| Monster Energy Super X Pro Open Round Three 1. Dan REARDON (VIC), 25 2. Chad REED (QLD) , 22 3. Jay MARMONT (NSW), 20 4. Cheyne BOYD (VIC), 18 5. Tye SIMMONDS (NSW),16 6. Daniel McCOY (NSW), 15 7. Cody MACKIE (NSW), 14 8. Robbie MARSHALL (QLD), 13 9. Troy CARROLL (QLD), 12 10.Cameron TAYLOR (VIC), 11 | Monster Energy Super X Pro Open championship standings 1. Dan REARDON (VIC), 69 2. Chad REED (QLD), 67 3. Jay MARMONT (NSW), 63 4. Tye SIMMONDS (NSW), 52 5. Cheyne BOYD (VIC), 48 6. Cody MACKIE (NSW), 44 7. Daniel McCOY (NSW), 40 8. Cameron TAYLOR (VIC), 36 9. Craig ANDERSON (QLD), 36 10.Troy CARROLL (QLD), 31 |
| Super X Lites Round Three 1. Matt MOSS (NSW), 25 2. Lawson BOPPING (NSW), 22 3. Kyle CUNNINGHAM (USA), 20 4. Wade THOMPSON (SA), 18 5. Adam MONEA (VIC), 16 6. Brenden HARRISON (QLD), 15 7. Lewis WOODS (VIC), 14 8. Josh CACHIA (VIC), 13 9. Kirk GIBBS (QLD), 12 10. Danny ANDERSON (NSW), 11 | Super X Lites championship standings 1. Matt MOSS (NSW), 75 2. Kyle CUNNINGHAM (USA), 60 3. Lawson BOPPING (NSW), 58 4. Ryan MARMONT (NSW), 53 5. Adam MONEA (VIC), 44 6. Brenden HARRISON (QLD), 43 7. Kirk GIBBS (QLD), 43 8. Lewis WOODS (VIC), 35 9. Danny ANDERSON (NSW), 32 10. Mitch AUSTIN (NSW), 32 |
— Suzuki Report
Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki champion Matt Moss turned in another clinical performance to dominate the third round of the 2009 Australian Super X Pro Lites Championship at Perth’s Burswood Dome on Saturday.
After a nine year hiatus from the Perth indoor arena, Super X organisers delivered a demanding technical track that Moss exploited to full advantage on his all-new fuel injected RM-Z250.
Easily recording the fastest qualifying lap time, Moss went on to win his heat and immediately secure a finals berth.
US rival Kyle Cunningham won the remaining heat but missed the start in the Pro Lites final after the gates were held long after the five second board was displayed.
Moss, however, showed his class with another holeshot and by the end of the first of the eight lap final had established a four second lead. From there, Moss turned in a flawless ride on the fuel injected Rockstar Motul Suzuki RM-Z250, extending his lead throughout and was never challenged.
He continued to build a commanding lead and was able to cruise through the final lap to secure another dominant victory.
Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development Squad star Lawson Bopping found himself caught up in the carnage of the first lap, leaving him in second last position.
The hard charging Bopping worked his way through the field with a fearless display of riding to snatch second position – and his first podium of the season – on the final lap to secure a Suzuki 1-2 finish.
Moss’ win ensured his perfect season to date remains intact with three wins from three rounds. His maximum points haul at each event has allowed him to build up a substantial 15 point lead nearing the halfway point of the season and he looks determined to defend the red plate.
Bopping’s first podium and race consistency this year has moved him up to third place overall, while SP Motorsports/Byrner’s Suzuki rider Adam Monea had another strong round to move into fifth place in the championship standings overall.
The Australian Super X Championship heads to Canberra this weekend for round four.
MATT MOSS – TEAM ROCKSTAR MOTUL SUZUKI
“The new fuel injected Suzuki RM-Z250 is easily the best bike I’ve ever ridden. I’ve only had it for three rounds, but it just keeps getting better and better.
“Today was a great result. After I got the holeshot I built up a lead and then did what I had to do to win the race. It’s certainly easier when you’ve got the best bike out there underneath you.”
JAY FOREMAN – TEAM ROCKSTAR MOTUL SUZUKI MANAGER
“That was another great effort by Matt. The bike ran superbly and Matt continues to go from strength to strength.
“We all know anything can happen in racing, so it makes this start so important to our championship defence. Those points in the bank could prove crucial in the end.
“For now, everything’s running smoothly and we’re looking forward to Canberra and another top performance by Matt and the new fuel-injected RM-Z250.”
— Reed Report
A lack of laps came between Chad Reed and victory at tonight’s third round of Super X at Perth’s Burswood Dome, with the defending champion scrambling to second after a bad start.
The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider set the early pace as he has all season long, establishing himself as the one to beat aboard the KX450F.
He entered the Round Robin format brimming with confidence and easily won all three heats, giving him the advantage of first gate pick for the ten-lap final.
A slow start saw Reed buried mid-pack and faced with the challenge of fighting back over just 10 laps.
He executed a series of textbook passes and was closing in on leader Daniel Reardon before meeting with the chequered flag earlier than expected.
Second place for the round hands Reed 22 points and sees him slip to second in the race for Open class honours.
“It was a good night and was entertaining for the fans who came out to see it,” said Reed. “The bike was awesome and I felt like I was riding pretty well.”
“This format placed extra emphasis on the start, unfortunately I didn’t get away well enough and wasted a lot of time coming back through the field.
“I closed right up on Daniel (Reardon) but ran out of time to make a pass, I felt sure there was a lap or two left!”
“He put in a great effort and should be congratulated on a really good ride tonight.”
Reed is 2 points shy of Reardon on the standings – 69 points versus 67.
The next round of Super X will be held on Saturday November 7 at Canberra Stadium.
— KTM Report
GLENN MACDONALD – Race Team Coordinator
“Motorex KTM only had one rider being Tye Simmonds enter at round three of Super X, with Kade Mosig opting out of the Pro Lites due to a knee injury at the previous round,” said Macdonald. “In the Pro Opens Tye has some real highs and lows, but fought hard in every race to finish fifth for the round, and bring home valuable points to maintain fourth in the Championship.
“The round robin format proved challenging with competitors facing three, five lap heats, and in each heat they were pitted against a different list of riders. Only the top 12 riders who accumulated the highest points from their three heats would make the main.
“Tye got off to a great start in his first heat race, and led for the opening stages until Michael Byrne and Jay Marmont relegated him to third. In the second of the three heats, again Tye was in the mix and brought home his KTM 450 SX-F in fourth place.
“Heading into the final heat, things were looking really positive for Tye to secure a high qualifying position for the final, however a crash on the technical whoops section saw him tangled with another rider. Tye was in last position, and had to work his way back through the pack, finishing this race in sixth, which was commendable considering he was last.
“Tye just made it into the final of 12 riders for the main event, and unfortunately his qualifying position meant he had last gate pick. Tye’s gate position was out wide putting him in last again once the gate dropped.
“Tye did an outstanding job to work his way up to a fifth place finish in the ten lap sprint final, behind Dan Reardon, Chad Reed, Jay Marmont and Cheyne Boyd, all riders many years his senior, and with far more experience. Tye should be very proud of himself just to be in the mix with these guys at such a young age.
“There were a few small mistakes that were made during the racing, that possibly came down to lack of experience, but overall Tye did a fantastic job reeling in the pack to secure valuable race points for the Championship.”
TYE SIMMONDS – Pro Open
“I had bit of a tough run at Burswood Dome which was disappointing for me,” said Simmonds. “Coming off a podium at the previous round I was really hoping to keep up that momentum for round three.
“I’m glad to have maintained fourth in the Pro Open Championship, but it wasn’t an easy ride. The racing started off awesome, with my heats going well putting me in a good position to qualify for the final. Everything came unstuck though when I crashed in my third heat. That gave me a real set back in points, and I only just made it into the main event.
“Just scrapping through to the main gave me a wide gate pick, and I was pushed right to the back once the gate dropped putting me in dead last. I had to work my way through the field to get back in the game, as the more experienced riders were checking out.
“Besides making a few small mistakes I was able to get up behind the fastest guys in the field, and bring home fifth place. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it’s given me points to maintain fourth in the Championship, and it’s all about chipping away at points to get on the podium for the overall Pro Opens Championship. Consistency will be the key, and with four rounds to go I know this is achievable.
“The team at Motorex KTM Racing again put in an awesome effort to prep my KTM 450 SX-F for the race, and I’m really enjoying the bike. I got some good hole shots at this round in my heats from starting in third gear, which gave me strong starts. I just now need to work on capitalizing on those starts, and sticking to a fast pace so the likes of Reardon, Reed and Marmont can’t track me down.
“We’re heading to Canberra next weekend (Sat 7 Nov) for round four of the Championship, and my game plan leading up to this round will be as much bike time as possible especially in the whoop section, which is where I had my biggest crashes in Perth.”
— Kawasaki Report
After a promising start to the third round of the Australasian SuperX at Perth on Sat 31 October, bad luck befell KRT riders Craig Anderson and Luke Arbon with both factory riders having to settle with finishes just outside the top ten.
Open rider Craig Anderson showed good speed throughout his three round robin heat races going 3-3-3 to set himself up with a good gate pick for the 10 lap final. Craig was able to get off to a good start in the final however a first lap crash on the whoops sent Craig to the ground. Uninjured, the multiple Australian Champion was able to remount his KX450F and rejoin the race however the lost time was too great in a 10 lap race of world class riders and Craig had to settle for an 11th place finish.
Craig says, “Another rider came right across the whoops in front of me on the first lap and in trying to get out of the way I came off. It definitely wasn’t the result I was looking for this weekend but I’m now focusing on Canberra and I’m confident of a good result there.”
Lites rider Luke Arbon came out firing at Perth showing very good speed on his KX250F. The unseeded rider was quick enough to qualify in 6th position and looked to be on track for his best SuperX result to date.
Luke got off to a typically good start in his heat race and quickly found 4th place. While he was on the move for 3rd, a two rider crash in front of Luke sent the KRT rider crashing to the ground. Luke was able to rejoin the race albeit in last place. Determined to finish in the best possible place Luke fought hard, passing many riders to finish in 7th place. Unfortunately, with only the top 6 finishers progressing to the A final, Luke was relegated to the B final with no LCQ and no chance of a top 12 finish.
Luke easily won the B final to finish the round in 13th place overall.
In regards to the weekend, an obviously disappointed Brett Whale (Team Manager) says, “The weather was great in Perth and the restaurants were sensational!”
Craig Anderson currently sits inside the top ten in the SuperX Championship in 9th place and Lites rider Luke Arbon is currently in 11th place. Both riders will be out to regain valuable Championship points and finish on the podium at the fourth round of the Australasian SuperX Championship at Canberra this Saturday 7 November.
— Yamaha Report
Dual podiums in Perth for Yamaha riders
Yamaha riders have finished on the podium in both Super X Open and Lites classes at tonight’s third round of competition, held at Perth’s Burswood Dome.
Jay Marmont rebounded to finish third for CDR Rockstar Yamaha on his YZ450F, with teammate Cheyne Boyd close behind in fourth.
Kyle Cunningham continued his run of third-place finishes in the Lites class, overcoming a bad start to fight back to the podium.
The solid showing sees Marmont hold down a top three championship placing, with Cunningham’s consistency elevating him to second.
Super X Open
With the disappointment of missing the podium for the first time in 18 months fresh in their minds CDR Rockstar Yamaha bounced backed in the best possible way at Perth’s Burswood Dome with reigning Motocross Champion Jay Marmont third in tonight’s Super X Open final and teammate Cheyne Boyd fourth.
Marmont endured a tough road to the final, stalling his YZ450F in his second heat race then starting the ten lap final from the eighth grid pick.
The round one winner got a good start and was second out of the first turn. He rode a consistent 10 lap final but said he didn’t quite have the pace to match race winner Dan Reardon or second placed Chad Reed.
“I didn’t feel good all night tonight,” Marmont explained. “It has been a big week emotionally for me with my baby daughter back in hospital for an operation, so I found it a bit tough to concentrate out there.
“I was second in my first heat then stalled the bike and finished sixth in the heat two. In my third heat I finished second to Chad and ended up with the eighth gate pick for the final which was not ideal.
“Third was a good result for me tonight given the circumstances but I can promise I will come out stronger in Canberra,” Marmont vowed.
Teammate Cheyne Boyd finished the final fourth after a string of top three results across his three heat races.
Boyd admitted he was down on confidence but said he felt he had improved significantly between practice and the final.
“I have been down on confidence lately and to be honest I didn’t feel comfortable at all throughout practice,” he said.
“My heat races were better. I went 2-2-3 and then had a pretty good final race.
“Fourth is ok but I expect a lot more of myself and I know I have a bit of work to do,” Boyd recognised.
Team Principal Craig Dack praised his riders for their dedication and admitted it was a tough time for the team.
“We are going through a little bit of a rough patch at the moment but both riders are working incredibly hard on their results,” Dack said.
“With what Jay is going through personally, I am very, very proud of what he is achieving and while Cheyne is down a bit on race confidence he is working hard to overcome it.”
While the teams transporter and bikes will head straight to next event at Canberra Stadium the riders will return to their practice tracks mid-week to fine tune their racecraft ahead of the series fourth event.
Super X Lites
Serco Yamaha’s Kyle Cunningham continues to be the picture of consistency within the Super X Lites class, recording his third consecutive third-place finish at Perth’s Burswood Dome tonight.
Cunningham and teammate Kirk Gibbs rallied within the top 5 in seeded practice before qualifying 2nd and 6th respectively for their separate semi-finals.
The YZ250F-mounted Cunningham took an easy victory in semi-final 1, holding out his closest rival by close to 6 seconds over 5 laps.
A disastrous start to the final saw both Serco Yamaha teammates drop to the back of the pack.
Cunningham staged a solid comeback to climb to third and said he simply ran out of time to make up any more ground.
“It’s nice to be on the podium again tonight, it could have been a much worse result considering the start,” said Cunningham.
“We were held for a long time at the gates then I went down on the whoops and had to spend the whole race fighting back through the field.
“With a 32-second lap time the race was far too short to make up any more positions.”
Cunningham adds another 20 points to his season tally, placing him second after three rounds of competition.
Gibbs was unable to recover from the opening lap incident and ended the Lites final in 9th.
“I had a few bad crashes in practice and my heat which left me pretty sore,” said Gibbs. “I got a slow start in the final but managed to cut up the inside into fourth for a few laps.
“I started to struggle breathing and rode tight lines, a few guys got past me in the final laps.”
