Kirk Gibbs wins a muddy Broadford MX Nationals
Broadford’s rich history was added to today, with KTM Motocross Racing Team’s defending MX1 Champion Kirk Gibbs racing to his first round win for 2016, at the State Motorcycling Complex for round three of the Motul MX Nationals at Broadford in Victoria.
After a wild night of storms at the venue, leaving the track drenched, both qualifying and GoPro Superpole were removed from the program for the Thor MX1 class this morning, with qualifying positions for racing decided based on championship status.
With round three clearly dishing out the toughest track conditions so far this year, when racing kicked off, no one could pin point who would be able to handle the challenge. But when gates dropped on moto one, it was Wilson Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki’s Todd Waters who secured the all important MXstore holeshot, followed by Kirk Gibbs (KTM), NPE Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kade Mosig and Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team’s Jay Wilson.
Only two laps in, both of the Queensland based riders Waters and Gibbs proved that they were a league above the rest – the pair checking out on the talent stacked field, allowing the battles for remaining positions to happen behind them.
And the battles were thick and fierce to say the least – after only five minutes, Kawasaki duo Mosig and Moss found each other on the track, and then went head to head for third position – and after less than one lap, Moss got the job done and moved in to third behind Gibbs.
Honda mounted Wilson, and CDR Yamaha’s Ferris then also banged bars for fifth place, and although Ferris applied significant pressure, Wilson showed maturity holding off the points leader, and by lap seven Ferris had made a small mistake and dropped off the pace slightly.
By the time the Thor MX1 class had reached the halfway mark in moto one, the running order saw Waters continuing to lead completely unchallenged, followed by Gibbs, Moss, Mosig and Wilson. CDR Yamaha’s Ferris remained in a healthy sixth position in tough conditions, followed by his teammate Daniel Reardon, and American based Brett Metcalfe.
With the 450 machines getting heavier and heavier as the race went on in the muddy conditions, it was a survival of the fittest, and with a championship on his mind, Ferris secured a pass on Wilson for fifth position and began to eye off Mosig with only a few laps remaining.
From there, Ferris continued on an impressive charge, and by the time the last lap board was shown, the Thor MX1 points leader had moved past the likes of Mosig to slot in to fourth place.
But when the chequered flag flew it was Suzuki mounted Waters who had plenty of reason to celebrate, taking the opening race win, ahead of Gibbs in second, while NPE Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Moss wrapped up the opening moto in third.
Red plate holder Ferris crossed the line in fourth position, ahead of Mosig and Metcalfe – while Wilson, Reardon, DPH Motorsport’s Lawson Bopping and Dylan Long completed the top ten.
In the second moto, Ferris was out to show exactly why he’s the MX1 red plate holder, and after only one lap Ferris moved in to a comfortable race lead, ahead of NPE Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Moss, while KTM’s Gibbs slotted in to third.
Unfortunately for Kawasaki mounted Mosig, a nasty crash on lap two marked an early end to his day – the former Victorian leaving the track in the hands of Racesafe in a serious but stable condition.
“At the moment he’s under observation, but it looks as though he has a pelvic injury,” explained National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team manager Troy Carroll. “We’re not sure on the extent of the injury until we have some more scans and find out exactly what’s going on.”
After four laps in moto two, and with track conditions innately different from moto one, the running order saw Ferris maintaining a healthy top spot, followed by Moss, Gibbs, Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team’s Long and Reardon who completed the top five.
However, with the likes of Waters and Metcalfe only seconds behind the front running five, positions didn’t remain the same for long. Waters who proved he was determined to gain an overall podium result, charged past the likes of Reardon and Long to move in to fourth position.
From there, the battles on track heated up even further, with Gibbs managing to get by Moss to secure second place, while Ferris continued to dominate in a spectacular fashion out in front.
By the time the chequered flag flew for the final time for the Thor MX1 class at Broadford today, it was the perfect ending for CDR Yamaha’s Ferris, who crossed the finish line taking a commanding race win ahead of Gibbs, while Moss managed to just hold off a hard charging Waters to wrap up the final moto in third.
However, when the points were tallied, it was KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Gibbs’ who’s two second place finishes awarded him his first round victory for 2016, while Ferris settled for second at round three, followed by Waters who despite finishing on equal points to Ferris was handed third due to a countback.
Kirk Gibbs – KTM Motocross Racing Team – Round Three Overall Winner
“I’m so stoked to get the overall win – I’ve been there nearly every round but to finally get a round win is awesome. I’m only one point off the championship lead now and obviously myself, Todd, and Dean have established ourselves in the class, and hopefully we can keep these battles rolling every weekend. I haven’t had a moto win yet but I’m sure it’s close, so I’m just going to keep on chasing it. After my injury last year it feels even better to be up here – Everyone really thought it was just going to be Todd and Dean battling this year, but I’m stoked to be up there with them battling every weekend.”
Matt Moss – National Pumps Kawasaki – Fourth Overall
“It was a brutal track and I felt I rode well in the first race,” Moss reflected. “The second race didn’t quite go to plan even though I finished in a strong position. I made some big mistakes and nearly went down and that tightened me up and I couldn’t find my groove again. All in all it was a good weekend and you can’t complain about finishing such a tough day with two thirds. Having the next three weeks off will do me good and ensure I’m ready for the next round.”
The Motul MX Nationals will now begin preparations for round four of the championship, being held at Murray Bridge on May 22, 2016.
Thor MX1 round three results
1) Kirk Gibbs– 64 points
2) Dean Ferris – 63 points
3) Todd Waters – 63 points
4) Matt Moss – 60 points
5) Brett Metcalfe – 50 points
6) Dylan Long – 47 points
7) Daniel Reardon – 47 points
8) Jay Wilson – 47 points
9) Jacob Wright – 42 points
10) James Alen – 39 points
Thor MX1 Championship Standings
1) Dean Ferris – 190 points
2) Kirk Gibbs – 189 points
3) Todd Waters – 182 points
4) Matt Moss – 177 points
5) Brett Metcalfe – 165 points
6) Daniel Reardon – 146 points
7) Dylan Long – 139 points
8) Jay Wilson – 133 points
9) Kade Mosig – 130 points
10) Jacob Wright – 106 points
MX2
Jed Beaton goes undefeated and secures Motul MX2 points lead at Broadford
Despite challenging conditions, round three of the Motul MX Nationals proved to be a breakthrough outing for DPH Motorsport Yamaha’s Jed Beaton at Broadford today, going undefeated across both motos and leaving as the new Motul MX2 points leader.
With round three marking the first ‘mud race’ for the Motul MX Nationals in two years, the MX2 championship was completely turned on it’s head today, with no one expecting what played out across the two action packed races.
The Motul MX2 class were the first category to face the wet, muddy, track conditions at the State Motorcycle Complex this morning, and after severe storms ripped through during the night, qualifying was removed from the schedule with gate picks decided by championship standings.
When riders launched off the grid for moto one, the wet surface didn’t hinder the likes of KTM mounted Jayden Rykers who snatched up the first MXstore hole shot for round three, and then shot off to an impressive lead. However, a small mistake on lap one by Rykers allowed Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Dylan Wills to inherit the top spot, while NPE Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jake Moss, and Nathan Crawford (Husqvarna) followed closely behind in third and fourth positions respectively.
After only a couple of laps, the muddy conditions meant that positions continued to change dramatically, but it was DPH Motorsport’s Beaton who took advantage of other rider’s misfortunes, to move in to the race lead ahead of Rykers, Crawford, Wills and CRF Honda Racing’s Kyle Webster.
After four laps, series points leader Caleb Ward was a notable absentee from the front of the pack, the KTM mounted youngster continuing to circulate back in 12th position – appearing to struggle with the difficult Broadford track.
By the halfway mark in moto one, the mud proved to be an absolute equaliser, however it was Beaton who proved his skill in the wet and continued to lead the pack from Webster, who had moved up to second position, followed by Wills and Moss, while Crawford rounded out the top five placings.
As the moto reached its final stages, there was little change to the top positions – DPH Motorsport’s Beaton appearing more and more comfortable in race lead, while CRF Honda Racing’s Webster was having a stand out ride in second place ahead of Moss in third.
And the Motul MX2 riders were nothing short of relieved to see the chequered flag fly after a gruelling 30 minutes – Beaton capitalizing on the wet conditions aboard his Yamaha to secure his first race win for 2016, crossing the line more than ten seconds ahead of second place getter Webster, while Moss wrapped up the opening moto in third.
Crawford managed to race to a hard fought fourth place in moto one, while Western Australian Dean Porter rounded out the top five finishing standings. In a huge upset to the championship, red plate holder Ward was unable to finish the opening MX2 race, with bike problems forcing the Queenslander to DNF.
In race two, SD3 Husqvarna’s Arbon got to a ripping start off the straight, however it wasn’t long before Beaton once again stamped his authority on the Motul MX2 class, moving in to the race lead, relegating Arbon to second followed by Webster in third.
From there Beaton just got better and better – putting down his fastest time (2:06.725) on lap three, which saw him continue to break away from his fellow competitors.
With Beaton out in front, the focus then shifted to the remaining positions, and with second to seventh place separated by less than ten seconds, spectators were treated to a battle between, Arbon, Webster, Crawford, Moss, Serco Yamaha’s Wade Hunter, and KTM’s Rykers for the final top spots.
However, the battle was somewhat impeded by the significant lap traffic, and by the time race two reached the halfway mark, it was Arbon who maintained second position, followed by Webster in third, while Crawford and Hunter completed the top five.
When the Motul MX2 competitors received the last lap board for the final time, positions remained relatively unchanged, the only movement to placings being from Serco Yamaha’s Hunter who managed to get by Crawford to slot in to fourth position.
And when race two was run and won for the Motul MX2 class, it was Beaton who proved he was unstoppable at Broadford, taking an emphatic second race win ahead of Arbon, who secured a consistent second place, while Webster wrapped up moto two in third.
With two wins, from two motos to his name, DPH Motorsport’s Beaton went undefeated at round three, and as a result was awarded the overall win ahead of Webster and Arbon who wrapped up a tough round in second and third places respectively.
As well as an overall win to his name, Beaton emerged from round three of the Motul MX Nationals as the new MX2 series points leader, and will now run the prized red plate when the series heads to Murray Bridge in three weeks’ time.
Jed Beaton – DPH Motorsport Yamaha – Round 3 Overall Winner
“It is so good to reward the team and also myself with the win at Broadford today. I’ve been working so hard for this and I can’t believe it’s finally happened. To go 1,1 for the first time is just a really good feeling and I’m hoping to carry that same momentum into the next round. I’m feeling confident so, it’s all upwards from here. I finally got my starts sorted which was good too, but I really just can’t thank DPH Motorsports Yamaha enough for the opportunity, as well as everyone else associated with the team. Hopefully there are lots more moments like this throughout the season.”
Kyle Webster – CRF Honda Racing – Second Overall
“I’m really rapt with today. Conditions were really tricky today, so I just want to thank CRF Honda Racing and all our great sponsors and supporters. The change to Honda this year has been a really good one for me and I want to thank everyone that helps get me to the startline, and in particular my mechanic Mick, for his huge commitment.”
Jake Moss – Kawasaki – Fifth Overall
“That opening moto was hell,” Moss described. “I had a couple of crashes that weren’t my fault – the lappers were bad and I really had to pick and choose where to pass, but I was really happy with third place. In the second moto I focused on staying consistent and not crashing and that helped me finish the day in fifth overall.”
Motul MX2 round three results
1) Jed Beaton – 70 points
2) Kyle Webster – 62 points
3) Luke Arbon – 55 points
4) Nathan Crawford – 54 points
5) Jake Moss – 54 points
6) Dylan Wills – 47 points
7) Wade Hunter – 46 points
8) Wilson Todd – 46 points
9) Hamish Harwood – 43 points
10) Richie Evans – 43 points
Motul MX2 Championship Standings
1) Jed Beaton – 172 points
2) Nathan Crawford – 169 points
3) Luke Arbon – 161 points
4) Jake Moss – 161 points
5) Wilson Todd – 148 points
6) Jayden Rykers – 144 points
7) Caleb Ward – 142 points
8) Kyle Webster – 138 points
9) Kale Makeham – 134 points
10) Wade Hunter – 130 points
Mitchell Evans takes the Pirelli MXD honours at Round 3 of the Motul MX Nationals
Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Mitchell Evans topped the Pirelli MXD standings at round three of the Motul MX Nationals at Broadford today, proving that consistency was the key to finishing on the podium at the State Motorcycle Complex.
The historic Broadford venue dished out plenty of character building conditions to the Pirelli MXD competitors today, with many riders experiencing their first ‘national mudder’ at round three of the Motul MX Nationals.
With qualifying cancelled due to the wet conditions, the MXD class was provided with a 20-minute free practice session to get accustomed to the Broadford track this morning, with riders then awarded gate picks in the order of championship standings for racing.
When bikes lined up for moto one just after lunch, the Pirelli MXD class competitors thankfully were treated to a track that was beginning to dry out, and when gates dropped it was SD3 Husqvarna’s Kaleb Barham who managed to take advantage of the improved conditions to take the first MXstore holeshot and move in to the race lead.
With three laps in the books Barham looked comfortable out in front, while Yamaha’s Lochie Latimer found his way in to second position ahead of Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Wade Kirkland.
By the time the race had reached the ten-minute mark, the positions at the front had changed, with Latimer capitalising on a mistake from Barham allowing him to move in to the race lead, while Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Evans was also able to get by the Husqvarna rider to move in to second. Barham was then forced back to third position followed by red plate holder Connor Tierney who had managed to get by Kirkland and move in to fourth place.
Things then deteriorated again for Barham who dropped back to fifth position – dashing any hopes of a race one win despite a solid start to moto one.
With less than four minutes of the race remaining, Evans began to challenge Latimer for the race lead, but Evans also started to feel the pressure from third placed Tierney who had found his way on to the rear wheel of his Yamaha opponent. The three were then separated by only a bike’s length each, putting on a performance for the crowd, which saw the opening Pirelli MXD moto go down to the wire.
But it was Yamalube Yamaha’s Evans who entered the final lap as the race leader, while Latimer was only just holding off a hard charging Tierney in third, followed by KTM mounted Kirkland in fourth.
And when the chequered flag flew, Evans proved he had the determination to get the job done, taking the Pirelli MXD moto one win, ahead of Latimer who put in one of his career best rides to finish in second, while series points leader Tierney crossed the line in third.
Kirkland wrapped up the opening MXD moto in fourth, ahead of Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team’s Jordan Hill who completed the top five. Barham, Zak Small, Hugh McKay, KTM mounted Cooper Pozniak and Luke Abela completed the top ten.
When the final race for the Pirelli MXD Class got underway, Barham once again showcased his starting capabilities, but it was the Yamalube Yamaha pair Hill and Evans who shot into positions one and two, relegating Barham to third – and it was there that the Yamahas stayed.
With four laps in the books, and Hill and Evans out in front, Barham then came under fire from youngster Pozniak (KTM), who managed to make the pass on the Husqvarna rider and move in to third position. However, Pozniak also wouldn’t stay there for long – Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Kirkland was the next rider to make the move and slot in to third, while Barham and Pozniak followed closely behind.
With only a few laps remaining, the running order continued to see Hill lead from his Yamaha teammate Evans, followed by Kirkland, Barham and Pozniak who completed the top five. Red plate holder Tierney was only just outside the lead pack in sixth position, while Latimer who took second place in moto one, held down seventh.
But it was Yamaha mounted Hill who crossed the finish line in the final Pirelli MXD race victorious, followed by his teammate Evans who wrapped up moto two in second, followed by Raceline’s Kirkland who put in an outstanding performance to finish in third. Pozniak and Barham concluded raced two in fourth and fifth places respectively.
When results were combined from both Pirelli MXD motos, it was Evans’ consistent 1,2 results which handed him the round three bragging rights, teammate Hill secured second position overall, while Kirkland’s fourth and third race results awarded him his first senior podium in third.
Despite a disappointing 10th place finish in moto two for red plate holder Tierney, the Husqvarna mounted rider remains the MXD championship points leader by 16 points.
Mitchell Evans – Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team – Round 3 Overall Winner
“My starts let me down a little bit today, so I need to go back and work on them – I sort of made getting on the podium a bit difficult for myself (laughs),” he said.
“The track was very challenging out there, and everyone is riding well so we definitely worked hard for it, and I’m happy to finish the round on the top spot on the podium.
“My team make my job a lot easier, so I can’t thank those guys enough for their support today. It’s a good result to have both Jordan and myself up here so we really couldn’t be happier.”
Pirelli MXD round three results
1) Mitchell Evans – 67 points
2) Jordan Hill – 61 points
3) Wade Kirkland – 58 points
4) Loshie Latimer– 56 points
5) Kaleb Barham – 51 points
6) Connor Tierney – 51 points
7) Cooper Pozniak – 50 points
8) Hugh McKay – 48 points
9) Zak Small – 47 points
10) Travis Silk – 40 points
Pirelli MXD Championship Standings
1) Connor Tierney – 185 points
2) Wade Kirkland – 169 points
3) Jordan Hill – 164 points
4) Cooper Pozniak – 162 points
5) Kaleb Barham – 158 points
6) Mitchell Evans – 157 points
7) Zak Small – 149 points
8) Lochie Latimer – 140 points
9) Hugh McKay – 112 points
10) Travis Silk – 109 points
