Jack Miller wins Open category MX at Battle in the Bush

MXStore Battle in the Bush

The Battle in the Bush was a motocross event staged last weekend, July 10, at Green Park in Conondale and backed by MXStore.

While there were two x five lap races staged for Over 250, 125/Expert and 250 classes, along with Clubman 125 four-lappers, the headline act was a three-hour teams relay event. 

Those in the know suggest that this is the very first time a three-hour motocross teams race has been conducted in Queensland since the 1970s.

And a better back drop for it I can’t imagine, Conondale is a magnificent venue with a beautiful bush back drop.

A nice place to camp too….

While most of the tier one best and brightest stars of the Australian Pro MX Nationals were not competing in the event, the field was not exactly a bunch of swappers!

Names like Fraser Higlett, Rhys Budd, Ford Dale and Kye Orchard still underlined the fact that there was plenty of talent in the field, there was also this fella that rides a MotoGP bike for Ducati as a day job… 

For the MXStore backed Bikes in the Bush Jack Miller was on Red Bull liveried KTM machinery, the likes of which, albeit with three more cylinders and an extra 240 horsepower, he will be riding in MotoGP next season. 

Adding further frivolity and colour to the event that was pitched at being all about fun rather than sheep stations, gate picks were decided from a relay running race, that’s right on foot! 

There was also the SBS Brake Test challenge.

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And also a bit of a rut railing contest, where some did better than others…

It was the ‘Moorina Pirates’ team of Jake Huhse, Nathan Finn and Adam Martin that proved themselves most fleet of foot in the running relay to get first gate pick ahead of the ‘Has Beens’ quartet of Blake Cobbin, Damon Collis, Elijah Wiese and Sam Pelz.  

The inaugural Batte in the Bush MXStore three-hour Moto Relay victory though went to the triumvirate of Michael Munro, Ford Dale and Rhys Budd running under the moniker of ‘MFK’.

The second placed ‘Team Roys’ were just over a minute behind and consisted of Thomas Wood, Tom Kruger, Joel Phillips and Jayce Cosford. 

‘TLR’ rounded out the podium with Cody Schat, Ricky Latimer and Kye Orchard.  

Jack Miller had teamed up with Matty Macalpine, Ryan Thomas and Jake Gook for the three-hour and the quartet finished seventh.

As for the solo contests Jack Miller was third in the opening 125 cc bout behind race winner Joel Rizzo and second placed Luke Davis.

Jack Miller got the better of Davis in the second bout to claim second while Rizzo did the double for overall 125 cc honours.

In the Open category for over 250 cc machines Miller shared the race wins with Kye Orchard with that pair finishing in front of Fraser Higlett in both contests.

Jack Miller took the overall Open win thanks to that second moto victory despite finishing equal on points with Orchard.

In the 250 category Harley Maher and Sam Pelz took a win apiece with Pelz taking the outright thanks to the second moto win.

Something else most definitely worthy of note, was that Daniel McCoy contested the three-hour relay and with his SFC Racing Team finished 16th.

For those that don’t know, McCoy was paralysed from the waist down while racing in the UK six years ago.

A couple of years later he got back on a specially modified motocross bike for the first time and at Conondale on the weekend was back racing.

It is clear Daniel can still jump better than I ever could, or ever will!  Also on his SFC Racing Team was Andrew Ridley and Pro Surfer Julian Wilson.

By all reports the objective for the inaugural Battle in the Bush to be a fun event was fulfilled and everyone is keen to make it into an annual adventure.

Battle in the Bush – MXStore 3 Hour Moto Relay

Over 250 Points

MXStore 125cc Cup Pro/Expert Points

250 cc Points

MXStore 125cc Cup Clubman Points