Dean Ferris unstoppable at Wonthaggi
Wilson Todd takes MX2 win and standings lead
Purvis narrowly claims another MXD win from Malkiewicz
Images by Foremost Media
Dean Ferris continued his Thor MX1 domination on Sunday, adding the Round 4 win to his Round 3 victory, with Mitch Evans and Kade Mosig completing the top three.
Wilson Todd improved upon his Round 3 third place on Saturday, taking the Round 4 Pirelli MX2 win and the standings lead. Maximus Purvis added another round win to his tally in the MXD class on Sunday, once again tying with Bailey Malkiewicz on points, but taking the lead on countback.
Thor MX1 Round 4
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team pilot Dean Ferris continued to blitz the Thor MX1 field and build upon his already sizeable championship lead during a damp day of racing in Wonthaggi, VIC’s dark sand today.
During the second day of back-to-back rounds, Ferris maintained his perfect win streak with a pair of first places, while Raceline Pirelli KTM rookie Mitch Evans continued to impress with another strong second overall, and hometown hero Kade Mosig (DPH Motorsports Husqvarna) claimed his first round podium of 2018.
The two-time defending champion Ferris claimed the Super Pole qualifying points, then quickly took command of the opening Thor MX1 race, lapping all the way up to 10th place before taking the victory with a 16-second lead.
Behind him, Evans moved past KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs mid-way through the race as the pair of KTMs placed second and third. Mosig rode solidly to fourth place, while fellow Victorian Dylan Long (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team) rounded out the top five.
Evans scored the holeshot of the second Thor MX1 moto, with Ferris giving chase, waiting patiently before pulling the trigger and finishing 13 seconds ahead of the rookie. Mosig enjoyed a consistent race on his way to third, while Long and Gibbs placed fourth and fifth respectively.
Dean Ferris – P1 Overall
“The weekend was good for me and a couple of things happened to my rivals that really allowed me to extend the points lead. It was nice to get back in the Superpole event on both days after missing out at Appin in round two, then get the race wins on each day. I enjoy riding tracks like this, especially on the Sunday when the overnight rain made it very technical to ride and challenging to get good, consistent laps down. I liked it wasn’t just a pin it and leave your brain in the toolbox style track as it required a lot of concentration to get around as you had to choose lines carefully and think your way through the rolling bumps and hard pack square edges. My bike was again awesome as the conditions were had on bikes as well as the team and my CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team did a great job and worked hard all weekend. It was a credit to the team that we had no troubles with our bikes when others really struggled in the deep, wet conditions. The YZ450F was amazing to ride here.”
Kirk Gibbs – P4 Overall
“Everything was going not too bad on Saturday. I got Super Pole and then had a frustrating race in the first one, but I was still second, so that’s all good. I got a good start in the second one and I was going all in to the make something happen, but I caught a little edge that flicked me into the rollers and I was obviously unable to save it. The worst thing is I did a lot of damage to the bike, but I still scored some points thanks to the team getting me going again. That wrote the rest of the weekend off for me, because today I struggled and just had little issues after that. I’ll come back swinging at Murray Bridge, I ride there pretty well so am looking forward to the quick turnaround now.”
Dylan Long – P5 Overall
“Saturday was awful and I don’t even want to discuss it. It was just one of those days I would rather forget. But I was determined to turn it around on Sunday and while not the kind of conditions I really enjoy, I just had to make it happen and I’m happy with how things went and that I was able to salvage something from the weekend. My speed was much better and I didn’t make too many mistakes. There is still more work to do and I need to bring my A game every weekend at this level of racing and that’s what I’m determined to do.”
Luke Clout – P6 Overall
“I started the weekend off pretty good, getting third yesterday, second on count-back, which was really good. I started today off well, getting into Super Pole, but it was just one of those days as I struggled to find my flow and had a few crashes. I was pretty much fatigued and had nothing left in the tank today – I ran out of energy and was just trying to fight through and grab some points. I’m still carrying confidence though, I was riding really well and had some good speed. I’m looking to get back on the podium at Murray Bridge.”
MX1 Round 4 Results
- Dean Ferris (Yamaha) 70
- Mitch Evans (KTM) 64
- Kade Mosig (Husqvarna) 58
- Kirk Gibbs ((KTM) 56
- Dylan Long (Yamaha) 54
- Luke Clout (KTM) 49
- Bret Metcalfe (Honda) 47
- Caleb Ward (Husqvarna) 44
- Connor Tierney (Yamaha) 44
- Rhys Carter (Kawasaki) 43
Pirelli MX2 Round 4
A dream day in dreary conditions saw Serco Yamaha’s Wilson Todd not only chalk up a brace of race wins, but take control of the Pirelli MX2 championship points chase as well.
Todd made the most of a heavy track that threw up multiple surprises throughout the day, while defending MX2 champion Egan Mastin (KTM Motocross Racing Team) and New Zealand two-stroke racer Hamish Harwood (Davey Motorsports KTM) enjoyed their best days of the year as they completed the podium. Former red plate holder Nathan Crawford had a disastrous outing on his way to 16th overall, after failing to finish the second moto.
When the gate dropped on the Pirelli MX2’s first outing, Todd quickly set himself at the front of the pack and was never headed on his way to a five-second win, while MX Nationals Round 1 winner Aaron Tanti (Complete Parts Kawasaki) experienced a return to form with a well-earned second place. Harwood fought through the pack on his way to third, with Mastin fourth and Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) fifth.
When the MX2 pack hit the track again, Todd again snatched the holeshot and tore out to a commanding 18-second lead over his 2017 rival Egan Mastin, who scored his posted result so far this year. Filling the top three was privateer Jy Roberts (Husqvarna), with a break-out performance. Harwood rode a solid race on his way to fourth, with Tanti fifth.
Bike issues and a suspected shoulder injury forced former points’ leader Crawford out of the moto early, effectively gifting a 16-point championship lead to his team-mate Todd.
Wilson Todd – P1 Overall
“Getting that race win on Saturday was just a relief and a reminder to myself that I can win races and this is where I belong. The last two months I have put in plenty of hard work so I knew that it was coming and I was improving, I just needed to get that first win on the board and really kickstart my season. To come into the weekend so many points down, but to leave with a 16 point lead is hard to believe but that’s how it goes sometimes and I really need keep working hard as there are plenty of riders in the MX2 class capable of winning races and big points swings won’t be uncommon if you are having a bad day or have issues. Thank you to the Serco Yamaha team and all our sponsors for the long hours in the lead up and over the weekend. My YZ250F was sweet and my focus now is to keep the momentum rolling at Murray Bridge next week.”
Egan Mastin – P2 Overall
“It was a great weekend in the end and I am really happy. The first moto today, I got off to a decent start, but the track was very muddy out there – you had to make sure of what you were doing because it could come up and bite you and you would be on the ground. I got a solid fourth place in the first moto and just moved into the second moto with a half-decent start. I worked my way up to second place and just stayed there – I felt very solid today, the bike felt great and it was the best I’ve felt all year. To get second overall is definitely what I needed after a reasonable round on Saturday, so I’m going to keep the ball rolling onto the next event and can’t wait.”
MX2 Round 4 Results
- Wilson Todd (Yamaha) 70
- Egan Mastin (KTM) 60
- Hamish Harwood (KTM) 58
- Aaron Tanti (Kawasaki) 58
- Jy Roberts (Husqvarna) 53
- Dylan Wills (Husqvarna) 49
- Kale Makeham (Yamaha) 45
- Jay Wilson (Yamaha) 43
- Cooper Pozniak (Yamaha), 40
- Joel Evans (Husqvarna) 33
Motul MXD Round 4
Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing’s Maximus Purvis finished off a memorable weekend at Wonthaggi by stealing a second Motul MXD overall from rival Bailey Malkiewicz (Bulk Nutrients WBR Yamaha) on countback in two days.
Similar to Round 3 on Saturday, both Purvis and Malkiewicz traded race wins in the two MXD outings, while Davey Motorsports KTM’s Morgan Fogarty again rounded out the podium.
Championship leader Malkiewicz started the day on the right foot by taking the opening race win, three seconds ahead of the fastest-qualifier Purvis. Honda racer Rhys Budd finished a distant third, followed by Hugh Mackay (Bulk Nutrients WBR Racing) and Fogarty.
In deteriorating weather and track conditions, Purvis took control of the final Motul MXD race to register his second race and round win in as many days, seven seconds ahead of Malkiewicz. Penrite Honda’s Callum Norton finished the moto in third, chased by Fogarty in fourth and KTM racer Mason Rowe in fifth.
MXD Round 4 Results
- Maximus Purvis (Yamaha) 67
- Bailey Malkiewicz (Yamaha) 67
- Morgan Fogarty (KTM) 54
- Callum Norton (Honda) 51
- Rhys Budd (Honda) 51
- Brodie Ellis (Yamaha) 49
- Riley Dukes (Husqvarna) 49
- Mason Rowe (KTM) 48
- Mat Fabry (Yamaha) 45
- Hugh Mackay (Yamaha) 45
The 2018 Pirelli MX Nationals will continue at Murray Bridge, South Australia on Sunday, 27 May before the series heads into its mid-season break.
