AUS-X 2015 – Round Four – Jimboomba
Dan Reardon wins again – Lewis Woods tops SX2
On a night when the heat of the on-track action matched the blistering ambient temperature, Saturday’s GoPro fourth round of the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship at Jimboomba X Stadium saw CDR Yamaha’s Dan Reardon and Davey Motorsports KTM’s Lewis Woods wearing the biggest smiles of all after taking the wins in the SX1 and SX2 Championship classes respectively.
For SX1 Championship leader Reardon, tonight’s Jimboomba event saw him capture his third straight round win of the series and extend his advantage over arch rival and defending champion, Team Motul Suzuki’s Matt Moss.
Reardon was in blistering form all night long, much to the delight of the partisan local crowd, setting the fastest qualifying time and winning both SX1 heat races.
But in the main event Moss grabbed the vital holeshot, however Reardon was immediately on his tail out of the first turn, the pair soon locking horns through the first lap before Moss lost control of his front end coming into a hairpin turn and fell.
The drop left Moss with no option but to put his head down and charge back through the pack on the technical and hard packed track if he wanted to keep his Championship hopes alive.
And for the third straight round, that’s just what Moss did, the gutsy Suzuki ace working right back through the field to take an eventual second place finish.
But out front Reardon was also doing what has now become his habit – winning – the SX1 Comeback King gapping the field to take his third straight round win as he slowly but surely stamps his domination over the Championship, with just two rounds now left to run.
Behind Reardon and Moss, second CDR Yamaha rider Kade Mosig rode strong all race to nail down a solid third place finish, while NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing’s Adam Monea and DPH Motorsports Peter Stevens Yamaha’s Lawson Bopping filled the top five.
Atop the post-race podium, Gold Coaster Reardon was once again delighted to get another Jimboomba win for the south-east Queensland fans, who again turned out in force, despite roasting temperatures approaching 40 degrees centigrade through the afternoon.
“This one is a really critical round in the Championship, so I’m rapt to get the win for all the fans here in Queensland that have come out to support me, as well as keep the momentum and open up a few more points lead in the series,” Reardon explained.
“We’ve got two more rounds to go in the Championship and the next one next weekend at Sydney is indoors at the AUS-X Open event, which I’m really looking forward to.
“My plan is to keep doing whatever it takes to get this Championship won.”
Meanwhile a clearly dejected Moss was disappointed in the race, despite coming through from so far back after his fall to finish runner-up.
“That’s three straight rounds I’ve been on the ground,” said Moss philosophically, “and when you’re racing for a Championship, you can”t afford to do that.
“But I’ve just got to cop it on the chin and come back stronger at the next one.”
Kade Mosig continued his impressive supercross season and was pleased to achieve yet another podium performance at Jimboomba.
“I was trying so hard to stay in second,” Mosig stated. “I saw Matt edging up so I tried to put in some fast laps there to keep him at bay but the track was so slippery that it was easy to override it and actually go slower.
“It’s good to get up here on the podium again and I was able to make a few extra points over fourth. Thank you to the Jimboomba crowd for coming out tonight and dealing with the heat this afternoon, it was uncomfortable for everyone so it was awesome they came out to support supercross. Scott Bannan does an amazing job promoting this event and the riders love coming here, so we look forward to seeing everyone here again next year,” Mosig ends.
Next weekend the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship presented by Penrite Oils moves onto the AUS-X Open event at Allphones Arena in Sydney, where Saturday night’s points paying Championship event will feature the added dimension of the appearance of global Supercross superstars Chad Reed and James ‘Bubba’ Stewart in the SX1 class.
In the SX2 Championship racing at Jimboomba, the win streak of American invader Jimmy Decotis (Penrite Honda Racing) was finally broken, and it was young Victorian rider Lewis Woods from the Davey Motorsports KTM team who took the prized scalp.
Woods used a blistering start in the SX2 main event alongside fellow Newcastle KTM runner Dylan Wills to quickly open a gap over the pack, while a crash just off the elevated startline that involved SX2 Championship runner-up Luke Clout (Serco Yamaha) left him at the back of the pack.
Woods set a cracking pace at the front of the field, as all eyes looked for Decotis, who was running top five in the opening laps and slowly but surely making his way forward until catching second placed Wills, when the pair tangled. Decotis managed to keep his place, while Wills had to fight back to an eventual fifth place finish.
In the closing laps of the race, Woods proved his mettle and kept making the front running, despite Decotis moving ever closer, but this time around the American couldn’t pull off one of his come from behind wins, and instead had to settle for runner-up behind the KTM rider.
An elated Woods was rapt to take the SX2 win, which came after he earlier in the night won the Best Whip contest.
“It’s been a great night,” Woods smiled.
“Getting a great start in the final makes all the difference and then all I had to do was get into a rhythm and just keep it going.
“I knew late in the race Jimmy would be coming, because that’s what he does, but I just kept at it and that’s what got me the win and it feels awesome.”
For runner-up Decotis, the pint-size American ace was gracious in taking his first defeat of the series, giving Woods full credit for his performance.
“Lewis rode so good tonight,” Decotis offered.
“I got close there at the end but not close enough, simple as that.
“Second tonight keeps me right at the top of the Championship, and I’m happy with that, but that’s not to take anything away from Lewis, as he absolutely earned that win tonight.”
Behind Woods and Decotis, South Australian SD3 Husqvarna rider Luke Arbon turned in another solid performance to finish third, while Penrite Honda Wilson MX’s Geran Stapleton, Wills and CRF Honda Racing’s Joel Wightman filled out the top six placings.
Luke Arbon – Husqvarna FC 250 – “I felt a lot more comfortable on the track this time and just felt I pushed a bit harder. Oh man, it was so hot here. I was sitting in the van with the air con on, and staying out of the sun, but as soon as you would go out on the track, instantly your throat would dry up and it got quite hard to concentrate, but we got through it.
“The last round here I struggled a lot, pumping up and I just didn’t have much speed, whereas this time I felt really solid, it was still real hot tonight so in the last five laps or so when I had a big gap ahead of me and behind me I just turned it down a little played it conservative.
“The track was very slippery with a combination of hardpack and loose. You definitely had to be careful in turns not to slide the front or the back around on you. It made block passing difficult, it was hard to suddenly stop and you ended up very committed.
“In the final I was first coming into the turn, but got in a bit too hot and just couldn’t really turn it. I went a bit wide and a few guys came up the inside and just pushed me out. I made a few good passes early on and was in third, but got to Wills and was a bit too nice and didn’t get the pass done.
Clout crashed out and Richo was back a little bit so I’m sure that has tightened things up for second position.”
Clout had staged a valiant comeback from the startline mishap with DPH Motorsports Peter Stevens Yamaha rider Wade Hunter, to get back up into the top five, before crashing again and failing to finish.
In SXD class racing at the Jimboomba event, GYTR Yamaha rider Jordan Hill made his return to the series a winning one, by taking the overall win on the night, ahead of Mathews Motorcycles sponsored Trent Wheatly and SS Racing’s Lachlan Holroyd.
Raceline Pirelli Suzuki’s Brock McLeary finished fourth, while championship front runner Mitch Evans (GYTR Yamaha) finished eight overall after crashing heavily in the final moto.
AUS-X 2015 – Round Four Results – Jimboomba J2
SX1
- Daniel Reardon
- Matt Moss
- Kade Mosig
- Adam Monea
- Lawson Bopping
- Luke Styke
- Daniel McCoy
- Gavin Faith
- Danny Ham
- Joel Newton
Australian Supercross 2015 Championship Standings – After Round Four (Unofficial)
- Daniel Reardon – 137
- Matt Moss – 127
- Kade Mosig – 112
- Adam Monea – 107
- Lawson Bopping – 99
- Luke Styke – 93
- Daniel McCoy – 92
- Danny Ham – 78
- Gavin Faith – 77
- Kirk Gibbs – 54
SX2 Results
- Lewis Woods
- Jimmy Decotis
- Luke Arbon
- Geran Stapleton
- Dylan Wills
- Joel Wightman
- Luke Wilson
- Tomas Ravenhorst
- Jesse Madden
- Jackson Richardson
2015 Australian Supercross Championship
- Round 1: October 10, Bathurst, NSW
- Round 2: October 17, Jimboomba, Queensland
- Round 3: October 31, Adelaide Showground, Wayville, South Australia
- Round 4: November 21, Jimboomba, Queensland
- Round 5: November 28, Allphones Arena, Homebush, NSW
- Round 6: December 5, Knights Stadium, Sunshine, Victoria
