RND 5 – MURRAY BRIDGE MX

The CDR Yamaha rider took control of the championship lead just a fortnight after finishing second at the season opener, winning the round at Goanna Tracks overall with 4-3-1 finishes in the trio of premier MX1 motos.

“It feels good to win because I felt like I struggled on Saturday and didn’t really ride that well today,” former world number two Coppins said. “I just had to be patient and the first five-lap races weren’t long enough for me. I knew the last longer moto would suit me, so I focused on winning that one. It’s been a great start to the season for me so far.”

Coppins’ triumph came late in the day after Australian class returnee Jake Moss took two spectacular moto wins to start the round, proving himself once again as a surprise threat for this title chase in 2012.

Moss’ day turned pear-shaped in the final moto however, when an early moto fall meant that he was forced to settle for 16th in the race and third overall for the round.

The round saw two Honda privateers rise to the podium, with Bourke’s Tye Simmonds scoring a satisfying second for the round after forming his own team just weeks out from round one. Simmonds raced to 5-4-2 finishes at Coonabarabran.

Fourth overall was defending four-time champion Jay Marmont for Monster Energy Kawasaki, a sign that he’s gaining momentum on the KX450F. Marmont was in the box seat for a final moto victory while leading early, but finished up third and was bumped off the overall podium.

Fifth for the weekend was British champion Brad Anderson, Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing’s lone championship hope piecing together a top five result despite a challenging round in his first visit to Goanna Tracks.

Round one winner Ben Townley was forced out of the weekend following a disastrous practice crash on Saturday that saw him transferred to hospital with a hip injury after being stabilised by Suzuki RACESAFE at the circuit.

The Motul MX2 class saw Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha Racing’s Luke Styke take a spectacular clean-sweep of the proceedings, dominating the round with a trio of first place finishes.

“It was a perfect weekend for me this weekend,” Styke reflected. “Everybody was working good, the team was good, my YZ250F was unreal and it all paid off. The track was unbelievable, really suited my style, and the Pirelli tyres definitely did their job. It’s all good and I’m really happy to be leading the championship with Serco Yamaha.”

Styke takes over the series lead from teammate Kirk Gibbs, who finished in the runner-up position at Coonabarabran with a consistent effort of 5-4-2 finishes.

Completing the podium for the round was Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Kade Mosig despite getting caught up in the start gates in the third and final moto. Mosig raced to 2-5-6 results in his first podium for Kawasaki.

A resurgent Cheyne Boyd (DPH Motorsport Honda) was fourth and just a point short of the podium, living up to pre-season expectations after stepping across from the MX1 class in 2012. The top five was rounded out by Ford Dale (Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing).

The Pirelli MXD class for Under 19s riders was won by 18-year-old Tasmanian talent Dylan Leary (KTM), riding his 250 SX two-stroke to the overall in a tight race for the victory.

“It’s a really good result and I had to borrow a bike for this weekend after practice,” Leary explained. “It’s a surprise because last year I did the final three rounds and my best race result was something like ninth, but this off-season I worked hard and it’s all about consistency. If I can stay in the top five every race in should work out well.”

Leary won the round by a single point ahead of Axis Kawasaki’s Mitch Norris, who suffered a flat tyre while leading the third and final moto of the weekend. Norris won the second moto in a breakthrough performance. Completing the top three was another KTM privateer in Joel Milesevic.

The opening moto victory went to former junior world champion Jay Wilson aboard the Raceline Pirelli Suzuki, however he was forced to settle for seventh overall. Round one winner Dylan Long maintained his championship lead with fourth overall for Choice Motorsports KTM.

The series will continue at Wonthaggi in Victoria on 28-29 April, marking round three of 10 for the 2012 season.

– Carlton Dry Honda Report

Carton Dry Honda Thor Racing endured a weekend they would rather forget at the second round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at Coonabarabran’s Goanna Tracks.

Ben Townley was airlifted to hospital after crashing heavily in Saturday’s practice, setting the scene for a disappointing weekend for the factory Honda team.

Ford Dale qualified quickest in the MX2 class but was left to rue bad starts, finishing both five lap moto’s seventh.

The Sunshine Coast rider, who took the chequered flag third in the final race, ended the weekend fifth overall.

“It was such a disappointing weekend,” Dale said. “I will definitely go back to the drawing board work on my starts ahead of the next round.

“In the first race I came together with Josh Cachia on the opening lap and we both went down but I managed to come through from dead last to finish the race fifth.

“My starts just weren’t good, but thankfully, with the longer final race I was able to make up some ground and finish third,” Dale added.

In the MX1 class Brad Anderson started the day well, finishing second in the opening race.

Severe arm pump saw Anderson drop through the order in Moto 2 and he ended the race seventh.

The former British Motocross Champion finished the final 30-minute race sixth and he took fifth overall for the weekend.

“I am really disappointed in myself,” Anderson said. “This is not the result I expected to come away with.

“We will be working very hard over the next fortnight to make sure I get on top of the arm-pump issues.”

Team Principal Yarrive Konsky said the team would re-group and work hard to turn things around ahead of the Wonthaggi event.

“Ben’s crash really set the scene for the weekend,” Konsky said.

“We tried to regroup but the harder we tried the worse things seemed to get.

“All we can do is put this behind us and approach the next event with a clean slate,” Konsky continued.

While the Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing team heads home to prepare for the third round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals in a fortnights time, Ben Townley will undergo surgery on his injured hip in Brisbane tomorrow.

– Serco Yamaha

It was a career defining round for Serco Yamaha / Metal Mulisha Racings Luke Styke, as he swept all before him at round two of the Monster Energy MX Nationals held at Goanna Tracks, Coonabarabran, over the weekend.

Styke combined with team mate Kirk Gibbs for a resounding 1-2 finish and place it among the teams’ highlights in their 11 year racing history at the MX Nationals.

Styke, the 20 year old from Nowra in NSW, was simply a cut above the rest of the field in the MX2 class, taking control of all three of the motos held for the round and rode off to convincing wins. Styke had all bases covered with good starts, impressive track speed and amazing fitness to take the round win, his first in MX2 competition.

The day of domination for Styke now sees him sit on top of the championship points after two rounds on 132 points, ahead of Gibbs on 119.

“Wow, what a day!” Styke enthuses. “I always come to a race trying to win every race but it rarely happens, so I’m pretty pumped about today.”

“The most pleasing thing was that after round one I said I needed to work on starts and my first lap and I did that then came back two weeks later and that work showed up instantly as my starts were good and my first lap exactly what I wanted.”

“My bike was perfect today and the fact the Kirk and I were up the front and finished 1-2 shows how good our YZ250F’s are.”

Most riders would be happy with second place, but Kirk Gibbs left the Coonabarabran circuit frustrated as small mistakes crept into his racing. Gibbs was up front early in both motos one and two, only to tip over both times and have to fight his way back through the field.

The talented racer charged back to 5-4 positions in those motos before posting a solid second place in the final race of the day to finish second for the round and make it a Serco Yamaha 1-2 for the round and the championship after two rounds.

“Considering those silly crashes I had, to finish second was ok,” Gibbs uttered at days’ end. “But I shouldn’t be making those mistakes and it’s something that doesn’t happen often.”

“The 1-2 finish was great for the team and things will really get going over the next few rounds as the tracks get softer and we race in sand and loamy conditions.”

Team Owner Gavin Eales was impressed with both his riders but stresses the team to keep a level head as there is a long way to go in this championship.

“It was a fantastic result and both riders did an awesome job and should be proud of themselves. But we also remind them that there are still eight rounds to go and each round requires the same focus and determination as today for us to be in contention for this championship by round 10.”

– Kawasaki Report

Kade Mosig Gets His First Podium for Monster Energy Kawasaki at Coonabarabran MX

Monster Energy Kawasaki MX2 rider Kade Mosig finished the 2nd round of the 2012 Monster Energy MX Nationals on the podium taking 3rd overall at Goanna Tracks, Coonabarabran, NSW on 14-15 April. MX1 rider Jay Marmont is forging ahead in the championship with two top 3 finishes at Goanna Tracks giving him 4th for the round and moving him up to 3rd in the championship and Billy Mackenzie had to settle for 14th for the round following crashes and bad luck.

MX2 (Lites) rider Kade Mosig kicked his championship campaign into gear at Coonabarabran riding his KX250F superbly at Goanna tracks to take his first podium at Monster Energy Kawasaki. Mosig got a good start in the first moto and stayed at the front of the pack to take 2nd place. A tough start in the second moto saw him having to fight through the pack to eventually finish in 5th place. Then in the third moto, it all could have gone pear shaped when Mosig hit the start gate, leaving him in last place at the first turn. Mosig got the job done however, riding through the field to take 6th place. Mosig’s 2-5-6 results were good enough for a podium finish and moves him up to 4th place in the championship.

A happy Kade Mosig say’s, “The first race I got a 2nd, I got a pretty good start then I sort of buggered the start in the second and in the third race, I hit the gate in the last race so I came from last but I got back to 6th so I busted my butt and ended up getting up there and got it on the podium this week. I’m pretty happy, we made some good progress with the bike in between rounds and I think we can take another step forward next round.”

Reigning champion Jay Marmont improved dramatically on his injury hampered results from round 1. An average start in the first moto meant Marmont had to wrestle with mid pack riders to take 9th place in the short moto. A good start in the second race put Marmont in good contention for a strong finish and he capitalized on the opportunity, riding to 2nd place for the moto. Another great start in the third moto put Marmont into 1st place, a sight the Australian MX community has grown accustomed to over the years. Marmont eventually finished the race in 3rd place with his 9-2-3 results giving him 4th for the round and 3rd overall in the championship, just 6 points shy of 2nd place.

Jay Marmont says, “That last race I got 2nd around the start. I worked my way better as the day went on. At one point I could’ve won the day, I was in front. I struggled a little bit. Obviously having those few weeks off really hurt me, I’m starting to get back into the swing of things now. I’m 3rd in the championship, that’s a plus. The dog race is on now for the championship. I’ll go home now and work on some things and come out swinging at Wonthaggi.”

Fellow MX1 rider Billy Mackenzie had a tough second round. His speed and effort not indicative of his final result. Mackenzie enjoyed good starts and was running at the front of the pack throughout the day however crashes and bad luck paid the price. While racing up front in the opener, Mackenzie stalled his KX450F and lost many places while restarting, having to settle for 12th. A big crash in the second moto forced Mackenzie to DNF however he came out fighting in the final moto. The bad luck was to continue though when a rider went down in front of Mackenzie taking him down as well. Desperate for championship points, Mackenzie remounted and battled on, passing many riders to take 20th. Mackenzie’s points standing took a blow at Coonabarabran with his 12-DNF-20 results leaving him in 18th for the round and 14th in the championship. With many races and rounds left to go, Mackenzie has plenty of time to claw his way back.

A disappointed Billy Mackenzie say’s, “The first two races we were running up front but I had a small mistake in the first race, I tried to switch lines and I stalled the bike and it took me a while to get started and with the shorter races, you just lose so many places. Then in the second race, I came out and was feeling good, I got past Brad (Anderson), then I kinda switched lines because I was following Mossy through the whoops and it caught me out, I hit my head pretty hard and I DNF’ed. All in all it’s another frustrating weekend but I feel good on the bike, I know the speed’s there so there’s a lot of positives. Maybe I just need to calm down a bit and accept a top 3 instead of going for the win and try and build some points from here and get some momentum and see if I can win some races in a couple of rounds.”

Axis Motorsports Kawasaki’s Mitch Norris raced his KX250F to 2nd place overall in the MXD (U19s) class taking 5-2-3 results. Norris was on track to take the overall for the day when he was leading the final race however a flat tyre in the final stages of the moto pushed him back to 3rd place. He sits in 3rd place in the championship. A heavy practice crash for Ben George left him unconscious and out of the round. He is back on his feet now.

Putting a tough season opener behind them, Monster Energy Kawasaki is now forging ahead in the championship following a strong 2nd round. The riders now have two weeks to rest, recuperate and prepare for the 3rd round of the series at Wonthaggi, Victoria on 28-29 April.

– CDR Yamaha Report

CDR Yamaha’s Josh Coppins turned in another timeless performance to take the round win and move into the championship lead in the MX1 class, after two rounds of the MX Nationals.

The Goanna Tracks venue at Coonabarabran played host to the second round of the MX Nationals where Josh Coppins turned up the heat on his competitors, taking the round win on the back of his 4-3-1 results. With the round victory combined with his second place finish at the series opener, Coppins sits atop of the championship table, 24 points clear of second place.

“I qualified fifth on Saturday and didn’t feel that good on the track, so I just shifted my focus for Sunday and was able to make it work,” Coppins explains.

“Starts are really important with these shorter races so it was good to get them nailed and I was battling up front every race.”

“Leading now doesn’t mean much as we have a long way to go, but so far things have been going to plan, the CDR team has been working tirelessly and we need to keep the momentum going,” he finishes.

Lawson Bopping finished seventh for the round in a tight knit bunch inside the top 10. Bopping posted the fastest lap in qualifying with a blistering 2:34 flyer that was 1.7 seconds faster than any other rider on the track.

He then went on to post the fastest laps in the opening two races, where he finished fifth and fourth. His day then turned a little sour in the final leg when he went down in the final leg and remounted in dead last position. He charged his way back through the field to finish eighth in an inspiring ride. He now holds down sixth in the championship.

“I felt awesome on the bike all weekend. My starts were ok, but with a group of guys this good, I need to improve them a little so hopefully by the next round I can be closer to the front and challenging for race wins,” Bopping said.

Craig Dack, team owner of CDR Yamaha was in good spirits at the end of the day, happy with the effort, energy and results of his team.

“Both guys put in today and rode with plenty of spirit. Josh relentlessly races his way to the front and doesn’t know how to quit while Lawson is doing a great job and we are very happy with the progress he is making.”

“The next three rounds will be vitally important as the racing surfaces become softer and bike setup is critical but I’m confident in the riders and the staff to make the changes needed and we can continue posting good results.”

– KTM Report

KTM riders have continued to excel in the MX Development (MXD) category of the MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, with Dylan Leary winning at Coonabarabran in New South Wales on Sunday.

Leary rode his KTM 250 SX to victory in the class for Under 19s competitors, sealing his first career national round win after claiming victory in the final moto of the weekend.

“It’s a really good result and I had to borrow a bike for this weekend after practice,” 18-year-old Tasmanian Leary explained. “It’s a surprise because last year I did the final three rounds and my best race result was something like ninth, but this off-season I worked hard and it’s all about consistency. If I can stay in the top five every race in should work out well.”

Victorian Joel Milesevic was third overall after racing to a hard-fought win in the second moto, making it two 250 SX models on the overall podium. Opening round winner Dylan Long rode his Choice Motorsports KTM 250 SX-F to fourth overall, maintaining the title lead.

The JDR/KTM Factory Racing team endured a difficult weekend at the Goanna Tracks complex, with Wollongong’s Ryan Marmont the best performer in ninth overall in the MX2 division.

Marmont started the round with a solid fourth in the first moto, before 12th and ninth place finishes capped off his weekend. Teammate Josh Cachia was one position behind him in 10th after a frustration round, taking a best result of seventh in the final moto.

“I felt a lot better at this round, opposed to the first round,” Marmont explained. “My hand injury is getting a lot stronger now, so although the overall result wasn’t what I was looking for, I felt like I was riding a lot stronger. I took a lot of positives from the weekend and we have two weeks to prepare for round three now, so hopefully I can keep moving forward.”

The MX1 class saw JDR/KTM’s lone 450 SX-F contender Dan Reardon also finished ninth overall for the round, now heading down to train with Marmont in the lead-up to round four of the series at Wonthaggi in Victoria on 28-29 April.