Yamaha Racing enjoyed a return to the podium at the fourth round of the Nokia Motocross Nationals at Queensland’s Connondale circuit today.

Teenager Jake Moss flew the flag for the leading manufacturer securing his first national podium in the Pro Lites ranks and underlying why the all new alloy framed YZ250F is Australia’s most popular selling motorcycle.

Consistency was the key for CDR/Nokia/Yamaha with Darryll King recording another top five round finish and Matt Moss enjoying his best result for the year.

CDR/NOKIA/YAMAHA FACTORY PRO OPEN MX TEAM

It was a hard day at the office for the CDR/Nokia/Yamaha team with some mixed results for the four man factory Pro Open squad.

While all four riders celebrated top ten finishes in the opening moto the second race saw both Cheyne Boyd and Ford Dale forced into early retirement after separate spectacular incidents.

In the opening Pro Open race Mat Moss got a sensational start in third place while team mate Darryll King spun up at the gate and was left well back in the top ten with fellow CDR/Nokia/Yamaha rider Cheyne Boyd.

Young substitute rider Ford Dale had a hard start to the thirty minute race with three separate incidents leaving the teenager fighting hard at the back in the pack.

Moss raced on with the leaders until the fourth lap when he came off and stalled his YZ450F. After rejoining in tenth place Moss joined the team freight train which saw Darryll King lead the factory Yamaha team’s regular riders home in fifth, sixth (Boyd) and seventh (Moss).

Dale rode a sensational second half of the race to finish in tenth place.

In the final race of the day both Cheyne Boyd and Ford Dale got off the line well while team mates King and Moss struggled with their start line procedures. Both riders rode steadily to finish fifth and sixth respectively but disaster struck for Boyd and Dale after separate incidents left the duo sidelined.

As Boyd moved to avoid a fallen rider in front of him he was t-boned by a rider from behind with such a massive force he was unable to continue while Dale high-sided off the top of the table top and sustained substantial damage to his YZ450F.

For multi-time champion Darryll King fifth overall was a step in the right direction after finally shaking injury to put in a full week of training.

“Being able to ride all week has made a big difference and I feel we are finally moving forward,” King said.

“We are behind the eight ball as far as our championship plans are concerned but there is still a long way to go and we are still in with a chance.

“The positive is that we now have consistency and that is the key to winning championships,” King added.

Matt Moss’s two top ten results saw him record his best motocross finish this year with seventh for the round which has promoted the teenager to eleventh in the championship.

“This is my best result this year,” Moss said. “I am happy and relieved to have recorded two top ten race finishes.

“I had to back off in the second race after I started to cramp up and I ended up learning a valuable.

“Dacka was right when he said if I slowed down a bit I would actually go faster,” Moss explained.

An extremely frustrated Cheyne Boyd said he has the ingredients needed to win but hasn’t unable to put it together yet.

“It is a very frustrating time for me,” Boyd said.

“I know I have all the ingredients to win but I just can’t seem to put it all together.

“Today’s second race was really disappointing as I felt great, the bike was sensational and I felt more ready to race than I have all year,” Boyd explained.

The conclusion to Ford Dale’s substitute ride for the injured Troy Carroll did not end they way he had hoped, nor reflect his true potential.

“It was a disappointing way to finish today after such a good result in the first race,” Dale said.

“I got a good start in the second race and passed three riders before I high-sided off the big table top and damaged the bike.

“I really need to thank Craig Dack, the team at CDR/Nokia/Yamaha and Steven Cotterell for the opportunity of a lifetime, I have learnt so much over the past couple of weeks.

“Considering I am only seventeen it will now become one of my main goals to ride for Craig and the CDR/Nokia/Yamaha team at some point in my career,’ Dale added.

SERCO YAMAHA FACTORY PRO LITES MX TEAM

Brisbane’s Serco Yamaha motocross team has celebrated another top three result with seventeen year old Jake Moss taking his first ever Nokia Motocross Nationals Pro Lites podium ahead of team-mate and reigning champion Cameron Taylor.

Moss and Taylor tied on points for third place after both Serco Yamaha riders each recorded a third and fourth placing in today’s two thirty minute races. Moss was eventually awarded third spot on the dais after finishing ahead of Taylor in the final race of the day.

While there was no stopping today’s round winner Ryan Marmont who won both Pro Lites races the four-man Serco Yamaha squad lined up for the opening race eager to add to their championship tallies.

Taylor got a good start and moved quickly into third while Moss was pushed out wide and slipped back from seventh to twelfth on the opening lap.

Taylor struggled to find his rhythm on the slippery track and while losing the front end of his YZ250F from underneath him, stuck his foot out to break the fall and hit a stump, damaging ligaments in his knee. The gutsy Victorian held on to finish third ahead of team mate Moss who fought his way back to fourth.

Robbie Marshall and guest rider Denis Stapleton found themselves in a rear of pack pile up but both riders were quickly back on their bikes. Marshall regained 26 places to finish 14th while Stapleton felt the full force of the tricky circuit and had to settle for 30th and suspected ligament damage which saw him retire from the race meeting.

It was Moss who got a good start in the second moto slotting into third before being passed by Hoad on the fourth lap of the race. A cautious Taylor held station in seventh place for the first few laps while Robbie Marshall found himself caught up mid pack.

By mid race distance Moss had regained third and Taylor began to push where he could while still nursing his injured knee. The courageous champion was soon hot on the heels of team mate Moss, the two crossing for the chequered flag with Moss in front by the smallest of margins.

“Considering I was unsure with my knee I was very happy to finish that second race in fourth place,” Taylor said.

“I got to a point where I was in a position to battle with Jake for third but I didn’t want to risk my knee and was happy for him to take third overall.

“With six rounds to go I am holding third in the championship and I now feel as though my championship defence is back on track,” Taylor concluded.

After a slow start to the season Jake Moss answered his critics with today’s result catapulting the teenager into fourth place in the championship.

“This is my first national pro lites podium and I am really excited to be able to repay the Serco Yamaha team for the faith they have shown me,” Moss said.

“We only put this deal together at the eleventh hour and it was a big ask of the whole team to expand to a third bike.

“My confidence is really starting to grow, in today’s second race today I was able to pick up the pace when I realised Cameron (Taylor) was hot on my heels and I think now I have turned corner.

Marshall, still suffering the effects of a bad bout of the flu put his head down and rode an error free second race to finish twelfth.

“After a bad start to the day I put my head down in the second race and concentrated on making up as many positions as possible.

“Points are so important that no matter what happens, you can’t give up you just have to keep trying which is what I did today.

With now two weeks until the fifth round of the series at Geelong’s Barrabool circuit both factory Yamaha teams are looking forward to a well earned break.