Australian Supercross Magazine 2015 by MXSTORE

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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WELCOME TO THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2015 Australian Supercross Championship will entertain more than 50,000 spectators at events across four states, including venues in Bathurst and Sydney (NSW), Jimboomba and Coolum (Queensland), Adelaide (South Australia) and Sunshine (Victoria). This year we welcome back numerous valued sponsors, including presenting partner Penrite Oil and for the first time, Supercheap Auto. Motorcycling Australia would like to thank the promoters and the

Whilst 2015 marks our 37th year of Supercross in Australia,

dedicated volunteers and staff who ensure the fans have a truly

the quest for an extended Championship with more prizemoney

memorable experience; this Championship is simply not possible

and greater coverage for riders, fans and sponsors came in late

without their hard work and commitment.

2014 when Championship rights holder Full Throttle Sports Management initiated open discussions.

On behalf of Motorcycling Australia, the sponsors, promoters, staff and riders, we warmly welcome you to the 2015 Australian

For 2015 we have entered into new agreements with four different

Supercross Championship.

promoters to provide a brand new Australian Supercross Championship. Motorcycling

Australia’s

top

priority

was

secure

rounds, more exposure and increase prizemoney for competitors. The 2015 Australian Supercross Championship has doubled from three weekends to six and there is a massive increase in prizemoney, with more than $120,000 being paid out.

MARK LUKSICH

Championship Coordinator

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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View the range online at supercheapauto.com.au SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

CONTENTS

106

18 30 69 92 106 149

AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS HISTORY 20 years of supercross

WHO’S THE BOSS

Matt Moss on making it a three-peat

TRUE FAITH

Gavin Faith from Iowa USA to Australian Supercross champ

149 10

MOTORCYCLING AUSTRALIA

SONSORS MESSAGE

EVENT SCHEDULE

THE MAKING OF THOR

BE A HERO -THE GO PRO STORY

QUARTER LITRE ROCKETS

102

SXD DEVELOPMENT PHASE

113

WORLD CLASS AUSSIE WOMEN

116

BRETT METCALF

120

YOU CANT STOP US: UNIT

126

PRIVATEER POWER

134

GABRIEL JOINS SUPERCROSS

138

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

142

SHINING LITES

160

JUNIOR LEAGUE

162

TAKE YOUR SEATS

KING KIRK

Can Kirk Gibbs claim both Australian titles?

GETTING STARTED

A helpful introduction to dirt bikes and racing

HOW TO SUPERCROSS

Blitzing the whoops, jumping and getting off the line

Publisher: Motorcycling Australiia | Managing Editor: Yarrive Konsky | Art Director: Josh Smith Assistant Designer: Rhys van Slooten | Senior Writer: Andrew Clubb | Senior Photographer: Cameron Taylor Senior Photographer: Marc Jones Photography | Contributing Photographers: Jeff Crow and Craig Bourke Digital Prepress: CMYK Hub | Printing: CMYK Hub

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

SPONSORS MESSAGE FROM THE PENRITE GENERAL MANAGER On behalf of Penrite, I am delighted to welcome you to the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship. This marks the second year for Penrite as a primary partner of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier motorcycle championship and we are looking forward to another exciting season in 2015. This year is particularly momentous as the championship has been extended to six rounds and prizemoney has been increased to more than $100,000. Our special association with motorcycle sport, specifically the Australian Supercross Championship comes from our passion towards this amazing country and its motorcycle racing heritage. As Penrite moves towards its 90th year in business the Australian owned and made oil company is proud to be associated with motorsport events of the highest level. The high performance of Penrite lubricants in terms of specifications, range and applications, and reliability naturally compliments its alignment with the high speed, intense and technologically advanced sport of Supercross We welcome riders, race fans and industry partners and wish you all a memorable 2015 Australian Supercross Championship.

Toby Dymond General Manager

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

RACING SCHEDULE SUPERCROSS IS A NUMBERS GAME, THAT STARTS WITH GETTING THE HOLESHOT, BY BURSTING OUT OF THE GATES AND LEADING A FULL GRID OF 20 RIDERS THROUGH TURN ONE AND ON INTO THE RACE, SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO NAVIGATE AROUND SLOWER COMPETITORS. It’s about qualifying first during the day’s all-important Qualifying events, so you get first pick of the start gate to nail your preferred line to turn one. It’s about winning Heat races and setting the fastest Heat time, so as once again you can pick which gate you want to start from for the most important races of the whole event, the Finals. SX1 (450 Pro) and SX2 (250 Pro) riders race across two Heats respectively. The line-ups for the Heat races are determined from Qualifying earlier in the day. The highest placing Qualifier goes into Heat 1, second to Heat 2, third to Heat 1, fourth to Heat 2 and so on. The top eight finishers in each Heat race go straight to the Final, with the remainder going to a Last Chance Qualifier. The top four finishers in the Last Chance Qualifier earn the last remaining spots in the Final, to complete the 20-rider grid. In the Finals, SX1 competitors will battle it out over 20 laps, while SX2 will contest a 15 lap main event. THE SXD will race one heat and one 12 lap final. The Women’s, Junior Lites, Junior Minis (85cc two-stroke and 150cc four-stroke) and Intermediate and Clubman Open and Lites classes will all contest three races, where points scored will be accumulated to determine the Overall placing’s in the event.

SX1

SX1 AND SX2

(PRO OPEN)

(INTERMEDIATE AND CLUBMEN)

2 x Heat races (8 laps), 1 x LCQ (6 laps)

3 x 6 lap races

1 x Final (20 laps)

JUNIOR LITES: SX2 (PRO LITE)

3 x 6 lap races

2 x Heat races (7 laps), 1 x LCQ (5 laps) 1 x Final (15 laps)

SXD

JUNIOR MINIS (85CC TWO-STROKE AND 150CC 4-STROKE) 3 x 6 lap races

(UNDER 19 DEVELOPMENT CLASS) 2 x Heat races (7 laps), 1 x LCQ (5 laps)

WOMEN’S:

1 x Final (12 laps)

3 x 7 laps

*Race program subject to change pending rider entry numbers

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

I RIDE

TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP Dunlop Geomax速 tyres helped Kirk Gibbs win his maiden Australian MX1 Championship Dunlop dominated the 2015 MX Nationals Motocross championships securing 5 of the top 6 overall MX1 results Congratulations to all our Dunlop riders on a fantastic MX Nationals result

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

ARCHERFIELD 1979, L-R REX STATEN, MIKE BELL & STEPHEN GALL 18

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS HISTORY WHEN IT COMES TO RIP-ROARING, BARNSTORMING, HIGH-FLYING MOTORCYCLE RACING THAT IS GUARANTEED TO GET THE FANS ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS, SUPERCROSS IS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE PACK – AND IT’S BEEN THAT WAY FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS IN AUSTRALIA. For the more than 40 years since the first Superbowl of Motocross roared into life inside the Los Angeles Coliseum in July 1972, Supercross has been on a full-throttle charge that has taken dirt bike racing to the masses. Today the superstars of Supercross in the USA are household names who strut their stuff on man-made tracks inside the biggest baseball and football stadiums across the country. With big-buck backing from the major motorcycle manufacturers and outside industry sponsors, they follow a nationwide five month schedule of Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series racing, all of which takes place under the glare of blazing floodlights and live broadcast TV cameras that instantly take the sport to fans right around the world. Supercross in America is big business and nowadays it is doing the kind of business that Mike Goodwin, the promoter of that first Superbowl of Motocross could have only ever dreamed of. (Mind you, Goodwin has plenty of time to dream about that nowadays, as he is in jail after being found guilty of plotting the murders of rival promoter and former busines partner Mickey Thompson and his wife ... but that’s a whole other story.)

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

SIMPLY SUPER

The consensus is that Australia’s first

“It was a lot different to traditional

Supercross-style race events played

motocross races outdoors, but they

JUST LIKE TRENDS LIKE THE YO YO, HULA HOOP, SKATEBOARDS AND BMX BIKES, ALL OF WHICH WERE BIG IN THE ’70S, IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR SUPERCROSS TO MAKE ITS MARK DOWN UNDER.

out at Sydney’s Parramatta Raceway

were good events and drew good

crowds.

1978.

than

pure

stadium

motocross

Supercross,

speedway

promoter Sid Hopping had a manmade motocross track built inside the confines of his clay speedway venue and

three-round

series

played

out, with Mr Motocross series rivals Stephen Gall and Anthony Gunter the star attractions.

“The local Brian Collins Motorcycles dealership was the major sponsor and they dished up three Yamaha YZs as the major prizes; one YZ to the winner of each class. I won the Unlimited class, ahead of Gally, so I scored a brand new YZ400, which was pretty neat. But I was sponsored by Suzuki,

“The Parramatta events were the first

so I sold the bike ... looking back now,

time we raced inside a stadium on a

I wish I had have kept it, it would be a

man-made track,” Gunter remembers.

classic!” Gunter laughs.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

SHEEP FLOCKING TO A SHEPHERD

green infield of the Sydney Speedway

A YEAR LATER REAL BIG-TIME SUPERCROSS HIT AUSTRALIA WHEN SPEEDWAY RACER AND PROMOTER BLAIR SHEPHERD DESCENDED ON ARCHERFIELD SPEEDWAY IN SUBURBAN BRISBANE WITH THE INAUGURAL STAGING OF THE STEFAN’S SUPERBOWL OF MOTOCROSS IN 1979.

redeveloped into the FOX Studios

Sponsored

hair

care

at the then Sydney Showgrounds at Moore Park, which today has been

magnate

Stefan Ackerie, Shepherd recreated a full-size American-style supercross track on the Archerfield infield and then flew in leading American racers Mike ‘Too Tall’ Bell and ‘Rocket’ Rex

entertainment precinct. Exploiting once again the Australia versus the USA theme, not to mention

BLOKES ON SPOKES 1981 ALSO SAW SUPERCROSS MOVE SOUTH TO THE VICTORIAN CAPITAL, WHEN MELBOURNE’S ROYAL SHOWGROUNDS PLAYED HOST TO THE FIRST-EVER SUPERCROSS MASTERS EVENT.

promoting the pants off any angle he could to get Supercross in front of

This time the event was promoted

the masses, which included bringing

around an Australia versus the World

wheely king, American Doug Domokos

theme, with organisers flying in big

to wheely around the track before

name Yanks, as well as riders from

the cameras on press day, Shepherd

Belgium, Sweden, Scotland, France

filled the Sydney Showgrounds to

and New Zealand, to face off against

the rafters for Supercross two years

a big grid of hopeful Aussies. This

running.

time American golden boy, Yamaha

The first Sydney Supercross in 1980 saw

Rex

Staten

and

countryman

factory rider Broc Glover, took the win from countryman Jim Gibson.

Marty Smith lead home Stephen Gall

The

in the final. But a year later, Gall came

promoted

up trumps in the 1981 Sydney event

founder of the Spokes Promotions

and took a rousing victory ahead of

organisation, and who would go on

American national champ, Jammin’

to become Australia’s most prolific

Jimmy Weinert.

of Supercross promoters.

“That’s when Supercross really

Supercross

started to come of age in Australia,”

entrenched

remembers Gall, “as the Sydney

Australian

Upping the ante, Shepherd took the

Showground events really caught

motorsport fans and through the

Supercross show to Sydney the next

the imagination of the public, thanks

early

year, for the first of two magnificent

to all the great promotion Blair

events

Shepherd put into his events.”

promoters like Spokes staged big

Staten to take on Australia’s greenbehind-the-ears Supercross hopefuls. The record books show that despite the night being hit by a massive storm that drenched the huge crowd and the track, Bell took the win from Staten, with Gall the top of the Aussies and claiming the final step on the podium.

staged

upon

the

massive

Melbourne by

1980s

event Phil

was in

was

Christensen,

now

the

sport as

much

psyche

motorcycle

popularity,

co-

of and

exploded

professional

events at major stadiums that saw Australian riders constantly facing off against international heroes. The imports included no lesser stars than world motocross champions Danny LaPorte and Hakan Carlqvist, as well two-time winner of the LA Coliseum

“BACK THEN GRUNT AND I WERE BASICALLY AT THE TOP OF THE GAME HERE IN AUSTRALIA, BUT RIGHT AWAY WHEN THE PROMOTERS STARTED BRINGING THE AMERICANS TO AUSTRALIA, WE SAID, ‘LET’S GO TO WHERE THE BIG BOYS PLAY.’ STEVEN GALL 1990 MYDT PETER MELTON & CRAIG DACK

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Supercross, American Jimmy Ellis,

“Anthony and I spent two months in

who would eventually settle full-

California at the start of 1980 and we

time Down Under, and AMA national

just soaked up as much as we could,

motocross champion, Darrell Shultz,

in terms of riding and training and

to name but a few.

bike set-up,” Gall continues.

The

classy

international

imports

played a huge role in those formative years of Supercross in Australia. Not only did they draw the fans in droves and keep the turnstiles ticking over, much to the delight of the promoters, they also helped drive Australian racers to sharpen their Supercross skills in rapid fashion.

“Bob Leisk also took his son Jeff over there at the same time, as Jeff was coming up through the ranks in Western Australia, and we all ended up staying together for a few weeks at the place they had organised. Back then you could ride and race almost every day of the week at tracks all around Los Angeles, which

“From those very first international

is exactly what we did, and we learnt

Supercross events Blair Shepherd

so much.”

promoted, I just knew I had to get to America and learn more about Supercross and the specific skills it would take to win,” explains Gall, who in 1980 made the first of what would become an annual pre-season training and racing pilgrimage to southern California. “Back

then

Grunt

REST IN PEACE JOEL ELLIOT, TRAGICALLY TAKEN AWAY JUST WHEN HE WAS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING THE NEXT AUSSIE AFTER JEFF LEISK TO SCORE A FACTORY RIDE IN THE USA.

Indeed the quietly spoken but so naturally talented young Leisk put the skills honed on his trips to California to great effect, by becoming the first Australian rider to win a Supercross Masters event and bring the American whitewash to a halt. Leisk would go on to notch up two stellar seasons in

and

were

Australia in ’84 and ’85 with Honda,

basically at the top of the game here

before moving to America full-time in

in Australia, but right away when

’86 in a global assault that saw him gain

the promoters started bringing the

factory team rides with Yamaha and

Americans to Australia, we said,

Honda and would ultimately take him to

‘let’s go to where the big boys play.’

runner-up honours in the World 500cc Motocross Championship in 1989.

A SUPERCROSS IN EVERY TOWN ... & EVEN INDOORS!

This was an era when journeymen

the plush confines of the downtown

young motocross racers could travel

Sydney Entertainment Centre.

THROUGH THE MID TO LATE 1980S, AND INTO THE ’90S, AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CONTINUED ON AN UPWARD SWING, WITH THE RACE CALENDAR DOTTED WITH SUPERCROSS EVENTS AT SPEEDWAYS AND SHOWGROUNDS RIGHT AROUND THE COUNTRY, ALONGSIDE STATE AND NATIONAL MOTOCROSS RACES, AS WELL AS THE PREMIER MR MOTOCROSS SERIES.

trailers, and later in their HiAce vans,

the length and breadth of the land, at first in their panel vans and box with prizemoney and sponsorships giving them the means to maintain the road tripping lifestyle. Meanwhile, a precious few, among them the likes of Craig Dack, Glen Bell and transplanted American Eddie Warren, were able to make a comfortable full-time living

cemented

Promotions itself

had the

now

country’s

leading Supercross promoter, and in 1986 pulled off what remains to this day as a promotional coup: they took the Supercross Masters indoors to

Horsley and Phil Harrison must have known deep down it was a big ask to build a dirt bike race track inside a

plush

downtown

entertainment

centre more known to hosting rock concerts and stage shows. But living by the old adage, ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’, they went for it. “We’d talk about bringing dirt in and

from racing. Spokes

Christensen and his then partners Alan

racing bikes inside the Entertainment Centre and laugh about it,” explained Harrison in an interview with the speedcafe.com web site about the birth of the indoor Supercross Masters events.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

“One day we were talking about

At the time, indoor supercross was a

it, the next we were meeting the

concept that shocked the purists to

Entertainment Centre management

the core, who screamed the indoor

with a proposal. I thought they’d throw

stadium floorspace would be too

us out of the office, but management

small. The track was tight, yes, and

listened. They didn’t say much, but

the lap times short, but the racing

they said they would contact us the

was intense, the facilities were top-

following Tuesday.

shelf and the crowds absolutely loved

“Sure enough they called us back and the first thing they said was, ‘why didn’t you come to us sooner?’

it. Well, they loved nearly all of it, save for the fact that brash American rider, the beefy Jo Jo Keller, barnstormed his

way

“That first event in Sydney was very

the

whopping

victory

and

successful; we sold out two nights and

prizemoney at that first indoor event

half a matinee on the Sunday. Then

in Sydney.

$8,000

grabbed

first

place

“ONE DAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, THE NEXT WE WERE MEETING THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE MANAGEMENT WITH A PROPOSAL. I THOUGHT THEY’D THROW US OUT OF THE OFFICE” PHIL HARRISON

we went on to stage further indoor events in Brisbane (at the Boondall Entertainment Centre) and Melbourne (at Rod Laver Arena).”

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

The Adelaide Entertainment Centre

spinning and the sold-out shingle

was soon added to the Supercross

hung out above the ticket booths

Masters

inner-

as the aura and anticipation of the

Newcastle

latest Supercross Masters show hit

city

calendar

venues,

while

Entertainment a

round.

prime the

Centre

And

then

also in

scored

1999,

the

Supercross Masters became the firstever ticketed event at the brand-new Sydney Superdome that was built as part of the Sydney 2000 Olympics

20 YEARS OF SUPERCROSS MASTERY

precinct.

FOR THE BEST PART OF THE NEXT 20 YEARS, THE SUPERCROSS MASTERS SET THE PACE IN SUPERCROSS PROMOTION IN AUSTRALIA UNDER THE CAREFUL GUIDANCE OF CHRISTENSEN, WHO NOT LONG AFTER THOSE FIRST INDOOR EVENTS GAINED SOLE CONTROL OF SPOKES PROMOTIONS. FROM THAT POINT ON, HE MAINTAINED A SINGLE-MINDED VISION TO PUSH SUPERCROSS INTO THE RANKS OF AUSTRALIA’S MAINSTREAM SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS. The

Supercross

Then

Masters

gained

series status in 1989, with Team Honda’s then prodigal son Glen Bell winning the first-ever series and etching his name in the record books.

three

years

later,

Gosford

through

a national championship chase that each year would continue to include major

speedway,

showground,

stadium and indoor venues around the country. And nearly every step of the way the action took place under the bright lights and watchful gaze of television cameras that helped to push Supercross racing into the lounge rooms of fans, which in turn helped to increase the popularity of the sport’s leading racers.

racer

turned

Yamaha team owner and manager,

spectacle.

and there’s no question Christo had

In fact, through the early 2000s, the

Supercross

Masters

series

the formula right. “With the Supercross Masters the

“IF ANYONE IS OWED A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THE GOALS AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS AS A SPORT HAS KICKED OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, IT HAS TO BE PHIL CHRISTENSEN AND THE SUPERCROSS MASTERS,” CRAIG DACK

was

arguably

promotion

was

solid,

the

racing

its

zenith.

and

again

was exciting, the crowd went home

concentrated on the Australia versus

happy, and as a promoter, he had

the USA theme for the premier indoor

the

Sydney Superdome and Melbourne

ensure his event ’s ongoing success.

Christensen

time

Rod Laver Arena and outdoor Gosford

American champions of the highest

way

Australian

race team owner, Craig Dack .

for the annual Supercross Masters

a few years later, as the prestigious its

legend

through from the mid 1990s as CDR

on spokes’ as the bill posters screamed.

wound

for a ver y, ver y long time,” says

stadium became a fabulous fixture

Australia

series

promoting Supercross in Australia,

late 1980s, and I was there all the way

status

Motorcycling

due,

days of the Supercross Masters in the

Under to take on ‘Australia’s best blokes

infield of the purpose-built football

Australian Supercross Championship

also

credit

“I was there as a racer in those earliest

the biggest names in the sport Down

was

where

Phil Christensen did a great job

added to the mix and the giant green

Stadium events, by bringing some of

Masters

“Credit

Stadium on the NSW central coast was

granted

The

fever pitch.

“If

business

anyone

model

owed

place

debt

gratitude for the goals Australian Supercross as a sport has kicked over the past 30 years, it has to be Phil Christensen and the Supercross Masters,” says Dack .

calibre, including Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana and Mike LaRocco, all took their turn in leading the American the

assault

Supercross

memorable

meets

some

Masters’ in

the

of most

2000s.

Meanwhile, any time Christensen could negotiate the return of the by

then

American-based

Aussie

superstar Chad Reed to race at the Superdome or Gosford rounds, they events

were that

always had

barnstormer the

turnstiles

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

IT’S A FULL HOUSE FOR THE SUPERCROSS MASTERS AT GOSFOR IN 2004 AS CHAD REED RETURNS HOME TO GIVE THE PACK A RIDING LESSON.

A CORNER IS TURNED

that moved well away from the heat-

Australian Supercross Championship

semi-LCQ-final format of traditional

in 2007.

IN 2004 MOTORSPORTS PROMOTER SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED (SEL) TURNED ITS CONSIDERABLE PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPERCROSS AND LAUNCHED THE SX NATIONALS SERIES WITH GREAT FANFARE AND HYPE – HOWEVER A YEAR LATER IT WAS BUT A DISTANT MEMORY AS RAINED-OUT EVENTS AND EXPENSIVE OVERHEADS DASHED ITS COMMERCIAL VIABILITY.

involvement of Reed, who was now

Then,

two

supercross

years

later,

2007,

Christensen staged what proved to be

events.

And

with

the

well and truly established as a global Supercross superstar, Super-X looked set to really fire.

gone, as Reed eventually removed himself from the series and Porra wound down this side of his business interests to concentrate on the Nitro Circus action sports and FMX events he also promoted, and which continue to go gangbusters to this day. Once again big-time Supercross promotion proved

Sports took over the reigns of the Australian Supercross Championship in 2011 and for four years straight he guided the fortunes of the series

But two years later Super-X was also

had

Konsky and his team at Full Throttle

tough

commercial

proposition.

almost single-handedly. Given the economic climate of recent years, and the only ever escalating costs of staging major events, no matter whether they be in sport or more

mainstream

entertainment

spheres, the role of event organiser has

come

with

arguably

promotional risk than ever. “Supercross is entertaining, but from a promoter’s point of view, it can be

the final Supercross Masters events

In the years since then Supercross has

after it was announced another new

somewhat returned to its grass-roots,

promoter would enter the Supercross

with former racer and current Penrite

“Nevertheless,

fray,

Honda Racing team owner, Yarrive

always

organiser, Mike Porra, joined forces

Konsky, stepping forward to work with

sport, its riders and the championship.

with Chad Reed to reveal the Super-X

Motorcycling Australia and re-ignite

Branching out and adopting a new

series would launch in 2008.

the sport that so many of us in the pits

strategy to widen the reach of the

and in the stands know and love.

sport will enable Supercross to grow

when

former

IronMan

series

Super-X was big and bold, bright and brassy,

offering

rounds

the

continued

crowds to

have

support

the

its popularity.

leading

A long time racer and a person with

football stadiums around the country

a deep passion for the sport, Konsky

“Supercross

and even in New Zealand, with giant

had previously promoted successful

changing trends and this is a positive

USA-style

television

one-off Supercross events in 2003

direction for the future of the sport.”

coverage and innovative race formats

and had been co-promoter of the

tracks,

live

unpredictable,” explains Konsky.

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

needs

adapt

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

“The co-operation we have received

ALL OF WHICH BRINGS US TO TODAY AND THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH IS BEING CO-ORDINATED BY MOTORCYCLING AUSTRALIA, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH FOUR DIFFERENT EVENT PROMOTERS ACROSS THE CHAMPIONSHIP’S SIX ROUNDS.

enthused Series Co-Ordinator Mark

from

many

people

get

this stage has been outstanding,”

Konsky and his FTS crew will stage round one at Bathurst and round six at Melbourne’s Sunshine Stadium.

AMERICAN GAVIN FAITH HAS PLUNDERED THE AUSSIESUPERCROSS SCENE FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, AND IS BACK AGAIN FOR 2015.

Luksich on the eve of the opening round at Bathurst on the weekend of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercars race at Mount Panorama. “The promoters, motorcycle industry, teams, riders, Motorcycling Australia and all our Championship partners have been working so hard behindthe-scenes.

particular

the

four

promoters of the Championship events deserve credit for their efforts and I know they all want to give the crowds a great show and exciting racing.

Scott Bannan and his staff at Bannan Corporation will host round two at Jimboomba in south-east Queensland and round four at Coolum on the Queensland Sunshine Coast. Longtime

Adelaide

motorsport

promoter, Mark Gilbert – who has previously partnered with Christensen in Supercross Masters events in South Australia – and his team at Gilbert Racing will stage round three at Wayville Showgrounds in Adelaide. Finally, Adam Bailey and his partners

“WE HAVE HAD SOME GREAT PARTNERS COME ONBOARD WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP, INCLUDING MANY TRADITIONAL SUPERCROSS SPONSORS, AS WELL AS SOME EXCITING NEW “SPONSORS.” MARK LUKSICH

at AME Management will host round five of the Championship at Allphones

“We have had some great partners

Arena at Homebush in Sydney as part

come onboard with the Championship,

of their Aus-X Open event – that’s

including many traditional supercross

right, Supercross is returning to the

sponsors, as well as some exciting new

Superdome at Sydney!

sponsors,” Luksich continues.

With a $120,000 prizemoney pool up

“Feedback

for grabs across the championship,

riders and teams is positive and I

and

all

Australia’s

many

the

race

know they are looking forward to the

teams confirming their participation,

Championship and all the excitement

the

that comes with racing under lights in

2015

leading

from

Australian

Supercross

Championship is really kicking gears and roosting.

front of large and vocal crowds.” Indeed,

Supercross

Australia,

And with international stars of the

after an amazing almost 40 year run,

calibre of leading American pros Gavin

is locked and loaded and ready to

Faith (the reigning SX2 Aussie champ)

continue its high-flying ride in 2015 ...

and Venezuelan Anthony Rodriguez

may the best riders win!

here to race the entire series, along with global superstars James ‘Bubba’ Stewart and Australia’s own Chad Reed, who will race at round five at Allphones Arena, this year’s championship will be an absolute cracker.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

AUSTRALIA’S HIGHWAY TO THE USA

CHAD REED HAS BEEN AUSTRALIA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL SUPERCROSS EXPORT EVER, INSPIRING A GENERATION OF RIDERS TO TRY AND FOLLOW IN HIS WHEEL TRACKS.

FOR AS LONG AS SUPERCROSS HAS BEEN STAGED IN AUSTRALIA, A COMMON THEME OF MAJOR EVENTS BEEN THE SPECTACLE OF OUR LOCAL AUSSIE HEROES TAKING ON THE SOME OF THE BEST RIDERS OF THE WORLD FROM AMERICA. Most times, the American heroes are flown in for one-off appearances, lured either by a sizeable bank-roll of appearance money or an all-expenses paid working holiday in the Aussie sun – or a combination of both. For some of Uncle Sam’s finest, their jet-setting visits turned into something more permanent: witness the likes of Jimmy Ellis and Eddie Warren, both of whom settled here full-time after their premier 250cc class the very next

Reed is often described as a once in a

year. And believe it or not, the guy is

generation rider and he has certainly

still there in the USA doing it, having

set the bar high for any Australian

won

championships

rider wanting to match him. Will it

In fact Aussie riders have been taking

along the way and cementing his

happen? Only the next generation of

aim on the USA since the early 1980s,

reputation as one of the greats of the

aspiring Australian riders can answer

initially going there in the pre-season

sport, no matter what nationality.

that question: best of luck to them all!

racing days. But the traffic across the Pacific Ocean has not been all one-way.

to hone their skills for the Australian race

calendar.

Stephen

Gall

and

Jeff Leisk were the first to do so, and enjoyed instant results on their returns back home.

multiple

AMA

Reed’s early successes in the USA instantly put Australia on the radar of

America’s

leading

race

team

managers and talent scouts. and for a long time through the 2000s, the

Of course Leisk then went on to

exodus of Aussie riders to the land

become the first Aussie rider to crack

of the star spangled banner was

the American scene on a permanent

constant.

basis and joined the ranks of the USA’s elite factory team riders for three seasons from 1986. The WA ace scored factory rides with Yamaha and

Michael Byrne and Brett Metcalfe were next to make a career in the USA, and both are still there.

Honda in America before heading to

Then in rapid succession over the

Europe, proving that an Aussie could

last decade Craig Anderson, the late

make it big in the USA.

Andrew MacFarlane, Daniel Reardon,

But it took a while for another Australian to do it: in 2002 to be precise and Chad Reed was the man to do it.

Jay Marmont, Tye Simmonds, Josh Cachia, Matt and Jake Moss, and Dean Ferris to name the most high-profile of Aussies to move to America, all

The Hunter Valley, NSW, gun spent

scored prized seats with teams in the

a year in Europe in ’01 and then hit

USA on a permanent basis.

the USA with all guns blazing in ’02, winning the AMA’s Eastern Region 125cc

Supercross

Championship,

which catapulted him straight into a factory ride with Yamaha in the

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

And while some have scored AMA race wins and podium placings, none has managed to match the exploits of Reed in climbing to the very top of the Supercross totem pole. 27

JUSTIN BARCIA 28

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Alpinestars.com/MX SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

WHO’S THE BOSS TEAM MOTUL PIRELLI SUZUKI’S MATT MOSS WAS THE UNDISPUTED BOSS OF AUSTRALIAN MOTOCROSS AND SUPERCROSS IN 2013 AND ’14, ROMPING THROUGH DUAL MOTOCROSS AND SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BOTH SEASONS. BUT THIS YEAR AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT CUT SHORT HIS MX NATIONALS CAMPAIGN.NOW THE NINE-TIME AUSSIE CHAMP IS BACK ON THE BIKE AND READY TO ROOST WITH A SINGLE-MINDED GOAL OF TAKING AN HISTORIC SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP THREE-PEAT.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Flashback to 2001 and press day for the

stage with Reed and fast starts busting out

time with him was unreal. We got to talk

Supercross Masters at the then brand new

all the aerial tricks he is renowned for in

heaps and just soak up so much from a guy

Sydney Superdome that just a year earlier

front of the cameras, before then taking a

who was our idol.

had been one of the epicenter venues for

breather back in the pits.

the world’s ultimate sporting spectacle, the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

In the Suzuki team enclave, a pair of pint-

let us have his jersey if we won our next

size powerpacks are zapping about behind

race. Stuff like that, it was so cool.”

This time though, the spectacle about

Pastrana, hanging on his every word and

to play out inside the state-of-the-art

figuratively nipping at his heels like a pair

20,000 seat indoor Superdome venue

of playful puppies.

is one of a very different kind. There’s not a gymnastics mat, parallel beam or badminton net in sight, instead the stadium floor has been buried under hundreds of tonnes of topsoil and turned into a ‘manmade torture-track for the best of the blokes on spokes’. Supercross is about to hit the Olympic precinct and the two big stars of that memorable 2001 event are Aussie hero Chad Reed, who has just jetted back home after contesting the World 250cc Motocross

championship

Europe

–

The two youngsters are Matt and Jake Moss, twins from the NSW south coast, and junior racers with modest backing from Suzuki on RM80s – but being part of Suzuki’s inner sanctum gives them

So fast forward the time machine 14 years and Matt Moss now proudly carries the number one plate into the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship.

racer through 2013 and ’14, and has the

yes, THE Travis Pastrana.

championships to prove it.

Every kid in the Superdome that weekend –

But there’s been a whole lot of water under

and there were thousands upon thousands

the bridge since that 2001 Superdrome

of them – would have given anything to get

press day, and it’s fair to say the Matt Moss

to hang with Travis.

story has had its roller coaster moments

Moss, who is now aged 27.

the motocrossing Moss twins.

weekend: they get to hang out with Travis;

American rider Travis Pastrana, who was

Riding a Suzuki, Pastrana takes centre

careers of aspiring young sportsmen like

He’s been Australia’s leading dirt bike

“Yeah, it was pretty cool!” remembers Matt

greatest action sports hero.

It’s moments like those that help mould the

the greatest Gold card pass of the whole

and finishing runner-up on debut – and fast on his way to becoming the world’s

“Plus he’d give us challenges, where he’d

along the way.

“Back then Travis was pretty much still a pure racer and only just starting to get into jumping and freestyle, so getting all that

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

IN THE BEGINNING “WE’VE ALWAYS HAD DIRT BIKES, SINCE JUST BEFORE WE WERE FOUR YEARS OLD,” MATT REMEMBERS. “MY FIRST BIKE WAS A PEE WEE 50.”

“We were always jumping anything on our

“When I finally got on a 250F for some

85s, Jake and I just loved that, which really

races, that’s when I started to get some

helped us to excel at Supercross.”

results in the nationals and that helped

That reputation for ballsy aerial antics was part of what brought the Moss twins to the

open up some doors, which lead to a deal with Craig Dack’s CDR Yamaha team.”

attention of Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki boss

Matt had a couple of seasons on the CDR

Jay Foreman, who began to help the pair

team, primarily on 250Fs, but for a while

Matt’s dad, Greg, was a motocross racer

out with bikes and parts.

there was a game plan for him to race

and to this day continues to be deeply

“In the early days of juniors Jake and I

entrenched in the sport, running the Moss

were in the hunt for championships,” Matt

Institute

remembers, “but until Jay took us on we

motocross

coaching

program,

which is based in the NSW southern highlands

near

Braidwood

but

stages

coaching clinics right around the country. “Dad’s still my coach, and my mentor, always has been,” Matt explains.

never had the really good machinery. “From there Jay really helped both Jake and I, as he realised the potential we had.” As the podium places and titles started rolling in, the Moss twins moved up into

YZ250

two-stroke,

and

certainly

Supercross events, against the onslaught of the fast becoming dominant new-age 450cc four-strokes. “I was still young and kind of small to be racing a 450, so that’s why that plan was made,” Matt remembers. “It was good for a while, and I was getting podiums against riders who had been my

With the family pedigree it was pretty

seniors and put together a support team

much a given the Moss twins would make

deal with Yamaha and Ficeda Accessories,

a career from riding bikes, if they wanted.

under the AXO banner.

“We just loved motocross and racing, from

“That was when we turned 16 and were in

day one, it was in the blood,” says Matt.

our first year in seniors,” says Matt.

The Moss twins had an instant talent for

“Jake won some races and I got some

it would be, but at least a highlight was a

it, for sure, and if there was one thing they

seconds and thirds, but it had some

round of the Nationals at Toowoomba,

loved most, it was jumping.

tough times, as we were riding YZ125s

where Jake won the Lites and I actually

“That’s for sure!” Matt beams.

when 250Fs were starting to dominate,

won the 450s. That was pretty cool.”

idols, but that was short lived. I crashed into the back of another rider landing a jump in a Supercross – when I was leading the series – and broke my leg. “So that time with CDR wasn’t what I hoped

especially in motocross.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

THE MOTO MERRY GO ROUND

“Yeah, Jake was meant to go, but then he

So two years after that somewhat aborted

got injured, so I was offered the deal, which

American effort with Suzuki in 2010, Matt was

was unreal, but in the end it turned out to be

back in the States full-time.

WHEN MATT ANNOUNCED A CHANGE OF HORIZONS FOR THE 2008 SEASON, IT CAME AS LITTLE SURPRISE THAT JAY FOREMAN AND THE NATIONAL SUZUKI TEAM WERE BACK IN THE PICTURE. REKINDLING THE RELATIONSHIP FROM THE MINIBIKE DAYS DELIVERED INSTANT RESULTS – AND BIG ONES AT THAT.

probably the worst decision of my life,” Matt

“Jake was going to sign with Jay’s Suzuki team for ’08, but then Jake left to go race in

reveals.

“But this time it was a lot different,” Matt explains.

“I got hurt just before I was due to head over to America, which meant I missed the entire Supercross season over there.

“JDR was an Aussie team that expanded to race in America, so I knew the people on the team and this time my girlfriend (now wife,

“And then when I could get back on the

Sophie) came over with me and I had a lot

bike, I was just chasing my tail for the whole

more support around me.

motocross series over there and wound out the series in 23rd overall.

“I was fit going into the season and raced a Lites bike in Supercross in the Western Region

“Plus I was living on my own over there, doing

and had some great races and finished sixth

everything myself, and it was tough.

in the series and got on the podium with a third place at one round.

America, so the chance came up for me to get

“When I look back now at that 2010

the deal,” Matt explains.

experience, it sounds like it should have been

“But then as we started to get into the

so unreal to be on a factory team in the USA,

motocross series, I got sick and came down

but it was really a case of taking too big a step

with a virus that just knocked me out of action

too soon.”

for ages. And that was that.”

“Getting back with Jay and Suzuki worked out really well. I loved being back on a 250 thumper and I won the Lites Supercross championship in 2008 and then backed up

Heading

Matt

Heading back home to OZ once again, Matt

and won the Lites Motocross and Supercross

regrouped and eventually accepted an offer

had to look after his health first, while at the

championships in 2009. They were two really

to jump camps to JDR Motorsports KTM

same time get back on the hustings for a ride

solid seasons.”

to race a Lites bike in OZ in 2011, with the

for 2013, as the JDR team was doing it tough

promise of being part of the team when it

to secure the sponsorship support to keep it

expanded to also race in the USA.

operating in the USA all the way through the

But 2009 had a sting in the tail. At the final Supercross of the year in Brisbane, Matt crashed and broke his wrist and his back. But there’s a double-whammy to the story: Matt had just signed a contract to race a 450 with Roger DeCoster and the factory Makita Suzuki team in the USA for 2010 ... after his twin brother Jake, who was his team mate in the local Suzuki squad, had to opt out of the ride after he was injured.

back

home

Australia,

“It was a good deal,” Matt says of the offer

next year.

from the JDR team, which had factory

“It was looking like the JDR team would not

support from KTM Australia and KTM USA.

continue,” Matt explains, “so I did a deal with

“JDR offered that if I won the motocross and supercross titles in Australia in 2011, then I would get a ride with the team in America in

Jay and Suzuki again to race the Supercross series in Australia at the end of 2012, and, well, we’ve been back together again ever since.”

2012. And that’s just what I did and that’s how it panned out.”

NOT SO MELLOW YELLOW

“Plus Jay has a lot of trust in me and

head injury was taking its toll and I couldn’t

what I can do and can’t do. He trusts my

finish the race and I was even spewing in

decisions and that has had a big bearing

my helmet, the whole lot.”

2013 AND ’14 WERE ABSOLUTE BANNER YEARS ONCE AGAIN FOR THE REKINDLED MATT MOSS AND TEAM MOTUL PIRELLI SUZUKI COMBINATION.

on us winning so many championships over the years. “But at the end of the day, I push myself to the limits and want to win races; I’m never happy unless I’m winning.”

Showing the sport who is boss, Matt, under

But after two seasons filled with winning,

the guidance of team manager Jay Foreman

this year has been a different story.

and now on a 450 full-time, steamrolled the opposition and won the MX1 MX Nationals championship

AND

the

SX1

Australian

Supercross Championship both years. Complete domination? Absolutely. “Jay and the Suzuki team give me great equipment, the best,” says Matt.

“Two days before the first round of this year’s MX Nationals I had a big crash and knocked myself out,” Matt explains.

“Over the next few rounds, things weren’t much better and after Coolum, I just said to myself: ‘This isn’t me, I’m not this guy.’ “So I just started training my butt off, and my brother Tom and my dad helped out a lot, to get things back on track. “At Raymond Terrace I came out and won a moto and got second on the day, which was great.” “Then at the next round at Shepparton I qualified first and was right back into it... and then

“Then in the first race at the first round I had

I hit a bobcat ... and that was it for the

another big crash and rung my bell again.

motocross season.”

“I tried to race the second moto, but the SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

TEN QUICK QUESTIONS WITH MOSSY

1). How close are you and your twin brother Jake?

6). Who do you look up to for inspiration? My dad, for sure,

We are real close, super-close; all those stories about twins

and Chad Reed, definitely. But I also take inspiration from family

are pretty true. Jake and I can look at each other and have a

and people who have a great family and put time into their kids.

conversation, without even talking! And yeah, there are times when I wake up at night and have to ring him, because I just know something has happened.

2). On the track, could you take-out Jake, just like any other rider? We did have pretty big contact in a race once, and everyone though it was deliberate, but it was an accident. I would never take my brother out; if he is better than me on the day, I have to accept that.

3). What’s your greater strength as a racer: physical or mental? In the last couple of years my mental strength has been massive. But now my physical strength also has come up a lot, it’s ten times what it used to be.

4). Who has been your greatest rival over the years? Kirk Gibbs, and my brother. Gibbsy is a threat, while my bro, well, he’s my bro!

7). Do you get a kick out of helping with coaching at your dad’s Moss Institute? Absolutely. I try to help as much as I can. The next best thing to winning yourself is seeing someone you have helped to win and achieve their goals.

8). Are you a spender or a saver? Ohh ... I used to be a spender! Seriously, I used to have two cars, and two jet skis, and all sorts of stuff. Now I have two houses.

9). What are three things people might be surprised to know about Matt Moss? First, people don’t realise all the effort and work that actually goes into doing what I do, it’s not just riding the bike. Second, I love surfing. And third, I love fishing – actually, if I wasn’t a pro motocrosser, I’d like to be a pro fisherman.

10). Where to now for Matt Moss? I’m 27, so I’ve still got a few more years racing in me, I would like to think. Maybe by the time I’m 31 or 32 the drive might diminish and a crop of new young kids

5). What has been your greatest race ever? Winning my

might come through and take over. As for after racing, I want to stay

first MX Nationals MX1 championship in 2013 over Todd Waters. It

in the sport and maybe run a race team, that would be pretty cool.

was a huge season and crossing that finish line at the final race at the final round to win the championship was the best feeling in the world. I wanted to beat him so bad.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

THE COMEBACK TRAIL INJURIES ARE PART AND PARCEL OF EVERY PROFESSIONAL MOTOCROSS RACER’S CAREER: THEY’RE AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD. Matt, and his twin brother Jake, have had more than their fair share of injuries over all their years of racing, and coping with them is part and parcel of what they do. “Injuries in racing are just one of those things and you deal with them,” Matt says matter-of-factly. “ T h ey h a p p e n , a n d u s u a l ly a s a re s u l t of a d e c i s i o n yo u m a d e a t t h e ti m e o n t h e t r a c k .” But

what

incident

that

unfortunate accident at Shepparton, where circumstances are out of your control? Matt

ponders

the

question

before

answering.

doctors to start riding again and hit the

championship,

training tracks.

international stars Gavin Faith and Anthony

“It felt so good to be back on the bike, just awesome!” Matt enthuses.

and

the

presence

Rodridguez for the series, not to mention global supercross superstars Chad Reed and James ‘Bubba’ Stewart who will contest

“I felt really good right away, and had been

round five at Sydney’s Allphones Arena on

keeping myself healthy during the time off

November 28, Matt agrees the 2015 Australian

the bike, so that as soon as I was riding

Supercross Championship is shaping up to be

again, I was back to 100 percent almost

one to remember.

straight away.

“Any time we can get riders of the calibre

“As soon as I could I was pounding out the

of Chad or James to Australia is incredible,”

20 lappers to get ready for Supercross.”

Matt enthuses.

TARGETING A SX1 THREE-PEAT AFTER CAPTURING THE SX1 TITLE IN 2013, MATT ENJOYED A SENSATIONAL RUN THROUGH LAST YEAR’S AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, WINNING EVERY SINGLE ROUND TO TAKE BACK-TO-BACK TITLES AND LEAVE THE PACK IN HIS ROOST.

“They are the best riders in the world and the Sydney event is going to be a stand-out, no question about it. “But the whole series this year is really ramping up,” he continues. “There are international riders at every round and all the promoters are so hungry to make every round a huge success. “The tracks are going to be awesome and I know the Queensland rounds will both have big USA-style tracks – the racing will be sensational. The whole Supercross vibe is

“It’s one of those things where a lot of other riders might have quit,” he suggests. “But I’m strong, physically, and mentally,

“It was just one of those years when

really firing up.”

everything seemed to click into place,” Matt

And with that, Matt climbs back in the saddle

says of his 2014 Supercross campaign.

of his Suzuki 450 to hit the Moss Institute Training Facility’s brand new Supercross

and I knew I was at the top when it

“I felt good going into the championship

happened. I was wanting to win.

and knew I had done all my training and my

“And I wanted to keep winning, which is

program was solid, so it was great to go

what drove me to want to heal and get back

through undefeated and get my name in the

on the bike and get ready for Supercross.”

record books.

Scaphoid and knee injuries were amongst

“I would love to do that again: when you

the most serious of the wounds Matt

achieve something once, you want to go and

“I won’t be leaving anything on the table,

suffered

do it again.”

that’s for sure.”

that

bruising

Shepparton

encounter, and it was just on eight weeks

With the announcement of a $120,000

before he gained a clearance from the

prizemoney pool for this year’s six round

training track to throw down another 20 lapper ... but gives one final, and perhaps most ominous, comment: “I’ll be going all-out for Supercross again this year,” Matt offers.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

AUSTRALIA VERSUS THE USA DOES MOSSY RECKON ANOTHER AUSSIE RACER WILL EVER MAKE IT BIG IN THE USA AND BEAT THE AMERICANS AT THEIR OWN GAME? In the past decade or so a constant stream of Australian riders have winged their way across the Pacific Ocean with a dream of conquering dirt bike racing’s holy grail: the prestigious AMA Supercross Series. But Chad Reed is the only Aussie who has ever made it all the way to the very top – and stayed there for more than a decade. Matt Moss has had two cracks at America: once with a full-factory Suzuki 450cc ride in 2010 and then with a KTM-supported Lites ride in 2012. We had to ask Matt what is it that has set Reedy apart from the crowd, and will another Aussie rider ever replicate Chad’s efforts?

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

“Chad has done everything right, every step of the way,” Mossy reckons. “People don’t realise just how much effort, and in particular money, it takes to get where he has. He left Australia, went straight to Europe and made a name and made good money and then went straight to America and had one year in Lites and then went straight to the bigtime. And he went into it in a time when the contracts were big, like hundreds of thousands of dollars, even for Lites riders back then. You could run top ten and make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. “Now the contracts aren’t as big, except for the very best guys, plus there is so much depth of talent right now, that if you get there, but you don’t make your mark right away, you’re gone. “Bottom-line, though, Chad is one gifted guy, he’s that one rider in a generation. “Honestly, I find it hard to believe anyone from Australia will do that again any time soon.”

ELI TOMAC 38

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Alpinestars.com/MX SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

ALL IN. THE MAKING OF THOR After every image has been shared, every detail analysed, every opinion voiced, and every race run, there is still that one space that exists where there is only man and machine. The last bastion of solitude and joy that can only be found when riding your dirt bike.

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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OPEN WAR OPEN WARFARE

PRO OPENS TEAM REVIEWS

WHEN THE GATES DROP ON THE PREMIER SX1 DIVISION OF THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, IT’S GOING TO BE ALL-OUT WAR AS THE STRONGEST FIELD OF 450CC CLASS CONTENDERS IN YEARS BANG BARS IN PURSUIT OF THE COVETED NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN.

SX 1 2 01 5 AUSTRAL IAN SUPE RCROSS CHA MPI O NSH IP

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

N RFARE SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SUPERCROSS RACING ARE SIMPLY SPECTACULAR.

And then there’s the intensity of that full-

This really is going to be war and come

throttle charge to the first turn, where bars

the end of 2015’s six-round, four-state

bang and elbows rub as the fight gets real

championship battle, only one rider will

for the honour of grabbing the holeshot

stand tall as the ultimate conquerer ... so

and setting the front running pace all the

let’s take a look at the leading factory-

way to the chequered flag.

backed teams’ gladiators.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN MATCH THE SHEER IMMENSITY OF A FULL GRID OF FINELY TUNED 450CC SUPERCROSS MACHINES REVVING TO THE REDLINE IN THE MOMENT BEFORE THE GATE DROPS?

It’s the sort of excitement that brings the fans to their feet as they cheer themselves hoarse. In

2015

the

Championship

Australian promises

Supercross deliver

absolute feast of it and nowhere more so than in the big-bore SX1 class, where this year’s field is stacked with more genuine championship contenders than the sport has seen in ages.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

SX1 PRO OPEN

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

MATT MOSS

TEAM MOTUL SUZUKI

ADAM MONEA

MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI

CHEYNE BOYD

PARK 4 MX YAMAHA

KIRK GIBBS

KTM MX RACE TEAM

JACOB WRIGHT

CRAIG DACK RACING

KADE MOSIG

CRAIG DACK RACING

SAM MARTIN

WILSON HONDA RACING TEAM

GAVIN FAITH

PENRITE WILSON HONDA

AARON TANTI

GRAIG ANDERSON RACING

LUKE STYKE

KTM MX RACE TEAM

CHRIS CAMMILLERI

FREESTYLE KINGS

ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ

PENRITE HONDA

DANIEL MCOY

SFC RACING

LAWSON BOPPING

DPH MOTORSPORT YAMAHA

DANIEL MCENTEE

DPH MOTORSPORT YAMAHA

KALE MAKEHAM

TEAM MOTUL SUZUKI

111

DANNY HAM

117

DYLAN LONG

NPS MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI

122

DANIEL REARDON

CRAIG DACK RACING

141

JOEL NEWTON

DAVIS BIKE WORX

PENRITE HONDA RACING HONDA’S LEADING NATIONAL RACE TEAM IS MAKING A BOLD MOVE FOR SUPERCROSS GLORY BY BOLSTERING ITS ARSENAL AND BRINGING IN TWO INTERNATIONAL COMBATANTS FOR THIS YEAR’S SX1 CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE.

Meanwhile Faith’s international team mate at Penrite Honda will be Venezeulan star Anthony Rodriguez, who will also race a CRF450R in the series. Rodriguez was a multi-time national motocross championship winner in his native Venezuela, before taking aim on a race career in the USA,

One rider is a name well known to local Supercross

which saw him rack up a dozen American

fans:

amateur national titles before turning Pro.

it’s

American

Supercross

and

arenacross

specialist Gavin Faith, who has made a happy hunting ground of annul pilgrimages Down Under at the end of each year to race the Aussie Supercross titles.

In 2014 and 2015 Rodriguez scored a 250 class ride with the factory-backed Star Racing Yamaha team and this year nailed down

Faith’s raced in OZ the last four years straight,

sixth overall in the AMA 250 Eastern Region

and has concentrated on the SX2 division, where

Supercross title chase, highlighted by two fifth

he won the championship two years out of four.

place finishes.

In fact he’s the reigning SX2 champ, but this year steps up into SX1 to race the Penrite Honda team’s potent CRF450R all series long. Will Faith being able to translate all his small-bore success to the Open class bike? That’s the question Honda fans are

Rodrigeuz bases his race program out of Georgia in the USA, and like Faith, is keen to take on Australia’s best racers in the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship.

eagerly awaiting to be answered.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

NPS KAWASAKI MONSTER ENERGY RACING TEAM AS A FORMER AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION AND ACCOMPLISHED INTERNATIONAL COMPETITOR, JAKE MOSS WAS ALL SET TO SPEARHEAD THE FACTORY-BACKED KAWASAKI RACE TEAM’S EFFORT IN AUSTRALIA THIS YEAR.

on the board for the 2015 SX1 title chase and

with

former

multi-time

national

champ, Kawasaki team boss, Troy Carroll, in his corner, is sure to be a championship contender. Meanwhile Victorian young gun Dylan Long

But a broken leg ruled him out early in the season, and

was drafted into the Kawasaki squad mid-

then, just when he could get back on the bike and eye

year to fill the void left by the injured Moss,

off a mid-season comeback, Jake suffered a broken

and the former privateer clearly rose to the

leg again – and with that his season was done and

challenge. Long stunningly won a MX1 moto

dusted thanks to two strokes of very bad luck.

at the Nowra round of the MX Nationals on

Adam Monea was left to fly the NPS Kawasaki Monster Energy Racing Team flag through the MX Nationals

finish in the motocross championship.

and stepped up to the plate in a big way to nail down

Long, like team mate Monea, thrives on

third overall in the MX1 category behind Kirk Gibbs

Supercross racing and with the Team Green

and Kade Mosig.

duo mounted aboard Kawasaki’s latest

After finishing second overall in last year’s Australian Supercross Championship, Monea has serious form

his way to locking down a solid top-ten

2016 KX450F, expect the green machines to be charging for wins every time they hit the track.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

LIGHTER, SLIMMER & MORE RIGID FRAME FOR SHARPER HANDLING & FEEL UPDATED ENGINE DESIGN IS EVEN LIGHTER & MORE POWERFUL REVISED SEAT, TANK & RADIATOR SHROUDS FOR EASIER BODY POSITIONING NEW REAR INTAKE DUCTS IMPROVE AIRFLOW & THROTTLE RESPONSE DIGITAL FORK AIR PUMP AND NEW HANDHELD KX CALIBRATION KIT ACCESSORIES PROVIDE THE SAME PRECISION TUNING AS KAWASAKI FACTORY TEAMS RACE READY SSF-AIR TAC (TRIPLE AIR CHAMBER) FORKS I LAUNCH CONTROL FOR THE HOLESHOT ADVANTAGE PLUG-AND-PLAY DFI COUPLERS FOR EASY ENGINE TUNING I ADJUSTABLE HANDLEBAR AND FOOTPEG POSITIONING

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

www.kawasaki.com.au

TEAM MOTUL SUZUKI WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE THE RIDER WITH THE BIGGEST TARGET OF ALL ON YOUR BACK?

straight Australian SX1 Championship. And

Just ask Team Motul Suzuki top dog Matt Moss,

and no-nonsense attitude to racing, it will

who heads into the 2015 Australian Supercross

be a brave punter indeed who bets against

Championship as the reigning two-time winner of the

Moss and the Suzuki squad taking out a

premier SX1 championship.

memorable Supercross three-peat.

Moss won the 2013 Supercross and MX Nationals

Meanwhile young gun Kale Makeham is the

championships in 2013, then backed up and did it all

second member of the Motul Suzuki team,

again last year, the Suzuki ace even going undefeated

and is in his first full season of Open class

in the 2014 Supercross series as he laid waste to the

racing, having just locked down a solid

opposition in no uncertain terms.

ninth overall in the MX Nationals.

It was a stunning display, in which Moss says,

With a fifth overall in last year’s SX2

“everything just clicked.”

Supercross championship, Makeham has

And now that he’s done it once, he wants to do it again.

given the Suzuki star’s determined mood

form on the board and with the resources of the Motul Suzuki squad behind him,

But 2015 has been tough. Moss suffered a terrible

a break-out performance in this year’s

mid-season accident at the Shepparton round of the

championship could be well on the cards.

MX Nationals, which sidelined him from riding for two months with wrist and knee injuries. That ruled out his motocross hopes for the year, so now Moss is setting his sights on an historic third

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

DPH MOTORSPORTS PETER STEVENS YAMAHA IT DEMANDS REAL COMMITMENT TO STEP UP AND TAKE ON THE OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTOR-BACKED ‘FACTORY’ RACE TEAMS IN AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS AND MOTOCROSS RACING, BUT THAT’S JUST WHAT THE DPH MOTORSPORTS PETER STEVENS YAMAHA TEAM HAS DONE.

doubt went a long way to him scoring a spot with the full-factory CDR Yamaha Racing team in 2015. This year DPH Motorsports Peter Stevens Yamaha rider Lawson Bopping fired his YZ450F race bike to a resounding win at the Coolum fifth round of the MX Nationals, and ultimately went on to finish a strong fifth overall in the MX1 championship chase. Now Bopping, who made the SX1 series

There’s no missing the DPH Motorsports team in the

podium last year with third place overall,

pits, thanks to their impressive transporter, sizeable pit

is leading the DPH Motorsports outfit into

enclave and very serious race effort, all made possible

battle in Supercross, supported by the highly

thanks to major sponsors Peter Stevens Motorcycles,

experienced Josh Cachia in the SX2 class.

Yamaha, SP Tools, Shift, Fox and Repsol.

factory race teams in previous years, and

mark the past two years.

representing Australia in the Motocross of

Last year lead team rider Kade Mosig scored a MX Nationals round win and finished top ten overall in Supercross for the DPH Motorsports team, which no

With a pedigree that includes stints on

And on the track the DPH squadron has also made its

Nations in 2012, Bopping certainly ranks as a rider who might just spring a serious surprise in Supercross this year.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

CDR YAMAHA RACING BY SHEER WEIGHT OF NUMBERS, THE CDR YAMAHA RACING TEAM IS SHOWING HOW SERIOUS IT IS TAKING THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP BY BRINGING A TRIPLE-BARREL ASSAULT TO THE STARTLINE.

All

three

CDR

Yamaha

riders

are

championship contenders and have been pounding the training tracks in recent months. But the story of Reardon is a stand-out one: the stylish Queenslander actually retired from racing three years ago, after a decorated career spent in Australia and the

Victorian ace Kade Mosig and decorated ‘veteran’

USA racing for leading teams.

Dan Reardon have been flying the CDR Yamaha flag

After three years out of the game, a

all year long in the MX Nationals, where Mosig nailed

chance invite to ride at a dirt track event in

down the runner-up spot in the MX1 championship,

Queensland late last year lead to the racing

while Reardon finished sixth in the standings.

bug biting again and Reardon worked out a

Now the longtime Yamaha factory team, which is

deal with Dack and the CDR Yamaha team.

managed by motocross and supercross legend Craig

Reardon’s been part of some memorable

Dack, is rapt to welcome its third team member, Jacob

Supercross races in the past, not the least

Wright, back from the sidelines to join Mosig and

of which was a ding-dong battle with

Reardon in the battle for the Australian Supercross

Aussie hero Chad Reed at the Burswood

Championship.

Superdome in Perth in 2009 – where

Wright has spent all this year recovering from a knee

Reardon emerged on top. If he can repeat

injury and now that he’s finally back in the saddle, is

that kind of form, Reardon won’t be giving

busting to play his part in putting the blue bikes at the

anything away to his younger team mates

front of the pack in the Supercross series.

and the rest of the Supercross pack.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

KTM MOTOCROSS RACING TEAM HOT OFF A BIG WIN IN THIS YEAR’S MX1 CLASS OF THE MX NATIONALS THANKS TO THE SEASON-LONG DOMINANCE OF TEAM LEADER KIRK GIBBS, THE KTM MOTOCROSS RACING TEAM HAS A REAL SPRING IN ITS STEP COMING INTO THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP.

do better than that. He wants to challenge for this year’s SX1 championship and won’t accept anything less. Meantime Styke, who has an impressive resume MX2

that

Motocross

includes and

SX2

Australian Supercross

Championships in 2013, and who spent 2014 racing the MX GPs in Europe full-time,

Gibbs snared the KTM team its first Open national

returned to race in Australia with KTM this

motocross championship since 2002 and the factory-

year and wound out the MX Nationals

backed squad was so rapt, they gave the South

fourth overall in his first season racing a

Australian ace a guest ride in the final round of the

450.

World MX GP Championship in America in September.

Gibbs and Styke have been team mates in

And then the KTM squad renewed not only Gibbs’

previous years, are great mates, and both

contract for 2016, but team mate Luke Styke as well,

are accomplished Supercross racers, so

and even signed on young gun Caleb Ward for the MX2

look for the orange army to pull out all

class for next year.

the stops in an effort to take control of the

All of which means the KTM team is locked and loaded

Supercross battlefield.

for Supercross ... and beyond. Gibbsy

ran

fourth

last

year’s

Supercross

championship chase behind Matt Moss, Adam Monea and Lawson Bopping, and readily admits he should

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

DANNY HAM FLIES AGAIN THE NAME DANNY HAM NEEDS LITTLE INTRODUCTION TO HARDCORE AUSSIE DIRT BIKE FANS OF THE LATE 1990S AND 2000S. Hammy was the high-flying hero of a generation of moto followers, by successfully crossing the divide between racer and freestyler ... in the days before freestyle MX became a sport all its own. Born and bred in the NSW Hunter Valley, which has always

HUSQVARNA AUSTRALIA/CRAIG ANDERSON RACING THERE’S PRECIOUS FEW MOTORCYCLE BRANDS WITH A 100-PLUS YEAR PEDIGREE, BUT THAT’S THE PROUD HERITAGE HUSQVARNA HAS BEHIND IT.

been a hotbed of dirt bike talent, Hammy raced at the highest levels of the sport in factory team rides with both

Originally founded in Sweden, Husqvarna in

CDR Yamaha and Team Suzuki, and was also hand-picked

recent years has traded hands through Italian,

to appear in an early instalment of the globally renowned

German

Crusty Demons of Dirt video series.

the renowned white, blue and yellow marque

and

now

Austrian

ownership,

with

now part of the fast-charging KTM group of

“I LOVE SUPERCROSS, IT’S FUN, AND WHAT I’M DOING NOW IS ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN, SERIOUS FUN,” DANNY HAM

companies, which in recent years has undergone stunning growth. Husqvarna has factory-backed racing activities right around the world – including the World MX GP Championship, where this year Aussie riders Todd Waters and Dean Ferris have been part of the brand’s factory MX1 teams – while here in

Now, at age 37, Hammy has decided to put a whole lot of fun

Australia, Husqvarna teams contest all the major

back into his world, which in recent years has been dominated

national off-road championships.

by working fly-in, fly-out operating heavy machinery in the mines in WA. He’s climbing back on a bike to line up in the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship.

Legend

Australian

motocross

racer

Craig

Anderson now manages the Craig Anderson Racing Husqvarna team, where this year the

Ham is back on a Suzuki RM-Z450 with backing from Maitland

team’s Open class rider is Aaron Tanti, who

Motorcycles and has scored the support of long time friends,

pushed his FC350 thumper to 11th overall in the

Chris Woods from the Raceline Pirelli Suzuki team, and

MX Nationals, despite also having to juggle the

Andrew Hopson from Axis Motorsports. He’s been training

demands of a full-time job with his race program.

hard and putting in plenty of laps at the practice tracks.

Meanwhile young gun Jesse Dobson races the

“I love Supercross, it’s fun, and what I’m doing now is all

Open class as part of the national Husqvarna

about having fun, serious fun,” enthuses Ham.

Factory Support team, and he finished tenth

No doubt plenty of fans will want to say, ‘Good luck Hammy!’

overall in the MX Nationals, despite missing the final two rounds through injury. Both Husqvarna riders are now looking for a strong finish to their 2015 seasons, by aiming for big results in the SX1 class of the Australian Supercross Championship.

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

BE A HERO. THERE’S A CLASSIC IMAGE THAT OFTEN SURFACES ON THE WEB, WHICH ALWAYS GETS AN AIRING WITH THE CAPTION: ‘THE WORLD’S FIRST MOTORCYCLE HELMET CAM.’ And sure enough it shows a whopping great movie camera from the golden years of Hollywood strapped atop the helmet of a rider. The camera’s huge and it would have weighed a tonne – talk about uncomfortable. And as for the quality of the footage, well, until the film was processed at the lab days later, you kept your fingers crossed that you actually had pictures to look at! How the world of point-of-view cameras has changed. Cameras today are smaller, lighter and wearable. As for the quality of the digital images they capture, they are quite simply out of this world. And there’s one person who deserves the credit for the massive explosion in popularity of point-of-view action sports cameras, and that’s GoPro founder, American Nick Woodman.

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

REVOLUTION & EVOLUTION GoPro has revolutionised the filming of action sports – motocross, Supercross and freestyle MX included. GoPro is a proud sponsor of the Australian Supercross Championship, and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in the USA, with GoPro cameras utilised to capture the intensity of Australia and America’s best racers, from the rider’s perspective. With its compact camera designs and wide array of mounts and accessories, there’s virtually nowhere a GoPro camera can’t be

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL SHOOT IT

until he got it right, developing countless

A LITTLE OVER A DECADE AGO, WOODMAN WAS ON A SURFING SAFARI TOURING AROUND AUSTRALIA, HIS BELOVED SURFBOARD UNDER ONE ARM AND A CAMERA HANGING FROM THE OTHER. SURFING AND FILMING WERE HIS PASSIONS, BUT THERE HAD TO BE A BETTER WAY TO BRING THE TWO TOGETHER, RATHER THAN STANDING ON THE BEACH TO FILM SURFERS OUT ON THE BREAKS, OR HAVING TO USE SUPER-EXPENSIVE AND SUPERFRAGILE CAMERAS ENCASED IN CUMBERSOME WATER HOUSINGS.

on film.

cheap compact cameras that took photos

behind him, Woodman finally had a product that he was prepared to take to market ... and

IN ITS FIRST YEAR, GOPRO DELIVERED US$150,000 IN REVENUE. A YEAR LATER, IN 2005, REVENUES TOPPED US$350,000. the rest, as they say, is history.

Driven

make

the

concept

work,

Woodman literally locked himself away

GoPro products are sold through more than 25,000 stores in more than 100 countries around the world, as well as direct via the www.GoPro.com web site. What’s more, GoPro branded content is

images from a whole new angle.

even ‘in’ the track. The images they can capture are only limited by the user’s imagination. In the earliest days, image quality was acceptable. Nowadays the latest GoPro Hero4 captures images in high definition with eye-popping clarity, that will simply blow you away. Broadcast quality footage, slow motion and wide-angle views are now the norm, all fits in the palm of your hand.

digital action cameras.

the midst of the action, ready to capture

locations or objects beside the track, or

from the rugged and compact Hero4 that

of the back of a VW van, Woodman

mounted to it, right there with you in

bike. Or they can even be positioned on

than doubled its revenue every year, to now undisputed leader in compact, wearable

effectively wear and have a small camera

to a rider’s helmet. Now they’re mounted

In the ten years since then, GoPro has more

While selling beads and shell belts out

film strap for cameras; one that you could

Initially GoPro cameras were mounted anywhere, be it on the rider or on the

In 2004, and with a US$10,000 investment

be a multi-billion dollar company and the

developed the idea of creating a better

mounted to.

straps and plastic casings to take small and

shared and enjoyed by millions of people on popular media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube.

GoPro is a fabulous story of a product that came from one man’s dream, and in its execution has revolutionised an entire industry. And as technology continues to improve and the size of the camera gets even smaller, the sky’s the limit for the GoPro brand. What’s next for GoPro? The world will have to wait and see.

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

AN OPEN LETTER FROM GOPRO’S FOUNDER & CEO THINK IT. SEE IT. DO IT. We dream. We have passionate ideas about what’s possible in this world. Our passions lead us to create experiences and realities that expand our world and inspire those around us. GoPro helps people capture and share their lives’ most meaningful experiences with others – to celebrate them together. Like how a day on the mountain with friends is more meaningful than one spent alone, the sharing of our collective experiences makes our lives more fun. The world’s most versatile cameras are what we make. Enabling you to share your life through incredible photos and videos is what we do. This is your life ... GoPro. Nicholas Woodman, Founder and CEO

N AT E A D A M S Photo by: Nate Adams

GAVIN FAITH STORY

RUE

TRUE FAITH

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

TR FA FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW, AMERICAN GAVIN FAITH IS WINGING HIS WAY DOWN UNDER TO CONTEST THE AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP. AFTER TAKING TWO SX2 TITLES IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THIS TIME AROUND HE’S STEPPING UP TO THE SX1 DIVISION WITH THE PENRITE HONDA RACING TEAM. When you think of the premier locations for motocross and Supercross in America, images of Glen Helen Raceway and Anaheim Stadium in California, or Unadilla Valley in New York state, come readily to mind, right? Or maybe you think of the fabulous Steel City or Southwick AMA motocross race tracks? Or perhaps the Las Vegas Supercross, which brings the curtain down on the AMA Supercross Series in grand fashion each and every year? But what about Iowa? Huh, say what? None too surprisingly, Iowa – best known as part of the corn belt state in America’s agricultural heartland – is hardly a hot-bed of American motocross racing. But it’s a little known fact that Iowa does have one claim to fame in motocross circles: it’s the home state of the reigning Australian SX2 Supercross Champion, Gavin Faith, who at age 25 has been living the life of a global roaming journeyman motocross racer and plying his craft around the world ... and no doubt spreading a little of the Iowa

E ITH

message along the way.

LORETTA WHO? HAILING FROM FORT DODGE, IOWA, GAVIN FAITH’S STORY DOESN’T START LIKE THAT OF SO MANY LEADING AMERICAN MOTOCROSS RACERS.

himself in his local mid-west region of the

in Faith’s developing career. If he was going

USA. It wasn’t until he was 12 years old that

to compete against the best racers in the

he raced his first Amateur National, which

country, he would have to train and prepare

didn’t quite go the way he hoped, as he

just like them.

ended the event with a broken leg. Undeterred, he kept up his schooling and eventually returned to racing, at which time his parents enrolled him in a two-

He wasn’t a gun mini bike racer and he

week training camp at the famed Millsaps

didn’t

AMA

and barrel back to Georgia to eat, sleep, live and breathe motocross at the MTF.

Training Facility in Georgia, which is run by the parents of leading AMA pro racer, Davi

was big enough to throw a leg over a 50.

Millsaps.

Instead

Junior

That exposure to seeing how top amateur

which is something precious few riders get

championships and making a name for

racers train at the MTF was a turning point

to do, and certainly not for years on end.

was

the

school early, and then moved lock, stock

Amateur

Faith

racing

hard to gain the credits to graduate high

Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s as soon as he

start

So Faith went back home to Iowa, studied

racing

local

It was a big call for a racer still in his teens. But it was the call that’s helped him make his profession from the sport he loves –

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

G’DAY MATE IN 2011 FAITH WAS ON THE CUSP OF HIS ROOKIE SEASON IN AMA PRO RACING IN THE USA WHEN A CHANCE MEETING WITH A TRAVELLING AUSSIE WAS THE BEGINNING OF A FRIENDSHIP AND SPONSORSHIP PARTNERSHIP THAT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.

“Gavin was a young, fast racer and clearly

The partnership is such a solid one that Faith

dedicated to his racing, and I kept in contact

uses his now annual Australian Supercross

with him in the weeks and months that

tour as a foundation to his race program

followed just in case an opportunity arose for

each season, which is centred purely on

him to be part of our activities in Australia.

Supercross and selected Arenacross outings.

“And as it worked out, at the end of 2011 I

“I was travelling in America in 2011 and

In four years Faith, as part of Konsky’s Honda

checking out the US race scene when I

team, which now goes under the guise of

first met Gavin,” explains Yarrive Konsky, a

Penrite Honda Racing, has won two SX2

longtime Australian supercross promoter

Australian Supercross Championships and

and race team owner.

finished runner-up the other two seasons.

“THIS WILL BE MY FIFTH TIME IN AUSTRALIA COMPETING IN SUPERCROSS AND THIS YEAR MOVING UP TO THE SX1 CLASS IS GOING TO BE A NEW CHALLENGE, BUT WITH ALL THE PREPARATION I’VE BEEN PUTTING IN, I’M READY FOR IT!”

SIMPLY SUPER

He’s had rides with the Geico Honda team,

rewards in Europe, particularly in the

as a replacement for the then injured Will

ADAC German Supercross Series, where

Hahn, and for the Motoconcepts team, as

he is also a national champion.

FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS FAITH HAS SPENT THE FIRST HALF OF EACH SEASON RACING THE AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES IN THE US, CONCENTRATING MOSTLY ON THE 250CC EASTERN REGION TITLE CHASE.

invited Gavin to come to Australia and race the Australian Supercross Championship as part of our factory Honda team – and we’ve been working together every year since.” And it’s been a solid partnership that’s delivered big results.

well as putting the extra hard yards in as a privateer.

around the world from home might be tough

He’s been a consistent top five to top

for some, but for Faith it’s a way of life. And

ten performer in American Supercross,

clearly it is one that agrees with him.

but it’s his end-of-season international tours of duty that have helped cement his professional career. Along with his Australian success in recent years, Faith has also enjoyed lucrative

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Living out of a suitcase and racing halfway

“It definitely works for me,” Faith enthuses. “I love the travel and racing at new places and meeting new people. It’s a great way to go racing.”

GO RICKY IN RECENT MONTHS FAITH HAS MOVED FROM THE MTF IN GEORGIA TO NEARBY FLORIDA WHERE HE HAS HOOKED UP WITH ONE OF THE TRUE LEGENDS OF AMERICAN MOTOCROSS AND SUPERCROSS RACING, RICKY CARMICHAEL. In what might sound as an ominous warning to his Australian Supercross rivals, Faith has been training with RC and his family, getting guidance from one of the very best motocross families in the business. And all that inside information is sure to be put to good use when Faith lines up on the grid in this year’s Australian

Supercross

Championship,

where for the first time ever he will be join the pack in the SX1 class. That’s right, Faith will be back again for Supercross this year as part of Konsky’s Penrite Honda Racing team, but he’ll now be on a potent Honda CRF450R. As will his new team mate, another international Supercross

ace,

Venezuelan

champ,

Anthony Rodriguez. Meanwhile it’s just been confirmed that another American, Jimmy Decotis, will race the SX2 class for the Honda squad: the Penrite Honda Racing enclave in the pits might just resemble a meeting of the United Nations this year! “I am really looking forward to coming back to Australia to race again,” Faith says. “I love the country and I’m excited that the Australian

Supercross

Championship

growing. “This will be my fifth time in Australia competing in Supercross and this year moving up to the SX1 class is going to be a new challenge, but with all the preparation I’ve been putting in, I’m ready for it!”

honda.com.au | 1300 1 Honda

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

QUARTERLITRE ROCKETS THE SX2 CATEGORY OF THE AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP IS NOT JUST A STEPPING-STONE TO THE PREMIER SX1 DIVISION, IT’S AN ABSOLUTE WAR ZONE ALL IT’S OWN! Every class of the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship is going to be hard fought, as the entries pour in for the new-look six-round, fourstate national title fight that has $120,000 prizemoney up for grabs. The SX2 category is packed with a mix of experienced campaigners and young up and comers, and with reigning champ, American Gavin Faith stepping up to SX1, a brand new champion will be crowned come the series finale in Melbourne. Let’s take a look at some of the leading SX2 contenders ...

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

SX2 PRO LITES

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

TAYLOR POTTER

TAYLOR POTTER RACING

LUKE CLOUT

SERCO YAMAHA

JAY WILSON

JCR YAMAHA

JACK SIMPSON

KTM AUSTRALIA; DAVEY MOTORSPORT

JOSH CACHIA

DPH MOTORSPORT YAMAHA

JED BEATON

SERCO YAMAHA

JAKE WILLIAMS

WILSON HONDA RACING TEAM

GERAN STAPELTON

PENRITE WILSON HONDA

LUKE WILSON

PENRITE WILSON HONDA

CALEB WARD

KTM RACING TEAM

JAMES BROWN

PETER STEVENS MOTORCYCLES; FOX

WADE HUNTER

JBC MOTOSPORT, YAMAHA, DUNLOP

JAKE VELLA

JOEL WIGHTMAN

CRF HONDA RACING TEAM

BOYD HOCKING

DPH MOTORSPORT YAMAHA

BRODY CASSIDY

CITY COAST MOTORCYCLES

HAYDEN MELROSE

CRF RACING

JIMMY DECOTIS

PENRITE HONDA

LUKE ARBON

SD3 HUSQVARNA

JACKSON RICHARDSON

XPR MOTORSPORTS

DYLAN WILLS

KTM NEWCASTLE

TRISTAN DUNCAN

BYRNERS SUZUK

KYLE WEBSTER

SFC RACING

115

LEWIS WOODS

DAVEYS MOTORSPORTS/WOODS MX

188

TOMAS RAVENHORST

TR MOTORSPORTS

199

NATHAN CRAWFORD

HUSQVARNA AUSTRALIA

265

JAMIE HARVEY

RACELINE PERFORMANCE

JO5

JESSIE MADDEN

RACELINE SUZUKI

PENRITE HONDA RACING With reigning SX2 Australian Supercross Champion Gavin Faith moving up to the SX1 class this year, the Penrite Honda Racing team has called in another American ace to defend its proud record in the SX2 Championship, where it has taken two titles and two runner-up placings in the past four years. New to the Penrite Honda Racing squad this season is Jimmy Decotis, who hails from Massachusetts, and heads Down Under with strong credentials from a career spent racing in AMA, Canadian and World MX GP competition. Decotis has ridden for elite teams that include Geico Honda in the USA and CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki in Europe, and now he can’t wait to climb aboard the Penrite Honda Racing team’s potent 2016 model CRF250R race bike and take aim on the Australian Supercross Championship.

SERCO YAMAHA As Yamaha Australia’s official factory team entry in the MX2 and SX2 divisions of the local race scene, Serco Yamaha are out to win every time they roll their finely tuned YZ250F race machines to the start line. The Serco Yamaha team honour roll over the years reads like a who’s who of Australian racing talent and this year the team’s two factory pilots are Luke Clout and Jed Beaton. A former national champion, Clout had to settle for the runner-up spot in the recently concluded MX Nationals behind Jay Wilson – you can bet Clout wants to reverse those results in Supercross! Meantime Beaton racked up fourth overall in the MX Nationals as he gained valuable experience all season long that will only benefit his racing in the long-term. Any time the gate drops, look out for the Serco Yamaha duo to be up the front of the pack.

JCR YAMAHA When you’ve got a rider of the calibre of long time World MX GP Championship campaigner Josh Coppins in your corner, all that skill and experience has to rub off. And you can say it certainly has for Queensland racer Jay Wilson, who has made every post a winner so far this year since linking up with the Josh Coppins

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Yamaha

Racing

outfit

combined

Australia/NZ effort for 2015. Wilson has been in stellar form on both sides of the Tasman this year, winning motocross and Supercross events in NZ and then locking down the MX2 championship win in this

performance to take him into the 2016

speak louder than words, this guy’s starting

season with confidence.

to yell loud and clear. Last year he took a

DAVEY MOTOSPORTS KTM

big win in the SXD class of the Australian Supercross Championship ahead of Jack Simpson. This year Wills had some standout performances in the MX2 class of the

year’s Aussie MX Nationals. Wilson also got

The Victorian based Davey Motorsports

the call-up to ride in the Australian team

KTM team is lining up in the SX2 class of

races, and then being award the Jono

at the Motocross of Nations, but injury a

the Australian Supercross Championship

Porter Privateer Trophy. However his MX

week before the event in Europe cut short

with a two-rider roster that includes Lewis

Nats campaign closed with a hefty crash

his green and gold campaign. Despite that

Woods and last year’s SXD title runner-up,

at the final round, but he’s now back in the

bad luck, Wilson is looking to wind out a

Jack Simpson.

saddle and good to go for Supercross. Wills

which

included

winning

is a rider seriously dedicated to his sport

massive year with big results in the SX2 With backing from major sponsors KTM,

Australian Supercross Championship.

Nationals,

Motorex and Pirelli, both riders will be

KTM AUSTRALIA

mounted aboard KTM’s potent 2016-model

With sponsorship of leading racers in

the watchful eye of experienced team

every category of Australian racing, there’s

mentor Paul Keepence.

and if the dice roll his way, Supercross will see him keep springing some surprises and climbing up the ranks.

250SXF thumper, and will be racing under

no missing the might of KTM’s ‘orange

RACELINE PIRELLI SUZUKI

Woods is a former Australian Junior champ

2015

event anywhere in the country. And the

and Victorian Senior state champion and

performances for young gun motocross

Australian Supercross Championship is no

has been a top-ten runner in national

racer Jesse Madden, who answered a

exception, as the Austrian factory backs

Supercross in previous years. Meanwhile

mid-series call-up to ride for the Raceline

riders in every class, including Caleb Ward

young gun Simpson, who graduated from

Pirelli Suzuki team in the MXD category

in the SX2 category, as well as the Davey

the Under 19s category for 2015, has

of the MX Nationals this year. After some

Motorsports

KTM

enjoyed some solid performances on a

strong performances, Madden delivered

brigade’ at any motocross or supercross

KTM

and

Newcastle

has

two

climbing aboard the tractable 250SXF four-

motocross round at Coolum, which helped

the

stroke for the team’s Supercross campain.

him lock down fourth overall in the MXD

Supercross

championship,

after

the

big

two-stroke KTM and is looking forward to

Queensland

finishes

some

resident

Far-north

place

delivered

Ward is having his first full hit-out in

outfits.

fifth

already

final

championship, much to the delight of the

big fifth overall finish in this year’s MX2

NEWCASTLE KTM

Raceline Pirelli Suzuki team. Now it’s time

Having already signed a contract to race

The name Dylan Wills is one to keep watch

to the SX2 category, the 2015 Australian

the MX2 class for the factory-backed KTM

on for the future. He’s a privateer right

Supercross

Motocross Racing Team next year, Ward

now, racing a KTM with the support of the

the

will be looking for a strong Supercross

Newcastle KTM dealership, but if results

youngster ’s career.

class of the MX Nationals, where he won four of the eight rounds he competed in.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

to go Supercross racing and with a step up

Championship stage

this

represents promising

HUSQVARNA AUSTRALIA/CRAIG ANDERSON RACING

races fans. Cachia has raced in Australia

carving out a reputation as one of the

Last

With Craig Anderson Racing Husqvarna

most popular riders in the sport. For the

Championship was a memorable one for

rider Connor Tierney sidelined with an

2015 Australian Supercross Championship

Victorian racer Taylor Potter, who won the

ankle injury, Husqvarna’s profile in the

Cachia links up with the DPH Motorsports

final round in Brisbane and finished second

Australian Supercross Championship’s SX2

Peter Stevens Yamaha race team and will

overall to American Gavin Faith in the SX2

title fight rests with Husqvarna Australia

contest the SX2 category on a YZ250F.

title chase with an effort that epitomised

Factory Support racers Nathan Crawford

His team mate will be Lawson Bopping in

the privateer spirit.

and Luke Arbon. Crawford has just wrapped

the SX1 division. These guys might be dark

up his first full season of MX2 racing in the

horses coming into the Championship, but

MX Nationals aboard a Husqvarna FC250

many an expert predicts it won’t stay that

everything on the line in 2013 to self-fund

thumper, and wound out the series sixth

way for long!

an assault on the AMA Eastern Region

and

podium places along the way. Now he’s switching to Supercross mode and the goal is more strong results to cement continued support for the 2016 season. Meanwhile the stylish Arbon has experienced the ups and downs of racing this year, going from the high of almost winning his home-state MX Nationals round in South Australia, to missing the closing MX Nats rounds with a stomach virus. But now, after a full recuperation, Arbon is back to full fitness and itching to prove his mettle in Supercross competition once again.

Kawasaki

world,

racking

WILSON MX TEAM PENRITE HONDA

year’s

electrician

Australian

trade,

Supercross

Potter

put

with his girlfriend Alex as his mechanic, and living out of a rented RV, he’s been back every year since in an effort to craft

With backing from Honda Australia and

his Supercross skills on the world’s biggest

leading

stage.

lubricant

specialist

Penrite,

the

Wilson MX team has stepped it up in a big way for 2015 and is fielding a two rider team

That first US season was tough, but since

in the SX2 category of the 2015 Australian

then he’s climbed the ranks to be a regular

Supercross

team’s

qualifier for main events in the AMA series,

two riders are Geran Stapleton and Luke

and is now back in Australia ready to

Wilson and they’ve been on a wide-open

contest the opening three rounds of this

charge to fly the Honda flag high all year

year’s Supercross Championship before

long. Stapleton locked down a solid eighth

jetting out to take up an invite to race the

overall in the MX2 class of the MX Nationals,

German Supercross Championship.

Championship.

The

national experience on his way to 20th overall in the MX Nats. team

TAYLOR POTTER RACING

250cc Supercross Series in the USA and

while Wilson racked up some very valuable

PROFORMANCE KAWASAKI Proformance

the

championships every step of the way and

overall after racking up some impressive

The

around

He expects to be back in OZ in time for the final Supercross round in Melbourne, and with his wealth of international experience,

Following a recent trip to the USA to stock

he’ll be intent on mirroring last year’s

Kawasaki Australia’s official 250F team

up on yet more new high-horsepower parts

Aussie championship results.

and after a big season of MX Nationals

for the CRFs, the Penrite Honda Wilson MX

racing in 2015, the Victorian-based outfit is

Team clearly comes into the Supercross

now taking aim on selected rounds of the

championship armed and ready for business.

Australian Supercross Championship with a two-rider attack that includes experienced pro Cody Mackie in the SX2 class and Hugh McKay in Junior Lites. Mackie will surely mix it up at the sharp end of the SX2 category, thanks to his extensive experience over the years racing both in Australia and the USA. With proven bike set-up skills and given he can still rail a Supercross track with the best of them, Mackie will be out to put the green machine at the front of the pack.

DPH MOTORSPORTS PETER STEVENS YAMAHA

CRF HONDA RACING A brand new race team this year with backing from Honda Australia and a raft of supporting sponsors, CRF Honda Racing features a solid line-up of junior racers, who all look up to the team’s lead rider, Joel Wightman, who is fighting it out on the national scene in the MX2/SX2 category. Wightman

leading

NSW

up-and-

coming racer who took on the full tour of this year’s MX Nationals series, and spent the entire season knocking on the door of

He might be small in stature but Josh

top ten results. Now Wightman, who hails

Cachia is big in heart and determination,

from the NSW Hunter Valley, is pumped for

and has a flair and never-say-die attitude

Supercross and will be on the road for the

that has long made him a favourite with

full championship calendar.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

JIMMY DECOTIS

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

READY TO RACE

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

C A L E B WA R D

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

KING KIRK. 92

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

DON’T BELIEVE THE EXPRESSION, ‘NICE GUYS FINISH LAST’. BECAUSE ONE OF THE NICEST GUYS IN THE PRO MOTOCROSS PADDOCK IS THE KTM MOTOCROSS RACING TEAM’S KIRK GIBBS, WHO THIS YEAR CAPTURED THE MX NATIONALS MX1 CHAMPIONSHIP AND IS NOW SETTING HIS SIGHTS ON SUPERCROSS SUCCESS. LOOKING FOR A RIDER WHO HAS BEEN ENJOYING A BANNER YEAR IN 2015? THEN LOOK NO FURTHER THAN KTM MOTOCROSS RACING TEAM FRONT MAN KIRK GIBBS. The 26-year-old professional motocross racer was born in Millicent, South Australia, and honed his dirt bike skills in the Mount Gambier region before setting forth on a racing career that has taken him to the very top levels of the sport. ‘Gibbsy’ started riding at age five on a QR50 mini and soon started club racing on the local SA scene where state and then national junior victories fast came his way. He hit seniors as a privateer before getting his first team ride with the powerhouse Serco Yamaha squad during the 2008 season as fill-in for an injured Jake Moss. That lead to a permanent ride with Serco Yamaha in 2009 and the partnership lasted a solid four seasons as the likeable Gibbs paid his dues, moved to live in Brisbane to be closer to the team, and put in the hard yards needed to make it as a professional motocross racer. Serco Yamaha team boss, Gavin Eales, gave Gibbs a big wrap after their first full season together in 2009: “Kirk has shown a lot of potential throughout the year and I think looking ahead, he is one of three riders who have the capability to dominate motocross and supercross racing in Australia,” Eales proclaimed as he announced his 2010 team. “I was impressed with the effort he put into his racing over the past 12 months, especially considering he carried a back injury for most of the motocross season. “In my mind Kirk will definitely be a top three contender next year and has the capability to take out both the Motocross and Supercross championships.” Now that’s a big wrap, from one of the most astute judges of talent in the Australian pro motocross paddock.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

ONE BIG DOWNER LEADS TO AN UPPER AFTER TWO SOLID SEASONS OF MX2 RACING IN THE 2010 AND 2011 MX NATIONALS, GIBBS LIVED UP TO EALES’ LOFTY EXPECTATIONS BY FINISHING CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNER-UP BOTH TIMES ROUND.

“But the wrist took that long anyway to heal, so it was months before I could get back on a bike.” The healing process kept Gibbsy sidelined through the whole back end of the 2012 season, and while all that time off the bike would have no doubt been frustrating, at the same time the pieces started to fall into place for the next chapter of his career. Keen for a move up to a 450cc machine and the premier MX1 class,

However Gibbs’ world came crashing down at the final round of the

Gibbs had the feelers out and the ducks all started to line up as he

2012 MX Nationals – literally.

maintained dialogue with KTM Motocross Racing Team boss, Rob

He suffered a horror crash at the Coolum, Queensland, MX Nats

Twyerould.

championship finale, that involved some touch and go moments as

“We had been talking for a while, but once Rob and the team had

the on-site Racesafe paramedic crew stabilised him for transport

their budgets sorted, the KTM deal came together,” Gibbs reveals.

to hospital in a serious condition. Some very serious head injuries were ultimately treated – fortunately without ongoing complications – and the South Aussie ace was able to leave hospital, albeit with a busted wrist and a very real headache.

And with that, Gibbsy’s dual swap was confirmed: from Yamaha to KTM, and from MX2 to MX1. He signed on the dotted line to ride alongside Todd Waters for the 2013 season with the factory-backed KTM race team – and he has never looked back.

“The crash at Coolum was a big one, as I took a big hit to the head,” Gibbs recalls. “The head injury took a while to recover from, as the head specialist took ten weeks to give me a clearance to ride again.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

COMING OF AGE IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT IN 2013 AND HIS ROOKIE SEASON OF MX1 COMPETITION, GIBBSY RODE IN THE SHADOW OF TEAM MATE WATERS, BUT HE STILL NAILED DOWN A MX NATIONALS ROUND WIN AND COMPLETED THE MOTOCROSS SEASON FIFTH OVERALL. “Obviously 2013 was my rookie year and I didn’t know what to expect,” explains Gibbs, who was paying his dues on the way to becoming a consistent podium placegetter and ultimately a national championship threat in the premier class.

KING KIRK. LEADING BY EXAMPLE After a solid pre-season that included a stint racing in New Zealand, Gibbs, team mate Luke Styke and the KTM Motocross Racing team

“Then last year I started off pretty well and things ended up

fronted the opening round of the 2015 MX Nationals at Horsham

going really well and I was even able to fight for the motocross

with a quiet confidence.

championship come the end of the series.”

And come the end of the season opener, Gibbsy was one point off

A solid runner-up result behind Team Suzuki’s Matt Moss and ahead

being picture-perfect for the round. He took second in the GoPro

of Scotsman Billy MacKenzie in the 2014 MX Nationals signalled

Super Pole, then came out and won both motos. Happy days!

Gibbs had come of age on the outdoor circuits in the MX1 category. Meanwhile, the South Australian finished fourth overall in last year’s Penrite Australian Supercross Championship SX1 category, behind Matt Moss, Adam Monea and Lawson Bopping. With a fifth overall in motocross in 2013, and then finishing second in 2014, it was obvious Gibbsy and the KTM crew were really building momentum. “After a fifth last year and then a second this year, there’s only one way to go!” enthused KTM team boss Rob Twyerould as the curtain came down on season 2014. So when the Gibbs and KTM partnership ante-upped again for 2015, orange storm clouds were certainly brewing on the horizon for the opposition as this year’s MX Nationals kick-off drew ever closer.

“It felt great to win first up, but there’s always next week,” Gibbs understated after his Horsham haul. As it turned out, Gibbs, and the KTM squad, kept their ‘heads down and butts up’ and played out a strong and ultimately successful MX1 season. Gibbs carded third overalls at the next two MX1 rounds, then swept round four, rather fittingly, to win his home state round at Murray Bridge in South Australia. “I got two ripper starts at Murray Bridge and just tried to ride smart and safe and keep clicking off clean laps,” Gibbs recalls of that memorable SA round, which saw him extend his lead in the championship. As the season wound on, the Gibbs machine kept rolling along like

“THAT FIRST MOTO AT SHEPPARTON NEARLY HAD ME IN TEARS AT THE END OF IT, THAT’S HOW BAD THE PAIN WAS. I JUST THANK GOD FOR THE ADRENALINE ONCE IT KICKS IN.”

the Energizer bunny. He ran second overall at the next round at Coolum, then won round six at Raymond Terrace, and nailed a third overall at the next round at Shepparton – despite riding with a busted shoulder blade suffered in a training crash. “That was probably the toughest day pain-wise that I’ve had – ever,” Gibbs offers. “That first moto at Shepparton nearly had me in tears at the end of it, that’s how bad the pain was. I just thank God for the adrenaline – once it kicks in.” And kick in it clearly did.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

G K. GETTING THE JOB DONE WITH JUST THREE ROUNDS OF THE MX NATIONALS REMAINING, GIBBSY’S CONSTANT HAULS OF BIG POINTS AT EVERY ROUND, THANKS TO HIS NOW TRADEMARK CONSISTENCY OF RUNNING AT THE SHARP END OF THE PACK, HAD THE MATHEMATICIANS WORKING THEIR CALCULATORS TO THE REV LIMITER AS HE EDGED EVER CLOSER TO HIS FIRST-EVER MX1 TITLE WIN. THE QUESTION WAS, HOW SOON COULD HE CLINCH IT? But round eight at Nowra proved a tough one, and despite a Superpole victory, he could only muster 5-4 scores in the day’s two motos for sixth overall – the first time all year he did not make the overall podium for a round. “I had some struggles and made some mistakes and had some little crashes, and then when I was coming back through I stalled it!” says Gibbs of the NSW south coast weekend. Still, the championship points lead was all his as Gibbs’ opponents continued to struggle even more with consistency.

CHASING DREAMS But that was just the start of some big dreams coming true this year, as the Australian KTM team rewarded its star rider and fresh

The penultimate round at Toowoomba saw Gibbs lock down fourth

new national number one plate holder – the first MX1 title KTM

overall and another big swag of points, although in the series

Australia had won since 2002! – with a guest ride at the US MX GP

standings he dropped three points to arch rival Kade Mosig from

round of the World Motocross Championships in September.

the CDR Yamaha team, who won the day.

As we type these very words, Gibbsy is in California, gearing

But with a whopping 61 point advantage in the championship, the

up to climb aboard a 450 SX-F race bike with support from the

prize title was Gibbsy’s for the taking in the opening moto of the

American BTO Sports and Troy Lee Designs KTM teams and take

final round at Coolum – the very same track where three years

on the world’s best at the famed Glen Helen Raceway. Alongside

earlier he had suffered that awful crash.

him on the startline will be full-time Aussie MX GP campaigners

Needing just a top 20 finish in the opening moto at Coolum to clinch the prize, he romped home in third place to lock down the

Todd Waters and Dean Ferris, as will long time US-based Aussie racer Brett Metcalfe.

biggest win of his career – and kick off the bridesmaid’s tag after

“Racing an MX GP is something that I’ve always wanted to do,”

runner-up finishes in his motocross championship campaigns in

Gibbs enthuses.

2010, 2011 and 2014. “Getting the championship win is almost unexplainable,” said Gibbs as he soaked up the accolades on that memorable day at Coolum.

“It will be good to go over there and see what it’s all about and see whether in the future I want to go down that avenue. “I’m just so excited to get there and have a good go, and catch up

“When I had that shoulder injury a little doubt did enter my head,

with Todd and see where I am against him now. I was an MX1 rookie

but we fought through and I’m just so happy that I was able to

the first year I raced against him in 2013, so it will be good to gauge

get this done. It’s an amazing feeling and to win an Australian MX

against him now.

Nationals championship is a dream come true.”

“Overall, it will just be a great experience.”

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW: SUPERCROSS FEVER WHILE THOSE ONGOING INTERNATIONAL ASPIRATIONS MIGHT BE FOR ANOTHER DAY, GIBBSY’S IMMEDIATE FUTURE REMAINS RIGHT HERE IN AUSTRALIA.

“What will be really important is making a smooth transition from racing motocross all year to racing supercross, that will be key. “I’m probably a little more comfortable at motocross, because where I grew up in South Australia we did a lot of riding on motocross tracks and in the bush and sand dunes, and of course these days we race a lot more motocross. “But there’s no question I’m looking forward to Supercross.

He has already signed on again for 2016 with the KTM Motocross

“I’m feeling really comfortable on the 2016 KTM and we’ve already

Racing Team, as has team mate Luke Styke, while young gun Caleb

done a lot of development with the new bike, so by the time

Ward joins the team as a new MX2 signing. The KTM squad is locked

Supercross comes around, we will be set, for sure.”

and loaded for next year.

And given just how stacked the SX1 class in Supercross will be this

But first and foremost there’s the not inconsiderable task of taking

year, with not just all the regular Aussie team riders on the grid, but

on the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship, which this year

also internationals Gavin Faith and Anthony Rodriguez joining the

features six rounds in four states across three months, and involves

Penrite Honda Racing squad for the series, and global Supercross

a very tasty $120,000 total prizemoney purse.

superstars James ‘Bubba’ Stewart and Australia’s own Chad Reed

Gibbs ran fourth overall in last year’s Supercross championship chase and will be out to step it up this year. “I know I can do better than that,” says Gibbs of last year’s Supercross result. “I believe I can challenge for the championship this year and that’s

in town for round five at Sydney’s Allphones Arena, any potential championship contender will have to bring their A game. Nice guy Kirk Gibbs has been on his A game all year long in motocross, now it’s time to bring it to Supercross. Good luck Gibbsy!

what I plan to do.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

KIRK GIBBS

98 OF 102

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SXD DEVELOPMENT PHASE

GYTR YAMAHA’S MITCH EVANS WILL BE A SERIOUS TITLE THREAT IN THE SXD CHAMPIONSHIP

THE STEP UP FROM JUNIOR TO SENIOR RACING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LARGE AND POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT ONE: THE RACES ARE LONGER, THE TRACKS GET DECIDEDLY TOUGHER, THE BIKES CAN GET A WHOLE LOT BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL, AND THE COMPETITION IS EVEN MORE FIERCE THAN EVER. Precious

make

his main sponsors at KTM Newcastle and

an instant transition, so the creation of a

few

riders

can be considered a likely threat for the

Development class in national motocross

podium in SX2 rounds of the Supercross

and

championship.

Supercross

successfully

competition

recent

years has been greeted with universal acceptance to help progress the careers of riders aged 16 to 19 years.

And for more examples of the success of the Development category, just look at riders like Jay Wilson, Luke Clout and Caleb

event

Ward – to name but a few – all of whom

organisers, race teams, sponsors and, in

have tasted victory in major MXD and SXD

particular the riders, have all benefited by

events in recent years, and who have now

the advent of the Development class, which

gone on to score factory team rides in the

gives those riders who are at a critical age

Open ranks.

in determining their racing future, the

With all the major manufacturers backing

chance to continue to compete against

the Development ranks with dedicated

their peers while at the same time taste

support,

the brave new world known as Senior open

Supercross will be hotly contested by a

motocross and Supercross racing.

classy field.

Take the case of last year’s SXD class winner

The GYTR Yamaha team has been a prolific

in the Australian Supercross Championship

winner in Development class racing since

as a prime example.

its inception, and for Supercross this year

Motorcycling

Australia,

clubs,

Young NSW rider Dylan Wills kept working hard at his craft, paying his dues on the path of trying to make a career out of racing dirt bikes. Coming back from injuries the two years before, Wills rode hard, fast and smart through last year’s Supercross

this

year’s

SXD

category

is fielding proven Junior winner Mitch Evans, who will be racing his first season of Supercross, alongside team mate Jordan Hill, who replaces this year’s MXD champ, Wilson Todd, who has been sidelined by a knee injury.

Championship and nailed down the biggest

Taking the fight up to the Yamaha duo

win of his career when he clinched the SXD

will be Raceline Suzuki team rider Brock

championship at the final round at the

McLeary, who is a former Aussie Junior

Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Lites Supercross champion, while other

This year Wills moved up to the MX2 class of the MX Nationals and maintaining momentum, came out and won a couple of motos in the MX Nationals and was eventually

with

the

front of the pack include Jayden Rykers and Kaleb Barham from the KTM factory support team.

Jono

Travis Silk will also be KTM mounted with

Porter Privateer Award. Now he’s been

Trent Wheatley returning to compete on

rewarded with increased support from

the privateer Honda.

102

presented

names likely to be mixing it up at the

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

SXD RIDER LIST 4

104

BROCK MCLEARY

RACELINE PIRELLI SUZUKI

KALEB BARHAM

KTM AUSTRALIA

BAILEY COXON

JBC MOTOS

RYAN FINDANIS

MCD RACING

TRAVIS SILK

KTM NEWCASTLE

MITCH EVANS

GYTR YAMAHA

LACHLAN HOLROYD

SS RACING LINK

JORDAN HILL

GYTR YAMAHA

121

TYLER BULLEN

WRM REBELEX COMPOUND MXRP

188

TRENT WHEATLEY

MATHEWS MOTORCYCLES

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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STARTING OUT TO ALL THE YOUNG SUPERCROSS FANS OUT THERE, AND IN PARTICULAR TEENAGERS AND THEIR PARENTS, GETTING STARTED IN THE SPORT IS NOT AS DIFFICULT AS IT MAY APPEAR.

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Every year thousands of Aussie kids enjoy

Stepping up from the Pee Wee, the range

that memorable moment when they climb

of mini bikes available explodes to suit

aboard their first mini bike and get set to

the age and physical size of the rider, and

ride off into a brave new world.

whether or not they want a pure motocross

No matter how old or young you are, riding mini bikes and then graduating to full-size

bike designed for riding on a track, or a fun bike suited to play riding on the farm.

bikes and even go racing is a proven path to

All the 50, 65 and 85cc mini motocross

enjoying a sport that delivers great physical

bikes

and mental development, promotes control

are more highly-tuned and as such more

of a vehicle and mechanical aptitude, and

demanding to ride, but for riders keen to

can lead to a fabulous social interaction

enjoy some racing, these potent pocket-

amongst

rockets will fast develop those skills.

other

like-minded

riders

and

families who are all brought together by a common bond: dirt bikes!

feature

two-stroke

motors

that

Meanwhile most of the fun bikes have more mildly tuned 80, 100, 125, 150 or 200cc

WHEELS UP!

four-stroke motors, most with electric-

So where does it start if you want to get

suspension travel, that make them easier to

into riding dirt bikes?

handle. The thumpers are also amazingly

start, along with lower seat heights and less

reliable: just keep tipping fuel in the tank

With a set of wheels, of course!

and away they go ... and go ... and go. With

Compared to the mini bikes of yesteryear, kids have got it made in the shade in this

many kids, it will just be the fact the sun goes down that they finally stop riding!

day and age when it comes to choosing a

By the time a rider reaches their mid-teens

mini bike.

and is keen to go racing, state-of-the-art

Almost half a century ago when the first mini bikes hit the shops, they were nasty little beasts with lawn mower engines bolted into steel pipe frames and eightinch wheels fitted up at each end. As for suspension, well ... that came down to how much air you put in the tyres! These days, the latest mini bikes are absolute ‘works rides’ by comparison.

125cc two-stroke and 250cc four-stroke race bikes await. The 125s are lighter, easier to maintain and cheaper to buy and service, and are thus a common choice for riders first stepping up to the Junior Lites class. Although when the racing gets really serious, the potent 250F thumpers tend to dominate. Choosing which brand of bike to buy, no matter what size or style, can come down

The most iconic of all mini bikes is the

to matching the brand your favourite rider

Yamaha Pee Wee 50, which was first

is on, or which dealership is in your local

unveiled in 1981 and in the 35 years since

town, or which shop will do you the best

has helped launch the careers of some

deal on price backed up by service and

of the world’s greatest ever Supercross

spare parts support.

racers,

including

Aussie

superstar

Chad Reed and American heroes Ricky Carmichael and James ‘Bubba’ Stewart.

Researching bikes is easier than ever, thanks to endless info available in magazines and web sites, while if your budget can’t

The Pee Wee is sized small for riders

stretch to a new bike, used bikes are readily

from about four years of age, and with its

available through classified web sites.

controlled power delivery and unbustable reliability, it ’s no wonder it continues as one of the top selling mini bikes of all time. Nowadays nearly all the major motorcycle brands offer PW-style 50cc mini bikes, and they are all big sellers, especially at this time of the year as Santa’s annual visit draws ever closer. SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

107

GEAR UP! RIDING A DIRT BIKE HAS SOME INHERENT RISKS, AND HITTING THE GROUND IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE.

KTM’S 50, 65 AND 85CC MINI BIKES LITERALLY ARE SCALED-DOWN VERSIONS OF THEIR FULL-SIZE MACHINES. THE KIDS OF TODAY HAVE GOT IT SO GOOD!

So ALWAYS wearing proper riding gear and safety equipment is an absolute must. An approved helmet, goggles, jersey and pants, gloves, body armour, boots and knee/shin guards are the minimum that should be worn anytime you swing a leg over the bike and fire it into life. There’s a dazzling array of riding gear to choose from these days, in a massive variety of colours and styles. And with gear manufacturers each offering a wide range of products, at various price levels, you will find something to suit every budget. And if your budget is really tight, look out for shops or web sites doing close-out deals on last year’s stocks, as the savings are usually significant.

WHERE TO RIDE?

JOIN A CLUB

Once you’re all geared up and good to go,

Motorcycling Australia administers motorcycle sport

the next question to be answered is where

in Australia, via affiliate branches in every state. The

to ride?

state branches in turn are made up by local motorcycle

Fun riding on a friend’s or the family farm is a great place to start, but if you want to go racing, tracks are where it’s at.

clubs, who operate in certain districts and stage events in certain disciplines, ranging from motocross through enduro, dirt track, trials and even road racing. Joining a motorcycle club is as simple as starting with

Fortunate riders with land available and permission of the owners can build their own motocross and supercross practice tracks and ride to their heart’s content. Meanwhile there are commercial riding parks around, like Melbourne’s Park4MX facility that’s owned and operated by former Aussie MX pro Cheyne Boyd, or Queensland Moto Park west of Brisbane, however most ‘public’ tracks are managed by local motorcycle clubs that operate right around the country. Getting access to these tracks and getting into racing is ‘unlocked’ by joining a motorcycle club and taking part in the club’s events. It might sound involved, but it’s actually easy.

108

the Motorcycling Australia web site – www.ma.org.au – and then navigating to the web site of MA in your state, and then going through the list of motorcycle clubs in your area that stage the events you’re interested in. If you want to start racing motocross, there are junior motocross clubs pretty much everywhere. Find a local club, contact the club secretary – the details will be on the MA web site – then get along to a club meeting or race day and check it all out. What you will you find is the event will be full of riders and families and friends just like you, and just like you they would have once arrived not knowing anyone and wondering what it’s all about? But motorcycle sport with MA is structured to help riders every step of the way. Just join a club and then get along to a club day event and it will all roll on from there once you apply for your MA competition licence.

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

CHASING DREAMS LIKE SO MANY YOUNG FANS OF THE SPORT, CRF HONDA RACING TEAM RIDER WILSON MEDCALF HAS DREAMED OF BEING A TOP SUPERCROSS RACER. He’s 15 years of age and has come up through the ranks of the sport like so many riders before him, and like so many more who will follow. Now he’s on the cusp of getting ever close to the Pro ranks. Wilson has landed a sponsored ride with the new CRF Honda Racing team this year, competing in Junior Lites alongside team mate Joel Wightman, who competes in the SX2 category. After starting riding on a Honda QR50 mini at age five, Wilson had his first race at age seven after joining a junior trials club at Gwandalan, near where he lives on the NSW central coast. He’s loved riding and racing from day one, and aside from school and family life at home (where his younger brother Huwan also races), Wilson admits he pretty much lives and breathes motocross and Supercross. A product of MA’s motorcycle sport program, Wilson is now clearly aiming for a pro career in the years ahead, and has a very special supporter in his corner, in an effort to fast-track his climb to the top. “When I was nine years old I did a group riding session with Craig Anderson,” Wilson explains. “I was just a weekend warrior, where Ando and his brother, Danny, were the instructors, and they just rode insanely quick. They were awesome. “Fortunately I’ve been able to keep riding with Ando, and now he has taken me under his wing, because I think he sees potential in me and likes my attitude.” Clearly determined about his racing, Wilson rides a couple of times a week with Ando, the experienced legend of Australian motocross and Supercross racing helping to hone the Honda rider’s skills, as well as pass on a wealth of information to boost Wilson’s entire racing package, both on and off the track. “It’s great to just be around Ando and experience his attitudes to racing and life in general,” enthuses Wilson, who will race the SX Lites class of the Australian Supercross Championship, before stepping up to the Under 19s Development class next year. “Ando’s not scared to push me hard and toughen me up, and that’s been showing in my results.”

MODERN-DAY 250CC THUMPERS LIKE HONDA’S CRF250R ARE STATE-OF-THE-ART MOTOCROSS WEAPONS AND ARE FOR THE OLDER AND MOST EXPERIENCED OF JUNIOR RIDERS.

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

109

FOUR-STROKE FUN BIKES LIKE THIS HONDA CRF ARE VERSATILE MOUNTS, WHICH YOU CAN RIDE ON THE TRACKS OR THE TRAILS.

RACING MOTOCROSS REQUIRES RIDING SKILLS, FITNESS, DETERMINATION AND SPORTSMANSHIP, ALL QUALITIES YOU WILL DEVELOP WITH EACH AND EVERY OUTING. AND REMEMBER, IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT WINNING, NO WAY.

RACE DAY! YOUR FIRST RACE DAY WILL BE A MEMORABLE OCCASION.

Riding on a big track, under bright lights,

and more confident on their machines.

in front a huge crowd, delivers a rush like

One-on-one

little else.

coaching sessions are also available, from a

And just remember, an Australian racing

and

small

group

private

vast array of current and former champion motocross and Supercross racers, such is

Some junior clubs stage gymkhana-style

legend like Chad Reed started exactly

events for younger or less experienced

the same way. He began racing as a junior

riders, which are a fabulous place to start

with his local club at Kurri Kuri in the NSW

Lee Hogan, Craig Anderson, Jay Marmont,

by providing a less competitive on-track

Hunter Valley – and look where it took him!

Cheyne

environment.

Heck, you can even say the same for Aussie

Motocross races, meanwhile, can be more

Grand Prix road race legends like Mick

demanding, but with classes structured by

Doohan, Wayne Gardner and Casey Stoner:

age, ability and machinery, you’ll be on the

they all started as juniors racing in MA

grid amongst your peers.

events.

Racing motocross requires riding skills, fitness, determination and sportsmanship,

the demand from riders.

Metcalfe,

Boyd, Shane

Cameron Booth,

Taylor, Chris

Shane

Urqhart,

Glenn MacDonald and Luke George are just some of the riders passing on their vast experience to keen and eager pupils all keen to fast-track their on-bike skills. A riding school, and certainly a specific

SCHOOL’S IN

Supercross clinic, is an absolute must-do and money well spent for any rider keen to

all qualities you will develop with each and

No matter whether you race just for fun,

every outing. And remember, it’s not all

or you want to take things a little more

about winning, no way.

seriously, one final tip is to get some riding

Good luck to all our budding Supercross

tuition.

champions of the future!

Once you get some motocross outings under your belt, the next step is to

Mention school and most youngsters will

Supercross, which can be a big one, as the

roll their eyes ... but mention motocross

jumps get bigger and the obstacles on the

school and their eyes light up!

track are more demanding.

Aussie dirt bike legend Stephen Gall is racing

quite rightly credited as developing riding

Supercross is structured: riders need to

schools in Australia, through his renowned

gain specific endorsement of their MA

University

licence

venture

Academy of Off-Road Riding programs

onto a Supercross track in a competition

that fired into life in the late 1970s and early

environment.

’80s – and are still running today.

If you do, there’s no greater thrill than

Riding schools can range from one and two

taking to the grid for a major Supercross

day weekend clinics to week-long ‘boot

event – like the Australian Supercross

camps’ that are designed to help riders

Championship.

young (and old) to become faster, safer

But

110

again,

the

before

progression

being

able

race Supercross.

Motocross

and

Yamaha

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

SS H

D 50

CC DEMO CLA

OMOLOGATE LowryAD_2015_YCF_50cc_0915_OL_ADB_v2.indd 1

18/09/2015 10:29:38 AM

WORLD CLASS AUSSIE WOMEN IF YOU THOUGHT DIRT BIKE RACING WAS A SPORT PURELY FOR THE GUYS, THINK AGAIN!

Thanks in no small part to the efforts

Meanwhile in off-road racing, Australia’s

of its dedicated Women’s Commission,

Women’s team of Tayla Jones, Jemma

Motorcycling Australia, the body which

Wilson and Jessica Gardiner recently

administers motorcycle sport in this

topped the world in the gruelling

country, has almost 1,000 Women’s

International Six Days Enduro in

competition licence holders, which is a huge number by any standards – and that’s not including all the women and girls who ride purely for the fun of it. And when you consider the size of our population compared to other countries around the world, there’s absolutely no argument that Australia is batting well above its weight when it comes to producing Women racers that are truly world class. Australia’s top female motocross racers of recent years have included Meghan Rutledge and Maddy Brown, whose efforts have helped to inspire so many other young Women racers to participate in the sport.

Slovakia, proving once again the global competitiveness of Australia’s leading female racers. With the development of dedicated Women’s classes and state and national championships in Australia over recent years, not to mention the local appearances of top international Women’s racers such as Jessica Patterson and Ashley Fiolek, the scene has only gone from strength to strength for female racers. Since 2012 organisers of the Australian Supercross Championship have been proud to include a Women’s class and this year the girls will get their chance to

Brown is the 2014 and 2015 Australian

contest their national Supercross crown

Women’s Motocross Champion, while

at the Sunshine, Melbourne, round of the

Rutledge has enjoyed considerable success both in Australia and around the world, finishing runner-up in last year’s Women’s World Motocross Championship in Europe and signing for a title defence with the factory Kawasaki team this year, only to see her 2015 world title hopes dashed by injury.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE EDITION 01 / 2015

series on December 5. Rutledge is the defending two-time Aussie Women’s Supercross title holder and is expected to face tough competition from a whole new breed of fast female racers – good luck girls!

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MADDY BROWN

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BROOKE WHIPPLE

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BRETT METCALFE

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S FAVOURITE SON, BRETT METCALFE, IS COMING HOME TO RACE THE ADELAIDE SUPERCROSS AND THE LOCAL FANS WILL BE SURE TO GIVE HIM A WARM WELCOME.

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

BRETT METCALFE

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ

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www.unit.com

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

YOU CAN’T STOP US ACTION SPORT BUILDS ITS FOUNDATIONS UPON ART. THE DEFINITION OF A PARTICULAR DISCIPLINE IS THE VISUAL FLAIR AND DESCRIPTIVENESS THAT A RIDER CREATES THROUGH HIS OWN PARTICULAR STYLE.

However, in creating that style there is a point where it peaks, where progression flatlines. Unit, by definition, is a brand that sculpts art from progress. Twelve years since its inception as a garage brand, the Australian-born icon continues its pursuit of the sport’s outermost limits – only to break them down. Unit was born from the love of riding and art, and the idea that two vastly different interests could not only co-exist but feed and grow from each other. The concept was created on a whim; with its now iconic symbol based upon the moment of ignition within the centre of a spark plug. From a sketch to a screen print, scraped together on the back of a minimal investment, Unit’s unique offering and message saw it grow organically. It started at local BMX and MX haunts before expanding outwards, moving from state to state and into retail stores as fast as supply could meet demand. The brand’s art and message pushed boundaries and made no apologies for it. Confronting imagery proved polarising; a growing follower base couldn’t get enough, while a portion of those exposed to it found it difficult to accept its bold and brash stance. It received regular exposure into the mainstream market, rare for a brand in such a niche avenue. Perhaps its most widely-known campaign, ‘Froot Loops’, made plenty stand up and take notice. The borderline subject matter made headlines and attracted the wrath of advertising standards bodies, whose disapproval only fuelled the fire for the brand’s creators to continue on its ‘shock and awe’ path. Unit’s

visually-confronting

and

thought-provoking

art

and

campaigns continued to attract attention in the years to follow. Of particular impact was the ‘Swine Flu’ campaign, which drew inspiration from a globally unsettling issue. Before long the image of a ‘Unit babe’ wearing a flu mask against the backdrop of a dimlylit butcher storage cavity was being splashed up on screens across the world. Sex sells, as does fear, and soon enough the brand from humble beginnings had made its mark on the digital billboards that characterize the iconic Times Square. This sparked a wildfire of fans and an all-new following in the Northern Hemisphere, where Unit continues to expand today.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

121

Along

with

its

brash

art

statements,

Unit is also known for creating unique environments, activities and competitions that fuel a constant desire to further progression within action sport. Its athletes, embodying the spirit and search for the summit, led the way and fuelled the brand’s reputation for creating and

conquering

the

biggest

jumps

and obstacles. The BMX triple flip, the legendary 10-pack, Farm Jam, The Art of Progress slow-motion super feature and numerous unrivalled free-ride spots and sessions were born with Unit’s backing and continue to mark the brand’s territory across the most popular action sports disciplines. The brand’s athlete roster, the ‘Unit Family’, has read as a who’s who of motocross, freestyle motocross, BMX, mountain biking and more, providing a base for hundreds of successful careers. In its new structure, Unit will continue to back both athletes and events, and the

brand

proud

maintain

its

association with the Australian Supercross Championships for 2015 as the series soars to new heights with the addition of Sydney, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast and Melbourne alongside the success of last season’s Bathurst V8 Supercar event at Bathurst Showgrounds. The domestic series has regularly produced some of the most exciting racing and rider matchups of any international offering and is a renowned proving ground and talent pool for eagleeyed overseas scouts. Unit’s

unique

DNA,

core

values

and

renowned creativity are set to thrive in coming years, with 13 years of fans and a global following sure to reach even greater heights on a global scale. Its newest catch cry, “You can’t stop us”, rings even truer than ever. Learn more about the brand and browse its all new website and online store at unit.com

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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PRIVATE POWER 126

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

EER R

PRIVATEER POWER WHILE IT MIGHT BE THE FACTORY TEAM RIDERS AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONS WHO GET THE BIG-BUCK DEALS AND ALL THE HEADLINES, IT’S THE PRIVATEER RACERS WHO ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES OF THE SPORT. There are thousands of aspiring young motocross and supercross racers out there, all riding their bikes and living the dream of one day being a factory team rider. But only precious few ever make it all the way to the top to enjoy the big bucks and everything-laid-on lifestyle of the very best pro racers. It’s tough to get there, as the competition for the top team rides is intense. Then if you do make it, the pressure to perform, week-in, week-out is arguably even more demanding. For every one factory team rider, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of privateer racers around the country who put in the hard yards, countless dollars and sacrifice just about everything they – and sometimes their family – have to try to make the next big step.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

127

DYLAN WILLS AT 19 YEARS OF AGE, SYDNEY RACER DYLAN WILLS IS LIVING PROOF THAT IF YOU PUT THE HARD YARDS IN, DEAL WITH INJURIES SO THAT YOU COME BACK STRONGER, AND KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN AND YOUR SLATE CLEAN, THE REWARDS OF RACING WILL SLOWLY BUT SURELY COME YOUR WAY. Around 15 years ago Wills climbed aboard

1ST OVERALL SXD 2014 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

“With the injuries I’d had limited time on the

“There were some ups and downs through

bike, but after the last round of motocross

the MX Nats,” Wills explains, “as I had

and the first round of Supercross, I got

some crashes and had some bike troubles,

some good riding in and was feeling

and then at the final round at Coolum I

stronger. But then at Bathurst I hurt my

had a big crash that put me in hospital and

heel again and the Racesafe guys did a

gave everyone a bit of a scare.

great job of keeping me out there.

“But getting that Jono Porter award was

“As it turned out, I was consistent all the

great, because Jono was such a great guy

way through Supercross last year, and I

and to have my name on that trophy is a

just did my own thing and let everyone else

real honour.”

make mistakes, and it all came together.”

his first bike, a venerable Yamaha Pee Wee

Which

50, then two years later he started racing

consistent approach delivering him the

at age six with the Wollongong Motorcycle

Australian SXD Championship and the

Club south of Sydney – and he’s been at it

biggest win of his career.

ever since.

precisely

what

did,

the

“That was just awesome, and makes all the

He won some state junior titles over the

hard work and sacrifices worthwhile,” Wills

years, but in his own words: “I choked a bit

enthuses.

and never really cracked it big in the Aussie

In 2012 he graduated to seniors, racing a Suzuki RM250 two-stroke for a year, and then a RM-Z250 thumper the next. But those two seasons were tough, as injuries took their toll. “I shattered my heel, shattered my humerus and broke my tib and fib in different injuries over those two seasons, all of which was pretty tough to take,” Wills admits. “Injuries can be hard to deal with, but all along I’ve wanted to race dirt bikes, so you just keep at it. “Everything is pretty much healed up now, except my heel, which still gives me some pain sometimes.” The heel was still an issue through last year’s Australian Supercross Championship, but with the efforts of the trackside Racesafe clinic, Wills kept at it and enjoyed a banner season in the SXD category, eventually taking the national championship.

Wills off the bike for a couple of weeks, but the young charger used the time to let his body rest and recover, before hitting the gym and the training tracks again in the build up to Supercross. “I can’t wait for Supercross,” says Wills, “but being a rookie and with so many fast riders in SX2 this year who are so good at

Junior Nationals, plus I suffered some injuries along the way.”

Recuperating from the Coolum crash kept

“GETTING ON THE PODIUM THE FIRST TIME FELT REALLY GOOD, AND FROM THEN ON, YOU JUST WANT MORE OF IT.”

Supercross, it ’s going to be tough. “But if I can make some podiums and keep consistently in the top five and get through injury-free, and turn some more heads, I’ll be happy with that so I can get set to move on to next year and then start fighting for championships.”

This year Wills stepped up from the

Wills has been riding with the support

Development ranks to race MX2/SX2 and in

of KTM Newcastle and has just now

his rookie season wasn’t too sure just how

moved up in his level of backing, with the

it would play out.

dealership providing him with a couple of

“First time out in MX2, I didn’t really know

250 SXF thumpers for Supercross.

what sort of results to expect,” Wills

B ut h e ’s s till r u n nin g a p rivate e r ef fo r t ,

reveals.

wh e re f a mily plays a m a s sive p a r t in

“But in the end the MX Nationals exceeded all my expectations.” The KTM flyer made more than a few pundits sit up and take notice, by winning a couple of motos and making some podiums on his way to eventually finishing ninth overall in the series and being awarded the Jono Porter Privateer Trophy. But it wasn’t all plain sailing – he was in

his ra cin g . “Getting bikes now is a huge help,” Wills explains, “but it ’s not like if we blow a motor it just gets replaced. We have to get it fixed and we still have to be on our A-game with bike set-up and maintenance. We can’t afford for anything to go wrong.”

hospital when he got the call immediately after

Wills’ parents are still his two biggest

“I went into Supercross last year with no

the final MX Nats round at Coolum to advise he

supporters and play a huge part in his

real expectations,” Wills explains.

had won the Privateer award.

race program.

128

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

“Yeah, we pay for everything and sleep in the van at races to get it done,” Wills says. “They’ve supported me for so long, there’s no stopping now!” Which epitomises the privateer spirit and when you pay your dues and put the effort in, cracking the real big step all the way up to a factory team ride gets tantalisingly closer. “Teams have started talking to me now,” Wills lets on, “and some of the stuff they talk about with the support they offer is bit of an eye-opener. “Just things like flying to the races, which would take a massive load off me and my dad, as now he has to work on the bikes and then drive to the races and then make sure everything on the bike is perfect on race day. “It’s awesome that we’re getting closer (to a team ride) and I think we are going the right way about making a name and knocking on the door of the factory teams.” With his determined and mature attitude, and the ability to run up the front of the pack, it’s surely only a matter of time before Wills takes his privateer dream and translates it into a factory team ride. * Sponsors: KTM Newcastle, Alpinestars, Bell, Monza Imports, mum and dad

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

129

TAYLOR POTTER YOU DON’T FINISH RUNNER-UP IN THE 2014 AUSTRALIAN SX2 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP WITHOUT BEING A RIDER WHO’S PREPARED TO PUT THE EFFORT IN AND CHASE YOUR DREAMS.

Which is exactly what Taylor Potter did this

– I’ve never been so happy to win in my life!”

time a year ago, as he blazed through the

enthuses Potter of that memorable series

2014 SX2 title chase to eventually finish

finale in Brisbane a year ago.

second in the overall standings behind American ace Gavin Faith.

It was just reward for a rider who in recent years has sacrificed just about everything

And to cap it off, Potter wound out the

to chase his dream of being a Supercross

championship with a big win at the final

champion.

round in Brisbane.

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2ND OVERALL SX2 2014 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

What’s more, he’s done it all as a privateer,

“That was just so unreal, to win the final

which only helps to make his achievements

round and finish second in the Championship

all the more impressive.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

A former junior racer, Potter, who is now 25,

after having missed the cut the year before

“I’m racing the first three rounds of the

started an electrical apprenticeship at age

by just half a second.

Championship, then I’m jumping straight

17 and was determined to see that through, so as to always have a trade behind him.

He also settled in with the renowned Millsaps Training Facility to help hone his

on a plane to fly to Europe and race the German Supercross Championship.

Four years later, with the trade qualification

skills between races, all of which helped to

“Then I will be flying back home in time

completed, Taylor decided he wanted to

pay dividends when he got back home to

to race the final round of the Australian

give his race career, “A red hot go!”

Australia again to race last year’s Australian

championship in Melbourne.

So,

self-funded

effort,

sold

Supercross Championship.

“It’s going to be a busy schedule, for sure,

everything he owned and together with

“After the results in Supercross here last

but then once I get through the end of

his girlfriend Alex, headed to the USA to

year, I just had to get back to America

the year, it will be time to look at where

contest the final six rounds of the 2013

at the start of this year, and things were

everything is going for 2016.”

AMA Eastern Region 250cc Supercross

shaping up really well and I was set to stay

Series in what has to rate as the experience

with Gavin Faith, which was a big step up

of a lifetime, as the young pair travelled in

from living in an RV!” Potter laughs.

an RV with the seats pulled out of the back to fit the bikes in!

“But then early in the year I suffered a shoulder injury and that really knocked

“Looking back now, it was such a big thing

things around. I was needing pain killers for

to do, and in a lot of areas, I really had no

a while but still managed to qualify through

idea about going to the other side of the

to the main at a handful of rounds, so that

world to race in an AMA series,” Potter lets

was good.”

on.

this year, and has basically been preparing

and I just wanted to give the sport 200

for

percent and try to do well.

Championship ever since ... while working

to expect, but I got bikes and put it all

this

year’s

Australian

explains.

Potter returned home from that first USA

“But that said, my bikes are really good, as

stint with a wealth of experience and took

good as any of the factory teams, I believe.

running top-five regularly and finishing an impressive fourth overall. It was just the stimulus he needed to go back to the USA again the next year. “Given everything I learned through 2013, I just had to give the USA another go,

organised, as well as training. It’s not like I can relax and let someone else do all the work.” But clearly work is one thing he’s never been scared of.

if he is up for the challenge of the privateer lifestyle.

AMA Eastern Region 250cc Supercross

“I’ve never been afraid of the hard work

Series again, this time contesting the entire

and all the sacrifices it takes to get ahead

series, but doing it tough early on due to

in racing.

But slowly but surely his season came together and he qualified through to four

MAD Gym and Funnel Web Filters,

work through the week and get everything

“Absolutely,” Potter fires back when asked

getting his bikes through Customs.

Scott, Fly Racing, Scotty’s Dirt Bike Spares,

myself to and from the races, and do all the

give over there,” Potter explains.

injury at the start of the season and delays

Castrol, the Collective Family, Bridgsesone,

“But being a privateer, I’ve got to drive

because I felt like I had so much more to

So Potter and his girlfriend lined up for the

* Sponsors: Honda, M2R, Yoshimura, DID,

a true privateer. “Yeah, it’s a real privateer deal,” Potter

all that American racing to good use,

connections.

to help pay the bills, as his effort is that of

better.”

Championship in the SX2 class and put

than he has to keep wiring electrical

Supercross

together and my results got better and

aim on the 2013 Australian Supercross

hoping he gets to keep racing bikes more

Potter returned home to Australia in May

“But I had my apprenticeship behind me,

“I got to America and didn’t know what

If a few breaks go Potter’s way, here’s

“It just makes it feel so good when you do well, knowing what it’s taken to get there.” And feeling good is just what Potter’s chasing from this year’s Supercross title.

main events, which is no mean feat in itself, given the massive depth of talent in

“I want to be on the podium at every round

America. Making the start line for the final

I race and put it to the factory teams,”

round in Las Vegas was a real highlight,

Potter says.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

131

SAM MARTIN VICTORIAN SAM MARTIN IS JUST 20 YEARS OF AGE, BUT ALREADY HE’S WELL EXPERIENCED IN THE TOUGHEST CLASS OF ALL, THE PREMIER SX1 AND MX1 DIVISIONS OF SUPERCROSS AND MOTOCROSS, WHERE BIG-BORE 450CC MACHINES RULE THE ROOST.

9TH OVERALL SX2 2014 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

overall in last year’s Australian Supercross

did take a while to feel normal on the bike

title.

again, but now I’m getting right back into

2015 was shaping up to really deliver, and at the very start of this year Martin fielded

Having ridden for the DPH Motorsports

an offer to race in Europe.

team

“That

was

great

opportunity,”

says

Martin, “as I was invited to Europe to race some

international

Supercrosses

and

scored a win in an event in Denmark. It was He’s raced in countries around the world

a sponsored ride and the money was good,

and even though he’s still classed as

it was great.”

a privateer racer here in Australia, the surprising fact is he races internationally as a sponsored rider to help pay for his domestic race activities. Like so many riders, Sam’s first bike was a Pee Wee 50 at age five, then a year or so later he got a KTM 50 and started racing club events in Victoria’s Gippsland Centre region. While he raced Juniors at a state and

it.”

to OZ to get set for the MX Nationals a

big

the

privateer

past,

Suzuki

Martin effort

is this

running year

Supercross, with backing from Byrner’s Suzuki, a bike dealership in Melbourne, and a raft of personal sponsors that help make his race effort possible. “Yeah, it’s a true privateer deal,” Martin

But then, not long after he returned home season,

crash

while

practising

brought everything to a halt. “The bike cut-out while I was practising and I had a big crash and knocked myself out,” Martin explains. “I still can’t actually remember the day it happened.

explains, “but Byrner’s Suzuki support me with motorcycles, while Lucas Burton is a personal sponsor that helps make my racing happen: he takes me to the races and helps with entry fees and so many other things. “Being a privateer is good and is an enjoyable environment, so long as you can afford the racing and you have sponsors to help with support. “When you’re on a team and things aren’t

occasional national level, Sam admits: “I

“I spent some time in hospital and the

going to plan, there’s a lot of pressure,”

didn’t have the most awesome junior racing

doctors ordered me off the bike for four

Martin continues.

career – I could run up near the front, but

months to recuperate, just in case it

never really won any major national junior

happened again.”

championships, although I won plenty of

Waiting it out, he was finally able to get

Gippsland Centre titles.”

everything is ready to go: bikes, mechanics

back in the saddle and line up for the MX

and everything is there and you just turn

In 2011 he hit the senior ranks and started

Nats round at Shepparton – but the horror

up. So long as you have done your work at

making his mark in the MXD Under 19s

luck of 2015 continued and he broke his

home through the week, you just go for it.

class, snaring some moto wins in the MX

ankle in the first moto.

Nationals and grabbing some podiums in

“That was that and I basically had to give

Supercross.

you’re a privateer, what with preparing your

up on motocross for the year,” Martin says.

bikes, training and then driving to all the

That kind of strong form continued through

Coming back from injury can be a slow and

2012, but then in 2013 he stepped straight

daunting process, but Martin says he is

up into the Pro Open ranks and started

“There are ups and downs, to both sides,

now good to go again and is ready for the

turning heads with some top five moto

being factory or privateer. Sure, it is harder

Supercross season.

for a privateer rider, but it’s satisfying as

results and a top ten finish overall in the MX Nats. A third in Pro Open at the Phillip Island round of the Australian Supercross Championship capped off a solid season. Fast forward through 2014 and there was

“I’m back on the bike and feeling good,” Martin enthuses. “It’s taken a bit of catch up to get ready but I’ll be good for Supercross. “My head is fine after the crash at the start

MX Nats, while his Supercross series was

of the year, because something like that

highlighted by a third at the final round in

does play on your mind for a while, and it

going well, as you get to the track and

“It’s much harder to do it all yourself when

races and everything it takes.

well when you have success.” And success is something Martin is aiming for in coming months as he lines up in the Australian Supercross Championship, as well as taking another trip to Europe, all

more of the same Pro Open action in the

Brisbane, which helped him lock down ninth

“But being on a team is much easier if you’re

before the end of the year. “I’m going to race the first few rounds of the Australian Supercross Championship,”

2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Martin explains, “and I want to make some podiums again and be in the top three in points before I head off to Europe again. “The ride I have in Europe is a factory Suzuki ride and there’s some great support there and some good money to be made. “Those races in Europe help to pay for my racing in Australia and the plan is to be back in time for the final round of ASX in Melbourne. “It’s going to be a big finish to the year and then once I’m through it all, I’ll then start making plans for 2016.” * Sponsors: Byrner’s Suzuki, Shell, Steve Cramer Products, 6D, JT Racing, Deft, Kroozetune, K11 Racing, Total Rush Cycling, Specialized,

Ringmaster,

Green

Gully

Organcis, Bridgestone, Panic Industries and Spy

“THERE ARE UPS AND DOWNS, TO BOTH SIDES, BEING FACTORY OR PRIVATEER. SURE, IT IS HARDER FOR A PRIVATEER RIDER, BUT IT’S SATISFYING AS WELL WHEN YOU HAVE SUCCESS.”

SUPERCROSS IS A SHOCKING BUSINESS, FILLED WITH BIG HITS AND COUNTLESS LAPS OF TRACKS DESIGNED TO DELIVER CONSTANT BUMP AND GRIND. SO IT’S ONLY FITTING THAT ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING MANUFACTURERS OF SHOCK ABSORBERS TO SUIT AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF PASSENGER CARS, 4WDS AND LIGHT AND HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS – GABRIEL – SHOULD BE A PROUD PARTNER OF THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP.

A CENTURY, NOT OUT!

SUPER SPORTS

The Gabriel brand dates back more than 100 years

As part of its local marketing activities, Gabriel is

to 1907 when the original owner developed the first

involved in numerous forms of Australian motorsport,

shock absorber in the North American market and

the newest of which is Supercross.

Junior Lites Story

named it ‘The Snubber’.

Gabriel’s sponsorship of the Australian Supercross

Over the years, this innovation was followed by

Championship is a perfect fit for the brand, allowing

others: the hydraulic shock absorber, the adjustable

it to reach out to motorsport enthusiasts, participants

shock absorber and the first air adjustable shock

and fans.

absorber.

Many of them use 4WDs, trucks and trailers to

Today, the Gabriel brand is sold in all parts of the

transport their dirt bikes, while all of them know

world and product development continues.

and appreciate the benefits of the latest technical

For the Australian market there are over 1,400 part numbers available for a wide range of cars, 4WDs, light and heavy duty trucks and trailers. In fact,

advances and proven reliability and durability to help keep their vehicles performing at the highest levels.

Gabriel offers products to suit over

With its extensive reach to major regional population

80 per cent of vehicles on the road.

centres, and its exposure to both family and adult male demographics alike, Supercross is a ready means to put the Gabriel brand before the masses. Gabriel shock absorbers and struts are widely distributed throughout Australia and are available from SuperCheap Auto stores and other major auto parts resellers. And remember: always support the brands that support Supercross ... so Go with Gabriel!

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Junior Lites Story

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

135

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY PENRITE OIL COMPANY BEGAN IN THE KITCHEN SINK OF A MELBOURNE SUBURBAN HOUSE IN 1926. FOURTEEN YEAR OLD LES MECOLES HAD A DREAM TO BLEND THE HIGHEST QUALITY PENNSYLVANIAN BASE OILS TO PRODUCE THE “RIGHT” PRODUCT. THAT’S HOW PENRITE OIL COMPANY GOT ITS NAME, THE HIGHEST QUALITY PENNSYLVANIAN BASE, BLENDED RIGHT. SIMPLE REALLY.

In 1979 Les sold the business to English migrant, mechanical

He understood that engines in Australia had to perform under a

engineer and classic car enthusiast John Dymond. John had a

wide range of temperatures, severe low start up temperatures and

strong background in lubricants working for BP in the UK then

high operating temperatures. Australians drove long distances,

Lubrizol in Australia. In fact, Les was a customer of John’s, selling

often in dusty environments and under high loads, such as towing.

him base oils for his Penrite product.

This philosophy is now termed the Extra Ten, where Penrite oil will

John’s passion for classic cars meant he maintained the quality

out perform and out protect under severe operating temperatures.

range of Vintage, Veteran and Classic oils, developing the range

Penrite is committed to supporting grass roots racing, knowing that

even further. This passion drove John to collect some of the most

proving products under harsh race conditions is just one way of

unique classic vehicles in the world including a 1938 BMW 328 and

actively demonstrating the quality of the product. Penrite supports

1960 AC ACE, and form his own race team. Today Team Penrite

countless individuals in every genre of racing: karting, jet boats,

consists of a Brabham BT16, a Lola MK1, a Cheetah MK8 Atlantic

drifting, drag racing, door slammers, motocross, the list goes on.

and a 1970 Elfin 600 Repco, just to name a few. Thus proving

They also support motorsport at a club level from enthusiasts to

Penrite doesn’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk on race tracks

hard core participants. They pride themselves in supporting the

all over Australia and Internationally.

Flag Marshalls and Race Marshalls of Victoria, in turn, supporting

John knew the driving conditions in Australia were very different

many more motorsport participants every year.

than to those in Europe, where most engine oils were developed.

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

139

“IN 2015 THE BUSINESS IS STILL 100% AUSTRALIAN AND FAMILY OWNED, MANAGED BY THE SECOND GENERATION ON THE PASSING OF JOHN IN 2006.”

Penrite is a global brand with active distribution in Europe since

built an intuitive system around the familiar “touch and scroll”

the late ‘80s. With the acquisition of a UK based blending plant in

approach for customers to easily select the right oil for their car,

2007 Penrite is actively growing the European market. Distribution

truck or bike”

is also strong in the US and Asia with the recognition of this high quality Australian product.

In 2014 the business is still 100% Australian and family owned, managed by the second generation on the passing of John in

General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Toby Dymond says “I

2006. Toby and Nigel Dymond now lead this world wide brand

remember going to the factory, located in a residential section of

from Melbourne, Australia taking John’s technical knowledge, his

Brunswick , Melbourne in the early ‘80s on weekends to label 5 litre

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packs. This was the time where purchasing small packs of engine oil in a retail environment was becoming very popular and Penrite was a part of this revolution. Today we are leading retail innovation with the development of a recommendation touch screen. We have

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

Suzuki Motocross

141

SHINING LITES WHEN YOU WANT TO GO ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF SUPERCROSS SUPERSTARS, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE JUNIOR LITES CLASS It’s loaded with a veritable who’s who of pint-size dirt bike riding talent and it’s out of these ranks that Australia’s future national – and perhaps even international – champions will come from. Just take a leaf out of the history books and you will find legend Aussie dirt bike racers like Jeff Leisk, Chad Reed, Andrew MacFarlane and Brett Metcalfe all came out of the local Junior racing ranks and went on to enjoy serious success on the world stage. The

Junior

Lites

class

the

2015

Australian

Supercross

Championship will feature big fields of riders from all states, all of them vying for the honour of being crowned Australian champion. Who are the likely title contenders? Wow, how do you nail it down to just a few? Callam Norton, Wilson Medcalf and Cooper Pozniak are just three of the likely front runners, but with so many Juniors gunning for Supercross glory, competition will be fierce. And with so many of these Lites riders now mentored in teams managed by former Aussie champs such as Cameron Taylor, Shane Metcalfe and Lee Hogan, they will all be on a potential fast-track to the top. Best of luck to all our Junior Lites competitors: may the best young guns of today go on to become the stars of tomorrow!

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

HOW TO SUPERCROSS SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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BLITZ THE WHOOPS WAY BACK WHEN MOTOCROSS WAS IN ITS INFANT STAGES, THE WHOOP-DE-DOS WERE JUST A BUNCH OF STAGGERED BUMPS RANDOMLY LINED UP IN A STRAIGHTAWAY. STUTTERS WERE NOWHERE NEAR AS ADVANCED AS THEY ARE TODAY; BUT THEN AGAIN, NEITHER WERE THE EQUIPMENT OR THE RIDERS. IN TODAY’S WORLD OF MOTOCROSS, THE WHOOP-DE-DOS OF THE 1960S AND ’70S NO LONGER EXIST. The whoops of yesteryear have evolved

particular ones it ’s best to carefully blitz

“On this particular set, the first one is

into

through them.

bigger than the rest of them. Also, you are

lengthy

sections

squared-off

tombstones that challenge the best of today’s equipment and make even the most elite heroes in the sport wad up on occasion. The modern motocross racer attacks these difficult sections of the track with the idea of keeping his or her speed up by “floating” on top of them. This tricky technique is referred to as “blitzing,” and if you do it right you’ll skim over the bumps while skimming major time off your laps.

“ To star t with, I hold my front wheel up as I am coming into them and set it down around the second or third whoop. The object is to skim across the top of the whoops, while never letting your bike sink into them. As my back wheel goes over the first one I actually accelerate in order to keep the bike leveled out. I try to push my body down over the back of the bike in order to keep the back end

coming out of a bowl turned berm when entering them, which is why I pick my front wheel up. Sometimes when they are set up like this you can almost “bunny hop” your bike until it’s level and keep it that way all the way through the set. The idea is to get your front wheel and your back wheel to hit each one of the whoops. Your body needs to stay more towards the back of the bike when going through them. This will help in keeping the front end of your bike light and

We invited Taylor Potter, the winner of

down. That way, the rear shock does not

the final round of the 2014 SX2 Australian

kick up like it would of f a jump. Under

Supercross Championship to school us on

acceleration,

will

“Even if the whoops were deeper, I would

how he conquers one of the most difficult

naturally drop. I stay more towards the

still approach them the same way as I just

sections of any racetrack. Our classroom

rear of the bike until I get near the end

described. All of the principles still apply.

was his own personal test track, and while

of the set.

However, if they were farther apart, you

your

back

wheel

it won’t want to dig down in between a set.

could actually go faster through them. If

these whoops might not look like the ones at Anaheim stadium, Taylor will tell you

“It is very impor tant that you don’t enter

they were bigger, it would not be as tough

that they are just as complicated to get

with the throttle wide open. In fact, you

to get your front wheel to land on top of

over as some of the bigger sets he has hit

should keep the power steady through

them. To an extent, bigger is easier, but

in Supercross races across the globe. The

the whole set. I keep the throttle at

once you get to the three foot stadium size,

basic technique is the same no matter

around a quar ter to half of the way open

they become more difficult.”

where you’re riding. So, whether you’re an

while I am in a set of whoops. This will

AMA professional or an 80cc Beginner, pay

help to keep the bike level. The last thing

attention.

you want is for your front wheel to drop

ENTERING

in between a set, even if they are shallow like these. It will cause your momentum

“As a general rule, I always shift up when

“These whoops are not very deep, but

to break and could ultimately kick you

coming into a set of whoops. In Supercross

they are deceiving because they are

over the bars! Once the bike is leveled

I usually ride most of the track in second

slippery and hard-packed. You have to be

out in the whoops, you can begin to pick

gear, but when I approach a set of whoops

really careful when it comes to a set of

up speed through them.

I always shift to either third or possibly

whoops like this because you can get in over your head really quickly. You can’t just hold your throttle wide open because of their size;they’re still big enough to swallow you up, but not big enough to double or triple through. The distance between each bump and the texture of the dirt have everything to do with how to tackle a set of whoops, and for these

150

“ You never want to jump into a set of whoops like this right of f the bat. You’ll never be able to time them. If you try this, your front wheel will dive because most of the time you’re not sure where you are going to land. Your timing will be of f all the way through the set because your front wheel is not hitting the top of the whoops like it should.

GEAR SELECTION

fourth. The reason to up-shift is to keep the bike neutrally powered all the way through the whoops. You don’t want your bike to be topping out or hitting the rev limiter when you’re deep into a set. Every time your back wheel is hitting a whoop, it should be getting power to the ground. If the power is not getting to the rear wheel, the front end is going to want to dive.”

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

HOW TO SUPERCROSS

REMEMBER “The worst thing to do is to come into a set of whoops too fast. I see a lot of riders try to go fast into them—they hit the first one, get airborne, then the next thing you know they are skipping three or four whoops. It sounds like it would be faster, and it is, providing you know exactly where to land. Most amateur riders can’t predict exactly where they are going to land, and their timing is going to be off all the way through the set. Only advanced riders should be trying such a move. By going faster and jumping into them, it makes it harder to time the entire set and you wind up losing time rather than

comfortable you are in the set. The more comfortable you are, the quicker you can approach a set. Remember, the faster you come in, the more you have to push down on your bike to keep it on the ground.”

“AS A GENERAL RULE, I ALWAYS SHIFT UP WHEN COMING INTO A SET OF WHOOPS. IN SUPERCROSS I USUALLY RIDE MOST OF THE TRACK IN SECOND GEAR, BUT WHEN I APPROACH A SET OF WHOOPS I ALWAYS SHIFT TO EITHER THIRD OR POSSIBLY FOURTH”

gaining any. The right speed is going to be different for everybody, depending on how SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

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HOW TO SUPERCROSS

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JUMPING HOW MANY TIMES IN YOUR LIFE CAN YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE COACHED BY A TWO-TIME AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPION? WELL, THE AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS AIMS TO DELIVER! WE ASKED GAVIN FAITH TO SHOW OUR SUPERCROSS FANS THE CORRECT WAY TO GUIDE THEIR BODY AND BIKE THROUGH THE AIR WHILE JUMPING. The two methods that Faith demonstrated for

us,

and

will

describing,

are

techniques he uses in racing to glide his

THE REAR BRAKE TECHNIQUE

SCRUB IT CLEAN “The bottom-line is that you want to

own body and bike through the air. As

“Using

get your wheels back on the ground as

Gavin will explain, one approach is better

another option when jumping. You would

quickly as possible. This will enable you to

than the other in certain circumstances –

use this technique when you are faced

accelerate, brake and turn faster. I would

you must be conscious of which technique

with a big jump right out of a turn. In a

recommend using your body, as opposed

is appropriate for each jump and when to

situation like this, you don’t have much of a

to the brake, whenever possible. It’s a faster

take advantage of either. With that said,

run at the jump. You will be on the throttle

way to get from point A to point B. Some

we’ll let Gavin take it from here.

all the way through the face of the jump.

riders will accelerate as they are coming up

Depending on how steep the face of the

to the jump, and as they go off the lip they

take-off is, your bike is going to be at the

hold the throttle wide open. It would be

same angle in the air as when you took off,

best to approach the jump with the throttle

with the front wheel elevated from the rear.

wide open and chop the throttle when you

“One way to guide your body and bike

As your bike leaves the face of the jump,

are at the base of the jump. This will keep

across a gap is to use a combination of

tap the rear brake and the problem will be

you lower and able to position your body

body english and throttle control. Using

corrected. This stops the gyro effect of the

better. One of the main things to remember

this combo is probably the best way to

rear wheel, making the rear end of the bike

when you are trying these techniques is

shave speed and airtime over a jump. This

lighter.

that if your bike goes into a steep nose

technique will help you keep momentum rolling into the jump but will keep you from going too high. When you start to come off the lip, you want to be in a squatting position to soak up the hit. You also need to be moving your weight forward. As you are coming off the take-off, chop the throttle. By starving the motor of fuel, the rear wheel wants to stop rolling. That will kick the rear of the bike up and point your frontend down, setting you up for the landing. The more you lean into the jump, the more your bike will want to kick sideways. It’s a good idea to be gentle with this move at first. You could overdo it and end up on your head.”

rear

brake

effectively

“I don’t use this technique unless it is absolutely

necessary.

When

your

rear

wheel stops, it takes much more energy

the back of the bike down using the gyro effect, and even the bike out.”

to get the rear wheel up to speed again. You’re basically stopping the bike and having to start it again. You don’t carry as much momentum with this method, but you do go higher. Often I see riders that are going the same speed over the same jump and one is lower than the other. This is because the rider that is using his brake is floating up, then tapping the rear brake before coming down. The rider that uses the body/motor technique is using his forward momentum to go out rather than up. That rider stays lower, carries more speed and usually passes the other rider that used the rear brake technique to go across the gap.”

SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015

dive, give the bike throttle. This will weigh

HOW TO

THE BODY/MOTOR TECHNIQUE

your

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GET OFF THE LINE ANYONE WHO HAS EVER PINNED THE THROTTLE AND AIMED TOWARD A FIRST TURN WITH 20 OTHER LIKEMINDED RIDERS WOULD AGREE THAT THE VIEW FROM UP FRONT IS A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN THE ONE FROM THE REAR. TRUE, IT CAN BE SORT OF FASCINATING (IN A SICK SORT OF WAY) TO WATCH THE GUYS IN FRONT OF YOU BOUNCE OFF EACH OTHER IN ALL THE POST-START HAVOC.

SETTING UP

LAUNCHING

over a peaked jump, unloading a torrent of

“I try to find a little ... it’s not a pocket, but

“I start in second gear. Some people look

rocks and dirt in your direction is always,

you can just kind of feel a comfortable spot

past the gate, but I look right at mine. I

umm … interesting. But it’d be safe to say

on the seat where you just feel perfect for

think that definitely helps me to keep going

that we all prefer the view of a clear track

the start. I try to sit as far forward as I can

in a straight line. I can’t look at the pin that

in front of us.

to keep the front end down. On the 450 it’s

holds the gate, or someone else’s gate. I

kind of tough: the bikes are so fast and so

feel like it throws me off balance.

And then the way time slows down when you watch the guy in front of you clutch it

So how do you make sure you get there first? Well, no one can guarantee a holeshot every time, but you can aim for perfection. We grabbed Lewis Woods to set us up with some of the start line tips that keep him consistently near the front of the pack.

powerful that as soon as you get off the line, it’s like instant wheely! I just try to lean forward as much as I can for as long as I can before I shift. Depending on the grip, I use my start button and I also play with different start button heights”.

“I adjust the play on my clutch just enough to where I can control whether the bike is going to wheely or not. I keep two fingers (middle and ring) on the clutch lever, and use it to help control the bike if the front end starts to come up.

LINING UP

“On the 450, I start with two feet down. It

“First of all, I look at the first corner.

as easily, and you go straighter. I keep my

Depending on whether it’s left or right,

feet in front of the pegs, and on the 450 I

I don’t like to be too far inside, because

try to keep them down, because I feel like

then you can’t out-brake anybody. I also

I can keep the bike down. You can hold

don’t like to be too far outside, because

second gear for a long time, and I think that

if somebody gets the holeshot on you,

helps keep you straight. Having your foot

they can make you drift wide. If you’re not

down keeps you nice and straight and you

a good starter, I’d say go as far inside as

don’t lose your balance as much. Most of

“I’ve seen Windham and McGrath shift with

you can. But if you’re pretty good, I’d say

the second gears are pretty long, so you

their heels, but I use my toe. I feel like I miss

you can chance it and go outside a little

don’t have to worry about shifting as fast.

it a lot if I try to do it with my heel.

“On the 250 I bring my feet up as fast as

“Once the gate drops, focus on where you

more. That’s my theory and it seems like it’s worked pretty good.

gives me more control, I don’t lose balance

“Pretty much after that, you get ready for the 30 second card or five second card or whatever it is. Once it goes sideways, hold the throttle steady at about half-open, and watch the gate. When the gate drops, you open the throttle the rest of the way. On dirt starts like this, you want to ease the clutch out so you don’t get sideways.

I can, because then I can shift really fast.

want to go through the first turn, make sure

“After I decide which gate I want, I work

That’s what can get you a good start on

you shift clean, hit your turn and braking

on it a little bit – just to make it so I have

a 250. There’s power, but I think you can

points, and enjoy your holeshot.”

enough traction. I just pack it, and it

control it a lot easier. You don’t have to

doesn’t bother me whether there’s a rut or

worry about wheelying as much.”

not. For me, I’m kind of short, so I like the groove a little bit. That way it’s easier to put one or both feet down.”

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HOW TO SUPERCROSS

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IF ITS GOT AN ENGINE WE MAKE A SPARKPLUG FOR IT

For over 100 years, Autolite has led the industry in technology and innovation. 156

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DAN REARDON

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JUNIOR LEAGUE THEY MIGHT BE SMALL, AND THEY MIGHT BUZZ LIKE A SWARM OF BEES, BUT THE YOUNGEST OF SUPERCROSS STARS HAVE THE MOST TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE. THEY’RE THE PINT-SIZE POWER PACKS IN THE JUNIOR 85S CLASS. For almost as long as man has been making motocross

bikes,

the

factories

have

been

making scaled-down versions of their latest race weapons for the youngest of riders to start their budding careers. And these 8 5cc thoroughbreds are ever y bit as state-of-the-ar t as their much larger capacity cousins . For years these bikes have launched the aspirations of

generation

Australian

Supercross

champions and with the inclusion of Junior 85s in the Australian Supercross Championship this year, that proud heritage continues. When you look back over the years, the list of legends of the sport that started out on Junior 85s is simply stunning: Jeff Leisk, Stephen Gall, Chad Reed, Brett Metcalfe, Jono Porter, Troy Carroll, Cameron Taylor, Craig Anderson, Andrew MacFarlane and Danny Ham are just some of the greats of Australian racing that cut their teeth cutting laps in mini bike race events. It’s a proven formula that racing Junior 85s can steer you on a path all the way to the top, and we salute the young guns of 2015 who will be fronting the grid for the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship. For the select few mini racers who go all the way, this year’s Supercross title will likely be the start of something big. Best of luck, Juniors!

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JNR MINIS 2

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JACKSON DAVISON

SUZUKI RACELINE PERFORMANCE

DILLON RITCHIE

MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI

DYLAN WOOD

MDM RACING

LUKE WALMSLEY

ANDREWS MOTORCYCLE PRODUCTS

CALLUM NORTON

HUSQVARNA JUNIOR RACING TEAM

CALEB GOULETT

SNAPES LOGISTICS

147

JOSH LINTHOURNE

TANDA RACING

217

COOPER POZNIAK

NEWCASTLE KTM

255

WILSON MEDCALF

CRF HONDA RACING

257

RYDA DEVESON

CORY DEVESON CONCRETING

258

THOMAS GEALE

ROBERTSONS MOTORCYCLES

285

JOEL CIGLIANO

CRF HONDA RACING

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DREW CIGLIANO

CRF HONDA RACING

12J

JACK ZORBAS

GLOBALCOTE/JMZ ROOF RESTORATIONS

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TAKE YOUR SEATS IS THERE A SPECTACLE IN ALL OF MOTORSPORT THAT CAN MATCH THE ABSOLUTE THRILL AND EDGE-OF-THE-SEAT ANTICIPATION THAT FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS HAS BEEN THE ROCK SOLID FOUNDATION OF SUPERCROSS? If you’re here with us at a round of the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship, or you’re simply salivating over this colossal production that is the official Australian Supercross Publication, that question is entirely rhetorical. We all know the answer full well: Supercross rocks!

“Are you serious?!” Indeed we are. Supercross is entirely serious For four decades this high-flying, groundshaking, motorsport spectacle has been taking motorcycling to the masses. It rekindles the spirit for two wheels of

But just think about the concept of the

those of us who grew up through the 1970s

sport for a moment: it’s all about recreating

and the dirt bike boom.

the great outdoors, indoors, be it on the infields of stadiums and showgrounds, or even amongst the plush confines of major

It entertains, enthrals and inspires so many dedicated lifelong fans and so many of their friends and families.

entertainment venues with the comfort and convenience of a roof on top.

It launches the imaginations of a generation of kids to pester the pants off their parents

Imagine the first reactions of many a stadium manager when confronted with

for a Pee Wee and want to become the next Chad Reed.

the proposition of Supercross: Supercross is all that – and so much more “You want to dump how many truckloads

– as its constant state of evolution rolls on.

of dirt inside our stadium?! From double jumps to dragon backs and “And then you want to build a track and race dirt bikes around it?!

100m long waist-deep whoops; from the first-ever cross-up to the Bubba scrub; from the cumbersome down-pipe of the original Honda Elsinore to the technowizardry of the reverse-cylinder layout of the latest YZF; from the shiny steel shin plates of the original Hi-Points to the inner booties of the latest Tech 10s; every aspect of Supercross has come so far. And best of all, it shows little sign of slowing down, as the latest chapter unfolds right here, at the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship – enjoy the show!

ANDREW CLUBB Senior Writer

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U N I T W AT C H C O L L E C T I O N

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