Billy Mackenzie won his first MX National round of the year and his first for CDR Yamaha with a consistently strong day, taking the Superpole victory ahead of Suzuki’s Matt and Jake Moss.
Mackenzie followed up with two top three moto results to hit the top spot of the podium and remain in third place in the premier MX1championship. He spent all day at the front of the pack leading several laps on the gruelling Hervey Bay circuit.
Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s Matt Moss has taken the lead in the Championship, after placing second overall. In his return to the premier MX1 category Moss now holds a two-point advantage in the championship standings following seven of 10 rounds contested to date this season.
Hervey Bay saw Moss battle to sixth in the opening moto, before he rebounded to score a dominant moto two victory in the second 30-minute race of the round. Combined with his four points scored in the Superpole qualifying session, Moss claimed second overall.
“In the second race we changed suspension and tyres to suit the sandy surface and my bike felt so good, it was completely different,” Moss reflected. “I’m just happy to get a moto win and to get the red plate.
“I’ve been working towards it for seven rounds now and there’s only the three to go. I’m looking forward to the challenge and what lies ahead, I think me and Todd will be battling to the end.”
Team-mate Cody Cooper finished fifth overall for the weekend, maintaining fourth in the championship with three rounds remaining.
Cooper was in the running for the victory throughout much of moto one before slipping to fifth, and then in moto two he circulated to the sixth position on what was one of the most brutally challenging circuits of the season.
“It was frustrating, because in moto one I was right there but just wasn’t quite able to make it happen when I needed to,” Cooper commented. “It was a consistent round, but not where I was hoping to be if we are to race for a top three in the championship again.”
It was a hard day at the office for Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jay Marmont who finished inside the top ten yesterday taking ninth overall. Team-mate Adam Monea recorded an 11th place overall result after some get-offs and tangles.
MX1 Results – Harvey Bay Qld – Round 7
1. Billy Mackenzie – Yamaha 65
2. Matt Moss – Suzuki 64
3. Jake Moss – Suzuki 64
4. Gareth Swanepoel – Honda 61
5. Todd Waters – KTM 58
6. Cody Cooper – Suzuki 51
7. Kirk Gibbs – KTM 50
8. Lawson Bopping – Yamaha 45
9. Jay Marmont – Monster Energy Kawasaki 45
10. Cody Mackie – Kawasaki 42
MX1 Overall Championship Standings
1. Matt Moss – Suzuki 436
2. Todd Waters – KTM 434
3. Billy Mackenzie – Yamaha 405
4. Cody Cooper – Suzuki 382
5. Lawson Bopping – Yamaha 365
6. Jake Moss – Suzuki 343
7. Kirk Gibbs – KTM 343
8. Adam Monea – Monster Energy Kawasaki 323
9. JAY Marmont – Monster Energy Kawasaki 286
10. Tye Simmonds – Yamaha 273
11. Cody Mackie – Kawasaki 226
MX2
Luke Styke continued his success on the Serco Yamaha claiming another round win at Hervey Bay. The victory was Styke’s sixth for the season out of the seven rounds contested and he now holds a commanding 91 point lead with three rounds to go. Styke lead race one from start to finish but worked hard for his victory in race two making it a perfect 1-1 day.
MXD
GYTR Yamaha’s Jay Wilson took the honours in the MXD class with his 1-2 results. Wilson has been gaining momentum at each round and it was only a matter of time before he won a round of the MX Nationals in season 2013. The round win takes him to third in the championship and hits the last three rounds with plenty of momentum.
MXR
The MXR (MX Rookies) class also saw Queensland Yamaha Junior Racing rider Nathan Crawford making it four class wins with his 1-1 display. Crawford has now won both MXR rounds this year and showed great skill and speed in his final year of junior racing.
The MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, will continue on Sunday, 11 August, when the series makes its anticipated debut at Swan Hill in Victoria.
Credits: Shayne Rice
Be the first to comment