 |
2005 Australian Motocross
Championship - Round Three - Toowoomba - Kawasaki Report April 25th, 2005 |
 |
|
|
2005 Australian Motocross
Championship - Round Three - Toowoomba - Kawasaki Report April 25th, 2005 |
|
| A hopeful Team Green descended
on the up-hill-and-down-dale Echo Valley track near Toowoomba,
Queensland. A huge amount of testing to cure a rear brake
problem on Shane Metcalfe’s KX250 had been conducted and the
team felt sure they had found an answer. However, nothing is ever to be taken for granted in racing, and so it proved with race day panning out to be another tough day for team co-ordinator Ross McWatters and his men. Poor starts and mechanical problems held Shane back from a likely top 10 finish, and youngster Toby Price on his Pro Lite KX250-F had an off day, encountering plenty of trouble in coming to grips with the track’s demanding layout. In Pro Open Moto One Shane got a great jump off the line but was forced to the extreme inside line as the first corner approached – the pack converged on the racing line which squeezed the gritty South Australian. His KX250’s radiator shroud clipped a track side watering sprinkler, the impact forcing Metcalfe off course. By the time he recovered, Metcalfe was well back in 34th or so, however, some determined riding on the challenging Echo Valley circuit saw Shane fight his way up into the top 15 by the half way point. In the final laps Shane moved forward another five spots to finish 10th on the track despite experiencing some rear brake fade from the half way mark onwards. Brake issues aside, Shane still performed well and moved forward every lap – not an easy task considering the massive elevation changes that are a feature of the Toowoomba circuit. Moto Two was looking like a repeat of Moto One with a very average start and a other tough grind forward to the front of the pack of snarling 450 four strokes. Shane moved quickly into a top 20 position within the first few laps and was slowly moving forward when a rear suspension problem slowed his progress. The rear shock absorber was losing all damping as its oil leaked out of a failed seal and coated the troublesome rear brake. With rear brake and suspension trouble, finishing in a points paying position was not possible, so Shane pulled off the track and frustratingly watched the last half of the race from the mechanics’ area on the start straight. With the 11 points from his Moto One finish, Shane claimed 17th overall on the day and holds down 16th in the championship. Pro Lite contender Toby Price also had a tough day with poor starts and a circuit that he found hard to come to terms with. In qualifying Toby claimed the 17th fastest time out of the 40 Pro Lite competitors and struggled to come to grips with the track’s elevation changes and rutted corners. In Moto One going into the first turn, another rider bumped Price mid-corner, pushing the Team Green motocross rookie off line. He rounded the first turn in almost last place. It was obvious Price didn’t feel comfortable with the track layout or the massive ruts that had formed in the tight turns which made passing difficult. Despite his discomfort, Price spent the entire race slowly working his way forward. By race end he had moved up to 23rd position, three places shy of the points. Unfortunately, Moto Two was a repeat of Moto One with a similar first turn incident placing the determined youngster at the rear of the field. Once again Price slowly worked his way through the lower order to finish in 21st place, just one spot shy of the points at the race’s end. Shane Metcalfe was obviously disappointed with his day, saying, "The day started out with bike problems early in practice and continued throughout the day. I am very disappointed with the results as I am working harder than ever in my career after the past 12 months I have had." Toby Price put his results down to inexperience, but you can’t put a youngster as determined as this one down. He enjoyed his day and said, "I was really happy with the bike – it was trouble free – and I managed not to be involved in any crashes. I found the track super challenging but really enjoyed the demands of riding here. I needed to be smoother and I had some trouble with the tight ruts and turns running onto the hills, the track was easily the most technical circuit I have ever raced on; I enjoyed riding on it a lot." Team co-ordinator Ross McWatters summed up his men’s feeling by saying, “Shane rode super well in the first Moto and really showed us his skill and perseverance as he coped with the troubles he had. With such a tough track that seemed to suit the horde of Kiwis and several locals who performed well on home ground he really did the best he could on the day. “Toby struggled and his inexperience showed today. “Everyone came through without crashes or injuries and we can go into Coolum hoping for some luck to go our way!"
|
|
|
Search the site - Late Braking News - Forum Bike Tests - Features - Wallpaper - Race Calendar
MCNEWS.COM.AU
|
|
