2019 Pirelli MX Nationals
Round Ten Coolum
By Trevor Hedge – Image by iKap
Wonthaggi had been the only real major blip in Todd Waters’ scorecard so far this year as the DPH Husqvarna man elsewhere racked up nine wins and 13 podiums to take a 23-point lead over Luke Clout into today’s Coolum championship finale.
It was Luke Clout though that took the early lead as Waters got mixed up with Kirk Gibbs in turn one.
Todd Waters eventually got away from Gibbs to pass Dylan Long, and then made short shrift of Brett Metcalfe to move through to second place. Waters then jumped through to the lead early on lap two and cleared out.
Kirk Gibbs crashed out a few laps into the race. That would have serious repercussions for third place in the championship.
Hayden Mellross suffered a small crash at Moree but fell awkwardly, tearing his ACL and meniscus in his knee, and also fracturing the neck of his fibula. Despite those major injuries Mellross had been riding through the pain to try and secure at least third place in the championship. The 23-year-old had led the championship a few rounds ago and had started this weekend’s Coolum double-header Mellross was only 14-points behind Waters. After finishing eighth on Saturday he had slipped to third place in the series but still had 41-points over Kirk Gibbs. That would mean that Mellross might be able to sit out the final moto this afternoon with that third place in the championship secured.
Brett Metcalfe managed to hold Dylan Long at bay all the way to the flag to secure second place in the opening moto for Penrite Honda.
Todd Waters though the clear victor and now had one hand on the Thor MX1 Championship trophy.
Thor MX1 Moto One Results
- Todd Waters – Husqvarna
- Brett Metcalfe – Honda +5.464s
- Dylan Long – Kawasaki +25.081s
- Luke Clout – Yamaha +40.520s
- Jesse Dobson – Husqvarna +60.668s
- Caleb Ward – KTM +61.796s
- Connor Tierney – Yamaha +96.487s
- Richie Evans – Yamaha +106.941s
- Justin Rodbell – Suzuki +120.900s
- Charlie Creech – Husqvarna +1 lap
Thor MX1 Moto Two
With third place in the championship wrapped up Hayden Mellross did sit out this final moto of the 2019 Thor MX1 Championship season. Todd Waters started this moto with a handy advantage over Luke Clout but if a disaster befall the DPH Husqvarna man then the #4 Yamaha will be ready to pounce and steal the main prize from underneath him at this final juncture.
Dylan Long was credited with the holeshot but it only took a few turns before Todd Waters blasted his way through to the lead and clear air. Championship challenger Luke Clout was languishing down in ninth place in the early stages of the race.
Caleb Ward looked eager to finish the season on a high with a strong start in this moto to be riding strong in third ahead of Kirk Gibbs and Brett Metcalfe. Ward quickly started to look to challenge Long for second place but the Empire Kawasaki man responded to the challenge and stretched away again from Ward.
Luke Clout and Jesse Dobson were tussling over fourth place on track but Clout eventually managed to stretch away from Dobson in the last few laps of the race.
Caleb Ward mounted a late charge to try and get back on terms with Dylan Long to take the battle for second place up to the Kawasaki rider but Long held on that for second place.
Todd Waters the clear winner of the race, the day, the round, and the new Thor MX1 Australian Champion! Incredibly the first MX1 Championship for Todd Waters on Australian soil, and he plans to stay here and defend it in 2020, where it looks as though he is likely to go head-to-head with previous dominator of this championship, Dean Ferris…
MX1 Moto Two Results
- Todd Waters – Husqvarna
- Dylan Long – Kawasaki +4.694s
- Caleb Ward – KTM +5.395s
- Luke Clout – Yamaha +23.893s
- Jesse Dobson – Husqvarna +28.356s
- Brett Metcalfe – Honda +53.568s
- Kirk Gibbs – Yamaha +71.444s
- Connor Tierney – Yamaha +87.834s
- Justin Rodbell – Suzuki +124.753s
- Richie Evans – Yamaha +1 lap
MX1 Round Ten Results
- Todd Waters 70
- Dylan Long 62
- Brett Metcalfe 57
- Luke Clout 56
- Caleb Ward 55
- Jesse Dobson 52
- Connor Tierney 47
- Justin Rodbell 44
- Richie Evans 44
- Charlie Creech 41
2019 MX1 Championship Final Points
- Todd Waters 568
- Luke Clout 530
- Hayden Mellross 462
- Kirk Gibbs 435
- Brett Metcalfe 432
- Justin Rodbell 373
- Richie Evans 372
- Jesse Dobson 360
- Dylan Long 325
- Jayden Rykers 300
MX2
The two men fighting it out for the MX2 championship also went hammer and tong for the win in the opening moto, with Kyle Webster taking the battle up to defending champion Wilson Todd in the dark sand of Coolum.
Wilson Todd though showed his class and speed to hold off the thrusts and parries of Webster to cross the line first in the opening bout of the back-to-back morning motos. Jay Wilson clinched third ahead of Nathan Crawford and Bailey Malkiewicz.
MX2 Moto One Results
- Wilson Todd – Husqvarna
- Kyle Webster – Honda
- Jay Wilson – Yamaha
- Nathan Crawford – Yamaha
- Bailey Malkiewicz – Husqvarna
MX2 Moto Two
Wilson Todd scored the holeshot and again it was Kyle Webster that quickly forced his way through to the field to try and chase down Todd.
It was not to be though as the hunter became the hunted as Nathan Crawford closed in on and then passed Webster to move up to second place. Second was not going to be good enough for Crawford though as he then blasted past Wilson Todd to take the lead and pull away.
Jay Wilson then came into place as the race moved into its second half, the #6 Yamaha pushed Webster back to fourth and started closing on Wilson Todd to try and challenge for second.
Nathan Crawford the clear victor though in this stanza.
Todd responded to Jay Wilson’s challenge by upping his speed to hold on to that second place, and with it scores the major points from the back-to-back format by taking the overall win on combined results.
MX2 Moto Two Results
- Nathan Crawford – Yamaha
- Wilson Todd – Husqvarna +4.084s
- Jay Wilson – Yamaha +11.132s
- Kyle Webster – Honda +15.657s
- Aaron Tanti – Yamaha +16.383s
- Joel Evans – Husqvarna +62.596s
- Ricky Latimer – Yamaha +65.488s
- Jai Constantinou – Honda +65.989s
- Morgan Fogarty – KTM +69.646s
- Lochie Latimer – Yamaha +77.679s
Combined MX2 Moto One/Two Results
- Wilson Todd
- Kyle Webster
- Jay Wilson
- Nathan Crawford
- Aaron Tanti
- Morgan Fogarty
- Bailey Malkiewicz
- Joel Evans
- Ricky Latimer
- Jai Constantinou
MX2 Moto Three
Wilson Todd again scored the holeshot on the DPH Husqvarna as Jay Wilson, Kyle Webster and Nathan Crawford gave chase.
Kyle Webster needed to do something special in this one, then hope for some sort of disaster to strike Todd in order for him to have a chance at the title. The Penrite Honda man threw down the gauntlet to Todd on lap three, closing in on, and then passing Todd for the race lead.
Jay Wilson was the next rider to catch and pass Wilson Todd. The defending champion playing it safe and smart to just bring home the handful of points he requires to take that #1 plate once again. Todd has lost a championship in a final moto once before, he did not want to suffer that disappointment again.
Webster went on to take a clear victory to finish his season on a high, but it is Wilson Todd that finishes the season on the ultimate high by successfully wrapping up his second MX2 Championship in a row.
MX2 Moto Three Results
- Kyle Webster – Honda
- Jay Wilson – Yamaha +4.724s
- Wilson Todd – Husqvarna +17.068s
- Nathan Crawford – Yamaha +22.442s
- Aaron Tanti – Yamaha +27.273s
- Morgan Fogarty – KTM +38.462s
- Bailey Malkiewicz – Husqvarna +49.302s
- Cooper Pozniak – KTM +57.409s
- Ricky Latimer – Yamaha +60.763s
- Jai Constantinou – Honda +65.231s
MX2 Round Ten Results
- Wilson Todd 65
- Kyle Webster 63
- Jay Wilson 62
- Nathan Crawford 60
- Aaron Tanti 52
- Morgan Fogarty 49
- Bailey Malkiewicz 47
- Joel Evans 45
- Ricky Latimer 43
- Jai Constantinou 43
2019 MX2 Championship Final Points
- Wilson Todd 562
- Kyle Webster 536
- Jay Wilson 523
- Nathan Crawford 492
- Aaron Tanti 460
- Dylan Wills 394
- Bailey Malkiewicz 387
- Ricky Latimer 360
- Cooper Pozniak 345
- Morgan Fogarty 327
MXD
Liam Walsh took the holeshot thanks to some serious two-stroke power blasting him through the dark sand of Coolum and into turn one ahead of Regan Duffy and Rhys Budd.
Regan Duffy quickly worked his way through to the lead though and then sprinted away from his pursuers.
Max Purvis then again started his march through the field as he did on Saturday, the Kiwi teenager dispensed with Jai Walker, Rhys Budd and then Liam Walsh to move up to second place.
On Saturday the outright pace of Purvis was unparalleled, but today Regan Duffy had both himself and the Raceline KTM dialed in and looked untouchable.
The Western Australian teenager backed things off in the final laps to give Purvis a sniff, but almost backed it off a little too much on the final lap which saw the Kiwi get within striking distance, but Duffy held on to take the victory.
MXD Moto One Results
- Regan Duffy – KTM
- Max Purvis – Yamaha +1.144s
- Jai Walker – KTM +43.355s
- Noah Ferguson – KTM +43.722s
- Liam Walsh – KTM +61.045s
- Rhys Budd – Honda +72.536s
- Tye Jones – Husqvarna +92.993s
- Brodie Ellis – Yamaha +102.786s
- Mackenzie O’Bree – Yamaha +117.273s
- Ethan Ashmore – Husqvarna +132.874s
MXD Moto Two
Liam Walsh again used that big two-stroke power to score the holeshot but Regan Duffy made short work of him once into the corners and was quickly through to the front.
Purvis started a little better this time around and was quickly up to third and engaged in battle with Walsh over second position. Liam Walsh was not a push-over for Purvis this time around, going bar-to-bar with the young Kiwi phenom but eventually had to relent as Purvis stepped things up further to clear out. By the time Purvis was clear in second though Regan Duffy was leading by ten-seconds…
Regan Duffy not only maintained that advantage over Purvis, he increased it to more than 19-seconds at the flag to win the 2019 Motul MXD Championship in fine style.
MXD Moto Two Results
- Regan Duffy – KTM
- Max Purvis – Yamaha +19.181s
- Jayce Cosford – Yamaha +37.64s
- Liam Walsh – KTM +40.51s
- Jai Walker – KTM +47.13s
- Rhys Budd – Honda +51.88s
- Tye Jones – Husqvarna +87.820s
- Mackenzie O’Bree – Yamaha +101.974s
- Korey McMahon – KTM +107.754s
- Ethan Ashmore – Husqvarna +108.900s
MXD Round Ten Results
- Regan Duffy 70
- Max Purvis 64
- Jai Walker 56
- Jayce Crosford 55
- Liam Walsh 54
- Rhys Budd 49
- Tye Jones 47
- Mackenzie O’Bree 44
- Noah Ferguson 43
- Korey McMahon 41
2019 MXD Championship Final Points
- Regan Duffy 593
- Max Purvis 561
- Rhys Budd 472
- Noah Ferguson 435
- Brodie Ellis 419
- Jai Walker 411
- Liam Walsh 389
- Jayce Crosford 384
- Mackenzie O’Bree 346
- Tye Jones 337