to go in the 10-round championship.

Dean Ferris

“Another good day for myself and the team. Appin has always been good to me and since my return to Australia in 2016, I have won here so I always enjoy racing this track. Missing the Superpole event was a bit odd and it’s the first time I can remember not being in it. I felt I was riding pretty good in practice and qualifying but when the team told me I was sixth, I was a bit stunned. Thankfully, it didn’t matter once the races started and I was able to win both races and keep my good start to the championship on track. My YZ450F was working well today and the team do an amazing job of making my life easy. Aiden, who works on my bike, puts in the hours and we make a great team so thank you to him and everyone at CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team.”

KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs and Luke Clout finished second and third respectively, while defending champion Egan Mastin collected sixth overall in MX2.

Jay Marmont – Team Manager, KTM Motocross Racing Team

“MX1 was awesome, both the boys were on fire in practice – one would go quickest, then the other would go quickest – it was just good to see them up front, so I knew we were in for a good day. The first moto was pretty decent with Luke in fifth and Kirk rode like normal Kirk, putting on the charge in the last part of the moto to get second place. That last moto was exceptional to finally see Luke ride to his potential, because we’ve been working really hard with him this year – it really proved that he’s adapted well to the KTM 450 SX-F and managed to lead the race for more than halfway to finish third overall, which is a great result for him and the team. Kirk also walked away with good points in second position overall, which was another podium result. The team is working really hard and we’ll keep pushing, so we’ll see how we go at Wonthaggi.”

Kirk Gibbs

“I’m disappointed in some ways because I just feel a lot more confident and happy with the way I’m riding, so that’s why I think it hurts even more to finish second now. Everything’s clicking and I’m in the right position to win, but it’s just not happening for me. I started off the day well, in the first moto I was sitting around fourth, got into third and put on a hard charge for second. That second moto I was just sitting there, I didn’t really feel anyone flicked the switch and took off, so I slowly started to chip away at them and made a little mistake, went down and that’s all she wrote. It’s frustrating that a little mistake rewrites the whole day. Second overall is still good, but the points deficit is getting bigger and you don’t really want to give too much of a buffer at this point of the year.”

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Luke Clout

“It’s good to get the monkey off my back and get the first podium with the KTM Motocross Racing Team. These boys work super-hard and to repay them is a good feeling. I was kind of disappointed I let the race win slip, but Dean [Ferris] really picked it up in the end. I’ve got a bit of work to do, but I think I showed some good speed today, rode smoothly and didn’t let him fluster me, so I think that’s positive. I’m pretty happy and – like I said – I would’ve liked to have won the last one, but second is good as well, so I’m happy with it.”

Dylan Long, made huge strides forward in his racing at Appin and finished in fourth place in an incredible return to form for the Victorian based rider. By his own admission, the opening round was terrible for Long and his results weren’t what is expected of a racer with his talent and ability.
But, to his credit, he worked hard over the two-week gap between events, hit the Appin track with determination and raced with aggression and speed.

Long finished with a fourth in moto one and then a third in moto two to pile on 58 points and finish equal third for the day with Luke Clout fourth on a countback where the final moto breaks the tiebreaker. Still, it was an impressive performance by Long and one that he is more than capable of replicating at the coming rounds. Long now sits fourth in the championship.

Dylan Long

“Today was a little more like me and the way I ride. The opening round was just awful and there was no way to hide from it. I went home with my tail between my legs and made sure I did the work for this weekend and went to the start line confident that I was prepared. My goal is to get on the podium so I was a bit short of that but I feel much better within myself about the way I raced and my ability. The plan now is to build from this and try an improve a little at each round.”

Brett Metcalfe and the team at Penrite Honda accept they need to find a solid race set up ahead of Round 3 of the MX Nationals held in Wonthaggi, Victoria.

Brett Metcalfe

“When the track has moisture we are fast but as it dries we lose race pace because of our setup, this is an area we need to focus on. We made some minor changes during practice and qualifying and we improved the bike considerably. I was really happy we took 1st in qualifying but it didn’t translate to race pace following further changes post qualifying. I was bummed to lose 2nd to Gibbs on the last lap in the last corner. I struggled during the race to maintain the speed of Ferris. I was pushing hard to stay with him and I was using a lot of energy.  We went the wrong way in moto 2, we made a call and it was wrong and the team and I realised that we need to continue testing. I am confident we have podium finishes but we need to find race pace and perfect our setups.”

There is now a two-week break in racing before the championship picks up at rounds three and four in a first for the MX Nationals where a double header, race weekend occurs in a massive event in the black loam of Wonthaggi.

Moto 2 Results Part Two – Appin MX Nationals Thor MX1 450

1. Dean Ferris
2. Luke Clout +10.366
3. Dylan Long +15.357
4. Kirk Gibbs +15.372
5. Brett Metcalfe +25.048
6. Caleb Ward +45.551
7. Rhys Carter +51.549
8. Kade Mosig +58.847
9. Connor Tierney +60.802
10. Mitch Evans +69.140

Appin MX Nationals Thor MX1 450 Round Points

1. Dean Ferris 70
2. Kirk Gibbs 60
3. Luke Clout 58
4. Dylan Long 58
5. Brett Metcalfe 56
6. Caleb Ward 48
7. Rhys Carter 48
8. Kade Mosig 48
9. Connor Tierney 43
10. Mitch Evans 43

Thor MX1 Championship Points Standings

1. Dean Ferris 140
2. Kirk Gibbs 127
3. Luke Clout 108
4. Dylan Long 104
5. Mitch Evans 103
6. Kade Mosig 101
7. Caleb Ward 99
8. Rhys Carter 96
9. Brett Metcalfe 89
10. Connor Tierney 85

Yamaha MX2 riders go 1-2-3

Serco Yamaha’s new recruit Nathan Crawford has stormed to the top of the Pirelli MX2 championship standings with an impressive double-moto victory around the hard-packed Appin circuit.

Crawford claimed both moto wins by more than eight seconds to stand atop the podium, flanked by Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) and Serco Yamaha teammate Wilson Todd. Former red-plate holder Aaron Tanti (Complete Parts Kawasaki Racing) finished the day in eighth overall.

In the opening Pirelli MX2 race Crawford was in blistering form as he worked his way through the field to pass long-time race leader Wilson for the victory. Local racer Dylan Wills (DPH Motorsports Husqvarna) finished the moto in third, with Tanti fourth, narrowly ahead of CRF Penrite Honda Racing’s Jackson Richardson.

When the gates dropped on the second race of the day, Wilson again leapt to the front of the pack, but was soon dispatched by Crawford.

Crawford wasn’t headed for the rest of the moto, with teammate Todd second and Wilson third. Honda pairing Jackson Richardson and Kyle Webster finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Nathan Crawford

“The weekend was awesome for me and the Serco team. I felt strong on the bike all day and once I got into my flow in race one, I was able to make passes and get towards the front. I was able to keep doing the big step down out the back and that became a great passing opportunity for me where I could get alongside them or just jump pass them and I was able to use that to my advantage. That’s three race wins from the first four races and a great start to the championship. But the MX2 field is pretty deep this year and it’s not hard to ride well and be outside of the top five so it’s important to keep on doing what we are doing and finishing each moto in a good a position as possible.”

Wilson Todd

“The weekend went a little better for me and certainly a lot better than round one. It’s still not where I want or expect to be but I felt a lot better on the bike over the weekend and Appin is a track I have struggled with in the past so it was good to get a podium result and I can move forward to the next round. Round three and four are at Wonthaggi in Victoria and on a surface I prefer to ride on. We have a two week break before then so I will keep working hard and continue my improvement from round one.”

Moto 1 Results – Appin MX Nationals Pirelli MX2

1. Nathan Crawford
2. Jay Wilson +8.268
3. Dylan Wills +20.854
4. Aaron Tanti +27.222
5. Jackson Richardson +27.856
6. Wilson Todd +30.616
7. Egan Mastin +33.831
8. Richie Evans +36.145
9. Kyle Webster +54.925
10. Hamish Harwood +55.368

Moto 2 Results – Appin MX Nationals Pirelli MX2

1. Nathan Crawford
2. Wilson Todd +8.789
3. Jay Wilson +13.083
4. Jackson Richardson +32.918
5. Kyle Webster +47.767
6. Egan Mastin +55.683
7. Jy Roberts +62.168
8. Dylan Wills +62.742
9. Kale Makeham +71.332
10. Hamish Harwood +81.428

Appin MX Nationals Pirelli MX2 Round Points

1. Nathan Crawford 70
2. Jay Wilson 62
3. Wilson Todd 57
4. Jackson Richardson 54
5. Dylan Wills 53
6. Egan Mastin 49
7. Kyle Webster 48
8. Aaron Tanti 45
9. Kale Makeham 42
10. Hamish Harwood 42

Pirelli MX2 Championship Points Standings

1. Nathan Crawford 133
2. Aaron Tanti 110
3. Wilson Todd 109
4. Jay Wilson 108
5. Jackson Richardson 102
6. Kyle Webster 101
7. Hamish Harwood 100
8. Egan Mastin 95
9. Dylan Wills 92
10. Kale Makeham 81

MXD

Husqvarna-mounted Riley Dukes has gained a slender upper-hand in the Motul MXD class at Appin’s second round of the Pirelli MX Nationals, with a brace of consistent second-place finishes seeing him take over the championship lead.

Dukes was joined on the day’s podium by race winners Morgan Fogarty (Davey Motorsports KTM) and Hugh McKay (Bulk Nutrients WBR Yamaha).

In the opening Motul MXD race McKay crossed the line three seconds ahead of Dukes, with Penrite Honda Racing’s Callum Norton third, narrowly ahead of Brodie Ellis (Yamaha) and Fogarty.

Fogarty made amends in the second race, finishing two seconds ahead of Dukes around the rough circuit, with Rhys Budd (Red Ride Honda) rounding out the podium. After a captivating battle, Bailey Malkiewicz (Bulk Nutrients WBR Yamaha) and McKay claimed fourth and fifth respectively.

Moto 1 Results – Appin MX Nationals Motul MXD

1. Hugh McKay
2. Riley Dukes +3.224
3. Callum Norton +5.381
4. Brodie Ellis +6.018
5. Morgan Fogarty +12.429
6. Bailey Malkiewicz +15.003
7. Rhys Budd +15.805
8. Mat Fabry +28.624
9. Jake Williams +42.178
10. Mason Rowe +50.738

Moto 2 Results – Appin MX Nationals Motul MXD

1. Morgan Fogarty
2. Riley Dukes +2.424
3. Rhys Budd +6.674
4. Bailey Malkiewicz +7.627
5. Hugh McKay +8.579
6. Callum Norton +11.340
7. Maximus Purvis +34.855
8. Mason Semmens +35.803
9. Brodie Ellis +43.634
10. Mason Rowe +48.734

Appin MX Nationals Motul MXD Round Points

1. Riley Dukes 64
2. Morgan Fogarty 61
3. Hugh McKay 61
4. Callum Norton 55
5. Rhys Budd 54
6. Bailey Malkiewicz 53
7. Brodie Ellis 50
8. Maximus Purvis 42
9. Mason Semmens 42
10. Mason Rowe 42

Motul MXD Championship Standings

1. Riley Dukes 124
2. Hugh McKay 121
3. Morgan Fogarty 119
4. Callum Norton 115
5. Bailey Malkiewicz 112
6. Brodie Ellis 102
7. Rhys Budd 96
8. Maximus Purvis 82
9. Mason Rowe 77
10. Jai Constantinou 73

Duffy dominates Yamaha Rising Star Rookies

Western Australia’s Regan Duffy (KTM) put the rest of the Rising Star Rookies field to the sword with huge leads in both races to claim victory from Dante Hyam (Honda) and Blake Fox (KTM) at Appin.

After qualifying 1.7 seconds faster than anyone, Duffy stretched out leads of more than 22 seconds in both motos, leaving the rest of the pack to fight for the minor placings.

In the first Yamaha Rising Star Rookies race, Fox and Hyam beat Jai Walker (Husqvarna) and Alex Larwood (Yamaha) for the podium positions. In their second outing Hyam and Korey McMahon (KTM) claimed second and third respectively, with Fox then leading Walker across the finish line.

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Moto 1 Results
Appin MX Nationals 2018

1. Regan Duffy
2. Blake Fox +25.481
3. Dante Hyam +36.436
4. Jai Walker +56.549
5. Alex Larwood +60.425
6. Korey McMahon +90.359
7. Noah Ferguson +91.725
8. Oliver Marchand +97.891
9. Bailee Williams +115.391
10. Levi Rogers +121.835

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Moto 2 Results
Appin MX Nationals 2018

1. Regan Duffy
2. Dante Hyam +22.986
3. Korey McMahon +31.121
4. Blake Fox +35.374
5. Jai Walker +40.352
6. Ryan Gaylor +59.869
7. Alex Larwood +63.910
8. Noah Ferguson +65.800
9. Billy Payne +72.228
10. Kipp Adams +83.782

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies – Points
Appin MX Nationals 2018

1. Regan Duffy 70
2. Dante Hyam 62
3. Blake Fox 60
4. Korey McMahon 55
5. Jai Walker 54
6. Alex Larwood 50
7. Noah Ferguson 47
8. Oliver Marchand 43
9. Ryan Gaylor 41
10. Kipp Adams 41

2018 MX Nationals Calendar

• Round 1 Newry VIC Sunday April 15th
• Round 2 Appin NSW Sunday April 29th
• Round 3 Wonthaggi VIC Saturday May 19th
• Round 4 Wonthaggi VIC Sunday May 20th
• Round 5 Murray Bridge SA Sunday May 27th
• Round 6 Conondale QLD Sunday July 1st
• Round 7 Maitland NSW Saturday July 14th
• Round 8 Maitland NSW Sunday July 15th
• Round 9 Gladstone QLD Sunday August 5th
• Round 10 Coolum QLD Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th August

MX Nationals Images