MX1 Rnd 4 Overall
1. Josh Coppins 72
2. Lawson Bopping 57
3. Todd Waters 56
4. Brad Anderson 50
5. Cody Cooper 46 
6. Tye Simmonds 45
7. Daniel McCoy 42
8. Jay Marmont 38
9. Mike Phillips 33
MX1 Series Points
1. Josh Coppins 253
2. Brad Anderson 211
3. Todd Waters 208
4. Lawson Bopping 203
5. Cody Cooper 183
6. Tye Simmonds 178
7. Jay Marmont 177
8. Jake Moss 157
9. Daniel McCoy 125
10. Daniel Reardon 107
MX2 Rnd 4 Overall
1. Luke Styke 68
2. Cheyne Boyd 62
3. Adam Monea 55
4. Kade Mosig 54
5. Josh Cachia 46
6. Lewis Woods 44
7. Ford Dale 42
8. Scott Columb 38
9. Luke Arbon 38
10. Kirk Gibbs 37
MX2 Series Points
1. Luke Styke 260
2. Ford Dale 221
3. Kirk Gibbs 199
4. Cheyne Boyd 198
5. Josh Cachia 195
6. Kade Mosig 194
7. Adam Monea 190
8. Justin McDonald 143
9. Lewis Woods 134
10. Errol Willis 131
Round 4 Gallery
— Coppins and Styke win for Yamaha at Wanneroo Monster Energy MX Nationals
CDR Yamaha enjoyed a glorious return to Western Australia on Sunday, 13 May, for the fourth round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at the sand-filled Wanneroo Motocross Park.
MX1 series leader Josh Coppins picked up his second win of the season in an impressive performance, winning motos one and three to extend his championship lead to 42 points despite riding through the pain of a pinched nerve in his neck.
“The last round didn’t go to well for us, so it’s nice to bounce back and I really want to thank CDR Yamaha for all their hard work,” the New Zealander said. “We’ve been working really hard, they’ve been looking after me and I can’t say thanks to the team enough. It’s pretty tough out there, so I just want to try get rid of my injury, loosen up and try ride a bit better as the season goes on.”
Despite the relentless sand whoops of Wanneroo that formed throughout the round, Australia’s leading contenders pushed at 100 percent during all three of the pro motos in the series’ first visit to WA since 2009.
Backing Coppins up to make it a Yamaha 1-2 was teammate Lawson Bopping, who picked up his second podium of 2012 after a consistent effort. Bopping claimed second in moto one, third in moto two and sixth in the final outing.
Continuing his spectacular run of results since joining Motul Pirelli Suzuki was Todd Waters, finishing third overall in what was his third podium in four rounds. Waters was fourth in motos one and two, before a third in the final moto sealed the podium.
Completing the top five was Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing’s Brad Anderson and Waters’ teammate Cody Cooper. Top privateer finisher was Simmonds Racing Honda rider Tye Simmonds in sixth.
The hard-luck story of the round was defending four-time champion Jay Marmont, who broke through for his first win of the season for the Monster Energy squad in moto two. His day ended early in moto three though, forced out late in the moto as his pre-season knee injury continues to take its toll.
Motul MX2 championship leader Luke Styke picked up his second overall of the season for Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha Racing, winning motos one and two before finishing fourth in the gruelling final moto.
“After putting in hard this weekend, I just want to thank the Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha Racing team and the club for a great event,” Styke said. “It was a good weekend and it feels good that all the hard work is paying off for all of us, but it’s early in the season and we need to keep trying the best we can.”
Styke won ahead of DPH Motorsport Honda’s Cheyne Boyd, who enjoyed a consistent round for his first podium of the season. After setting pole on Saturday, Boyd raced to second in moto one and third in the final two motos of the round.
Zero Seven Motorsports Suzuki rider Adam Monea was third overall, winning the final moto in a dominant performance. The Victorian was yet again back to his best in WA, edging out fellow Victorian Kade Mosig for the final position on the podium by just a single point.
Motorex/KTM’s Josh Cachia completed the top five despite battling through the day with an expected bout of appendicitis, heading another Victorian in Lewis Woods. Woods enjoyed his best round of the season by far for the Hart and Huntington/InsureMyRide team.
Title contenders Ford Dale (Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing) and Kirk Gibbs (Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha Racing) had a day to forget, with Dale taking seventh after a troublesome day, while Gibbs will have to settle for 13th after a flat tyre in moto one forced him out of the points.
Styke now enjoys a handy 39-point lead in the series ahead of Dale, while Gibbs remains third as we approach the halfway point.
The Australian Motocross Championship will now head straight to Murray Bridge in South Australia for round five of the Monster Energy Mx Nationals this weekend on 20 May.
— Carlton Dry Honda Report
Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing’s Brad Anderson and Ford Dale have endured a difficult weekend at West Australia’s AJS Motorcycle Club finishing fourth and seventh at Round 4 of the Monster Energy MX Nationals.
Both riders showed good pace over the weekend and leave the West retaining second place in their respective MX1 and MX2 Championships.
After qualifying second, Anderson got a good start in the opening MX1 moto. The Brit was second off the line and passed Jay Marmont for the lead on the opening lap of the race.
A small mistake allowed Josh Coppins to sneak past and whilst trying to pass him back up the inside, Anderson went down. He remounted and eventually finished the race third.
Bad luck seemed to snowball for Anderson in Moto 2, the harder he tried to recover the further down the order he fell, finishing an unlucky 13th.
The Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing rider made a good recovery in the final 30-minute moto to finish second.
“I am really disappointed with this weekends results,” Anderson explained. “I let myself down making silly mistakes.
“The second race was a disaster. I lost my head a bit because I knew I should have been further up the order but no matter what I tried, it just seemed to get worse.
“I was determined to turn things around in Race 3. I passed both Josh (Coppins) and Jay (Marmont) on the opening lap but I made a mistake a couple of laps later and Josh (Coppins) got past me.
“It was important to finish the event with a good race result and thankfully I leave Perth still sitting second in the standings. Unfortunately though, I now have a lot more points to redeem to catch Josh (Coppins),” Anderson added.
In the MX2 class Ford Dale qualified third but a crash on the first lap of Moto 1 left him to fight back from dead last. Dale finished the race eighth.
A bad start in Moto 2 put Dale back in the pack again. The Honda rider worked his way up to fourth and was making ground on the front-runners but ran out of laps to progress any further.
Bad luck returned in Moto 3, Dale crashed while was sitting fourth and had to work his way back up the order.
Finishing 10th in the final race saw Dale end the round seventh and sees him retain second in the MX2 standings by just two points.
“It definitely wasn’t the best weekend,” Dale said. “I felt good on the bike but nothing really gelled for me.
“I am going to change my preparation for the next round and come in with a new game plan.
“I think I may have over prepared for this weekend. I have been working harder than ever before but I came in not feeling 100%. I am going to back it down a bit on the riding side so I am turning up fresh.” he continued.
The Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing riders will head home to prepare for Round 5 of the Monster Energy MX Nationals that will be held at South Australia’s Murray Bridge on Sunday May 20.
— Cachia fights to top five finish in Western Australian MX Nationals round
JDR/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Cachia finished a fighting fifth position in Wanneroo’s fourth round of the MX2 MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, on Sunday, 13 May.
In the series’ first visit to WA since 2009, Cachia raced to fifth overall to maintain the same place in the championship standings on the team’s lone 250 SX-F for the round, despite suffering from appendix concerns on race day.
The Victorian fought his way to fourth in moto one after leading early on in the race, then he raced to sixth in moto two and an admirable eighth in the final outing before being transported to hospital for observations.
Cachia’s teammate Ryan Marmont was forced out of Wanneroo after undergoing hand surgery earlier this week, while Brenden Harrison continues to recover from pre-season surgery on his leg.
JDR/KTM Factory Racing contender Dan Reardon suffered a frustrating day in WA, finishing 18th overall after a spate of bad luck hampered his performance on the KTM 450 SX-F in the premier MX1 ranks.
Reardon crashed in moto one and finished 18th, before a heavier crash in moto two saw him suffer a concussion. He circulated to 12th, however was later ruled out of the final moto of the round. Reardon now sits 10th in the championship standings.
“When I crashed in moto two it kind of felt like I had hurt my neck because my head seemed really heavy, but then when I saw the RACESAFE medical guys it looked more like I was concussed,” Reardon explained.
“I tried to race the final moto just to get some points, but it wasn’t to be and it was a tough way to finish the weekend. I’ll keep working though and can hopefully have a much better weekend in South Australia.”
— CDR Yamaha Report
In what many regard as the toughest and most challenging rounds of the MX National circuit, the CDR Yamaha duo of Josh Coppins and Lawson Bopping overcame their rivals, the energy sapping sand and the bike swallowing whoops to claim an emphatic 1-2 finish at round four of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at Wanneroo in WA.
The deep sand of WA always proves to be a vital round of the championship and it’s a place where only the strong survive as the gruelling sand circuit becomes a minefield of chest deep sand whoops that cover the entire track. The lap-times slow up to 15 seconds a lap throughout the day as the soft surface cuts up and it provides the ultimate challenge to the riders, teams and machines.
CDR Yamaha more than met that challenge.
Josh Coppins was on song all weekend, posting fast laps in the free practice and carrying that form into qualifying where he took pole position. He immediately stamped his footprint on the round with a win in moto one and, a hard fought second in moto two but it was a gut busting ride in moto three that flawed his competition and set Coppins ahead of the pack.
In 30 minutes of racing, Coppins took control of the race and ground his opponents into the sand. He maintained his intensity all the way to the finish and lapped up to an amazing eighth place to win the final moto and claim the round overall with 1-2-1 positions. He also extended his lead out to a healthy 42 points.
“It was a hard day on a tough track and physically very taxing, but that it what we train for and what can separate the riders,” Coppins explains. “When you cross the finish-line in the final moto totally spent, but at the same time achieving your goals, that is what racing motocross is all about.”
“Today was a rewarding day not just for me but the team with Lawson also on the podium. Everyone put in and we got the result we worked for and deserved.”
A second place overall at Wanneroo makes it two podiums in a row for Lawson Bopping. Growing in confidence and stature at each and every race, Bopping is proving to be the brightest young star in the premier MX 1 class showing he has the heart and determination to climb his way to the top.
Bopping posted 2-3 finishes in the opening two, back to back, motos and was well placed in the points entering the final 30 minute moto. Bopping battled all the way to the finish in a workman like performance to finish sixth in the moto and make it a CDR 1-2 round finish in the process.
Bopping now moves to fourth in the championship just eight points away from second place.
“I’m feeling ok but I just couldn’t ride any faster!” Bopping said moments after the race. “The last race was brutal as the track was so rough and whooped out but I just kept at it and no way was I going to stop fighting.”
“Like last week, I’m pumped with another podium and a second place finish here is awesome. The CDR Yamaha team has been fantastic and have really challenged me to lift my game and so far things have worked out well since I have joined the team.”
“As my riding has stepped up and my speed is better, I need to match my fitness to the improvement in my speed to keep getting closer to Josh and the championship leaders.”
Just as exhausted as the riders was Team Manager, Craig Dack, who despite being on the sidelines, rode every bump of every lap with his riders and couldn’t be prouder of the effort his entire team have put in.
“I have been coming to WA for 30 years now and it is a great place to race. The track, the spectators and the atmosphere are all unbelievable and it forces the cream to ride to the top.”
“This is a huge highlight for me at CDR to have our riders’ finish 1-2 in the toughest event of the season. It was a fantastic day and an awesome performance but as I spoke with them after the race, it’s not even half way through the championship and we can’t afford to take our eyes off the prize. We must remain focused and continue to work hard,” Dack comments.
There is only a one week turn around before the CDR Yamaha team face the start gates again next weekend in Murray Bridge, South Australia. Again it will be time to roll up the sleeves and get to work on what also traditionally is a tough track for competitors.
MX1 Overall Results:
1. Josh Coppins – 72 (CDR Yamaha)
2. Lawson Bopping – 57 (CDR Yamaha)
3.Todd Waters – 56 (Suzuki)
4. Brad Anderson – 50 (Honda)
5. Cody Cooper – 46 (Suzuki)
6. Tye Simmonds – 45 (Honda)
7. Daniel McCoy – 42 (Suzuki)
8. Jay Marmont -38 (Kawasaki)
9. Mike Phillips – 33 (Honda)
10. Gordon Crockard – 32 (Yamaha)
MX1 Championship Standings (after 4 of 10 rounds):
1. Josh Coppins 253 (CDR Yamaha)
2. Brad Anderson 211
3. Todd Waters 208
4. Lawson Bopping 203 (CDR Yamaha)
5. Cody Cooper 183
6. Tye Simmonds 178
7. Jay Marmont 177
8. Jake Moss 157
9. Daniel McCoy 125
10. Daniel Reardon 107
– Serco Yamaha
Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha Racings’ Luke Styke claimed his second round win and fourth consecutive podium with a dominant performance at round four of the MX Nationals held at Wanneroo, WA, over the weekend.
The Nowra based Styke has been a revelation in season 2012 and continues to impress with his new found speed, skill, determination and work ethic. The Wanneroo round tests all those aspects of a rider and Styke came through with flying colours to take the round win and move 39 points clear in the championship chase.
Posting the second fastest lap time in qualifying, Styke knew he had the speed to run at the front and he immediately got to work in race one and two in the back to back motos and took the win in both motos and set up his day.
Moto three saw Styke take a mature approach allowing the race to unfold and settle into a groove that he could sustain for the full 14 laps and secure the all-important round win. He moved into fourth place with a few laps remaining and that was more than enough to stand atop of the podium on a day that really challenges all riders.
“I really like racing in sand but it is always hard work when we race here at Wanneroo. It’s an awesome track but to ride it well you really have to flow well and be ready physically or this place can punish you.”
“I did exactly what I needed to do and that’s win the races that I can and be up the front in those that I can’t. Consistently good results are what it takes to win a championship and so far things are working well and the Serco team are doing a great job,” Styke said.
Team mate Kirk Gibbs faced some adversity despite racing well in the tough conditions. A flat tyre early in moto one saw Gibbs return to the mechanics area to change the rear wheel but left him out of the points. He bounced back strongly in moto two with a second place finish and salvaged some much needed points.
Race three and 14 laps is a tough ask of any rider, but with Gibbs still dealing with wrist injuries from a pre-season fall, the race was always going to be about survival. He hung tough the entire moto and took a well-earned sixth place finish, leaving him in 10th for the round but still remains third overall in the series standings.
“This year I seem to struggle to string three races together to make a good round. The last two races today were good but that DNF in the first race cost a lot of points and set me back in the overall.”
“With Luke being so consistent, no rider can afford to drop motos. But we head to my home state next week and its time I got it together and put in three good races at the level I’m capable of!” he says determinedly.
“It was a good day for us,“ explains Team Manager, Michael Marty. “Luke proved he has matured immensely and knows when to pull the trigger or play it smart on the track. Kirk is just copping some rotten luck and his wrist isn’t good but he never complains and he fights for every point. With the break coming up after the next round, it will give him a change to heal up and coming home strongly at the final five rounds.”
Murray Bridge in South Australia hosts the MX Nationals this weekend as round five, the halfway point of the championship, gets under way. It is a home state round of Kirk Gibbs where he dominated last year.
— DPH Motorsports
DPH Motorsport Honda Racings Cheyne Boyd enjoyed his first podium this season with a 2nd place victory at the Wanneroo round of the MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, on Sunday, 13 May, in Western Australia.
Team manager Brad McAlpine was pleased with the result and the development to date of the bikes, “the bikes are working well. We made some suspension changes to suit the sandy conditions and the result was Cheyne qualified very well, we checked the motor after qualifying and everything was looking good so we went into the motos confident of a good result. Full credit to Choice Suspension who have worked tirelessly to get the suspension setups to a point where they work well with Cheyne and the conditions”.
The podium at Wanneroo has boosted Cheynes Standing in the Championship now sitting in 4th position after 4 rounds. Cheyne had had his sights set on a podium finished and this week realised that goal”.
“I was really pumped to finish 2nd on the day and score some really good points. The team has worked really hard, both Dale and Brad have been amazing and couldn’t ask for better people to be in my corner.”
“It was great to reward them with that result. I felt really comfortable in the sand all weekend, my starts were a lot better which for sure makes it easier especially in the back to back Moto’s. I know there is room for improvement and that I need to continue to work hard. Luke Styke is riding really well and seems to have his starts dialled in consistently. I know I can achieve the same consistency and am working hard to regain that form, each round brings us a little bit closer to achieving that goal”.
“Overall Wanneroo was a step in the right direction even though it wasn’t a win it was nice to be on the Podium for Team DPH Motorsport and Honda Racing with a second place”.
“I know we have more wins to come and with the whole team working toward that goal I am looking forward to this weekend at Murray Bridge, I always done well there so I can’t wait to show everyone how far we’ve come as a new team.”
“Thanks to everyone at Honda Racing and Choice Suspension for their support and the team who are behind me 110%. I look forward to many more podiums”.
Team owner Dale Hocking said “This is what it’s all about, to have a podium finish and gain valuable championship points is what we as a team are gunning for every round. It was great to see Cheyne on the podium and hopefully we can back it up with another win next week at Murray Bridge.”
– Kawasaki Report
Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jay Marmont rode through pain to take his first moto win of the season at a grueling Wanneroo track for the 4th round of the 2012 Monster Energy MX Nationals. A DNF in the final moto for both Marmont and Dylan Peterson kept Monster Energy Kawasaki from the podium in the MX1 class and Kade Mosig was unlucky not to podium in the MX2 class, missing out by just 1 point after two top 3 finishes.
Jay Marmont went into the 4th round at Wanneroo on the back foot after aggravating a knee injury that has affected him throughout the series. Although he was not 100% physically, with support and training advice from friend and Perth local Danny Green, Marmont lined up at Wanneroo in a healthy state of mind. Riding through immense pain, Marmont managed to hole-shot all three races and take his first race win of the series. A small crash in the opening stages of the first moto put Jay to the back of the pack, forcing him to ride through for an 8th place finish. Marmont was flawless in the second race, overtaking the series leader to take his first win on board the Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F. Another good start in the final race put Marmont in a good position for a podium finish however exhaustion, pain and a severe calf cramp took its toll on the Australian champion. After a small get off, Marmont couldn’t remount his bike to continue and had to retire. Marmont’s 8-1-DNF result gave him 8th place for the round.
Jay Marmont’s 2012 MX campaign has received a real boost with his race win under such difficult circumstances at round four. Marmont is looking forward to grabbing as many points as he can next week before the long mid series break that will allow him to heal 100% for the remainder of the long series.
Jay Marmont say’s, “Mixed emotions today. I hole-shot the first race and think I could’ve won it. I felt my pace was good and went from almost dead last back up to 8th. I hole-shot the second race then Coppins got me. I played a bit of cat and mouse with him and worked out where I was faster and was able to pass him for a race win which was awesome for myself and the team. The last race was tough. I got the hole-shot again. Brad and Coppins passed me but I managed to pass them back. I had three drips today trying to get my fluids up and my knee’s giving out pretty bad. I had to work super hard in that last one, I was riding pretty messy. I was holding my own but had a crash and hit my calf muscle really hard. The cramps were just unbelievable.”
“I feel my pace has picked up a lot in the last few weeks. I got three hole-shots today and the bike’s working awesome. I just need to get through Murray Bridge and then take some time off to get my knee 100% right so I’m not having to work so hard in these motos.”
Dylan Peterson continues to take advantage of his opportunity to race on board the Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F with two strong finishes at Wanneroo. Peterson took 11th in the opener and then backed that up with a strong ride in the second moto to take 7th place however a big crash in the final race ended his day. A trip to the hospital revealed fluid on his knee that should subside in time for the next round this weekend.
Dylan Peterson say’s, “That was the toughest track of the season, she was gnarly. I had average starts all day. I had a spill in the first that kept me back at 11th. I came back from another bad start in the second moto and pushed to 7th. I had a big crash over the bars in the last race and clipped my knee pretty bad and then landed on it. I’m pretty happy with my results. I know where I’m at now. I’m just outside the top 5. With some good starts my results will definitely improve. I’m looking forward to Murray Bridge.”
MX2 rider Kade Mosig was unlucky not to grab his second podium of the series at Wanneroo. Mosig rode well on the extremely tough track to take two top 3 finishes on his KX250F. A 9th place finish in the second moto after being boxed out on the start was to be his Achilles heal for the round with Mosig missing out on the box by just 1 point. Mosig’s 3-9-2 finishes position him in 6th place in the championship, just 5 points shy of the top three.
Kade Mosig say’s, “I’m slightly disappointed because I’ve been putting in the hard yards and working really hard so it’s disappointing to be one point off the podium. I’m coming to all these races to be on the top step of the podium, I don’t want to be finishing 3rd or 4th so I’ve just got to go back home this week and put my head down and hopefully get some better results at Murray Bridge. I really like that track and I’ve just got to keep chipping away. It’s nearly mid-way through the season so it’s about time I started winning races.”
— Motul Pirelli Suzuki
Motul Pirelli Suzuki rising star Todd Waters clinched his third podium in four attempts at the Wanneroo round of the MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, on Sunday, 13 May, in Western Australia.
The talented 21-year-old finished a fine third overall in the unforgiving sand of WA, scoring 4-4-3 results in the trio of gruelling motos. Again showing impressive speed and consistency, Waters has proven that he and the RM-Z450 are one of the most competitive combinations in the sport.
“I’m not going to say it was an easy day, because it was probably the toughest one I’ve had to date,” Waters explained. “I had bad starts all day and was trying to come through the pack, so the front guys were just running away from me. The last moto went really good, I came from 19th and managed to get up into third. I was really happy with how that went.
“I’m starting to mature that little bit. A couple of times I’ve sort of stepped it back, I don’t need to be on my head, because that would just send me backwards. I took my time and I managed to get up there with two fourths and a third for third overall. My goal is to get on that box every weekend and that’s what we’re starting to do.”
Teammate Cody Cooper raced to a solid fifth place despite again suffering from his starts throughout the round, taking home ninth in moto one, fifth in moto two and fourth in moto three after progressively improving aboard the RM-Z450.
Cooper now sits fifth in the championship as it approaches the halfway mark, and he’s anticipating a strong result when the series continues this weekend at Murray Bridge in South Australia.
“I felt good fitness-wise, but my strength let me down a bit at the end of the day,” Cooper explained. “It definitely got rough, so gnarly and not event Southwick gets that rough – the sand was just so deep. In the first two motos people were going everywhere, I was getting roosted and it’s hard to pull tear-offs in those conditions.
“Everybody had the same problem, but in the final moto I managed to come through the field better after another bad start. I passed a lot of guys quickly early on in the moto and that helped, so we’ll keep working in that direction and hopefully it comes together for us.
“I’m always trying to go for a win and would definitely like to get on that podium this weekend in South Australia, so I’ll practice my starts this week and really work hard on them. Murray Bridge is a track I like and that loamy dirt suits me, so it should be good. Once I have my starts sorted then that should help out a lot.”
Motul Pirelli Suzuki Pro Lites contender Scott Columb was eighth overall in WA, riding the RM-Z250 to ninth in moto one and 11th in moto two, before he capitalised on the duration of the final 30-minute moto to claim fifth. Columb now sits 11th in the standings in what is his first full season of contesting Australian Motocross.
The MX Nationals series will next head to round five of the 2012 season at Murray Bridge in South Australia, marking the halfway point of the 10-round schedule.
