Renowned for its rough surface and rocky terrain, Barleigh Ranch Motocross Circuit in Newcastle took its toll on the Motorex KTM Racing Team for round six of the Australian Motocross Championship on the weekend.

All team riders suffered tyre or wheel challenges and no one was more disappointed than Ryan Marmont, who had to give up the Pro Lites Championship lead to Troy Dorron when his rear tyre punctured in his second moto.

Dorron now leads the Pro Lites Championship by six points, which Marmont feels confident he can make up at the next round in two weeks at Toowoomba.

Marmont started the day strong securing the hole shot in both of his motos. In moto one Marmont ran in the lead for 22 minutes of the race until he was taken over by Mitchell Hoad in the remaining laps. As the chequered flag dropped Marmont came home in second and maintain a solid grip on his Championship lead.

In his second moto Marmont ran in the lead for the first two laps, until his rear tyre was punctured on the rocky surface. Making contact with his sidelined mechanic, Marmont worked on a game plan to come into the pits for a tyre quick change. By the time Marmont made it back out onto the track he was two laps down on the front runners, with a lot of ground to make up.

Determined not to loose too many points on his Pro Lites Championship lead Marmont put his head down and rode hard, working his way back up to 20th to take home one point, which he and the team felt was better than not finishing the race at all.

Pro Lites Championship points see Troy Dorron and No Fear Honda on 233, Ryan Marmont and Motorex KTM on 227 and Cameron Taylor of Serco Yamaha on 216 points.

In the Pro Open class Motorex KTM riders Daniel McCoy and Lee Ellis took to the circuit on board the KTM 450 SX without team mate Timmy Weigand, who will miss the remaining motocross rounds due to injury.

McCoy performed the best he has all season with a solid ride to take home some healthy points. Qualifying in 5th McCoy felt very confident going into his first moto. As the gate dropped in moto one McCoy was positioned in third and held his ground for most of the race, only losing one place as he crossed the finish line in fourth.

In his second moto McCoy had wheel problems very early in the race having to come into the pits for a change. By time McCoy returned to the track most of the front runners had dramatically increased their lead, yet McCoy was able to pass many competitors to come home in 19th place.

Lee Ellis made a come back to Pro Open racing following an accident that required his spleen to be removed with doctors ordering six weeks of his bike.

In his first race back following his recovery period, Ellis suffered a little with nerves and lack of fitness but still managed to finish 10th in his first moto and 12th in his second, a performance Motorex KTM Racing are pleased with given his time off the race track.

Motorex KTM Racing will now prepare for round seven of the Australian Motocross Championship at Toowoomba in two weeks. In the lead up to Toowoomba, McCoy and Ellis will be testing and training on home tracks, while Marmont will be heading to WA to race in some charity events.

QUOTES: ROB TWYEROULD
“In the Pro Lites, Ryan rode very competitively with awesome starts so it was disappointing for him and the team to suffer with a tyre puncture,” said Tywerould.

“The Motorex KTM Race Team mechanics did everything they could by running more air pressure, while fitting heavy duty Dunlop tubes and tyres. This at least got Marmont back on track to finish the race.

“Our final saving grace for the Pro Lites Championship was that our main challenger Troy Dorron also suffered from a tyre puncture, pushing him back slightly in points so the gap isn’t too big.

“Going into the final rounds we feel confident that Ryan can gain back the Pro Lites Championship lead. He is the fastest rider out there and definitely the man to beat.

“Motorex KTM made some in roads in the Pro Open with Daniel McCoy performing the best he has all season, while Lee Ellis made a smooth return to racing.

“Both riders took to the track on board the KTM 450 SX with no mechanical challenges, the only impact to their performance was their tyre and wheel problems due to the extremely rocky surface. Ellis also had an unfortunate set up technicality with his oil plug but thankfully still came home with good results.”

RYAN MARMONT
“The Newcastle track was rough and I’m glad I didn’t come away with any injuries like I did last year, said Marmont.

“I’m disappointed to have lost the lead of the Pro Lites Championship from no fault of my own but it’s only by six points and I’m all the more determined to take it back at the next round.

“I take comfort in the fact that I wasn’t the only rider out there to find the track seriously rocky as many other factory team riders blew tyres today, it really was a battle field out there.

“I’m looking forward to the next round at Toowoomba. I like the track and feel confident I will take back the Pro Lites lead.

DANIEL MCCOY
“It felt great to be riding up with the front runners again, said McCoy.

“After I qualified in 5th I felt really confident about the races ahead. In my first moto I was third into the first corner and for a short while I got into second. I started to wear down a little towards the end of the race but I still finished strongly to finish in fourth place.

“In my second moto I was again third into the first corner but that all changed when I landed hard on a step down causing my wheel to explode. I had no choice but to pull in for a change. I was two laps down and dead last by the time I returned to the race track, but I put in a big effort to come home in 18th place.”

LEE ELLIS
“Despite a few nerves after six weeks off, I felt better than I expected out on the race track, said Ellis.

“I didn’t get the best of starts in both my races but I worked through the pack the best I could given my lack fitness. In my first moto I was around 20th off the start and finished in 7th by the end of the race so I’m pleased with that result.

“In my second moto my oil plug on the bottom of the engine came loose, causing the oil to spill and my bike to stop. When I rolled it down the hill I noticed the last lap board had come out, I was going to ride off the track but thankfully race leader crossed the finish line so I was able to ride through behind him to finish with 11th overall. Not a bad result given the circumstances.”