Yamaha Racing have taken three Supercross podiums and command of the Pro Lites Championship at last nights the third round of the Australian Supercross Masters at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Cheyne Boyd and Cameron Taylor both finished third for their respective SX Open and SX Lite teams, Taylor’s third promoting him to the championship lead.

The factory Yamaha Racing pilots fought off strong opposition from a host of talented riders while the challenging Supercross format created headaches for their teammates who encountered a number of situations where luck was not on their side.

As well as Boyd, CDR/Nokia/Yamaha was represented by young guns Matt Moss and newcomer Ford Dale, with Serco Yamaha fielding Robbie Marshall and Jake Moss along with Taylor.

Recent 2006 Nokia MX Nationals Championship (Craig Dack Rookies Class) winner Harley Quinlan backed up his season 2006 motocross title with an impressive win in the 85cc trophy in front of a packed Entertainment Centre crowd.

Quinlan's podium was a fitting prelude to the achievements of the factory pro riders on the evening, and is another example of how Yamaha Racing is committing itself to the development of its junior riders on the dirt bike scene.

"I am stoked!" said Quinlan, "Actually I was probably much more scared at the size of the crowd than any of the jumps!"

"It was awesome to win here and I ‘d like to thank Yamaha and Queensland Yamaha Junior Development Team who have given me the chance."

The teams and riders will draw on their experiences from the round 3 clash to ensure they are fully-prepared for the rigours and demands of the exciting race format at the series' next outing.
CDR/Nokia/Yamaha
Cheyne Boyd has finished in 3rd place overall at round three of the Australian Supercross Masters, taking the deserved SX Open podium in front of a sell-out crowd at the season's first indoor event at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

A successful run in his opening heats saw Boyd well-positioned heading into the semi-final, but an unfortunate collision with teammate Matt Moss saw both riders forced into the last chance qualifying session where only Boyd would emerge a finalist.

A distraught Moss was left to spectate from the sidelines as his teammates Boyd and Ford Dale were left to fly the SX Open flag for the factory operation.

The duo looked to have gained a slight advantage early when the lead pack of riders came together, creating numerous passing opportunities early in the final.

Dale made the most of good momentum throughout the first lap to climb into the lead in his first ever Supercross race for the CDR/Nokia/Yamaha team, an amazing achievement in itself. He held off the nation's best riders for a number of laps before eventually being passed after a strong run at the front.

His race would ultimately end in disaster however, with the young gun going down after a backmarker hampered his passing efforts. Although the young Queenslander remounted his bike, damage to the handlebars of Dale's YZ450F saw any hope of a good finish fade quickly away.

Boyd took up the reins for Craig Dack's factory squad as the race came to a close, and was unlucky not to finish in 2nd place after a niggling finger injury hampered his progress in the final few laps.

"My first Supercross open round win was in sight tonight but as I've found time after time, luck plays such a large part in these events and it wasn't to be," said Boyd.

"I had a few run-ins with lapped riders here and there which proved costly in the final stages, but 3rd overall is not a bad result considering I was riding with a lot of pain from my injured finger."

"More importantly, I've held onto 2nd place in the championship which is great, there's still a long way to go in this championship and I really feel my best is yet to come."

Ford Dale was bitterly disappointed to have been eliminated from proceedings after taking such a commanding lead early in the race.

"While I hadn't expected to be so competitive straight up, I felt I was definitely capable of taking the lead and running with it, so I'm devastated to have finished up where I did tonight," said Dale.

"My original focus was to make it successfully through the heats so you can imagine my surprise and excitement to be so well placed against such a competitive field."

"There's a lot to be learned each time I hit the track and I'm confident I can bounce back for the next round."

Matt Moss had a night he would much rather forget, failing to qualify for the final after the coming-together with his teammate but it was an ugly incident earlier in the evening that ultimately put him out of contention, forcing the resilient teenager to battle on in pain.

Moss was the victim of a bizarre incident in which a fellow competitor appeared to target him as they contested a tight corner, and he was visibly shaken after being violently thrown from his bike.

"Coming into this round I really felt great, I had built a good deal of momentum and confidence from the final rounds in motocross and the bike was just working perfectly," said Moss.

"I think I got dealt more than my fair share of bad luck tonight and it really was avoidable, which is disappointing."

"I know I can regroup and get ready to score some points at the next round."

The points format offers few chances for riders to recover or consolidate from average finishing positions, and both Dale and Moss know the importance of consistently coming home amongst the lead pack, a goal which they will work towards in the lead up to the next round.

CDR/Nokia/Yamaha will take the valuable opportunity to utilise the practice facility of Supercross champion Chad Reed as they head home to ensure they are prepared for the next round in October.
Serco Yamaha
An impressive 3rd placing overall for Serco Yamaha's Cameron Taylor at last night's round of the Australian Supercross Masters from Brisbane has propelled the Supercross veteran into the championship lead.

Taylor shone for the factory Brisbane-based SX Lite team, setting down rock-solid results in the preliminary sessions to guarantee himself a prized position in the competitive final.

All three Serco Yamaha riders made the cut for the 12-lap dash to home, ensuring the competitive YZ250F was well-represented on the final stage.

Taylor rued the missed opportunity for a better finish due to a bad start, but was still relatively pleased with the results which keeps him in the hunt for the title.

"I'm pretty happy after tonight, the results could have swung slightly either way so while it was disappointing not to have caught 2nd place in enough time, it was still good to come home on the podium and collect the championship points," said Taylor.

"I'll admit I'm still disappointed to not have defended my motocross title and so I have set myself the goal of taking another series win in Supercross."

Taylor completed this feat in 2004 while riding a Yamaha with Craig Dack's factory team.

Home crowd support was not enough to buoy local rider Robbie Marshall to a second successive victory for Serco Yamaha, with the 22-year-old struggling in the final event for the evening.

He had a strong run of finishes in his opening heats for the round, and was well-placed in 4th in his semi-final clash.

Marshall experienced dramas on lap 2 of the final after becoming caught up with another rider, with the incident forcing him to the back of the field.

Despite being forced out of contention Marshall forged on, determined to finish with his head held high at home.

"Yeah I'm pretty disappointed with this one, probably more so considering it's my home event and I went so well here in 2005," said Marshall.

"The nature of the tight and precise Supercross track means luck plays a big part in the racing and results, there are a lot of riders out there all fighting for the same inch of track."

Marshall's teammate Jake Moss echoed his thoughts, with his night also coming unstuck as a result of a mid-race clash.

Moss had a particularly good run throughout the earlier course of the evening, highlighted by an impressive 1st place in his semi-final, leading home his teammates.

A concerted effort from the teenager in the final looked certain to pay dividends before his own dramas unfolded, robbing him of what looked certain to be a podium-challenging finish.

Taylor now heads the Serco Yamaha championship charge in 1st place, with Robbie Marshall 7th and Jake Moss in 11th place.