2011 Super X, Australasian Supercross Championship – Round One – Melbourne, Victoria — KTM men sweep Pro Open & Lites at Super X season opener OPEN Top 10 Results – Round 1 1. Tye SIMMONDS 2. Billy MACKENZIE 3. Ryan MARMONT 4. Cheyne BOYD 5. Dan MCCOY 6. Michael PHILLIPS 7. Todd WATERS 8. Jay MARMONT 9. Daniel REARDON 10. Jake MOSS LITES Top 10 Results – Round 1 1. Matt MOSS 2. Luke STYKE 3. Brendan HARRISON 4. Josh CACHIA 5. Dean FERRIS 6. Steven CLARKE 7. Adam MONEA 8. Kirk GIBBS 9. Robbie MARSHALL 10. Casey TURNER OPEN – Top 10 Championship Standings 1. Tye SIMMONDS: 25 2. Billy MACKENZIE: 22 3. Ryan MARMONT: 20 4. Cheyne BOYD: 18 5. Dan MCCOY: 16 6. Michael PHILLIPS: 15 7. Todd WATERS: 14 8. Jay MARMONT: 13 9. Daniel REARDON: 11 10. Jake MOSS: 12 LITES – Top 10 Championship Standings 1. Matt MOSS: 25 2. Luke STYKE: 22 3. Brendan HARRISON: 20 4. Josh CACHIA: 18 5. Dean FERRIS: 16 6. Steven CLARKE: 15 7. Adam MONEA: 14 8. Kirk GIBBS: 13 9. Robbie MARSHALL: 12 10. Casey TURNER: 11 Under 19s Results and Standings: 1. Errol WILLIS 25 2. Joey SAVAGTY 22 3. Matthew PHILLIPS 20 4. Corey LUCAS 18 5. Geran STAPLETON 16 6. Jake WILLIAMS 15 7. Jay WILSON 14 8. Tristen CACHIA 13 9. Jarrad DAVIS 12 10. Kale MAKEHAM 11 – Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing survive Melbourne mud bath With hail and torrential rain setting in during the opening round of Super X at Melbourne’s Knights Stadium last night, Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing riders Cheyne Boyd, Todd Waters and Gavin Faith found themselves battling to stay up right in the treacherous conditions. US import Gavin Faith, on debut for the factory Honda team, impressed with a convincing heat race victory before the heavens opened and the track became a complete bog. The 19 year old, who finished 12th for the round showed great speed against overall winner Matt Moss but crashes in both races left him down the order. “I really didn’t get the chance to show my true potential tonight,” Faith said. “It was kind of disappointing because I beat the overall winner (Matt Moss) convincingly in our heat but then the track just turned to bog. “When it came to the final it became the survival of the fittest. I spun down to the boards off the start in Race 1 then the mud got the better of me and I went down a few times. “In the second race, I got a good start but I bent the brake lever when I went down. These conditions were crazy, certainly not what I expected for my first race here in Australia,” Faith explained. In the Pro Open class, Cheyne Boyd and Todd Waters both got off to a good start, finishing their heat race third and fourth respectively. With conditions worsening, organisers called a 12 lap final instead of two 10 lap races. Boyd finished the race fourth ahead of Waters in seventh. “All through practice I felt really comfortable on the bike and was riding really consistently even in the muddy conditions, which is exactly what you want heading into a race,” Boyd said. “The rain just didn’t stop, and to be honest it became a battle to just stay upright. I still felt good on the bike and to come through and finish fourth with the conditions was a pretty good result. “At the end of the day this is the nature of motocross. In these conditions you can’t win a championship but you can definitely lose it. I’m only a few points off the lead going into next weekend so lets hope there are a few dry races to come,” Boyd added. Todd Waters endured a night he would rather forget and admitted he was relieved to come out with a top ten finish. “Tonight was a shocker for me,” Waters admitted. “It started in the heat race when I was hit in the back end and I just seemed to go backwards from there. “The bike was great and I had the pace but the night just didn’t go my way. I’m looking forward to next weekend and showing that I can run with these guys.” With no time to reflect the Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing Team will now turn their attention to next weekends event at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium. – JDR Motorex KTM Report Dual victory for JDR Motorex KTM team at Super X season opener JDR Motorex KTM teammates Tye Simmonds and Matt Moss both scored victory in the opening round of the Super X, Australasian Supercross Championship, at Melbourne Knights Stadium on Saturday night, 22 October. Simmonds raced to a breakthrough win upon return to Australia after contesting a full season of competition in the United States in 2011, picking up his first ever victory in the premier Pro Open category aboard the 450 SX-F. It was a dream night for the 19-year-old from Bourke in New South Wales, winning his heat race before going on to capture victory in the 12-lap main event in dominant fashion despite difficult conditions after rain hit the event. “It feels good to come here and do good, get the result that we were really hoping for,” Simmonds explained. “I really want to contend for the championship, try to be there week in, week out, and see where we end up. “I just rode my own race, tried not to do anything silly and we ended up getting the W. I’m excited right now and have to say thanks to the whole JDR Motorex KTM team.” Simmonds was joined on the podium by teammate Ryan Marmont, who rode the 350 SX-F to third position overall in what marked the Wollongong rider’s debut in the Open ranks. Queenslander Dan Reardon was ninth in round one, the Queenslander on the pace, but experiencing bad luck in what were treacherous conditions as rain soaked the stadium throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Moss too was victorious in Melbourne, the former dual series champion winning the Pro Lites category on his 250 SX-F in a perfect start to his championship campaign. Moss took 2-1 results in the pair of six-lap finals that made up the Double Header main event. “I was disappointed that it was raining after training so hard in the dry, but I came in with an open mind and felt really solid on the KTM,” 23-year-old Moss said. “The whole JDR Motorex KTM team was right behind me and I finished second in the first final, then won the second one. I am stoked to win my first supercross with KTM and can’t wait to hopefully race in the dry at round two.” A second JDR Motorex KTM was also featured on the Pro Lites podium as Queenslander Brenden Harrison scored third overall for the round in his first supercross outing for the team. Harrison finished fourth in the first final and fourth in the second outing. Victorian rising star Josh Cachia was directly behind him in fourth position, a superb start that will pay dividends for the KTM team in the remaining four rounds of competition. Cachia, 19, scored a consistent 3-5 for the round. In the Under 19s class, former 85cc World Champion Jay Wilson was top KTM for the Coastal KTM team in seventh, with teammate Tristen Cachia one position behind him in eighth. The Junior Development category saw Scott Mann finish in ninth position for GMR Motorex KTM, while Nathan Denny completed the top 10 for Wodonga KTM overall. The Super X, Australasian Supercross Championship, series will now head north direct to WIN Stadium in Wollongong for round two of five in the 2011 series next Saturday night, 29 October. – CDR Rockstar Yamaha Report Mudfest Makes For CDR Rockstar Yamaha Dark Day Wet and sloppy conditions again proved to be the Achilles heel of the CDR Rockstar Yamaha team as the duo of Jay Marmont and Jake Moss finished eighth and tenth respectively at the opening round of the 2011 Super X Championship. Rain, hail and a deteriorating track had riders and teams scrambling all night as the circuit started wet and sloppy before coming rutty, slippery and very difficult to race by the end of the night for the premier Pro Open class. Marmont started well in the 12 lap final but too many mistakes and off track excursions cost him any chance of a good result. He battled bravely right to the very end but struggled to make up the lost time to the front runners and only made it back an eventual eighth place finish. “Mud was tough for us in motocross and now it’s the same in SuperX,” Marmont explains. “I’m not happy with how I rode or where I finished and I have to work more on riding and racing in conditions like this.” “Next week is my home town race in Wollongong and there’s no way I will be riding like that in front of my friends and family so I have a week to turn it around.” Jake Moss’ night didn’t go any better as he also found the conditions tough and finished in tenth place – not the result he was after. Moss was clearly disappointed with his night but vowed to get his season back on track at round two. “That was not good and I can tell you now will not happen again. I just didn’t get it going all night and I’d rather not talk about. Let’s just get to round two and make amends.” Team Manager, Craig Dack, was also disappointed in his teams performance and clearly wants to move on and get to the next round and make things right. “Mud in 2011 as been a real issue for us and it’s something we as a team need to look at. But the guys just had a tough weekend with Jay going down in a first turn pileup and Jake just not getting his flow going on a difficult track.” “With the championship over consecutive weeks we have to move fast and get back on track and with the riders and technical staff we have at CDR, I’m sure you will see a very different performance at round two.” Round two takes place at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium this weekend and with both Jay and Jake from the South Coast Region, there is no doubt the riders will be out for a much improved performance. – Serco Yoshimura Yamaha Report Serco Yoshimura Yamaha racer, Luke Styke, overcame a wet, sloppy track and a hail storm just prior to the evening racing to secure a stunning second place finish in the Pro Lites class at the opening round of the 2011 Monster Energy Super X Championship. Styke took 5-2 results in the double header format that was run in deep mud and very tricky conditions to secure the podium finish and kick off his championship campaign on the right foot. Conditions were wet during practice but drying fast and the night racing was shaping up well as the track crew worked hard to get the circuit back in shape and ready for close racing. But moments prior to the opening event of the night program, a thunderstorm rolled over the Melbourne Knights Stadium that turned the track into a rhino pit of mud and water. Styke used good starts and smart riding to keep out of the mud and put together two good results to land on the podium. “I knew I had prepared well and was ready to race so the weather or the track conditions didn’t really bother me. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t much fun out there and it was hard work but I was able to keep it on two wheels and get the result I needed,” Styke commented. Team mate Kirk Gibbs also returned a solid top 10 result in his first ride back from a collarbone injury. Gibbs had been off the bike for four weeks and it took a fitness test ride on the Thursday prior to the event before making himself available for racing. Gibbs rode with some discomfort but managed to get through the night and finish in eighth, not a bad result considering his preparation. “The mud was both good and bad. The wet track took all the speed out of the race and meant doing the bigger jumps was impossible so that saved some impacts on my shoulder but as the track dried, it required plenty of strength just to steer the bike around the track,” Gibbs said. “But I will be better for the ride and can look at doing a little more this week and hopefully a better result in Wollongong next week.” – Ballards Yamaha Report Ballard’s off Road/ GYTR Rockstar Yamaha rider Matt Phillips logged his first podium finish in supercross by taking third at round one in the Under 19 class of the 2011 Super X Championship. Competitors faced a water-logged and muddy circuit as rain and then a thunderstorm pounded the Melbourne Knights Stadium. Phillips handled the conditions well and again proved his versatility by taking third in a smart and well constructed race. Only deciding to do SuperX in the last two weeks and with limited testing and preparation, Phillips put his ample off road skill to use and was pretty happy with his performance. “I got a great jump from the start and was up front early. The top three of us managed to get a good break over the field but I wasn’t prepared to race over my head at round one as I have so much going on in the coming months so I just kept the gap of the riders behind me and kept it on two wheels to the finish.” Yamaha Junior Racing’s Bill Jackson posted a podium performance at the weekend taking second in the 14 to 15 years junior event. Jackson raced well in the six lap final to take second place and was well pleased with his efforts. Joel Dinsdale also proved a revelation in his first ever supercross taking sixth in the 14-15 years junior division. Dinsdale comfortably won his heat and looked the early favourite for the main event but a fall and some small mistakes cost him a podium position and he eventually finished sixth. “I had fun tonight,” Dinsdale offered after the race. “The heat was good as the track was wet but not overly muddy but it had changed a lot by the time of the final.” “But this is all a learning experience for me as I have never done this before and I liked racing at night in front of a big crowd. I can’t wait for a dry round.” GYTR Rockstar Yamaha regular Luke Arbon had a tough night taking an 11th in the first Pro Lites final and then a fall while running fourth in the second final capped off the kind of night Arbon was having. He has vowed to get back on track at round two and show his true form. Guest rider Sam Duncanson also had his share of challenges taking 12th in the Under 19 class. Starting at the rear of the field after a terrible start, Duncanson clawed his way forward in the shortened final but could only manage 12th by the time the checkered flag fell. – Kawasaki Report Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Billy Mackenzie got his 2011 Super X Championship campaign off to a promising start, finishing the main event in 2nd place. Dean Ferris dominated proceedings in the Lites class throughout the evening until a final jump crash dashed his hopes of a podium finish, relegating him to 5th overall and Kawasaki rider, Meghan Rutledge rode well to qualify for the main event in the Under 19’s class. Billy Mackenzie handled the wet and muddy Melbourne track extremely well in his debut race on board the new 2012 KX450F. With the treacherous conditions reducing the Opens class final to just one race, Mackenzie had to put it all on the line for 12 laps. At the drop of the gates, Mackenzie got down to business quickly and bagged himself the hole-shot. Mackenzie held onto the lead for the majority of the race until a small slip up-ended him. He remounted quickly but not before being passed by another rider. Mackenzie finished in 2nd place taking with him a good haul of points to begin his 2011 Super X campaign. Billy Mackenzie says, “It was definitely a better start to Super X this year for me than last year. I stuck to my lines, kept it straight, concentrated and tried not to make too many mistakes in the terrible conditions out there and it paid off. I’ve been getting a lot of good supercross practise in recently as well so I feel confident for this series not just in the wet but the dry as well. The riders who I thought were going to be my biggest contenders had bad races this round so it was good to stay consistent. I feel I did the best I could in a bad situation.” “The new 2012KX450F performed really well. It has noticeably more power than last year’s bike and I think it’s a massive improvement on an already good thing.” Dean Ferris experienced a bitter sweet day in his debut race meet on the 2012 KX250F. Ferris was clearly the rider to beat in the Lites class when he hole-shot his heat race and checked out to take the win by a sizable margin. Ferris repeated this strategy in the first of 2 finals, again winning the hole-shot and leading the entirety of the race to take the win. Another hole-shot in the second moto and Ferris looked on track for a comfortable double moto win until a small crash put him back in the pack. Ferris fought back to 3rd place before another crash on the final jump before the chequered flag resulted in him crossing the line in last place however as he had lapped a lot of the field and therefore completed more laps than most of his competitors, Ferris still came away with 1-10 race results and 5th place for the round. Dean Ferris says, “Most of the night was positive for me except the last race where I threw it away. I ticked a lot of boxes tonight with the heat and race one win but the elements got the better of me at the end of the last moto.” “The 2012 KX250F just hauls! I got 3 from 3 hole-shots tonight and I’d just like to thank Kawasaki and the Monster Energy Kawasaki team for getting my bike just right.” On the back of her dominating display at the Australian Women’s MX Championship where she was crowned Champion, Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge shared the Monster Energy Kawasaki pits with the factory riders and lined up as the only female competitor in the Under 19’s class at the Super X opener in Melbourne. Rutledge overcame a heavy practise session crash and came out strong in her heat race, qualifying easily for the main event. On the very muddy and extremely physically demanding track, Rutledge rode well in the final to salvage 16th after a crash and whilst it wasn’t a top ten finish, she was pleased to achieve her goal of making the Under 19’s main event. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Manager Troy Carroll was happy with his team’s performance in Melbourne, saying, “It was a good start to the season. Billy rode well all night and showed that the 2012 KX450F was the bike to be on tonight. Dean had a little bit of bad luck. He crashed in the second moto and didn’t end up where he wanted to be. We know Dean’s got the experience and determination to come back in round 2 and do what he needs to do.” “The Kawasaki’s were flawless tonight and with the advantage of being 2012 models combined with the Michelin Starcross tyres and Thunderlite mud repellent, we had a real edge in the terrible conditions. The bikes were hole-shot machines out there and clearly had superior grip and reduced weight. Overall the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team performed well tonight. Mechanics, team staff, riders, everybody put in a great effort and we can’t wait for round 2”. With a good points haul and a successful opening round under their belt, Monster Energy Kawasaki head to Win Stadium in Wollongong this Saturday 29 October confident of another good performance at the second of five rounds of the 2011 Monster Energy Super X Championship. – Suzuki Report Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki kicked off the 2011 National Supercross Championship with a strong result in treacherous conditions at Melbourne Knights Stadium this past weekend, October 22. Torrential rain blasted Melbourne in the lead up to the event with the adverse weather creating havoc and turning the tight, technical track into a slippery mud bath. The conditions were so poor that the organisers were forced to change the format of the Pro Open final to one 12 lap race. In the Pro Open class, Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s Daniel McCoy took the challenge in his stride riding a measured and controlled race to finish fifth overall. The performance was even more impressive given that McCoy has stepped up to an RM-Z450 for the Supercross Championship after campaigning an RM-Z250 during the recent motocross season. In the Pro Lites class, Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki welcomed UK import Steven Clarke, with the likeable Englishman making an instant impact. Clarke finished 10th in the first final, a remarkable result given that he suffered a punctured tyre during the race. In the second final he stormed home to claim fourth which was enough for sixth overall on the night. Jay Foreman, Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki Manager was reasonably upbeat about the team’s results. “Melbourne really turned the weather on for us tonight. Given how difficult those conditions were I am really pleased with how our riders performed. Daniel is a very smart racer with plenty of experience. He knew what he had to do tonight and rode a clever race and we came away with a good points haul. Steven was unlucky, given that he copped a puncture during that first final, a sixth overall is an outstanding result. I am confident both riders have what it takes to put their RM-Zs on the box at Wollongong.” Round two of the Australasian Supercross Championship will take place at WIN Stadium in Wollongong next Saturday October 29. – Scrivens Racing Team Report The first round of the 2011 Monster Energy SuperX Championships, was held in demanding conditions at Knight’s Stadium in Melbourne on Saturday night 22nd October 2011. Track preparation was superb despite rain during the week before the event. However, on race day, the venue was transformed into a ‘mud bath’ after being hit by a thunderstorm resulting in heavy rain and hailstones, despite the conditions competitors took to the circuit. After a two year break from SuperX, Scriven’s Racing’s Matt Ryan from Kyabram in Victoria competed in the second heat of the Pro Lites for qualifying, with the second fastest time for his heat, Matt qualified thirteenth overall in near perfect conditions despite the overnight rain. “I am happy I qualified.” said a relaxed Ryan, “I have a new team around me, and this is only the second race I have had on the Honda. I am having fun, and have a great team around me at the moment.” An afternoon thunderstorm engulfed the circuit, with bystanders seeking refuge under umbrellas; the rain fell fast with 3.8mm recorded for the day. Racing in the second heat, Matt had a great start, while working his way from fourth to a podium position, Matt dropped is bike in a slippery corner after the stutters. He was able to remount his bike quickly and worked his way back for a seventh finish allowing him to advance straight into the main event. “I am so glad I don’t have to wash my bike that is Ken’s job.” replied a cheerful Matt Ryan. The main event had twenty riders faced with back-to-back races; the race was reduced in laps due to the conditions. The circuit was wet; once the gates dropped, you could not tell who was who. Matt had a few moments in the first part of the final race where the circuit took control dropping his bike, but he was able to finish with points. In the final moto, Matt rode well to finish in seventh position, finishing thirteenth overall in the Pro Lites for the first round of the five round series. “Five rounds of SuperX in five weeks, starting in Melbourne and working its way to Brisbane.” said Tim Scriven. “We are extremely proud of Matt’s performance in the conditions at Melbourne. He has not raced SuperX in two years; it is his second race meeting on the Honda, and a new team, we are still getting use to working together, and I hope that the rain does not follow the series. This weekend is the Wollongong round, followed by Campbelltown, Maitland and the final round in Ipswich. Ken Collins will be following Matt around as his mechanic, a combination that will prepare us for 2012. We would like to thank Alpinestars, Dunlop, Scott, Pro Circuit, B & B Offroad, kajx COMMUNICATIONS, Choice Suspension, Andearth, Ash’s Spoked Wheelz, Ringmaster Images and TAG Metals for their support.” concluded Tim Scriven, Scriven’s Consolidated Industries, Kerang.