Field amped for 2011 A4DE motocross finale
Riders spent the afternoon pre-walking the picturesque and loamy motocross circuit at the Gum Valley facility to prepare for tomorrow’s final motocross event of the 2011 Yamaha Yamalube Cycra GYTR Australian 4-Day Enduro (A4DE).
Battle has hit fever pitch in several of the classes after today’s Day 3. Racing tomorrow will kick off at 9am at the Gum Valley MX Track, Turnor’s Paddock Road, Gum Valley (tickets at the gate).
There is at least one rider who has a solid buffer going into the race, however: reigning A4DE Outright winner and Motorex KTM racer, Toby Price.
Price, 23, from Singleton in NSW, extended his lead of closest rival, Chris Hollis (Yamaha) to 56-seconds after the six special tests today.
“The track at Gum Valley looks unreal, I haven’t been lucky enough to race there in an actual motocross event… I’m busting to get out there,” Price said.
“I built a little bit more of a lead today, so if it doesn’t go to plan tomorrow, just make sure I make it to the finish and close enough within that gap to hold onto that number one position.
“Just cruise along, see what we can do… but I’m definitely looking forward to getting on that motocross track.”
Sitting third in Championship E2 is Victorian, Daniel Milner. Milner, who rides a YZ450F out of Christensen’s Off-Road, is also fourth Outright – just behind young Tasmanian, Matt Phillips (Ballard’s Yamaha).
Phillips, 18, holds a commanding lead of Championship E3, ahead by about one minute twenty-seconds of Motorex KTM’s Jarrod Bewley.
“I started off fairly well with the Yamaha test… and I carried that momentum through the rest of the day,” Phillips said.
“Had a few good results, didn’t quite knock out the top result in any tests, but a couple seconds [Outright], so I’m pretty happy with that.
“I’m glad to be healthy and in good spirit to race tomorrow.”
Third in E3 is held by Nick Beattie (Force Honda Racing) from the Sunshine Coast.
There are several classes where mere seconds are separating the podium places.
Local boy, Matt Dumigan (Yamaha) had been leading the Championship Veteran’s Class until Brad ‘Wonka’ Williscroft crept ahead today. Williscroft (KTM) now holds a five-second lead.
Both riders are experienced in MX and are expected to put on a sensational show of bar-to-bar action tomorrow.
The race for the Championship E1 Class crown is just as hot. Husqvarna Racing Team’s Alex Salvini (from Italy) pipped former leader, Stefan Merriman (Yamaha) today and has a seven-second advantage going into Day 4.
“I’m feeling confident [going into the motocross], I don’t know, tomorrow, I think it’s going to be a good day,” Salvini said.
“I just lose too much time on the first day, I just try to catch [Merriman], in the end I catch him.
“But it’s not a big gap, only around five or eight seconds, it’s not too much, it’s nothing. But tomorrow will be nice, for sure.”
Merriman, 38, said he had hoped for “a buffer” going into the final MX, as Salvini was a MX2 world motocross champion.
An official who had seen Salvini at a practice day at the Mackay MX Track pre event said the rider was “insanely fast” and definitely one to watch on the pristine Gum Valley circuit tomorrow.
Third in E1 is 10-time Queensland Enduro Champion, Yamaha rider, Kirk Hutton.
In the Master’s Class, the clash playing out is between an enduro great and motocross legend, with Geoff Ballard leading A4DE rookie, James Deakin, by seven-seconds.
Deakin, from Brisbane, has won numerous national motocross titles and was ahead of five-time A4DE Master’s winner, Ballard, until Day 3.
Another enduro racing great, Queenslander, Peter Buckley, has moved ahead of Suzuki rider, Trent Lean, into the third place spot.
Sitting pretty in the Championship Women’s Class is Ballard’s Yamaha racer, Jessica Gardiner, from Londonderry (NSW).
Gardiner is in front of fellow Yamaha pilot, Alison Parker, by nearly two minutes.
In the Outright, Alex Salvini has moved ahead of TM rider, Josh Green, for fifth. Merriman is seventh, while Jarrod Bewley, Nick Beattie and Husqvarna’s Bartosz Oblucki (from Poland) round out the top-10.
In the Senior and Junior Trophy Team categories, NSW is ahead for the Seniors, while Queensland is in the top spot in the Junior ranks.
The Ballard’s Yamaha team was in front of the Motorex KTM Off-Road Team and the Husqvarna Racing Team for the Trade Team clash.
The final motocross event for the 2011 A4DE will be held Sunday at the Gum Valley Motocross Complex (off Turnor’s Paddock Rd) tomorrow. Racing from 9am.
RESULTS
A4DE Day 3 (progressive) Champ E1
Alex Salvini HUSQVARNA
Stefan Merriman YAMAHA
Kirk Hutton YAMAHA
Champ E2
Toby Price KTM
Chris Hollis YAMAHA
Daniel Milner YAMAHA
Champ E3
Matt Phillips YAMAHA
Jarrod Bewley KTM
Nick Beattie HONDA
Champ Veteran’s
Brad Williscroft KTM
Matt Dumigan YAMAHA
Damian Smith HUSQVARNA
Champ Master’s
Geoff Ballard YAMAHA
James Deakin KTM
Peter Buckley KTM
Champ Women’s
Jessica Gardiner YAMAHA
Alison Parker YAMAHA
Jemma Wilson YAMAHA
Outright Top-10
1. Toby Price E2
2. Chris Hollis E2
3. Matt Phillips E3
4. Daniel Milner E2
5. Alex Salvini E1
6. Josh Green E2
7. Stefan Merriman E1
8. Jarrod Bewley E3
9. Nick Beattie E3
10. Bartosz Oblucki E2