— 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship – Round Six – Appin (NSW)
— Monster Energy MX1 Round Six Results – Appin (NSW)
1. Matt Moss – Suzuki – 65
2. Cody Cooper – Suzuki – 63
3. Kirk Gibbs – KTM – 63
4. Lawson Bopping – Yamaha – 54
5. Adam Monea – Kawasaki – 53
6. Billy McKenzie – Yamaha – 51
7. Jay Marmonet – Kawasaki – 50
8. Jake Moss – Suzuki – 49
9. Cody Mackie – Kawasaki – 47
10. Todd Waters – KTM – 44
11. Tye Simmonds – Yamaha – 41
12. Sam Martin – Suzuki – 41
13. Sam Duncanson – Yamaha – 35
14. James Booth Elliott – Suzuki – 32
15. Kieran Tisdale – Suzuki – 30
16. Dylan Gosling – Yamaha – 30
17. Jesse O’Farrell – Yamaha – 26
18. Beau Pesic – Honda – 24
19. Gareth Swanpoel – Honda – 22
20. Jason McCarthy – Suzuki – 20
— Monster Energy MX1 championship standings (after six of 10 rounds):
1. Todd Waters 376
2. Matt Moss 372
3. Billy Mackenzie 340
4. Cody Cooper 331
5. Lawson Bopping 320
6. Kirk Gibbs 293
7. Adam Monea 285
8. Jake Moss 279
9. Tye Simmonds 273
10. Jay Marmont 241
— Monster Engergy MX2 Round Six Results – Appin (NSW)
1. Luke Styke – Yamaha – 67
2. Kale Makeham – KTM – 65
3. Kade Mosig – Kawasaki – 62
4. Geran Stapleton – Suzuki – 56
5. Rhys Carter – Suzuki – 50
6. Takeshi Katsuya – Honda – 48
7. Ryan Marmont – Suzuki – 48
8. Brock Winston – KTM – 44
9. Keiron Hall – Honda – 41
10. Wade Hunter – Suzuki – 41
11. Dylan Long – KTM – 40
12. Tristen Cachia – Honda – 35
13. Daniel McEntee – KTM – 29
14. Luke Wilson – Kawasaki – 29
15. John Prutti – Kawasaki – 28
16. Josh Cachia – Honda – 26
17. Kurt Gow – Kawasaki – 24
18. Zane Kelleher – KTM – 23
19. Kayne Lamont – KTM – 20
20. Mitch Norris – Yamaha – 18
— MX2 Championship Standings – After Round Six
1st Luke Styke – 403
2nd Kale Makeham – 320
3rd Josh Cachia – 305
4th Brock Winston – 302
5th Luke Clout – 285
6th Geran Stapleton – 264
7th Takeshi Katsuya – 260
8th Ryan Marmont – 244
9th Dylan Long – 227
10th Rhys Carter – 209
— Pirelli MXD championship standings (after four of eight rounds):
1. Hamish Harwood 244
2. Jack Simpson 225
3. Jesse Dobson 218
4. Joel Dinsdale 194
5. Jay Wilson 190
6. Corey James 180
7. Joel Wightman 179
8. Nick Scott 176
9. Logan Blackburn 166
10. Jake Emanuelli 134
— Serco Yamaha MX2
Styke Claims Fifth Round Win At MX Nationals
Serco Yamaha’s Luke Styke nailed his fifth round win out of the six contested so far with another polished performance at round six of the Monster MX Nationals at Appin Raceway, Sydney, over the weekend.
Styke shook off some early cobwebs after the six week break between the rounds to take second in the opening motor but bounced back to his best in race two to take a commanding start to finish victory to snare another round win.
His success at the weekend, combined with injuries to his nearest rivals including team mate Luke Clout, now means Styke has a whopping 83 point lead in the MX2 championship with four rounds remaining.
“My first race was pretty average,” Styke shrugs. “I was riding a bit tight, got some arm pump and didn’t flow that well but I was able to turn that around in race two and get the win and take the round win.
“The track was tough to ride today with the corners having lots of ruts and even the shape of the ruts made it a challenge.
“It’s good to get the win here as a lot of my friends and family came out to watch and with the bad luck to the other guys, my lead is pretty good. But, my goal is to keep winning races and keep improving as a rider so I will be working just as hard for the final four rounds as I was for the first four,” Styke ends.
As reported last week, Luke Clout broke his femur in a training incident and will sit out the remainder of the MX Nationals. He underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery but the Serco Yamaha team have given Clout all the time he needs to be 100% before making his return to racing.
“At this stage, Serco Yamaha won’t be getting a replacement rider for the MX Nationals,” states team manager, Michael Marty. “We have decided to invest all our energies in securing this championship with Luke Styke and will make a decision on what we do for the Australian Supercross Championship as the time nears.”
Round seven MX Nationals action picks up at Hervey Bay in Queensland on July 28. The sandy based circuit is a favourite among the riders and the racing is always exciting.
— KTM Report
A famous man once said, “you can’t guarantee victory, only deserve it”, and in the field of motocross conflict, few riders would be more deserving than Motorex KTM’s Todd Waters, who showed his champion’s mettle yet again today as the MX Nats continued at Appin.
For the third round in a row the runaway winner of the first three carried in a significant injury and managed risk, pain, and diminished capacity to still emerge as championship leader – albeit by a scant four points.
Just a fortnight after breaking his collarbone at the Queensland championships, Waters was passed ‘fit to compete’ in a medical assessment and after posting seventh-fastest time in Go-Pro SuperPole, finished with 7th and 11th placings from the two motos.
While his team mate was being heroic, Kirk Gibbs was continuing his spectacular rise in the MX1 ranks in what is his first year in the top grade, posting his best ever finish in the class with a Moto 1 second, then backing that up with fourth in Moto 2 for his second Overall podium of the year.
Rob Twyerould – “Todd came in with a substantial injury management issue so the goal was to survive and grab points. The choice to ride today was totally up to him and it was a Herculean effort. He’s very good at disguising how hurt he is but he admitted the strength just wasn’t there as he hasn’t been allowed to train, or do anything that could make him sweat, for the last two weeks. Todd always expects more of himself but to get through like that when there was always a risk of further damage and come away still with the championship lead is a fantastic effort. Kirk had a great day. He came in with confidence on the back of some great results and I said to him on the start line, ‘I’ve got a good feeling about today’. He was probably unlucky in SuperPole, and his Moto 1 ride was fantastic; at no stage was he fazed by the pressure from Jake and he gapped him on the last lap to secure second. Moto 2 he wasn’t great off the line but in Turn 3 he got around five guys and ended up in third challenging Mackenzie who defended very hard, and Monea passed them both. Kirk is now up to sixth and just 27 points off fifth so he’s right there now and I’m very pleased for him.”
Todd Waters: “We purely rode in defence mode today. The medical guys went to great care to tell me exactly what was at risk today if I crashed on it, so we kept it together and got through able to walk away from it, so now I’m looking forward to Hervey Bay in a fortnight’s time. I’ll have a week off then get back into the riding and hopefully go out on the track and start feeling like myself again. I want to say a massive thanks to Rob – we’ve had some misfortune come our way but he’s always been so supportive which has made my job easier to focus on the things that matter. I really like working with him and my mechanic Ryan, they back me 100 percent and I hope to get back up there and reward them for it. There was a bit of pain today but you’ve gotta deal with that sometimes, it was more the muscle fatigue that was bothering me!”
Kirk Gibbs: “I probably could have done a little better in SuperPole today but on my lap Lawson fell in front of me and I had to go wide around him. In the first race I was second under pressure from Jake Moss, but it’s a hard track to pass on and I tried to just focus on riding my own race. In the second I had a pretty good pace going but trying to get around Billy I got stuck in his pace which allowed Monea to catch us, so I need to work on that. I’m going better and moving forward which is the main thing. It’s only my rookie year and as long as I’m at the pointy end, I’m happy. Things are a little harder in MX1 adjusting to the bike and the depth of talent, so to be running up near the front with these boys is something I’m just stoked about.”
In the MX2 category, KTM 250SX-mounted Kale Makeham leapt up three positions in the championship, finishing second overall after following up a sensational first moto win with a third in the second race, despite finding himself outside the top ten off the start.
In the MXD category for U19 riders, Hamish Harwood is joined by another KTM at the top of the table, after Jack Simpson won the day, moving into second overall just 19 points in arrears.
— Honda Report
Despite the utmost planning, the 2013 MX Nationals season has not gone to plan for the Carlton Dry Honda Racing team with several star riders bowing out of the competition due to injury.
In what was shaping up to be an excellent season, Honda and the Carlton Dry Honda Racing team were thrilled to announce a rider line-up consisting of international champion Ben Townley, 2012 MX2 champion Ford Dale and up and coming rider Josh Cachia.
In March Ben Townley announced his retirement from full time racing. After a stellar 12 year international career, Townley explained that his health and family were the major factors.
May saw the 2012 MX2 champion Ford Dale forced to withdraw due to a knee injury sustained while contesting Superpole at Broadford. The injury led to reconstructive surgery on his left knee.
In another devastating blow for the Carlton Dry Honda Racing team, the weekend’s Appin event saw MX2 rider Josh Cachia also ruled out of the remainder of the 2013 MX Nationals due to a wrist injury that requires immediate surgery. Cachia is in third position in the overall MX2 standings.
Recently recruited South African champion Gareth Swanepoel also sustained a wrist injury in the weekend’s Appin event and is currently undergoing medical examinations.
Honda Australia’s Tony Hinton understands this can sometimes be the nature of motocross racing; “We had a stellar line-up at the beginning of the 2013 season and were looking forward to what could have been the best year yet for Honda. The reality is it has turned into an injury plagued year and so right now our main concern is that the riders receive the best possible treatment and rehabilitation.”
“We understand this is can be a reality of motocross racing but we are remaining positive about the future. We look forward to having Ford Dale and Josh Cachia fully fit which, with their abilities will put us in good stead in the future.”
The Carlton Dry Honda Racing team will be announcing the 2013 Supercross rider line-up in the coming week.
— Motul Pirelli Suzuki Report
Motul Pirelli Suzuki teammates Matt Moss and Cody Cooper have claimed their second 1-2 finish in succession during the sixth round of the MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, at Appin in New South Wales on Sunday, 14 July. The result also marked the team’s third straight overall victory.
Following a six-week hiatus, the MX Nationals resumed at the Macarthur Motorcycle Club and it was Moss who opened the weekend on top with the fastest lap time in regular qualifying. Cooper stepped up to claim the number one position in Superpole qualifying, setting a positive tone for the round’s racing.
Moto one saw Moss ride his RM-Z450 to a controlled victory, leading from the early stages and extending his advantage throughout the 30-minute duration. A mid-pack start forced Moss to fight back in moto two, in which he eventually climbed to third and secured the round victory overall.
“I’m happy with my form and to win the overall, but I’m really disappointed with that second race,” Moss explained. “The Motul Pirelli Suzuki team went 1-2 and of course I’m really happy with that, but after spending some time in America where the tracks are a lot more wide-open I struggled a bit in the tight stuff. We’ll keep working on these little things and come out swinging for Hervey Bay.”
Moss has now moved to within four points of the series lead in the second half of the season.
Coming off a victory at Conondale’s fifth round, Cooper also continued his form at Appin, however a number of mistakes in the opening moto resulted in eighth position. He recovered to dominate the second leg, which boosted him to second overall for the round – partly thanks to his five points amassed in Superpole.
“My day started off good in winning the Superpole, but it was a little up and down during the motos,” Cooper commented. “It was a good day all in all though for the whole Motul Pirelli Suzuki team and I’m really happy with the result overall. I felt really good in moto two and I was able to race to the victory.”
The reigning two-time New Zealand Motocross Champion is fourth in the standings, setting his sights on a position in the top three and 45 points in arrear of current leader Todd Waters.
“It was another great result for the team and we couldn’t be happier,” team manager Jay Foreman said. “Matt really took advantage of a recent trip to America and his speed is exceptional, while Cody again proved in moto two that when he puts the pieces of the puzzle together he’s a very difficult rider to beat. These results bode well for the final four rounds of the season.”
The MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, will continue at Hervey Bay in Queensland on Sunday, 28 July.
— CDR Yamaha
The CDR Yamaha team worked through a testing day at round six of the MX Nationals to have both Lawson Bopping and Billy Mackenzie finish in the top six respectively, in the premier MX1 division.
Bopping got his day off to a solid start qualifying inside the top five and a chance to snare some extra points via the Superpole challenge. Unfortunately, he fell in the later stages of the lap and wasn’t able to cash in on some handy points.
In the races, Bopping was finally able to get some decent starts and ran towards the front of the pack in both motos. His consistent lap speed, combined with his better starts saw him finish with 4-6 results and fourth overall for the round.
“It was a better day for me as I was able to get some better track position early in the races and not have to pass my way forward. It’s still not where I want to be, but I felt I made some progress today and it was the best result I have had in the last few rounds,” Bopping explains.
Billy Mackenzie was polar opposite to his team mate, starting the day very slowly and struggled to get a good lap in qualifying which gave him a late gate pick for moto one. That also carried over into race one as he couldn’t find his best form and could only manage a 10th place finish at the completion of the 30minute moto.
Moto two was a completely different story with Mackenzie bolting from the blocks and inside the top three at the end of the first lap. He was then entrenched in a race long battle with three other riders but managed to hang on to third place and his 10-3 scores gave him sixth overall for the round.
“Qualifying and moto one were a disaster,” Mackenzie says. “I just felt really uncomfortable and couldn’t ride the way I wanted to and I got frustrated. Moto two was better but I can’t keep having these up and down days if I want to win this championship. I need to get it sorted ASAP.”
Team owner, Craig Dack urged his riders to get it together for the remainder of the championship and show some fighting spirit if they are any hope of landing CDR Yamaha its sixth MX National crown on the trot.
“Lawson has obvious talent and ability and the team backs him 100% but it’s time for him to lay it on the line and really ramp it up for the final few rounds. I don’t doubt his capabilities but I want him to cash on in on his talent and show everyone what he can really do on a motocross bike.
“Billy just needs to get his day underway better and not get into the one bad moto, one good moto rut. He needs to come out firing from the moment he hits the track and when he strings it together I’m sure there will be plenty of wins coming his way.”
The CDR Yamaha team now head for Hervey Bay in Queensland for round seven of the championship on the rough and sandy circuit.
