Moto News Wrap for April 14, 2015 by Darren Smart
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Australasian Moto News
Ok, listen up, THIS IS BIG!!! American living legend Ron Lechien will compete at this year’s MAXIMA Racing Oils Conondale Classic being held at the iconic natural terrain circuit on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast over the weekend of the 8th and 9th of August.
Lechien has multiple AMA Supercross main event victories, 18 AMA Motocross victories and one AMA National title to his credit but this credentials will mean little when he goes toe-to-toe with 1996 World Motocross Champion Shayne King as well as a gaggle of Aussie speedsters like Dave Armstrong, James Deakin and Glenn Bell to name a few. This is going to be the biggest race meeting on the Post Classic calendar by far with the new Pre-1995 category also given the go ahead
Speaking of classic motocross, my old mate Brad Van Barello continued his dominance of the Post Classic motocross scene by winning the Evolution 250cc, Pre 1985 263+cc Solo, Pre 1990 263+cc Solo and the Evolution 263+cc Championships at the Australian Championships held at Ravenswood last weekend. Thanks to a lack of confidence in the promoter/organiser, there weren’t big numbers at the event but that takes nothing away from the fact that ‘BVB’ is a living legend when it comes to getting an old rig around a motocross track.
Matt Moss had a huge crash at Appin last weekend at round two of the MX Nationals and was immediately taken to hospital. Thankfully Moss is already on the mend and looking forward to getting back on the bike as soon as possible, he posted this on FB: ‘Good news from the Dr today, I have all the feeling back in my legs & I am now home. Going to be off the bike for a good two months. Thanks to my friends family and fans for all the support. Can’t wait to get back out there and do what I love doing.’
American Moto News
Chad Reed had another main event podium in sites at Houston when Jason Anderson took him down mid moto but true to form Chad bounced back to finish a credible fifth place while Jackson Richardson had the speed for a top ten in the 250SX main but a poor start put pay to that.
This is no surprise. Moments after Ryan Dungey won his second career 450SX Supercross Championship in Houston last Saturday night, KTM announced they have signed the American superstar to a two-year extension that will keep him on orange through to the end of the 2017 season. Don’t forget, Dungey uses Dunlop tyres as does Cooper Webb who wrapped up the 250SX title at Houston.
KTM rider Jessy Nelson has had a huge practice crash while outdoor testing at Glen Helen has ended his supercross season. Nelson will return for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross opener at Hangtown next month.
One rider who won’t be returning any time soon is Kawasaki’s Tyler Bowers who will miss the remainder of 2015 to undergo back surgery to repair a lower lumbar issue. Bowers has been dealing with the issue all season, but it was determined over the 250SX West Region break that the injury would require surgery.
Josh Strang scored another second place to Kailub Russell at round four of the GNCC last weekend while Daniel Milner struggled to 12th in the XC1 class and 39th overall.
Tarah Gieger got the win over Aussie Mackenzie Tricker at round three of the AMA WMX Championships held at Glen Helen last weekend.
Euro Moto News
The second round of the British MX Nationals was held at the Foxhills circuit in the south of England last weekend and Kristian Whatley of the Buildbase Honda team has dominated the MX1 class with 1-1 scores to beat home Graham Irwin and Martin Barr.
In the MX2 class it was Frenchman Steven Lenoir with 1-1 moto finishes to win ahead of Neville Bradshaw and James Harrison.
Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna factory rider Max Nagl has scored victory in the German Motocross Championships last weekend with 2-1 moto results ahead of Dutchman Glenn Coldenhoff who went 1-2. Third overall was Christian Brockel.
Jeremy Van Horebeek has won the second round of the Belgian Motocross Championships at the Mons circuit. The Factory Yamaha rider went 2-1-1 over the three motos for the victory ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ken De Dycker and Steve Ramon.
Race Reports and Results from last Weekend
- – AMA Supercross Championships – Round 14 – Houston, TX
- – Amsoil Arenacross Series – Round 12 – Spokane, WA
- – Amsoil GNCC – Round 4 – Union, SC
- – MX Nationals – Round 2 – Appin, NSW
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AMA Supercross Championships – Round 14 – Houston, TX – Moto News
Monster Energy AMA Supercross travelled to NRG Stadium on Saturday in front of 48,024 fans for the 14th stop of the 17-race season. On a night in which Team Honda HRC rookie Cole Seely earned the first win of his 450SX Class career, it was Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey who stole the spotlight, following Seely across the line to secure his second championship with three races remaining. Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb had a similar opportunity in the return of the Western Regional 250SX Class Championship, and the sophomore rider did so in style, winning his fifth Main Event in seven races to clinch the first title of his professional career with one race to go.
450SX Report: BTO Sports KTM’s Andrew Short’s prowess for stellar starts continued as he raced to the SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award to start the 450SX Class Main Event ahead of Chad Reed and Seely. The Honda rider wasted little time in making his move and passed both Reed and Short on the inside through the first series of jumps to assume the lead and sprint away. Dungey found himself mired deep in the top 10, alongside his main championship rival Eli Tomac and his GEICO Honda.
Seely took full advantage of a clear track to open what quickly became an insurmountable lead, but the battles behind him lasted the entirety of the 20-lap race. Reed took over second from Short on Lap 3 and was followed by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jason Anderson, who took over third on Lap 6. Both Dungey and Tomac made little progress throughout the first half of the race, but after contact between Reed and Anderson took both riders down while battling for second, Dungey and Tomac started to assert themselves.
Dungey battled his way into the top five and broke into podium position by passing Discount Tire Racing/TwoTwo Motorsports’ Josh Grant on Lap 11. Two laps later he passed Short for second, while Tomac started to pressure Grant for fourth. Tomac’s march to the front put him into a podium spot on Lap 16 after passing Short, and he was able to keep Dungey within striking distance.
Seely was never pressured out front and led all 20 laps to become the 59th different winner in 450SX Class history. He also became the sixth different winner of the 2015 season, signifying the first time the championship has had that many riders stand atop the podium since the 1998 season.
“It’s unreal. I just tried to charge as fast as I could through the first 20 laps and open as big a lead as I could,” said Seely. “It was surreal because I had such a big lead that I could cruise. I just did what I know how to do best and put down heaters [fast laps] when I needed to. Once I did it was relatively easy from there.”
Dungey’s runner-up finish was his 13th consecutive podium result of the season and enough to clinch his first title since winning as a rookie during the 2010 season. The championship also signified the first for KTM in the 450SX Class.
“To win in 2010 was awesome, but this time I felt we really earned it and deserved it,” explained Dungey. “It’s hard to know what to say, there’s just so much running through my mind right now. KTM brought me here four years ago to win a championship and we finally accomplished it. I pictured tonight going a little differently in my mind, but we caught a few breaks and kept it on two wheels. We had to work for it tonight.”
Tomac completed the podium in third. Dungey and Tomac remain atop the 450SX Class championship standings, while Seely’s win moved him into third and he had this to say to RacerX. “It was amazing. Got off to a great start, was able to pass [Andrew] Shorty early on and knew I needed to get my good laps in right away and pull a gap. Just put down some really good lap times, and by the time it was halfway I had a twelve-second lead, so I just kind of backed it down and rode a smart race. It was unreal up there. I couldn’t believe what was going on. Just having so much fun on the bike. The team’s been working together so good. It’s unreal. I can’t believe it.”
250SX Report: The Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event began with GEICO Honda’s Matt Bisceglia grabbing the SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award just ahead of KTM’s Shane McElrath and Webb. McElrath was able to make a move on Bisceglia to take over the lead, while Kawasaki’s Tyler Bowers passed Webb to assume third. Bowers entered the night as Webb’s primary challenger in the championship, but he was only able to keep his rival at bay for a couple laps before Webb took over third. Not long after, Bowers pulled off to record a DNF.
On Lap 4 Webb’s pursuit of victory carried him past Bisceglia for second. As he looked to keep pace with Webb, Bisceglia crashed out of third, handing the spot to Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger. Out front, Webb slowly closed in on McElrath and a battle for the lead on Lap 9, with Webb gaining the advantage and seizing control of the lead. Once he got into the top spot Webb pulled away for the win to put an exclamation point on his championship-winning effort.
McElrath overcame a trip through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) to earn his second straight runner-up finish, tying a career best. GEICO Honda’s Malcolm Stewart also battled from an LCQ visit and an 11th-place start to round out the podium in third after passing Plessinger for the position on Lap 11.
“This is unreal,” exclaimed Webb. “I dedicated my whole life for this moment right here and it paid off. I was a four-year-old chasing a dream and it came true. I put my head down [after finishing seventh at the first race of the season] because I knew I wasn’t a seventh place guy. I knew I belonged up here so I never quit. I kept fighting and here we are.”
Webb is now followed in the Western Regional 250SX Class championship standings by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne, who assumed the spot after a seventh-place finish, and McElrath, who moved into third.
450SX Class Results: Houston
- Cole Seely, Laguna Beach, Calif., Honda
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Kawasaki
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha
- Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
450SX Class Season Standings
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 318
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 236
- Cole Seely, Laguna Beach, Calif., Honda, 223
- Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda, 204
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Kawasaki, 199
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki, 175
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna, 170
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 159
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki, 156
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 152
Western Regional 250SX Class Results: Houston
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha
- Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
- Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Husqvarna
- Matt Bisceglia, Weatherford, Texas, Honda
- Chris Alldredge, Powell Butte, Ore., Kawasaki
- Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
12. Jackson Richardson, Cairns, Australia, Honda
Western Regional 250SX Class Season Standings
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha, 161
- Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Husqvarna, 116
- Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM, 108
- Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM, 106
- Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki, 105
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha, 99
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM, 94
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 91
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda, 89
- Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki, 89
14. Jackson Richardson, Cairns, Australia, Honda, 48
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Amsoil Arenacross Series – Round 12 – Spokane, WA – Moto News
In the first of two Arenacross Class Main Events, Hayes grabbed the holeshot ahead of the each of the top contenders in the Race to the Championship – Goerke, Team Babbitt’s Chris Blose, Faith and Regal. Things remained status quo at the front of the field for the majority of the 15-lap Main Event, but tension was brewing and on Lap 12 the entire complexion of the race changed when Goerke took the inside on Hayes and the two touched, causing Hayes to crash out of the lead right before the finish. While he was able to quickly remount, he gave up the lead to Goerke and dropped to fifth. Once out front, Goerke was able to fend off his teammate Blose for the win, with Regal completing the top three as a result of a late pass on his teammate. Faith followed in fourth while Yamaha’s Bobby Kiniry also made a pass on Hayes to grab fifth.
As the winner, Goerke then had the distinction of selecting the inversion for the second Main Event. With the help of the standing-room-only crowd inside Spokane Arena, Goerke ultimately chose the full field inversion of 16, which would have a major impact on the outcome of the evening.
KTM’s Gared Steinke took advantage of his improved gate pick to nab the holeshot in the second Main Event, just ahead of KTM’s Dave Ginolfi and Regal, who emerged with the best start of the top finishers from the first Main Event. Kiniry followed in fourth, with Goerke fifth. Faith slotted into eighth, while both Hayes and Blose found themselves outside the top 10 and near the tail end of the field.
Regal took full advantage of his strong start and took over second from Ginolfi on Lap 4 when Ginolfi encountered misfortune with a broken chain and eventually dropped out of the race. That allowed Kiniry to take over third. As this occurred Blose made his way around Hayes, and the teammates soon broke into the top 10.
Blose continued his forward progress, but Hayes still battled just to stay inside the top 10. On Lap 8, Goerke attempted a pass on Kiniry, but the two made contact and went down, allowing Faith to take over the position. Kiniry and Goerke were able to resume, but soon fell outside the top 10 following another incident that took them both to the ground again. While Steinke was able to maintain his advantage over both Regal and Faith out front, Blose broke into the top five on Lap 12. Steinke held on to take his first Main Event win of his career, with Regal second and Faith third. Babbitt’s Online Suzuki’s Cory Green earned a solid fourth-place finish and Blose rounded out the top five.
Regal’s pair of podium finishes (3-2) ultimately earned him the overall win, edging out his teammate Faith (4-3) who was able to secure the runner-up spot in the overall thanks to his triumphant effort in the RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge, which awarded him an additional championship bonus point. Blose’s resilient top-five finish in the second Main Event slotted him third overall (2-5). Green was fourth (7-4) with Goerke fifth (1-10).
Regal carried a four-point lead into the evening, but has extended his advantage to six points over Blose in the Race to the Championship. Faith sits third, 12 points back, while Hayes (-15) and Goerke (-16) complete the top five.
Lites Class Report: The Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event kicked off with a holeshot by Steven Mages, ahead of fellow KTM riders Dave Ginolfi and Scott Zont. Blair found himself mid-pack, completing the first lap in eighth. Mages’ impressive pace allowed him to keep Ginofli at bay throughout the 15-lap Main Event. While Ginolfi was able to keep his fellow KTM rider honest, he was never able to mount a serious challenge for the top spot.
While the battle for the lead quieted, all eyes were on Blair, who was on an incredible march towards the front. The veteran gradually began picking his way through the field, moving into seventh by Lap 2, into sixth by Lap 4, and into the top five on Lap 5. He settled into fifth for the bulk of the race but put on a late charge in the closing laps to take over fourth on Lap 11 and break into a podium spot with two laps remaining. Mages extended his lead over Ginolfi to win comfortably, while Blair surged to a third-place effort to clinch that elusive championship. Zont finished fourth, while Yamaha’s R.J. Wageman rounded out the top five.
Arenacross Class Results – Overall (Main Event Finishes)
1. Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna (3-2)
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna (4-3)
3. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (2-5)
4. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki (7-4)
5. Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki (1-10)
6. Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM (10-1)
7. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (6-8)
8. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (8-7)
9. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM (9-6)
10. Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha (5-12)
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results
1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna (2 points)
2. Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna (1 point)
3. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki (1 point)
4. Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki (1 point)
5. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (1 point)
6. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM (1 point)
7. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (1 point)
8. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1 point)
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results
1. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM
2. Dave Ginolfi, Boston, N.J., KTM
3. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM
4. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM
5. RJ Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha
6. Kinser Endicott, Red Bluff, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Jason McConnell, Canonsburg, Pa., KTM
8. Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM
9. Jonah Locks, Dixon, Calif., Kawasaki
10. Collin Jurin, Monroe, Wash., Kawasaki
Race to the Championship Standings (Race 3 of 6) (R2C Main Even Wins)
1. Kyle Regal, Grand Prairie, Texas, Husqvarna – 91 (1)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki – 85 (3)
3. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Husqvarna – 79
4. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 76
5. Matt Goerke, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki – 75 (1)
6. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 72
7. Bobby Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Yamaha – 71
8. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 66
9. Gared Steinke, Temecula, Calif., KTM – 63 (1)
10. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, KTM – 53
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 7 of 10) (Main Event wins)
1. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM – 99 (3)
2. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 51
3. Brandon Glenn, Mesquite, Texas, KTM – 48
4. Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM – 48
5. Clay Elliott, Buford, Ga., KTM – 34
6. Jason McConnell, Canonsburg, Pa., KTM – 33
7. Josh Struebig, Crown Point, Ind., KTM – 30
8. Jonah Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM – 27
9. Mason Wharton, Brush Prairie, Wash., Kawasaki – 24
10. Dalton Oxborrow, Lehi, Utah, Kawasaki – 18
11. Benjamin Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM – 18
The 13th round of the 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross, and the fourth round of the Race to the Championship, begins Saturday, April 18, with the inaugural visit to Tacoma, Washington. Racing from Tacoma Dome kicks off at 7 p.m. PDT / 10 p.m. EDT.
Amsoil GNCC – Round 4 – Union, SC – Moto News
Kailub Russell extended his win-streak to four-in-a-row on Sunday at round four of the 2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series in Union, South Carolina. After more than three-hours of intense racing at the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC, Russell came away with his 26th career win, where he now sits tied with Ed Lojak for third place on the All-Time Bike Wins list in GNCC Racing.
Russell began the day out front after capturing the $250 All Balls Racing Holeshot Award and the two-time GNCC National Champion set the pace from there. Australia’s Josh Strang put himself into the second place position right way on the opening lap and began his three-hour charge toward Russell out front. As Strang worked diligently to catch the leader, JCR Honda’s Chris Bach led the rest of the pack in a race-long battle for the third and final podium position.
Bach jumped into the third place position on the opening lap with Husqvarna’s Ryan Sipes and Yamaha teammates Daniel Milner and Grant Baylor close in tow. The pack exchanged positions throughout the afternoon but the man on the move was XC1 Pro rookie Grant Baylor, who eventually put himself into a favorable third place position around the halfway mark.
Meanwhile, Strang continued to charge toward Russell in the lead, closing the gap to as little as 15 seconds at one point. Russell lost some valuable time in the first couple of laps when he experienced two crashes that sent him off the bike and onto the ground. However, the reigning champion was able to quickly bounce back to ultimately maintain a 41-second over Strang as he crossed the finish line for his 26th career win in GNCC Racing.
Russell’s victory also signifies an undefeated season through the first four rounds, something that hasn’t been done since Josh Strang’s championship reign in 2010. Strang scored his fourth runner-up position of the season, where he sits only 20 points behind Russell in the championship standings.
Despite starting his day outside the top five, South Carolina native Grant Baylor immediately put his head down and made a charge through the pack. Once Baylor made his way into the third place position, it was all eyes on the second place of Strang. As the white flag flew, Strang held a 20-second advantage over Baylor but an impressive last-lap charge by Baylor resulted in an XC1 career-best finish of third overall, where he finished only four seconds behind in the end.
After running in the podium pack all afternoon, Bach was able to maintain his consistency with a solid fourth place finish for the day, followed by KTM’s Steward Baylor in fifth. Sipes lost one position on the final lap to finish sixth behind Baylor.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Andrew Delong made his return to racing after a collarbone injury at the season opener removed him from competition at rounds two and three. Delong put in a consistent ride to finish seventh place for the day, with HR Motorsports/Honda-backed Takeshi Koikeda in eighth. Chris Douglas finished ninth and Adam Bonneur rounded out the top ten in XC1.
It was a tough day for Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn, who experienced a rear brake issue on the opening lap that kept him in the pits for more than 15 minutes to repair the problem. Ashburn wasn’t able to get back out in time to salvage any championship points, despite a hard fought effort to do so. Thad DuVall also experienced rear brake issues, where he spent valuable time in the pits as well. DuVall finished 24th overall, which doesn’t allow for any points toward the championship.
Ricky Russell made his return to racing for the first time since the season opener and despite a broken arm just a month before, the Washington native made an impressive jump to the center of the podium with the XC2 Pro Lites victory at Big Buck.
Nick Davis grabbed the $100 Hot Cams XC2 Pro Lites Holeshot Award to acquire the early lead on Sunday, followed by a highly competitive group of young racers close in tow. Husqvarna support rider Craig Delong put himself into the second place position right away, with Jason Thomas close behind. It was a multi-way battle for the top three positions all afternoon as Honda’s Layne Michael also interjected himself into the battle early on.
Ricky Russell was able to maintain a lead that wasn’t attainable by the rest of the field, where he went on to capture his first win of the season at round four. After a back-and-forth battle with the XC2 rookie Craig Delong, Michael finished in the second place position and a hard-charging Trevor Bollinger made up substantial time to capture third place aboard his Moto-Tech KTM ride.
Two of the XC2’s biggest competitors – Nick Davis and Jason Thomas – experienced issues that kept them outside of contention at the end of the race. Thomas finished 13th in the class, while Davis finished 19th.
XC1 Event Results:
Kailub Russell (KTM)
Josh Strang (HSQ)
Grant Baylor (YAM)
Chris Bach (HON)
Steward Baylor (KTM)
Ryan Sipes (HSQ)
Andrew Delong (HSQ)
Takeshi Koikeda (HON)
Chris Douglas (KTM)
Adam Bonneur (KTM)
Overall National Championship Standings after Round 4 of 13:
Kailub Russell (120)
Josh Strang (100)
Grant Baylor (65)
Thad DuVall (60)
Chris Bach (55)
Jordan Ashburn (44)
Jason Thomas (38)
Craig DeLong (36)
Ryan Sipes (36)
Trevor Bollinger (34)
XC2 Event Results:
Ricky Russell (YAM)
Layne Michael (HON)
Trevor Bollinger (KTM)
Craig Delong (HSQ)
Scott Grills (YAM)
Austin Lee (YAM)
Callan May (YAM)
Ryder Lafferty (HSQ)
Cory Buttrick (BET)
Ryan Lojak (YAM)
XC2 Series Standings after Round 4 of 13:
Jason Thomas (89)
Layne Michael (81)
Craig Delong (70)
Trevor Bollinger (65)
Nick Davis (57)
Cory Buttrick (55)
Ricky Russell (55)
Scott Grills (42)
Callan May (41)
Austin Lee (36)
MX Nationals – Round 2 – Appin, NSW – Moto News
MX1 Race Report: It was a CDR Yamaha affair at round two of the MX Nationals today, with Kade Mosig and Daniel Reardon taking a race win each, before Mosig collected his second ever overall win for his MX1 career.
On a tough and technical track, The Monster Energy MX1 class dished out a mixed bag of results over the day – the round proving to be a challenge for even the most experienced racers.
Race one for the MX1 class had barely gotten underway when defending champion Matt Moss went down in the first turn. After being carted off the track by Racesafe, the Team Motul Suzuki rider was air lifted from the track with unconfirmed injuries.
To add to the carnage, red plate holder, KTM’s Kirk Gibbs also started his day on the wrong foot. After falling hard in moto one, Gibbs went straight into point’s damage control. The championship leader eventually managing to put in a charge from dead last all the way to third, finishing the moto behind teammate Styke in second, and Mosig who claimed first.
In moto two, it was all about CDR Yamaha’s Daniel Reardon. Taking an early and confident race lead, Reardon took the chequered flag ahead of Gibbs and Styke, to claim his first race win since returning from retirement.
However at the conclusion of round two, it was Mosig who had real reason to celebrate. Finishing the final moto of the day in fourth, Mosig did exactly what needed to be done to earn himself his second MX1 overall for his career, sharing the podium with Gibbs in second and Styke in third respectively.
“It feels great to get this overall win, and to get some more solid championship points on the board,” said Mosig. “We have had really awesome preparation for this season, and I have a great team behind me in CDR Yamaha. Everyone is putting in one hundred per cent effort to get me on the podium and it’s definitely showing when I can give back these great results.”
“I tell you, it feels nice to get a good start and be able to ride my own race,” Reardon explained. “Every race so far I seem to be working my way through the back after an early incident but to get out front in moto two and just put my head down and go for it was just what I needed. The bike was again working well on the weekend and as a team, it was a great result for CDR. Congratulations to Kade on a great day and hopefully both of us can keep this momentum going from here on.”
GoPro SuperPole
1) Kirk Gibbs (1:48.818) – 5 points
2) Adam Monea (1:50.243) – 4 points
3) Lawson Bopping (1:50.557) – 3 points
4) Kale Makeham (1:51.272) – 2 points
5) Jesse Dobson (1:53.182) – 1 point
Monster MX1 Round 2 overall
1) Kade Mosig – 63 points
2) Kirk Gibbs– 62 points
3) Luke Styke – 62 points
4) Daniel Reardon – 60 points
5) Jesse Dobson – 54 points
6) Lawson Bopping – 51 points
7) Adam Monea – 46 points
8) Dylan Long – 46 points
9) Kale Makeham – 45 points
10) Cody Cooper – 43 points
Monster Energy MX1 Championship points
1) Kirk Gibbs – 141 points
2) Kade Mosig – 127 points
3) Luke Styke – 120 points
4) Lawson Bopping – 113 points
5) Adam Monea – 99 points
6) Cody Cooper – 98 points
7) Jesse Dobson – 95 points
8) Dylan Long – 93 points
9) Daniel Reardon – 87 points
10) Kale Makeham – 87 points
MX2 Race Report: On home soil, and in front of family and friends, Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout sealed the deal on his first overall win for 2015 at round two of the MX Nationals at Appin today.
Clout, who had a fight on his hands from the minute the gates dropped, went head to head with JCR Yamaha’s Jay Wilson over two action packed races, eventually claiming the overall round win on a count back.
Over both motos, Wilson and Clout banged bars, and provided fans and spectators with some of the most thrilling racing action that Appin has seen in years.
Wilson, with ‘4 Dee’ stitched onto his butt patch, was a man on a mission in moto one, taking line honours ahead of Clout and Husqvarna’s Nathan Crawford.
By the time the gates dropped in moto two, Wilson took the hole shot and early lead – looking ready to wrap up the overall. However a late charge from Clout saw the Yamaha mounted local snatch the lead from Wilson, and in turn the round win.
With Clout wrapping up the win in race two, JCR Yamaha’s Wilson crossed the line in second and earned himself second overall for the round. With his brother Dylan in hospital, Wilson had only ridden once between round one and two and posted this on FB: ‘One of the toughest day of racing I have been through. Today was an emotional roller coaster and it was all for my little brother @d_dubb10 we will take 2nd today get some bike time in the next 2 weeks and look forward to Rd3.”
Clout was happy with his day. “I was pretty determined to win this round and get that red plate back,” Clout said. “It’s my home track so I needed to get it done and get back up front. Jay rode really well today and I had a great time racing him. We were really close in speed so it was always tight but it was fair and it was a good battle. Next round is at Broadford in two weeks so there is no time to rest. We still have eight rounds to go and leading the championship only means something if you win it at the end.”
Veteran Kawasaki rider Takeshi Katsuya took third place respectively in moto two, however was unable to secure a podium position, with Crawford collecting third overall for the round. “I’m pretty pumped with a podium today,” said Crawford. “I’ve just been working on having fun really. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, so I’m just generally concentrating on having fun and letting it come to me. In practice it was super wet and muddy, but I knew the mulch was going to soak up the water and the track turned out real rutty and rough and had multiple lines – it was prepared really well. Top five in the championship is not too bad, but I need to get up there and start battling with the leaders, Clouty and Jay were on it today.”
If you are wondering what happened to Caleb Ward here is what he posted on FB: ‘Had a pretty horrible round 2 of @mxnationals at appin. Was feeling good and all my start practice payed off with a top 3 start in the first moto but unfortunately I caught my leg in a rut on the first lap and injured my knee. Words can’t explain how devastated I was feeling not being able to race the rest of the day! Getting it checked out this week, hoping it’s nothing to major so I can be back out there going for race wins at the next round. Huge thanks to ctikneebraces and Stephen Gall, if I didn’t have my knee braces on my leg would probably be facing the wrong way at the minute! And a massive thanks to all my other sponsors and everyone else that supports me.’
Motul MX2 Round 2 overall
1) Luke Clout – 65 points
2) Jay Wilson – 65 points
3) Nathan Crawford – 58 points
4) Jed Beaton – 53 points
5) Takeshi Katsuya – 51 points
6) Rhys Carter – 50 points
7) Wade Hunter – 49 points
8) Dylan Wills – 47 points
9) Hamish Harwood – 46 points
10) Dylan Leary – 40 points
Motul MX2 Championship points
1) Luke Clout – 130 points
2) Jay Wilson – 127 points
3) Jed Beaton – 118 points
4) Takeshi Katsuya – 113 points
5) Nathan Crawford – 109 points
6) Wade Hunter – 95 points
7) Dylan Wills – 93 points
8) Rhys Carter – 93 points
9) Luke Arbon – 82 points
10) Hamish Harwood – 82 points
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Follow @mcnewscomau on Instagram and @mcnewscomau on Twitter or Facebook MCNews.com.au
