Cheyne Boyd (Yamaha) has won the fourth round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship in the Pro Opens class ahead of Jay Marmont (Yamaha) and Andrew McFarlane (Yamaha).
Despite his two race victories at the round, Boyd, who is currently third in the Series, remains 42 points behind Championship leader Marmont, with McFarlane in second place.
On the sandy Queensland track, Victorian rider Boyd was in his element, setting a staggeringly fast qualifying time which remained the fastest of the day.
In the first moto, however, it was Todd Waters (Honda) who was fastest out of the gate, with Cody Mackie (Kawasaki) and McFarlane hot on his heels.
Midway through the moto Boyd had caught and passed Waters, taking the lead ahead of Mackie with Marmont running in third.
While Boyd continued to extend his lead, Marmont slipped past Mackie in the dying laps of the moto, hanging on to second place until the flag.
The second moto saw New Zealand’s finest, Daryl Hurley, take the holeshot and the lead, followed closely by Marmont and Boyd.
Boyd soon made the pass on his teammate and edged closer to the Kiwi and within a matter of laps had once again taken the lead.
While Boyd put more distance between himself and Marmont, McFarlane was slowly gaining ground on the reigning champ, coming to within one second at the chequered flag.
Marmont now has a solid 21 point lead over McFarlane, with Boyd now in third place heading in to the fifth round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship.
Cheyne Boyd – Round winner
“It’s taken me a long time to get going this season, I made a few mistakes in that first race and I really felt that the last lap was the worst lap I’ve ever ridden!
“I fell off a couple of times and just didn’t want to throw it away but I got my rhythm in the second race and went about finishing it.
“I’m look forward to really working hard and I’m really happy in getting to third in the Championship.”
Kevin Williams – Series Promoter
“What a fantastic day of racing here at the Gum Valley track, it certainly is like coming to a golf course it’s one of the most picturesque tracks we get to go to.
“Congratulations must go to the Hand family, they’ve got a great venue, and with around 3500 people experiencing some fantastic racing, it’s been an event to remember.
“It was great to see such a strong performance from Boyd out there today, along with Marmont hanging onto the red plate.
“We also saw one of the best races we’ve seen in the Pro Lites class yet, with the battle between Luke George and Matt Moss continuing after last week’s hullaballoo.
“These boys were a little bit angry with each other and the furore will continue as Matt Moss continues to bounce back in the points chase.”
Pro Lites
Matt Moss (Suzuki) has won the fourth round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship in the Pro Lites class with Harley Quinlan (Yamaha) once again topping the Under 19s.
Although accustomed to wearing the red leader plates, reigning Pro Lites Champion, Luke George, surrendered them to Moss following a massive day of racing.
In the Under 19s class, after being tied on points for the Series lead, Luke Styke (Yamaha) is now out in front with Josh Cachia (Yamaha) forced to settle for second until the next round.
Following the storm of controversy surrounding round three, anticipation was high as the Pro Lites class took to the track with George and Moss exceeding everyone’s expectations.
In what has to be one of the most epic Pro Lites races of the year, Moss and George settled their differences out on the track with phenomenal pace keeping everyone on the edge of their seats.
When the gates dropped Moss scored the holeshot, but with George hot on his heels was relegated back to second before the first lap was done.
A cat and mouse game ensued for the remainder of the moto, with the lead changing every few laps and the pace consistently faster than most of the Pro Opens riders.
As the race progressed the pair negotiated their way through lapped traffic for a final sprint to the line with George eventually triumphant taking the chequered flag with Moss in second and Lawson Bopping (Suzuki) more than 40 seconds behind in third place.
The second moto was a different affair, with Lewis Stewart (Honda) taking the holeshot, however he quickly surrendered the lead to Moss.
On the first lap George crashed on a fast section of the track and rejoined the field in last place.
While George battled his way through the field to 10th place, Moss continued to extend his lead, dominating the moto all the way to the flag, with Kirk Gibbs (Yamaha) putting in an excellent ride to take second with Stewart hanging onto third place.
In the Under 19s the Yamaha brat-pack continued their domination of the class with the exception of Luke Arbon (Kawasaki) who managed third in both motos.
In the first moto Ross Beaton (Yamaha) took a convincing win over teammate and round three winner Harley Quinlan with Arbon in third.
However disaster struck for Beaton in the second moto, unable to finish the race due to injury, leaving the path clear for teammates Luke Styke and Quinlan to take the top two steps on the podium ahead of the green machine.
Matt Moss – Pro Lites winner
“That first moto was the toughest I’ve ever done, it was a great moto.
“It’s disappointing that Luke went down in the second one but it’s all about chasing the Championship.
“I’ve now got the red plates and plan to keep them for the rest of the Series.
“The track was great today and I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Harley Quinlan – Under 19s winner
“I’m just wrapped to be able to get up on top again; Toowoomba was good for me and then to come to this sandy track, a really fast track is great.
“It’s a bit disappointing for Ross [Beaton] hurting himself in the second moto as he was really fast in the first one but I’m happy with how the day went.
“I’m really looking forward to the next round and just want to keep working hard at it.
“It’s been a great round and it’s good to see my teammate Luke Styke with the red plates.”
— Results from Round Four, Mackay
Pro Open Race One
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Pro Open Race Two
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Pro Open Round
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Pro Open Championship
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Pro Lites Race One
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Pro Lites Race Two
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Pro Lites Round
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Pro Lites Championship
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Under 19s Race One
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Under 19s Race Two
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Under 19s Round
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Under 19s Championship
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— Team Reports
— Yamaha
Yamaha Racing’s success story has continued with blue bikes claiming two thirds (six out of nine) of the podium places at the fourth round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships at Mackay’s Gum Valley Raceway today.
In the Pro Open class it was another Yamaha clean sweep with CDR Rockstar Yamaha’s Cheyne Boyd taking the round victory ahead of Jay Marmont and Andrew McFarlane.
Serco Yamaha young gun Kirk Gibbs was back to his best finishing second in the Pro Lites class while GYTR campaigners Harley Quinlan and Luke Styke dominated in the Under 19’s class.
CDR Rockstar Yamaha has dominated the Pro Open class at the fourth round of the Australian Motocross Championships in MacKay with riders Cheyne Boyd and Jay Marmont taking first and second in both races.
Boyd, who was the fastest man on track during qualifying, showed he was back to his best, leading his teammate to the chequered flag in both 30 minute motos.
“It was great to get the monkey off my back with a couple of convincing race wins,” Boyd admitted.
“I had a rough start to this championship but I took a lot of confidence from my third placing last weekend and capitalized on it today.
“I am now third in the championship and the next two events are at tracks that really suit me, so hopefully I will be able to keep the momentum going and try and reduce the points difference to Andrew (McFarlane),” he added.
After winning the third round at Toowoomba, championship leader Jay Marmont endured a unsettling lead-up to this event coming with a bout of the flu taking its toll on the whole family.
“It hasn’t been an easy week,” Marmont said. ”My daughter came down quite ill and I was also off the bike with a nasty bout of the flu.
“Given the circumstances I am pretty happy with that result and despite feeling a bit weak within myself I have come out of it in pretty good shape.”
Marmont now has a solid 21 point lead over McFarlane, with Boyd moving upto third.
The team will now have three weeks to prepare for the fifth round of the series which will be held at the Murray Bridge Sporting Car and Motorcycle Club on Sunday 14 June.
Pro Lites Report
Serco Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs has bounced back from the disappointment of Toowoomba to finish second in the fourth round of the 2009 Pro Lites Championship at Gum Valley today.
Gibbs sealed his position on the podium after finishing fourth and second in today’s two motos. The 20-year-old showed no signs of suffering from limited track time after the bad weather that hit South-East Queensland left him unable to get out on his YZ250F at all during the week.
“I got an alright start in the first moto and was able to get into fourth position and then eventually third. It was a bit tight during the final phases of the race and Lawson Bopping passed me and I ended up fourth,” Gibbs said.
“My start in the second race was considerably better and I got into third early and then made a pass for second position. From there I was able to ride my own race, I just couldn’t quite catch Matt Moss for the win.
“My bike was awesome today and I felt fantastic throughout each moto which gives me good confidence ahead of the next round of the series at Murray Bridge which close to my home town and I have reasonably good knowledge of the track,” he said.
Mitch Hoad showed great promise throughout the day, the YZ250F rider climbed his way to fifth place in the opening moto before finishing sixth.
In the second moto, Hoad launched a massive challenge on Tye Simmonds before falling with three corners remaining in the race. He remounted his bike and finished the race and round in sixth place.
Under 19s Report
In the Under 19s Championship, it was another successful day for the GYTR Yamaha Junior Development Team with Harley Quinlan winning the round while Luke Styke extended his lead in the championship.
After winning the previous round of the championship, Quinlan continued the strong form displayed in Toowoomba with the young Queenslander taking the round victory after finishing second in each of today’s two motos.
“My bike worked awesome today,” Quinlan said, “I have been working with CDR on my motor and Serco Yamaha have been helping me with my suspension and it is really paying off.”
“Last round I changed my approach towards racing and focused more on having fun. It was great to have my trainer here with me today as he kept reminding me to do this throughout the whole day.”
Quinlan was joined on the podium by his team-mate, Styke who was third overall after finishing seventh and first in the two motos. This result saw him extend his lead in the championship to nine points.
Ross Beaton broke through in the first moto of the day to take victory, however, a fall in the second moto left the young Tasmanian unable to finish after injuring his left shoulder.
— KTM
Tye Simmonds Pro Lites
Moto 1: “I didn’t have the best of days, starting with my opening moto,” said Simmonds. “I had a bad start, and rode off the pace. I was pushing hard, but just wasn’t making up any ground. The best I could bring home was fifth.
Moto 2: “The second moto was better with my start, but a shoulder injury played havoc on my racing, and the pain almost caused me to crash. This race turned out to be another horrible run for me, it was just a horrible day, and again I pulled fifth place, but thankfully I have maintained third in the Pro Lites Championship.”
Jason Reed Under 19s
Moto 1: “I got the holeshot in my first moto, and I was leading for the first lap, but unfortunately faded as the race continued,” said Reed. “I was getting over food poisoning leading up to the race which didn’t help with my fitness in the race. I ended up battling for fourth and fifth, but couldn’t hold on to the guys in front and I rode home in sixth.
Moto 2: “In between motos I was feeling that crook that I had to sleep, and my mum woke me before the race, gave me a Gatorade, and I got going. I got another good start, and was in around seventh. I got my second wind, and passed a few guys and moved into sixth. Then a rider crashed, and I was in fifth place zoning in on fourth, which is where I finished.
“Towards the end of the race I was dizzy and lethargic, so I’m stoked to have secured my best result of the season when I wasn’t well. It goes to show my best results are yet to come.”
ROSS MCWATTERS Race Team Manager
“Both Tye and Jason struggled at Mackay,” said McWatters. “Tye had trouble with his shoulder, and Jason was getting over food poisoning, which damped both of their spirits and results.
“The end results saw Jason maintain seventh in the Under 19s Championship and Tye maintained third, so we haven’t lost any positions which is a positive coming out of Mackay.
“The Mackay venue was magnificent, and the weather was picture perfect. In promoting the event, Mackay Motorcycle Club, plus John Hand and his family pulled out all the stops, with whole circuit looking more like a golf course than a Motocross track. Mackay is a long way north, but the series organizers WEM, and the people up here always make the trip worthwhile.”
— Kawasaki
After a controversial 3rd round at Toowoomba, KRT’s Luke George silenced any critics in the best possible way . . . by winning! In what can only be described as a gutsy performance, Luke won the first Pro Lites moto at the 4th round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships at Mackay on 24 May in a race that many are describing as the best in Australian Motocross this year. Luke then backed up his first moto win with an incredible ride in the second moto, finishing 12th after a horrific first lap crash. Although Luke had to relinquish his series leading red plate after the round, his campaign to win back to back MX Championships is well and truly on track and gaining momentum.
Luke George isn’t the only Kawasaki rider on the road towards Championship glory. Under 19s rider Luke Arbon has the Series Title well and truly in his sights after another consistent round of favourable results. Luke went 3-3 at Mackay to finish the round in 2nd place and increase his overall Championship points haul.
Health issues were to prove too costly for Pro open rider Craig Anderson who was stricken with the flu in Mackay. Craig had to settle for 7-17 for the round and sits in 6th place in the Championship.
Stepping up to a challenge thrown down last round by a competitor talking of an upcoming 1-1 at Mackay, Luke George has proven he is the fastest Pro Lites rider in Australia today and has shown why he is the current Australian Pro Lites Motocross Champion by winning the first moto at Mackay in undisputed circumstances. If Luke hadn’t already proved his gutsy talent with his first moto win, he certainly proved it in the second moto. A first lap crash on a fast section of the Mackay track saw Luke and his KX250F cart-wheeling onto the dirt. With injury avoided, a bruised and battered Luke George remounted his twisted KX a half lap behind the rest of the field. From there Luke got to work and immediately started making up lost ground. In a display of pure strength and determination, Luke came from a half a lap behind the field to finish the race in 12th place, taking valuable Championship points as his reward. Luke finished the round in 4th place and sits in 2nd place in the Championship.
Luke says, “I had an awesome first moto. I beat everybody else on the track fair and square and hopefully silenced critics after the mayhem at Toowomba.”
“I had a bit of bad luck in the second moto and went down hard on the first lap. I could’ve easily gotten hurt but luckily all is OK. Although my Kawasaki was twisted and bent I knew I still had a job to do and put my head down and got to work. I knew that if I picked off the other riders one by one, I could still take away valuable Championship points. I learnt last year that that is what wins Championships. It really comes down to how well you come back from your bad races. It’s not always about the good races.”
“I’m happy with my performance at Mackay and although I am disappointed about losing the red plate, I’m not worried. It only makes me more determined to come out swinging at the upcoming rounds.”
Whilst the Under 19s Championship has seen various riders perform well at only some rounds, Luke Arbon has shown great consistency and speed throughout the entire series to date. After taking 2nd overall at Mackay, Luke now sits in 4th place in the Championship and is only 3 points shy of 2nd place and only 9 more off the leader.
Luke Arbon says, “I’m excited to be on the podium again!”
“My Kawasaki was awesome as always, the Mackay track was really wide and fast and the KX loved it. I’m adding to my points haul every single round and edging closer and closer to my goal of a Championship win.”
KRT Manager Brett Whale says, “Even if you’re not a Motocross fan, you’d have to admit that the racing at Mackay was sensational. Luke George had to show the critics that he’s the man and he showed that in the first moto. I’m really proud of him. He proved to the knockers that he is the fastest by going straight out there and beating Moss. He had a bit of bad luck in the second moto and that big crash really cost him, however he showed his true skill and talent by riding a badly bent motorcycle home to 12th place. I am really proud of him!”
“Luke Arbon rode fantastic as well. The Under 19s is really a Championship to watch, he’s trying really really hard and riding with heart and soul. It’s great to see the young KRT blood performing so well. This is the future!”
KRT is looking forward to continuing its Championship Title chase at the 5th round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships at Murray Bridge, SA on 14 June.
— Suzuki
Team Shift Motul Suzuki Pro Lite star Matt Moss has grabbed the championship lead after another dominant performance in the Australian National Motocross Championship at Mackay.
Since his DNF in the first race of the season, Moss has been in scintillating form and now stands ten points clear on the championship table.
Moss was clearly quickest in qualifying, challenged only by Luke George. And in the first moto Moss was out to show his arch rival his Suzuki RM-Z250 was the quickest machine on the picturesque Gum Valley course.
What unfolded in the ensuing 30 minute race was one of the finest Pro Lite races in memory, with both riders pushing each other to the limit. The lead changed several times as both carved their way through the field, with George pipping Moss in the last lap. Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development rider Lawson Bopping put in a stellar performance to claim third position, resulting in a 1 and 3 race result for Suzuki.
In the second and final moto of the day Moss narrowly missed the hole shot, but by the third turn was in his rightful place ahead of the pack. He controlled the race from there, while his arch rival finished well off the pace in 12th position.
Moss finished the round with 47 points from a possible 50 and, and at the halfway point of the season, finds himself with the red plate for the first time in 2009.
Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development squad member Lawson Bopping continued his recent run of form, equalling his best points haul of the season to date.
Bopping finished the Mackay round with 38 points on the back of finishing third in the first moto and fourth in the second to maintain his hold on fourth position in the championship.
Bopping’s consistent form all season saw him continue to eat into the lead of the riders above him and, with four rounds left in the season, well within striking distance of securing a podium finish.
In the Pro Open title race, Daryl Hurley showed that limited off-season training was no substitute for raw talent with two strong performances aboard his RM-Z450.
Hurley was fourth in both races and showed once again why he is a crowd favourite with his fearless riding style.
Pro Open teammate Cameron Taylor continued his consistent form, with two more top ten finishes to cement seventh position overall in the championship.
After two events in successive weeks, Team Shift Motul Suzuki will enjoy a three-week break before the journey to Murray Bridge in South Australia for round five.
JAY FOREMAN – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI TEAM MANAGER
“That was another great performance by Matt today, and one that demonstrated his growing maturity.
“He knew he had to score maximum points today and was totally focussed on being in the championship lead at the halfway point.
“His duel with Luke in the first moto was some of the best Pro Lite racing I’ve seen for some time, and he backed it up with a start to finish win in the second moto.
“In previous seasons he’s had to make up lost ground, but this year Matt’s showing his professionalism and being rewarded with the series lead. Now the challenge is to maintain that form in the second half.
“Lawson was terrific again today with another big points haul, and Suzuki has two stars in the making.
“Daryl showed his class again today, while Cam was once again the model of consistency.”
MATT MOSS – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI
“I really enjoyed myself out there today. The first race was terrific and the RM-Z250 was untouchable in the second.
“I’m where I wanted to be with the lead at the halfway point and now it’s all about chasing the championship.
“I’ve now got the red plate and plan to keep it for the rest of the series.”
