CDR Rockstar Yamaha press release:

After dominating the Australian Motocross Championship last year, CDR Rockstar Yamaha have opened their attack on back-to-back series crowns with Jay Marmont and Cheyne Boyd finishing second and fifth respectively at the opening round of the 2009 series at Albury-Wodonga on the weekend.

Marmont displayed the same consistent form that saw him claim the title last year with the Wollongong based rider finishing in the top three in each of the three 20 minute motos, including victory in the final race .

After opening his Australian Motocross title defence in second, Marmont is confident the team will be able to replicate the success of 2008.

“You know I race to win and it would have been good to walk away with a win but I got some good points and the day ended on a positive note so overall I am feeling confident going into the next round,” said Marmont who also recorded the fastest time in qualifying.

“As the number one plate holder there is certainly a target on my back but yesterday we proved that my preparation for the championship has been good and now it is a matter of myself and the team dotting all the I’s and crossing the T’s right through to the final round of the series.

“The team has put a lot of effort into getting everything ready for the season and I would like to thank them for a fantastic result,” he concluded.

With Marmont showing a return to form it was a dramatic day for his team-mate Cheyne Boyd who finished fifth overall and had his work cut out for him to when he crashed heavily in the final two races.

After falling to the rear of the field Boyd was forced to pick his way through the pack twice and impressively made his way back into the top ten each time finishing seventh and fourth.

“Yesterday I felt the best I ever have going into the start of a new championship – I felt comfortable on the bike, had no injuries hanging over my head and my fitness is the best it has ever been,” Boyd said.

“It was an extremely challenging day and to say that it tested my patience is an understatement, however on the upside it was a good bad day to have and I was happy with my speed considering it was the first round of the year,” Boyd added.

CDR Rockstar Yamaha Team Principal, Craig Dack said the team performed well in tough conditions.

“It was extremely tricky out there as the track was extremely rutted out and both Jay [Marmont] and Cheyne [Boyd] did well considering the conditions,” Dack said.

“It was our plan this weekend to walk away with a solid amount of points in the account and overall I think we did that with Jay performing consistently inside the top three and Cheyne showing some great speed to make his way through the field on two occasions,” Dack concluded.

The second round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship will take place in Canberra in two weeks time.

Kawasaki Racing Team press release:

Defending Australian Motocross Pro Lites Champion, Luke George, began his campaign to reclaim his Championship crown in ’09 in convincing fashion at the opening round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships. The KRT rider won the first Pro Lites moto and went on to take 2nd place overall for the round. A flat tyre in the 3rd Open moto denied Craig Anderson a possible podium finish for the round. The twelve time Australian Champion still managed to finish inside the top ten for the round taking 8th overall while Under 19’s sensation, Luke Arbon, narrowly missed the podium taking a commendable 4th place for the round.

If the very first National MX Pro Lites race of 2009 is anything to go by, then Luke George is once again the rider to beat in ’09. Luke grabbed the holeshot in the 1st moto on board his KX250F and held on to the lead right up until the wave of the chequered flag, taking the win. A mid pack start in the 2nd moto restricted Luke to a 6th place finish however he was back on the podium in the third moto taking 3rd place, resulting in 2nd place overall for the round and the series.

Luke says, “I felt a bit average out there. It really wasn’t my kind of track and I know I can ride a lot better. To feel like I had a crappy weekend and still come away with 2nd place though is a positive and the bike was awesome too. The motor and suspension were really good. I can’t wait for Canberra.”

The highly experienced Craig Anderson showed good speed at the series opener and was unlucky not to finish higher on the leader board.  Craig took 5th place in the 1st moto and backed that up with a 4th in the second moto. A flat tyre half way through the third race ruined his chances of a top five finish for the round however the talented rider completed the race and managed to take away precious Championship points for his efforts and 8th place overall for the round.

Craig says, “I wasn’t 100%, right from the first moto. I felt a little bit off and just wasn’t catching the right lines. I’m happy though to have the first round out of the way, I’ll change a few things in my preparation and the next round will be better.”

Luke Arbon learned a lot at his first National Under 19’s race meet. After limited racing throughout 2008 due to a serious knee injury, Luke Arbon overcame nerves to show great speed at the series opener and walk away with a 4th place finish.

Luke says, “I’m happy to get the first round out of the way. I was pretty nervous and that affected my riding and my speed a bit but I improved throughout the day, didn’t crash and came away with a top five finish. The next round should be really good.”

KRT manager, Brett Whale says, “I’m happy with the weekend. The new team gelled really well. Luke George came out firing and showed why he earned the #1 plate in 2008. Ando was a little bit off this weekend but I’ve got no doubt he’ll be fine and I’m stoked with Luke Arbon’s performance. He’s coming back from a big injury, he kept the bike shiny side up and he’s progressing forward nicely.”

“I’m so happy with the green bikes. It makes our job so much easier when you’re working with such a great product and we can’t wait for the next round.”

With the first round behind them and some very promising results under their belt, KRT heads to Canberra for the 2nd round of the Australian Motocross Championships on 18-19 April, confident of further success.

Shift Motul Suzuki press release:

Team Shift Motul Suzuki Pro Lites star Matt Moss overcame a DNF and unwanted track watering to score valuable points in round one of the 2009 Australian National Motocross Championships at Wodonga.

Moss was in third place and pressing for the lead in race one of the new 15-minute triple challenge format when his RM-Z250 lost power, forcing him out of the race.

A fired-up Moss showed his true colours in the second race with a dominant performance that has him earmarked as one of the stars of the sport. Moss forced his way to the lead inside the first lap and was never headed, lapping riders at will on the way to his first chequered flag of the 2009 season.

He looked destined to repeat the dose in the third and final leg with a clear holeshot, when he was cut down near the end of the first lap in a corner that had been watered by an overzealous track official after the sighting lap.

Dropping back to 16th, Moss carved his way through the field but ran out of time in the 15-minute sprint and ultimately finished fourth. That earned him 43 points out of a possible 75, leaving him in fifth place after the first round of the championship and easily within striking distance of the title.

Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development squad member Lawson Bopping enjoyed a similarly mixed bag of results in the Pro Lites. Bopping was easily quickest in qualifying, being the only rider to better 1:52 around the challenging new Wodonga circuit.

In race one Bopping thrilled the crowd with his hard riding, missing first place by just six tenths of a second. While he couldn’t replicate that success in the second leg, his strong showing in the final leg saw him finish the round in 8th place with 36 points.

In the Pro Open title race, Team Shift Motul Suzuki’s Cameron Taylor returned solid results in all three races and finished the round in ninth place overall. However, with Taylor used to the more gruelling 30 minute rounds
where his superior fitness allows him to reel in his younger opponents, the new three sprint race format disadvantaged the 35-year-old.

JAY FOREMAN – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI TEAM MANAGER
“It was a mixed bag of results today, but there were some promising signs. We proved today we’ve got the machinery, we’ve got the speed and we’ve got the talent to score podiums in every race. Matt had some bad luck today, so hopefully he has scored his dose for the season and Cam will be looking forward to getting back to the 30
minute events later in the season. The pleasing aspect for Matt was he overcame the setbacks and still
scored some valuable points. Lawson showed great speed and maturity in the first race and, as he
gains more experience, we’re confident he can repeat the dose and regularly challenge Matt for the chequered flag.”

CAM TAYLOR – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI
“It was hard work out there today, particularly with the new three-race format. I found I was just starting to reel in my opponents each time just as the race was winding up. The RM-Z450 was flawless and I’m looking forward to going to a more familiar track at Canberra in a couple of weeks and showing just what it can do.”

MATT MOSS – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI
“While it was disappointing not to score the maximum points, I’m in a lot better shape than after the first round of the 2008 season. I managed to put some good points in the bank and the race two results showed just how good the RM-Z250 is. With some more consistency at Canberra I’m confident we’ll finish near the top and be pushing hard for the title.”

Motorex KTM press release:

MOTOREX KTM RIDER’S DESCRIPTION OF THE TRACK:

–     well prepared by club compared to recent practice days

–     very rutted and rough by the end of the day

POINTS OF INTEREST:

Tye Simmonds – Pro Lites

–     Qualifying times matched those of the Pro Open top contenders

–     First time ever to enter the Pro Lites MX Championship and won opening round

–     Sits with a good points buffer to lead the Championship

Kade Mosig – Pro Lite

–     Broke his hand in opening moto on a track barrier leaning onto the track

–     Did not finish (DNF) due to injury

–     Will now see a hand specialist to determine when he can return to racing

Jason Reed – Under 19s

–     Showed good speed

–     Achieved his goal of a top five result

–     Will work towards a top three result for round two

QUOTES

Tye Simmonds Pro Lites

Moto 1 = “I showed good times in qualifying that gave me confidence going into the main three motos, but I was still as nervous as ever on the start line.   In the first race I got a good start, and was just holding my own with the front runners.

“I had one crash which lost me a bit of time, but I still managed to get on the podium.  By the chequered flag, Luke George took the win by about 10 seconds, with Lawson Bopping in second and me in third, so I knew I had to find more speed and maintain consistency to achieve maximum points.

“The advantage that came out of this opening race, was one of the favourites Matt Moss had a DNF giving all of us a decent points buffer.

Moto 2 = “It was no surprise that Matt Moss came out of the start gate like a charging bull in the second moto, after his DNF in the first race, but I claimed the holeshot on the KTM 250 SX-F, and battled hard with him.  Kirk Gibbs also put some pressure on me in this race, but I still held onto second behind Mossy by the finish.

“Moto 3 = “With Luke George and Lawson Bopping missing out on a podium in the second moto, I knew I was in a good position to take the overall win for the round if I showed consistency in my final race.  I wanted to win, I knew I had the speed, and by this time the nerves had settled a little.  I claimed the holeshot again, and charged to the finish taking the win by seven seconds over Kirk Gibbs.

“My combined 3-2-1 results gave me and Motorex KTM the overall Pro Lites win for the round, and a good points position for the start of the Championship.  The biggest disappointment of the day for me was when my Motorex KTM team mate Kade Mosig broke his hand in the opening moto.  He is a top contender and was going to be one of my toughest competitors, I’m hoping he has a quick recovery, so he can get back to battling with me in this Championship.”

Kade Mosig Pro Lites

Moto 1 = “I had a good run in qualifying, and felt really calm and clear headed going into the first moto, but on the fourth lap of the race my hand hit a barrier hanging over the side of the track, and I knew instantly it was broken because I couldn’t move my fingers.

“I went straight to hospital and X-rays confirmed I had broken my ring finger, and my pinky finger, plus my knuckles had been pushed back.

“The next steps for me will be to return to Melbourne, and see a leading hand specialist to determine the severity of the injury, and the time it will take to heal, so I can get back into racing as soon as possible.”

Jason Reed Under 19s

Moto 1 = “I was pretty nervous in my opening moto, but got off to a good start battling with Luke Styke in fifth position, he got me by the finish and I crossed in sixth place.

Moto 2 = “On the fourth lap, I came up around a corner and was taken out by another rider.  I got up but couldn’t start the bike quick enough which put me a lap down.

Moto 3 – “I secured my best result in the final moto.  I was out of the gate in around seventh, and passed Harrison Wooding for sixth place, then I passed Michael Menchi with three laps to go, and finished in fifth.

“If it wasn’t for my crash in the second moto, I would have secured a top five result for the overall round, which was my goal coming into this event, but I’m happy that I at least achieved a fifth place in my final moto, and for the next round in Canberra my goal will be a top three finish.”

ROSS MCWATTERS Race Team Manager

“It was a day of extreme highs and extreme lows for Motorex KTM, as we celebrated an awesome effort by Tye Simmonds to win his first ever Pro Lites Motocross round, and at the same time we had extreme disappointment with our new recruit Kade Mosig breaking his hand in the opening moto.

“Kade is a fighter, and he will come back just as strong as he was looking coming into this Championship, but we can’t let the disappointment overshadow Tye’s tremendous result.

“At only 16 years of age to be firing up against riders his senior is a good indicator of things to come.  Tye’s dad Greg Simmonds also deserves a lot of thanks in helping his son achieve these goals, along with Kenny Wheeler, Tye’s mechanic, but all-in-all it was a complete team effort by everyone involved at Motorex KTM Racing.

“In the Under 19s Jason Reed showed some good speed, but needs to pick up a little to gain a podium, which we’re confident he will do now that the opening round is out of the way.  We have two weeks before the next round in Canberra, and Motorex KTM will be helping all riders with everything they need to secure a podium come round two.”

FUTURE RESULTS

www.ktm.com.au

NEXT ROUND

Sunday 19 April – Canberra, ACT