Maiden MX1 victory for Bopping in Coolum
DPH Motorsport’s Lawson Bopping has claimed his first overall win for 2015, on one of the toughest circuits of the series, at round five of the MX Nationals in Coolum today.
After kickstarting his day with a Go Pro SuperPole win, Bopping went on to put in an outstanding performance, in conditions that tested the most experienced MX Nationals athletes.
Despite a first turn pile up involving CDR Yamaha teammates Daniel Reardon and Kade Mosig, Bopping dodged the carnage and claimed the first holeshot of the day for Yamaha. Bopping then went on to lead for the entire race, until former World Champion Ben Townley took control and secured the race lead at the 25-minute mark.
Proving that retirement is no issue, Penrite Honda’s Townley went on to claim an epic race one win, in his first MX Nationals appearance for 2015. Crossing the line in a close second was Bopping, followed by KTM’s Kirk Gibbs who put in a huge charge to come from 16th all the way back to third.
In race two, it was all about red plate holder Kirk Gibbs. After taking the holeshot, Gibbs stretched out an early lead on the field, and by the 30-minute mark, finished moto two over ten seconds before second place getter Bopping, and Townley who crossed the line in third.
Despite Gibbs’ form, a second place, was all that was required in race two for Bopping – handing the Yamaha mounted rider his first round overall for 2015, ahead of Gibbs who took second, and comeback king Townley who finished round five in third.
The round win moves Bopping up to fourth place in the championship and just seven points shy of second place.
Monster Energy MX1 round five overall winner – Lawson Bopping– DPH Motorsports Yamaha Racing Team (2nd, 2nd – 64 Points) – “The track was really tough today so it is satisfying to get the win here. I felt good in practice but while it was good to have the speed, a good start here and no mistakes on the first lap might be even more important. It’s good to get the win and reward Dale and everyone on the team for their hard work. We have battled away for the first five rounds so getting the win here means we all head into the mid-season break with a positive attitude and some good momentum,” Bopping ends.
Kirk Gibbs 2nd overall – “That first moto was a little bit tough – I had a great start and just went down. It was hard to know where people wanted to be on the track, so it was hard to pass, but I finally got up to fourth so I was reasonably happy, but at the same time disappointed. I knew with a good start I could do well in the second moto, and I did that, and led every lap. We’ve got a big points lead now. Coming off a strong year last year and a great off-season, I knew that I’d be right there, and obviously going 1-1 in the first round just further boosted my confidence. Aow when I go to the line I believe I’m going to win every race. It’s a good feeling.”
Luke Styke – 5th overall – “I got tangled up with a few riders in the first one and had a bit of a moment where I was wheelying over bikes and carrying on. I was 15th after a lap but I put a charge on and got third in that moto which I was real happy with. Then in the second I started about fourth, but on the third or fourth lap I can together with another rider, and he kind of corked my shoulder blade and triggered a dead-arm so I kind of had pins and needles in that for the whole race. So I was just sitting down trying to compensate and feeling like my arm was falling off, and the track was really beating me up. I feel a lot better about everything though, I just had a bit of bad luck. I’ve got a few things to work on over the break, but I’ll just have some fun and we’ll come back strong.”
Husqvarna FC 450 rider Jesse Dobson moved a step closer to his season goal of the top five championship finish with 5-6 results on the day. Dobson elevated himself to sixth in the premier category, the 18-year-old further cementing his reputation as a major contender.
Jesse Dobson – Husqvarna FC 450 – 7th overall – “The day was not too bad but on paper it doesn’t look as good as it was. Qualifying for SuperPole was good but a small crash meant I didn’t set a competitive time. I felt the speed was there today – in the first moto I ran third for over 50% of it. I made a small mistake and was running fourth, then had a crash and that dropped me back to fifth. I had a decent start in the next one, but I ended up pulling all my tear-offs off over the tunnel jump and had no tear-offs for the whole race, so that was fun. I was behind Styke and Mosig are a bit while they were going at it, but I couldn’t get involved, every time I got close I would get roosted and lose ground because I’m trying to wipe my goggles. Because of my vision I misjudged a turn and ended up on the ground. If we eliminate those small mistakes, there is no reason why I can’t be a top guy. We’re getting there.”
Monster Energy MX1 MX Nats round five overall points
1) Lawson Bopping 64
2) Kirk Gibbs 63
3) Ben Townley 61
4) Kade Mosig 54
5) Luke Styke 54
6) Adam Monea 53
7) Jesse Dobson 51
8) Daniel Reardon 46
9) Cody Cooper 42
10) Dylan Long
Monster Energy MX1 MX Nats championship points
1) Kirk Gibbs 274
2) Luke Styke 235
3) Adam Monea 227
4) Kade Mosig 227
5) Lawson Bopping 213
6) Dylan Long 192
7) Jesse Dobson 188
8) Daniel Reardon 184
9) Cody Cooper 177
10) Kale Makeham 152
Caleb Ward goes 1-2 for Coolum MX2 MX Nationals win
KTM Australia’s Caleb Ward has once again shown the Motul MX2 class that he is back with a vengeance, claiming the round five overall win on home soil in Coolum today.
With Coolum being the last outing for the Motul MX2 class before the mid-season break, round five of racing was fast, aggressive and game changing across both challenging motos.
In moto one, new faces graced the front of the class with privateers Wade Hunter and Riley Graham both leading race one for short periods of time. However Ward’s speed was once again a force to be reckoned with.
Adding yet another race win to the collection, Ward crossed the line in first position ahead of Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout in second, and Kawasaki Australia’s Takeshi Katsuya who continued his trend finishing in third.
In race two, the point was proven that it pays to be local. Husqvarna Racing Team’s Nathan Crawford showcased his talent on the brutal Coolum circuit, sharing the lead with JCR Yamaha’s Jay Wilson throughout the moto before eventually taking the chequered flag in first position.
Fellow local Ward fought until the end in moto two – charging from the back of the pack all the way up to third, Ward then managed to make the pass on Wilson for second on the very last lap, leaving Wilson in third at the conclusion on the race.
Despite Crawford’s race win, the consistency of Ward was just too good -rewarding KTM yet with another round on the MX2 podium ahead of Nathan Crawford (Husqvarna) in second, and JCR Yamaha’s Wilson who finished the round in third.
Motul MX2 Round five overall winner – Caleb Ward– KTM Racing Team (1st, 2nd – 67 Points) – “It was a pretty good day. The first moto was awesome, the second one I wasn’t really happy with, but I still got the overall so I’m pretty happy with that. Once I got into the lead in the first one I sort of just rode smart and did my own thing and won by about 15 seconds or so. In the second I got caught up with a big pack of riders but I kept pushing the whole way and managed to pass Jay Wilson on maybe the last lap and got up to second. It’s going to be good to have time to get my knees a lot stronger and get my fitness back up to 100%, and come out swinging in the second half.”
Nathan Crawford – Husqvarna FC 250 – 2nd overall – “First moto I got a pretty mediocre start, I crashed in a third corner and went from dead last back to sixth, and it was by far the toughest moto I’ve ever raced. The track was rough, they prepped up real well and it had heaps of moisture in it – it was a motocross track – and I just went for 30 minutes going as fast as I could, trying to get back to the front. I had to dig deep, and if I hadn’t done that I probably wouldn’t be on the podium. I won the last moto which was a good way to go into the break. That was my first win for the year, so that definitely helps with my confidence.”
Luke Arbon – Husqvarna FC 250 – 5th overall – “I qualified pretty average but I felt good out on the track. First moto I made it up to fourth or fifth when everyone was still pretty close, but halfway through the moto I just started making little mistakes for about a 10 minute period, and on the track if you make a mistake in the turn you lose so much time in the straights. I slipped to eighth. Moto two I got another average start, but I dug deep and made a few passes late in the moto for fifth, so there were positives to take away and a few negatives to learn from as well. I’ve got five weeks now, so we’ll go home and do our homework, and come out strong for the second half of the season.”
Jack Simpson – 8th overall – “I had a crash in the first race, passing for third, so I corked my leg, but other than that I’m feeling good. I enjoyed myself today, bloody oath. I haven’t really had that much success there at Coolum before, but today I turned it around. The two-stroke was pulling like a train down the straights and was set up well. I ran as high as third in the first Moto, and if I didn’t have that stack I would have stayed in fourth in the first race and got a podium today.”
Motul MX2 MX Nats round five overall points
1) Caleb Ward 67
2) Nathan Crawford 69
3) Jay Wilson 54
4) Takeshi Katsuya 54
5) Luke Arbon 49
6) Jed Beaton 48
7) Wade Hunter 48
8) Jack Simpson 46
9) Geran Stapleton 45
10) Luke Clout 43
Motul MX2 MX Nats championship standings
1) Luke Clout 286
2) Takeshi Katsuya 281
3) Jay Wilson 281
4) Jed Beaton 250
5) Wade Hunter 246
6) Luke Arbon 228
7) Nathan Crawford 213
8) Geran Stapleton 202
9) Hamish Harwood 194
10) Riley Graham 190
Tierney shines once again in sandy Coolum
Craig Anderson Husqvarna Racing’s Connor Tierney has collected his second Pirelli MXD round win on a tough and technical Coolum circuit in Queensland today.
After tasting victory for the first time at Murray Bridge, Tierney once again graced the top step of the podium at Coolum, and closed in on the 2015 MXD championship.
In race one, Tierney claimed the first holeshot for the day and took a commanding lead in only the first few laps. However a hard charging Jayden Rykers ensured that if Tierney wanted the win he would have to fight for it.
The two battled hard for the entire last half of the moto before crossing the line less than a second apart. When times were checked, Tierney managed to only narrowly take the win from Rykers, followed by championship leader Wilson Todd (GYTR Yamaha) who crossed the line in third.
In race two, Yamaha mounted Todd threw himself into championship defence mode. After KTM mounted Barham claimed the race two hole shot, Todd took no time in securing the race lead – one which he would not relinquish.
When the chequered flag flew on moto two, Todd crossed the line in first position, followed by Husqvarna’s Tierney in second and Rykers in third.
At the conclusion of the round, Tierney once again proved that consistency was key and was rewarded with the top step on the MXD podium. Wilson Todd collected second place, while Jayden Rykers finished the round in third.
Todd had his series lead trimmed to six-points over Connor Tierney in the championship after the Coolum event. “The first moto was terrible,” Todd explains. “It’s not that it was a third but I didn’t ride well, my arms pumped up and it was uncompetitive and that’s not how I want to race. The second race was better and with a good start it made things a lot easier. It wasn’t great and still not at the level I think I should ride at, but it was a step in the right direction and now with a month break before round six, I can get to work and get my season back on track.”
Pirelli MXD round five overall winner – Connor Tierney – Craig Anderson Husqvarna Racing (1st, 2nd – 67 Points) TC 250 “It’s awesome. I’m super pumped, again. In the first moto, Jayden passed me with like two laps to go, we switched the lead a few times, and then I passed him back in the last turn and just got over the line. In the second one I had a pretty bad start and had to make my way through the pack, so by the time I was in third Jayden and Wilson were pretty far gone. I thought it was a survival race to get points and then Jayden ended up going down, so I took the spot there and then I knew I had it in the bag so I just kept it on two wheels.”
KTM Factory Support racer Jayden Rykers moved up to fourth in the championship with an impressive 2-3 score that him third on the day behind Husqvarna’s Connor Tierney and Wilson Todd.
Jayden Rykers – “Qualifying didn’t go too good, but in the first moto I actually went down and was dead last, and fought all the way back up and caught up to first place, nearly got the win on him. The second moto didn’t go too good, the back brakes faded out so I ended up going down while I was chasing first so I finished third. I’ve moved up to fourth in the championship but I’m not too happy there, I just want to keep moving forward. I want to win, and that’s what I need to do.”
Pirelli MXD round five overall results
1) Connor Tierney 67
2) Wilson Todd 65
3) Jayden Rykers 62
4) Jesse Madden 54
5) Bailey Coxon 53
6) Hamish McGrath 47
7) Ryan Eden 42
8) Kaleb Barham 41
9) Jaiden Corrigan 39
10) Wayde Carter 39
Pirelli MXD championship points
1) Wilson Todd 262
2) Connor Tierney 256
3) Jesse Madden 241
4) Jayden Rykers 233
5) Bailey Coxon 218
6) Wayde Carter 213
7) Jonte Reynders 187
8) Lachlan Davis 170
9) Kaleb Barham 169
10) Zak Small 162
Reigning champ Boyd claims 30 plus Vets title in Coolum
DPH Motorsport supported Cheyne Boyd has added yet another Australian Championship to his collection, after taking out the Swann Insurance 30 Plus Veterans Championship in Coolum yesterday.
In a class with the likes of former motocross stars Craig Anderson and Robbie Marshall, Boyd managed to kick all competition, taking two from two races in some of the toughest track conditions so far this series.
After qualifying a huge seven seconds faster than his competitors, Boyd collected the win in moto one from Husqvarna mounted Robbie Marshall and Honda supported Malcolm Cash who claimed second and third respectively.
In race two, Boyd continued his dominating form, proving that even in the demanding track conditions that age was no issue for the Yamaha mounted veteran.
When race two concluded, once again Boyd crossed the line miles ahead of Marshall and Cash who fought hard to chase down the reigning Vets champ.
Swann Insurance 30 Plus Veterans Championship winner – Cheyne Boyd – DPH Motorsport Yamaha Racing (1st, 1st – 70 Points) – “This win was definitely a lot of fun,” he said.
“I know I didn’t have much competition but I sort of hope in the next few years if I’m still racing and going this speed that a few more people can man up and get out there.
“I was happy to do round one and three in the open class, but unfortunately I got sick for a few weeks so I took the safe option and did the vets class for DPH and all of my sponsors, so I’m happy to get the win for them.”
Swann Insurance 30 Plus Veterans Championship points
1) Cheyne Boyd 70
2) Robbie Marshall 64
3) Malcolm Cash 60
4) Travis Regeling 54
5) Craig Anderson 54
6) Aaron Hunt 50
7) Cassidy Holland 48
8) Dean Freer 46
9) Paul Wolfe 44
10) Luke Wolfe 40
11) Aidan Porth 40
12) Lucas Burton 39
13) Steve Moreels 19
14) Sam Lyttle 18
15) Dan Peters 17
16) Jon Cooke 0
MX Nationals 2015 Calendar
Rd1 Horsham, VIC 29 March
Rd2 Appin, NSW 12 April
Rd3 Broadford, VIC 26 April
Rd4 Murray Bridge, SA 17 May
Rd5 Coolum, QLD 31 May
Rd6 Raymond Terrace, NSW 5 July
Rd7 Shepparton, VIC 19 July
Rd8 Nowra, NSW 2 August
Rd9 Toowoomba, QLD 23 August
Rd10 Coolum, QLD 30 August
