Pro Open
Defending British Motocross Champion Brad Anderson (Honda) has dominated the Pro Opens class at the fifth round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, while reigning Aussie Champ and CDR Rockstar Yamaha rider Jay Marmont has retained the Series lead.
With heavy rain falling in recent weeks and cyclonic weather conditions threatening racing on Sunday, event organisers were relieved when the forecast came through giving Newcastle the all clear.
With the sodden track beginning to dry out, qualifying got underway and UK rider Anderson showed the Aussies what he was made of posting the quickest time by more than two and a half seconds.
In the first race, privateer rider Dean Ferris (Honda) easily scored the holeshot however he was quickly overtaken by Kawasaki Racing Team’s Billy Mackenzie.
Ferris kept pace with the Scottish rider, with CDR Rockstar Yamaha rider Cheyne Boyd in third until Anderson made his charge, picking his way through the field from fifth place.
Anderson made light work of Boyd and Ferris and mid-way through the race began to hunt down Mackenzie.
With the gap steadily closing, Anderson made his move, coming up on the inside of Mackenzie – things didn’t exactly go to plan when the two made contact, and it was Mackenzie who came off worse for wear, crashing in the turn and dropping back to fourth place.
With only a handful of laps remaining there wasn’t much Mackenzie could do, while Anderson went on to take the race win ahead of Ferris who finished in second place and Boyd who wrapped up the race in third.
The second race saw several leaders including Ferris, Boyd, and Mackenzie, before Anderson once again, took to the front at the half-way mark.
The reigning British Champ held onto the lead, while Boyd, Mackenzie, Ferris and Kiwi and Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki rider Cody Cooper fought it out for the remaining podium places.
As expected Anderson took the flag, and it was Rosebud local Boyd who placed second with Mackenzie finishing in third.
In what is emerging as a strange pattern, reigning Aussie Champ Marmont, had a lack-lustre beginning to the day, failing to impress in the first two races, however just like the last round, the Wollongong local rallied and came out of nowhere in the final race – flying out of the gate bar to bar with Mackenzie for the holeshot.
With one lap down, Marmont had dropped back to third place with the two internationals out in front, however by the seventh lap, Marmont had reigned in Mackenzie and passed him, and then began to close the gap on Anderson.
By the time the chequered flag dropped Marmont was within five seconds of Anderson, and had a safe distance between himself and Mackenzie who finished in third.
First – Brad Anderson
“I’ve been riding over in the UK and I’ve done a few GP’s, and we just decided to come out here and try it all out and it’s been pretty good,” Anderson said.
“I like it nice and rough like how it is here, the track was pretty good and the people are good, and hopefully I can be back again.
“I’ve got Manjimup next week and then I’ve got to get back for the British Championship, but hopefully I can get back here before the end of the season.”
Second – Billy Mackenzie
“It was a tough day for me out there,” Mackenzie said.
“I haven’t had a lot of bike time since my injury and I struggled at the last round a bit but I had a lot of track knowledge which helped.
“It was great today, because I got some decent bike time in and I felt really good in that last race.
“I just didn’t have the speed today for Brad – he’s a fast rider and I’m glad to get second.
“I might have a little regret in inviting Brad over actually, but it’s alright and I was still the first guy behind him!
“We’ve been racing together since we were six years old, we started our Pro careers together so it’s been a good weekend – we’ve been having a laugh and I’m enjoying my racing again which is the main thing.”
Third – Cheyne Boyd
“I’ve had a good week and I’m pumped with today,” Boyd said.
“I’ve busted my butt all week and I can’t be happier – everyone has been so supportive.
“It’s been a tough start to the season but I suppose that’s what Champions are made of and I’m just going to keep trying and pushing.”
Series Leader – Jay Marmont
“We went out testing last week and it’s all my fault, I got the setting wrong, so in the last race I went back to my original settings and felt a lot more comfortable – so I almost left my run too late out there but the team pulled through in the end,” Marmont said.
“It was good to go out there and bang bars with Brad and Billy and it’s also good to see my teammate Cheyne up there, but I think we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board because we can’t let these guys from the UK keep coming over here and beating us on our home soil!
“Maintaining the red leader plate is a great feeling, that’s our overall goal and what we’ve got our eyes on but at the same time we can’t get too comfortable out there.”
| Pro Open Rnd 5 Results | Open Standings |
| 1. Brad Anderson, 75pts 2. Billy Mackenzie, 58pts 3. Cheyne Boyd, 58pts 4. Dean Ferris 56pts 5. Jay Marmont, 51pts 6. Cody Cooper, 49pts 7. Tye Simmonds, 42pts 8. Lewis Woods, 35pts 9. Danny Anderson, 28pts 10. Beau Ralston, 26pts |
1. Jay Marmont, 241pts 2. Tye Simmonds, 228pts 3. Dean Ferris, 223pts 4. Billy Mackenzie, 215pts 5. Cheyne Boyd, 214pts 6. Cody Cooper, 187pts 7. Todd Waters, 186pts 8. Daniel McCoy, 159pts 9. Lewis Woods, 126pts 10. Beau Ralston, 119pts |
| — Pro Lites
Continuing their dominance of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, JDR Motorex KTM Pro Lites rider PJ Larsen and MX Rad Coastal KTM’s Under 19’s rider Josh Cachia have won the fifth round of the Championship in their respective classes. Larsen started out the day strong, clocking the fastest time in Qualifying, ahead of KTM rider Kade Mosig who was only 0.3 seconds slower and Queenslander and Serco Yamaha rider Ford Dale. In the first race local rider Luke George (Kawasaki) scored the holeshot and an early lead at his home track. Half-way through the race Larsen made his move, slipping by from fourth place, to overtake George for the lead before the Kawasaki rider lost another place to GYTR Rockstar Yamaha rider and former Under 19’s Champ Luke Styke. The three riders remained out in front until the very last lap when a lapped rider landed on the back of George, forcing him out of the race and letting Larsen and Styke continue unchallenged, with JDR Motorex KTM rider Ryan Marmont stepping up into third place. In the second race Kawasaki Racing Team’s Cody Mackie took an early lead with Styke and Serco Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs following close behind. The third moto saw Larsen finally take the holeshot and check out to a massive lead within the first lap while on-track battles raged behind him for the remaining podium places. Marmont, Phillips, Mackie, Gibbs and Styke all clamoured for the remaining Championship points left in Larsen’s wake. By the time the flag fell it was Larsen by more than 10 seconds, handing him a clean sweep and maximum points for the round, while Phillips made the most of the rough conditions climbing his way into second place with Wollongong local Marmont in third. In the Under 19’s class, Cachia continued his strangle-hold on the red leader plate, winning two of the three motos and increasing his Series lead to 33 points. Despite facing challenges from: GYTR Rockstar Yamaha’s Ross Beaton, Harley Quinlan and KTM Race Team’s Ethan Martens, Cachia powered through the rough conditions and seems unstoppable at this stage in the Championship. Quotes Under 19’s – Josh Cachia |
| Pro Lites Rnd 5 Results | Lites Standings |
| 1. PJ Larsen, 75pts 2. Luke Styke, 59pts 3. Michael Phillips, 54pts 4. Ryan Marmont, 52pts 5. Cody Mackie, 49pts 6. Kirk Gibbs, 44pts 7. Lawson Bopping, 39pts 8. Michael Addison, 36pts 9. Bryan Mackenzie, 36pts 10. Kade Mosig, 31pts |
1. PJ Larsen, 282pts 2. Kirk Gibbs, 227pts 3. Ryan Marmont, 215pts 4. Cody Mackie, 213pts 5. Luke Styke, 184pts 6. Lawson Bopping, 178pts 7. Ford Dale, 176pts 8. Michael Phillips, 168pts 9. Luke George, 141pts 10. Kade Mosig 137pts |
| 19s Qualifying | 19s Race 1 | 19s Race 2 | 19s Race 3 | 19s Round | 19s Standings |
| 1: Ethan Martens (KTM) 2: Josh Cachia (KTM) 3: Matthew Phillips (Honda) 4: Hamish Dobbyn (Suzuki) 5: Ross Beaton (Yamaha) |
1: Cachia 2: Dobbyn 3: Beaton 4: Harley Quinlan 5: Martens |
1: Beaton 2: Cachia 3: Quinlan 4: Dobbyn 5: Martens |
1: Cachia 2: Beaton 3: Luke Arbon 4: Quinlan 5: Martens |
1: Cachia 72 2: Beaton 67 3: Quinlan 56 4: Martens 48 5: Phillips 43 |
1: Cachia 273 2: Beaton 240 3: Phillips 203 4: Arbon 197 5: Dylan Peterson 195 |
— Dean Ferris Report
19 year old Honda Privateer Dean Ferris improved his championship position to 3rd outright in the premier pro open class after another impressive weekend at Round 5 of the 2010 Rockstar Motocross Nationals held at Raymond Terrace on Sunday.
On a picture perfect day in the Hunter Valley, Ferris was on the money from the start today qualifying his privateer Brisbane Motorcycles Honda CRF450 in 5th place.
When the gates dropped for the first 15 min moto, Ferris got off to a flying start and settled comfortably into 2nd position and was never challenged. A 5th place finish in the second moto, improving to 4th position in final 20 min moto gave Ferris a hall of 56 points, just 2 points shy of an overall podium for the round.
More importantly Ferris has moved into 3rd place in the championship hunt and now sits only 5 points shy of Motorex KTM’s Tye Simmonds and 18 points adrift of current red plate holder and reigning champion Jay Marmont. Quite a remarkable achievement in only Ferris’s 5th outing in the premier Pro Open class.
Ferris is aiming to become the first privateer to win the Pro Open Championship since Andrew McFarlane in 1999, a win that was to launch McFarlane to a stellar international career.
“Overall I am pretty happy with today’s result. It would have been great to get on the podium but my main focus is the championship so I’m rapt to move into 3rd in position and to be within striking distance of the red plate.
We made some changes to the suspension just prior to moto 3 which worked a treat and the Pirelli tyres hooked up awesomely all day long. I’m now looking forward to getting home and training hard over the coming weeks to be able to continue the fight for the championship over the last 4 rounds”.
All 3 moto’s today were won by English import and current UK Moto X Champion Brad Anderson riding a Brisbane Motorcycles prepared Honda.
— Jay Marmont Report
Fifth place overall at round five of the 2010 Rockstar Energy MX Nationals has seen defending dual champion Jay Marmont extend his lead in the Pro Open title chase at Raymond Terrace in New South Wales on Sunday.
CDR Rockstar Energy Drink Yamaha’s Marmont opened his account with a frustrating seventh place in the first of three 20-minute motos for the round, before gaining strength with a sixth in the second moto in rough conditions after rain lashed the circuit in the lead-up to the event.
Moto three saw Marmont back to his usual self at the front of the pack, finishing second behind eventual round winner and current British Motocross Champion Brad Anderson, who was making a one-off appearance in the series.
“It was the same old story for me this year I guess, just a rollercoaster where I seem to have one good ride on the day but can’t put a whole day together,” the 27-year-old from Wollongong in NSW commented.
“We did some testing during the week and thought we came up with a good setting for the mud, but it didn’t really turn out that way on race day. We went back to my original settings for the last race and it felt a lot better, so I ended up doing well in that race with a good result behind Anderson.”
Following his fifth place finish overall for the round, Marmont stretched his series lead from four to 13 points ahead of Tye Simmonds, currently second in the point standings.
“I’ve still got the overall lead in the championship after the weekend, but it did allow guys like Billy Mackenzie and Dean Ferris to catch me a little bit in the series,” Marmont continued. “I’m happy to come away with the series lead again, fit, healthy and ready to fight for a win at the next round.”
Despite his end result of maintaining the red plate to signify his championship leader status, Marmont is eager to score his first round win of the year at round six of the series in four weeks time on his factory-backed Yamaha YZ450F.
“I’m going to go into the next round at Albury with a different approach, try go back to basics and see how it works for us. I just want to be a lot more consistent during the day, try to get a top three finish in the first race and then I know that I will be able to bring it home strong in the remaining motos.”
The series will now take a month-long break before heading to the Albury Wodonga Motorcycle Club in Victoria on 27 June, giving Marmont the opportunity to refine his approach as the eight-round season enters its final stages.
“I’m going to take most of this week off with the break coming up, try not to think about bikes too much, plus the weather isn’t good at the moment where I’m from,” he explained. “After that we’ll head down to Melbourne and focus on sprinting for the first few motos, as well as work on my technique. I need to get that mongrel back into me and make sure I get it done in all three races in the final rounds.”
— Cougar Bourbon Honda Thor Racing
New Zealand motocross champion Michael Phillips has claimed his first Pro Lites podium for Cougar Bourbon Honda Thor Racing at the fifth round of the 2010 MX Nationals held at Barleigh Ranch in Raymond Terrace today.
The CRF250 rider finished the round third, after aggressively contesting three strong motos.
In the opening moto brake problems hampered the second half of his race and he finished ninth. The team made some minor changes to the bike for the next two races where he finished third and second.
Phillips, who by his own admission has struggled a bit through the opening half of the season, said he took a different approach to today’s races.
“I felt a lot more focused out there today,” Phillips explained.
“It was a rough track and there was really only one dry line but I attacked it a lot harder than normal and it worked for me.
“This result is just what I needed. My goals haven’t changed, I still want to finish in the top five so with three rounds to go this is a great confidence builder,” he said.
Teammate Todd Waters courageously took to the difficult track nursing his recently plated collarbone and finished two of the three Pro Open moto’s in the points.
A first turn pile up in the opening race forced him to the sidelines but he pushed on and rode conservatively through the final two motos to finish 13th and 14th respectively.
“I made it through the day but it was definitely one of the toughest events I have ever had to ride through,” Waters admitted.
“I was severely winded in the first race pileup so I had to sit that one out as there was no point going back out there and risking further injury when I was already a lap down.
“Because I was back in the pack today I really was in the firing line and had to make sure I avoided other peoples incidents.
“In terms of the championship, I have slipped back a bit further in the standings but I have 12 races over three events still to go so I am not giving up by any means,” he continued.
Waters now welcomes the three-week break to the sixth round of the MX Nationals in Albury acknowledging it will give his collarbone a chance to heal properly.
“I have three weeks to recover now before Albury which is one of my favourite tracks and it was an event that I won last year.”
While Waters continues to recouperate Phillips and the Cougar Bourbon Honda Thor Racing Team will be back at their test track preparing for the Round 6 of the MX Nationals which will be held on Sunday June 27 in Albury Wodonga.
— CDR Rockstar Yamaha
The CDR Rockstar Energy Drink Yamaha Team of Jay Marmont and Cheyne Boyd continued their run of podium finishes with Boyd taking third place in the Pro Open division of the Rockstar MX Nationals held at Raymond Terrace over the weekend.
Despite not having his greatest day, Jay Marmont remains rock solid and increased his points lead in the overall championship standings.
With each passing round Cheyne Boyd has been saying he has felt better on the bike and improving his race speed. That again proved true when he produced his best finish to date in 2010 with a third place overall on the back of some excellent riding. Boyd has had a solid start to 2010, but things went up a gear at Raymond Terrace and the likeable Victorian was on a mission to get to the front.
“I just believed that my efforts during the week would reward me on the weekends. And while it has been some time coming, it feels good to get up on the podium and back up to speed again.”
“Today was a good result but I still think there is more left in me for the remaining rounds. I also want to thank the CDR Rockstar Yamaha team for their patience and energy in getting this result,” Boyd states.
Jay Marmont recovered from a sluggish start in the morning to charge home with a second in the final moto. His combined scores of 7-6-2 were enough to snare fifth on the day but the big picture is far more pleasing as Marmont has stretched his lead to 13 points over Tye Simmonds in the overall standings with three rounds remaining.
“I just need to get on my game earlier in the day. The past couple of rounds have not seen me at my best early and then I am able to pick it up later in the day. I just have to work on some race intensity in practice to fire myself up as soon as I hit the track.”
“But congratulations to my teammate Boydy for making the podium and the entire CDR Rockstar Yamaha team for their continued support,” Marmont said.
Despite not dominating like 2009, CDR principle Craig Dack still sees the positives from the Raymond Terrace performance.
“It was great to see Boydy up there this weekend. I know how hard he works and getting on the podium for the first time will give him plenty of confidence. For Jay, it was a tough day for him yet he still increased his lead in the championship. It shows he is a fighter and if we can just get him up and running for those early motos, I think we are looking great for another strong championship finish,” Dack explains.
The Rockstar MX Nationals now move to Albury-Wodonga in three weeks time for round six of the eight round series. It’s down to the business end of the championship and both CDR Rockstar Yamaha riders are well placed for a big run home.
— Yamalube/ GYTR / Rockstar Yamaha
The Yamalube/ GYTR / Rockstar Yamaha team commanded plenty of podium space after an impressive performance at round five of the Rockstar MX Nationals at Raymond Terrace over the weekend.
Three out of the four riders pulled down a podium spot on a surprisingly good MX Central track that copped plenty of lead up rain but was in top shape come race time.
Ross Beaton nailed down his first moto win and podium position of the year placing second in the Under 19 class. On the back of 3-1-2 moto finishes, Beaton landed in second place for the round and maintains his second place on the championship standings.
“Each week my racing has been getting better and today was a good result for the work I have been putting in. I was as fast as anyone on the track but just needed to get up the front earlier to win races and take the overall.”
“But I am happy with how things went and looking forward to more success at the next round, “Beaton offers.
For the second round in succession, Harley Quinlan stood on the podium finishing third overall at Raymond Terrace. Quinlan over come early mechanical issues to post 4-3-4 results and continue his climb back into the point’s race after missing the first round through injury.
“It’s always good to be up on the podium and third is another pretty good result. The team work hard all weekend to keep me on track and again I can’t thank them enough,” he said.
Shaun Redhead continued his solid form from the Toowoomba round with another top ten finish at the Raymond Terrace. Redhead charged through the pack in every moto and finished the day in equal ninth place and also picked up a few spots in the overall standings.
“I just couldn’t get the starts I needed to be up the front and pick up on the front runners pace. My speed felt much better today and I am looking to continue gaining momentum as the series moves on,” Redhead said.
But the break out performance on the team belonged to Luke Styke. After posting the fourth fastest lap in qualifying, Styke nailed the start in the opening two motos and went on to two second place finishes. Moto three also had Styke in the lead pack and his 2-2-6 performance impressed many and placed him second overall for the round, his first ever podium finish fin the Pro Lites class.
The podium finish has also lifted Styke to fifth overall in the Pro Lite class, a great effort so far from the 2009 Under 19 champ.
“After round two, I just went back to basics and having fun and it seems to have worked as every round since I have been getting better results. Today I was confident of a good finish and had a goal to run top five, but coming second is awesome and my mechanic Cory deserves plenty of credit,” Styke said.
The Rockstar MX Nationals now takes a three week break before picking up round six in Albury. All riders plan on keeping up the momentum gained over the past two rounds and look for continued success at Albury.
— Serco Yamaha
Round five of the Rockstar MX Nationals was a frustrating day at the office for the Serco Yamaha team of Kirk Gibbs and Ford Dale who failed to capitalize on their impressive raw speed. Simple mistakes cost both riders throughout the day but both showed they are a legitimate threat to win races at each and every round.
Under clear blue skies and perfect track conditions, the Serco duo again qualified well and were well placed going into the three points paying races and the 75 points up for grabs.
Kirk Gibbs, a previous round winner at Raymond Terrace consistently put his Serco Yamaha inside the top five, but a crash in moto two cost him dearly in the overall points. His 5-11-4 finishes landed the South Australian in sixth place, yet he still maintains second place in the overall Pro Lite standings.
“It was such a frustrating day and the harder I tried, the worse it got. I still managed to salvage some reasonable points and still hold second overall, but that is not where I should finish and I need to do better at the next round,” said the determined Gibbs.
The fortunes of Ford Dale were much the same. Posting the second fastest lap in qualifying, Dale took that momentum into race one and was running in third place in the later stages of the race before crashing and damaging his bike. The damage to his throttle meant he was unable to finish in moto one.
Moto two saw him fight on for a respectable sixth place despite a bad start and then the bad luck set in again in moto three when he stalled the bike after hitting the back of another rider. He rounded out the day in a disappointing 12th place and wants redemption at the next round.
“Today was unacceptable. I wish we could go back out and race tomorrow and fix up what happened today. We have a few weeks before the next round and I will make sure that my results are back to where they should be there,” Dale states.
The frustration was also evident in the teams’ crew chief, Michael Marty.
“Both guys had the speed and got themselves into good positions in most races only to throw it away. They know they are better than that and I expect them to come out swinging at Albury and we will put this round well and truly behind us.”
— KTM
P.J LARSEN – Pro Lites (Moto results 1-1-1)
Moto 1: “In time qualifying I was 1.5 seconds faster than Kade Mosig, who was second fastest in the Pro Lites, which gave me a good indication of how I would go in my first moto,” said Larsen.
“I was in around fifth position off the start in the first moto, and within a few minutes I took the lead and rode home to a comfortable win.
Moto 2 : “The second moto was pretty much a repeat of the first, and I won by the same margin.
Moto 3: “In my final moto I was second off the start behind Ryan Marmont, and then I passed him on the straight and pulled a good lead. I rode home for another win, and a clean sweep of the day. I now have a comfortable lead in the Pro Lites Championship so I couldn’t be happier.
RYAN MARMONT – Pro Lites (Moto results 3-7-3)
Moto 1: “I got a good start in my opening moto and I was running second for awhile behind Luke Styke, then PJ passed me and he got the lead. I was running steady with Styke but he got me by the chequered flag, so I finished third.
Moto 2: “The second moto saw another solid start for me, but I had a crash around the half way mark when I hit a ledge or rock on the track that caught me un-aware. I washed the front end and went down hard losing a lot of positions. Unfortunately, I lost my rhythm so the best I could bring home was seventh.
Moto 3: “I had a good last moto securing the hole shot, and I ran second for most of the race, until the last couple of laps when Michael Phillips just got me, so again I took third. Overall it was a good day for me because I moved back into third in the Championship and I’m only 12 points off second place”
TYE SIMMONDS – Pro Open (Moto results 6-7-8)
Three motos combined: “I can’t pinpoint which moto was worse for me at Raymond Terrace, so it’s best I wrap them up into one,” said Simmonds. “Overall I just had a bad race meeting, and it had nothing to do with the bike, my head space or a few injuries during the week, because I was pain free.
“I’m not one for excuses, so overall I just wasn’t on the gas, and can’t put it down to any one reason. Obviously I’m really disappointed, but I just need to put it behind me and try and re-group for the next round.”
JAY RYNENBERG – Race Team Manager
“It’s very exciting for the team to have secured a comfortable lead in the Pro Lites Championship, with PJ Larsen’s clean sweep at Raymond Terrace,” said Rynenberg. “PJ did everyone proud, and rode sensationally well, so full credit to him. Ryan Marmont also had some bad luck in his second moto with a crash, but overall he also came away with some good points, moving him back into third for the Pro Lites Championship.
“Tye was on a bit of a downer and he has had better race meetings, but who can blame the guy, with the loss of another close friend during the week to a MX accident, and he did incur an injury last weekend as well. Tye’s a tough guy though, he will work though this and come back stronger at the next round.”
— Team Suzuki
Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki rider Cody Cooper continues to demonstrate his speed with another strong display at the Australian National Motocross Championship in Newcastle.
At one of the roughest and toughest circuits of the season, Cooper was consistently one of the fastest on track in the Pro Open class onboard his Suzuki RM-Z450.
After qualifying third fastest, Cooper was jumped at the start of the first moto but fought his way back into contention in the closing laps to ultimately finish fifth.
In the second moto, Cooper had an improved start resulting in an absorbing battle with Billy Mackenzie. The Scot once again had Cooper breathing down his neck at the end of the race, but Cooper had to be satisfied with fourth place.
Finishing sixth in the final moto for the day saw Cooper complete the round with 49 points and move into sixth place overall in the championship.
It was a similar story in the Pro Lites class, with Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki Pro Lites young gun Lawson Bopping showing plenty of pace, but again suffering from poor starts.
His final wrap-up of seventh, tenth and seventh didn’t do justice to his speed with his lap times consistently among the fastest.
Bopping’s haul of 39 points saw him hang on to sixth position in the championship and with four rounds still to run – including a double header at Coolum – a podium finish is still easily within the talented teenager’s grasp.
The team now has a month of solid testing and development before the next round, which will be held at Albury on June 27.
JAY FOREMAN – TEAM MANAGER, ROCKSTAR MOTUL SUZUKI
“Cody gets faster and faster each round, but can’t afford to miss his chance at the start.
“There’s no doubt he’s quick enough to be at the top of the field, but you can’t give this field a head start.
“He’s getting better and better each week and we’ve got some strategies in place to improve his starts.
“Lawson is in a similar boat. He’s showing great pace, but missing the starts in a quality field like this is costing him.
“We know we have the pace, now we just need to work on the start.”
— Team Kawasaki
Mackenzie Takes 2nd at Raymond Terrace
Kawasaki Racing Team rider Billy Mackenzie added more precious points to his Championship campaign at the 5th round of the Australian Motocross Championship, taking 2nd for the round and progressing higher up the series ladder to 4th place overall. Cody Mackie retains his top 5 standing in the Lites class after finishing the round in 5th and Under 19s rider Luke Arbon grabbed himself a 3rd moto podium to also remain in the top 5 in the Championship.
With very limited bike time over the last few weeks due to a wrist injury sustained at Canberra, Billy Mackenzie found it tough in the muddy conditions to maintain his regular moto winning speed at Raymond Terrace, however he was still good enough to podium two of his three motos and take 2nd overall behind his friend and fellow UK citizen Brad Anderson. Billy looked on song in the first moto, quickly finding the lead and setting a good pace. A mid race crash after a close pass by Anderson dropped Billy back in the pack however the Kawasaki rider did well to fight back and finish in 4th place. 3rd place finishes in the following two motos and Billy’s 4-3-3 results were good enough to give him 2nd for the round and advance him even further in the Championship to 4th place. (Notably, Billy has the most amount of moto wins in the Championship but is trailing in the series as a result of three lost motos due to a crash in Canberra.)
Billy says, “I wasn’t really happy with how I was riding today. I was picking some horrible lines and I wasn’t as focussed as I normally am. I think it’s just lack of bike time. At Toowoomba when I won the round I had a bit of home track knowledge so that helped me through that weekend. This race, my fitness was better. My wrist is feeling good. I just wasn’t on it as I normally am with my line choice and my gear changes and my corners. There were just a lot of things that weren’t right today but the team worked their hardest.”
“I managed to claw some points back in the Championship and that’s the goal, to win the Championship, so to finish second to Brad isn’t a big deal today. I’ve got the Manjimup race next week in Perth to keep busy and because I need the bike time. I’ll definitely get riding the bike more and concentrate on my training so it’s easier on race day.”
Lites rider Cody Mackie showed good speed, especially in moto two when Cody checked out to an early lead and looked unstoppable, however the sloppy, muddy conditions at Raymond Terrace were unforgiving and Mackie had to settle for 5th overall for the day after much chopping and changing of the lead throughout the three motos. Cody finished in 5-4-6 to take 5th for the round and 4th in the Championship.
Cody says, “I’m very disappointed. I put myself in good positions today but I really struggled with the track and couldn’t capitalise. Starts are my most fun thing at the moment. I’m getting a buzz out of them. I know how quick my KX250F is and I think that is a huge part. I have a lot of confidence in my bike. I can miss the jump and still get a good start. I just want to back it up for the team and most importantly myself. I’ll change a few things for the next round and hopefully get back up on the box. Much thanks to the team and Kawasaki for their support.”
Fresh from a round win at Toowoomba two weeks ago, Under 19s rider Luke Arbon came to Raymond Terrace determined for further success. Luke showed great speed at the 5th round and found himself on the podium in the third moto, however it was not enough to make up for a big crash in the second moto. Luke fought back many places from dead last but didn’t have enough time to find his way into the points for the moto. Luke’s 7-28-3 resulted in 7th place for the round. Although the round didn’t go strictly to plan for Luke, the 18 year old still sit’s in 4th place in the Championship with numerous more motos remaining to gain more points.
Luke says, “It was a day of mixed emotions. I got a gate pick with a lot of slop in front of it and got a bad start in the first and ended up mid pack. There was only one real line on the track and it was really rutty so it was a really hard track to pass on. I got a good start in the second and was sitting in 3rd and then I got a bit loose down the back and went off the track and crashed into a creek. My bike was upside stuck on a rock so it took a while to get it started so I almost got lapped. That race was terrible.”
“In the last race I pretty much got the hole-shot and found the lead. I was leading for a while but I think my front tyre was going flat so my bike started handling a little bit funny and I ended up with 3rd. It wasn’t too bad but I would’ve preferred the win. We’ve got a month off now so I’ll train my butt off and come out swinging. I want to win!”
KRT Manager Troy Carroll says, “Luke had an unlucky day. I’m disappointed for him because he’s on the chase for the Championship. He’s a lot better than what he ended up being today. We’re still working really hard with Cody. In the last moto he showed some awesome speed. He’s got better race-craft than a lot of people, he just needs to pull his intensity up.”
“Today Billy was nowhere near his best. He wasn’t hitting his lines, he just wasn’t his normal self. Overall he gained points in the Championship. We don’t have to win every moto, just keep gaining points and he’s certainly doing that. The big picture is winning this Championship and that’s what we’re all aiming to do. After a tough day at the office, the most important thing is that all the riders are fit and healthy and ready to do battle at the next round. ”
With a four week gap until the next round of the series at Albury, expect Billy Mackenzie to get that much needed bike time under his belt and come out firing alongside team-mates Cody Mackie and Luke Arbon in their quest for Championship glory.
