Inside Dirt - Issue 9 by MX Nationals

RIDERS TIPS HOW TO RIDE RUTTED TURNS

MW PLUG CHOP KIRK GIBBS TALKS IMPRESSIVE RESULTS

pg. 20

pg. 41

MYTH BUSTERS FACTS ABOUT STEADY CARDIO

INSIDE UNCUT THE REALITY OF BEING A MOTOCROSS RACER

pg. 32

pg. 13

MATT MOSS SHOWS CHAMPIONSHIP FORM “ There’s been a lot of people who have doubted me after last year, and a lot of people really wrote me off, this is proof that they’re all wrong – I want to win another championship in 2016 ” pg. 55

ROUND 2 APPIN

MX NATIONALS

ISSUE 9 12.4.2016

ÉRIC GEBOERS KNOWS THAT TECHNOLOGY is an advantage open to anyone, but that it should not be the only one. Éric and Dave Thorpe’s battles on their MX bikes became more and more epic and they needed to take every advantage over one another at any price. Éric knew all his technical choices would be held as a reference point for others, thus fooling his competitors would lead to victory. Why not run a sighting lap on hard track tyres and switch to scoop tyres just before the start? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Éric followed the MOTUL approach by predicting his challengers’ moves and going one better.

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The racing never stops here in Australia, and at Inside Dirt, we cover it all, so we are very excited for our readers to get in to another jam packed issue! The Motul MX Nationals are now in full swing, and so is the 2016 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, so what does that mean for you? It means an action packed ninth edition of Inside Dirt. In this issue, we are going to recap on all of the racing from Round 1 of the Motul MX Nationals in Horsham – where former champ Matt Moss returned to the top step, and defending champ Kirk Gibbs also graced the first podium for 2016. We also have some killer columns from our regular contributors, who will share everything from Tech Tips, to game changing Myth Busters this week. To top things off, we will also give you the run down on how rounds 3 &4 of the Yamaha AORC played out in Portland, as well as what you can expect when the Motul MX Nationals heads to Appin for round two of the series on Sunday April 17. So dig in, and make sure you’re up to date. Inside Dirt is your one stop digital bible for all things motorcycle racing in Australia.

WHATS IN STORE 8

Behind the Gate

Inside Uncut

Riders Tips - How to ride ruts

Myth Busters - Steady Cardio

MW Plug Chop - Todd Waters

Plug Chop - Kirk Gibbs

Yamaha JNR Team NSW

Race Recap - Matt Moss

6 Questions with Brett Metcalfe

Hit and Miss

What’s on Sunshine coast

AORC Round 1 & 2

Schedule

MX1 Round 1 Recap

MX2 Round 1 Recap

MXD Round 1 Recap

108 MXN Rider profiles 135 AORC Round 3 & 4

ID ISSUE #9

ON PAGE 12: Aiden Williams talks about the defining reality of a motocross racer trying to make it in our sport.

ON PAGE 22: Joe Stevens gives the riders key tips on how to navigate a rutted corner.

55 ON PAGE 32: If you have just cycling as your off-bike training you may be wasting your time. Todd Jarratt busts the trending steady state cardio myth. 05

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W H A T S T A R T Well what an awesome first round we had of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals in Horsham! I was asked on Sunday last week, where I was going to put my money at round one, and I replied with ‘I’ll be keeping my money in my pocket’. There was actually no way you could pick a winner at Horsham, and it was very exciting to watch on as the battles unfolded. What we witnessed at Horsham was world class racing, and not just at the front of the pack - there were battles across each and every class, and spectators were treated to an epic season opener. Personally, and on behalf of the

A W A Y T H E Y E

T O A R

Motul MX Nationals and WEM, we would like to give a big thanks to all at the Horsham Motorcycle Club. They are in very dry conditions in Western Victoria, but the club prepared a first class track and set the bar high for the rest of the season. For me, the 2016 MX Nationals is going to be one to remember. We have so much talent across all three of our championship classes like we have never had before, and I think that especially in the Thor MX1 class, we could have as many as ten different moto winners across the series. With the Thor MX1 top three separated by only five points, and to have multi championship winner Matt Moss,

as well as defending MX1 Champion Kirk Gibbs, both tied on points, its already shaping up to be an awesome season to watch, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re only one round in! In the Motul MX2 class, a mere one point separates the top three in the championship standings, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be one hotly contested title in 2016. With the return of Jake Moss to the MX2 class, along with a healthy bunch of rising stars who all want to put their names on the cup come season end, the fierce dynamic within the class will make for some exciting racing throughout the season. The Pirelli MXD class was very strong at round one, with

Connor Tierney winning both moto’s, and remaining undefeated. There were also plenty of strong performances from youngsters Cooper Pozniak, and Kaleb Barham, along with a stand out performance from Tasmanian Wade Kirkland. It’s always great to see riders coming out of juniors and having their first senior experiences at the MX Nationals, and it was fantastic to see so many Under 19s riders at round 1 in Horsham.

Another great highlight for me at the season opener was seeing the Yamaha 85cc Cup riders doing battle on the track. There is some great talent within the junior ranks in Australia, and I’m sure you’ll all see a lot of these faces on the podium in the years ahead. As our MX Nationals team rolls on to Appin for round two, we can’t wait to see more exciting battles for championships unfold.

INSIDE

UNCUT THE REALITY OF A RACER.

RACING MOTORCROSS OR SUPERCROSS CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING FEELINGS ONE COULD EVER ASK FOR, FOR THOSE WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO RACE THIS SPORT PROFESSIONALLY ONE THING WILL RESIGNATE WITHIN THEM ALL, THAT IS A BURNING DESIRE TO RIDE THEIR DIRT BIKES. THE CHANGE IN RIDING STYLE IS SOMETHING NOTICED SO OFTEN, AS IS THE MODERN UPDATES IN TECHNOLOGY TO THE BIKES, SOMETHING I FEEL OVERLOOKED IS THE OVERALL CHANGE OF WHAT DEFINES THE MODERN DAY MOTOCROSSER, ONE THING REMAINS THE SAME THIS SPORT CAN BE BRUTAL.

I am lucky enough to get to do a lot of interviews and the same name comes up each and every time when I ask about the guy they idolised growing up. Chad Reed, and for understandable reasons, Chad is still racing in the toughest championship in the world with quite stellar results, though not in his prime anymore Chad has proven to be one of the greatest riders to ever swing his leg over a motorcycle, not to mention he is a local Aussie boy from Kurri Kurri NSW, it is for these reasons its not hard to believe that every young motorcycle rider in Australia in the last 10 years has been chasing the Chad Reed dream. The chance to ride in the AMA or FIM championships is something I believe pushes our riders to the very limit in the aspiration to ride on the world scene. I should add that it is not only Chad who has proven himself internationally as names like Moss, Reardon, Metcalf, Byrne and the latest of our hopefuls Waters and Ferris have shown that the depth

in our field can bang bars anywhere on the planet. The downside to the Dream so to speak is that racing internationally is a lot harder then most would think. On top of the extreme cost Financially to set yourself up let alone go racing all over the country week in week out, there is the mental toll. I recall 4 or so years ago at a race in Unadilla NY, running into Matt Moss who at the time was competing in the AMA outdoors, could not have been happier to see my entire family more to the point just to see some people from home. Any racer knows he or she is only as good as his support structure, and I could see in Matt that with all his dreams still right there in front of him. He missed home. Not that he wasn’t loving the opportunity to see his dream realized, more the realization he was in a foreign land without any family or friends to watch and support him when the gate dropped. To look back in generations passed it is hard to compare the modern day rider

“ANY RACER KNOWS THEY ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THERE SUPPORT STRUCTURE”

25 YEARS AGO THE AUSTRALIAN MX CHAMPIONSHIP WAS RUN OVER A SINGLE WEEKEND

to a Dack, Gall or Leisk, all equally talented in their own right just riding such a different sport to what motocross is today. Its crazy to think that only 25 years ago the Australian motocross championships was no series, instead one weekend of racing would determine the champ, with the top and fittest riders able to compete for glory in not one but 3 classes over the weekend. That difference alone is a huge one, to think an Australian champion could be crowned in one weekend compared to banging bars from March until August that we see today. The first element in such change is the way a rider must train. No longer is it enough to get your Cardiovascular fitness from simply riding a few times a week, Cycling, Swimming, and personal trainers in the gym have all become just as essential

to not only get you to the fitness but maintain adequate strength and endurance for the course of the championship. Though riders around the globe push themselves to the physical limit of perfection to see it all come undone with one simple moment, this is what I talk about when I say the brutality of the sport is real. Injury isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t something commonly spoken about around the race track, though is something in the back of any racers mind, the thing is it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if your strong, fit, flexible and at the peak of your career as hitting the dirt does not discriminate. With bikes getting faster and riders constantly at a new turning point of what is possible on a bike the element of a big crash or serious injury only becomes closer. It takes months if not years to get

your body to the elite point it needs to be, yet only a few weeks laid up to put you back at square one. In one moment the blood sweat and countless tears of pushing the envelope on what your body is able to handle can be flushed down the toilet with a simple mistake. For a privateer not only will it put you off the pace but most racers that fill the MX Nationals championship and are doing it off there own back its precious time away from work and any income without pay. Sitting and thinking about it one would find it hard to say what makes a racer coming back each and every week. Putting your life on the line for

what could be no reward at all. That is except the reward to call yourself one of the greatest Motocross riders in Australia if not the world. The reward of knowing that when push came to shove you threw down with the best we had and came out the other side, and obviously the reward of claiming a prestigious Australian title. At the end of the day what defines a racer is a broad term as there are so many variations one thing combines us all. This is what we love. This is Motocross.

Story by: Aiden Williams

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RIDERS TIPS HOW TO RIDE RUTS Hi everyone and welcome back to the “riding tips” column for 2016. What did you all think of my “how to holeshot” article from last issue? Send me some feedback.. I would love to know if you guys at home are using these educational articles to improve your riding technique and race results. Touching on the amazing racing from Horsham I feel we saw two important factors; firstly that starts are SO important this season in all the classes and that was essentially the emphasis I put on the article from last week. If you are starting outside of the top five you really have your work cut out moving forward! Secondly we saw that corner speed this year is on

another level and all the riders are carrying some serious momentum and entry speed. When MX1 round winner Matt Moss is cutting moto’s during the week on a 30 second turn track (go follow his Instagram) you know the elite riders are putting a big focus on improving their corners. I’m going to stick with the corner theme for this article and talk about when we see at Appin every year.. DEEP RUTS!! The type of ruts we see at Appin are typical clay based ruts. They are deep in a straight line however they will taper off slightly in the longer corners and have very high “walls” or sides to the rut with a deeper acceleration rut or sometimes

a hard packed greasy exit where all the tacky dirt has been pushed off. The high side walls will grab at a riders front wheel in every turn and this type of race track is extremely technical and demanding for the rider’s concentration. So here are a few riding tips to help improve your rut riding game in 2016!

SET UP EARLY

How often do you see riders come into a rut making all the noise in the world only to reach the apex (centre) of the corner and either slam on the rear brake or pop about seventeen clutch pulls to slow the bike down? Well if you have a keen eye it’s all the time!! The key to riding long ruts is to slow down to go faster. Braking a bike length earlier than normal will allow you to enter the rut at a consistent speed because what go’s in… well it must come out and the key to ruts is constant speed and momentum (you’re going to make up far more time on the exit than you sacrifice on the entrance). By setting up early you can sit earlier, lock your body position and begin the roller coaster. Carrying rolling speed through the entry is key to a fast and smooth rut transition and exit.

FRONT BRAKE

Ruts give you the luxury of being able to turn on the front wheel for almost the entire corner, yet most riders will fight this by dragging the back brake coming into the apex and ignoring the front brake. Embrace the fact that you can lean forward and turn on the front wheel by dragging the front brake coming into the rut. Even a slight pull or “drag” on the front brake will considerably lower the front suspension, in turn shortening the bikes wheel base and making it easier for you to get forward and transition through even the tightest ruts. So GET OFF the rear brake once they heavy braking is done, and guard that front brake all the way until the power comes on. It will not slow you down, but help the front wheel get additional traction and settle the bike

Embra fa c t t h c e t h e a lean f t you can and tu orward front wrn on the dragg heel by i front bng the comin rake g into th e rut

RIDER E into th XAMPLE: D ean Fe e corn rr into co e rnerin r early whic is setting up g effic clutch h early. allow ien )a H his en fter braking tly. Maintain s him to m e is looking try spe a ahead in ke the is g c o his m ed/co and le rner s pleted will a fingers on t transition aning from peed. he co llow h brakin ntrols im to m g (bre ake an y sligh ak lever & t chan ges to

Head up, looking forward Elbows up, Hips unlocked and body moved forward up the seat.

Knee gripping the bike Fingers on the controls

On your toes pushing into the outside peg

Leg up and pointing toes forward

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

use your back muscles to pull through the bars and help keep your body weight forward on the exit 24

BODY POSITION It’s important to remember that most ruts allow you to carry a lot of entry speed and consequently a rider will feel the bike try to “jump out” of the rut if he does not time his transition from entry to apex correctly. Coming in we need to be standing and in the attack position for braking. Once the braking is done we can sit as early as the bumps and roughness of the track will allow a rider to do so. By sitting down early we are again helping to “set up early” and help keep the bike settled in the turn. Most riders make the mistake of standing long into a tight rut and then sitting at the same time they explode with the power. This unsettles the bike hugely and makes it extremely difficult to maintain momentum. So if you are following steps one and two as you sit down you will transition your butt forward right away. (how forward depends on the tightness of the cornerbut a rule of

thumb is your butt just behind the fuel tank). Your top side peg foot needs to be on the tip toes pushing down into the foot peg and gripping extremely tight with the knee. Your lean side leg is up and out of the way with ground clearance, toes pointed in to allow you to grip the downside of the bike with your knee/thigh area. Hips should be unlocked (rolled back not forward) and from there your torso can then place downward pressure on the bars and controls, with the elbows up and allow you to look ahead, use your back muscles to pull through the bars and help keep your body weight forward on the exit. One finger on your clutch and throttle is good for the controls and it’s important to remember to roll the wrist on the throttle arm and not drop the whole elbow as this causes many mistakes in right handed corners (throttle side down)

ACCELARATION

Again this needs to be understood! There is no point accelerating early in a rut if you cannot maintain this rev range through the exit into the next section. If you have to chop the throttle or clutch pop to slow yourself down then your momentum is gone for the next section, obstacle etc. So we need to carry rolling speed, with the end game of building RPM’s continually into the next section. So once the power comes on, it does not come off! In order to do this we need to be patient, time our acceleration to a point where it can stay on and be in the correct gear so we do not have the bike trying to wheelie out from under us and short shift every few bike lengths. With the right gear selection and lower rev range your bike can squat in the rear and gain good traction to the next section.

EXIT

Once you have mastered steps one to four then your exit is all that’s left to master. As the throttle comes on it’s important to stay connected with the front of the bike and continue to roll your hips back to allow you to pull through the bars and carry forward momentum to the next section! All too often I see riders hit hard with the power and extend away from the front of the bike. This means they again have to chop the throttle and lose momentum in order to regain control of the bike. Keep your helmet in line with the cross bar at all times during the rut exit, squeeze with your knees and push your toes down into the pegs to create optimum grip with your lower body. One more thing.. LOOK AHEAD through the whole corner!!! In order to carry momentum a rider has to focus ahead and not look down as this leads to a rider tightening up and fighting the turn. Look ahead, relax and commit to the entry, being patient in the middle and nailing the exit and your rut game will improve and have you dragging bars in no time!

There ac c e l i s n o p o i n t eratin g e in a ru arly t i f ca n no y t m a i n ou this re tain v ra throug h th e n g e ex th e n e xt sec it into ti o n . DON â&#x20AC;&#x2122; T

CH O P THE THRO TTLE

So on c come e the powe s on , i r t do not co me off es !

For those of you going to Appin this weekend take the time to watch the elite riders in the long rutted sections and see if you can identify the points I have listed above. Thanks for reading everyone and see you all at the races and if you can’t make it then ensure you tune into NRGTV for our live coverage from every round on race day! See you at the races Joe Stevens “M.A.D” MX Athlete Development

C O

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MYTH BUSTING STEADY STATE CARDIO TODD JARRATT - 3rd Year Bachelor of Exercise Science & Master of Exercise Physiology

After being absent from the opening issue of Inside Dirt for 2016, I hope you, our Inside Dirt fans around the globe are fired back up and ready to learn about how you can improve your performance through scientifically proven training! Whether you’re a dirt bike fan, parent, mechanic, team manager, or rider, I am prefacing this article and all of my articles in the future, by stating that they are going to be completely fact based, direct, to the point, backed by scientific evidence, and will obliterate many common training myths that you may have fallen victim to in the past. I’m doing this to evolve the way you train forever! The biggest advantage for you, our global Inside Dirt fans too, is that I’m going to allow you to have a say in the training topics you learn 32

about! You simply need to type into the comments section below what subjects you would like to read about and why, and I’ll filter through the requests to answer the most popular questions in our upcoming issues! Now let’s get into the fun stuff and bust our first myth for 2016, “steady state cardio” and why it’s an inefficient form of training for motorcycle racers! If you compete in any of the MX Nationals classes; Thor MX1, Motul MX2 or Pirelli MXD, your race day session lengths and intensities are roughly – one, 20-25 minute practice/qualifying session (plus one, one lap sprint if you qualify for the GoPro superpole in the Thor MX1 class), and two, 20-35 minute moto’s. In terms of each rider’s heart rate intensity, during

Ridersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience heart rates of around 80-100% HRM for 20-35 minutes without any notable rest. WHY WOULD YOU TRAIN AT 50-80% 33

the practice/qualifying sessions it is well understood that heart rates vary from 70100% of heart rate maximum (HRM) lap to lap, and in the moto’s, riders’ experience heart rates of around 80-100% HRM for 20-35 minutes without any notable rest (that is of course excluding the incidence of any unforeseen circumstances). At this intensity, the body is demanding the use of high threshold, fast twitch motor units (AKA fast twitch muscle fibres), which produce great amounts of power but also fatigue more rapidly than low threshold, slow twitch motor units (AKA slow twitch muscle fibres). As a result, if athletes want to improve their performance for racing, they need to be training at a similar intensity and duration to effectively adapt to this specific stress. So why is it then, that motocross riders spend so much time completing long duration, low intensity (LDLI) training AKA “steady state cardio” through running, swimming, cycling, rowing etc. at intensities of only 50-80% of their HRM? 34

Put simply, they shouldn’t... This is because LDLI “steady state cardio” does not burn a great deal of energy, it does not occur at an intensity that overloads the anaerobic energy systems (which we use largely in motocross), and it does not increase an athlete’s power, in fact it makes athletes’ less powerful and less explosive, which indirectly restricts their ability to control a bike at speed. So, instead of continuing your steady state cardio training, which I can guarantee is very much a waste of your time and effort, instead undertake high intensity interval training (HIIT), maximal aerobic speed (MAS) training, or high volume conditioning. In a nutshell, these three very effective training methods involve a high intensity effort followed by either a passive or active recovery period, repeated a pre determined number of times to provide a specific stimulus for each individual athlete. The volume, intensity, duration, and type of the efforts and rest periods can be completely individualised for each athlete, but understanding how to correctly implement these data-based training methods is of the utmost importance. So, if you or your trainer is unsure of how to undertake these procedures, stick to your scope of practice and consult a specialist who can guide you down the right path. The reason the above three methods of training are far superior to steady state cardio, is that instead of struggling to kill one bird with one stone like “steady state cardio”, they literally kill at least five birds with one stone as they increase your maximal oxygen uptake

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If athletes want to improve their performance for racing, they need to be training at a similar intensity and duration to effectively adapt to this specific stress.â&#x20AC;?

(VO2 MAX), heighten your lactate (anaerobic) threshold, increase the concentration of fast twitch muscle fibres in the body, boost your stroke volume and cardiac output, increase muscle capillary density, amplify haemoglobin levels, increase mitochondrial biogenesis, induce excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), increase insulin sensitivity and provide a whole host of other benefits that all drastically improve athletic performance. I will quickly side note that LDLI training such as 1-2 hour steady state cycles can remain in your training schedule,

but they should be utilised almost completely for active recovery. This is because LDLI exercise is an effective tool in diffusing metabolic by-products (e.g. lactic acid) from the muscle, so following race day or a high intensity training session, feel free to jump on the bike, go for a run or head down to the pool for a session, but remember, these are most suitable as a form of active recovery. In summary, you race motorcycles for 2035 minutes at 80-100% of your HRM, so cycling for 1-3 hours at 5080% of your HRM (long duration, low intensity, steady state cardio) is not 35

MYTH BUSTED? SHARE YOUR OPINION going to provide you with much bang for your training buck... HIIT, MAS, and/or high volume conditioning on the other hand will. So there you have it guys! Remember if you have a topic you would like covered in an upcoming issue, or further scientific evidence to explain the myth busted above, you know where to comment! Until next time guys â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t train slowly, when winning is done fast!

JE SSY NEL SON

OVER

Photo by: Jessy Nelson

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TAR G E T:

KIRK

Defending MX1 Champ Kirk Gibbs entered round one coming off one of the nastiest injuries of his career, however the diesel engine Gibbs proved that nothing can stop him, and the KTM Motocross Racing Team rider is now tied on points for the championship lead with Matt Moss. We caught up with the humble defending champ to pick his brain about his doubts, and how he’s feeling being back at 100 per cent at the Motul MX Nationals. One round in to the series, and you’re tied on points for the MX1 championship lead with Matt Moss, how did it feel to be standing on the podium with Mossy at round one? It felt really good. It was something that I really had hoped would happen, but I

GIB B S

guess I didn’t have the best preparation, so it’s not that I didn’t think it was possible, but I was hoping for a top five finish and some solid races. After being there, and having that result at round one, I think we’re actually in a pretty good position. So with that said then, did you not think that you would be tied on points for the championship lead at the end of round one? To tell you the truth no, I didn’t think that was something that was going to happen. Coming off my injury I didn’t get to start riding until late January, so I only sort of had two months on the bike ahead of round one. I had to take it easy there for a little bit. I just had to do what I could with what I had. My suspension guy Danny Apro had a baby before round one, so I 41

KG 1 didn’t do as much testing as usual but we all made it happen and I’m really happy with how everything fell into place before round one. Just touching on your injury, for people who don’t know, you broke your pelvis which is actually a huge injury to come back from, how hard did you work in the off season to be ready for round one of the MX Nationals? Once I had seen the specialist, he told me that I had fractured my hip and pelvis in five or six different places, but I was quite lucky in that it didn’t displace at all so I didn’t need an operation. That actually saved me a lot of time with my recovery. The first six weeks was just touch baring on my right leg – I couldn’t really put any pressure on my right leg because the break must have been worse on that side. And then, I was only allowed to stand using my crutches or lay down. Even eating food for the first six weeks, I had to do that laying down which was really hard. Your pelvis is sort of the main area that everything connects to so it was pretty tough. The first six weeks for me were really hard – obviously I’m a very active person so laying around not doing anything at all and getting fatigued from just standing up was difficult. After that I got the all clear to start walking, so the next month was just walking and not doing much at all, and then the last two weeks of the 12-week block, I started sitting on 42

a stationary bike and just slowly spinning my legs, just to get things moving and get the blood flowing to that area again. Then at the 12-week mark, I got the all clear to go riding again! The doctors were really impressed with how things had healed up. So I’ve been back training and riding since that 12-week mark. During that six-week period where you unable to even stand up, did you ever doubt your ability to come back and be competitive? Yeah definitely. When you’ve got a lot of time to sit on the couch and think about a lot of things, and especially when your competitors aren’t resting and you can see that they’re out training, it plays on your mind. When you’re laying on the couch, and you’re injured it’s easy to think that things are fading away, which has a big toll on you. But as I said, I just worked as hard as I could for those two months that I was allowed to be back on the bike and I was just lucky that I’ve matured a lot in the past few years. I’ve got a lot smarter with the way that I ride, and I’m more focussed on being consistent with the way that I ride these days. When you returned from injury, a lot of people used the results from the Conondale Cup to gauge where everyone would fit in at the MX Nationals. How did you approach that event, given that it was your first race back, and that a lot of the big MX

Nationals names were racing there for the first time this year? At Conondale, I really hadn’t been on the bike for very long and for us we just went there to get some racing under the belt. Of course with everyone there it was going to be a good gauge of where we were at. I knew there was going to be a lot of fast guys and we sort of went in very underprepared, we had only had one little test session. I had high hopes there, especially with them being short races and we should have done not too bad, but things didn’t really go to plan. I struggled a lot with starts and had a crash in the first race and then just struggled for the rest of the day. It knocked my confidence a bit to be honest – when everyone is

there, and you’re underprepared you try and believe in yourself as much as you can. Especially when it’s that early in your preparation for 2016, it’s pretty daunting. But in saying that, I’m glad I went and did those races because it made me go back and work even harder. I’m just keeping my head down after each meeting and keeping on plugging away at my program and hopefully it will pay off. With Dean Ferris and Todd Waters back on home soil racing the MX Nationals this year, and with you coming off injury, a lot of people didn’t tip you to be up there this year, how good did it feel to show everyone your form at Horsham? I guess it did feel good but I don’t try to look in to things too much, or listen to 43

what people are talking about. But in saying that with the two boys returning this year, everyone sort of thought that they would be in a class of their own. I felt like when I went to race the MXGP at Glen Helen last year, it was on a bike that I had never raced before and I was thrown in the deep end. I was riding pretty well, and I was actually around both Todd and Dean at that stage so I felt that if everything had of gone to plan that I could keep up with those guys anyway. I feel like my riding was good last year up until my injury, so if I can get back to where I was, and get even better this year then I feel like I can take it to them. Given that you did beat the likes of Ferris and Waters at round one, who 44

were consistently within the top ten in the MXGP, and Waters even scoring a podium at one stage, does that fuel any desire for you to race in Europe? Yes and no. I definitely want to go and race Des Nations. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something I really want to do, and obviously I apply every year but with Todd and Dean there, they were already over there so it sort of ruled me out. I do want to go and do some one off races though and see where it goes from there. When I did race that MXGP round at Glen Helen I was nervous and there were a few other factors, but I think if I went back again and did another round that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be a lot smarter and in a better position. So yes I would like to go over and see where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m at, but I am getting older

now and I’m not getting any younger. You really need to be in your late teens or earlier 20’s to make it happen over there so I’m also realistic about my age and what I want to do with my career. Todd and I are really good mates, and he’s told me a lot about his experience over there, and it sounds like a tough world to get in to. Lastly, you’re the 2015 MX Nationals defending champion – Jay Marmont and Matt Moss have both openly shared that defending a title is far more difficult than winning your first one, do you agree with that? Maybe ask me at the end of the year (laughs). Na I feel like every year brings it’s new challenges. For me throughout

my upbringing, I was never the best junior racer so it was a massive feat for me to win my first title. In saying that it’s a stacked class this year and we have two guys who have returned from Europe so it’s going to be an exciting year, and I just hope that I’m there to challenge these guys all the way to the end and defend it. So hopefully you can ask me that question again at Coolum.

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YAMAHA JUNIOR RACING NSW PHOTOGRAPHY MATT BERNARD

THE TEAM As the MX Nationals head to Appin for round two we take a look at Yamaha Junior Racing’s NSW team.

The current YJR team in NSW is a two rider team consisting of Bayley Clancy and Michael Driscoll. This is Clancy’s second year on the team and he will be competing in the 12-u14yrs class on a YZ 85 big wheel and adding a YZ 125 to his program when he turns 13 in April. Driscoll is a new addition to the team for 2016 and will compete in the 15 year age group across two classes on his YZ 125 and YZ 250F. These two riders are now in the box seat to work hard and reach their racing goals as part of Yamaha’s strong progressive racing program which can feed the right candidate through to a factory ride. Having a combination of a younger and older rider has worked well for the team in the past and it’s also a great way to showcase the YZ’s as team

manager Shane Booth explains. “I’ve found it works well and it’s great to have the older team member who can help lead the way and offer advice to the younger riders. As far as junior racers go 15 years olds are veterans of that discipline of motocross and have the most experience in the junior pits so they do have a lot to offer the younger riders. Having two riders spread across the different age groups also allows us to compete in four different classes at major events and showcase three different YZ models which is great. It’s great working with passionate and determined riders and that’s what we have this year, I believe both Bayley and Mick are yet to reach their full potential and I enjoy working with them to help make that happen. There is no pressure

from me in anyway and I make a big effort to keep that away from the team, the kids add enough pressure to themselves without any coming from anywhere else. I’m looking forward to a great year of racing with these guys and their families.” As part of the YJR program the riders receive great support from Yamaha Australia and multiple other team sponsors and have the luxury of not having to put all that side of the program together as it is looked after by the team managers in each state. They are also open to attend any of the Yamaha Australian Institute of Motocross courses nationally and work with Yamaha’s great pool of riding coaches. The NSW team is committed to racing the NSW State Motocross Championships and the Australian Junior Motocross Championships, in between riders are free to pick and choose the events they would like to compete in, quite often heading interstate to compete in state championship rounds there. Other series like the East Coast MX and Amcross are usually targeted and even the odd off-road event.

YJR NSW MAJOR RESULTS 2010-2015 6 State Championships 15 State Championship Podiums 3 National Championships (Mackenzie Tricker, Joel Wightman, Dylan Heaton) 8 National Championship Podiums

YJR NSW ALUMNI Mackenzie Tricker Jordan Bissaker Ben George Joel Wightman Dylan Heaton Jordan Hill Brendon Walther

THE SUPPORT BEHIND THE TEAM Yamaha Motor Australia Fox GYTR Yamalube Pirelli RK Chain ODI Acerbis Moto Kit Matt Bernard Photography 51

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT BERNARD

YJR NSW team manager Shane Booth In 2010 Shane Booth took on the role of managing what was then known as the Yamaha Junior Development Team and has been at the reigns of the junior racing program in NSW ever since. With the experience of racing since the age of four, right through the junior ranks and into the sport of motocross at a professional level Boothy has plenty of experience to draw from. He has been with Yamaha since 1998 and began coaching motocross with Stephen Gall and Lyndon Heffernan while still racing a full time schedule. Eventually there was more and more opportunity in the coaching side of things and it started to take priority over racing. In 2003 he

drove a full lap of Australia running Yamahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academy of Off Road Riding courses and continued to do so until 2006 when he moved to the USA for a period working with James Stewart on his preparations for the 2007 AMA Season. On return from that he took on the role of Y-AIM agent in NSW in 2009 and is still currently in that role. He has also partnered up with Chris Urquhart who runs Y-AIM QLD and started Motodevelopment from which the Moto Master Class courses that feature world class riders was developed. They have also since partnered with Ricky Carmichael to bring the RCU program successfully to Australia.

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RACE RECAP - MATT MOSS Horsham MX1 round winner recalls MX Nationals opener. Powered by motoonline.com.au

National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Matt Moss entered Horshamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first round of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals under the radar of sorts. Sure, we are all aware of his capabilities as a two-time MX1 champion in the series, however much of the spotlight was cast upon returning MXGP regulars Dean Ferris and Todd Waters, not to mention defending champion Kirk Gibbs. But come Sunday afternoon and following a dominant moto two win, Moss stood tallest on the podium in a pivotal debut for him aboard the all-new KX450F. MotoOnline.com. au spoke to him in the team transporter directly following.

Matt Moss, opening round winner in MX1 on debut with the National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team. You must be stoked with that!? I am! I’m not going to lie, we have had some ups and downs these last couple of weeks. I felt like I was fighting myself a little bit, probably just a little bit of nerves and wanting to be perfect, but we turned up today and we were here to go racing. The vibe in the team is amazing, I really wanted to go racing, obviously in Super Pole I didn’t even qualify in top five, I qualified sixth. I just rode really tight the first moto and the first practice, then in the second moto I started to feel like myself. I’m pumped with it, it felt really good and we will just keep moving forward now. It’s just good to get a win and good to give back to the the sponsors that haven’t seen anything from me lately, but they’re still committed to me and we are getting the job done.

There are obviously a lot of changes going on this year, new riders coming in, guys returning from MXGP and team switches from others. Did you know what to expect heading to Horsham? You know what, I said it from day dot these European guys coming back and all that sort of stuff, is a ‘whatever’. It’s a whatever, I don’t care… whatever. But in saying that, my main competitor today was Kirk Gibbs and obviously [Dean] Ferris had a great first race, but I knew these guys coming back aren’t just going to beat us. Gibbs and I, we are holding the Australian flag up high, I know they’re Australian too, but there is always talk about these European riders [coming back] and all that sort of stuff – a lot of people backed Ferris to win everything. It’s good to get the win and keep moving forward.

How is the base setting on the KX450F? It seemed comfortable and obviously looked good on the track. Yeah, it’s good. I’ve got my suspension guy, Factory Spec’s Kenny Wheeler does my suspension, just because I’m in New South Wales and it’s just so hard to relate. I’m such a picky rider, I want to change things all the time and better myself. It’s preferably done really good, the bike felt unbelievable today, so the base of where we are at first round, we can only get better, it’s good things to show. Pumped with everyone that’s been behind me and committed to me and to help me, so just looking forward to going racing. 57

I know you have a lot of belief in your ability, you’re not a champion already for nothing, but can this be a confidence boost at all? Is it? I know I can win races, I can win championships. I’ve done it. There is no doubt in that. It’s whether you have the machine and it’s the people backing you that are going to get you that championship, there is only so much a rider can do. But with this team I feel like we have the best shot, I have the best shot getting what I need to get done. They are doing everything for me and everything I can, so I’m just really excited. We are just enjoying going racing and I reckon I will have a smile on my face for the next two weeks going into Appin.

No worries, well done!

Thank you!

QUESTIONS WITH

BRETT METCALFE Tell us about your support from SD3 Husqvarna for the first four rounds of the MX Nationals. I came down last year and met the Team manager Steve and the whole SD3 Husqvarna Racing Team, and we got along really well and we had a successful outing at the Supercross. This past off season Luke Arbon and the mechanic Andy came over to the US and lived and trained with me for a month and so it just kind of fell into place at the last minute, literally the last minute before Round 1 at Horsham. Its just exciting I wanted to come back and do some racing here in Australia. The SD3 Husqvarna Team are really cool people, so its great to be part of that atmosphere. Last song you listened to on your Ipod? On my Ipod? Man, I don’t know, like and actual IPod or an IPhone (laughs)? I actually listen to CDs, I’m listening to a CD right now. I can’t even remember what the last song was that I listened to on my Iphone. It’s been a while, since the plane ride over to Australia. It would have probably been Dr. Dre though; his new album is awesome! First car? My first car was a GMC American Van. I owned the van, I bought that one myself, that was my first car. It was a pretty good first car, and my favorite memory was definitely getting my new stereo player (laughs).

Favorite Australian track and why? I don’t know, I haven’t raced here for so long! That’s a difficult question for me. Horsham definitely wasn’t my favorite round or track and Appin I have never raced at before, and even Broadford I haven’t raced for about 15 years. I think it would probably have to be Manjimup. I have always wanted to race there one day, that place looks cool. It is a bit historic, and I like riding in the sand. The track has been around since I was a kid. I can still remember watching Jeff Leisk and Stephen Gall, all those kind of dudes racing there, I have never got to race there as senior or Pro, so that something that I would really like to do. Most embarrassing racing moment? I pulled off the track with one lap to go, thinking the race was finished. I was running second and was actually about to take the lead, so I was very close to winning, and I thought it was the last lap and I pulled off. I cruised around for like a quarter of a lap and then I realised it wasn’t over. That was my most embarrassing moment! I have seen it happen to a couple of good riders so that makes me feel a little better. Least favorite rider to race? I don’t really have anyone in mind to be honest, but I hate when riders elevate their game to hold you off, or just because a particular person is there they will elevate their game. That’s kind of frustrating, because I always try and ride to the best of my best ability, no matter who is there, or what event it is.

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HIT& MISS MotoOnline.com.au pulls out the microscope and dissects some of the standouts and disappointments from an enthralling opening round of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals at Horsham, Victoria.

HIT. THE HIGHS FROM ROUND 1 OF THE 2016 MX NATIONALS

“HORSHAM WAS A GREAT RESULT, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING IT WAS MY FIRST OUTING WITH THE NEW TEAM” - MATT MOSS

The Moss brothers: After a dismal 2015 and either signing with a new team (Matt) or dropping back to the MX2 class (Jake), a lot of people had written off the Moss twins this year, especially with the premier class possessing the strongest field we’ve seen in a long time. But someone forgot to tell the Mosses that they weren’t supposed to do well. Two-time champ Matt was back to near his best form as he claimed the MX1 overall for the day and Jake never looked like a guy who’d missed 18 months of racing with injuries as he scorched to third overall for the day. Hell of a way to silence the critics.

unforced error that saw him hit the deck, to round out the day with third overall. Sure, Ferris would’ve been hoping to finish the opening stoush on top of the box, but there was plenty to like about his speed and form from round one. Kirk Gibbs: If we’ve learnt anything from defending champion Kirk Gibbs over the past couple of seasons, it’s that he’s mastered the art of being consistent. As he’s been time and time again, the KTM Motocross Racing Team’s lead rider was the most consistent rider of the entire day across all classes. His 2-2 results were probably overshadowed by the comeback win of his arch-rival Matt Moss, but at the end of the day, both lads scored 65 points and will head to Appin tied on points. It’s only the countback system that will possibly see Gibbsy having to settle for a white plate instead of a red one… for now.

Dean Ferris: Kyogle’s CDR Yamaha racer Dean Ferris marked his return from Europe in the best possible way, by comfortably winning the opening race of the 2016 Australian Motocross Championship. Ferris also qualified for Super Pole and finished sixth in the second moto despite an awkward

MISS. THE LOWS OF ROUND 1 OF THE 2016 MX NATIONALS

Victorian track in the past and this year’s MX1 class is overflowing with talent, but we still expected him to finish higher up the order than 11th overall. He didn’t have any mechanical issues or crashes to blame, he was simply off the pace of the front-runners. Expect him to feature further up the field at Appin, which he’ll probably view as a home round of the series. Wade Hunter: Serco Yamaha’s new MX2 recruit Wade Hunter definitely didn’t one of his best days behind the grips as he rolled away from the track with a lowly 14th overall. In the opening stages of the first moto the Queenslander had a big crash and rung his bell hard, which affected his performance for the rest of the meeting. In that race he circulated to 16th, then played a conservative hand in the second on his way to ninth. He’s already declared he’ll be fit and raring to go next weekend at Appin and will be eager to make amends. Lawson Bopping: After a fruitful off-season and making headlines during the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, we kind of expected DPH Motorsport’s Lawson Bopping to be a bit of a dark horse at Horsham. Granted, he’s been outspoken about his loathing for the hard-pack

Jacob Wright: A late off-season switch from SD3 Husqvarna to a manufacturer-supported KTM deal probably didn’t make for the most ideal preparation for the opening round of the 2016 MX Nationals, but Jacob Wright will be ruing his results from Horsham. Wright suffered a mechanical DNF in the opening moto then could only muster a 12th in the second race to finish the day in 20th. The Queenslander is certainly more capable than those results belie (remember 2014 when he won a handful of MX1 races?) and will only improve from here on out.

“APPIN IS A TRACK I HAVE DONE WELL AT IN THE PAST SO I WILL HEAL UP AND COME OUT SWINGING THERE” - WADE HUNTER

Welcome to the Naturally refreshing Sunshine Coast

Official holiday destination for the MX Nationals

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Make a Sunshine Coast event part of your next holiday Highlights include the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, the Hawaiian Airlines Va’a World Sprint Championships, International Rally of Queensland, World IRONMAN 70.3 Championships, Wanderlust and the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games.

In 2016 the Sunshine Coast will play host to its largest portfolio of events ever. With a range of national and international events in addition to our already impressive events calendar there is sure to be an event that you will want to be part of. From major events that are all about the surf or sporting participation, to tantalising food and iconic music festivals, you’ll always find a fun and exciting event to include in your holiday plans.

Maleny Wood Expo

APR

MAY

30 April - 2 May Maleny Showgrounds

There is no doubt The World is coming to the Sunshine Coast in 2016. You should be here!

Australian Outrigger Aussie Aito Noosa Food & Wine 2016

20-22 May Noosa Heads

20 May Mooloolaba

JUN

57th Australian National Square Dance Convention

Downunder Beachfest

26 June -4 July

9-13 June

University of the Sunshine Coast Sports Centre, Sunshine Coast Square Dance Centre and Mantra Mooloolaba

Caloundra and Hinterland

Queensland State Club Gymnastics Championships and Border Challenge

Etchells Australasian Winter Championships 9-12 June Mooloolaba

Va’a World Outrigger Sprint Championships 5-15 May Lake Kawana

Australian Surf Life Saving Championships - The Aussies

16-24 April Maroochydore, Alexandra Headlands & Mooloolaba

Australian Outrigger Marathon Titles

21-22 May Mooloolaba

Pumpkin Festival 29 May Goomeri

Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival 28 May Noosa Heads

Sunshine Coast Winter Bowls Carnival

International Rally of Queensland

28 May-27 July

17-19 June Maroochy River, Beerwah, Kenilworth, Imbil

JUL

AUG

SEP

Open Cockpit Weekend

MX Nationals Round 10

Maroochy Music and Visual Arts

2-3 July

27-28 August

Queensland Air Museum Caloundra

Coolum Beach

24-29 June Caloundra Indoor Stadium

Gympie Music Muster

25-28 August Amamoor State Forest

10 September

IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships

4 September Mooloolaba

Horton Park Golf Course

Mitchell Creek Rock 'N' Blues Fest 15-19 September

Queensland Garden Expo

08-10 July Nambour Showgrounds

Northern University Games

Noosa Long Weekend

3-7 July

15-24 July

Sunshine Coast Stadium

Noosa area

OCT

22-24 October

October

Blackall Range

7 Sunshine Coast Marathon

17 July

Conondale

World Series Swims - Swim Queensland

The Blackall 100

Mitchell Creek

MX Nationals Round 7

19-21 August Alexandra Headland, Cotton Tree, Maroochydore

Tin Can Bay Seafood Festival 24 September Tin Can Bay

DEC

NOV

National Outrigger Junior Titles

Trans Tasman Gubbi Gubbi Waka Ama 22-23 September

24-26 September Lake Kawana

Lake Kawana

Christmas lights December

Mooloolaba

Triathlon Pink and Fun Run Pink November

Kawana Sports Precinct / Sunshine Coast Stadium

Caloundra Music Festival

30 September-3 October

Gatorade Qld Tri Series - Kawana

November

Kawana Sports Precinct / Sunshine Coast Stadium

Noosa Triathlon Multi Sport Festival 30 October Noosa Heads

Caloundra

Mary Valley Australia Zoo Scarecrow Festival Festival 31 October - Australasian Police and 21 October - 1 November Emergency Service Games

12 November Mary Valley

Wanderlust Sunshine Coast

8-15 October 13-16 October Australia Zoo, Sunshine Coast Stadium Novotel Twin Waters Resort Beerwah

Conscious Life Festival November

Innovation Centre Kawana

Holden Scramble Championship Finals November Twin Waters Golf Club

Woodford Folk Festival

27 December- 1 January Woodfordia

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E APPIN. Round 2 will take the series to Appin in New South Wales. The Bell Bird Park track at Appin is a very well laid out circuit with many great spectator vantage points, providing incredible views of the whole track. As race day day rolls on, this track becomes extremely technical with multiple line choices, which can catch riders out.

SCHEDULE START

CLASS

DURATION

8:30am

MX2 Practice / Qualifying

25 Min

9:00am

MXD Practice / Qualifying

25 Min

9:30am

Rookies Practice / Qualifying

20 Min

10:00am

MX1 Practice / Qualifying

30 Min

10:30am

Go Pro Super Pole

10 Min

10.40am

Official Opening

5 Min

10.45am

Motul MX2 Moto 1

30 + 1 lap

11:25am

Pirelli MXD Moto 1

20 + 1 lap

12:05pm

Thor MX1 Moto 1

30 + 1 lap

12:40pm

Lunch

45 Min

1:25pm

Rising Star Rookies Cup Moto 1

15 Min

1:55pm

Motul MX2 Moto 2

20 + 1 lap

2:35pm

Thor MX1 Moto 2

30 + 1 lap

3.20pm

Pirelli MXD Moto 2

20 + 1 lap

3:50pm

Rising Star Rookies Moto 2

15 Min

CHAMPIONSHIP POINT ALLOCATION PER MOTO 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

35 32 30 28 26

6th 7th 8th 9th 10th

25 24 23 22 21

11th 12th 13th 14th 15th

20 19 18 17 16

16th 17th 18th 19th 20th

15 14 13 12 11

21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th

10 9 8 7 6

26th 27th 28th 29th 30th

5 4 3 2 1

R N D

M X 1 82

MX1 PRESENTED BY:

MATT

MOSS IS BACK National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Racing Team’s Matt Moss returned to his winning ways on track today, taking the Motul MX Nationals Thor MX1 class win, and putting any doubts to rest once and for all. When the big bikes came out to play for the first time in Horsham today, spectators dotted the fence-line, all eager to witness the stacked Thor MX1 class going head to head.

After a 15-minute practice session it was straight into qualifying for the Thor MX1 riders, and with five positions in GoPro Superpole up for grabs, the 450 machines fought hard to put down their quickest lap times. And fight they did – 2015 defending MX1 champ Kirk Gibbs (KTM) shot to the top of the times with a 1:50.459 lap time, followed by National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kade 83

Mosig in second with a 1:50.591. Wilson’s Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki star Todd Waters was third fastest on track this morning, followed by CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris, and Crankt Protein Honda’s Jay Wilson who recorded the fourth and fifth fastest times respectively. With the top five determined, it was straight into the first GoPro Superpole for 2016. CDR Yamaha’s Ferris shocked crowds when he was absent when bikes took off, and after four riders had put down their hot laps, it was Mosig who snatched up the fastest time with a 1:50.340. Waters was second fastest, followed by Gibbs and Wilson. When the Thor MX1 riders entered the Rockwell launch area ahead of moto one, the anticipation grew as thousands of spectators watched on, wondering who out of the talented pack would take the race win. When gates dropped, it was CDR Yamaha ‘s Dan Reardon who snatched up the first holeshot for 2016, followed by Mosig and Ferris who slotted in to second and third behind him. After only one lap in the books, Ferris moved past his team mate Reardon, and demanded control of the race – Mosig after one lap was a notable absentee from the front, dropping back to 12th position. The battle that had fan’s eyes locked on the track though, was the 84

fight for third position between Gibbs, Waters and Moss – the trio banging bars for a podium position, leaving no stone unturned. After lap four, the running order changed dramatically, with Reardon sliding all the way back to fourth position, allowing KTM mounted Gibbs and Suzuki mounted Waters to fly past and snatch up second and third places behind Ferris. When the Thor MX1 class reached the half way point in moto one, Ferris’s speed was unmatchable, leading from Gibbs and Wilson’s Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki’s Waters in second and third. Following closely behind in fourth was Moss who had made his way around Reardon in fifth. As racing progressed there was an exciting battle for the race lead, with KTM’s Gibbs showing that his offseason injury was clearly no longer an issue – putting the pressure on CDR Yamaha’s Ferris and proving that race one was not yet over. However, no one was able to catch the lightening fast CDR machine of Ferris, who eventually took the race one win ahead of Gibbs (KTM) in second, and Moss who put on an outstanding performance to finish in third. CDR Yamaha’s Reardon wrapped up his first race for 2016 in fourth, while Metcalfe managed to hold on to fifth position despite an in race penalty. In

“I DIDN’T EXPECT TO COME HERE AND DO THIS, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO RUN MY OWN RACE” - MATT MOSS

what was a shock finish outside the top five, Suzuki’s Waters suffered a flat tyre which meant he eventually crossed the line in ninth, behind Mosig in sixth, and the Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team duo Dylan Long and Wilson who concluded race one in seventh and eighth places respectively. When race two kicked off for the Thor MX1 class, National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Mosig was out for redemption, and managed to snatch up the second hole shot of the day, ahead of Gibbs and Moss who slotted in to second and third. After one lap, spectators were hanging over the fence cheering, with the top four of Mosig, Moss, Ferris, and Gibbs were all within a bike’s length of each other, treating the thousands of fans to an epic final Thor MX1 battle. After only three laps there was a change to the lead, with Moss managing to get by his teammate Mosig – relegating Mosig to second position, ahead of Ferris and Waters. Closely following the lead pack was Gibbs, DPH Motorsport’s Lawson Bopping, and Husqvarna mounted Metcalfe. Unfortunately for Ferris, a small mistake in the whoop section of the track, 85

saw the CDR Yamaha rider go down, forcing him to drop back to seventh place and on a time limit to make up valuable positions. By the time the race had reached the half way point, riders had settled in to their respective positions, with Moss continuing to lead the way from Mosig, Waters, Gibbs, and Metcalfe who had found his way into an impressive fifth position. By lap eight, Mosig had dropped back to third position, after Wilson’s Coolair Motul Suzuki rider Waters made his way in to second. Mosig then came under fire from a hard charging Gibbs, who also managed to make his way around Mosig and move in to third. As the race reached it’s closing stages, fans were once again treated to an exciting battle for second position, with

Gibbs putting in a charge to find the rear wheel of Waters – the pair then banged bars for half a lap, before the defending MX1 champ made the move on Waters and moved in to second position. By the time the last lap board was shown, Moss had a commanding lead on Gibbs, and was awarded the race win accordingly when the chequered flag flew. Second in moto two was taken by Gibbs, while Suzuki’s Waters rounded out the moto two podium in third. With a third place in race one, and the win in race two, National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Moss was awarded the Thor MX1 Round one win, ahead KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Gibbs in second, while CDR Yamaha’s Ferris wrapped up round one of the Motul MX Nationals in third.

T H E R E S U LT S MX1 Round 1 Results: 1) Matt Moss – 65 points 2) Kirk Gibbs – 64 points 3) Dean Ferris – 60 points 4) Kade Mosig – 56 points 5) Todd Waters – 54 points 6) Brett Metcalfe – 52 points 7) Daniel Reardon – 50 points 8) Dylan Long – 48 points 9) Jesse Dobson – 44 points 10) Jay Wilson – 43 points

11) Lawson Bopping - 41 points 12) Michael Menchi - 35 points 13) Joel Milesevic - 34 points 14) Matthew Toth - 34 points 15) Kurt Wightman - 33 points 16) Daniel Banks - 28 points 17) Michael Mahon - 26 points 18) Aaron Watts - 23 points 19) Jack Foley - 21 points 20) Jacob Wright - 19 points

Matt Moss after winning Round 1 “I didn’t expect to come here and do this, I really just wanted to run my own race, but it proves that I’ve been training and working hard, and also that what we’re doing as a team is working,” he said. “There’s been a lot of people who have doubted me after last year, and a lot of people really wrote me off, this is proof that they’re all wrong – I want to win another championship, and that’s what I’m here to do.

“I really can’t thank the people who have stuck by me enough. A lot of people don’t understand this sport, or don’t realise what we have to do, but to the people who have stuck by me, I’m really happy I could do this for them. “My team manager Troy Carroll understands how I work, and he’s worked me out as a person pretty quickly. I’m really happy that I got to battle with Gibbsy (Kirk Gibbs) and that after everyone talking, that we are the two guys standing here on the podium at round one.” 87

PRESENTS

MX1 RIDER LIST #

Name

Manufacture

Sponsors

Cody Dyce

Yamaha

Shift - YJR - Yamaha Motor Australia - GYTR - Collective - Zeta - Matrix - Yamalube

Callum Norton

Husqvarna

Australian Junior Husqvarna team - Belray, Fox, Shift, Pod, Globe

Jake Williams

Yamaha

Yamaha Junior Racing - MPE Suspension

dylan wakartschuk

KTM

supa trik differentials , davey motor sport , ktm aus , aj`s motorcycles, tune tech

T12

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Yamaha

Mason Semmens

KTM

KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team - Alltech Suspension

Riley Dukes

Husqvarna

Husqvarna Racing Team - Belray Oils - R & D Husky - Thor Mx / Gas Imports - Hg

James Davison

Yamaha

On Two Wheels Campbeltown - Civil Construction Hire - I Hire - Diesel Finance - Emo

Morgan Fogarty

KTM

KTM, Evolution motorcycles, Pumpworks, Maben, KroozeTune, Fox, FactoryFarrar, FTF,

Lachlan Wells

KTM

MCD - Filthy Habits

Paris Rode

KTM

Bailey Malkiewicz

Husqvarna

Husqvarna Junior Racing Team - Belray - Moto GC - Thor - HG Stickers - Pod Active

Chandler Burns

KTM

Davey Motorsports - Perelli - Motorex - Able On site Services - Fox Australia

Caleb Grothues

KTM

KTM Australia, M2R, Scott, Choice Suspension, APL, Berry Sweet, Parramatta Service

regan duffy

ktm

ktm racing team/motorex/troy lee designs/dunlop/kmx/mandurah city ktm

Jake Cobbin

Yamaha

Hardiman MC - Fox Shox - Kenda Tyres

Brodie Ellis

Yamaha

3Zero MX Coaching, Horizon Motorcycles Yamaha, Fox, Fist Handwear, FlowForce,

100

Jy Roberts

Husqvarna

Husqvarna Australia Junior Motorcross Team, Axo, Ipone, Hg Stickers, Powerplus

153

Korey McMahon

KTM

suttos/mag wheel repairs

211

Domonic White

Yamaha

Hillbilly Racing

220

Dylan Marchand

Yamaha

233

Oliver Jamie Marchand

Yamaha

ARS - Lodes Motorcycle Repairs

237

Joshua Whitehead

KTM

Foxhead Australia - Onya Visuals - Craig Anderson Racing - Funnel Webb Filters

238

Finn Laverty

Yamaha

Webbs bp, three 59 suspension, Grafton power products

241

Tyler darby

KTM

Moss institute, MCD Development , Backflips clothing ,Athlete performance training

284

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KTM

SS Racing, Link Int. Coastal KTM, LKI, Mongrel Graphics, SRD Suspension

291

Hayden Matterson

KTM

Coffs Ktm - Chozen riders - Luke George coaching - Saxby bakery& cafe - Tld aus

345

Jack Kukas

Yamaha

Topgun BSMX

705

Corey Crawford

Yamaha

715

Connor Cooney

Yamaha

South Ulladulla Meat Market - Juztintz - Jobson Motors - City Coast Motor Cycles

105

k : Craig Dac R E G A N A F NER / M aha YZ450 TEAM OW m a Y : S E IK B S WON: 37 IP H S N IO P CHAM

#111

FERRIS #111 DEAN Class: MX1 Age: 25 W : Kyogle NS Hometown zer Aiden Melt Mechanic: heel111 IG: @ferrisw

#122

N L REARDO #122 DANIE Class: MX1 Age: 30 t : Gold Coas Hometown man Mike Land Mechanic: ardon122 IG: @danre

FERRIS CLINCHES MOTO WIN IN MX NATS RETURN

CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris slotted back into the Australian motocross scene with style taking third place at the opening round of the 2016 MX Nationals in the premier MX1 division, at Horsham, highlighted with a moto victory in race one. Ferris, who just finished runner- up in the New Zealand championships recently, was in good form entering the MX Nationals season opener and hit the ground running in moto one. Completing the opening lap in third place, Ferris quickly charged his YZ450F to the lead and took control of the race. With each lap, he stretched the lead and after 30 minutes of racing, Ferris took a 10-second victory and a great start to his championship aspirations. Moto two and again Ferris was near the front sitting in third. He then fell and dropped several positions before making some moves and finish the race in sixth. His combined 1-6 results gave him third for the round and a good foundation for the start of a long championship. “Overall, things went pretty well,” Ferris explains. “Winning the first moto was an awesome start to the series and a felt strong on the bike for the entire 30 minutes. Moto two was looking the same and I was patient behind the two riders in front in the early stages but made a mistake and went down by myself. “That fall cost me points and because the field was strung out, it was hard to get back many positions. “The team worked tirelessly and I just need to tidy up a few things and will be back better than ever at Appin,” Ferris commented. Dan Reardon also made a positive start to the season despite carrying a niggling injury into the event. Reardon led the field on the opening lap of race one before dropping to fifth by the mid stages of the

FACEBOOK: /cdryamaha

race. He rallied late to move up a position and take fourth in the opening moto in a good result. The second race wasn’t as smooth and things went pear-shaped on the opening lap when Reardon went down and was left in 22nd place at the completion of lap one. He put his head down and started the long crawl back towards the front and 30 minutes later, he crossed the finish line in ninth place and regained some valuable points in the championship. Reardon’s 4-9 results land him in seventh for the day and in among a very tight championship leader board. “Up and down day for me. Moto one was good and a felt I was riding at a comfortable pace to get the season off on the right foot but moto two wasn’t good. On the first lap I spun up on some slippery dirt and crashed. Crashing that early in the race meant the whole field went by and I near last with a lot of work to do. “It wasn’t my greatest day but I think that there were some positives to come from it and things will definitely improve from here,” Reardon states. Team Owner, Craig Dack, was on hand to guide his team and rode a roller coaster of emotions throughout the day. “I was happy with both riders in moto one and felt they did a great job in finishing 1-4 and got us off to a good start in the championship. Moto two was frustrating as both riders went down early in the race from unforced errors which cost us dearly. Mistakes like that can be costly in any championship so it’s something we need to address. Its round one and both riders will learn from it as they are both mature and experienced so I expect them to be far more clinical at round two,” Dack ends.

INSTAGRAM: @cdryamaha

s : Gavin Eale R E G A N A F NER / M aha YZ250 TEAM OW m a Y : S E IK B IPS WON: 4 H S N IO P M CHA

TODD #2 WILSON Class: MX2 Age: 18 QLD : Atherton, Hometown nes Peter Rabjo Mechanic: todd2 IG: @wilson

#23

HUNTER #23 WADE Class: MX2 Age: 21 D : Cairns, QL Hometown rew Stoppa d n A : ic n a h Mec hunter IG: @wade

TODD TAKES MOTO WIN IN MX2 DEBUT FOR SERCO YAMAHA

Wilson Todd, on the Serco Yamaha YZ250F, signaled his presence in the MX2 division with an impressive second moto victory in his debut for the Serco Yamaha team at round one of the 2016 MX Nationals, held at Horsham in Victoria over the weekend. Todd, the 2015 MXD champion, moved to the MX2 class for 2016 and instantly showed he will be a threat in the championship hunt on an action packed day at the opening round. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Todd who overcame a big fall in moto one to rebound for the victory in race two. In the opening stages of race one, Todd was inside the top 10 and trying to move forward when a rider in front of him made a mistake causing the 17year old to hit the deck. In a double whammy for the Serco Yamaha team, team mate Wade Hunter was also an innocent victim in this multi-rider pile up. Todd was able to scramble back to his battered bike and get going as the 40 rider field raced away. Wilson went to work and clawed his way back to a very respectable eighth place finish by race end. Moto two and Todd was on a mission. Circulating in fifth place, Todd kicked another gear and started to move forward. He moved into second by lap seven and then hit the front on lap eight. With all sorts of pressure, Todd remained composed and took the race win by 2.6 seconds in an impressive display. “Like most riders at the first round, you just want to get through with no real drama and get some good points on the board so I’m happy I was able to do that. The first race was tough because that crash bent my bike up pretty good and it took me a while to adjust but I thought I finished the race strong so I was confident for race two as long as I got a good start.

FACEBOOK: /SercoYamaha

“Race two was just good fun and most of the guys up front were the same guys I raced in juniors so we all knew how each other rode. I was able to get passed them pretty quickly and it was an awesome feeling to get a race win for Serco Yamaha at the opening round. “Thank you to Serco and all our team sponsors and hopefully there are a few more race wins to come,” Todd ends. Wade Hunter experienced a challenging day at the office. His involvement in the opening moto crash left him dazed and sore but the North Queenslander never gave up and battled his way through the day. Once remounted, Hunter was in 37th position and a long way from where he wanted to be. Slowly but surely, he began picking his way past each rider and climbed all the way to 16th place by race end. With a headache and some good bruising, Hunter lined up for race two determined to salvage his day and post some reasonable points. After an average start he completed the first lap in 17th position but was desperate to move forward. He managed to charge his way forward to a ninth place finish for the race and his 16-9 results gave him 14th for the round. “Not the start to the championship I was looking for,” Hunter comments. “The first crash wasn’t my fault and there was nothing I could do to avoid it but it rattled me pretty good. “I gave it everything in race two but I wasn’t feeling great and it was another tough race. We have two weeks before round two and Appin is a track I have done well at in the past so I will heal up and come out swinging there,” Hunter ends.

INSTAGRAM: @sercoyamaha

p cott Bisho S : R E G A N F TEAM MA AHA YZ250 M A Y : S E BIK IPS WON: 4 H S N IO P M CHA

#43

EVANS #43 MITCH Class: MXD Age: 17 D : Cairns, QL Hometown y Cory Hillsle Mechanic: evans43 IG: @mitch

#88

N HILL #88 JORDA Class: MXD Age: 17 D : Noosa, QL Hometown Mike Ward Mechanic: hill88 IG: @jordan

g ale Hockin D : R E G A N TEAM MA aha yz250f m a Y f, 0 5 4 z aha y IPS WON: 0 BIKES: Yam H S N IO P M CHA

#70

G ON BOPPIN #70 LAWS Class: MX1 Age: 26 W idwood NS ra B : n w to Home e Jarrod Pyn Mechanic: 0 nbopping7 IG: @lawso

#12

ATON #12 JED BE Class: MX2 Age: 18 IC : Churchill V Hometown n Ross Beato Mechanic: aton12 IG: @jedbe

n yle Blunde K : R E G A N TEAM MA M 250 SX-F T K , F X S 0 45 BIKES: KTM S WON: 20 IP H S N IO P CHAM

BS #1 KIRK GIB Class: MX1 A Age: 27 Gambier, S t n u o M : n Hometow en Kyle Blund : ic n a h c e M bs IG: @kirkgib

E DOBSON #414 JESS Class: MX1 9 1 : e g A QLD : Brisbane, n w to e m o H Jordan Yeo Mechanic: obson414 IG: @jessed WARD #17 CALEB Class: MX2 9 1 : e g A e, FNQ : Ravensho n w to e m o H an Jess Forem Mechanic: _ward17 IG: @caleb #17

#414

GIBBS LEAVES HORSHAM WITH A SHARE OF THE SERIES LEAD

KTM Motocross Racing Team rider Kirk Gibbs has rebounded from last October’s serious injury to begin his MX Nationals title defence with a share of the top points, as the sport’s premier series kicked off today at Horsham in Victoria. Overlooked slightly in the pre-series hype before what is expected to be one of the most competitive MX Nationals seasons ever, the number one plate holder proved that the class and work ethic of a champion will take a rider a long way, even when the chips are down. Gibbs burst out of the blocks setting the fastest qualifying time, but a mistake in SuperPole dropped him to third pick of the grid, before he went on to take two second-place finishes, the first behind Dean Ferris, and the second to Matt Moss, who claimed the day’s overall victory. With his SuperPole point added, Gibbs left Horsham with 65 championship points, equal to Moss. Nineteen-year-old Queenslander Jesse Dobson made a good fist of his whirlwind promotion to the KTM factory team to replace injured MX1 rider Luke Styke, coming away with a top-10 finish despite having just three decent acclimatisation rides before the series kickoff. Despite a couple of falls during the day, Dobson walked away with tenth and eighth place finishes to lay an impressively consistent platform for his year, despite the very barest of preparation time on the mighty KTM 450 SX-F. Kirk Gibbs (KTM 450 SX-F) – “I surprised myself to tell you the truth, I didn’t think I was actually going to be that competitive. I’m really happy. My starts weren’t too bad but I feel like I can get them better, and I wasn’t strong for the whole 30 minutes in that first moto. In the second I didn’t get through my first couple of laps the cleanest and got passed by a couple of people, but it’s all a work in progress. There’s probably five or six guys that are really on pace at the moment, so I feel like it’s going to be a great year. Maybe there were first round jitters for a couple of people, so it worked out better for some than it did for others. I’m just happy to come away tied for the lead.” Jesse Dobson (KTM 450 SX-F) – “On paper my

FACEBOOK: /KTMAustralia

day doesn’t look that great but with the circumstances we had with the late call up and a couple of crashes I had from putting myself in bad situations, I was right in the mix. I just need to get a good start. We’re all so close out there at the moment that if I put myself in a good place, it will be sweet and I’ll be right up the front pushing for that podium. I wasn’t happy with the result today but I was happy with the fact that, in a short amount of time we were able to show the speed and fitness to be up front and be a top guy. I get on with the team really well – I have since Supercross. Everything falls into place like clockwork; they really know what they’re doing. It makes it a lot easier myself and I can’t thank the whole team enough for that.” In MX2 racing, KTM Motocross Racing Team rider Caleb Ward won the opening round of the MX2 championship by the barest of margins, a single point over Jake Moss and Husqvarna’s Nathan Crawford. Ward convincingly won the first moto by over eight seconds, then recovered from a terrible start in the second after he was caught up with backmarkers, before clawing his way back for fifth and the victory on the day. In what is a highly competitive class, KTM Factory Support rider Jayden Rykers (Davey Motorsport) proved himself to be instantly on the pace on his MX2 debut, posting fourth and tenth place finishes for seventh on the day. New Zealand champion Hamish Harwood was 9th overall with 13, 6 results, while Raceline Pirelli KTM Motocross Racing Team development rider Dylan Wills was 13th overall, courtesy of 9, 15 results. Caleb Ward (KTM 250 SX-F) – “I felt pretty good today, the lot of us out there, obviously the first Moto went to plan and I got out front and do my own thing, sort of cruised, and then, second moto I stuffed up in a little drop off straight after the gate, and I was 20th or 30th around the first corner. I made my way through the pack slowly, and came back to fifth in that one. Obviously that was good enough for the overall so I’m still pretty happy with that. The new team is pretty cool, pretty relaxed, and there are more guys to give you advice or feedback on lines and that sort of thing, so it works out well.

INSTAGRAM: @ktm.australia

Tisdale GER: Chris A N A M M A TE 250SX-F BIKES: KTM

#64

WILLS #64 DYLAN Class: MX2 Age: 20 W : Como, NS Hometown es Josh Smail Mechanic: wills64 IG: @dylan

IRKLAND #5 WADE K Class: MXD ia Age: 16 er, Tasman d n a m a c S : Hometown m Dylan Pilgri Mechanic: dwade IG: @kirklan

RACELINE PIRELLI KTM GET 2016 OFF TO A STEADY START

Raceline Pirelli KTM have left Round 1 of the Motul MX Nationals at Horsham encouraged, after both team riders Wade Kirkland and Dylan Wills put on promising performances in the team’s first outing for 2016. With a change in bike colour, as well as fresh faces for the 2016 season, the team had the opportunity to put their hard work during the offseason to the test over the weekend, with both riders also putting vital championship points on the board. For Motul MX2 rider Wills, round one of the MX Nationals was met with some challenges – Wills, who had suffered a head injury whilst training for round one, raced to ninth in moto one, and 15th in moto two, handing himself and the team 13th overall at the conclusion of round. For Pirelli MXD pilot Kirkland, round one dished out a surprise break through performance. Despite getting caught up with another rider in moto one, the 16-year-old raced from dead last to sixth position, before leading for a good portion on moto two, eventually crossing the line in second. At the conclusion of the round Kirkland was a mere one point shy of third place on the Pirelli MXD podium, and proved that the youngster has the speed to run with the top guys in 2016. Wade Kirkland – Pirelli MXD class – 4th (6th, 2nd) “Being my first race with the Raceline Pirelli KTM team, I’m really happy with what we were able to do at round one,” he said. “I had a bit of bad luck in the first race getting caught up with Mitch Evans, but we were able to come back from that and still finish with a good result. “I would have loved to finish on the podium, but all in all we’re very happy and the bikes and the team worked well together, so we’re excited for round two.”

FACEBOOK: /raceline.liquid.technology

Dylan Wills – Motul MX2 class – 13th (9th, 15th) “It was a disappointing weekend for me that’s for sure, after such a good pre season it was hard to cop that on the chin,” he said. “I’m not one to make excuses but I honestly was still feeling the affects of my big crash at Canberra. The crash was big, and the fact that I only had five days to try and recover and try and get some training in just made it hard. “I went into the round still really sore but trying to forget about it and ride through it. At the end of the day I made points and I’m safe, I’ll do everything necessary to get myself to 100% for Appin and I’ll come out swinging.” Chris Woods – Raceline Pirelli KTM Team Manager “We’re all just happy to get round one out of the way (laughs). It’s always a round where you’re hoping that you’ve done enough work, that you’ve ticked all the boxes, and that you’re going to get a good result,” he said. “Dylan was still suffering the effects of his crash prior to round one, which we understand, and it’s a good thing that he was still able to get out there and put points on the board. “Wade really blew us all away on the weekend which was pretty cool. At Raceline we have always loved finding riders who have that untapped talent, and it’s pretty exciting that at round one he was able to put on such a great performance. “We had the opportunity to try out all of our new products at Horsham as well as the bikes, and we were absolutely thrilled with how everything worked. The bikes and our setup looked awesome on the track and we’re all just hanging to get to Appin.”

INSTAGRAM: @raceline_motosport

SX , KTM 250 F X S 0 5 2 ES: KTM

BIK

SUPPORT RIDERS #17

K ER POZNIA #17 COOP Class: MXD Age: 17 SW odrising, N o W : n w to Home Darren Mechanic: rpozniak17 IG: @coope

RYKERS #3 JAYDEN Class: MX2 Age: 19 A : Byford, W Hometown kers Graham Ry Mechanic: rykers3 IG: @jayden

KTM’S SUPPORT RIDERS PROVE THEIR SPEED

MX2 was a highly competitive class, KTM Factory Support rider Jayden Rykers (Davey Motorsport) proved himself to be instantly on the pace on his MX2 debut, posting fourth and tenth place finishes for seventh on the day. Jayden Rykers (KTM 250 SX) – “I’m pretty happy with seventh overall after my second moto result. In the second one I just didn’t get the start I got in the first one, and I was battling with Caleb Ward and Hamish Harwood and I passed Caleb and went around Harwood and I washed my front end and that was that. For sure I know I am at the level that the leaders are at, to win races and fight for championships. It’s just a matter of putting it all together, and being consistent. I know my speed is there. The intensity is higher in MX2 and there are more people at the same speed, so it’s hard to play catch up if you’re back a little bit.” In the MXD class, Cooper Pozniak (KTM Newcastle) got away to an absolute blinder on his senior debut, the 17-year-old posting a pair of third places to finish second on the day behind Husqvarna’s Connor Tierney. Another debutant, Raceline Pirelli KTM Motocross Racing Team development rider Wade Kirkland was fourth on the day – just a single point away from a podium finish – after posting sixth and second place finishes. Cooper Pozniak (KTM 250 SX-F) – “It’s awesome. I’m so pumped that I got second overall. I went there aiming for top 10 overall and came second. The bike’s working really good and I’ve finally got the suspension how I like it. It’s awesome! The level is so much different compared to what I’m used to. The

FACEBOOK: /KTMAustralia

tracks are just so much rougher and ruttier – it’s good! And there are a lot more faster boys in this class.” Wade Kirkland (KTM 250 SX-F) – “It was pretty solid for my first MXD race, I just missed out on a podium by a point. The first moto I got closed in and had a bad start, then crashed in the first turn so I ended up second last or something and a bit of arm pump kicked in, so I cruised around and kept on riding laps. The second one was good, I got the holeshot, led the pack for a couple of laps, fell back to second and then finished it strong. It’s a pretty quick class, there’s like about 10 fast riders, so I’ll have to keep being consistent. But I enjoyed it.”

INSTAGRAM: @ktm.australia

ll : Troy Carro R E G A N A F TEAM M F & KX250 0 5 4 X K i k a as BIKES: Kaw IPS WON: 1 H S N IO P M CHA

MOSS #102 MATT Class: MX1 Age: 27 t, NSW Sussex Inle : n w to e m Ho ale Paul Teasd : ic n a h c e M 102 IG: @mossy

#102

OSIG #8 KADE M Class: MX1 6 2 : e g A le, VIC : Pearceda n w to e m o H Ben Dutton Mechanic: 8 IG: @mosig OSS # 6 JAKE M Class: MX2 7 2 : e g A NSW : Neringah, n w to e m o H ders Luke Saun Mechanic: oss06 IG: @jakem #8

DREAM START TO 2016 FOR NATIONAL PUMP MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI RACING TEAM

National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team proved to be the in-form team of the opening round of the Motul MX Nationals, with former national champion Matt Moss claiming a memorable MX1 round win and all three racers finishing inside the top

the first Super Pole of the year,” Mosig reflected. “I feel like our hard work is paying off, the races didn’t go completely to plan today, but at the same time it is positive to leave here with a good amount points between qualifying and the races. We will keep

four. On his debut national race aboard the all-new Kawasaki KX450F at Horsham, Victoria, Matt Moss enjoyed a dream start to the Australian championship with a third in the opening race, then passed defending champion Kirk Gibbs and teammate Kade Mosig in the second race to take the chequered flag and the overall for the day. “Today was a great result, especially considering it was my first outing with the new team, but I knew it was going to be a good thing,” Moss said. “The new KX450F is amazing – it’s so light and so fast and made my job easier on a pretty technical track. “Getting the win and heading into the second round with the red plate feels great. I’m not usually up there at the start of the championship, so I’m really happy to be in the box seat early on, and this is an amazing way to start the season.” Fellow National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team MX1 combatant Kade Mosig also experienced a strong start to the 2016 championship when he claimed the Super Pole, then tore up the Horsham circuit to consistent 6-4 results in a field brimming with talent, gaining a valuable points haul in the process. “It was definitely nice to start the season with

heading in this direction and look forward to Appin.” Meanwhile, in the highly competitive MX2 class, Jake Moss shone in his first national motocross race in 18 months. Moss got off the gate well in both motos and scored a solid runner-up result in the opening race, then backed it up with a fourth in the day’s final race. So tight was the racing in the MX2 class that just one point separated the top three at the close of the day’s action, with Moss credited third overall on the podium for the round on board the team’s KX250F entry. “I had an unreal weekend and I felt great,” Moss beamed. “I felt like I could’ve won the first race if I’d got up front earlier, and I kinda blew it in the second race, but that’s probably from a lack of racing experience over the past 18 months. “At the end of the day, though, I stayed on two wheels all weekend and that was a big step for me. The plan is to finish every race with no crashes this year and we’ve started on the right note.”

FACEBOOK: /KawasakiAustraliaMXRacingTeam

INSTAGRAM: @kawasakimotors

n e McKinno v te S : R E G A 0 TEAM MAN C450, FC25 F a rn a v q s BIKES: Hu

METCALFE #24 BRETT Class: MX1 Age: 31 : California Hometown y24 IG: @bmett

#24

ARBON #54 LUKE Class: MX2 3 2 : e g A : Gawler, SA Hometown on54 IG: @lukearb BARHAM #16 KALEB Class: MXD 7 1 : e g A nd : Queensla n w to e m o H barham_16 IG: @kaleb_

#16

#54

SD3 HUSQVARNA’S MOTOCROSS MEN EXCEL AT HORSHAM

It’s a long way from being one of the big factory teams, but at yesterday’s MX Nationals opener at Horsham, Husqvarna’s squad of Factory Support racers proved that the phrase ‘punching above your weight’ is not just a tired cliche. The riders with the famous crowned ‘H’ on their bikes were either on the pace or making the pace across every class, and the result was the championship lead in two of four classes contested, another rider just one point from the lead in a third category. Though he didn’t podium, SD3 Husqvarna’s Brett Metcalfe may well have been the story of the day; arriving in the country, switching brands, having just a couple of short, jetlagged rides on a stock Husqvarna FC 450, and then taking on the best riders Australia has to offer. Metcalfe still finished 5-5 in the Premier MX1 class, which was won by Matt Moss ahead of Kirk Gibbs and Dean Ferris, despite a heavy crash in the first race and a lighter fall in the second, and the USbased South Australian is keenly looking forward to the next round at Appin. In MX2 SD3’s Luke Arbon and his FC250 scored powerful holeshots and led more laps than anyone, but a tangle with a lapper in the second Moto forced him to accept a still-respectable sixth on the day. It’s fair to say Husqvarna dominated the grassroots ranks, with all four Husqvarna Factory Support MXD riders landing in the top six of the championship points. Kaleb Barham (2,5) launched to third on the day off a foundation of two powerful holeshots from his FC250. Brett Metcalfe – “I learnt a lot about where we need to improve, and coming in to this event with 0 to 1 day of testing behind me, I think the outcome was pretty damn good. I am disappointed with the results, but that’s just because I expect a lot out of myself. We just need to work on a few things to get them up to

FACEBOOK: /SD3-Husqvarna

speed, but other than that, the SD3 Husqvarna team had a great day. I was close to running up in the lead pack, but unfortunately I crashed in both motos and if it wasn’t for those mistakes, the results would have been a bit better. I think Luke on the 250 did a great job and led laps in both motos, and I think we can both go home and learn a lot from this round one and then move forward onto round two and make some progress so we can come out a little stronger. Horsham was technical; very slippery and a lot of the down ramps were getting big square edged bumps and ruts. So the track was getting tricky for a highspeed place. Everybody had to be on their A game and really watch it.” Luke Arbon – “We have a lot more positives than negatives today. I just need to work on my race intensity and I suppose that will come as the races unfold. My bike is working awesome, and I can’t complain about two holeshots. The track didn’t suit me at all. It was so slippery and sketchy and even though I led pretty much half of both races, in both cases I started to ride a little bit …carefully and dropped back. So it was definitely good to get the first one out of the way and take some good points towards the championship. We’ll take that and move on.” Kaleb Barham – “I had to ride really smart today, it was probably one of the hardest rides I’ve ever done. With my injury, as soon as I push it feels like I’m going to go over the bars. So to get the third overall was good fun. In the first race I pulled a nice holeshot until Tierney went around me on the first lap. I hung it out the first few laps, but then I knew what I had to do, I had to ride smart, let him ride his race and I’d ride mine. I was second in that one, then the second moto was pretty brutal out there. I pulled another holeshot, did what I had to do and rode back to fifth and ended up third overall. Happy days.”

INSTAGRAM: @sd3.husqvarna

sqvarna BIKES: Hu

FC250

RD N CRAWFO A H T A N 9 9 #1 Class: MX2 Age: 18 : Brisbane Hometown n199 IG: @_natha

#199

R TIERNEY #7 CONNO Class: MXD 8 1 : e g A , WA : Kalgoorlie n w to e m o H l_ct7 IG: @therea SMALL #273 ZAK Class: MXD 8 1 : e g A , QLD : Bundaberg n w to e m o H all_ IG: @zaksm

#273

HUSQVARNA’S SUPPORT TEAM IN CHAMPIONSHIP HUNT

In MX2 It was Husqvarna FC250 rider Nathan Crawford however, who went within a single point of winning the day after two third placings, and he will enter Round Two spectacularly well-placed. It’s fair to say Husqvarna dominated the grassroots ranks, with all four Husqvarna Factory Support MXD riders landing in the top six of the championship points. Western Australian Connor Tierney was untouchable on the day, powering to two brilliant wins on his Husqvarna FC250, while SD3-backed Kaleb Barham (2,5) launched to third on the day off a foundation of two powerful holeshots from his FC250. Completing Husqvarna’s plunder of the MXD class, Zak Small and Justin Hart were fifth and sixth respectively. Husqvarna’s successes weren’t confined to the big bikes on Sunday either, with Bailey Malkiewicz dominating the Yamaha 85cc Cup proceedings, his two wins giving him the championship lead over KTM’s John Bova and fellow Husqvarna rider Reid Taylor. Jon Hafey, Husqvarna Brand Manager – “I was absolutely rapt with our presence today. Metty was extremely strong, given the very small amount of preparation time he’s had. Our 250s got four holeshots out of four, and they tended to be either 1-2, or 1-23 out of the first corner. Arbon would easily have led the most MX2 laps today, Crawford went within a point of winning it, and four of the top six MXD riders are Husqvarna factory support riders. In the 85s, Malkiewicz went 1-1 and Reid Taylor was third, which was just amazing considering he’s still a red plater.”

morning even before practice, didn’t qualify too well but that doesn’t mean too much. First moto I think I made a few mistakes and went back to sixth, and then charged the whole way. So it was good that I could after only being back on the bike for a month and a half. In the second moto I just wanted to ride smart and I got third again, now I just can’t wait till the second round to build off what we’ve already done.” Connor Tierney – “I’m pumped. I had three goals this year; go 1-1, get the red plate, and win the championship, so that’s two out of three done already! I’m happy. I’ve been working really hard and there’s a lot of things coincide to make today happen. I’ve got an awesome bike this year, I like the four-stroke a lot more and I think I ride a bit better. The track was rocked today, but the doing a lot of ruts in the off-season and obviously that’s paid off.” Zak Small – “Fifth and a fourth today is a good start to the season, and we can build on that. I’m pretty happy with that, it’s a good base and something to work on. I got two really good starts and no crashes so I just rode my own races. I pumped up a little bit in the first race but that was to be expected I guess. Other than that I felt good, the bike was good and I’m looking forward to round two.”

Nathan Crawford – “There’s only one point separating all three of us the championship, so that’s a pretty good way to start the season. I felt really good this

FACEBOOK: /HusqvarnaMotorcyclesAUS

INSTAGRAM: @Husqvarna.aus

ip Harrison P : R E G A N TEAM MA a CRF450R d n o H : S E BIK

SON #6 JAY WIL Class: MX1 Age: 21 W n Innes, NS le G : n w to Home Daryl Fenn Mechanic: son_6 IG: @jaywil

#117

N LONG #117 DYLA Class: MX1 Age: 21 IC : Benalla, V Hometown g rge Rawlin o e G : ic n a h Mec long IG: @dvlan

LONG AND WILSON RECORD TOP TEN FINISH FOR CRANKT PROTEIN HONDA RACING TEAM

Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team’s Jay Wilson and Dylan Long got their 2016 Motul MX Nationals campaigns off to an encouraging start today, at the season opener in Horsham, Victoria. With round one marking the first official event

going to make a few changes in the next two weeks, and try and improve on the final result at round two.” Long, who also made his Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team debut in Horsham today, showed that consistency was key at round one – taking 7th place

for the newly formed motocross team, both MX1 pilots Long and Wilson posted results inside the overall top ten at Horsham, in one of the most talent packed 450 classes that Australia has seen in years. For Wilson, round one also marked his maiden appearance in the MX1 class aboard his CRF450 machine. Wilson showed promising form during the MX1 qualifying session this morning, posting the fifth quickest time, then progressing in to the first GoPro Superpole for 2016, where he finished in fourth position. Following qualifying, Wilson raced to 8th in moto one, followed by 11th in moto two, handing the 21-year-old with 10th overall at the conclusion of round one. “After everything that happened at Horsham for myself personally in 2015, I was really glad to just get through the day and put round one behind me,” Wilson shared. “I was quite happy to see that I had the speed to run inside the top five during qualifying this morning, so even though on paper it wasn’t the result that I wanted, we are taking a lot of positives out of round one. “The best thing about today was that the CRF450 worked really well – I had a lot of trust in the bike and that definitely eased the nerves a lot. We’re

in both moto one, and moto two, to eventually be awarded with eighth overall at the conclusion of the season opener. “We’re very happy with the result that we got today. We are a new team, and we’re on a new bike, so for both Jay and myself to finish inside the top ten especially with so much talent in our class, it’s a pretty good starting point for the team,” Long said. “There are a lot of fast guys out there, but definitely if I can get my starts right, I think we can improve on today’s result when we go racing again in two weeks at Appin. “We are all pretty much running the same times, so the starts really are key this year. As a team we’re going to work on a few things in the next two weeks, and then see what we can do at round two.”

FACEBOOK: /TeamHondaRacing1

INSTAGRAM: @teamhondaracing

h ark Luksic M : R E G A N MA T: Glen Bell N E M P O L E RIDER DEV a CRF250R d n o H : S E BIK

#30

IGHTMAN #30 JOEL W Class: MX2 Age: 19 NSW ndonbrook le G : n w to Home an Ian Wightm Mechanic: htman IG: @joelwig

#96

ebster #96 Kyle W Class: MX2 Age: 19 A anneroo W W : n w to e Hom Mick Lillis Mechanic: ebster IG: @kylew

JOEL WIGHTMAN AND KYLE WEBSTER HEADLINE CRF HONDA RACING HIT SQUAD After a ground breaking debut season in 2015, CRF Honda Racing has pulled the trigger on its 2016 national motocross and supercross campaign by taking aim on last weekend’s (April 3) opening round of the Motul MX Nationals staged at Horsham, Victoria, the team headlined by two of the country’s top aspiring young motocross racers. After wrapping up 2015 with a commendable sixth overall in the SX2 category of the Australian Supercross Championship late last year, NSW Hunter Valley young gun Joel Wightman is again lining up with CRF Honda Racing as he continues his climb up the ranks of the country’s fastest developing Pro racers. Joining Wightman in the CRF Honda Racing outfit is West Australian racer Kyle Webster, who is another promising young competitor who will be making his debut season racing Honda machinery. Along with the revamped rider line-up, CRF Honda Racing brings new sponsor partnerships to the grid for 2016, by virtue of a major alignment with leading national motorcycle accessory importer and distributor, McLeod Accessories. The new deal will see Wightman and Webster take to the track wearing FLY Racing apparel, Dragon goggles, M2R helmets and TCX boots, while their potent CRF250R race machines will be powered by FMF exhaust systems. For CRF Honda Racing Team Manager Mark Luksich, the commencement of the team’s second season of national competition represents a proud moment in the longtime team owner/operator’s decorated management career. “I am so proud of the progress CRF Honda Racing has made in the MX2/SX2 categories of Australian racing,” Luksich explains, “and in particular to be so fortunate to enjoy the tremendous support of major national brands just one year after launching a new team focussed on giving aspiring young riders a path to a professional racing career.” Honda Motorcycles, Honda Genuine Oils and Honda Genuine Parts have been near life-long supporters of Luksich’s race activities, which over the years has seen him guide the careers of such celebrated legends of Australian dirt bike racing as Glen Bell, Lee Hogan, Cameron Taylor and Dale Britton, amongst others. It goes without saying that Honda Motorcycles, Honda Genuine Oils and Honda Genuine Parts will continue as major supporters of CRF Honda Racing in 2016. CRF Honda Racing will also enjoy the support of Link International, who will ensure the race bikes of Wightman and Webster will be shod with Pirelli tyres,

FACEBOOK: /crfhondaracing

RK chains and sprockets, Polisport plastics and States MX accessories and ‘bling’ products. Other CRF Honda Racing technical supporters include Serco, ProMoto Suspension, Ross McWatters’ MCD and ProTaper, all of whom will ensure the team rolls up the start gate armed with the best hardware available. “The support of so many dedicated sponsors and supporters has once again made for a huge and hectic start to the new race season,” Luksich reveals. “Bike development and all the behind-the-scenes work involved with team preparation and presentation are a vital part of the pre-season, while the riders, of course, work so hard on their fitness and traning. “This year Joel headed over to New Zealand to contest their national motocross championships to boost his preparation for the Australian MX Nationals, while Kyle has spent endless hours on his new Red Ride to get familiarised with campaigning a new brand of machine for the first time. “After such a hectic pre-season, it was great to finally get to Horsham last weekend and sink our teeth into the team’s first major race outing of the year at the MX Nationals.” After two hugely-competitive MX2 motos at the MX Nationals opener at Horsham, Webster and Wightman carded tenth and eleventh overall placings respectively aboard their CRF Honda Racing CRF250R thumpers. “For me, it was actually a pretty tough day,” said Wightman, who suffered a shocker start in the first moto that left him having to fight back from 40th to an eventual 12th place finish. He then backed up with an 11th place finish in race two. “I know I have the pace of a bunch of riders ahead of me,“ Wightman continued, “and I just need to make sure I position myself better early on to achieve the results we expect. It’s a long season, so I can’t wait for the next round.” Meanwhile Webster showed some great speed in his debut with CRF Honda Racing, moving from a fourth place start through the first turn in the first moto, to be second after just a few more turns … before paying the price of being overly anxious soon after and suffering a small fall which pushed him back outside of the top ten. But the skilled Sandgroper put the bit between his teeth and pushed on hard to card a seventh place finish in the moto. Webster then posted a 14th place finish in race two. “I just made some silly errors,” Webster candidly admitted after the Horsham event. “I love the new bike and felt so good on it, but probably need to take each race more patiently and let the results come to me to help build my confidence.”

INSTAGRAM: @crfhondaracing

er vin Crutch e K , n o s il le W y AGER: Nea son Corne a J : IC N A TEAM MAN H F HEAD MEC ki RMZ450 u z u S : S E BIK

#47

WATERS #47 TODD Class: MX1 Age: 25 D : Cairns, QL Hometown Mechanic: aters47 IG: @toddw

#15

WILSON #15 LUKE Class: MX1 Age: 26 QLD old Coast, G : n w to e Hom Mechanic: wilson15 IG: @__luke

SOLID START FOR WATERS AT MX NATIONALS ROUND ONE

It was an up and down day for Wilson’s Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki at round one of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals in Horsham today, with both Todd Waters and Luke Wilson each facing individual challenges throughout the season opener. With the newly formed race team heading to round one with Waters a clear favourite in the talent packed MX1 class, the Queenslander who has returned from Europe after racing the MXGP for two years, only narrowly missed out on a podium in Horsham due to a

Todd Waters – Thor MX1 – (9th, 3rd) 5th Overall “Horsham was a bit of a difficult track for me – it was super hard pack, and I’m not known for that – but you know we came from bad starts and got in to third both races so overall it wasn’t too bad,” he said. “I’m a bit bummed about the first race, if I hadn’t have got the flat tyre I would have been on the box today, but worse things have happened and we’ve got something to build from. “I’m usually known for my consistency, so it

flat tyre in the first moto of the day. Waters who took out an impressive second position in GoPro Superpole, was in the box seat for an impressive result in race one, however a flat tyre in the closing stages of the moto forced Waters to nurse his Suzuki machine to the end of the race, eventually crossing the line in ninth position. Moto one for Wilson was one to forget. After getting to a reasonable start, Wilson went down during the early stages of the race, hitting his head and forcing him to DNF, which was a disappointing start to his 2016 MX Nationals campaign. In race two, Waters aimed to leave Horsham on a high, and thankfully the second race of the day handed Waters and the Factory Suzuki team with third position, putting Waters in fifth overall for the round when the points were tallied. For Wilson, moto two was nothing more than circulating for points. After being attended to by the Racesafe medical crew during the lunch break, Wilson just managed to take to the line for race two, eventually wrapping up the final moto in a hard fought 19th position.

was good to get second in Superpole and all in all it was shaping up to be a nice day, but you can’t help something like a flat tyre and we’re still pretty happy. “I had a lot of fun being back at the MX Nationals, and there’s at least five really fast guys out there that are going to battle for race wins throughout the year. I’m happy with the bike and the team, so it will be exciting to see how it all plays out at the next round.”

FACEBOOK: /wilsonmxaus

Luke Wilson – Thor MX1 Class – (DNF, 19th) 25th Overall “I didn’t really get the chance to get a feel for where I’m at today, I went down in the second or third lap in moto one. I had quite a big one,” he said. “I ended up coming in to Racesafe and for the rest of the day I really wasn’t that clear headed. I went out for the second race because I really just wanted to finish one race for the day, but I had no speed and just did what I could. “I’m pretty much going to treat Appin (Round 2) as the first round. Obviously this isn’t the result we wanted, so now I’m just going to focus on turning things around at round two.”

INSTAGRAM: @wilsonscoolairmotulsuzuki

vis Whitten ra T : R E G A F TEAM MAN AHA YZ250 M A Y : S E BIK

AKEHAM #9 KALE M Class: MX2 Age: 22 IC : Echuca V Hometown Darryl Hurd Mechanic: akeham96 IG: @kalem

IE DAVIS #20 LACH Class: MX2 9 1 : e g A VIC : Hamilton n w to e m o H n Derek Stee : ic n a h c e M d20 IG: @lachie MCKAY #46 HUGH Class: MXD 6 1 : e g A n TAS : Launcesto n w to e m o H ay Leigh Mck Mechanic: ckay46 IG: @hughm #46

#20

MAKEHAM TAKES HOME TOP 10 AT HORSHAM

Proformance Race Team hit the track in Horsham Victoria to start there MX National campaign after months of preparation the team was keen to go race and see how things unfolded. Kale Makeham made his move back to the MX2 class and first season in MX2 on a 250f. Kale improved each lap and it is clear that he will be a front runner throughout the year, although Kale finished 8th overall for the day and a little short of the top 5 result we were chasing to start off the series, the writing is now on the wall on what small things Kale and the team need to work on and we are confident of top 5 results in coming rounds and being right up the front in the championship hunt. Lachie Davis made his debut in the MX2 class, Lachie rode great but will continue to improve and climb up the leader board in the very stacked MX2 class, Lachie now sits 19th overall in the championship and with the first race jitters out of his system we are keen to watch his climb to the front as he proves himself as a professional racer throughout the 2016 season. 16 year old Hugh Mckay had his first under 19s outing in the MXD class Hugh rode smooth and solid all day but struggled to elevate for the event, Hugh did what he needed though putting in two solid rides, gaining experience and setting his sights on what it will take to be a front runner, in the class for 2016.

FACEBOOK: /ProformanceKawasaki

Hugh sits 10th overall but we know the gritty Tasmanian will be working hard to better that result at round 2 in Appin in two weeks time. With two weeks now to prepare for the second round of the series the riders and team are looking forward to putting in the work to better ourselves in Appin. Team Manager Travis Whitten said â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are happy with our bikes, the power is there and we are very close with our suspension settings it has been super easy to get all three rider comfortable on the Yamaha YZ250f, it seems all we need is some little fine tuning to move our riders further up the leader board and into championship contentionâ&#x20AC;?

INSTAGRAM: @proformance_racing

AORC

OFFROAD

AUSTRALIAN OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESS RELEASES

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With the sun shining through the trees this morning for the beginning of Round 3 of the 2016 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship held at Portland NSW, the scene was set for what was a day of action and battles as the first bikes hit the sprint format track at 9am this morning. Competitors were faced with two sprint tracks today, which was where they performed backto-back sprints at round 3. However due to the dry and dusty conditions a 45 second start delay resulted in a total of only six tests for the senior classes today. AORC E1: Husqvarna mounted Glenn Kearney managed to finish top of the times for the E1 class at Round 3, Kearney finishing the final test with a concluding time of 46:02.417. Following close behind Kearney was Scott Keegan (46:44.482) and third for the day was KTMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jack Simpson (47:28.670) who rounded out the top three. Kearney who is eager to make up more time tomorrow was happy with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance, and shared his thoughts after

taking the E1 victory this afternoon. “I’m really happy with the results today, the first two rounds I rode with a broken scapula, so this marks five weeks from the injury, so I don’t feel I am where I should be but pretty happy to win the class today,” Kearney said. “I knew I would be reasonably good here, I have ridden a lot of state races at this venue. “It was a tough day, really long tests and very dusty and rocky, but just really happy to be back on the pace and up the front,” he concluded. AORC E2: With the dusty and dry terrain testing competitors, it was somewhat difficult for riders to make the most of their tests, however, at the conclusion of six tests it was CDR Yamaha’s Chris Hollis who managed to take the E2 victory with a time of 45:40.697. Hollis’s times were only just ahead of second placed Josh Green

who kept his Activ8 Yamaha machine nailed, to finish with a time of 46:00.217 at the conclusion of six tests. The scramble for times today saw KTM Enduro Racing Teams’ Tye Simmonds wrapped up round 3 in third place with a combined time of 46:39.204. AORC E3: As riders went out in the order of fastest from Rounds 1 and 2, it was Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders who led the pack around the skatey, dusty Portland track. Sanders was once again unbeatable at round 3 and took the round three outright victory with a combined time of 45:06.674. Lachlan Stanford managed a consistent ride throughout the tests to finish in second (46:06.691) ahead of third placed Activ8 Yamaha Yamalube’s Beau Ralston who concluded the day with a 46:42.268 time, managing to steal third position from Tom Mason after the third test. 137

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With round 3 done and dusted, competitors kicked off Round 4 this morning, with Portland providing another sunny day for the 2016 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship. With four classes, E1, E2, E3 and EJ competing on the reversed YZ track, today bought even more challenges for competitors, with ruts developing and the continuing dry and dusty conditions testing the abilities of the gunning athletes. E1: Husqvarna Enduro Racing Teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glenn Kearney once again managed to defend the top time for round 4 in the E1 class, with a concluding time of 55:05.592. Kearney, who is only weeks out of injury, piloted his Husqvarna machine, to two round victories this weekend. For Scott Keegan the times once again handed him second place, rounding out the day with a 56:13.766 time after five tests. Also aboard Husqvarna, Keegan was followed closely behind by third place getter Stefan Granquist, who finished fourth yesterday (Round 3), but today managed to find the

pace and put himself in the E1 top three (58:39.4940). E2: A new day saw changes in front runners in the E2 class, with Active8 Yamaha Yamalube’s Josh Green pushing his limits around the deteriorating track, to top the times after six tests (55:08.965). It was round 3 winner CDR Yamaha’s Chris Hollis who was relegated to second place when the times were tallied, finishing off with a 55:27.419. KTM Enduro Racing Team’s Tye Simmonds had a consistent round 4, finishing third place for the day with a 56:04.844 time at the conclusion of the weekend’s events. Green, who despite battling injury and having limited bike time, was more than happy to claim the round 4 E2 victory. “I’m feeling really good about the win, I didn’t get a chance to ride between the first two rounds and this round, so I was a bit rusty yesterday,” he said.

“I have an injury so just trying to manage it, it was a good weekend, really tough which is good.” Green concluded. E3: There was a thick spray of dust as Daniel Sanders continued to lead the pack around the reversed YZ track at round 4 today. Despite an incident involving a stick to the knee in the second test, the KTM Enduro Racing Team rider managed to come out on top this afternoon – collecting both the E3 spoils and remaining undefeated in the outright standings with a finishing time of 54:00.242. Lachlan Stanford once again proved his strength in the E3 class, and managed to hold down second place with a time of 55:18.221 at the conclusion of his six tests. It was CDR Yamaha’s Beau Ralston who couldn’t quite jump the times to beat Stanford, finishing in third place for the round with a 55:53.518 time.

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