MX Nationals 2016 – Round Six – Nowra
Dean Ferris and Matt Moss finished on equal points at the sixth round of the MX Nationals at Nowra
Ferris moves to within 15-points of series leader Kirk Gibbs after Nowra victory
With round six kicking off in close to perfect conditions, the premier Thor MX1 class had their first hit out since returning from the mid-season break on Sunday, with spectators treated to Australia’s fastest riders going head to head.
After the Thor MX1 qualifying session this morning, it was an eventful GoPro Superpole which determined that CDR Yamaha’s Ferris would take the first pick of the MX1 grid today, while Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team’s Dylan Long finished Superpole in second, ahead of National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kade Mosig who qualified third fastest. In what was a disappointing blow for series points leader Kirk Gibbs, the number one KTM rider was unable to finish this morning’s qualifying session, forced to enter the pits assisted by Racesafe.
Gibbs had suffered a knee injury on the very first lap of qualifying for the sixth round of the MX Nationals series at Nowra, hammering the back of his knee with the handlebar as he corrected a lurid front-end slide in the slippery, early morning conditions. After a disconcerting ‘pop’ and initial agony, Gibbs immediately consulted RaceSafe, who deemed that the incident had caused trauma to a nerve, and strapped the Queensland-based South Australian in preparation for the day ahead.
With Royal Australian Navy Personnel forming a guard of honour ahead of race one, spectators watched on as the Australian anthem played, setting the scene for an action packed first race of the day.
Despite problems in qualifying this morning, KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Gibbs, not only lined up for race one, but secured the first MXStore holeshot before moving in to the early race lead. Followed closely behind Gibbs was local Nowra rider Moss, who managed to capitalize on the home crowd support by applying the pressure on Gibbs for the lead – and by lap three it was Moss who had gained control of moto one.
With Moss out in front, Gibbs slid back to second place, followed by Ferris who maintained third. Mosig and Wilson Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki rider Todd Waters were locked in to their own battle for fourth position, just a bikes length back from the lead group.
With ten minutes run, Moss had stretched out his lead to a commanding four seconds, leaving Gibbs, Ferris, Waters, and Mosig to battle for the remaining top spots behind him. And battle they did. By the time riders reached lap nine, spectators were treated to a three-way battle for second position, with Ferris, Gibbs and Waters all exiting turn one bar to bar – but it was Ferris who made the pass stick, moving in to second place followed by Waters, while Gibbs went down however recovered to resume in fifth behind Mosig.
As moto one reached its final stages, there was little change to the race order – Moss continuing to look comfortable out in front, while Ferris and Waters occupied second and third positions respectively.
And when the chequered flag flew, Moss’s dominating form saw him awarded with the moto one win, followed by Ferris and Mosig who wrapped up race one in second and third places respectively.
Gibbs concluded the first race of the day in fourth place, while Waters who had battled for a podium position throughout the moto, finished in fifth after what appeared to be bike issues on the last two laps. Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team’s Jay Wilson finished in sixth, followed by DPH Motorsport’s Jacob Wright (7th) and Long who finished in eighth.
In moto two, Moss wasted no time in getting to the race lead, taking the second MX1 holeshot for the day – but when riders headed on to their second lap, it was Ferris who had taken control from Moss, followed by Gibbs in third position.
With vital championship points up for grabs, Moss was not prepared to go down without a fight – and with only one more lap in the books, Moss had snatched back the race lead, setting up the final moto as dash to the finish line.
After five laps, Moss began to stretch out his gap on Ferris, allowing the Kawasaki rider some much needed breathing space. And by the half way point in the race, there had been no change to the top three positions, Moss continuing to lead from Ferris, followed by Gibbs in third. Suzuki mounted Waters held down fourth position, followed by Long (Honda) who completed the top five standings.
As moto two for the Thor MX1 class reached its closing stages, riders had settled in to their respective positions – but it was the fairy tale ending that was being set up by Moss, which kept the crowd’s eyes firmly fixed on the tough Nowra circuit.
But just when spectators thought their local star had the race all wrapped up, a small crash on the second last lap handed the lead to Ferris – Moss then forced to chase down the CDR Yamaha rider if he was to go undefeated.
Despite every effort from Moss, time simply ran out, and when the chequered flag flew for the final time, it was Ferris who took the final race win for the day by the narrowest of margins, while Moss was forced to settle for second position. Gibbs concluded the final moto of the day in third, followed by Waters and Long who completed the top five.
When points were tallied, despite Ferris and Moss finishing equal on 67 points, Ferris’ win in the final race of the day saw him awarded with the round six overall win on a countback, while National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Moss wrapped up the day in second, and Gibbs concluded the round in third overall. Gibbs now holds on to the red plate by 15 points.
Dean Ferris
“It feels good to get the win here at Nowra. There’s been six rounds and I’ve only won two of them so it’s a solid result. It’s my goal to win every weekend, but even halfway through that final race I thought I might have to settle for second, but Mossy (Matt) crashed and handed it to me so I’ll take the win – I’m stoked. After Wanneroo I was a bit battered and bruised and it took a couple of weeks to get back to 100 per cent but I had a solid break and did a lot of training and riding so I’m back to where I was. The championship is always in the back of your mind but I just need to take it one race at a time, chip away at it, and make sure I’m strong and solid every moto from here on out.”
Matt Moss
“Despite tying on points for the round win, it was a bit of a disappointing day really,” Moss reflected afterward. “I felt great, the bike was awesome and I’m so happy with this team, but a couple of errors cost us the overall win today. I rode really strong in that opening race and it was great to battle past Ferris in the second race before I hit a rock and went down, but it was good to pull some points back in the championship fight.”
Kirk Gibbs
“I still got on the podium but I’m not happy. In qualifying I had a slide and the handlebar came through in the back of the knee. There was a ‘pop’ and full agony for about a minute – I thought that was it, but after a few minutes it started to calm down. It was still weak all day so I had to keep going to RaceSafe to strap it and come up with the best options. Obviously the two moto scores were consistent, but I was still disappointed – I had a great start, but I pumped up pretty quickly because of the lack of riding in the morning. In the second I rode a lot better, but I just wasn’t good enough to battle with the guys today. I had the leg in the back of my mind all day, and just didn’t want to do any more damage, so I just tried to ride smart. I’ll go get it checked out now and make sure there’s no big damage, and we’ll build towards Conondale.”
Round six proved to be a disastrous day for CDR Yamaha team mate, Dan Reardon. In the early stages of moto one, Reardon hooked his knee in a tight turn and stopped trackside in tremendous pain. He was able to get back to the medical team at RaceSafe who upon further inspection diagnosed an ACL injury to his knee. Dan Reardon will undergo further tests during the week to determine his course of action for his injury but it was a savage blow to Dan and his team after he just returned from a month long training stint in the US.
CDR Team Yamaha Boss Craig Dack
“It was a complete day of contrasts for us on the weekend as we experienced several highs and lows in emotion,” says team boss, Craig Dack. We qualified well then just a couple of laps into the opening race, Dan goes to with what could be a season ending injury to his knee, then four hours later, Dean wins the round and the championship fight is well and truly on. No wonder I’m going grey. We will pass on information regarding Dan’s injury as soon as we have it while its business as usual for Dean and the team will keep pushing for more race and round wins,” he ends.
Dylan Long
“My day started off well and I was really happy to get second in Superpole, but in the first race I crashed while I was sitting in third and I dislocated my thumb. I actually wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to ride in race two, but Racesafe did their best to get me out there – and lucky they did because it was my best result of the day. I got a pretty average start, but about halfway through I fought through the pain and I actually started to feel good, and brought it home for a 5th. It’s a shame about my crash because I know how I can ride, but in saying that I’m also happy with how I went considering my injury. Now I’ll just get some X-rays and hope to be ready for round six.”
Jay Wilson
“Today had its highs and lows that’s for sure. I was actually quite surprised with my result in moto one – after having five weeks off the bike I was happy to get a sixth. Unfortunately in moto two I had to make the call to pull in. The track had gotten quite rough and I had no strength at all in my wrist. I have to look at the bigger picture, and pushing my wrist when it’s still healing isn’t smart. Even though I had a DNF, I actually moved up a position in the championship, and I now have two more weeks to get some more physio and some more time on the bike. We are happy with how we are progressing, and I’m looking forward to getting back to my home in Queensland for Conondale.”
Todd Waters
“It was a bit of a disappointing day for me. In the first race we were riding well and I’d moved from seventh in to third, and was battling with Ferris when my chain came off – I actually managed to get it back on though and I salvaged fifth. In the second race I just wasn’t up there. I’ve been doing the work, but my starts weren’t great today, even though I had the speed to be on the podium. We have a weekend off next weekend, so we just need to go back as a team and get everything sorted so we can move forward at the next round.”
Luke Wilson
“Today was a day to forget for me. I had some bike problems in qualifying which meant I had last gate pick all day and starts are really important at Nowra. After my DNF in moto one, I put the foot down in race two and got to tenth position which I was pretty happy with, but I made a couple of mistakes towards the end which lost me a couple of positions. Even though it wasn’t a great day, I’m still happy that I was able to get in to that top ten, and we’ll take the positives from round six and move forward to Conondale.”
Thor MX1 round six results
- Dean Ferris – 67 points
- Matt Moss – 67 points
- Kirk Gibbs – 58 points
- Kade Mosig – 55 points
- Todd Waters – 54 points
- Dylan Long – 49 points
- Jacob Wright – 48 points
- Corey James – 45 points
- Craig Anderson – 43 points
- Kurt Gow – 41 points
Thor MX1 Championship Standings
- Kirk Gibbs – 409 points
- Dean Ferris – 394 points
- Todd Waters – 388 points
- Matt Moss – 381 points
- Kade Mosig – 323 points
- Dylan Long – 309 points
- Jay Wilson – 246 points
- Jacob Wright – 241 points
- Brett Metcalfe– 225 points
- Michael Menchi – 223 points
Caleb Ward flawless and undefeated in MX2 at round six of Motul MX Nationals at Nowra
KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Caleb Ward has gone undefeated and made up crucial points in the overall Motul MX2 championship standings, at the Military appreciation round of the Motul MX Nationals at Nowra in New South Wales today.
The round which marked the first outing back after the five-week break, kick started in spectacular form this morning, with a total of 35 Motul MX2 riders all lining up to qualify ahead of the days racing kicking off.
When all competitors had put down their fastest times, it was National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jake Moss who secured first pick of the grid with a 1:45.391 lap time, while red plate holder Nathan Crawford (Husqvarna) and Serco Yamaha’s Wilson Todd wrapped up qualifying with the second and third fastest times respectively.
When moto one got underway for the Motul MX2 class, Raceline Pirelli KTM rider Dylan Wills showcased his local knowledge of the track, taking the MXStore holeshot and moving in to the early race lead, in what looked like it could be a repeat of his 2015 performance at the venue.
From there, Wills looked comfortable out in front, while Thomas Ravenhorst slotted in behind Wills in second, followed by DPH Motorsport’s Jed Beaton who navigated the first turn to hold down third position.
After only four laps though, Beaton and Caleb Ward (KTM) had gotten by Ravehorst and began their charge to the front. And within just a few turns, Wills’ lead was under attack from both the Yamaha and KTM machines. So when riders came around on to the straight once again, Ward had gained control of moto one and was followed by Beaton, which relegated Wills to third.
Another rider who deservingly grabbed the attention of spectators, was red plate holder Crawford, who after suffering a tough start, made a number of passes to eventually make the move on Wills to snatch up third, which was then followed by a pass on Beaton, allowing Crawford to move in to second place.
And when the chequered flag flew, positions remained completely unchanged – Ward securing his first race win for the weekend, ahead of Crawford who took second, followed by Beaton who wrapped up moto one in third.
Fourth place was taken by Davey Motorsport’s Jayden Rykers, while Wills who led race one for a handful of laps, completed the top five positions.
In moto two, it was a familiar sight as Raceline’s Wills launched off the gate once again to take his second hole shot for the day – but this time, both Ward and Beaton were hot on his tail from the get go.
Unfortunately, it only took a matter of two laps for Wills to have a fight on his hands that he didn’t want – with Ward, Beaton and Serco Yamaha’s Wilson Todd all eyeing the KTM riders’ rear wheel. But in what was a shock to spectators it was Todd who managed to edge his way past Beaton, Wills, and Ward to move in to the race lead aboard his Serco Yamaha machine.
From there, Wills was forced out of the equation all together, and by the half way point in moto two, Todd continued to lead from hard charging duo Ward and Beaton. A notable absentee from the lead pack was Crawford who once again suffered a poor start, forcing the red plate holder to claw away at positions in order to make up time.
As moto two reached its final stages, the fight for the lead was not yet over, and before long KTM mounted Ward made his way by Todd to take the top spot, while Beaton continued in third position, followed by Rykers in fourth.
With Ward out in front again, the talented rider was well and truly in the box seat to go undefeated at Nowra, so when he crossed the finish line for the final time, the northern Queenslander had plenty of reason to celebrate – Ward taking his second race win of the day from Todd, while Beaton wrapped up the final MX2 race in a consistent third position.
With wins in both motos, and a flawless scorecard, Ward was handed the overall win at Nowra today, while DPH Motorsport’s Beaton concluded the round in second place, followed by Crawford who took third step on the Motul MX2 podium and retained the championship lead by nine points.
Caleb Ward
“Last year here was a really bad round for me, but this year I turned it around. I got a little bit tangled up in the first turn pileup but I didn’t go down, luckily. I was 11th or 12th on the first lap, but just worked my way through the field pretty quickly, on a track that is renowned for being pretty hard to pass on, so I’m happy with how I went. I ended up with a 10-second lead and just holding that pretty much. In the second moto I started in second behind Willsy, and after three or four laps managed to make the pass. Then I sort of got set into the wrong pace and Wilson Todd passed me, and I thought ‘this is my shot to make up a few points in the championship, if he gets between me and the other guys’. I managed to pass him back and get the win, so I made up some pretty big points in the championship. All in all it was a day that couldn’t have gone much better.”
Nathan Crawford
“To finish in third with how my day went is not too bad, I had two bad starts – I hit neutral off the start of the second so that put me back to last around the first corner. I somehow clawed back to fifth, so was lucky to still get on the podium today, but Caleb went 1-1 so that closed up in the championship points. But it’s all right, I’m still leading and I’d rather be in front than behind. I’ll just put that behind me now and get ready for the next round. I’m looking forward to Conondale, it’s not a track we get to ride or race on very often, but it’s a home round so I’ll have family and friends there, and I’ll be coming out swinging.”
Jayden Rykers
“It was another good solid day points-wise, especially considering the way it started out. In the first moto I got stuck in a first turn pileup, and was dead last. I fought back all the way up to fourth in that one, and in the second one I nearly came down in the first corner as well and had to come from just inside the top 15. To come back to top-five in both motos I’m very happy with. Especially on one of the tighter, more one-lined tracks where it’s a bit more difficult to pass. The goals that I set out at the start of the year – which is consistent top five results – I’m achieving, so I’m pretty happy for my first year in the class, particularly since I’m on the only 2-stroke in the top 10, and on the hard-packed tracks you give away a little bit of traction in the second moto when it gets slick. I’m knocking on the door of the top guys in the championship as well, which is great.”
Motul MX2 round six results
- Caleb Ward – 70 points
- Jed Beaton – 60 points
- Nathan Crawford – 58 points
- Jayden Rykers – 56 points
- Wilson Todd – 54 points
- Keiron Hall – 48 points
- Joel Wightman – 48 points
- Dylan Wills – 48 points
- Aaron Tanti – 41 points
- Hamish Harwood – 40 points
Motul MX2 Championship Standings
- Nathan Crawford – 384 points
- Caleb Ward – 375 points
- Jed Beaton – 373 points
- Jayden Rykers – 336 points
- Wilson Todd – 324 points
- Kyle Webster – 296 points
- Dylan Wills – 287 points
- Jake Moss – 278 points
- Hamish Harwood – 266 points
- Joel Wightman – 258 points
Wade Kirkland secures career first Pirelli MXD round win at Nowra
Raceline Pirelli KTM rider Wade Kirkland has raced to a career first Pirelli MXD round win today, at the sixth instalment of the the Motul MX Nationals at the Nowra Motoplex in New South Wales.
The Pirelli MXD Class roared back to life this morning, with Australia’s young and upcoming riders all returning to bar banging racing, putting on an exciting performance for tons of spectators.
When MXD qualifying got underway this morning, it was a surprise performance from Yamaha mounted Lochie Latimer which saw the youngster put down the fastest lap time and collect first gate pick, while red plate holder Connor Tierney (Husqvarna) was second fastest, followed by Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Kirkland who wrapped up the session with third pick of the grid.
When gates dropped in moto one for the Pirelli MXD class, the MXStore holeshot was snatched up by fastest qualifier Latimer, followed by Kirkland who also successfully got through the tight first turn in second position.
After a handful of laps, spectators were treated to a battle for the MXD moto one race lead, with Latimer, Kirkland, and red plate holder Tierney all within striking distance of each other, while Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team’s Mitchell Evans also joined the party in fourth.
With the four riders going head to head, the pressure was on, and by lap nine the running order behind race leader Latimer had changed – Evans making the move on both Tierney and Kirkland to move in to second position, while Tierney maintained third ahead of Kirkland who dropped back to fourth.
As moto one reached its closing stages, Latimer continued to put in consistent laps, and by the time the last lap board was shown, the Yamaha rider was well and truly in the box seat to take his first Pirelli MXD win for the year.
And when the chequered flag flew, Latimer had reason to celebrate, taking the race win from Evans in second, while Kirkland recovered from an earlier mistake to finish moto one in third. Despite applying significant pressure for the lead in the early stages of the race, points leader Tierney concluded moto one in fourth.
When the second race got underway for the Pirelli MXD class at Nowra today and bikes launched off the line for the final time, it was Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Evans who got to the early race lead, while Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Kirkland slotted in to second ahead of Tierney in third.
However, it only took five laps for Kirkland to make his presence known, closing in on Evans and making the pass for the lead down the main straight – and from there the KTM rider began to stretch out the gap.
With Kirkland out in front, the running order just past the half way mark saw Evans continue to hold down second position from Husqvarna mounted Tierney, while Cooper Pozniak and Jordan Hill completed the top five standings.
As moto two reached its final stages, Kirkland’s lead increased to an outstanding eight seconds, the young Tasmanian rider leaving both Evans and Tierney to chase his tail for one final time at Nowra.
And when the chequered flag flew, Kirkland celebrated an outstanding moto two victory, while Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Evans crossed the line in second, followed by Husqvarna’s Tierney who concluded race two for the Pirelli MXD class in third. Pozniak and Hill wrapped up the final race of the day in fourth and fifth places respectively.
With Kirkland’s third place in moto one, and a win in moto two, the Raceline Pirelli KTM rider was awarded with the round six victory at Nowra, while Evans and Tierney secured second and third places on the Pirelli MXD podium. After today’s racing, Husqvarna Australia’s Tierney continues to lead the Pirelli MXD championship by 18 points.
Wade Kirkland
“It was a good day. Two top-three starts, good solid motos, it couldn’t really get any better. In the first moto I went for the lead, and I did a block pass and my hand slipped off when I passed him! I went back to fourth, but then I made another pass and got into third, which is where I finished. In the second I got into second place real quick, passed Mitchell, and just maintained the lead. That was my first MXD win and I just caught up on the points to Connor a little bit. Dad and Mum and the whole team is pretty happy!”
Connor Tierney
“For a bad day, I had a bit of a good day. I had some bad starts and rode pretty tight, but still ended up on the podium so it wasn’t all bad. I had some good pace in the second moto, but just made a mistake trying to make a pass. I was still third in the second moto so I think it still a pretty good day. I’ve still got the red plate so I’ll get back and get ready for the next round. The knee is pretty heavily taped but it wasn’t too bad today. I just have to build up that muscle around it because I don’t have an ACL anymore. I’ve never actually been to Conondale before so I’m pretty excited to ride there. I’m feeling confident about the last four tracks, I’ve just got to keep a steady head and keep riding for the championship.”
Pirelli MXD round six results
- Wade Kirkland – 65 points
- Mitchell Evans – 64 points
- Connor Tierney – 58 points
- Cooper Pozniak – 54 points
- Lochie Latimer – 51 points
- Jordan Hill – 49 points
- Kaleb Barham – 49 points
- Zak Small – 45 points
- Levi McManus – 44 points
- Tyler Bullen – 43 points
Pirelli MXD Championship Standings
- Connor Tierney – 310 points
- Wade Kirkland – 292 points
- Mitchell Evans – 276 points
- Cooper Pozniak – 274 points
- Jordan Hill – 264 points
- Kaleb Barham – 259 points
- Zak Small – 243 points
- Lochie Latimer – 235 points
- Hugh McKay – 182 points
- Levi McManus – 181 points
Brad Polsoni remains undefeated in KTM Australian Amateur Cup at Nowra
The KTM Amateur Cup Class had their second hit out for the year at the Nowra Motoplex yesterday in front of thousands of spectators, as part of the sixth instalment of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals.
The class which allows riders who don’t race full time to race for their own championship, provided plenty of excitement yesterday, with riders extending their points lead and racing to break through podium results.
When riders qualified yesterday morning, it was a familiar sight with KTM’s Brad Polsoni emerging as the early man to beat, taking the top time with a 1:47.247 lap, ahead of Kerrod Morrissy (KTM) and Connor Cook (Yamaha).
When the first race got underway for the KTM Amateur Cup class yesterday, it was the number 71 KTM machine of Morrissy that launched out of the gates and in to the first turn with the lead, but it didn’t take long for Polsoni to assert his authority.
After only a single lap, Polsoni made the pass on Morrissy for the lead, treating thousands of spectators who watched on as the riders fought for the top spot.
With three laps in the books, Polsoni had completely checked out once again, while Morrissy fought hard to keep his fellow KTM rider in his sights in second position, followed by Joel Newton who continued to circulate in third.
With only a handful of laps remaining, it became clear the Polsoni’s form simply couldn’t be matched, stretching his lead out to an impressive five seconds, allowing his opponents to fight for positions behind him.
And when the chequered flag flew Polsoni maintained his undefeated score card, taking the race one KTM Australian Amateur Cup win from Morrissy, who raced to second, followed by William Angel (KTM) who passed Newton in the closing stages of the moto to collect third.
In the final race of the day for the KTM Australian Amateur Cup Competitors, once again Polsoni proved why he’s a league above the rest.
After moving in to the lead straight after the gate dropped, Polsoni did not look back, and when the chequered flag flew for the final time yesterday, the KTM rider took an unchallenged race win ahead of closest rival Morrissy. Kawasaki rider Jake Mead finished in third place, fourth place in the final race of the day was taken by Trent Brochtrup (Kawasaki) while Daniel Jones completed the top five.
With Polsoni undefeated for the second time this year, once gain the KTM rider took the KTM Australian Amateur Cup round honours at Nowra. Second spot on the podium was Morrissy, while third place was snatched up by William Angel who’s consistent 3rd and 7th place finishes paid off.
Brad Polsoni – KTM Australia – KTM Australian Amateur Cup Nowra Winner
“It’s really cool to go undefeated once again, and it’s great for the confidence that’s for sure,” Polsoni shared. With the last round coming up and it being Kerrod’s home track, it’s nice to have that big points lead and have a bit of a buffer. When I started racing the Amateur class this year I didn’t really think I’d be in this position. I’m always looking for a good finish but to be undefeated so far is awesome. I’m taking it step by step, and race by race at the moment – I’m a first year apprentice so I’m doing the best I can to get to the races and it’s definitely paying off taking another win today”
KTM Australian Amateur Cup Round Two Nowra
- Brad Polsoni 70 points
- Kerrod Morrissy 64 points
- William Angel 54 points
- Joel Newton 53 points
- Trent Brochtrup 50 points
- Daniel Jones 50 points
- Connor Cook 49 points
- Jake Mead 48 points
- Zac Williams 47 points
- Lachlan Holroyd 44 points
KTM Australian Amateur Cup Championship standings
- Brad Polsoni 140 points
- Kerrod Morrissy 126 points
- Joel Newton 101 points
- Connor Cook 100 points
- Justin Hill 83 points
- Joshua Melis 62 points
- Daniel Figueroa 61 points
- Dean De Fazio 56 points
- Lachy Steen 55 points
- William Angel 41 points
