Dean Ferris sweeps Coolum | Wilson Todd MX2 Champion

MX1 Champion Dean Ferris ends season on high note

Wilson Todd claims his first Pirelli MX2 championship

Bailey Malkiewicz wins MXD Under 19s title

Images by ScottYa

Dean Ferris has ended his Championship winning season on a high note, with his strongest performance of the year at the Coolum season final, with Mitch Evans and Caleb Ward completing the top three.

Ferris won every round of the championship this year, and his worst results of the season was taking second in four motos. During the week Dean Ferris announced he was heading abroad to race internationally for 2019.

Wilson Todd claimed his first MX2 Championship over the weekend, with a calculated ride at Coolum collecting safe points, while Kyle Webster took the round win. Todd tops the Pirelli MX2 standings on 558 points, with Aaron Tanti second on 501, just three points ahead of third placed Hamish Harwood.

In the Motul MXD class Bailey Malkiewicz took the Under 19s Championship at Coolum, winning the title by 24 points from Hugh McKay, with Riley Dukes a further 3 points in arrears, while fourth placed Maximus Purvis took the round with.

Meghan Rutledge had a strong weekend, claiming the round win and Championship title. Regan Duffy took the overall Yamaha Rising Star Rookies win at Coolum, while Cameron Taylor won the Yamaha 125 Gold Cup class. The Yamaha Amateur Cup saw Joshua Livsey take the overall round win, while Jake Cannon took a narrow win from Kayd Kingsford in the Yamaha YZ65 Cup.

Ray Howard – Yamaha Motorsport Manager

“On behalf of Yamaha Motor Australia, I would to acknowledge, congratulate and simply say thank you to all our riders and staff on an amazing 2018 MX Nationals championship campaign. Winning all three major classes is an amazing accomplishment and a true reflection of the hard work and dedication of each and every member of our racing family. Each year as a company we set our goals high and we have exceeded them yet again. Dean, Wilson and Bailey have done an amazing job this year and we are so proud of their efforts and success. Yamaha has a proud racing history and heritage, it’s the DNA of our company and these riders, along with the teams and supporters, have continued this legacy. Dean winning all 10 rounds this year is an achievement not yet seen in the MX1 class and is a feat that will take some beating in the future. Wilson rebounding after the devastation of 2017 where he was less than 10 minutes away from winning the championship when he fell, to staying on top this year in a great display of his mental toughness to secure the MX2 championship. And Bailey joined Yamaha this year and proved he is a star of the future with his brilliant performance this year. Well done to all and while 2018 will be hard to match, we will again set our goals high, work hard to achieve them and continue to be passionate about racing,”

Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha Team Owner

“The past three years working with Dean has been great for myself and the team. With Dean, you know you are getting a rider who rolls up his sleeves, is prepared to get dirty and gives his all every time he hits the track. His passion for racing is infectious and we all gel so well that it is sad to see him go but we 100% understand that he has international goals to attain.  We still have the Australian Supercross Championship to go and that is another goal Dean has set for himself this year so we expect him to do what he always does and leave it on all the track.  For Dylan this season has been a bit of a mixed bag. He just needs to find the consistency in his racing across all ten rounds and all racing surfaces. I think the change of pace to Supercross will be good for him and there were some rounds in 2017 where he was a fast as anyone, especially the Adelaide round where he finished second.  Thank you to my staff and team sponsors for their continued support and commitment as well as the long term relationship we have with Yamaha Australia. Its nearly a 30 year relationship that continues to grow.”

Thor MX1

Dean Ferris, who wrapped up the championship last weekend, put the field to the sword in both motos, winning both races by more than 30 seconds and completing a perfect clean sweep of round victories this year.

Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Mitch Evans finished the day in second and Davey Motorsports Husqvarna’s Caleb Ward finished the season strongly with his second top three in as many weeks.

Evans grabbed the holeshot of the opening Thor MX1 moto and led for six laps before a charging Ferris strode past and disappeared into the distance. By the end of the race he’d lapped up to fifth place, with a margin of 37.4s over second-placed Evans.

Ward put in a gritty ride to pass eventual non-finisher Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) for third with two laps to go. Rhys Carter (Complete Parts Kawasaki Racing) and Callum Norton (DPH Husqvarna) finished fourth and fifth.

Thor MX1 Moto 1

1. Dean Ferris
2. Mitch Evans +37.406
3. Caleb Ward +53.954
4. Rhys Carter +2:21.054
5. Brett Metcalfe 16 laps
6. Callum Norton 16 laps
7. Luke Clout 16 laps
8. Zak Small 16 laps
9. Dylan Long 16 laps
10. Charlie Creech 16 laps

In the final 450cc moto of the season KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Luke Clout snatched a brilliant holeshot, but was overhauled by Evans before the end of the lap.

It was shortlived though, as Ferris moved into the lead on the second lap and again put daylight between himself and the pack, finishing with a 34.4s buffer over Evans. A consistent ride from Ward saw him place third, with Metcalfe fourth and Norton fifth.

Thor MX1 Moto 2

1. Dean Ferris
2. Mitch Evans +34.356
3. Caleb Ward +45.421
4. Brett Metcalfe +47.204
5. Callum Norton +1:31.835
6. Dylan Long +1:48.545
7. Luke Clout +2:00.377
8. Rhys Carter 16 laps
9. Zak Small 16 laps
10. Charlie Creech 16 laps

The top three positions in the Thor MX1 championship were filled by Ferris, Evans and Clout.

Dean Ferris

“Last year I won nine of the ten rounds and I made a little deal with myself this year to aim to win every round. Today I was able to achieve that and I’m super stoked to be able to do it with this team of people behind me at CDR Yamaha Monster Energy as well as what could be my final round of motocross in Australia for some time. The track today was tough as the sand was deep and the ruts made it a real challenge. Physically, it was as demanding a track we have had in some time so I’m thankful for the work my trainer, Guy Andrews and I have put in. Thank you to WEM for another great series as well as the event sponsors. I’m honoured to have won this championship three times now and it was something I dreamed about as a kid when I first started racing on a YZ85. Finally, a huge thank you to my family, girlfriend, my mechanic Aiden who is prepared to do whatever it takes and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team who make it feel like a second home at the race track.”

Thor MX1 Results

1. Dean Ferris (Yamaha) 70
2. Mitch Evans (KTM) 64
3. Caleb Ward (Husqvarna) 60
4. Callum Norton (Husqvarna) 52
5. Rhys Carter (Kawasaki) 51
6. Luke Clout (KTM) 49
7. Dylan Long (Yamaha) 48
8. Zak Small (Husqvarna) 46
9. Charlie Creech (Honda) 43
10. Joben Baldwin (Yamaha) 41

Thor MX1 Standings

1. Dean Ferris 701
2. Mitch Evans 570
3. Luke Clout 547
4. Caleb Ward 507
5. Dylan Long 502
6. Brett Metcalfe 484
7. Rhys Carter 468
8. Zak Small 357
9. Joel Wightman 337
10. Kade Mosig 321

Pirelli MX2

Kyle Webster took the Coolum victory on countback after splitting moto wins with Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Jay Wilson in second overall, while Kiwi Hamish Harwood (Davey Motorsports KTM) picked up third overall.

Todd claimed the championship title in the opening race with a reserved ride to sixth, as Wilson hunted down and passed early leader Harwood on the second lap.

Wilson was never headed, although a hard-charging Webster closed in before a small crash saw him have to settle for second, ahead of Harwood.

Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Richie Evans finished fourth and Jayden Rykers (Raceline Pirelli KTM) in fifth.

Pirelli MX2 Moto 1

1. Jay Wilson 33:49.269
2. Kyle Webster +13.271
3. Hamish Harwood +23.097
4. Richie Evans +1:04.639
5. Jayden Rykers +1:31.632
6. Wilson Todd +1:34.055
7. Kaleb Barham +2:07.397
8. Ricky Latimer 16 laps
9. Jy Roberts 16 laps
10. Cooper Pozniak 16 laps

Complete Parts Kawasaki Racing’s Aaron Tanti scored the final holeshot of the season in the MX2’s second outing, but Wilson attacked quickly to claim the lead, with Webster on his heels.

On the third lap Webster seized an opportunity to overtake Wilson, eventually leading him over the finish line by 8.4 seconds. Harwood claimed a consistent third, with Todd fourth and Jy Roberts (Husqvarna) fifth.

Pirelli MX2 Moto 2

1. Kyle Webster 23:34.961
2. Jay Wilson +8.404
3. Hamish Harwood +24.735
4. Wilson Todd +41.438
5. Jy Roberts +1:23.475
6. Joel Evans +1:23.781
7. Kaleb Barham +1:34.011
8. Cooper Pozniak +1:35.671
9. Aaron Tanti +2:00.536
10. Kale Makeham +2:13.870

The top three positions in the Pirelli MX2 championship belonged to Todd, Harwood and Tanti.

Pirelli MX2 Results

1. Kyle Webster (Honda) 67
2. Jay Wilson (Yamaha) 67
3. Hamish Harwood (KTM) 60
4. Wilson Todd (Yamaha) 53
5. Jy Roberts (Husqvarna) 48
6. Kaleb Barham (Husqvarna) 48
7. Cooper Pozniak (Yamaha) 44
8. Aaron Tanti (Kawasaki) 42
9. Kale Makeham (Honda) 39
10. Cody Dyce (Yamaha) 39

Pirelli MX2 Standings

1. Wilson Todd 611
2. Hamish Harwood 558
3. Aaron Tanti 543
4. Jay Wilson 519
5. Dylan Wills 457
6. Jy Roberts 438
7. Kyle Webster 436
8. Kale Makeham 419
9. Cody Dyce 352
10. Cooper Pozniak 328

Motul MXD

It was New Zealand’s Maximus Purvis (Altherm JCR Yamaha) who again proved to be a sand specialist with a dominant 1-1 display around the rough Coolum track. Bulk Nutrients WBR Yamaha’s Hugh McKay finished the weekend in second overall, with Mason Rowe (KTM) in third.

Malkiewicz jumped to the early lead of the opening race, but Purvis quickly attacked on the second lap and stretched out a 36.8-second lead by the end of the race. Rowe finished third, followed by McKay and Liam Walsh (KTM).

Motul MXD Moto 1

1. Maximus Purvis 24:13.906
2. Bailey Malkiewicz +36.844
3. Mason Rowe +38.900
4. Hugh McKay +45.302
5. Liam Walsh +55.495
6. Dylan Wood +1:05.346
7. Jye Dickson +1:16.815
8. Brodie Ellis +1:40.663
9. Riley Ward +1:44.895
10. Riley Dukes +1:50.207

In the second and final Motul MXD moto, Purvis led from gate-drop to the chequered flag, with a comfortable 15.8-second buffer over McKay. Another consistent race saw Rowe finish third, followed by Mat Fabry (Yamaha) and Dylan Wood (Kawasaki).

Motul MXD Moto 2

1. Maximus Purvis 22:16.849
2. Hugh McKay +15.864
3. Mason Rowe +19.538
4. Mat Fabry +27.900
5. Dylan Wood +33.202
6. Bailey Malkiewicz +37.700
7. Jye Dickson +39.645
8. Rhys Budd +55.071
9. Jayce Cosford +59.039
10. Liam Walsh 11 laps

The top three in the championship were Malkiewcz, Mackay and Riley Dukes (Husqvarna).

Motul MXD Results

1. Maximus Purvis (Yamaha) 70
2. Hugh McKay (Yamaha) 60
3. Mason Rowe (KTM) 60
4. Bailey Malkiewicz (Yamaha) 57
5. Dylan Wood (Kawasaki) 51
6. Jye Dickson (KTM) 48
7. Liam Walsh (KTM) 47
8. Mat Fabry (Yamaha) 44
9. Jayce Cosford (Yamaha) 42
10. Rhys Budd (Honda) 41

Pirelli MXD Standings

1. Bailey Malkiewicz 585
2. Hugh McKay 564
3. Maximus Purvis 558
4. Riley Dukes 542
5. Brodie Ellis 497
6. Rhys Budd 471
7. Mason Rowe 443
8. Jye Dickson 437
9. Mat Fabry 377
10. Liam Walsh 364

YMF Australian Women

Meghan Rutledge posted 1-1-1-3 results over the weekend to win the championship, while Jessica Moore (KTM) and defending champion Maddy Brown (Yamaha) took the podium honours at Coolum.

In the opening race Rutledge led all seven laps, with Moore 4.2 seconds adrift and Brown in third. Tahlia O’Hare (Yamaha) and Courtney Whyte-Dennis (KTM) finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The second race saw Rutledge again dominate with a wire-to-wire, with a 13.4-second victory over Brown and Moore. O’Hare and Whyte-Dennis again rounded out the top five.

Moto three’s result was a carbon copy of the opening race, with Rutledge finishing a comfortable 7.3 seconds ahead of Moore, followed by Brown, O’Hare and Whyte-Dennis.

The fourth and final race of the weekend saw a change in fortunes as Moore controlled every lap on the way to a 12-second lead over Brown. Rutledge completed the first lap in second place and then rode a reserved race on her way to the title. O’Hare again finished fourth, with Kara Cats (KTM) in fifth.

YMF Australian Women Results

1. Meghan Rutledge (Kawasaki) 135
2. Jessica Moore (KTM) 129
3. Maddy Brown (Yamaha) 124
4. Tahlia O’Hare (Yamaha) 112
5. Courtney White-Dennis (KTM) 103
6. Kara Cats (KTM) 98
7. Nicole Kenny (Kawasaki) 91
8. Megan Bagnall (Yamaha) 90
9. Chelsea Blakers (Yamaha) 89
10. Hannah Bagnall (Yamaha) 8
    

    YMF Australian Women Standings

11. Meghan Rutledge 272
12. Jessica Moore 254
13. Maddy Brown 250
14. Tahlia O’Hare 224
15. Courtney Whyte – Dennis 207
16. Kara Cats 198
17. Megan Bagnall 181
18. Hannah Bagnall 168
19. Chelsea Blakers 159
20. Charlie Blee 148

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies

KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Regan Duffy took command of both Yamaha Rising Star Rookies motos to claim the overall at Coolum’s Pirelli MX Nationals, with margins of 14.2s and 13.7s over Noah Ferguson (KTM). GYTR Yamaha’s Levi Rogers finished both motos in third place.

In the first outing Alex Larwood (GYTR Yamaha) placed fourth with Corben Weinert (Husqvarna) fifth. In the second moto Weinert improved with a fourth, followed by James Beston (Yamaha) in fifth. The series points saw Duffy crowned ahead of Blake Fox (KTM) and Dante Hyam (Honda).

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Results

1. Regan Duffy (KTM) 70
2. Noah Ferguson (KTM) 64
3. Levi Rogers (Yamaha) 60
4. Corben Weinert (Husqvarna) 54
5. James Beston (Yamaha) 51
6. Alex Larwood (Yamaha) 51
7. Dante Hyam (Honda) 49
8. Blake Fox (KTM) 47
9. Dylan Vivian (KTM) 43
10. Kipp Adams (Honda) 43

Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Standings

1. Regan Duffy 186
2. Blake Fox 167
3. Dante Hyam 162
4. Noah Ferguson 160
5. Levi Rogers 132
6. Kipp adams 126
7. CORBEN WEINERT 114
8. Korey McMahon 110
9. Alex Larwood 101
10. Billy Payne 100

Yamaha 125 Gold Cup

Victorian veteran Cameron Taylor (Yamaha) took top honours in the Yamaha 125 Gold Cup, with Luke Davis (Yamaha) second and Clay Kilvington (KTM) third.

Hamish McGrath (Yamaha) came from fourth place on the opening lap to win the first 125cc moto, capitalising on a mistake by Steven Powell (KTM) to take the race lead and win. Taylor finished second, Kilvington third, Davis fourth and Geoff Braico (Husqvarna) fifth.

Taylor won the second moto by a mere 1.2 seconds over Davis after passing him midway through the race. Kilvington finished third, with Braico and Jack Foley (KTM) rounding out the top five. The title was collected by Taylor, topping Braico and Ryan Butler (KTM).

Yamaha 125 Gold Cup Results

1. Cameron Taylor (Yamaha) 67
2. Luke Davis (Yamaha) 60
3. Clay Kilvington (KTM) 60
4. Geoff Braico (Husqvarna) 54
5. Steve Powell (KTM) 48
6. Ryan Butler (KTM) 47
7. Boyd Hocking (Husqvarna) 47
8. Bradley Rankmore (KTM) 46
9. Tristan Duncan (Honda) 40
10. Zac Williams (KTM) 40

Yamaha 125 Gold Cup Standings

1. Cameron Taylor 262
2. Geoff Braico 232
3. Ryan Butler 218
4. Steven Powell 214
5. Clay Kilvington 165
6. Bradley Rankmore 162
7. Ryan Kohlenberg 145
8. Jack Foley 134
9. Greg Timmins 93
10. Kieran Tisdale 90

Yamaha Amateur Cup

In the Yamaha Amateur Cup, Joshua Livsey (Suzuki) won both races to take the round victory from Craig Bolton (KTM) and Mitchell Dark (Husqvarna).

Livsey took a 17.4 second win over Ryan Hardman (KTM) and Dark in the opening race, with Ryan Kenney (KTM) and Bolton fourth and fifth.

The second outing saw Livsey dominate by 28s as he led Darcy Cavanagh (KTM) and Bolton across the finish line. Josh Kilvington (KTM) finished fourth and Jesse Bishop (KTM) fifth. Kilvington claimed the title from Kenney and Cavanagh.

Yamaha Amateur Cup Results

1. Joshua Livsey (Suzuki) 70
2. Craig Bolton (KTM) 56
3. Mitchell Dark (Husqvarna) 55
4. Darcy Cavanagh (KTM) 52
5. Josh Kilvington (KTM) 50
6. Jesse Bishop (KTM) 50
7. Ryan Kenney (KTM) 50
8. Lachlan Holroyd (Yamaha) 45
9. Daniel Kelly (Suzuki) 44
10. Jack McNeice (Honda) 42

Yamaha Amateur Cup Standings

1. Joshua Kilvington 113
2. Ryan Kenney 109
3. Darcy Cavanagh 107
4. Lachlan Holroyd 107
5. Mitchell Dark 106
6. Jack McNeice 94
7. Jesse Bishop 93
8. Kane Hall 88
9. Joshua Livsey 70
10. Bradley Rankmore 67

Yamaha YZ65 Cup

The Yamaha YZ65 Cup saw Jake Cannon take a narrow overall victory from Kayd Kingsford and Seth Burchell in a popular second appearance for the innovative new one-make category.

Kingsford took the opening race honours by 22.3 seconds over Cannon, with Burchell third, Wil Carpenter fourth and Michael Jones fifth.

The second race saw Ty Sharp lead every lap to win by 20.2 seconds from Carpenter, with Burchell third. Nate Thompson finished fourth and Cannon fifth.

The third and final Yamaha 65 Cup moto saw Cannon make a last-lap pass on Kingsford to claim the race and overall. Burchell placed third, while Carpenter and Thompson rounded out the top five.

Yamaha YZ65 Cup Results

1. Jake Cannon 93
2. Kayd Kingsford 91
3. Seth Burchell 90
4. Wil Carpenter 88
5. Ty Sharp 79
6. Nate Thompson 73
7. Indy Radcliffe 72
8. Michael Jones 70
9. Deegan Rose 66
10. William Harvey 60