Champions crowned at Aussie MX finale at Coolum

Pro Open

Jay Marmont (Yamaha) has taken out his second Australian Pro Open Motocross Championship ahead of teammate Cheyne Boyd (Yamaha) and Andrew McFarlane (Yamaha).

Marmont not only took out the Championship win, but also the round win, after taking the flag in two out of three motos.

In the first moto, Marmont, determined to maintain a decent points buffer between himself and Boyd, took the holeshot and stayed in the lead.
By the end of the first lap two battles were raging, one between Marmont and McFarlane, and the other between Cody Mackie (Kawasaki) and Boyd.

By the third lap Boyd had caught and passed Mackie while Marmont held his own against McFarlane, staying out in front despite numerous attempts to catch him.

Marmont and McFarlane were soon out to a massive lead with Boyd riding a lonely race back in third place – the three maintaining their positions until the flag.

While Marmont scored yet another holeshot in the second moto, Boyd was determined to make up for the previous race and came out blazing, flying past Marmont to take an early lead.

Boyd was unstoppable and rode his own race to the finish line, with Marmont cruising across in second place with McFarlane only just winning the battle between himself and Kiwi Darryl Hurley (Suzuki).

In the third moto Marmont wrapped up his 2009 Championship campaign in fine style, taking line honours ahead of Hurley and his teammate Boyd.

Quotes
Jay Marmont
“It’s unreal to win back to back Championships,” Marmont said.

“I came into this Series knowing it was going to be harder; there have been a couple of young riders who really stood up and after reading the forums before the Series started I wasn’t considered a favourite for it.

“There were a lot of riders who had been doing the hard yards in the pre-season and I knew it was going to be hard.

“I couldn’t do it without my family, just having Abby come up this weekend I lifted an extra 50 per cent and also having Lila here – it’s an unreal feeling having ‘Daddy’ on the back of your riding pants and knowing that they’re out there cheering for you.”

Cheyne Boyd
“You can’t start a Series like I did and let them get away from you,” Boyd said.

“People asked me what I changed and what I did but I knew I was on the right program and didn’t change anything and it was just a matter of time.

“It was so frustrating at the start of the year but to walk away with so many wins towards the end of the season and to finish the way I’ve finished it great.

“I would have liked to have won today, but Jay is so strong and smart he was always going to be tough to beat.”

Andrew McFarlane
“I’m happy with third, I made few mistakes throughout the year but it’s great to be back.

“The new team is great and we’ve learnt a lot and we’ll be back better and stronger next year.

“The rest of the guys are riding really fast and the Championship was tough but it’s great to be a part of it.”

—  Pro Lites

Matt Moss (Suzuki) has won the eighth and final round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship and has taken out his first Australian Pro Lites Title with Tye Simmonds (KTM) in second place and Luke George (Kawasaki) in third.

In what has to have been one of the most exciting classes to watch in 2009, the Pro Lites, and especially the top three riders, have taken the racing to another level, with epic on-track battles continuing to enthral spectators at every round.

In the first moto Moss was out to a flying start, demonstrating some of his best riding all season, and was followed by Simmonds and Ryan Marmont (Yamaha).

While the order of the top three didn’t change throughout the race the time between them did, with Moss out to an eight second lead ahead of Simmonds by the time he took the chequered flag.

An on-form Moss scored another holeshot in the second moto and was out to a massive lead with Simmonds in second and Dean Ferris (Honda) in third.

While Moss continued to extend his lead, South Australian rider Kirk Gibbs (Yamaha) put in the ride of his life, stepping up from fourth into second place forcing Simmonds and Ferris to battle it out for third place.

By the time they cross the line, Moss remained in front, with Gibbs in second and Simmonds pushing ahead of Ferris to take third place.

Following the second moto, Moss had accumulated an unassailable points lead, and with one moto still to run, was not about to take it easy.
The third moto got underway, however, on the first jump George crashed and the race was re-started.

In has to be a day to forget for George, not one but two of his bikes blew up and in addition to crashing he was unable to finish two of the three motos forcing him to settle for third overall in the Championship standings.

The race was re-started and Moss once again dominated proceedings however he did face an early challenge from Ferris.

While Ferris put in a solid effort he was unable to stop Moss, who made it three motos from three, ahead of Ferris and Gibbs.

Quotes
Matt Moss
“Taking the round win is a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Moss said.

“I had a DNF in the first round and I just had to fight the whole way to the end and I’m so happy to get the win.

“I’m lost for words because this is just unbelievable.”

Tye Simmonds
“Congratulations to Mossy, to be 25 points down in that first round and to bring it back that’s a pretty good feat in itself.”

—  Results from Round Eight, Coolum (NSW)

— Support Categories

— Under 19s

Luke Styke (Yamaha) has taken out the 2009 Australian Motocross Under 19’s Championship after taking out the round eight of the Series at Coolum, Queensland ahead of teammate Harley Quinlan (Yamaha) and Josh Cachia (Yamaha).

In the first moto Styke had an uncharacteristically bad start, while Quinlan raced ahead with Cachia in second and Ross Beaton (Yamaha) in third.

By the flag, Styke had only made it back up to fifth place while Quinlan, Cachia and Beaton held onto their positions.

Styke was first out of the gate in the second moto, flying out to take the holeshot and the lead.

At times he was challenged by Tasmanian rider Beaton, who started to reign his teammate in and was followed by Dylan Peterson (Honda)
Styke held off Beaton’s charge, to take the flag and wrap up the Championship with one moto to spare.

And what a moto it would be with the next three positions to be decided with all three riders within one point of each other.

The celebrations began early for Styke in the final moto, with the 2009 Champ throwing his legs over the handlebars in a display for fans after once again taking the holeshot.

Beaton was caught in a start straight pile up forcing him to start from last place, while Quinlan and Cachia chased down Styke.

Cachia was then passed by Luke Arbon (Kawasaki) with the latter now battling for second with Quinlan.

In the second to last lap the top five riders were all within two seconds of each other when Quinlan put his bike down allowing Styke and Arbon to pass and hold on until the final flag.

Quotes
Luke Styke
“Today is a great day for me and it’s been a long time coming,” Styke said.

“I’ve never done anything this big before in my whole life and it’s good to be on top for once and ride my own race.

“I’ve put in 110 per cent this year and I’ve trained my hardest and it’s really paid off.”

Harley Quinlan
“I put everything I had into that last race and when I fell off my heart just dropped,” Quinlan said.

“I’m just happy to get up here in second place again and I can’t say enough about everyone that’s helped me out.”

Josh Cachia
“I’m just happy as hell,” Cachia said.

“I can’t thank the team and all my sponsors enough, this one is for my best mate who recently passed.

“I can’t wait for the Supercross and to continue doing the team proud.”

— Vets

Darryll King (Yamaha) has taken out the inaugural Vets Cup at the final round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship ahead of Glenn Bell (Honda) and Peter Melton (Kawasaki).

Making its debut at the eighth round of the Series, the Support class for over 40s featured not one, but three former Australian Champions taking to the track, with Melton, Bell and King all battling it out for another shot at Motocross glory.

With more than 25 riders lining up for the Cup, Series Promoter, Kevin Williams, was impressed with the racing and is keen to have them stick around a while longer.

“I think bringing the Vets class to the round has certainly brought another dimension,” Williams said.

“They bring another crowd with them and a lot of people from yesteryear have commented how good it is to see them out there.

“They’re all pretty quick for a lap but certainly age is a factor!

“We’ll meet with Motorcycling Australia and see if we can develop it into a one round Championship.”

Williams wasn’t alone in his praise for the support class with Dirt Action magazine Editor, Ben Foster, stoked to see so many guys lining up and racing hard.

“It was awesome to see the Vets Support class as part of the Series,” Foster said.

“I think the racing and the level of racing was incredible – for the age some of these guys are they still know how to turn it on!

“I thought they’d ride alright but the intensity they held for the length of the motos was good to see and it made for some great racing – I hope that the Vets Cup sticks around in the future.”

— Womens

Tori Dare (Yamaha) has won the 2009 Australian Women’s Motocross Championship taking out the round win with Kristy Gillespie (KTM) coming in second place on both the day and in the Series with Nicole Davis wrapping up the Series in third place.

In the first moto for the final round, it soon became a battle between Dare and Gillespie however by the second lap Dare was already out to a seven second lead ahead of Gillespie.

Gillespie continued to chase Dare until the last lap board and was less than two seconds behind, with Rebecca Lipsett (Honda) a massive 43 seconds back in third place.

Dare held onto the lead and took the flag ahead of Gillespie with in second and Lipsett in third.

The second moto, once again, became a battle of the titans between reigning Champ Gillespie and Dare, who in her first year of Senior Competition has blown away the opposition.

Gillespie was determined to keep Dare within her reach throughout the duration of the moto, the two girls banging bars at every corner until Gillespie eventually got the better of Dare and started to pull out to an 11 second lead to take the flag.

In the third Moto, Dare seemed to have the title wrapped up breaking out to an impressive lead over Gillespie.

The young Yamaha rider managed to put more than six seconds between her and Gillespie, holding onto the lead until the flag with third placed Nicole Davis (Yamaha) nearly 35 seconds behind.

The fourth and final moto was a disaster for Gillespie getting stuck in the pack and having to ride her way through the field while Dare continued to extend her lead out the front.

At the flag it was Dare who took line honours with Gillespie working her way up to second place with Steph Cutler (Kawasaki) in third.

Tori Dare
“Having the number one plate means a lot,” Dare said.

“It’s such great competition and it’s been a big step up from the juniors.

“I wasn’t expecting to do this well at all, I knew the competition was going to very hard, especially with Kristy Gillespie, she’s a great rider, and I just had to do my best and it worked out.”

Kristy Gillespie
“It was a good season,” Gillespie said.

“I knew it was going to be tough coming into this round it would have been nice to hold onto that number one plate but Tori rode very well and very consistently over the rounds so well done to her and we’ll be back next year.”

Nicole Davis
“In the first round I had a really bad run in the last couple of Races,” Davis said.

“I didn’t give up, I thought that if I had a good weekend this round and got a couple of good races I could get a decent position overall and I did it!

“I’m stoked, it’s my first year of seniors, and it’s amazing.”

—  Team Reports

—  Yamaha

Yamaha Racing’s Jay Marmont has led an all-blue charge on the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship with the manufacturer winning four out of five classes at the final round of the series at the Coolum Pines Motocross Park on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Marmont sealed his second consecutive Australian Motocross title by winning the eighth and final round of the series with the YZ450F rider joined on the podium by his teammate Cheyne Boyd and fellow Yamaha rider, Andrew McFarlane, who was third overall.

The trio finished in the same order in the chase to be crowned the nation’s best Pro Open motocross racer.

A broken ignition cable cost Kirk Gibbs a podium finish in the Pro Lites category with the Serco Yamaha rider showing stunning form in the final two races of the motocross season to finish second and third.

Luke Styke claimed victory in the 2009 Under 19s Championship with the GYTR Yamaha Junior Development Team rider joined on the podium by his teammate Harley Quinlan, who was second, with Josh Cachia making it a Yamaha 1-2-3 in the championship.

In the 2009 Australian Women’s Motocross Championship, Tori Dare was too good for her opposition with the Yamaha rider winning the second and final round of the series.

Former Australian Motocross Champion, Darryll King claimed a perfect score of 100 after winning each of the four vets races contested at the event.

Pro Open Report
CDR Rockstar Yamaha continued their dominance of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship with Jay Marmont and Cheyne Boyd finishing first and second respectively at the final round of the series at Coolum today.

Marmont sealed his second Australian Motocross Championship with the round victory by finishing first, second and first in each of the three motos contested today.

As the chequered flag fell, Marmont had 459 points with just 21 points separating him from his team-mate, Boyd.

“It was an unreal day, I qualified first and from there won the first race and then got second to Boydy in the second [race] and then won the last moto,” said Marmont, who was the only competitor to finish on the podium at all eight rounds of the series

“The best thing about the day was that I was able to race the day on my terms and was just the perfect way to finish the championship for my family, friends and fans who have supported me throughout the year.

“My plan today was to show my dominance and my speed and that’s what we did in each of the three races. It was a great day and it feels great to be able to have that number one plate again next year.”

Boyd was second overall after finishing third, first and third in each of the three motos.

CDR Rockstar Yamaha were the most successful team in the Pro Open Competition with Marmont and Boyd recording six consecutive dual podium finishes throughout the season.

Pro Lites Report

A minor mechanical issue cost Serco Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs an overall podium placing at round eight of the Australian Motocross Championship at Coolum today.

The YZ250F rider got off to a good start and was challenging for a top three finish in the opening moto before his ignition wire came loose.

He was forced to make a pit stop for repairs and was lapped by the leaders, eventually finishing outside the points.

Gibbs showed the fighting spirit he has all season long by taking second in moto two and backing up with a third in moto three.

“I was going pretty well in the first moto before the ignition cord came out of the spark plug, we had to pit to fix it which cost us the race,” said Gibbs who was fifth in the Pro Lites Championship.

“My starts were good in the final two motos and I was able to run with the leaders.

“Today’s results were a good way to finish up the year, I’m hoping to take some of this speed into Super X and be a regular top 5 contender.”

Mitch Hoad had another challenging weekend with the Serco Yamaha rider finishing 14th, 12th and 15th in each of the three motos. He was seventh in the championship.

Serco Yamaha supported rider, Matt Ryan also finished the year on a high, recording his best round result, finishing 11th overall and 19th in the championship.

Under 19s Report

Luke Styke proved to be unstoppable in the 2009 Under 19s Championship with the GTYR Yamaha Junior Development Team rider claiming victory in the series which is designed to develop motocross talent in Australia.

Styke was fifth in the opening moto and won the final two motos in order to claim the championship over his team-mate Harley Quinlan who was sixth overall for the round.

“It feels awesome to have won and I’m absolutely over the moon,” Styke said. “My bike’s suspension and handling was fantastic and it was great to take the championship victory with a race to spare.

“I will now go home and do a few local rounds and hopefully be back to compete in a few rounds of Super X [Australasian Supercross Championship] towards the end of the year.”

After an encouraging debut in the Pro Open category with CDR Rockstar Yamaha last weekend, Ross Beaton was fourth for the round after recording two seconds and a 13th in the three motos of the round. He was fourth in the championship.

—  KTM

Tye Simmonds Pro Lites

“I’m really happy to have taken second in the Pro Lites Championship in my first year in senior motocross racing,” said Simmonds. “My pace was fast, and I can honestly say I deserved the result it wasn’t just handed to me, which makes it all the more rewarding.

“My first two motos were my strongest, and by the second moto I had sealed my second place ranking in the Pro Lites Championship. There was a re-start in the final moto when Luke George had an accident taking him out of the race, and by the time the final got going again the sun was in a blinding position.

“After two awesome starts in my first motos, the blinding sun robbed me of a good start in the final, and I felt it was best not to do anything crazy to secure a podium, when I had already secured second in the Championship. I knew fourth would be good enough to also give me second for the round, so I just rode cautiously. I was still competitive, and had some good battles with Dean Ferris and Kirk Gibbs, but I wasn’t going to risk injury.

“I’m now focusing on the World Junior Motocross Championships in New Zealand, and fly out of Sydney early next week, so there is no rest for me just yet.

“A big thanks goes out to my dad (Greg Simmonds) who has been at every round, and backed me the all the way, plus the entire crew at Motorex KTM. It was a great team effort, and everyone from the top management down helped me somewhere along the lines.”

Kade Mosig Pro Lites

“I tweaked my knee during practice leading up to the final round at Coolum, and the injury was still with me for the final of the Pro Lites Championship,” said Mosig. “I knew my speed wasn’t too bad, especially after winning my qualifying heat, but I had a lot of trouble putting the bike into left hand corners, because my knee would pinch, and the pain was excruciating.

“I had the best result in my final moto finishing in fifth, but I still would have liked a better result. I’m seeing a sports doctor this week in Melbourne to get my knee looked at, and then I will be fully focused on the up-coming Super X Championship.

“I have built a new Supercross track at Pearcedale, and once my knee is better I will be resuming my usual training regime to ensure I’m well prepared for the Pro Lites Super X Championship.”

Ben Foster Guest Pro Open rider (editor of Dirt Action Magazine)

“I have found a new round respect for these Pro Open racers, I always knew they were fast but they flogged me in no uncertain terms”, said Foster. “I couldn’t have picked a more challenging round or challenging track to run this race and story for Dirt Action, but it will certainly make for a good read.

“I felt really confident at the start and shaved seconds off my lap times, but by the time the first moto rolled around, I was a wreck. I had constant arm pump, and couldn’t get rid of my nerves. In the last race, I had a DNF when I was hit by a flying bike, and that was a good escape route for me to sit out and watch the finish, thankfully un-injured.

“It was an awesome experience, and everyone at Motorex KTM made the journey worthwhile.”

Ben Fosters’ full story on his racing at Coolum will appear in the October issue of Dirt Action Magazine on sale in September.

ROSS MCWATTERS Race Team Manager

“Motorex KTM finished on a real high for the final round of the Australian Motocross Championship, and I commend all the riders, mechanics and family members who all pitched in for a great team result,” said McWatters.

“For Tye Simmonds to finish second in the Pro Lites Championship, in his first year of senior motocross racing is truly commendable. Tye is such a fantastic talent to be 17 years old, and finish second in the toughest competition we have seen for years in the class is outstanding.

“Tye’s result is the best debut by a rider in many years, he rides with such maturity, and it’s fantastic to be associated with him.

“Kade Mosig showed great speed in his qualifying heat, but was carrying an injury with a twisted knee that limited his racing for his main event. Kade’s lack of confidence in his knee made him tentative out on the trace track, but he still counted well with two top ten finishes, and a top five in his final moto.

“Kade has had a tough year with injuries, but we haven’t seen the best of him yet, he is so dedicated to his racing, that he won’t let his challenges deter his focus, and he is now fully dedicated to preparing for the Super X Championship.

“Motorex KTM’s guest Pro Open factory rider Ben Foster, punched well above his weight, mixing it up with a bunch of seasoned professionals, and proved to himself, and everyone around that he takes his riding very seriously for a full time journalists – but he was well short of the mark, and he better not give up his day job!”

—  Kawasaki

TBC

—  Suzuki

Team Shift Motul Suzuki Pro Lite star Matt Moss saved his best for last with a flawless display in the final round to secure the 2009 Australian National Motocross Championship at Coolum.

Moss was without peer in all three motos, scoring the holeshot in each race and was never headed throughout the day.

He won the first moto by seven seconds and moto two by four seconds. The third, and final, moto of the season was red flagged after a crash, which resulted in the final race being reduced to 10 minutes. The drama did little to ruffle Moss’s concentration, and he led from start to finish, taking the chequered flag seven seconds clear of his nearest rival.

The perfect points haul guaranteed Moss his first ever national motocross championship and Suzuki’s first national MX championship since 2005.

Moss’s win also gave Suzuki its first ever Pro Lites motocross title.

The win caps off another sensational year for the talented 20-year-old, adding to the 2008 Pro Lites SuperX championship he won on his Suzuki RM-Z250.

After an indifferent beginning to the season enduring a DNF in the first moto of the championship, he has been in stellar form winning 13 of the remaining 18 races.

Indeed, since the Albury round, he was never out of the top two positions and clean swept four rounds in total.

His final points haul of 422 ensured the red plate, 42 points clear of Tye Simmonds.

Rising star Lawson Bopping also saved his best for last, racking up his best points haul of the season and cementing fourth position overall in the championship.

It was a big day for Suzuki in the Pro Open class, with 2005 champion Darryl Hurley coming out of retirement to show he still has what it takes to compete with the best.

Hurley finished fourth overall for the round, including a sensational performance in the final moto where he pushed 2009 champion Jay Marmont all the way before claiming second position and another podium position.

Team Shift Motul Suzuki’s Cam Taylor secured sixth position overall in the championship with another solid performance, while Adam Monea (Byrners Suzuki / SP Motorsports) finished sixth overall for the round.

GNCC championship leader Josh Strang, on mid year break from his off road duties with Team FMF Makita Suzuki also showed his class on a Suzuki RM-Z450 with ninth place for the round.

A total of eight RM-Z450s battled out the final Pro Open event, representing the highest number of Suzukis in the premier class.

MATT MOSS, TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI
“Just a sensational feeling, knowing all that hard work was worth it.

“It’s been a long season, but I’ve kept my eyes on the prize throughout and it’s great to win another title for Suzuki.

“The bike was great today – as it has been all season – and I’d like to thank Jay for running one of the best teams in the business.”

JAY FOREMAN, TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI MANAGER
“A fantastic result by Matt today, I’m really proud of the way he has gone about dominating the championship this year.

“He’s shown all the class and professionalism I always knew was there and it’s a credit to him to have the 2009 title.

“I’d like to thank Matt, Cameron and everyone involved with Team Shift Motul Suzuki for putting together one of the best seasons we’ve ever had.”

PERRY MORISON, GENERAL MANAGER, SUZUKI AUSTRALIA
“Congratulations to Matt. I’ve always known he had champion written all over him since I first saw him as a young rider and it’s a pleasure to see him take the Suzuki RM-Z250 to our first ever Pro Lites MX title.

“I’d like to pay tribute to Jay, who has not only run one of the best teams in the country, but has also acted as a mentor to Matt and guided him through one of the best seasons I’ve seen.

“Another consistent season by Cam resulted in another top 10 finish for Suzuki, and I’d like to especially thank Darryl for his efforts today in showing just how good the RM-Z450 can be. It all bodes well for a real crack at the title in 2010.

“Recognition must go to our sponsors – Motul, Shift, Bridgestone, NGK, RK Chains, Yoshimura, Tag Metals, Hinson, One Industries, Uni Filter, Vortex, RG3 and Braking. Without their fantastic product and ongoing support the championship would not be possible.

“I’d also like to thank Phil Tainton, from our superbike team, who developed the engine for this series and helped build a bullet-proof motorcycle that came through with flying colours.

“Suzuki can’t wait to defend both classes of the SuperX championship aboard our all-new fuel-injected RM-Z250 and RM-Z450.”