Jed Beaton level pegs with Nathan Crawford for MX2 series lead after Shepparton victory
Motul MX2 class were the first riders to brave the cold and hit the track for their practice and qualifying session at Shepparton last weekend when the Motul MX Nationals hit the inland Victorian town to contest round eight of the ten round Australian Motocross Championship.
DPH Motorsport’s Jed Beaton quickly took control of moto one, while Serco Yamaha’s Wilson Todd moved into second place after passing holeshot winner Jayden Rykers.
Red plate holder Crawford became the third rider to blow past Rykers and move up in to third position, and with a championship lead to defend, Crawford was not letting Beaton and Todd out of his sight. A notable absentee from the front of the pack was Ward – after three laps the KTM star was back in 10th position.
With four laps in the books, both Crawford and Todd began to close in on Beaton’s lead, and with the lead group already heading in to lapped traffic, back markers added another dynamic to what was playing out between the bar banging trio.
But it was at the 12-minute mark that Todd made his move to the front, making a clean pass on Beaton in the top section of the track, relegating the DPH Motorsport rider to second position.
By the half way mark in moto one, Todd remained in control with the race lead, followed by Beaton, and Crawford, while Rykers continued to maintain fourth position, followed by Proformance Racing Team’s Kale Makeham in fifth. Ward, who suffered a poor start had made his way in to sixth place, followed by Dylan Wills (Raceline Pirelli KTM) and Wade Hunter (Serco Yamaha).
With ten minutes remaining, Beaton began to feel the pressure of Crawford, who continued to edge closer and closer to his rear wheel, meaning any mistake at this point would prove critical to the overall championship – and by lap 13 things got aggressive.
Beaton brake checked Crawford in a corner before the pair nearly came together over the finish line, but it was Crawford who made a pass stick, moving in to second position, leaving Beaton behind him.
With five minutes left to run, there was no change to positions, with Todd remaining out in front with only a minimal lead, followed by Crawford and Beaton in second and third.
When the chequered flag flew, fans had been treated to an epic final lap, with Todd, Crawford, and Beaton all within striking distance of each other. However, it was Beaton who was awarded the victory from Todd and Crawford as both riders were judged to have passed under a yellow flag, costing them a 15-second penalty added to their race time.
Rykers and Ward completed the top five finishing positions, while Makeham and Wills were awarded with sixth and seventh places at the conclusion of the moto.
DPH Motorsport’s Beaton once again launched out of the gate in the second moto and in to the race lead, but this time Crawford was hot on his tail in second position, followed by Rykers in third.
After only two laps you could feel the tension in the air. A race win for Beaton in the final moto would see him the new red plate holder, making the last race of the day all that more critical.
With three laps in the books, Beaton continued to lead from Crawford, while KTM’s Ward had made the pass on Rykers to move in to third position, where he began applying significant pressure on Crawford. And by the time riders headed in to their next lap, Ward had made the move in to second, relegating Crawford to third position.
With Ward on a charge, Beaton also began to come under fire from Ward’s KTM machine, while Crawford continued not to let the lead pair out of his sight. However, by the time race two reached the halfway mark, Ward had gotten by Beaton to move in to the race lead, keeping spectators guessing as to who would emerge from the round as the red plate holder.
With ten minutes in the 20-minute moto remaining, Ward continued to lead from Beaton and Crawford, while Rykers remained consistent in fourth position, followed by Serco Yamaha’s Todd in fifth.
As race two reached its final stages, Ward and Beaton had put significant ground in between themselves and third placed Crawford, providing the front pair with a clear track to allow the final battles unfold.
And despite Beaton’s every effort to chase down Ward, it was Ward who crossed the finish line for the final time today victorious, followed by Beaton in second and Crawford in third.
But with 1,2 results, it was Beaton who was awarded not only the round victory at Shepparton but the Motul MX2 red plate for the second time this year, while second place on the podium was taken by Ward, followed by Crawford who collected third place at Round 8.
Beaton now holds the Motul MX2 red plate, equal on 507 points with Crawford with two rounds remaining. Ward’s 61-point haul moved the young Queenslander sees him only 15-points adrift of the joint series leaders.
Jed Beaton – DPH Motorsports Yamaha – Round 8 Overall Winner – Championship 1st 507 points
“I’m really happy to finish with another round win here at Shepparton. The championship is coming down to the wire and we all want to win just as bad as each other now. When you’re that close to each other on the track, and there’s three of us going for a championship, then it’s going to get a bit heated now and then, but we’re all in it to win. I had a slow start to the season but I feel as if everything is coming together now. I feel confident and I believe in myself more than ever before so I’m really looking forward to these last two rounds.”
Caleb Ward (KTM 250 SX-F) – Round 8 second overall – Championship 3rd – 492 points
“The first Moto was not very good at all, I got a horrible start and I spun on the concrete then got pinched out of the gate, I made my way through the pack – it was just chaos out there with people getting loose and crashing – I managed to come through to fifth, but it was really disappointing after my starts at Conondale. Second Moto I spun again but I got a bit lucky in the first corner around sixth. From there I pretty-much had the mindset that I was going to win the race. I wanted it bad. I got onto the back of Nathan and Jed and managed to make the passes. The track was really technical and it was a case of just trying to maintain the lead. I’m 15 points off the championship lead and anything can happen from here. I’ve got four motos left so I will just give it my all. I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Nathan Crawford (Husqvarna FC250) – Round 8 3rd overall – Championship 2nd 507 points
The day was looking really good, but a few little things went wrong. I could’ve won the first Moto but I got a 15-second penalty, then in the last moto I was right there with the top boys and had a crash. So, 3-3’s not terrible, but it’s not great either. Obviously I’m still on the podium, and I’d rather be sharing the lead than 20 points down. I lost the red plate but we’ve got two Queensland rounds to go, so I’ll be there firing, for sure. The track was a challenge, but it was the same for everyone. I’m not real happy with the end result but I’ve got three weeks to work on improving myself on the bike and hopefully these two Queensland rounds work in my favour.”
Jayden Rykers (KTM 250 SX) – Round 8 fifth overall – Championship 4th – 449 points
“It wasn’t a good weekend, and it wasn’t a bad one. We start off qualifying pretty good in third and in the first moto I got off to a holeshot. I hadn’t been in that situation all year and I made two big mistakes on that first lap and went off track and came back to fourth, which I maintained for the rest of the race. I didn’t feel that good on the bike in either moto and I just wasn’t following the ruts. In the second Moto I finished fourth as well – but when I get a holeshot like in the first I should be able to win the moto, easy.”
Motul MX2 round eight results
- Jed Beaton – 67 points
- Caleb Ward – 61 points
- Nathan Crawford – 60 points
- Wilson Todd – 58 points
- Jayden Rykers – 56 points
- Kale Makeham – 50 points
- Dylan Wills – 47 points
- Keiron Hall – 45 points
- Hamish Harwood – 44 points
- Joel Wightman – 42 points
Motul MX2 Championship Standings
- Jed Beaton – 507 points
- Nathan Crawford– 507 points
- Caleb Ward – 492 points
- Jayden Rykers – 449 points
- Wilson Todd – 412 points
- Dylan Wills – 381 points
- Hamish Harwood – 353 points
- Joel Wightman – 341 points
- Wade Hunter– 324 points
- Kyle Webster – 296 points
