MXN Mag round 5 2015 by MX Nationals

STEELCUT

2 015 CO R E RAC EW EA R

ORBIT STEEL & ORANGE

2015 RACEWEAR AVAILABLE NOW

THORMX.COM

For your nearest THOR stocklist, contact: Gas Imports Australia Pty. Ltd. Ph: 03 8331-0300 Fax: 03 9331-5816 Email: info@gasimports.com.au www.gasimports.com.au

CONGRATS MATT MOSS 2014 MX NATIONALS MX1 CHAMPION 2014 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS SX1 CHAMPION

The new 300V technology guarantees you more power as well as maximum protection.

L150113

WE BUILD A TRIP TO THE PODIUM INTO EVERY TYRE.

62 trips to the top step of the Podium in the MX GP Championship and consecutive MX Nationals titles in Australia prove we build winning tyres. The Pirelli Scorpion MX range is no exception. Six tread patterns and compounds, built to dominate in all conditions. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the choice for professional and amateur riders who want podium performance out of every ride.

L150068

INTRODU G A C MX Nat ionals 2015

Venue || Coolum Pines M X Track

Even t d a te || 31st M a y 2015

Can you believe we are just about to wrap up the

So with championships still wide open, what can

first half of the 2015 MX Nationals season in this

we expect from the round five MXN Mag?

edition of the MXN Mag?! In this edition of the MXN Mag, we’ll take you As always, the first half of the MX Nationals series

behind the scenes to see what your favorite

is all about riders finding their feet, gauging

riders have got planned for the five week break.

where they are in the field, and putting some

We’ll find out who’s healing up, who’s heading

solid points on the board before charging home

overseas, and who’s staying at home to continue

after the mid-season break, so we’re tipping that

with their standard training program.

round five is going to be a huge one! As always, this edition will include columns Last round at Murray Bridge, we saw a huge

from your industry specialists, as well as a new

turn of events in the Motul MX2 class, with Luke

favorite among readers - The ‘Scanner’, which

Clout recording his toughest round this season

includes all of the hard-hitting comments from

allowing Takeshi Katsuya and Jay Wilson to close

team managers and riders from round four.

the points margin to a mere 16 points. In the Monster MX1 class we saw Kirk Gibbs continue

Just to top off an already jam packed edition of

to dominate with a win at his home round, and

the Mag, we have a little surprise at round five

finally in the MXD class, we saw Connor Tierney

that we’re expecting fans to be seriously stoked

snatch the spotlight from Wilson Todd and collect

on (get reading to find out more). So flick the

a career first MX Nationals round win.

page and get your round five MXN Mag journey started, it’s going to be one killer issue!

m, Queensland u l o o C ||

WHO

WIL

DOWN TH G E IN

L W IN

N E

H FT

N ROU

COOLUM. The Coolum Pines Motocross Track will be interesting with a brand new extension planned, meaning riders will again be treated to new sections for this round. With deep black sand the Coolum track will be very rough, soft and technical. Riders will be forced to adapt to changing conditions, with every moto set to be different. Coolum is infamous for its ability to test riders of all fitness levels, and if previous years are anything to go by, every lap will be like riding a new circuit.

CONTENTS Click the page number to visit that page

10 14 Scanner

20 59 69 85 98 105 113 120 131

124

Team Profiles

Hit and Miss

MW Plug Chop - Ben Townley

Radar

Monster Energy MX1 Rider List

Round 4 MX2 Throwback

Round 4 MXD Throwback

Swann Insurance Vets +40 Rider List

15 54 65 79 93 101 110 118 130

Social Media - Watching the Pro’s

Behind the Gate

Schedule

NRGTV On Demand Video’s

Trainers Corner

Myth Busting - Nutrition

MAD MAX - Behind the Custom Bikes

Round 4 MX1 Throwback

Race Recap - Caleb Ward

Motul MX2 Rider List

Pirelli MXD Rider List

Social Media hashtagged #mxn2015

“Jed Beton lines up to get surgery this week - He’s one tough kid, but he too is going to be forced to ride through some serious pain in order to minimise the damage to his title hunt.”

MURRAY BRIDGE INSIGHT

Here we are about to kick off the fifth round of the MX

four, Jed went in for surgery to have his broken

Nationals in Coolum before hitting the midway point

collarbone plated to ensure he can line up for racing

in the 2015 motocross season, and what an action

in Queensland – He’s one tough kid, but he too is

packed first half of the year we’ve had!

going to be forced to ride through some serious pain in order to minimise the damage to his title hunt.

With the break in the season about to take place, the next round at Coolum is going to be one of the

Wilson Todd also finds himself in a similar situation

most important of the series. Round four provided

to Clout leading into Coolum after a tough round four.

a real shake up to both the Motul MX2 and Pirelli

Todd who has consistently been at the front of the

MXD classes, with championships beginning to come

pack in the Pirelli MXD class, crashed in the same

under threat - making the next hit out at Coolum, all

section as Clouty at Murray Bridge, and will a be

the more exciting.

looking to defend his championship at round five, as his competitors close in.

Luke Clout without a doubt had his toughest round of the series at Murray Bridge – crashing hard in

In the Monster Energy MX1 class, we were treated

qualifying and injuring his thumb, Clout will now

last round, when we saw Kirk Gibbs take the overall

be forced into championship damage control this

win on home soil in South Australia. These days

weekend, and will be looking to make up maximum

our athletes have a huge following and plenty of

points before the five week break.

dedicated supporters thanks to social media (and of course talent on a bike), so to see him standing on

Not only did Serco Yamaha take a hit with Clout’s

the podium in front of family and friends, was not only

injury, but fellow teammate Jed Beaton also had a

great for Kirk and the KTM team, but also an added

round to forget in South Australia. Most of you would

bonus to the series and the sport.

know by now, that the Monday morning after round

WHATS IN STORE OVER THE BREAK

With all of that that said, the approach of the five-

From WEM’s perspective, this years series is well and

week break certainly does not mean kicking our

truly exceeding all of our expectations – Clubs and

feet up and drinking pinacoladas by the pool for the

venues have stepped things up with track preparation,

Williams Event Management Team.

we are seeing more and more coverage of the MX Nationals in the local media, and we are very lucky

In 2015, WEM has introduced a number of new

to have had the support of two councils in the first

initiatives, which will be reviewed and analyzed

half of the season to ensure that local economies can

throughout the break to ensure that in the last half of

capitalize on the Nationals visiting their regions.

the season, we can step things up once again. In addition to those positives, racing during the first I have to say, I am very pleased with the responses

half of this year’s series has been nothing short of

and positivity from teams and riders this year

action packed. Having reverted back to traditional

regarding our deliverance of media and of course

race formats with no back to back racing, we were

the livestream through NRGTV. The WEM team has

slightly concerned that with the longer motos, fans

worked incredibly hard to be innovative and develop

and spectators may become slightly disengaged and

the series even further in 2015, which has not only

that racing may not be as exciting. I have to say, that

has been well received, but we have definitely noticed

this year the longer motos have been just as exciting.

people embracing our changes and jumping on board

Every round, we see new faces standing on our MX

to support what we are doing – so a big thank you

Nationals podium, proving that the fitness and depth

from our crew for supporting our vision, and for

of talent across all classes is on par with the rest of

being a part of growing the sport of motocross here

the world.

in Australia.

COOLUM PREDICTIONS

What can I say? Coolum and the Sunshine Coast

few minor changes for fans to get excited about, but

has always been a favorite destination of the MX

I can assure you that when the MX Nationals arrives

Nationals, and we are very excited to be taking the

for the final round at Coolum this year, that you’re

series back not once, but twice in 2015.

going to see a whole new venue.

Coolum is an exceptional venue, and the perfect

Coolum has some seriously exciting changes in the

place to host a round of our National Championship.

pipeline at the moment, and riders, teams, fans, and

The accommodation and facilities in the area are

more, will all be in for a real treat when we head back

fantastic, and who could say they don’t enjoy the

up to the sunny coast in August to wrap the series up.

golden beaches, crystal clear water and sunshine, that Queensland so consistently provides us with!

But right now it’s time to strap yourself in for round five. With championships on the line, Coolum is the

Now, if you think you might only attend one ‘Coolum’

place to be this weekend and we absolutely cannot

round this year, then think again. Round five will be

wait to get round five of racing started!

the traditional track that we all know and love, with a

SCHEDULE START

CLASS

DURATION

8:30am

MX2 Practice / Qualifying

25 Min

9.00am

MX1 Practice / Qualifying

25 Min

9.30am

Go Pro Super Pole

5 Min

9:40am

MXD Practice / Qualifying

20 Min

10.05am

Vets 30+ Practice / Qualifying

15 Min

10.20am

Official Opening

15 Min

10:40am

MX2 Moto 1

30 Min Plus 1 lap

11:25pm

MX1 Moto 1

30 Min Plus 1 lap

12:10pm

MXD Moto 1

20 Min Plus 1 lap

12:35pm

Lunch

50 Min

1:25pm

Vets 30+ Moto 1

15 Min Plus 1 lap

1.55pm

MX2 Moto 2

20 Min plus 1 lap

2.35pm

MX1 Moto 2

30 Min plus 1 lap

3:20pm

MXD Moto 2

20 Min Plus 1 lap

3:55pm

Vets 30+ Moto 2

15 Min plus 1 lap

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

MURRAY BRIDGE ROUND 4 - FIRST MOTOS

MX1 Moto 1 Monster Energy MX1 17th May

View On NRGTV >

MX2 Moto 1

MXD Moto 1

Motul MX2

Pirelli MXD

17th May

View on NRGTV >

17th May

View on NRGTV >

BROADFORD ROUND 3 - SECOND MOTOS

MX1 Moto 2 Monster Energy MX1 17th May

View On NRGTV >

MX2 Moto 2

MXD Moto 2

Motul MX2

Pirelli MXD

17th May

View on NRGTV >

17th May

View on NRGTV >

BROADFORD ROUND 3 - MXtra

GoPro Superpole Watch Daniel Reardon on his hot lap that won him the GoPro Superpole 17th May

View On NRGTV >

Behind the Scene

Track Review

Featuring Dylan Long

Featuring Dan Reardon

17th May

View on NRGTV >

17th May

View on NRGTV >

THE PERFECT RACE AND RECOVERY FUEL

Endura Optimizer is perfect for the athlete or exerciser who needs an energy-boosting meal prior to or after strenuous exercise. This formula is great for carbohydrate loading, with 60 g of carbohydrate per serve and is combined in an ideal 6:1 ratio with protein, to replenish glycogen stores and conserve muscle mass.

endura.com.au

Available in Banana, Vanilla and Chocolate flavours.

END4961 C - 03/15

6:1 carb to protein ratio. Easy to digest. Vitamins and minerals.

YZ450F IN BLUE OR WHITE

YZ250F IN BLUE OR WHITE

BLUE SKY PERFORMANCE I BLUE RIBBON RELIABILITY I BLUE CHIP TECHNOLOGY AND FACTORY BONUSES VISIT YOUR DEALER TO FIND OUT MORE

Team Manager: Craig Dack

DAN REARDON Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

29 Gold Coast Aiden Meltzer Win the Australian Championship 4 x National Titles Surfing, Shooting

YAMAHA YZ450F

FOLLOW CDR

CLASS: MX1

/cdryamaha

@cdr_yamaha

KADE MOSIG Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

25 Pearcedale Mike Landman To be the Australian MX and SX Champion 3rd 2008 MXN, 3rd 2012 SX, Rd 7 winner 2014 MXN Surfing, Cycling, Fishing

YAMAHA YZ450F

FOLLOW CDR

/cdryamaha

CLASS: MX1

@cdr_yamaha

CDR YAMAHA REARDON PULLS DOWN FIRST PODIUM OF 2015

Although he has already claimed a moto win at Appin in round two, the Murray Bridge round of the MX Nationals marks the first podium appearance of CDR’s Dan Reardon in the MX1 class for season 2015. In just his fourth race since returning to the sport, Reardon finished third on the day in a consistent and morale boosting performance. Reardon entered round four at the Murray Bridge circuit under a small injury cloud, carrying an ankle injury which had kept him off the bike in the lead up to the event. He was able to put behind him a rusty start to the day that saw him qualify in sixth place and turn it into a podium position two motos later. Reardon was off to a good start in race one and instantly locked in a great three way battle for the lead with team mate Kade Mosig and championship leader, Kirk Gibbs. The trio swapped positions on several occasions with Reardon taking the lead briefly in the opening stages. The race settled down and Reardon maintained second for a long period until a late race charge by Mosig relegated him back to third. Moto two was a much quieter affair and after an intense opening three laps, Reardon settled into third and rode a smart race to cross the line and take the final podium spot for the round. “It’s nice to finally get up here,” Reardon states. “I have been in a position to get on the podium at most rounds only for it not to happen but today I made sure I got it done and finished both races in a good position without taking huge risks. “Although it has taken four rounds, the CDR Yamaha team have stood behind me and been a huge factor in my return to racing. I can’t thank them enough. The YZ450F is awesome and working with these guys makes racing fun,” Reardon finishes. Kade Mosig again proved he has the speed to match it with anyone, posting top five laps in qualifying and then chasing championship leader and local favourite, Kirk Gibbs all the way to the finish line in moto one. Mosig

picked his way forward throughout the moto and found himself closing in on Gibbs as the laps ran down but he couldn’t get close enough to make the pass. Race two saw Mosig go down in the early stages and fell well down the field. He quickly regained his composure and set about making up for lost time. He charged his way back to sixth place and his combined 2-6 results gave him fourth for the round. Mosig now sits in fourth place in the championship chase and in a very tight group jostling for positions 2-3-4. “Again, I felt like I rode pretty well, just that fall in moto two cost me valuable positions. My speed is good, I just need to work on my consistency as I can’t afford to give up easy points in the championship at these rounds. “The bike was again perfect and I feel that if I can just string two motos together I can make a big run at the championship in the second half of the series,” Mosig said. Craig Dack took the glass half full look on his teams’ day at Murray Bridge. “We seem to have a good moto and an average moto, or one rider up and the other rider down so it would be nice to have both riders up and firing on the same day and getting good results, then we will make some serious in roads into this championship. “The positive sign is that both riders have shown they are perfectly capable of matching it with anyone in the MX1 field and we just need to channel all that energy and focus into each race and each round at once. We have all the ingredients in place; we have won Superpole, we have won races, we know both the riders are fit and fast, we have won round overalls and our bikes are working well, we just need the riders to reach that same standard every time they hit the track. I’m confident we can achieve that in the coming rounds,” Dack explains.

Team Manager: Gavin Eales

LUKE CLOUT Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

YAMAHA YZ250F

FOLLOW SERCO YAMAHA

20 Sydney, NSW Peter Rab Jones Win the Lites MXN and ASX championships 1st 2014 MXN, 2014 Mx of Nations Riding , Cross Training, BMX

CLASS: MX2

/SercoYamaha

@SercoYamaha

JED BEATON Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

YAMAHA YZ250F

FOLLOW SERCO YAMAHA

17 Taralgon, VIC Stoppa To Win The Lites Championship in Rookie Year Junior Australian Champion Mountain Biking

CLASS: MX2

/SercoYamaha

@SercoYamaha

SERCO YAMAHA LUKE CLOUT HOLDS ONTO THE RED PLATE DESPITE A TOUGH DAY AT MURRAY BRIDGE

Despite suffering his toughest day at the MX Nationals in some time, Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout, has maintained his grip on the points lead in the MX2 championship after round four of the series took place at Murray Bridge in South Australia. Clout started the day strongly, posting the fastest lap in qualifying in his first lap but shortly after fell heavily in the whoop section, giving his body and head a heavy hit. He instantly retreated back to the truck and tried to regather himself in preparation for the opening moto. At the drop of the gate in moto one, it was obvious Clout wasn’t 100% as he struggled to move forward after an average start. He battled away the entire moto in discomfort to bring it home in 10th place. Moto two fared little better as he was again outside the top 10 and dealing with plenty of issues. He was able to gain one spot better than moto one and his 10-9 scores for the day placed him 10th overall for the round. “No doubt one of the hardest days’ racing I have had in a long while,” Clout recalls. “I’m not really sure what happened when I crashed, I just got ejected and landed pretty hard. My head hurts, my body hurts – it was just a big impact – and I was lucky to even be able to race. “I did the best I could do under the circumstances and a big thank you to the team for encouraging me and keeping me going all day. It wasn’t good, but I was able to score points in each race and hang onto the championship lead.

After a not so good start, Beaton began his usual charge through the field and was onto the back of the top five when he landed awkwardly from a jump, causing his rear brake pedal to hit the engine cases, before wrapping itself underneath the footpeg. He then raced the next 15 minutes with no rear brake and on every jump, the rear brake would jam on as the bike landed. He still managed to fight his way to ninth place. Moto two and Beaton was determined to get his day back on track. He again tore through the field and was headed for the front when he clipped a rider and went down, breaking his collar bone and forcing him to retire from the race. He is now in a race against time to be fit for Coolum in a fortnights’ time. “It was a terrible day,” Beaton explained. “Crashes, no brakes and now injury. I just want to put this behind me and get onto the next race. “I’m seeing a specialist in Melbourne first thing to get my collarbone sorted and I will be back on the start line at Coolum. I have dropped a few points in the championship but a lot of the front guys had a tough day and this championship is still wide open.” Round five of the MX Nationals now moves to Coolum, in Queensland which will prove to be a pivotal round in the MX2 championship. Both Serco Yamaha riders will be looking to rebound after their challenging weekend at Murray Bridge and get their campaigns back on track.

“We have a two week break before round five at Coolum, so a few days off will be just what I need to recover and then come back strong,” Clout ends. Round four wasn’t any better for team mate Jed Beaton who was also in the wars all weekend. Beaton also fell heavily during practice and hit the opening moto battered and bruised.

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Dale Hocking

LAWSON BOPPING

#70

Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

25 Braidwood, NSW Jarrod Pyne Solid all year & win as many races as possible Representing Australia at MXoN in 2012 Mountain Biking & Flying UAVs

BIKE: YAMAHA YZ450F

FOLLOW ME

CLASS: MX1

/dphmotorsport

@boppo70

ROSS BEATON

#43

Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

24 Churchill, VIC Dale Hocking Give every race 100% & improve each round Runner-Up 2010 U19â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MXN Championship Mountain Biking

BIKE: YAMAHA YZ450F

FOLLOW ME

CLASS: MX1

/dphmotorsport

@rossbeaton4

CHEYNE BOYD

Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

33 Botanic Ridge, VIC Cam Barber Have fun & enjoy racing again Representing Australia at MXoN in 04 & 06 Cycling & Boxing

BIKE: YAMAHA YZ450F

FOLLOW ME

CLASS: MX1

/dphmotorsport

@cheyneboyd4

ISSUE 1 - AUS $6.95 INC GST

CHEYNE BOYD PRO RIDING TIPS LEWIS WOODS VERSUS CDR JUNIOR MX GETTING STARTED

TOBY PRICE INTERVIEW OFFICIAL EVENT PROGRAM

INFORMATIVE 30 PAGE FEATURE

ON SALE NOW!

Team Manager: Scott Bishop

WILSON TODD Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

17 Atherton, QLD Cory Hillsley Win MXD and secure Factory MX2 ride for 2016 Multi Aust jnr MX Champion, 4th MXD 2014 Downhill MTB, BMX

YAMAHA YZ250F

/wilsontodd

@wilsontodd41

MITCH EVANS Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

YAMAHA YZ250F

CLASS: MXD

16 Cairns, QLD Darren Thompson Continue to develop as a racer, Top 3 MXD Aust jnr 125 and 250cc Champion 2015 Water-Skiing, Wakeboarding

CLASS: MXD

/mitchevans

@mitchevans43

GYTR Team Members: Scott Bishop, Mike Ward, Darren Thompson, Cory Hillsley

GYTR YAMAHA TODD HOLDS MXD POINTS LEAD

GYTR Yamaha’s Wilson Todd continues to be the MXD red plate holder after round four of the MX Nationals but he faced several challenges during a tough weekend at Murray Bridge. Todd entered the round carrying a sore wrist after a crash the week before while contesting a stated based race in Victoria. Like many of the previous rounds, he was unable to ride up until race day and even what speed he would be able to produce was unknown by even Todd himself.

“I’m looking forward to the day that I turn up at one of these rounds 100% fit and ready to go. Each round I have had to manage some injury or niggle and it’s starting to get frustrating. I just want to be able to race and ride the way I know I can and not just get through. After the next round we have a month break so hopefully in that time I can heal up a bit and hit the last half of the season full fit and ready to go,” he ends.

With gritted teeth, he posted the fastest lap in the MXD qualifying session, 1.2 seconds faster than any of his rivals but would he be able sustain that pace for the two 20 minute motos that lay ahead of him throughout the day? Moto one saw him off to a reasonable start and he immediately began working on the riders in front of him. He quickly moved into second and then shadowed the leader for a couple of laps before making his move and taking over the race lead. Despite his aching wrist and plenty of arm pump, Todd held on by the barest of margins to take the victory in a gritty and determined ride. Moto two was looking similar as Wilson again moved through the pack and into second place. As he began to whittle away at the four second lead, he got a nasty kick in the whoop section that sent him flying from his bike. Again, he hit is injured wrist. He was slow to remount but eventually got underway and finished the race off in 27thplace and earn a few valuable points. With 1-27 finishes, Todd finished 11th for the day and his lead in the championship sits at eight points. “I’m not too sure what happened in those whoops. It’s like I hit something just under the dirt and it skipped sideways pretty fast,” Todd explains. “I had been going through them pretty well all day with no real dramas, so that is hard to explain.

Suzuki Add

A L P I N E S TA R S OFFICIAL BOOT M X N AT I O N A L S

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Jay Foreman

MATT MOSS Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

26 Sessex Inlet Jess Foreman Win the MX1 Championship 2013-2014 SX1 and MX1 Champion Fishing

BIKE: SUZUKI RMZ-450

FOLLOW ME

#96

CLASS: MX1

/Matt Moss

@mossy102

KALE MAKEHAM Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: SUZUKI RMZ-450

FOLLOW ME

21 Koondrook Brad Redman Get on the Podium and learn from this year. 2012 U19 SX Champion, 2nd 2013 MX2 Pro-Lites Wakeboarding, Jetski, Mountain biking

CLASS: MX1

/KaleMakeham96

@kalemakeham96

@Mossy102

M0TUL SUZUKI TEAM MOTUL SUZUKI REMAIN POSITIVE AFTER TESTING DAY AT MURRAY BRIDGE

Team Motul Suzuki are remaining positive and looking forward to round five of the 2015 MX Nationals after a testing day at round four held at Murray Bridge in South Australia on Sunday May the 17th. The day started on a good note for team rider Kale Makeham with the 21 year old Victorian recording the 7th fastest time in qualifying aboard his Suzuki RMZ450. Makeham backed up his qualifying result with a good start in the opening MX1 moto of the day, working his way up to seventh position and looked as though he was on track for another solid top ten race result before disaster struck with just a couple of laps remaining. Makeham crashed head first into the face of a jump exiting a corner and while he was able to re-mount and finish the race in 14th position, he was unable to start the second moto due to the concussion sustained from the accident.

“The day ended up being a disaster for us, but the good news is Kale while dazed will make a full recovery and is healthy.” Foreman commented. “Once again he showed good speed qualifying seventh and was solid during the race until one mistake bit him. “We are coming off two seasons where we have wrapped up the MX1 title and really did have a dream run. At the moment it looks like all our bad luck has hit us at once at the opening four rounds of this season, but that is how it can go in motocross racing sometimes.” “On the positive side, Matt has returned to riding and is testing with us in Newcastle this week getting ready to return to racing at Coolum. We will get him going as fast as we can for Coolum and see where he is at before spending the mid season break preparing for the second half of the season and being back on top.”

“I can’t really remember what happened” Makeham admitted, “I have been told that I crashed head first into the small table top just before the whoops heading towards the finish line, but I could not tell you exactly what happened. “I am feeling good now, my neck hurts a little and ill spend the next couple of days resting up before easing back into things. I will be 100% ready to go by Coolum.” Makeham added. Despite recording his first DNF for the season, Makeham continues to hold down 10th position in the MX1 championship standings aboard his Suzuki RMZ450 in just his first year in the 450 class. While the day was certainly not what team manager Jay Foreman was looking for, he was philosophical about the run of bad luck his team has endured at the opening four rounds of this years championship after dominating the MX1 class for the past two years.

Team

TEAM LOGO

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Chris Tisdale

#33

RHYS CARTER Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: SUZUKI HONDA CRF250R RMZ-250

FOLLOW ME

#J05

25 Mount Munganui New Zealand Jesse Wallace To Be On The Podium And Get Race Wins Top 3 In NZ MX2 2011, 2012 Mountain Bike, Golf

CLASS: MX2

/rhys.carter.58

@rhyscarter__

JESSE MADDEN Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

19 Mudgeeraba, Queensland, Australia Jesse Wallace Podium Finishes 15th 2014 MX Nationals Racing Bikes

CLASS: MXD

BIKE: SUZUKI RMZ-250

J05 5 0 J FOLLOW ME

/jesse.madden.52438

@jessemaj05

Team Members: Chris Tisdale, Chris Woods, Jesse Wallace, Rhys Carter, Jesse Madden

RACELINE SUZUKI MADDEN MAKES IT FOURTH AT ROUND FOUR FOR RACELINE PIRELLI SUZUKI

Raceline Pirelli Suzuki has once again recorded another successful outing at Murray Bridge over the weekend; with new recruit Jesse Madden proving the new team is a perfect fit for the young rider. Coming off a stellar maiden appearance for the team at Broadford, MXD pilot Madden headed to Murray Bridge looking to close in on the MXD championship. In race one, Madden scored a massive hole shot, before coming together with another rider, costing him positions and forcing him to finish just outside the top five in sixth place. In moto two Madden once again showcased his consistent starting ability, pulling a second massive hole shot and leading for a good portion of the race. However with a couple of riders managing to make the pass on the Suzuki mounted rider, Madden eventually crossed the line in third, and finished the day three points shy of the podium in fourth overall.

Jesse Wallace – Raceline Pirelli Suzuki Team Manager “The weekend was pretty good for us, and we made up some points in the championship which was our goal heading into the weekend,” he said. “Jesse took advantage of the series points leader’s bad moto in the last race and despite dropping a position in the championship, he managed to close the gap. “Jesse has gelled with the Suzuki really well, but it’s a testament to the Raceline Performance shop for finding a setting for him that he’s completely comfortable with. “He’s managed to step off one bike, and straight onto the Suzuki very well, so we’re very happy with what Raceline Performance have come up with. “The track on the weekend was fast, rough and soft in a lot of sections so both Jesse and the bike worked really hard to get the result that he did.”

Despite dropping a position in overall championship standings, Madden closed the points gap on the MXD series leader, and now stands only ten points shy of leading this years championship. Jesse Madden – MXD – 4th Overall – (6th, 3rd): “The weekend was not too bad for me, I got some awesome starts but just got caught up in the first race and I actually had a bit of arm pump all day,” he said. “The track was really rough and technical, so it was really hard on the hands that’s for sure. “I managed to close the gap on the championship leader, which is really what I wanted to do on the weekend, so I’m glad I got that done. “I’ve raced at Coolum a lot so hopefully next round I can get some similar starts and finish on the podium again for the team.”

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Yarrive Konsky

FORD DALE Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: HONDA CRF 450R

FOLLOW ME

#10

CLASS: MX1

/ford.dale.98

@fdnine

CODY COOPER Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: HONDA CRF 450R

FOLLOW ME Team Members:

25 Sunshine Coast Daniel Kersnovske Finish every race and Win a Championship. 2012 Australian MX2 Champion Enjoy training and playing with my son.

30 New Zealand, Taranga Blair Myer Finish every race and Win a Championship. Multiple New Zealand MX Championships Cycling and enjoying the lifestyle in NZ

CLASS: MX1

/Cody Cooper

@codycooper10

Steve Powel - Blair Myer - Daniel Kersnovske - George Rawling - Robert Wayne Hacker Martine Cousins - Darlene Van Slooten - Kasie Powel

PENRITE HONDA HONDA AUSTRALIA GET’S BEHIND BEN TOWNLEY’S RETURN TO AUSTRALIAN MOTOCROSS

World Motocross and AMA Supercross Champion Ben Townley will return to Australia to compete in Round 5 of the MX Nationals at Coolum Motocross Track, with backing from Honda Genuine Parts and Accessories. Townley, who retired from racing full-time in 2013 last competed at Queensland’s most celebrated national motocross circuit last year, winning a moto and claiming third overall for the day. “I have raced at Coolum before and I like the circuit,” Townley said. “The sandy soil is something I like racing on and I am really looking forward to getting out there in two weeks time. “I have been doing some riding, testing and local racing here in New Zealand but it will be good to see where I am at against the Australian competition. The Penrite Honda Racing team will build a race bike for Townley to compete on and are looking forward to his return. Team Principal Yarrive Konsky said he is a valuable asset to his squad and Australian Motocross. “Ben always brings a wealth of knowledge to our team and continually offers his support,” Konsky said. “Having him compete will only provide further data. He is a fan favourite and it will be great to see him on a Honda Genuine Parts and Accessories backed Penrite Honda”. Townley has kept busy travelling the globe, working with HRC in Japan and Europe as well as competing in some local races in New Zealand. Honda Australia’s Motorsport Manager Glyn Griffiths said Bens wealth of knowledge and presence will be extremely beneficial to the team. “This is a great opportunity to promote our race winning CRF450R and Genuine Parts and Accessories through a world Motocross and Supercross Champion.”

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Neale Wilson

#15

LUKE WILSON Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: HONDA CRF250R

FOLLOW ME

#14

25 Gold Coast JCR Top 10 Finishes 9th 2014 SX, 15th 2014 MXN, 2nd Indonesian SX Skateboarding and Wakeboarding

CLASS: MX2

/luke.wilson.5876

@__lukewilson15

GERAN STAPLETON Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: HONDA CRF250R

FOLLOW ME

22 Cape Schanck JCR Podium Finishes 2nd P.Island SX 2012, 2nd 08 junior Aus titles Racing Bikes

CLASS: MX2

/geran.stapleton

Team Members: Luke Wilson, Geran Stapleton, Jason Corney, Matt Wilson

@geran14

WILSONS HONDA WILSON MX TAKE THE POSITIVES OUT OF ROUND FOUR

Penrite Honda Wilson MX has once again wrapped up an encouraging round of the MX Nationals, at Murray Bridge in South Australia over the weekend. After coming off a successful outing at Broadford, MX2 pilots Luke Wilson and Geran Stapleton headed to round four ready to take on the loamy red dirt Murray Bridge is known for. Stapleton, who at Broadford proved he has the speed to run up the front, once again got round four started right. After taking the hole shot in moto one, Stapleton went on to lead the race before dropping back and finishing in fifth position. In moto two, a poor start made things difficult – after coming through the pack, Stapleton managed to cross the line in 10th and finish out the round in seventh overall. For Wilson, starts proved to be critical to results, on a track where passing opportunities were few and far between. In moto one, Wilson was close to last off the start, but managed to claw his way back to an encouraging 17th position. In race two, Wilson’s start made things difficult – again forced to battle through the pack, Wilson eventually crossed the line in 16th place. At the conclusion of the round Wilson salvaged 15th overall, in what was a challenging round for the Honda mounted rider. Geran Stapleton MX2 – 7th Overall – (5th, 10th) “The weekend was not too bad. I swear I saw one of the promo girls winked at me before race one and then I had to get the hole shot,” he said. “I sort of threw it away in the first race though – I got arm pump and dropped back from the lead which was pretty frustrating. “The track didn’t form up exactly how we thought it would, there were a lot of square edges and it was really hard to hang on, but the bike handled the conditions.

“In the next two weeks, I will definitely be working on my endurance a bit, but I’m looking forward to racing the new track at Coolum and hopefully I can get a few more winks right before I line up for round five.” Luke Wilson MX2 – 15th Overall – (17th, 16th) “It was a fairly rough weekend for me. My starts really affected my racing and I know that I made it hard for myself,” he said. “It’s in my head now – I know if I can get a start that I can run in the top ten, so that’s definitely what I will be focusing on between now and Coolum. “I actually managed to stay upright all weekend which was good, especially on such a rough and technical track. “The track itself wasn’t the problem for me, it was just me and my starts. So we’ll just keep working on those and we should be ready to go at Coolum before the break.” Neale Wilson – Wilson MX Team Manager – “Luke had a bit of a rough first moto, and had some bad luck with getting held up in the second one – so we’re going to do some work on his starts and I think he’ll be very strong at Coolum. “Luke’s lap times are very good, so we just need to get him a start and we’re confident he will be in that top ten. “Geran obviously got a great start in moto one, but we were convinced he was taking a phone call or something while he was riding, because he dropped back to fifth. “Geran is very quick, and honestly he’s got a podium in him, so he just needs to continue staying off the ground and it’s just a matter of time before we see him on the box.”

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Rob Twyerould

KIRK GIBBS Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: KTM 450 SX-F

FOLLOW ME

#26

26 Mt Gambier SA Kyle Blunden Stay fit, healthy and get the MX1 plate Runner up MX1 2014 MX Championships MTB, Paddle board, Beach

CLASS: MX1

/KTMAustralia

@KTM.Australia

@KTMAustralia

LUKE STYKE Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: KTM 450 SX-F

FOLLOW ME

23 Jervis Bay NSW Jordan Yeo Top 3 MX Championship MX2 MX & SX Champion 2013 Golf, Fishing

CLASS: MX1

/KTMAustralia

@KTM.Australia

@KTMAustralia

Team Members: Rob Twyerould, Kirk Gibbs, Luke Styke, Kyle Blunden, Jorden Yeo, John DiStefano and Gary Bradford

KTM RACING KTM PAINTS MURRAY BRIDGE ORANGE

KTM Australia’s factory and factory support riders poured on the sweet juice at yesterday’s fourth round of the MX Nationals series at Murray Bridge, winning the Premier MX1 class, extending the championship lead, winning MX2, and finishing second in MXD. For the second time in as many years, current MX1 championship leader Kirk Gibbs won his ‘home’ round, using 1-2 scores on the day to extend his championship lead to 39 points, just one round shy of the series halfway point. KTM 450 SXF-mounted Gibbs used two emphatic holeshots backed up by some smart and consistent riding to further illustrate his place as a contender for this year’s crown. KTM Motocross Racing Team mate and Round Three winner Luke Styke couldn’t find his rhythm on the day and was forced to settle for sixth overall – enough to maintain his second position in the nationals, but far from enough to satisfy him. The 2013 MX2 Champion was crestfallen at failing to master the conditions, but will doubtless put plenty of work into the issue in time for the next round at Coolum in a fortnight’s time. Kirk Gibbs – “The day was good, I qualified well, but I hit a marker in SuperPole and my front brake went a bit spongy. I got two ripper starts and just tried to ride smart and safe and kept clicking off clean laps. The boys were pressuring me, but I was good enough to come away with a win in that first moto. I made a couple of silly mistakes and Monea got by me, but I was able to keep him honest. I was happy with my speed today but those couple of little mistakes probably cost me a 1-1. I’m really happy with extending the points lead though, and making a decent gap to keep trying to open up.” Luke Styke – “I’m pretty devastated; I just wasn’t feeling it today. We thought the track was going to be a lot softer so we set it up more for sand, but it got pretty hard. I don’t know, I struggled all day, right from

the first session. We’ll bounce back, make it happen for the next one. I’ve just got to find my feet again and put a good result in at Coolum. Show everyone what I can do.” In MX2 Racing: KTM Factory Support rider Caleb Ward made his return from knee injury a memorable one with a stunning, two-moto domination over Husqvarna’s Luke Arbon and Takeshi Katsuya. Last year Ward used Murray Bridge as a springboard to attack the back half of the season, and with his taste for sand tracks, it’s an ominous sign for his opponents approaching next round at Coolum. Caleb Ward – “I couldn’t be happier. I got a good start in the first one and made my move for the lead on lap four, then just sort of rode my own race – stayed smooth and smart and consistent and won that one. In the second I was inside the top 10, but I made four or five passes on the first lap, and got into third behind Luke and then we both passed Riley Graham on probably lap four. Towards the middle I faded a little bit and sort of caught my breath, and then put in a big effort in the last couple of laps to close in the gap and made the pass and got another moto win. Pretty cool. The knee was a little bit tender in the first one, but I didn’t even notice it in the second moto.” In MXD racing, KTM Factory Support racer Jayden Rykers continued the improvement he’s shown this season with his best result of the year – a second place behind Husqvarna’s Connor Tierney. The result has leap-frogged the Western Australian four places in the championship, into fifth place behind fellow KTM rider Wayde Carter, who was fifth on the day. Jayden Rykers – “Second is okay. I am after firsts but I can’t complain with what happened on the day. I had an issue with my race bike in qualifying and ended up racing my practice bike in both motos. I’ve had a second and a third so far this year, now I just need a number 1 to complete the set! First is where I think I belong, so I’m not going to stop working until I get there.”

JORDI TIXIER

2014 MX2 WORLD CHAMPION

250 SX-F

KEN ROCZEN

2014 AMA 450MX CHAMPION

450 SX-F

TONY CAIROLI

2014 MX1 WORLD CHAMPION

350 SX-F

The master, Tony Cairoli held his MX1 World Championship title for the 4th in a row on the KTM 350 SX-F. French sensation, Jordi Tixier raced the KTM 250 SX-F to be the MX2 World Champion. So count ‘em down 4,3,2, all 1 » KTM, we are... READY TO RACE!

KTM Group Partner

Photos: Taglioni S, Cudby & Mitterbauer

2014 Domination by KTM. Ken Roczen piloted the KTM 450 SX-F to be crowned AMA 450MX Champion.

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

Continue the

tradition

of victory The 2015 Husqvarna motocross range is the pinnacle of 110 years of motorcycle production history. Agile handling complements class-leading performance, allowing riders to go faster for longer. Compact powerplants rest in nimble chrome-moly frames, delivering exceptional handling thanks to the latest WP Suspension system. Top end equipment as standard which includes hydraulic clutch and crash-resistant composite subframe featuring tool-free air filter access. The tradition of victory is built into the 2015 Motocross range to give you the technical edge.

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com.au

2 Strokes MY 2015 TC8517/15 TC8519/16 TC125 TC250 4 Strokes MY 2015 FC250 FC350 FC450

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Tam Paul

JESSE DOBSON

#414

Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

18 Brisbane QLD Mick Dobson Podium MX Nats & SX 5th SX1 2014 Rookie year Gym, Cycling and MTB Riding

BIKE: HUSQVARNA FC 450

FOLLOW ME

CLASS: MX1

/Husqvarna Motorcycles

@jessedobson414

NATHAN CRAWFORD

#199

Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

17 Brisbane Mick Crawford MX2 Champion 2015 MX2 Wildcard win at Swan Hill 2014 Fitness Training & Jetski

BIKE: HUSQVARNA FC 250

FOLLOW ME

CLASS: MX2

/Husqvarna Motorcycles

LUKE ARBON

#54

Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: HUSQVARNA FC 250

FOLLOW ME

@_nathan199

Team Manager: Stephen McKinnon

22 Gawler SA Andrew Pringle Win the MX2 Championship 3rd MX2 2014 MX Nationals MTB & Travelling

CLASS: MX2

/Husqvarna Motorcycles

@lukearboon54

HUSQVARNA HUSQVARNA MEN BACK IN THE GOOD STUFF

When results are all you live for, lean days are the worst and the breakthrough days, well they just make all the hard work worthwhile. After enduring a tough Broadford round, the young men of Husqvarna’s factory support squad bounced back like champions in South Australia as the fourth round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals unfolded. MXD competitor and Craig Anderson Racing rider Connor Tierney took his first National win in the MX Development series, powering his Husqvarna TC 250 to second in the opening moto, before coming back with the win in Race Two, to win the day from KTM’s Jayden Rykers. The outstanding result has given Tierney a handy leg up in the championship, hoisting him from fourth to second, and now within just eight points of championship leader Wilson Todd. In MX2, Luke Arbon’s target of returning to the front in South Australia was achieved in no uncertain terms, the Husqvarna FC 250 rider finishing second in both motos for runner-up on the day behind KTM’s Caleb Ward and ahead of Takeshi Katsuya. Sunday’s haul sees Arbon move from ninth to sixth in the championship. MX2 rookie Nathan Crawford raced with a taped shoulder after his Broadford injury, salvaging ninth place on the day and moving back inside the top 10 overall. Last but not least, MX1 competitors Jesse Dobson and Aaron Tanti both had solid hauls at Murray Bridge. Eighteen-year-old Dobson (9-5) recovered from two falls on the first moto to post another spectacular top-five result in the second, moving himself one rung higher on the overall ladder to be seventh in the MX1 championship. Jesse Dobson – FC 450: “I ended up ninth in the first one after two lay downs from just silly mistakes. I was pretty disappointed with that – I thought I had it kind of sorted going into this weekend, but… In the second I changed my starting technique, just to try to shift third

a bit quicker and it seemed to work, we got a decent start. I was running inside the top 10 and made a few passes and a couple of boys went down and I moved my way into fifth. In the second one it felt like we ironed out the mistakes, so I’m glad that we got it dialled.” Luke Arbon – FC 250 “I got two seconds here and it feels so great to be back on the podium. I kind of had a feeling about a week or two ago, I changed up my suspension on the bike and I just clicked with it straight away and had a bit more confidence in myself and my bike. It seemed to work well. I qualified fourth which is like qualifying first for me – I always suck a bit at that. It was good to go out and enjoy the ride and enjoy the day. And finish the day with a smile, too.” Nathan Crawford – FC 250 “It was one of those days for me. I was pretty confident and the shoulder wasn’t too bad – I got Race Safe to strap it up for me and then I went out and qualified third, but in the first one I didn’t get the best of starts, and was coming through pretty well, and got stuck battling with a rider who was a bit more focused on me than going forward. He held me up and I ended up not even getting around him so I ended up sixth then. In the second I got a better start, but unfortunately with the lack of riding in the last three weeks I just went backwards from fourth to tenth. I made a pretty good charge and was close to being inside the top three when I crashed and stretched out my shoulder a fair bit. It was pretty sore for a few laps. Once it came good I started putting some laps back together but by then it was too late.” Connor Tierney – TC 250 “Two-one for today and the overall win! I feel awesome, the best feeling in the world. So good. I always wanted a win to come this quick but I don’t know if I was expecting it to. I just woke up this morning and felt good, went out for qualifying and just thought, ‘this is my day’. It all just went to plan – it was awesome. The first moto I started sixth, but got up there in just a few turns, made the right choices, made some fast passes and ended up getting to the front quick. I know I can do it now, so, no excuses!”

N P S M O N S TER K AWA SA K I RACE WIN FOR NPS MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI AT ROUND FOUR OF THE MX NATIONALS

Adam Monea repeated his overall result from the last round to secure 2nd on the podium at round 4 of the MX Nationals in Murray Bridge yesterday. After settling with 4th place in the first moto and taking out the second moto, Adam rode into equal 3rd position on the championship leaderboard. Monea collected the Superpole prize of $500, 5 valuable championship points and a boost of confidence on the loamy circuit after opening the day with the fastest MX1 qualifying lap. Consecutive 2nd place podiums for Adam Monea have labeled him a threat to the series leaders. “‘I’m stoked. Can’t be happier for the team, we’ve all worked hard and put in a mega offseason so it feels like it’s been a long time coming. It’s a good feeling to get on top and on a race podium. My first podium for the season in the last round was overdue and another 2nd today shows how determined I am to keep climbing up that ladder. Getting the Superpole win was great, first one sine I’ve been on the team, really happy with that”, commented Adam. After coming together with riders in the initial technical turns, Adam found it difficult to make a comeback in the first Moto. “I side-saddled and rode off the bike. Five or six people got past me so I had to fight back and I got to 4th by the end. It was just a lonely ride, the boys in front had a gap on me and I had a gap on the guys behind me so I came in 4th and there wasn’t much more I could do about that”. Race two started slow after Adam settled into 3rd position on the first lap. He bided his time and progressively creep up from behind into first place, which he was able to defend for the remaining 18 minutes of the race. “I didn’t think it was going to be a race winning start. I got tangled with a couple of riders down the straight after the gates fell but made a good decision coming into the first turn and tucked away to come out in third. Made some good passes to come away with the win”.

Adam spoke about the demanding track conditions on the day, saying “The shadows and the sun were a challenge all day so I am happy to land on the top of the second race with the win. Good track placement and positioning got me through although my lines were terrible. Second overall for the day is a way forward. We are still climbing up the championship ladder and making things work. By the end of the Championship I want that red plate“, said Adam as he went on to thank his sponsors and especially his mechanic Paul “Teasy” Teasdale. Team mate and substitute rider for the injured Jake Moss, John Phillips, has been putting away promising results after a 3rd place in the last round. However John’s battle up the leaderboard was halted over the weekend as he ran into issues in the first moto. “Was a tough day for me. Qualified 15th and got a good start in the first moto. After a couple of laps I had an issue and had to ride back in to get it fixed. Rode the rest of the race out and got 24th, said John. “Got an ok start in Moto 2, Monz and I were together in the beginning of the race and we cut out in front of everyone so it put me into the top ten and then I grinded my way up to 9th. I found some good lines and had some fun on this track although there were a lot of choppy sections that took a toll”, commented John. John didn’t rest in between rounds as he flew back home to New Zealand and competed in one local club day and trained at his home track. “Kawasaki NZ really came to the party and helped me out with a bike in NZ. The guys (mechanics) here sent me back home with some parts to fit to the KX450F, but my race bike is running a pretty much stock engine so there wasn’t much to do to the practice bike. Team Manager, Troy Caroll is confident that the weekends results are only the beginning for the NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, saying “finished 2nd at last round and had a good three weeks leading up to the race. Murray Bridge is a great venue and we had a great weekend.

K AWA S A K I R ACI N G TEA M TAKE THREE FOR TAKESHI WITH ANOTHER THIRD PLACE AT ROUND FOUR OF THE MX NATIONALS

For the third time in the series, Takeshi Katsuya takes 3rd place on the podium in the MX2 class of the 2015 MX Nationals, while Proformance Kawasaki Racing Team maintain consistent results. In the middle of the pack around the first turn is where Takeshi found himself in the opening moto, leaving him no option but to claw his way back up the field for the remainder of the race. Determination prevailed in the form of 5th place in race 1. An even worse start in the second moto saw Takeshi in unfamiliar territory at the back of the field. Once again proving his speed and experience, Takeshi was able to make pass after pass to secure 3rd place. Takeshi is now equal 2nd with Jay Wilson on the MX2 championship leaderboard and only 16 points away from the MX2 class leader. “Qualifying didn’t go well, but I don’t worry too much about qualifying because when I race, my lap times are up there with the leaders. Got a good start in the first moto, and I lost my rhythm in the second lap so it was hard for me to come back after that. Overall today I had bad starts. I’m here for a reason and I went for it. I used a lot of energy and it wasn’t easy but I got another podium”. Tiring of 3rd place podiums and hungry for a race win, Takeshi will use his experience to his advantage and according to the 4 time Japanese MX Champion, consistency is the key. “I just had to come through and I worked hard today to get that third overall. This is what you have to do to be in a championship, you have to be consistent. I would like to get a win, and it will come but it will just take time”.

favourite tracks in the country. Qualifying was pretty hectic because we had a red flag and were left with only 15 minutes left to qualify so we all went out pretty hot and I didn’t get the best run in. Didn’t get a great start in the first race, rounded the corner in 20th or so but worked my way up to 16th. My start was a lot better in the 2nd moto. We Looked at the data and saw what I was doing wrong so I went out and the bike went really well and I started in the top 10. It took a few laps to get my rhythm but I settled into 12th and finished the race in that position”. Said Alex. Dylan Leary found himself in the middle of the field with 19th overall after 25th position in race 1 and 14th in race two. “Qualifying didn’t go to plan. Crashed in the first turn and was a bit sore so it took a while to get my bike going. I came through the pack to 25th with the 3rd fastest lap which is good but you don’t get points for that. Started well in the last race, but I made a silly mistake and missed a shift which I paid for. I ran around 14th all race and finished there”, commented Dylan. Confident with the team but eager to improve on results, Team Manager Travis Whitten said, “It’s been a really good weekend. Great to show up to a bit of sand instead of mud. Dylan had a rough weekend, but the team is really gelled and we are having an awesome experience so far this year. Everyone helps out and puts 100% into it. We just need to get a few more things right and then we will be right up there”.

Soft terrain and deep bumps make Murray Bridge a tough track but a favourite amongst competitors. Steady progress continues for Proformance Kawasaki Racing Team. Alex Morris entered the round in high spirits after recovering from a crash that left him with a mild concussion in the previous round. “This is one of my

TEAM PROFILE Team Manager: Travis Whitten

#35

ALEX MORRIS Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: Kawasaki KX250F

FOLLOW ME

#953

CLASS: MX2

/ProformanceKawasaki

@proformance_kawasaki

MATT RYAN Age: Hometown: Bike Mechanic: Goals for 2015: Past Achievements: Other Hobbies:

BIKE: Kawasaki KX250F

FOLLOW ME

23 Yarram, VIC Derek Steen Have Fun, Top 10 Finishes 2009 Under 19s VIC Champ Keeping Fit

24 Kyabram, VIC Derek Steen Podium Finishes 3rd Under 19s Series Snowboarding, Wakeboarding

CLASS: MX2

/ProformanceKawasaki

@proformance_kawasaki

Team Members: Travis Whitten, Nathan Whitten, Derek Steen, Daryl Hurd, Peter Whitten

P R O FO R M A N CE K AWA SA K I PROFORMANCE KAWASAKI – ROUND FOUR UPDATE

Round 4 of the MX Nationals brought a very well prepared race track at Murray Bridge. A change of soul to a more sandy and loamy track. Both boys where excited to get out on the track Sunday. Qualifying was a bit of a struggle. Unfortunately fellow Kawasaki rider Joel Evens had a heavy crash (our wishes are with him as he recovers) this stoped the session then it was restarted again once Joel was safely removed from the track. Everyone’s times where pretty close but unfortunately we were on the tail end of it qualifying outside the top 15. Moto one the start didn’t go to plan with Dylan going down in the first turn and taking half a lap to re fire his bike, Alex got through the first corner pile up but was a long way back in the pack both boys charged hard but by the end of the moto could only manage Alex 16th Dylan 25th Moto two both boys managed better starts but still out of the top ten, both boys rode the 20min hard by the end of the moto they were only able to manage Alex 13th Dylan 14th Overall for the day Alex finished 13th and Dylan 19th Dylan now sits 12th in the championship and Alex after 2 DNF’s is 22nd Not the results we are chasing but for a first year team all we can do is continue to work hard and try to turn around the results. Team manager Travis said “Unfortunately we just didn’t have the speed today, our team is working hard and enjoying being at the races so I am sure we can turn around these results and get towards the front.

DYLAN LEARY OF PROFORMANCE KAWASAKI RACING TEAM STEPS BACK FROM MX NATS After extensive consideration and long talks with his family and supporters, Dylan Leary has decided to step back from competitive motocross racing. Dylan Leary who has missed the last two racing seasons due to injury, was given the opportunity to race for the newly formed Proformance Kawasaki Racing team based on his competitive potential and genuine sportsmanship. Dylan was thrilled to be provided the opportunity and he has thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the Proformance Kawasaki Racing team. He loved the team atmosphere and equipment provided. Dylan had been steadily improving his race results this season with a best position of 5thplace at Broadford (round 3). “This may come as a shock to a few people but my head is not where it needs to be competing at a professional level”, said Dylan. Proformance Kawasaki Racing Team Manager, Travis Whitten said “Dylan has put 110% into this season so far. Training hard, eating right and doing everything he can. But unfortunately all that work and effort can’t make you want to go racing, it has to be something you truly want to do for yourself. The team is sad to not have Dylan as a part of it moving forward. His upbeat attitude around the team pit will be missed and we truly wish Dylan all the best with his future endeavours”. Proformance Kawasaki Racing Team will continue to work hard for the remainder of the season with Alex Morris to compete alone in the upcoming Coolum round of the MX Nationals (round 5). Team member Matt Ryan, who was previously injured, is currently training on his KX250F and he is feeling comfortable at this stage to make his return after round 5.

UNITED BY FREEDOM. UNITED BY SWANN. Protect what you love Go to swanninsurance.com.au or call 13RIDE.

THEBREAK Hey everyone and welcome to another edition of the M.A.D Trainers corner. It is hard to believe we are already at the half way point of the season and round five at Coolum will send us into the break before the whirlwind of the second half of the season kicks back to life! So letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about the five week break in the MX Nationals calendar and what it means for our riders from a strategic point of view. The riders heading into the break can be put into two categories. 1- Rider and team are happy with results, consistency and championship standing so far. Maintain routine and look to finish strong. I would say about 1-5% of riders across all classes will fall into this category. 2- Rider and team are unhappy with results, a serious lack of consistency and are a long way from their targeted championship standings after five rounds. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that 90-95% of all riders will fit into this category.

BUILDINGINTENSITY For all of the riders sitting in category two, what can

If we take a look at MX1 moto 1 at Murray Bridge as

they do to turn their championship around heading

an example, we will see a drastic change in race craft

into the second half of the series? Well after seeing the

by the riders in the top five. Kirk Gibbs, Dan Reardon

racing action unfold this year I think my honest answer

and Kade Mosig ran first, second and third in that order

for my riders that I train and all riders across the board

after a third lap pass by Gibbs past Reardon into the

is to work on their intensity! The 2015 season has

lead. Here is where the intensity comes in. The three

seen a dramatic increase in depth, talent and speed

riders then stayed within one second of the rider in front

across MX2 and MX1. In recent years I have witnessed

of them running almost identical lap times, 1.45.50

championship contenders in both classes but more so

being the average time of the three for an amazing 27

in MX2 be able to come through the pack from outside

minutes!! No settling, no mid race cruise conserving

of the top ten to finish on the podium. That is becoming

energy, this was an all-out sprint from gate drop to

increasingly more difficult this season due to the

finish. Amazingly at the 27 minute mark Mosig passed

depth of talent and intensity of the top half of the field.

Reardon for second and then sprinted even harder to try and take the win from Gibbs, who consequently

In 2015 I believe we are starting to see a new style of

responded with faster times to keep Mosig behind and

racing emerge in the MX Nationals. The standard 30

take the win. To put this speed into perspective the top

minute race model is to start out hard, get a good start

three lapped up to 9th position in moto two!

and sprint for the first five to ten minutes of the moto. A rider then settles into his position and maintains good track position by hitting a selected lap time from his team via his pit board. Depending on his position and what riders are coming through behind him, the rider will then up the pace for the last ten minutes to finish strong, maintain his position or possibly catch riders fading ahead of him.

NO SETTLING, NO MID RACE CRUISE CONSERVING ENERGY, ALL OUT SPRINT! 55

The transition in race craft has been much the same

THE BROADFORD RUTS WHERE EASY FOR

in MX2, with Luke Clout, Taka and now Caleb Ward

KIRK GIBBS, HE NAVIGATES THE CORNERS

sprinting from the front for a full moto with the mid pack

WITH PERFECT RUT TECHNIQUE.

battles of Hunter, Crawford, Simpson and Stapleton to name a few, battling and changing positions for a full thirty minutes! So how does a rider react to being under prepared and caught off guard by the level of intensity in the 2015 season? On the bike a rider needs to drop his lap times plain and simple. To be able to achieve this many riders will need to move away from pounding thirty minute motos during the week and replace them with one, two and three lap sprints. In the five week break riders struggling to move into the next bracket of higher results in their class will need to drop their fastest lap times anywhere from 2-5 seconds. This is the standard measurement of five rider brackets in the results. Murray Bridge MX1 top five average best time was a 1.45, fifth to tenth 1.47, tenth to fifteenth 1.51 and so on. Finding these seconds is harder than it may seem when riders are performing at an elite level, furthermore maintaining these lower times over a thirty minute moto is even harder.

In the gym riders can take advantage of the freedom

riders ability to perform at a higher intensity on the

a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no travelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; schedule for five weeks allows them to

bike, make the body more efficient at dealing with the

have with their training intensity. Moving into shorter

burn, the subsequent drop in lap times and endurance

anaerobic based training sessions, focusing on blowing

that hitting the lactate threshold during a race can

out the heart rate during explosive intervals followed

cause and be able to concentrate on the bike whilst

by recovery times and then repeated will improve a

performing at a higher output mentally.

To be able to achieve this many riders will need to move away from pounding thirty minute motos during the week and replace them with one, two and three lap sprints I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see who steps up their game for the return of the MX Nationals series in July. But first, we have to get through Coolum! See you all on Sunday, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to catch all the action live and on demand via www.nrgtv.com.au and hit me up with all your coaching and training questions joe@madsptc.com

C H I

WITH JOE STEVENS AND #TEAMMAD PRIVATE TUITION AND GROUP COACHING / SCHOOL HOLIDAY CAMPS. ALL LEVELS OF RIDERS CATERED FOR: PRO RACERS TO BEGINNER RIDERS. CONTACT JOE STEVENS P: 0404059168 E: JOE@MADSPTC.COM

HIT AND MISS Round TWO

CALEB WARD (MX2 1st Overall) One of the raging pre-season favourites, Queensland teenager Caleb Ward couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have had a more disastrous start to the season. He had a horror first round at Horsham then injured his knee badly at Appin, forcing him out of round three at Broadford. At Murray Bridge the likeable kid returned with a vengeance, ripping to 1-1 moto results in the MX2 class and upsetting all manners of apple carts in the process. He admits the title is out of reach, but if he continues this form into the rest of the series, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a huge pain in the arse for the series front-runners.

LUKE ARBON (MX2 2nd Overall)

Last year the South Australian round proved the catalyst that fired Luke Arbonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign to life as he cruised to his first-ever MX2 overall. This year it was crucial he replicated that to resuscitate his floundering 2015 season. And you know what? The kid stepped up and delivered. His 2-2 results were leaps and bounds above anything else heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shown us this year and he was a little unlucky to not win the overall after Ward passed him with just over a lap to go in the final race. < THE TRACK The Murray Bridge circuit always looks prime, but this year it was something special. The weather turned it on in a big way, the track was prepped to perfection, it developed some great line choices, and the big, technical back whoop section was a big talking point all day, both among the riders and the fans.

< CDR YAMAHA Gavin Eales and his Serco Yamaha team were wishing they could wake up and discover Sunday was just a horrible, horrible dream. During qualifying defending MX2 champ and points leader Luke Clout had a huge get-off that almost wrecked his chances of even racing the day. He still rode out both motos but finished down in 10th and ninth for 10th overall. It didn’t get any better for his teammate Jed Beaton, who suffered brake issues in the first moto, then cartwheeled hard in the whoops in the second race and broke his collarbone. He’s now in a race against the clock to be ready in time for Coolum next weekend.

CODY COOPER

DYLAN WILLS

Cody, Cody, Cody… what gives, bro! After a sub-

The current Under 19s supercross champ has been

standard start to the series, the three-time defending

consistently throwing his front-end in the mix this

New Zealand champion looked to be got it sorted out at

year, but he had an off weekend at Murray Bridge.

Murray Bridge when he snuck into Super Pole. It was

After getting stuck in a first turn crash in moto one, he

a different story in the races, though. He clocked up

finished outside the top 20. In the second race he hit the

seventh in the opening race, but then DNF’d the second

ground while running in fifth and rung his bell pretty

moto to tumble down the overall to 19th position for

hard, forcing him to back off the boil and circulate for

the day. Cooper is currently ninth in the MX1 points

18th in the race and 20th overall. He was punished for

standings, almost a full 100 points behind leader Kirk

his dismal results as he tumbled out of the top 10 in

Gibbs (who he upstaged in NZ, funnily enough) after

the standings in the process.

just four rounds. 61

The Honda EU series of generators are at the top of their class; the Advanced 4-Stroke Technology means you get power that’s extremely fuel eﬃcient, lightweight, whisper quiet and fully portable. So if you’re after more power check out Honda's range of EU series Generators.

AUSTRALIA’S NUMBER 1 IN OFF ROAD VEHICLES

2015 RANGER DIESEL 1000 HD • Kohler Diesel 1000 Engine - 24 HP with 3 Cylinders, Overhead Cam and Liquid Cooling • 110 AMP Alternator • Polaris Variable Transmission • 56 km/h Top Speed • Engine Braking System & 4 Wheel Descent Control (4WDC) • Electronic Power Steering • On Demand True All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) with Turf Mode • Independent Front & Rear Suspension • Built for Australia with Heavy Duty “HD” Features: Upgraded Rear Driveshaft, Grease Nipples, HD Sway Bar, Sealed A Arm Bushes, Sealed Ball Joints and Driveshaft Seals HARDEST WORKING, SMOOTHEST RIDING FEATURES KG 907

24 HP

DUMP BOX CAPACITY 454KG

INDEPENDENT REAR SUSPENSION 25.4CM OF TRAVEL

907KG TOWING CAPACITY

HEAVY DUTY FEATURES

ELECTRONIC POWER ENGINE BRAKING SYSTEM ON DEMAND TRUE & 4 WHEEL DESCENT STEERING ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE (AWD) CONTROL (4WDC)

1300 654 142 | www.polarisindustries.com.au

! E L B A IL A V A S IE R O S S E C C THE BEST VALUE BIKE A

ALLOY BRAKE PEDALS FORGED CNC MACHINED

COLOUR FLEXI TIP

COMES WITH BRAKE SNAKE

BILLET KITS

PERSONALISE YOUR BIKE

RANGE OF COLOURS

ALLOY GEAR LEVERS FORGED ALLOY

MX & ENDURO MODELS

OEM COLOURS

ALLOY WHEEL SETS

OEM REPLACEMENT

COLOUR ALLOY NIPPLES

www.linkint.com.au/statesmx

/linkint.AUS

MX & ENDURO MODELS

RANGE OF COLOURS

L150119

/link_international

MYTH BUSTING RIDER NUTRITION Motocross isn’t the same the sport it was 40 years ago, and in fact it’s not even close to what it was 30 years ago. Motocross has always had a research and development base in terms of the manufacturing of bikes, but only in the last 15 to 20 years has it really become a science in terms of rider development. There have always been particular guys at the top level who pride themselves on their physical fitness and grindstone work ethic but until recently it had never really been seen across the whole field, and many believe this changed in the Carmichael era.

Now that we have finally reached the level that most other sports have been at for quite some time, our riders

First of all, carbohydrates. It’s obvious that the

and teams need to be able to educate themselves and

consumption of carbohydrates both before, during and

steer clear of all of the myths that far too commonly

after training has a positive effect on performance and

circulate in the pits.

recovery, but the amount that must be consumed is directly related to all of the other activities the rider

In this article I am going to focus on some nutritional

has undertaken during the day; the type of training

information in regards to improving performance, and

they’ve been completing; and the environments they’ve

with that stamp out some myths and misunderstandings

been working in.

that I hear all to regularly when speaking to riders.

Riders consuming insufficient amounts

when it is impractical to consume every

of carbohydrates any time during the

day foods.

season will suffer from muscle loss; loss or failure to gain bone mineral

To put it simply, if you’re eating a

density; increased risk of fatigue, injury

well balanced diet that is quick and

and illness; and a prolonged recovery

easily available, protein shakes and

process, just to name a few. This is

bars etc. aren’t really required. There

when we usually see riders increase

are no studies found, that show any

their protein intake, as they think it will

positive effects on performance as a

compensate for any energy they haven’t

result of a protein intake above that of

gained through eating carbohydrates.

the recommended daily intake (RDI)

Unfortunately this is a common error

or allowance (RDA). Therefore if you

and doesn’t help the rider’s body at all.

consume the correct meal and on top of that also have a protein supplement

For the general population and even

for example, you will simply excrete

our elite riders of the MX Nationals, the

the excess protein (usually from that

recommended daily protein intake is

of the protein supplement) and in the

adequate in meeting our training needs

long term only damage your body as

and can be achieved solely through a

things such as kidney disease and

well balanced diet, free of supplements.

osteoporosis are common in those

Sports supplements such as electrolyte

who continuously consume excessive

drinks and gels, and protein bars and

amounts of protein.

powders should only be used to provide a practical source of nutrient intake

We could now look into which types of protein most

those found abundantly in fast foods, but mono and

benefit our racers in terms of their performance,

polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in vegetable

recovery, muscle growth and metabolism etc., but

oils, avocadoes and nuts are actually essential to

for this article we will simply move on to the final

maintaining a healthy diet and are proven in decreasing

macronutrient – fat.

an individual’s cholesterol.

Believe it or not, a rider should be consuming 20-35%

One final myth I want to bust is that of the negativity

of their daily energy intake from lipids (fats), as they

surrounding caffeine consumption. Caffeine is an

are an energy rich fuel source of fat soluble vitamins

ergogenic aid that directly contributes to optimal

and essential fatty acids, which are vital in the diets

sports performance and is proven in extending aerobic

of athletes. When I say you should consume fats, it

endurance, and improving muscular strength and

doesn’t mean hit McDonald’s, KFC or any pre made

power in prolonged exercise, as well as generating

processed fast food outlet on the way home from the

many other physical and psychological performance

track each day, but it does mean you should steer clear

benefits.

of being caught up in the ‘fat free diet’ myth. Saturated and trans fats are the fats you should avoid, which are

I hope this helps crack a few of the myths!

N I CK W EA RS : NI IND USTRY S N A PB ACK INDUSTRY SABOTAGE Z I P TH ROU GH RO UG H BOMBA BOM B A RD CA RGOS RG OS

@LK I GI R L S @LK I C LOTHI NG FACE B OOK.COM/ L KI C LOT HI N G @LK I C LOT HI NG P I N T E R E ST.COM/ L KI C LOT HI N G YO U T U B E.COM/ U S E R S / L K IR IDE R FIL MS LK I C LOTHI NG

LOOSEKID.COM

TA R G E T :

B E N

TOW N L E Y

TOWNLEY MAKES HIS RETURN TO RACING AT ROUND 5 COOLUM IN 2015

So, Ben Townley returns to the MX Nationals once again. This has become a bit of a tradition for you – How are you feeling about making your first 2015 MX Nationals appearance at Coolum? I’m excited. I enjoy coming to the Sunshine Coast, and I’ll find any excuse to get out of a New Zealand winter. It’s always a good event at Coolum and I really enjoy riding there. Why Coolum? Mainly because I just love Queensland, and I guess I just enjoy the sand a lot. For me it was a pretty good fit to come over and do this one, and I really enjoyed myself when I raced there last year, so it was a pretty easy decision for me to come over and race there again. You’re obviously not racing for a championship, what brings you back to the MX Nationals for selected races every year? I just still enjoy racing. Even though I’m not a full professional racer anymore, I still race. I do club days quite often, and do selected events all over the place so I guess I just enjoy it. I still get a big buzz out of racing the MX Nationals, and lining up and having a crack against the lads. I obviously don’t race as a professional anymore so I have a different perspective on it and I enjoy it a lot more as well.

Do you still think you’ve got the pace to run with the full time pro’s? Yeah. I raced a New Zealand National against all the front runners and had no issue with keeping the pace. I had limited to no preparation going into the race and I had no problems with running up front, so I don’t see any reason why I can’t do the same at Coolum. I think the biggest question mark is that I haven’t rode a 30-minute moto in a long long time. Last year at Coolum it was 20 minutes, New Zealand it was 20 minutes, so I can’t remember the last time I rode a 30 minute race. I actually think it was in Conondale in 2012, that was the last 30-minute moto I did, so that might be a bit of a challenge (laughs). You’ve travelled a lot this year, and seen a lot of motorcycling events in other countries. What are your thoughts on the condition of the sport globally at the moment? Well to be completely frank I have been to a lot of events this year, and the World Championship has grown in leaps and bounds in my opinion. Just the professionalism of it. From the teams, to the

riders, the event and the organisers, everyone has really lifted their game over there. I was pleasantly surprised by that. One GP I went to in Italy, they have outgrown going to traditional facilities – they don’t actually fit traditional facilities anymore, so they’re having to find new tracks and find venues that have new age facilities, so that was quite surprising for me. And I was really pleasantly surprised by the level of the Japanese events. Certainly from the way in which the brands go about it in Japan, they treat it to the highest level of racing from what I have seen from being in America and Europe. Then in my opinion New Zealand has been great this year. I think that the National series was good – we had really good coverage on National television and all summer long we were getting onto motorsport programs for clips and highlights and then the last round of the championship was televised, which was massive for New Zealand motocross. We also had so many international riders. Although I don’t think it’s so good for the Kiwi competitors, but in terms of the exposure that its gaining for New Zealand and the reasons as to why people are sending guys over, is quite specific. It’s gained a lot of momentum and it’s helped for sure.

How does the MX Nationals rate against other competitions around the world? I think Australia has plateaued a bit in my personal opinion. I think it grew a lot in the early 2000’s and even up until the 2010 era when I started racing there professionally. I just think with the economy and the rate of growth that this is just human nature. I personally think that it’s going to take a bit of ‘Kevin standing back’ and having a look to see where to next. And I know Kevin does continually do that, it’s not easy to always keep growing but I think it will need that. It’s like anything, and any sporting environment, that you have to keep reinventing yourself. To a certain extent Kevin definitely has, but I think the economy has factored in on things as well in my opinion. Is there something specific you think needs to change at the MX Nationals? TV. That’s the biggest factor for me. Australian Motocross has grown massively, and for me that’s the next step. We aren’t in the same league as V8 Supercars, but I just believe that what TV has done for that sport is massive. I think doors are opened by TV and some people agree, some people don’t’ agree, but I’ve seen just recently with the GP and what they have achieved. I think it will be interesting – I know that Kevin has been working on his package a lot this year so we’ll see how that goes. Tell me about your role with HRC this year. It’s a new thing for me this year, I’ve just started it and had been looking to do something with them for a while now. I got into Taka (Takeshi Katsuya) because obviously he has worked with them in the past, and he helped me get a connection with them. I have a role as an advisor here for HRC in Japan specifically – it’s

nothing to do with HRC in Europe or America, it’s only Japan. So I travel over a number of times a year and help them with their actual race bikes, including the setup of those bikes. Then also giving riders advice and mentoring them, as well as coaching. So it’s a pretty broad role so to speak, but it’s quite enjoyable. I’m actually in Japan right now and just finished a day of coaching and giving riding demonstrations so it’s been good. This trip is different to the last one, where I was at an event mentoring, and then different again to the first one where I was over here helping pre-season to get race bikes set up, so it’s quite a cool role. People still get so pumped to see you race even after so long time; it must be humbling to have so many dedicated supporters and fans. Yeah, it’s cool to hear. I mean I don’t really look at it that way, I just still really love racing and I’m a fan of the sport myself so to speak these days, I’m not really a hard core racer anymore. I have a different perspective now, and it is quite humbling to see people excited to see me racing. I tell you what though, there’s definitely a lot of people who are negative about me racing. They just don’t see what interest I have in coming back. Certainly a lot of people in the industry, even friends and family

can be negative about it – and my reply is that I still really enjoy riding and racing a motorcycle. I didn’t stop because I hated racing, I stopped because of the ride I had been on for a good part of two years mentally broke me. Now I’m in such a different place mentally than what I was two years ago. It’s been two years since I stopped racing professionally, but I never said I was going to stop racing in terms of riding and doing events, I just didn’t want to be in the position I had been in for the good part of two years. So yeah, there are negative comments but it is cool to hear that people are excited about it too. I certainly enjoy coming back and having that support – My dad is coming, a couple of mates are coming and I just enjoy doing these events and not having to worry about a championship. I can just put my helmet on and have a crack! With all of that said, if the right offer from a team came up for you, would you consider returning to full time racing? Oh, I’ve had different offers and different discussions and it’s a hard one. I’m still pretty young and I really honestly look at it. I’ve had probably the good part of four years where I haven’t sort of burnt my candle with training and riding every day and my body, although I had a number of injuries during

that two year period, is not thrashed. Mentally, I don’t feel like I’m burnt out from the sport, but in saying that it takes a lot to be a professional. It’s a life commitment if you want to race professionally. You get up every morning and you have your routine and it just rolls on. It’s sort of robotic. It’s a hard one to answer to be honest and I don’t know if I can even answer the question, but at the moment that’s in my mind. If Coolum goes well for you, are we likely to see you at further rounds of the MX Nationals this year? Probably Coolum for the final round. Well actually, lets just see how next weekend goes (laughs). Specifically that round because the track will go the other way, so it’s like a whole different event within the same facility which I find is quite intriguing. I’ve never raced Coolum the other way so I would be quite keen to do that one.

religiously watched it, but when I do have a chance I sit down and have a peek at it. I like to keep an eye on how Cody Cooper is doing and how Honda is doing, as well as the other Kiwis. Like I said earlier, I’m a fan of the sport so it’s cool to watch the Nationals for sure. I think NRGTV is a good step up on last year, but I think it still needs to be better. I’m quite a harsh critic (laughs) but when it’s worked, it’s been great. That’s the only tough thing about this technology and streaming online is that there are times where things just don’t work. Favorite Australian track? Manjimup. I just loved the event last year. I’ve seen a few videos of when it gets dry and nasty, but last year was just perfect. It’s not a sand track, it’s not a hard track it’s just in between. I just had a blast doing that and it’s what makes it one of my favorite tracks that’s for sure. Best bike you’ve ever rode?

The MX Nationals has been successfully broadcast live online via NRGTV this year, have you tuned in to any of the racing? My weekends are pretty busy with the family these days when I’m not racing so I haven’t sat down and

There isn’t one, there’s three. My 2004 Factory KTM 250, my 2007 Pro Circuit Kawasaki, and then my 2012 Carlton Dry Honda. It’s hard to pick one out of the two 250’s, they were equally very good, and certainly my 450 in 2012 was the best 450 I’ve had.

Favorite MX Nationals moment? Connondale in 2012. I was in the best form personally in my life. I came in there and I was a couple of weeks away from heading over to fill in for Chad Reed and I just rode the best I have in my life really, that’s all there is to it. Who in your opinion is Australia’s next up and coming motocross talent? This is a hard one for me. I had a lot of belief in Caleb Ward and he hasn’t rode to what I think his potential is. I don’t want to say he’s disappointing, but he isn’t meeting my expectations that’s for sure. He was probably at the top of my list. Then there’s the two Lawrence brothers – they seem like good little riders. It’s a hard one because I haven’t been to an event since Coolum last year so I am having a bit of a stab in the dark. In saying that, I don’t think there’s one person that’s really standing out. I could be wrong, because I haven’t been to an event but there isn’t anyone that’s jumping out at

me. To be totally honest, if you want to be the next up and coming talent that moves off-shore, or be the next Chad Reed you have got to be good, you’ve got to be real good. It’s always been like that, but through this mentoring, I realise now just how good you have to be. You have to be exceptional to go over and achieve these big goals and dreams that they all talk about. I never knock anyone for having those goals but if you really want to achieve it you have to go for it. That’s probably where I have been frustrated with Caleb – he has the right mindset and skill set but he hasn’t performed until potentially last weekend. But he needs to be doing that every single weekend otherwise those international opportunities are going to be much harder to achieve, I probably sound a little bit harsh but that’s reality, and for kids that are reading this that is the reality of the sport these days. Thanks for the chat Ben, appreciate you making the time all the way from Japan! No problems, see you at Coolum.

THE CUSTOM BUILT BIKES OF THE FEATURE FILM

STEPHEN GALL TAKES US BEHIND THE

CUSTOM VEHICLES In my last column, I spoke about my experiences on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road as part of the motorcycle stunt specialist team. My role required me to coordinate the team and assist with planning, training and execution of stunts involving motorcycles. I also performed many stunts myself, although when you watch the film, you cannot pick which character’s I play as I am covered in elaborate costumes and makeup. Part of the fun of the Mad Max series is the crazy and elaborate vehicles that are used. Being set in a post-apocalyptic world, the vehicles must be built to look like they have been pieced together with materials scavenged from the desert wasteland. The famous Mad Max car, the Interceptor, or Pursuit Special as it is also known, appears yet again in Fury Road, but there are many other crazy vehicles including many motorcycles that are used throughout the film. I was involved with the development of the movie back when it first went into pre-production in 2003. I initially helped with motorcycle testing and development and was employed as a specialist stunt rider and assistant specialist stunt coordinator. The production was postponed several times for a number of different reasons. Yamaha Australia helped with the loan of many bikes and these bikes were modified and tested to develop the ‘look’ that the movie was after. There were about 47 motorcycles used to help create the film and despite a few exceptions, most were Yamaha’s. The bikes were mostly built by our mechanic, Matt Bromley and his team with conceptual designs by Colin Gibson and his team. My team of stunt riders included Robbie Marshall, Cody Mackie, Michael Addison, Shaun Ford and Rob Jones and we used the motorcycles that were created to perform many of the spectacular stunts in the film. These motorcycles are hard to recognise in the movie as they look completely different once dressed up. Here is a rundown on some of the bikes used.

Yamaha R1 - Crazy-looking dirt bike This Yamaha R1 had a straight through exhaust. At 14,000 revs, it sounded great and even sounded better than most of the cars. Matt Bromley was very happy about this as it was his handiwork. Out of all the bikes, the R1’s appeared the most in the film. They were used mostly when Immortan Joe’s army was giving chase.

Honda Gold Wing This bike was built for the Vuvalini tribe of travelling female bikers. These characters lived in the desert with all their possessions carried on their motorcycles. The Gold Wing was hard to ride as it carried a lot of extra weight from all the objects that were attached to it. However, after seeing the film twice, I haven’t spotted the bike and it may have not been used in the final cut.

Yamaha R1 with skids and paddles This was one of a variety of R1’s used in the film. We took a disc off the front wheel to reduce weight as we didn’t need braking power in the dirt. All the R1’s had Dunlop 5.00 x 17 knobby tyres on the front and Continental knobbies on the rear 6” rim. Matt Bromley designed the stainless steel paddles to attach to the rear tyre to help the bike push through deep sand. The R1 had plenty of power and we had a lot of fun testing with them. The bike threw up some spectacular roost but all the street bikes were tough to ride in the sand as most of them had extended swingarm’s which put the weight bias onto the front tyre making the steering very difficult.

Yamaha YZ450F This bike has extra fork legs attached purely for aesthetic reasons. The extra fork legs were empty so they provided no extra suspension assistance. The bike had a super motarrd look with similar tyres. The seat was very hard which made it quite uncomfortable to ride. The extra fork also added weight and made the bike very hard to a handle. The motarrd tyres also made it difficult to ride in the sand. The bike looked great, but it was not much fun to ride! You can see this bike from a distance as Immortan Joe’s army chase down the War Rig that Max and Furiosa are piloting.

Yamaha R1 - Max’s bike This is very similar to the R1 with skids and paddles mentioned earlier. Cody Mackie stood in for Tom Hardy in the scene where Max chases down the Vuvalini tribe. Whenever Hardy was seen on the bike, it was actually attached to a truck that towed him along. This was because he had trouble riding the bike. He had no prior experience with bikes or even manual cars. Despite teaching him and Theron how to ride better, he had trouble riding the test bike. This is the reason Cody was used in this scene.

BMW

This bike was pretty standard except for knobby tires and a stainless steel ski to help in the sand. It was used for the Vuvalini scene.

BMW chopper This bike was ridden by Charlize Theron. It was a ‘bobber’ style bike and is ridden in the scene where Furiosa and the Vuvalini tribe head off into the desert to find a suitable place to live. In the same scene, Cody Mackie stands in as Max as he chases down the tribe to inform them that he has a better plan. The Beemer was only ridden in this one scene, but it plays an important role as Theron’s character is one of the co-leading characters in the film.

Sidecar This bike was also one of the Vuvalini bikes and was dressed to look like its owner was living off it. The tribe were nomadic desert dwellers and the bike had to look as such. It is only briefly seen in the same scene where the tribe heads off into the desert.

Gas Gas trials bike These bikes were fairly standard as well and had very little dressing. They were the easiest to ride up steep hills and rocks. The bike is used when one of the Rock Riders slides underneath the War Rig and grabs Furiosa’s legs as she tries to climb through an escape hatch.

My picks for the best bikes in the film are: Most fun in the sand: Any YZ450F’s with normal wheelbase Most practical to ride: Yamaha YZ450’s used by the Rock Riders Hardest to ride: Honda Gold Wing Best looking: YZ450F and R1’s Most seen in the movie close up: Rock Rider bikes Least seen in the movie: Gold Wing Most fun in the dirt: Any of the R1’s modified for off-road use test bike. This is the reason Cody was used in this scene.

Yamaha Tenere 660 This Tenere 660 was another Vuvalini bike and was covered in random objects. I acted as one of the Vuvalini tribe members and rode this bike as they headed out into the desert. The bike had a paddle tyre but with all the weight, it made it hard to get the bike going. I had two passengers, one as a pillion and one in the sled, and we all had to get off and push to get the bike going. The poor girl who was the stunt double in the sled was covered in roost off the paddle tyre during rehearsal and filming. We managed to do this entire scene in one take and I was very proud of this. Director George Miller was also very impressed as most scenes take multiple takes.

Yamaha YZ450F - Rock Rider bikes These YZ450Fs were used in the canyon seen where the Rock Rider tribe chase the War Rig. The bikes were seen getting huge air over the War Rig and for this reason they were fitted with supercross suspension settings to handle the hard landings. They were fitted with seats that replicated the original steel seats they came out with. The bikes were designed to look like they were built from various bits and pieces scavenged from the desert. The bikes were the most similar to a standard dirt bike and they were easily the most practical to ride. The motorcycle stunt crew had fun jumping these bikes.

ACE R B F O M ITE TEA L E N A Y PED B O L E V E D AND DESIGNEDTS WITH S SPECIALI

$349.00 EA

$399.00 EA

! L E D O NE W M FROM THE OFFICE OF GALL BROS PROMOTIONS WHERE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR PRIORITY P: [07] 5575 7520 E: SALES@MATRIXBRACING.COM.AU FOR MORE INFORMATION

UNSUNG PERFORMERS FROM BROADFORD’S THIRD STOP OF THE SEASON.

KYLE WEBSTER

JAMES BOOTH-ELLIOTT

AARON TANTI

KYLE WEBSTER

MX2 5th OVERALL C U L LY S YA M A H A

Emerging Western Australian talent Kyle Webster was a solid fifth overall in MX2 at Murray Bridge, in what was a consistent day up front on his YZ250F. Despite qualifying down the order in 16th, Webster battled to seventh in the opening moto and then progressed even further for fourth in moto two. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that the softer the terrain, the more at home Webster will feel in the nationals.

JAMES BOOTH-ELLIOTT

MX1 9th OVERALL PERFORM A NC E M OTO SU Z U K I

In what was the popular South Australianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first national appearance of the season, James Booth-Elliott turned heads with ninth overall in the premier class on his privateer Suzuki. It was consistency that resulted in his overall position, finishing 10th in the opening moto and ninth in the second, and once again displayed his potential amongst the best 450 riders in the country.

AARON TANTI

MX1 10th OVERALL CRAIG AND ERSO N RACI NG HU SQVA RNA

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been keeping a close eye on Aaron Tantiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress in the MX1 ranks under the wing of Craig Anderson and Murray Bridge resulted in his first top 10 overall result of the year. Tanti was 12th in moto one and charged to 10th in the second, which will come as a major confidence boost after stepping straight up from Under 19s for this year.

Performance. Perfected.

2015 RAPTOR TITANIUM FOOTPEG RIDERS

RYAN DUNGEY

FORD DALE

CODY COOPER

ADAM MONEA JAKE MOSS

LUKE ARBON

JESSE DOBSON

DANIEL MCOY

DYLAN LONG

COOPER WEBB

MARVIN MUSQUIN

ANDREW SHORT

JASON ANDERSON

JEREMY MARTIN DEAN WILSON

JUSTIN BRAYTON

BRETT METCALFE

TAYLOR POTTER

MARTIN DAVALOS

RYAN VILLOPOTO

ANTONIO CAIROLI TYLA RATTRAY

TOMMY SEARLE

KEN DE DYCKER

SHAUN SIMPSON JORDI TIXIER

DYLAN FERRANDIS JULIEN LIEBER

VALENTIN GUILLOD

ZACH OSBOURNE

MAINMOTO.COM

2015 asbk series calendar Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5

WSBK, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Morgan Park Raceway Barbagallo Raceway Symmons Plains Raceway Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

proudly brought to you by:

Vic QLD WA Tas Vic

February 19-22 April 10- 12 May 22 - 24 September 4 - 6 October 2 - 4

asbk.com.au

LIA

UND T O

LING AU

TATES

MOTORCYCLING QLD CQ Clubs Off Road Series – 7 June – Pioneer Valley, QLD QLD Classic & Post Classic MX Championships – 13 /14 June – Harrisville, QLD MOTORCYCLING WA On the 20th June, Motorcycling WA will be holding their second Smarter than Smoking Minikhana in Coolup.

ROWBA CK TH #

ROU ND 4

M . B RI DGE #

K F L A S H B A C

KIRK

GIBBS

G I B B S C H A R G E S TO H O M E R O U N D V I CTO R Y AT MURRAY BRIDGE 93

ROUND 5

BR EA K D OW N MURRAY BRIDGE

KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs has recorded a satisfying finish to his home round outing today, taking the top step on the Monster MX1 podium and further extending his championship lead. With friends and family looking on, Gibbs was determined to get the job done from the minute bikes hit the track, however with NPS Monster Energy Kawaski’s Adam Monea finally finding his form the job was not to be easy. In moto one, KTM’s Kirk Gibbs took the holeshot and only gave up the lead to Daniel Reardon for a few turns on lap one, showcasing his talent to his home crowd supporters.

Kirk Gibbs (1st - 2nd) 1st Overall 67 Points “I got two really good starts today which I’m really happy about, and I felt very comfortable out there all day,” he said. “Adam was riding very well in that second race, and I made a couple of small mistakes but all in all I can’t ask for much better today. “Big picture, I’m really happy with how everything went today, and it’s awesome to be able to get the overall win in front of a home crowd again.”

Kirk Gibbs starts have been a massive key to his success in 2015. Consistently starting inside the top 5 has helped him secure the red plate heading into the half way point at Coolum vvv

With Gibbs in the lead for the majority of the moto, all eyes were on CDR Yamaha teammates Dan Reardon and Kade Mosig (CDR Yamaha) who had commenced their battle for second. With an incident at round three in the back of their minds, Mosig managed to make a clean pass on teammate Reardon, handing CDR Yamaha second and third for race one. In moto two, Gibbs once again took the holeshot and early race lead. However with Monea looking to turn his season around, he hunted Gibbs down and took the lead – taking control of race two in spectacular fashion. With Monea’s Kawasaki machine crossing the line first, Gibbs followed comfortably in second, while third place for race two was claimed by CDR Yamaha’s Daniel Reardon, in a satisfying outing for the former retiree. When racing concluded and points were tallied the grin could not be wiped from KTM riders face. Gibbs claiming the home round win for the second year running, and taking top step on the podium ahead on NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Monea, followed by CDR Yamaha’s Daniel Reardon in third. 95

T H E R E S U LT S GoPro Superpole 1) Adam Monea (1:40.092) 2) Lawson Bopping (1:42.172) 3) Kirk Gibbs (1:42.361) 4) Cody Cooper (1:42.410) 5) Kade Mosig (1:42.513) Monster Energy MX1 round four overall results: 1) Kirk Gibbs 67 2) Adam Monea 63 3) Daniel Reardon 60 4) Kade Mosig 57 5) Lawson Bopping 51 6) Luke Styke 50 7) Jesse Dobson 48 8) Dylan Long 48 9) James Booth Elliot 41 10) Aaron Tanti 50 Monster Energy MX1 championship points: 1) Kirk Gibbs 274 2) Luke Styke 235 3) Adam Monea 227 4) Kade Mosig 227 5) Lawson Bopping 213 6) Dylan Long 192 7) Jesse Dobson 188 8) Daniel Reardon 184 9) Cody Cooper 177 10) Kale Makeham 152

PRESENTS

MX1 RIDER LIST #

Name

Manuf.

Sponsors

Matt Moss

Suzuki

Team Motul Suzuki - Alpinestar - takt Graphics

Adam Monea

Kawasaki

NPS Monster Enrgy Kawasaki Hitachi

Cheyne Boyd

Yamaha

DPH Peter Stevens Yamaha

Kirk Gibbs

KTM

KTM Motocross Race Team - Motorex KTM Race Team

Kade Mosig

Yamaha

CDR Yamaha

Ford Dale

Honda

Penrite Honda Racing

Cody Cooper

Honda

Penrite Honda Racing

Aaron Tanti

Husqvarna

Craig Anderson Husqarna Racing , Michelin Tyres , Scott , M2R helmets , Belray

Luke Styke

KTM

Daniel Banks

KTM

Davey Motorsports KTM - Tunetech Suspension - Fly - Penrite Oil - M2R - LKI

Ricky Latimer

Yamaha

TLR - Fuchs Silkolene - Pirelli - Thor - Goodridge - Spy - RK Chains

John Phillips

Kawasaki

NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki Hitachi

Daniel McCoy

Yamaha

Yamaha - PIRELLI - Smacs Financial Group - On Two Wheels - GYTR - Unifilter

Richie Evans

Honda

Cairns Honda - Kwala

Lawson Bopping

Yamaha

DPH Peter Stevens Yamaha

Mathew McEntee

Yamaha

teencee graphics

Daniel McEntee

Kawasaki

Southern Highlands Motorcycles - Factory spec - motul - Tee n Cee graphics

Kale Makeham

Suzuki

Team Motul Suzuki

101

Ben Townley

Honda

Honda Genuine Parts - Penrite Oils - Pirelli - NGK - ODI - Honda Racing - TLD

117

Dylan Long

Yamaha

Tattoo Racing - Shift Mx - Fox - Bret Trigg Visual - Jetpilot - The Collective Family

122

Daniel Reardon

Yamaha

CDR Yamaha

264

Izak Maule

Yamaha

AAA Parts - Ipone - Fox - Yamaha - Northern motorcycles - Rapid MX

347

Scott Green

KTM

Diesel Specialists

410

Darcy Jones

Yamaha

Gladstone Motorcycles - Yamaha - Axis Motor Sports - Nine Two Decals - Dunlop

414

Jesse Dobson

Husqvarna

Husqvarna Racing Team - Bellray - Axo - 6D Helmets - Jetpilot - Dunlop - Kwala

834

jeremy booker

Husqvarna

full throttle motorcycles - looskid

RACE RECAP - CALEB WARD KTM racer recalls MX2 clean-sweep at Murray Bridge. - Powered by motoonline.com.au

Your 1-1 result on Sunday took many people by surprise. Is it enough to keep your campaign alive?

Nah, I think the title has pretty much gone now. The top three to five guys are going to need to have a lot of bad luck to get me back into contention. Even if I won every race from here on out it’s a long shot. It’s been a frustrating year for me. I struggled with starts at Horsham, but after that I focused all my energies on that and was ready to turn it around at Appin. I was second out of the first turn there, then did my knee on the first lap and that was just devastating. Sitting on the couch not training, knowing I’d blown the title for the year was pretty gay. I missed Broadford altogether and Murray Bridge was my first race back.

Take us through your day.

Qualifying went alright considering my tyre went flat on the way to the line and our spare wheel had a hardpack front tyre on it, which isn’t ideal for a soft track like Murray Bridge. We still qualified sixth though, and that set me up for a decent gate pick. In previous years I’ve always started well from the middle of the gate and find it sets me up nicely for the corner, so I went straight there. In the first moto I almost got the holeshot but ran a bit wide and Geran Stapleton came through. I followed him for a few laps then passed him through the whoops, then I just rode my own race and did my own thing. I wasn’t sure how my fitness would be, so I just tried to ride smart and not take many risks.

CALEB WARD

RACE RECAP

Then in the second moto you had a great battle with Luke Arbon which essentially settled who stood on top of the box afterward. How was it out there? I didn’t get a great start in that race, really; I think I came around in about ninth place. I tried to pick off as many riders as I could in that opening lap and got myself up to third, then Luke and I got into a great pace that saw us pass Riley Graham and go 1-2 on the track. In the middle of the race I faded a tiny bit and made a couple of mistakes, so I caught my breath and chilled out, then put in a big effort on the last three laps. I passed him on the second-to-last lap and held on until the finish.

What was it about Murray Bridge that made you turn it on and show us your real speed?

It’s probably just a more open, flowing track with more lines. Getting good starts helped, for sure, as there’s so much depth in the class and it’s hard to pass guys from the back. But Murray Bridge is the kind of track that suits me more than the tracks we’ve had so far this year.

102

CALEB WARD

RACE RECAP

How did your knee hold up out there?

It was a bit sore in the first moto, but in the second moto I wasn’t even thinking about it and it didn’t affect me. The injury is actually a torn ACL and a damaged MCL, but I don’t like taking painkillers or anything like that – I avoid the meds if I can. After this next round at Coolum we’ve got a bit of a break so I’ll get into some rehab and get it stronger and closer to 100 percent again.

You mentioned Coolum before. Last year you were super-quick there and now it’s a home round for you as well, right? My bike this year is awesome and I actually found the transition quite easy. After a couple of weeks of riding I’d adapted well and was really happy with the bike’s engine and suspension set-ups. My speed at Horsham wasn’t a problem – the biggest thing that let me down was my starts – and I came from dead last to fifth in one of the races. I did a lot of off-season work on hard pack tracks because I knew they were my weakness and I needed to focus on those conditions for a good shot at the championship. Getting hurt at Appin was a massive bummer.

No worries, well done on the result. KTM’s now 1-2 in the championship, very impressive.

Yeah, I’m renting on the Sunny Coast at the moment, so I’ll be able to sleep in my own bed the night before. I usually do well at Coolum and I really enjoy riding the sand, so I want to go out there, stay calm and smooth and get my flow on. My aim now is to just win as many races as I can. I won three rounds last year and always want to do better, so I want to prove I could’ve been a championship threat if I hadn’t had such a bad start to the season.

103

FOR THE PERFECT RIDE... CHAIN MAINTENANCE

C1 CHAIN CLEAN

C3 CHAIN LUBE OFF ROAD

CHAIN PACK OFF ROAD

C5 CHAIN PASTE

L140388

For a complete range of the Motul MC Care Range go to www.linkint.com.au

ROWBA CK TH #

ROUN D 4

M . BR ID G E #

K F L A S H B A C

CALEB

WARD

FA I R Y TA L E C O M E B A C K FO R W A R D AT R O U N D 4 MURRAY BRIDGE 105

ROUND 4

BR EA K D OW N MURRAY BRIDGE

KTM Australia’s Caleb Ward has taken two from two

section before the finish sent the Yamaha rider over the

motos, and claimed his first overall win for 2015, in

handlebars during qualifying.

what was a championship-changing day for the Motul MX2 class at Murray Bridge.

In moto one, KTM’s Ward took his return to racing to a whole new level. After grabbing the first hole shot

Shaken up was the theme for the class at round four,

of the day, Ward had no need to look back. Checking

with an epic return to racing for KTM’s Ward, a first

out on the entire field, Ward crossed the line in first

podium appearance for Luke Arbon (SD3 Husqvarna),

position, letting the MX2 class know that the young

while Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout was forced into

Queenslander is back in business.

championship damage control. Finishing a close second to Ward in race one, was Clout, who entered round four with a comfortable

South Australian local SD3 Husqvarna’s Luke Arbon,

championship lead, headed out for MX2 qualifying

followed by Kawasaki Australia’s Takeshi Katsuya who

confident – however a small mistake in the rhythm

claimed third.

Caleb Ward (1st - 1st) 1st Overall 70 Points “It feels awesome to get this win under the belt. I’ve spent a lot of time on the couch with my injury so to come out and get the win first race back is pretty cool,” he said. “I really wanted to show everyone that I have the speed to win races and also that I can ride a four stroke too. “Everyone has worked really hard to make this happen, so todays win is definitely for all of the people who have supported me to get me here.”

Jay Wilson had his work cut out for him after this first turn crash. Jay put in a charge to salvage some points to stay in the championship hunt. vvv

For Red plate holder Clout, he was lucky to line up for moto one – however the series points leader managed to circulate for the entire 30 minutes and cross the line in tenth allowing him to continue to defend his championship, despite now nursing an injury. In moto two, the shake up continued – a first turn pile up seeing Serco Yamaha’s Jed Beaton go down along with JCR Yamaha’s Jay Wilson, putting the championship front runners at the back of the pack. However all eyes were once again on Arbon and Ward who went head to head for the entire 30 minute moto. Ward eventually passing Arbon for the lead just before the last lap board, was all that was requried in order to collect his first round overall for 2015. With racing wrapped up, the top step on the podium was deservingly claimed by KTM’s Ward, while local Arbon, (SD3 Husqvarna) settled for second ahead of Kawasaki Australia’s Takeshi Katsuya in third.

107

T H E R E S U LT S Motul MX2 Round four overall results: 1) Caleb Ward 70 2) Luke Arbon 64 3) Takeshi Katsuya 56 4) Wade Hunter 53 5) Kyle Webster 52 6) Jay Wilson 52 7) Geran Stapleton 47 8) Dean Porter 44 9) Nathan Crawford 44 10) Luke Clout 43 Motul MX2 championship standings: 1) Luke Clout 243 2) Takeshi Katsuya 227 3) Jay Wilson 227 4) Jed Beaton 202 5) Wade Hunter 198 6) Luke Arbon 179 7) Geran Stapleton 157 8) Hamish Harwood 156 9) Riley Graham 154 10) Nathan Crawford 153

PRESENTS

MX2 RIDER LIST #

Name

Manufacture

Sponsors

Luke Clout

Yamaha

serco yamaha - hinson - answer - pro taper - yoshumura - pirelli - Etnies -YMI- YMF

Hamish Harwood

KTM

CMR KTM REDBULL MOTOREX - Pohara Beach Top 10 Holiday Park - target mx

Jay Wilson

Yamaha

JCR Yamaha

Jack Simpson

KTM

Davey Motorsports - Motorex - pirelli - Tune Tech Suspension - fox - Shift - donjoy

Peter Ferguson

Kawasaki

PROSES Performance - Mackay Kawasaki

Jed Beaton

Yamaha

Serco Yamaha - YMI - YMF - Hinson - Answer - ProTaper - Yoshumura - Pirelli

Geran Stapleton

Honda

Penrite Jetpilot Honda - Penrite - Honda - Jetpilot - Wilsons - Dunlop - NRG TV

Luke Wilson

Honda

Penrite Jetpilot Honda - Penrite - Honda - Jetpilot - Wilsons - NRG TV - Dunlop

Caleb Ward

KTM

KTM Racing Team - Axis Motorsports - Alpinestars - Bell - Scott - Motorex - Kustom

Wade Hunter

Yamaha

JBC MOTORSPORT - Yamaha - Dunlop

Joel Wightman

Honda

CRF HONDA RACING - Honda Genuine Oils - Honda Genuine Parts - Pirelli Tyres

Boyd Hocking

Yamaha

DPH Peter Stevens Yamaha

Alex Morris

Kawasaki

Proformance Kawasaki Race Team - Kawasaki - Bulk Nutrients - Kawasaki Finance

Harley Treadwell

Honda

Axis Motorsports - Hawkesbury Honda

James Alen

KTM

Motostar Motocycles

Riley Graham

KTM

Ram Racing Trailers - Outlaw Coatings and Conveyors - Bills Suspension - Bolton

Luke Arbon

Husqvarna

SD3 HUSQVARNA - OAKLEY - PIRELLI - RAPID MX - GLOBE

Dylan Wills

KTM

KTM Newcastle - Alpinestars - Bell Helmets - Oakley - Pirelli - Motorex - Willmax

Joel Green

Yamaha

VICT - ZIPFIX - Yamaha - Thor - Spy - Wildlife Clothing - EBC Brakes - Rock Oil

Michael Fehlhaber

KTM

Kyle Webster

Yamaha

Cullys Yamaha - Wellard

117

kurt gow

Yamaha

Terry Hays Shock Treatment - Ficeda Accessories - Yamaha - Parrish plumbing

127

Dylan Gosling

Husqvarna

140

Kayne Duncanson

KTM

KTM Racing - MPE - GET Athena

188

Tomas Ravenhorst

KTM

TR Motorsports - marroits ktm - grey army - kickstat industries - savage mx - svg

199

Nathan Crawford

Husqvarna

Husqvarna - Husqvarna Racing Team - Motorex - M2R - Custom MX - Asterisk

247

Jacob Williams

KTM

Williams Full Tilt Racing - Fullnoise.com.au - Choice Suspension - Answer - Scott

430

Dean Porter

KTM

Berry Sweet Strawberries - TRS racing. - Berry Sweet Strawberries - Mandurah City

432

James Jafer

Suzuki

TATTOO RACING AUSTRALIA - Krooze Tune - moto mahyhem

888

takeshi katsuya

Kawasaki

sony action cam kawasaki racing team - JB export - Kawasaki Australia - Mr Seki

110

FACTORY

DRIVEN

LIGHTWEIGHT PERFORMANCE •Lightest Sealed Ring Chain On The Market •20% Longer Wear Life Over RK KZU Chain •Teflon UW-Ring Provides No Power Loss With Amazing Lube Retention •Ideal For MX Race Application 125-500cc

L150117

Imported & Distributed by:

Photo By: Kam Williams

CONGRATULATIONS TO MATT MOSS, WINNER OF THE 2014 AUSTRALIAN MX NATIONALS MX1 CHAMPIONSHIP ON PIRELLI SCORPION MX.

ANOTHER BIG JUMP AHEAD. 2013 & 2014 CHAMPION

EVEN OUR REAR TYRES ARE ALWAYS IN FRONT. FEEL THE CHAMPIONS’ INSTINCT

L140733

ROWBA CK TH #

ROUN D 4

M . BR ID G E #

K F L A S H B A C

CONNOR

TIERNEY H U S Q V A R N A’ S T I E R N E Y C E L E B R AT E S , W I T H C A R E E R F I R S T W I N AT R O U N D FO U R 113

ROUND 4

BR EA K D OW N MURRAY BRIDGE

Husqvarna mounted Connor Tierney (Craig Anderson

by Tierney in second and series points leader Wilson

Racing Team) dominated the Pirelli MXD class today,

Todd in third.

recording a second and a first across two motos, to claim a career first overall round win at Murray

However after ten minutes the race order changed,

Bridge.

with GYTR Yamaha’s

Todd taking the lead from

Carter – Tierney and KTM’s Jayden Rykers following On undoubtedly one of the toughest tracks on the MX

suit and also making their way around Carter’s KTM

Nationals calendar, the Pirelli MXD field went head

machine.

to head across two motos, with the sandy circuit sorting the boys from men early in the day.

By the time the chequered flag flew, Todd continued his championship charge, taking the moto one win

In moto one, Raceline PirellI Suzuki’s Jesse Madden

ahead of Tierney in second, and Jordan Hill (Yamaha)

pulled a huge hole shot, before Motorex KTM

in third.

Australia’s Wade Carter snatched the lead, followed

Connor Tierney (2nd - 1st) 1st Overall 67 Points “Today was a good day, I worked really hard to get that win in the second moto and I’m stoked to get an overall win for the team,” he said. “I’ve had a good three weeks training leading up to this round, and I’m a big fan of Murray Bridge so it’s awesome to get the win here, I couldn’t be happier. “I just want to give a huge, huge thanks to Husqvarna for making today happen – it’s been a lot of hard work but we got it done.”

Wade Carter grabbed his first ever MXD victory

Race two of the day was where Tierney’s consistency

in moto 2. Carter pulled the MXStore holeshot

truly paid off.

and never looked back.

vvv The hole shot once again was claimed by Suzuki mounted Madden, however Tierney proved to be too quick – taking the race lead early in the moto, a lead which he did not relinquish. With Tierney checked out, the battle was on for second place – Todd, Rykers and Madden all fighting for the same position. However luck was not on Todd’s side, the series points leader crashing hard just before the finish, meaning Rykers and Madden inherited second and third places respectively – Todd managing to recover and merely circulate for points. At the conclusion of the round, the top step on the Pirelli MXD podium was claimed by Husqvarna’s Tierney – collecting his first overall round win for 2015. Second place on the box was taken by KTM’s Rykers, ahead of Yamaha mounted Hill who finished the round in third place respectively. 115

T H E R E S U LT S Pirelli MXD round four overall results: 1) Connor Tierney 67 2) Jayden Rykers 60 3) Jordan Hill 58 4) Jesse Madden 55 5) Wayde Carter 52 6) Zak Small 49 7) Bailey Coxon 47 8) Jamie Harvey 39 9) Travis Silk 39 10) Lachlan Davis 39 Pirelli MXD championship points: 1) Wilson Todd 197 2) Connor Tierney 189 3) Jesse Madden 187 4) Wayde Carter 174 5) Jayden Rykers 171 6) Bailey Coxon 165 7) Jonte Reynders 149 8) Lachlan Davis 135 9) Jordan Hill 135 10) Zak Small 132

PRESENTS

MXD RIDER LIST #

Name

Manufacture

Sponsors

J05

Jesse Madden

Kawasaki

Raceline Suzuki - Pro Circuit - ARC Levers - Funnel Web Air Filters - ODI Bars

Connor Tierney

Husqvarna

Craig Anderson Racing - Husqvarna - Goldfields People Hire - Tierney Contracting

Jake Masters

Yamaha

JDM Auto Wholesale - MXRACEPREP - Caboolture Yamaha

Kaleb Barham

KTM

KTM Australia, KTM Powerparts, Motorex, SHIFT, FOX, QB4 Toowoomba, MPE

Bailey Coxon

Yamaha

JBC MOTOS - SHELL ADVANCE - FINCO - MXRP

Lachlan Davis

Kawasaki

WBR Motorcycles - Williams Full Tilt Racing

Travis Silk

KTM

Pro-Moto Suspension - Pro-Moto Suspension, Jim Sherritt Race Engines,

Jayden Rykers

KTM

KTM Australia - Mandurah Ktm - Fox Industries - Motorex Oils - Moss Institute

Brad Polsoni

Husqvarna

Throttle Riders - Choice MX Coaching - Waterwise Plumbing - MPE Suspension

Wilson Todd

Yamaha

GYTR Yamaha

Mitchell Evans

Yamaha

GYTR Yamaha - Yamaha

Toby Stevens

Yamaha

PSC Yamaha Racing

Ryan Eden

Yamaha

Yamaha - City Fitness - CG holdings - Krooztune suspension - BRW Transport

Zak Small

Husqvarna

Mega Motorcycles Bundaberg - Husqvarna Australia - Fox - Motorex Oils - Pirelli

Ryan Shadbolt

Kawasaki

WBR Racing Team

Jordan Hill

Yamaha

Yamaha - BP ultimate - F0X - Amsoil - Pirelli - Airfast - Funnel web filters

Levi McManus

Suzuki

Deakin Motorcycles - Fly - WillMax Graphics - Ryno Power - Power Plus Racing

121

Tyler Bullen

Yamaha

Rebelex compound - Pro-Moto suspension - Grip industries - Mobil

168

Zhane Dunlop

Yamaha

Top Gun Motorcycles - Top Gun Motorcycles - Fox - Fox - M2R - M2R Helmets

188

Trent Wheatley

Honda

EDH Service - Mathews Motorcycles - Zero Mx Graphics - Pro-Moto Suspension

219

Lachlan Wilson

Yamaha

Next level Coaching - Avi John Contracting - MXRND - Admart Constructions

264

brendan pyers

Yamaha

onya visuals - onya visuals - axis motorsports

277

Bailey Gudgeon

Yamaha

Bike Biz, Fox, Pirelli, Motul, Oakley, RK Chains - Bike Biz, Fox, Pirelli, Motul

306

Geoffrey Chalmers

Other

EDD racing - PMR - Wayne Leonard Motorcycles - ipone - Dunlop

602

Lochie Latimer

Yamaha

TLR - Fuchs Silkolene - Pirelli - Thor - Goodridge - Spy - RK Chains

714

Jonte Reynders

Yamaha

Ninetwo decals - Maxima racing oils - Protrac off-road - 3zero mx coaching - JT

732

Jack Foley

Yamaha

118

WR450F AUSTRALIA’S BEST SELLING ENDURO BIKE

WR450F AUS SAFARI A WINNER 2013 & 2014 ROD ROD FAGGOTTER FAGGOTTER

PRESENTS

VETS 30+ RIDER LIST #

Name

Manufacture

Sponsors

Travis Regeling

Honda

Top Gun Motorcycles - TRV Suspension - Fox - Serco - M2R

aaron Hunt

Honda

cairns honda motul pirelli pmr fresh co

Robbie Marshall

Husqvarna

Moto Arena Husqvarna - Motorex Oils - Dunlop - Jetpilot - Kustom MX - Answer

O57 Steve Moreels

KTM

AMC Racing Team / Envirocoat

Luke Wolfe

Kawasaki

Sam Lyttle

Kawasaki

588

Paul Wolfe

kawi

743

Dan Peters

Honda

922

Aidan Porth

Kawasaki

Teencee Graphics

981

Dean Freer

Kawasaki

Kiwitech Racing - Fox - Belray - Pro circuit

120

Round 4 - Murray Bridge

Fan Of The Week

THE SPARROW KIDS - ROUND 4 FANS OF THE WEEK

One of the best things about the MX Nationals is

she spotted the ‘Sparrow’ clan’s LKI hats and

seeing all of the dedicated little fans, get out to

T-shirts, she knew that she had found her ‘Fans

the track to support their motocross heros week

of the Week’.

in, week out. The three little ‘Sparrow’ munchkins who all have At round four at Murray Bridge, Misty Walton

dirt bikes, and love all things MX Nationals, are

made her way through the pits with a $100

now proud owners of the $100 MXStore voucher,

MXStore cheque ready to give away – and when

and plan to spend the whole lot on riding gear!

121

JESS W EARS EA RS : DAYD REAM Z I P TH RO U G H

@LK I GI R L S @LK I C LOTHI NG FACE B OOK.COM/ L KI C LOT HI N G @ LK I C LOT HI NG P I N T E R E ST.COM/ L KI C LOT HI N G YO U T U B E.COM/ U S E R S / L K IR IDE R FIL MS LK I C LOTHI NG

LOOSEKID.COM

LUKE CLOUT

ADAM MONEA

When asked what happened when he crashed in

When commenting on the MX Nationals Instagram

qualifying

post of the ‘Scanner’ section from round four

“I’m not really sure what happened when I

“Should have got Jay Marmont and I to have a say

crashed, I just got ejected and landed pretty

about inner team feuds hey Troy Carrol? Tempers

hard.”

flare on race day and always will.”

“My head hurts, my body hurts – it was just a big impact – and I was lucky to even be able to race.”

AIDEN WILLIAMS

When commentating trackside for the NRGTV Livestream seconds prior to Wilson Todd’s crash “Careful Wilson”

124

GERAN STAPLETON

CRAIG ANDERSON

When asked what the secret was to his hole shot in moto one.

After arriving to the track at 1:30am on Sunday morning, after breaking down during transit.

“One of the Yamaha promo girls winked at me right before I lined up to race. Once that had happened I obviously had to get the hole shot.”

This sh*t can’t get any worse (the Husqvarna race team then went on to win their first MXD overall with Connor Tierney, while Aaron Tanti collected his first top ten result)

“I’ve saved the $100 I won from scoring the MXstore hole shot for taking a nice girl out this week.”

CRAIG ANDERSON

TAKESHI KATSUYA

Chatting to Series Promoter Kevin Williams after racing the MX2 class and getting lapped at Murray Bridge.

When chatting prior to sign on, about a rider’s girlfriend “It’s a visual thing.”

“From the sidelines I didn’t think they were going that Fast.”

“I know what everyone is talking about now.”

“I was actually happy that I got lapped – It meant I could go back to the pits. “

125

PRIVATEERS CUP MOTUL MX1 SOUTH PRIVATEER CUP ROUND 3 - MURRAY BRIDGE

CONGRATULATIONS DANIEL BANKS 1ST PLACE SCOTT GREEN 2ND PLACE

1ST PRIZE Value: $188.90

L150187

2ND PRIZE Value: $69.90

PRIVATEERS CUP PIRELLI MX2 SOUTH PRIVATEER CUP ROUND 3 - MURRAY BRIDGE

CONGRATULATIONS RILEY GRAHAM 1ST PLACE JOEL GREEN 2ND PLACE TOMAS RAVENHORST 3RD PLACE

1ST PRIZE Value: $235

2ND PRIZE Value: $129

3RD PRIZE Value: $129

L150188 FEEL THE CHAMPIONS’ INSTINCT

E OW

RS!

RID

NS , M H A S M R H A EC U T R O A H G A G TO N A IC T G T U S O E S N FO

IK S

# mx n 2 0 1 5 & @ m xna ti ona ls We di s p l ay our favour ite images in every issue. H appy hashtagging!

@sparrow406

@jeffcrowphoto

@cdr_yamaha

@_sheree_aka_ree

@jeffer_p

@wbr_motorcycles

@emilyharmanphotography

@js_joestevens

@brad_haupt

@mgc1o1

ING THE P W O RO L L ’S FO W E ARE WATCHI N G W E SHA R E T HE B E ST POS TS F ROM OUR PRO RIDERS !

@caleb_ward17 - Sweet shot from Murray Bridge.

@lukeclout4 - Tough weekend but I’ll be back!

@adammonea3 - Rad soggy ride out at #lysterfield today.

@geran14 - Doin my best @cousinloui impersonation at wonthaggi today..

@jedbeaton12 - That roller section at Murray bridge though...

@kylewebster96 - Sick photo of me an @dizzy30 at round 4 @mxnationals

131

Endura Rehydration Performance Fuel contains sodium and potassium at levels recommended for athletes in endurance events. With 20 g of carbohydrates per dose for energy and Meta Mag 速 Magnesium to help prevent muscular cramps and spasms and relieve aches and pain, it is a truly comprehensive rehydration formula. Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional.

endura.com.au

Available in Orange, Lemon Lime, Raspberry and Pineapple flavours.

END4961 A - 03/15

CHC70335 - 01/15

NEXT GENERATION REHYDRATION