Team Motul Suzuki rider Matt Moss has performed a clean sweep in the MX1 class at the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals, winning both motos in the second round of the series at Appin in New South Wales.
Moss’ twin brother Jake took his National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki bike to back-to-back second placings to finish second outright on the day.
And completing the mirror of results from moto one to moto two, KTM Motocross Race Team rider Kirk Gibbs finished both races in third position.
The format for round two changed to the two-moto format (30 minutes + 1 lap per moto) meaning standings in each race carried significant importance in contributing to the outright results.
In the opening MX1 race, reigning champion Moss again proved that he is the rider to beat in 2014, charging straight to the holeshot and dominating from start to finish.
Moss was never threatened taking all 35 points on offer in the race – finishing nearly 8 seconds clear of his brother Jake in second.
Jake was impressive in the early stages of the race as he initially challenged for the lead, before doing enough to finish ahead of Gibbs in third, and Billy Mackenzie (CDR Yamaha) in fourth.
Mackenzie had been third for much of the race before he landed on the edge of a tabletop mid-race, which relegated him back to fourth.
Despite the hiccup he still managed to finish more than 20 seconds ahead of Suzuki privateers Hayden Mellross in fifth place and Jacob Wright (Honda) in sixth.
Adam Monea (Monster Energy Kawasaki), who finished second overall at the opening round in Broadford, had a start to forget and despite his best efforts could only register a 14th place finish.
The second moto of the day nearly saw chaos at the first turn as Matt Moss had a case of the shakes and made contact with Jake.
He managed to regain his composure and stay upright, but not before Honda rider Alex Snow could sneak through to take the holeshot
His lead lasted less than two corners before Matt Moss, followed by Jake, passed and took control of the race, and the pair spent the next 30 minutes riding as though they were having fun in their backyard.
The top five was rounded out by Gibbs, Mackenzie and Monea (in third, fourth and fifth respectively) – positions which the trio held their throughout most of the race itself.
In the overall championship standings, Matt Moss already has a huge buffer with 173 points – 20 points clear of Gibbs with Monea a further 13 behind.
MX1 Superpole:
1) Kirk Gibbs 1:42.628 (5 points)
2) Jake Moss 1:42.634 (4 points)
3) Matt Moss 1:42.866 (3 points)
4) Jay Marmont 1:45.229 (2 points)
5) Adam Monea 1:45.689 (1 points)
MX1 Round 2 Results:
1) Matt Moss 70 (35, 35)
2) Jake Moss 64 (32, 32)
3) Kirk Gibbs 60 (30, 30)
4) Billy Mackenzie 56 (28, 28)
5) Jacob Wright 49 (25, 24)
6) Hayden Mellross 49 (26, 23)
7) Jay Marmont 47 (22, 25)
8) Rhys Carter 46 (24, 22)
9) Kade Mosig 44 (23, 21)
10) Adam Monea 43 (17, 26)
MX1 Championship Standings:
1) Matt Moss 173
2) Kirk Gibbs 153
3) Adam Monea 140
4) Jake Moss 139
5) Billy Mackenzie 125
6) Rhys Carter 120
7) Kade Mosig 120
8) Jay Marmont 115
9) Hayden Mellross 114
10) Jacob Wright 105
Serco Yamaha rider Luke Clout has taken outright honours in the MX2 class at the second round of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals held at Appin in New South Wales.
In a fiercely competitive day of action, only two points separated first and third place in the overall standings as Clout held his nerve with a third place in the second moto to go with his race-one win.
Clout finished one point ahead of Tunetech Racing KTM Australia rider Kale Makeham (second and second from his two motos) and another point clear of fellow Serco Yamaha rider Jay Wilson in third (fourth and first from his two motos).
In the first moto, opening round winner Kayne Lamont (Husqvarna Red Bull WIL Sport NZ Racing) took the holeshot, only to be passed by Clout on the opening lap.
On lap four, the Kiwi rider hit a soft section of the track, which caused him to fall over his bars and forced an early end to his race.
From that point on Clout (first) and Makeham (second) pulled away from the field, shifting the focus of the race to an enthralling battle behind them between Errol Willis (Axis Motorsports), Ryan Marmont (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) and Wilson.
In the end it was Marmont who took third place in the race ahead of Wilson in fourth, SD3 Husqvarna rider Luke Arbon in fifth and Willis in sixth.
In the second moto, a huge bunch up at the opening corner spelled disaster for Willis who despite coming off his bike still managed a respectable 18th.
Avoiding the pile-up was KTM rider Caleb Ward who grabbed the holeshot from Makeham, Wilson, Marmont and Lamont
On the third lap, a slight misjudgment forced Makeham to drop back into third place, with Wilson shooting into first.
Despite pressure throughout the race from Makeham – who managed to claw back into second, Wilson fought bravely to hold him off and register his first win in the MX2 class.
Makeham finished in second place with Clout working through the field to claim third, Hamish Harwood (CMR Redbull KTM) finishing in fourth and Wade Hunter taking his KTM to fifth.
In the overall championship standings, Clout has opened up a 14-point gap from Harwood, with Brenden Harrison (Instant Security KTM) a further two points behind.
MX2 CLASS: Round Results:
1) Luke Clout 65 (35, 30)
2) Kale Makeham 64 (32, 32)
3) Jay Wilson 63 (28, 35)
4) Ryan Marmont 52 (30, 22)
5) Hamish Harwood 51 (23, 28)
6) Brenden Harrison 48 (24, 24)
7) Wade Hunter 45 (19, 26)
8) Nick Sutherland 42 (21, 21)
9) Daniel McCoy 41 (22, 19)
10) Hamish Dobbyn 40 (20, 20)
MX2 Championship Standings
1) Luke Clout 146
2) Hamish Harwood 132
3) Brenden Harrison 130
4) Kayne Lamont 127
5) Kale Makeham 121
6) Ryan Marmont 115
7) Wade Hunter 114
8) Jay Wilson 104
9) Nick Scott 97
10) Daniel McCoy 91
MXD and Junior Cup shows off future talent
Bolton KTM Motorcycles rider Jack Simpson has claimed round honours in the MXD class at the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals at Appin in New South Wales.
Simpson won the second moto of the day to go with his opening race second place, to finish six points clear of Husqvarna Austrlia’s Egan Mastin (first and fifth from his two races).
Opening round winner Jed Beaton (GYTR Yamaha) finished the second round in third place overall, following fourth and second place finishes from his two motos.
Fellow GYTR Yamaha rider Wilson Todd and Husqvarna rider Nathan Crawford continued their consistent performances from round one, finishing the Appin round in fourth and fifth place outright respectively.
The Appin event was the first time in the series that the Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup has featured as a support class, and it was Mitchell Evans (KTM Australia Junior Race Team) who managed a clean-sweep with two comprehensive race wins.
Berry Sweet Husqvarna pilot Connor Tierney overcame two poor starts to navigate his way through the field in each race and register two third-place finishes.
Yamaha Junior Racing Team rider Cody Dyce was a model of consistency claiming two fourth-placings in his two races to take third overall for the round.
Privateer Dylan Dukes rode his KTM to fourth overall for the round (fifth and sixth from two races) while Yamaha Junior Racing Teams’ Brendon Walther rounded out the top five (second and 14th).
MXD CLASS: Round Results:
1) Jack Simpson 67 (32, 35)
2) Egan Mastin 61 (35, 26)
3) Jed Beaton 60 (28, 32)
4) Wilson Todd 54 (24, 30)
5) Nathan Crawford 54 (30, 24)
6) Aaron Tanti 50 (25, 25)
7) Blake Colleton 49 (21, 28)
8) Kyle Webster 49 (26, 23)
9) Jesse McNally 44 (23, 21)
10) Braden Collins 42 (22, 20)
Championship Standings:
1) Jed Beaton 156
2) Egan Mastin 155
3) Jack Simpson 152
4) Nathan Crawford 145
5) Wilson Todd 125
6) Jayden Rykers 106
7) Brock McLeary 101
8) Jarrod Kelly 96
9) Jesse McNally 95
10) Kyle Webster 90
125CC JUNIOR CUP: Round Results:
1) Mitchell Evans 70 (35, 35)
2) Connor Tierney 60 (30, 30)
3) Cody Dyce 56 (28, 28)
4) Dylan Dukes 51 (26, 25)
5) Brendon Walther 49 (32, 17)
6) Kaleb Barham 48 (16, 32)
7) Reece Rayner 46 (24, 22)
8) Blake Parker 45 (22, 23)
9) Calum Norton 44 (18, 26)
10) Jordan Hill 44 (25, 19)
Husqvarna Report
Husqvarna’s rising factory and factory support riders gathered another bag of creditable results as the second round of the Monster Energy MX nationals took place at at Appin, NSW.
Husqvarna Motocross Racing Team rider and MX 1 rookie Brock Winston came up just short of a top-10 finish in the premier class at his second attempt but positive signs have both he and team owner Craig Anderson optimistic for the future.
Kiwi Kayne Lamont was unable to match his barnstorming Broadford run in the MX 2 category after knocking the stuffing out of himself in a heavy first moto crash, and despite an inspiring and courageous effort, relinquished the championship lead.
MX Development category rider Egan Mastin rocketed out of the blocks to blitz the first MXD race, and he and factory support rider Nathan Crawford again held the crowned H logo high, finishing second and fifth respectively.
Western Australian Connor Tierney boosted the stocks of young Husqvarna-mounted up and comers even further, with second in the Yamaha Rookies series for 13-15 years riders in what was his first appearance at the MX nationals.
Craig Anderson: “Today was definitely a step in the right direction for us. Connor got second in the Rookies and rode very strong, coming from 14th and 10th to finish with two thirds. Egan won his first by eight seconds – just killed it -and in the second was basically running away with it when he caught a couple of lappers and tried to go around the outside in a bit of a one-line corner and washed out in the mud and fell over, but he looked really solid on the bike and had it under control which is good.
Nick was looking good today – he came together with a guy on the last lap of qualifying and he hurt his elbow. It was a pretty big one. But he re-grouped with two tenths and from where he was last round to this round is a big improvement.
Brock got really bad starts today, but got a 10th in the first moto, then came up from 15th in the second up to 13th, but just struggled a bit trying to put the intensity in and had a little bit of a tip over. I know he wants to do better and we’re going in the right direction.”
Brock Winston (FC 450 – MX1): “Today I felt like I rode a bit better. I need to get a bit better starts, my lap times were a little better on the bike, and I feel a bit more comfortable, and I’ve been working hard. I’m nowhere near where I want to be yet but I do feel like I rode a little bit better than last round, even if the results don’t necessarily show at. I’ll keep working and hopefully we’ll keep improving. I like Wonthaggi, it’s a bit like Coolum, so I’m looking forward to going there, …and hopefully I will get some better starts.”
Kayne Lamont (TC 250 – MX2): “I had a shocker. Race one I got the holeshot, and Clout passed me, then about 10 min in I had a big spill of the ski and landed in the soft stuff and swapped off and face planted and took a big whack to the head, my shoulder and leg. I wasn’t healthy enough to finish off the moto so I went back to the pits. I wasn’t very well between races, I had my appendix out not so long ago, and it upset that little bit too. I wasn’t the healthiest creature. I had a few Panadols which stopped it a little so I could get out and ride. I think I was in 4th most of the race and then had a crash about halfway through, so the focus levels probably weren’t up to scratch, went back to tenth, but made my way back to sixth, and was completely blown out. I took my helmet off and spewed; I was not too well that’s for sure, so I was pretty stoked that I could collect some points for the day. It’s time for a healthy one I think!”
Nathan Crawford (TC 250 – MXD): “I had a good first race, got a good start, and rode a good consistent race for a solid third. But the second moto I just got a terrible start and the first corner was about a foot deep in mud all the way around. I was coming back through the pack real good, then about on the fourth lap I just tucked the front in a rut and had to re-pass all the riders I’d already passed again. I battled away into seventh, and then crossing the line fifth, sixth and I were all wheel after wheel. I’m fourth now in the championship, there’s 11 points between the leader and me. I really just need to work on my starts; if I can crack a holeshot I can really show what I can do.”
Egan Mastin (TC 250 – MXD): “It wasn’t too bad today, I was happy with the first moto and I got a good lead, but I was little disappointed with the last one. I was coming down the back hill there, and the lappers didn’t move out of the main line, so I just went around the outside and cut a different line to what I had been running and I tucked the front in a rut. That cost me the round win. A bit of a bummer, but I’m only one point off the series lead anyway.”
KTM Report
KTM Motocross Racing Team rider Kirk Gibbs has moved into second place in the standings of this year’s Monster Energy MX Nationals series, with another rock solid showing in today’s second round at Appin, New South Wales.
Despite very limited on-bike training as he recovers from a broken hand suffered three weeks ago, Gibbs began the day in the best possible fashion, setting the fastest time in this morning’s Go Pro Super Pole to add five points to his season tally.
Gibbs suffered with starts across both 30-minute motos, but with superior fitness, gritty determination and a fair helping of track speed in the Appin ruts, he was able to make his way through into podium positions both times.
Defending champion Matt Moss won the day from Jake Moss, while Gibbs’ impressive performance saw the Queensland-based South Australian elevate himself to second position in the Monster Energy MX 1 championship standings after two of 10 rounds.
Rob Twyerould: “It was another good solid day for us, it was a little muddy in practice but then it just dried out towards the end of the day into a very rutty, very bumpy track – a very good Nationals track. Today kicked off in top form for Kirk, he was second fastest in qualifying then won the Super Pole, with the top three, two seconds clear of the next pair. Kirk got caught off guard with the start of the first moto and fluffed the start, but being smart he lined up the inside and tucked around and got himself up to about 10th. He was so strong all the way through, moving up to third and even closing on the leaders, but they had such a gap they could vary the pace as needed. In the second his button released and he wheelied and had to back off. He came out in sixth and didn’t take too long moving forward but got stuck behind Melross a little too long after which time the Mosses had a 10-second lead. It was two solid points positions for us today though, and we’re now second in the championship, 20 points behind the leader. Kirk and the Mosses have proven themselves to be the top guys to this point and were looking forward to the next two rounds.”
Kirk Gibbs MX1 – “It was a positive day for me, the gate dropped much quicker than I expected in the first moto and I found myself 10th or so but I fought my way back into third and I’m very happy with the way I’m riding. In the second the button popped out and I wheel-standed and had to back off, so I blew that start too. I’m a little frustrated in that sense but I can go home and work on my starts. My hand has gotten a lot better over the last couple of weeks I’ve been staying off the bike, which has been doing it a lot of good. I probably won’t ride this week, then we have the Queensland titles this weekend, and I hope to be pretty much back to 100% by the time we go to Wonthaggi.”
In MX2 Racing, last year’s runner-up Kale Makeham on the Tune Tech KTM made amends for a quiet Broadford performance, finishing just one point from the overall win at Appin. The result elevates him to fifth in the championship. Earlier, Brenden Harrison had qualified fastest in the class but poor starts and falls limited the Instant Security KTM to sixth on the day, behind Hamish Harwood and ahead of Wade Hunter. Harwood now lies second to championship leader Luke Clout, with Harrison just two points further behind.
Kale Makeham MX2 – “We had a good day, it was great to come back like that after Broadford, where I had bad starts and just didn’t ride like myself after that first corner crash which kind of made me question a few things. So it was good to come to Appin and be straight back where we belong, I was fastest in both motos so it’s great to see the hard work has paid off and I’m in a good position. That first race I was in second and probably could have made a move for first but I was happy to get the day off with some good momentum. In the second I did everything I could and only missed the overall by a point. In the overall scheme of things it’s not a bad day so we’ll take that!”
Brenden Harrison MX2 – “It was just one of those tough days today. I qualified first so I know my speed was okay, and my fitness is really good, but I just never got the greatest starts and I put myself in bad situations where I went down in both races. I feel I made good passes but both times by the time I got anywhere everyone was gone. On a brighter note though, I might have slipped back to third in the championship, but I’ve moved closer to the lead than I was after round one. So we’ll go back home and go back to work and see what happens next.”
In MXD racing KTM-mounted Jack Simpson moved into third in the championship with an impressive win ahead of Egan Mastin and Jed Beaton. The win sees Simpson just four points from the championship lead.
In Rookies racing, KTM’s Mitchell Evans made a big impression, dominating ahead of Connor Tierney and Coty Dyce.
Serco Yamaha Report
Serco Yamaha’s vow of redemption came to fruition at round two of the Monster Energy MX Nationals with the team turning in an impressive performance to have both riders on the podium and claim the points leaders red plate in the MX2 championship.
After a misfiring opening round, the second round of the championship at Appin Raceway, Sydney, couldn’t come soon enough for the Serco Yamaha duo of Luke Clout and Jay Wilson. Both riders wanted to get their season back on track at Appin and they did that in no uncertain terms.
Luke Clout claimed the victory on the day with his 1-3 moto finishes in the two races contested. The Sydney based Clout rode superbly in the opening 30 minute moto and took his first race victory of the season in front of his family and friends.
Race two saw him work a little harder to make up for an average start. He worked his way through the pack before settling for third late in the race with the knowledge the round win would be his.
“Round one didn’t go as the team and I planned and it was important we back on track immediately, so that was our plan for today. Race one went well and I got into the lead early in the race and just put in my laps and I was able to stretch the lead out late in the race. The second one was a bit tougher as I was in a bit of a freight train of riders and making passes was difficult.
“But we managed to get to third and that was good enough for the round win. I wasn’t that happy with how I raced in the last won but it was all I had to do.
“It is pretty cool to win here at Appin as I had a lot of friends here and it was a great day for the team to have us both on the podium,” Clout ends.
Jay Wilson also had a day of firsts, taking his first podium finish in MX2 and also his first race win in MX2. Wilson is no stranger to winning but as this is his first year in the MX2 division since stepping up from MXD, many expected the race wins to come later as he learned the ropes of the professional category.
But Appin provided Wilson with a day he won’t forget. He ran inside the top three for much of the opening moto before slipping back to fourth at the finish to get his day off to a good start.
With a great start in moto two, Wilson hit the front in the early stages and never surrendered the lead. He crossed the line for his maiden race win for the Serco Yamaha team and his 4-1 results gave him third for the round
“The first round was terrible for me and the faster I moved on, the better,” Wilson explains. “Today didn’t start off well in qualifying but I knew if I got a good start then I would be in with a chance. The first race was good and helped lift my spirits and I felt confident going into the last moto.
“A huge thank-you to the Serco Yamaha team and our sponsors and I want to make this the start of a good, consistent year of racing to my potential,” he finishes.
The big points haul for both riders at Appin, now sees Luke Clout atop of the leader board in the MX2 division and Jay Wilson has jumped from 17th to ninth.
The next round of the MX Nationals takes place at the picturesque Wonthaggi Circuit in Victoria and is a favourite among the riders. The Serco Yamaha team will be looking to continue their good form on from round two as the championship battle in the MX2 class heats up.
Suzuki Report
Team Motul Suzuki’s Matt Moss extended his lead in the MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, at Appin in New South Wales on Sunday, racing to a pair of flawless victories aboard the RM-Z450.
Moss took his second overall victory from two rounds to date in 2014, qualifying third in Super Pole before controlling both 30-minute motos at Appin to build an early 20-point advantage in the championship standings.
The effort saw Moss sweep the round from twin brother Jake Moss, while Kirk Gibbs completed the podium.
“I’m super-happy with this,” Moss reflected. “Even though we won at the first round, it didn’t really go to plan, but this time we did and it was a good race for us. I’m excited about having Jake challenge me, it was nice to dominate this class today, and we will keep moving forward from here.
“The bike is actually better than it’s ever been right now. Jay convinced me to try some things in that second moto and it was even improved again, which is a big part of why this team is so strong. Decisions have been great so far and the results are there to show that, so thanks to everyone for helping us to make this happen.”
Team Motul Suzuki teammate Rhys Carter was eighth overall in the Appin event, carding seventh in moto one and ninth in the second. The result sees him now tied for sixth in the standings after another promising performance.
“It was a good day for me,” Carter said. “The first race was really good for me – I crashed a few turns in and went back to nearly last, so to finish seventh was good. My speed was definitely good.
“In race two I struggled a bit with the hard-pack surface, so that’s something I need to spend more time on, but ninth was still a decent result considering. Overall the weekend was another good one for us.”
Team manager Jay Foreman said it was another rewarding result for Team Motul Suzuki, impressed with Moss’ form early in the season and certain he’s even stronger than he was when winning the title last year.
“I’m very happy with today; Matt was back to his dominant self and it’s another step in the right direction,” Foreman commented. “Matt is gaining strength all the time and he’s definitely mentally stronger than he was at the end of last year.
“Right now he’s limiting his mistakes, which is the way he finished off last year, so it’s positive to start this season on that same note. He has a higher intensity now and it’s been a pleasure to start 2014 with both Matt and Rhys doing so well.”
The MX Nationals series will continue with round three at Wonthaggi in Victoria to be held on Sunday, 27 April.
Kawasaki Report
National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Moss has grabbed the team’s second podium in two rounds finishing in 2nd place overall on board his KX450F at the 2nd round of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals at Appin, NSW yesterday.
The day started well once again for National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki with both riders qualifying for Super-Pole. National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki is the only team in the championship to have two riders qualify for Super-Pole at each round.
With little riding time under his belt since the series opener at Broadford due to soreness from a crash, Jake Moss took to the moist Appin track feeling tight. In moto 1 Jake Moss got off to a good start and quickly settled into 2nd place however due to that body tightness he was unable to pose a serious threat to 1st place. Moss grabbed another 2nd place in moto 2 with his 2-2 results leaving him in 2nd place overall for the round.
Moss’s 2nd overall at Appin and his final moto win at round 1 are helping him to overcome a first race DNF at the series opener that cost him precious championship points. Jake Moss currently sits in 4th place in the series.
Jake Moss say’s, “Usually two second place finishes get you the win but unfortunately this is Matt’s (Moss) home track so I was expecting him to be quick. I needed the starts so I could race my race and try and pull away but unfortunately I was 4th and 5th off the start. The National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki handled really well all day and I got my first podium for the year. It’s only the 2nd round and there’s a lot to go. I think me and Matt will battle all the way til the end.”
Although he didn’t make it public knowledge, Adam Monea carried a small niggling injury with him to Appin which affected his chances of back to back podiums. A crash in practice didn’t help his cause however he still rode well enough to qualify for Super-Pole. The first moto was a struggle for Monea. Riding through pain and with a small crash in the dying stages of the race, Monea could only manage a 14th place finish. He gathered himself well though during the lunch break and came out strong and determined in moto 2 to finish in 5th place. Adam Monea finished the round in 10th place and sits in 3rd place overall in the series.
Adam Monea say’s, “She was a rough day! I was carrying a little injury coming into today so I was riding a little sore and a little hurt but no excuses. I rode way too tight in the first moto..I rode terrible and the result was terrible. I brought it back a little bit in moto 2. I hung on as well as I could for a top 5 finish. We lost a few points today but it’s early days. I’m still in the hunt. I’m confident heading into my hometown race next round. Well done to Jake!”
Kawasaki supported rider Blake Colleton flew the Kawasaki flag proudly in the MXD (Under 19s) class. He overcame a bad start and a 10th place finish in moto 1 to take 4th in moto 2. He finished the round in 7th overall.
National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki now prepare for the 3rd round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at Wonthaggi, Victoria on 27th April.
GYTR Yamaha Report
Round two of the 2014 MX Nationals proved to be another good day for the GYTR Yamaha team as they continued their pursuit of the MXD (u19) championship at Appin Raceway, Sydney.
Just like round one at Broadford, the Appin track was unknown to Jed Beaton and Wilson Todd, but the riders quickly become accustomed to the rutty and challenging layout and returned more good results.
Jed Beaton finished third for the day on his YZ250F with 4-2 results in the two motos contested. His start in moto one left him with plenty of work to do and when the minute moto concluded, Beaton charged through to fourth place.
With the emphasis on a better start in race two, Beaton was inside the top five early in the race and began to move forward. He moved into second with a few laps to go and set sail for the leader, only to come up a few bike lengths short of the race win when the chequered flag flew.
He rounded out the day in third place, but more importantly, he holds onto the leaders red plate he earned after his victory at round one.
“To be honest, I didn’t feel that good today. I was a bit flat all day and couldn’t really get it going but it was good to be able to make it a reasonable finish despite not riding at my best and get a podium result.
“Starts were so important and I didn’t get a good jump in the first moto and paid the price. Moto two was better and as a result, the finish was better so I need to keeping working on my starts and putting myself in a good position early in the race,” Beaton signs off.
Wilson Todd continues to turn heads as the young charger rides with plenty of heart and spirit. Todd topped the qualifying sheets in the morning session and was confident of a good showing in race one.
Like Beaton, he also suffered from a bad start, made worse by some crashes in front of him during the opening lap. He fought on all race and managed to get to seventh and add some respectability to his ride.
Moto two and he was right in the thick of a heated battle in the early going. He moved into third and was on his way to the front before he fell and dropped back several positions. He remounted and again charged his way forward, finally finishing in third place and his 7-3 scores out him in fourth place for the round and moved him up to fifth in the championship.
Wilson MX Report
The Queensland based Wilson MX team have made steady progress at round two of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at Appin with both riders Jake Emanuelli and Luke Wilson seeing improvements since Broadford.
With round one in the books as one to forget, the Honda backed team was ready to move forward with the season, and build on their last round experience to step things up a notch at round two.
The MX2 qualifying session saw Emanuelli take 20th gate pick, and Wilson taking 33rd. With a full MX2 grid, both riders were content that their qualifying result would be enough to set themselves up for a day of solid racing.
Emanuelli, who had only spent two weeks with the team leading into round one, took advantage of his increased bike-time and took a 14th in moto one and 17th in moto two, leaving him in 16th overall for the day. Emanuelli noting that Appin was a huge improvement on round one.
For Wilson, Appin proved tricky in some areas finding that the crucial ingredient he was missing was his speed during races. Wilson took 27th position in moto one, followed by a 30th in moto two, putting him in 31st position for the day. Wilson, who is now seeing a sports psychologist, reflected on the day positively.
Luke Wilson MX2 – 31st Overall (27th, 30th): “It wasn’t a great day for me again. Everything has been going so well during the week but I haven’t seemed to be able to put that together yet on race day.
“As soon as the gate is in front of me things seem to get quite hard for me.
“I’ve started seeing a sport psychologist, so I’m going to continue with her over the next few weeks and hopefully work on getting my head to realise what I am capable of.
“I know that I can do it, something is just not working in my head once I get to the start line. Hopefully the time with the sports psychologist will help me overcome that before round three.”
Jake Emanuelli MX2 – 16th Overall (14th, 17th): “This round wasn’t too bad for me. It was a big improvement on the first round.
“I still want to get better from here, but it’s good to be walking away with a better result.
“In the first moto I didn’t get the best start, but I kept pushing forward and finished 14th so that was a good race for me.
“In the second race I got a better start, but I just rode pretty tight and ended up going back to 17th, but I was pretty happy with that.
“The whole weekend was a big improvement from the first round.”
Neale Wilson – Wilson MX Team Manager: “Appin has been up and down. Jake had a good day – better than the first round. Luke struggled again unfortunately; he felt good in the second race but just didn’t have the speed.
“We just need to go away and do some more work before round three.
“Both of the boys are fit, so the 30-minute moto should suit them fine. Luke just wasn’t fast enough, but we were happy that Jake did a lot better than last round.
“Jake is a local to Wonthaggi so next round should be a good one for us.”
DPH Motorsports Report
PH Motorsport Yamaha Racing have walked away from a tough round two of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals in one piece and with another lot of points to add to both their riders’ championship hunt.
DPHs’ MX1 riders, Sam Martin and Kade Mosig, managed to finish both 30-minute motos despite some bad luck and niggling injuries, finishing round two at Appin with some work to do before their home round at Wonthaggi.
Practice and qualifying provided positive results for both riders, with Martin qualifying in an impressive seventh place and Mosig not far behind him in 13th position, setting the Dale Hocking owned team up for a solid day of racing.
Mosig, who had a breakthrough first round, had confirmed prior to Appin that he had crashed while training and was carrying some injuries. Despite the pain, he fought on to finish moto one in eighth place, moto two in in tenth, and took ninth overall for the day.
After a fourth place finish at the first round at Broadford, Mosig focused on salvaging points at round two, and came out of the weekend a little sore but looking to his home round at Wonthaggi feeling positive and excited.
Martin, who only had surgery on his problem knee six weeks ago, also managed to grit his teeth and get the job done. After suffering bike issues in moto one, Martin managed to finish in 11th place, however the bad luck continued in moto two with a crash half way through forcing him to finish in 18th, giving him a 15th overall for round two.
With only two weeks under his belt on the bike, Martin is content with the way he is progressing and is looking forward to building on his form over the next eight rounds.
Kade Mosig MX1 – 9th Overall (8th, 10th): “I knew Appin was going to be tough, it’s probably one of the toughest days of racing I have had in a long time.
“I wasn’t able to ride from Broadford until Appin, so two weeks off the bike put me behind the eight ball.
“Obviously having the crash – I was really sore, my thumb was killing me, my shoulder was killing me. When I crashed during the week I didn’t actually think I was going to make it to the race.
“Two 30’s was obviously hard because of the pain and everything in my hand. Once I got to the 15-minute mark my hand started going numb and I couldn’t really hang on at all.
“I’m pretty happy though, I just wanted to get through this weekend and get some solid points. Top ten was sort of all I was aiming for and I’ve managed to come away with that but it was a really tough day”
Sam Martin – 15th Overall (10th, 18th): “My day started off really well, I qualified seventh which I was really happy with but then I had a bit of a bike problem in the first moto.
“In the second race I started off well, I was in about sixth or seventh and I was a few laps deep and I hit one of those shiny spots and went down.
“I hit the ground pretty hard so I couldn’t regroup from that. I just had to try and cruise around and get some points.
“I only had the operation on my knee six weeks ago, so I’ve only been on the bike two weeks.
“I’m obviously not where I want to be right now. Back before I had my surgery I was on the podium at the Supercross so I want to get back to that. I just want to build from where we are and play it as it comes and hopefully by five rounds I’m in a better spot.
Dale Hocking – DPH Motosports Yamaha Racing Team Owner: “Overall the weekend was pretty good. Kade obviously was carrying an injury and Sam knocked himself out in the last race after a big crash.
“Really what’s important is that this weekend we have finished and got some solid points on the board, so we will get back to it and hopefully be looking good for Wonthaggi.
“It’s great to have Yamaha and Steve Cramer helping us and all of our sponsors throwing their support behind us this year. It looks like 2014 is going to be really solid for DPH.
“Wonthaggi should be great, hopefully both the boys are feeling strong and fit and we should be ready to go!”
Raceline Pirelli Suzuki Report
For Raceline Pirelli Suzuki, round two of the Monster Energy MX Nationals will be one to remember with team rider Ryan Marmont wowing his home crowd at Appin with a stellar performance.
With teammate Geran Stapleton out with a fractured sternum, it was up to the veteran Marmont to lead the charge in the MX2 class for the Suzuki backed team.
Marmont, who works six days a week, proved that hard work, dedication and consistency is what is going to put him in the best position in the Motul MX2 championship hunt in 2014.
Timed qualifying provided Marmont with a seventh position gate pick for moto one, a gate choice that would launch the Suzuki rider to his first race podium of 2014.
In moto one, the veteran of the class battled through the pack to take a third place finish ahead of his younger opponents.
Unfortunately in moto two, exhaustion became an issue which forced Marmont to settle for ninth place, leaving him just short of an overall podium, ending the day with a fourth overall at round two.
Marmont, who had his family and friends behind him, felt refreshed after coming away with the result he was looking for and is excited about what the next eight rounds of the MX Nationals has in store.
Ryan Marmont MX2 – 4th Overall (3rd, 9th): “Compared to last week I’m a lot happier with my result.
“We made quite a few changes in the last couple of weeks and I think we’ve taken a step the right direction, so all in all I’ve had a really good weekend.
“I definitely have gotten a taste for it again, my position is where I feel it should be now at least. I’m just going to keep striving forward and keep working on things.
“In the last moto I just got to a point where I was in my own race and I felt I had a comfortable pace going, a few guys put a little bit of heat on me and I’m no young spring chicken anymore.
“It gets to that point in your life where if I’m feeling a bit tired I just tend to take it that little bit easier rather than just hanging it all out there like I once would have.
“I would have definitely preferred three 20-minute motos today, I just got a bit exhausted in the last moto but it was still a great day and I had a lot of fun.
“I just need to work a little bit harder so I don’t put myself in positions where I have to fight as hard on the weekend.”
Chris Tisdale – Raceline Pirelli Suzuki Team Manager: “I think overall it was a really good day. It probably would have been nice to finish a couple more spots ahead in the Ryans’ last moto.
“Fourth overall for the day though and I don’t actually think it would have had much impact on the result. Pretty pleased with fourth, just need that one more spot and we’re on the podium, but we can do that next round.
“30-minute motos are an extra ten minutes than last round so it puts a bit of pressure on the riders. I think Ryan just faded a little bit towards the end of moto two, and had a bit of arm pump by the sounds of it.
“That’s racing though, we have finished fourth, got good points and it’s only the second round so we’re pretty happy with that. Consistency will be the key, there are a lot of fast guys out there but you have to finish every moto.
“Ryan is starting this year really well so we’re aiming for top five finishes at this stage of the championship.”
TM Racing Report
Daniel McCoy has recorded TM Racing Australia’s first top ten overall round result in the MX2 class at the second round of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals held at Appin on Sunday the 13th of April.
McCoy kicked off his home round with a top ten qualifying effort, posting the ninth fastest time on the damp slick circuit.
The TM MX 250 Two Stroke pilot mimicked his qualifying result in the opening race finishing in 9th position, before posting a 12th place finish in the second 30 minute moto of the day, working his way through the field after a bad start.
“It was a bit of an average day to be honest, I had some arm pump in the first race and my set up was not quite where I needed it to be.” McCoy explained. “I struggled but was still able to come home inside the top ten.
“The second race I got a terrible start, I just did not get it off the line properly. At the end of the first lap I was 22nd, but was able to ride back through to finish in 12th.”
McCoy’s 9-12 scorecard resulted in a 9th place overall finish for the round and in the process moved him up one position in the championship standings to 10th on 91 points.
While a top ten finish in the highly competitive MX2 class is nothing to sneeze at, McCoy was a little disappointed in his overall result and has vowed to put his head down and continuing developing his race bike in an effort to make the podium.
“Overall it was a bit of a disappointing result for sure,” McCoy admitted. “We will continue to progress and develop the bike, we are the only team in the world racing and developing this bike at this level of racing and we are learning as we go.
“Things are certainly looking positive and we will do some more testing this week then head up and race the Queensland titles at Coolum. We will keep chasing as many races as we can and moving forward.”
Joining McCoy aboard TM MX 250 two stroke machinery was Emu Racing’s Joel Milesevic and Full Force Racing Components Joel Evans.
Milesevic had another good showing, qualifying 15th then racing to a 14th place finish in the opening moto. The Victorian rider then broke through for his first top ten moto finish of the year, racing to a 8th place finish in the second and final moto for the day.
Overall Milesevic missed out on a top ten overall round result by a single point, finishing 11th for the round.
After crashing out in the first lap of the first moto at round one at Broadford FFRC racer Joel Evans had a solid showing at Appin.
After qualifying 23rd Evans raced to a 17th place finish in the opening race then 20th place in the 40 rider gate in moto 2, recording a top 20 finish for the round finishing 19th overall.
After two rounds of the ten round championships, Milesevic sits in 16th place in the MX2 Championship, while Evan’s is currently 29th.
