Motorcycling Australia press release:

The second round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship, held at the newly re-developed A.C.T. Motor Cycle Club, was always going to be massive, but no one expected just how big it would be.

Spectators and fans couldn’t contain their excitement as Andrew McFarlane (Yamaha) battled it out in the new Canberra Cup format with reigning Pro Opens Champion, and now Series leader, Jay Marmont (Yamaha) and Todd Waters (Honda), to take out the round.

The Pro Opens rode four hard and fast 15 minute motos, and with only a few minutes to catch their breath in between each moto, was not for the feint hearted.

With the new format, qualifying for the gate pick was vital, and Cheyne Boyd (Yamaha) was fastest on the day, securing the first gate pick but with less than a second between the top six qualifiers anticipation was at boiling point.

Despite neither rider getting the holeshot, the first moto quickly became a battle between Ford Dale (Honda) and Marmont, the two banging bars and clipping wheels in the dying laps of the moto, desperate for Championship points.

Dale, who at the first round two weeks ago dislocated his shoulder, was unable to hold off Marmont in the last lap, the Yamaha rider the eventual winner with Kawasaki’s Craig Anderson rounding out the top three.

Things heated up in moto two as Dale, Marmont, McFarlane, Cheyne Boyd (Yamaha) and Waters all fought it out on the rough Canberra track.

By the seventh lap, Marmont, Dale and Waters had broken away from the pack with an epic battle taking place at every twist and turn as the top three hung on until the finish line.

After a 10 minute break to refuel and recoup, it was Waters who blasted out of the gates to take the holeshot.

In what has to be the most exhilarating 15 minutes of Motocross in recent years, four riders gave the spectators more than their money’s worth with an epic race that will have the people of Canberra talking for many months to come.

Dale, Waters, McFarlane and Codie Mackie (Kawasaki) had everyone on the edge of their seats as they fought their way around the track for 15 minutes with only a fraction of a second separating them at any given time.

It looked as if Dale would hold onto the lead until the flag but in the last turn McFarlane had his measure, flying over the last jump, with Mackie following suit, a mere 0.4 seconds between the three riders.

While not quite as exciting as the third moto, the fourth did have its highs and lows, with Boyd looking certain to take a victory, however, in the last lap it all came unstuck when he went down in the back section of the track allowing McFarlane, Marmont and Mackie to all slip by, taking valuable Championship points with them.

With a few weeks to recover from the gruelling Canberra Cup, Australia’s best will be back in action for round three on 17 May at Toowoomba Queensland.

Andrew McFarlane – round winner

“The young guys are working really hard and riding really good.

“Ford [Dale] is riding really well and I didn’t put that past any of the riders and tried to be as prepared as I could and really liked the format today, it was fun.

“I knew I had to get the start, in the first two races I struggled a bit but I just kept my head down and kept at it.

“After the crash in the second one, I got back up and felt really strong and I knew the next two were going to be good for me so I was really happy and it’s good to come home with a win at the second round.”

Jay Marmont – Series leader

“In the third race I just went into a rut down the back of the track, before I knew it I was in dead-last and had to come through in 15 minutes which was kind of tough.

“It was hard, I thought I had to beat Ford [Dale] going into that last one I wasn’t sure that Andrew [McFarlane] won the third one, I guess the team was just looking at us, and with the four race formats there’s just so many points up for grabs, and Andrew, being who he is, played it super consistent and he didn’t crash today and got the overall.”

Yamaha Racing press release:

Yamaha’s Jay Marmont has taken the lead of the MX Nationals Pro Open class following a frontrunning performance in a fast-paced four moto showdown at the ACT Motorcycle Club in Canberra.

Marmont looked set to dominate the event but was hampered by a crash in moto 3 which forced a fightback through the field.

A close second-place finish secured him a solid points haul and sees him take the lead of the 450cc class.

In the Pro Lites, Kirk Gibbs once again put on a gallant performance with the young South Australian finishing the event inside the top four after finishing each moto in third and fifth.

Luke Styke managed to improve on his second overall last round with the GYTR Yamaha Junior development Team rider finishing first overall and catapulting himself up the championship order to first overall.

The third round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship will take place in Toowoomba on Sunday May 17 where the Pro Open riders will return to the traditional moto format consisting of two 30 minute plus one lap races.

Yamaha Racing Pro Open

CDR Rockstar Yamaha’s Jay Marmont displayed speed, strength and stamina to finish a close second overall at today’s second round of the MX Nationals at the ACT Motorcycle Club.

Marmont starred in the day’s proceedings, which featured four 15-minute motos and minimal breaks in between the fall of each chequered flag.

After a solid shakedown on the opening day, the defending champion made his intentions clear early, rocketing to two moto wins to take an early advantage.

A chaotic start to moto 3 saw Marmont involved in a multi-rider crash, leaving him stranded at the rear of the field.

Remounting, he was 32nd with a large task in front of him.

The 26-year-old’s experience showed as he picked his way back through a crowded field, riding to a stellar eighth place.

He finished second in the final moto, and 1 point shy of the round win.

Marmont’s consistency has been rewarded on a larger scale, with the New South Welshman taking a comfortable lead in the Pro Open class standings.

“The weekend worked out pretty well for us, I was in the hunt for most of the the day and really only fell out of outright contention after moto 3,” said Marmont.

“The format was tough, there wasn’t much time to recover and I am fortunate that I maintain a pretty intense training routine to handle the fast-paced races.

“The YZ450F was fantastic, we found a great setup and it was great race bike from start to finish.

“The result is great for my championship – consistent results were going to be important across the first two rounds and to head into round 3 with a good buffer is satisfying.”

Team Principal Craig Dack said he was pleased with the day’s proceedings and said Marmont had handled himself particularly well to fight back after the moto 3 crash.

“It’s been a positive weekend for the team, we adapted to the new format change well and Jay showed his class with some very fast, consistent performances,” said Dack.

“The first two rounds of the season were always going to be tough – across two rounds we had a total of 7 motos and to be leading fairly well after today’s Canberra event is great.

“Cheyne is keen to work on some more consistent perfomances, he was doing very well in the final moto before crashing on the final lap, which summed up his weekend.”

Boyd ended the event 6th overall after recording three fifths and a sixth-place finish across motos 1-4 respectively.

He showed glimpses of pace but his results were hampered by a number of small crashes.

Pro Open Championship – Round Two Results

1. Andrew McFarlane – 86 points
2. Jay Marmont – 85 points
3. Ford Dale – 82 points
4. Cody Mackie – 69 points
5. Todd Waters  – 69 points
6. Cheyne Boyd – 63 points
7. Craig Anderson – 63 points
8. Cameron Taylor – 49 points
9. Michael Addison – 40 points
10. Brent Landman – 38 points

Yamaha Racing Pro Lites

After finishing on the podium at the opening round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship, Serco Yamaha riders Kirk Gibbs and Mitch Hoad have finished fourth and eighth respectively in the Pro Lites category at Canberra’s ACT Motorcycle Park today.

Both riders got a good start in the opening moto with Kirk Gibbs performing consistently to claim third. Hoad survived a number of crashes throughout the 30 minute moto and was seventh.

In the second moto, Hoad got a better start and held second position for the opening 15 minutes of the race until a fall which he recovered from to finish seventh.  Gibbs recovered after the start and showed great strength in the final stages of the race to finish inside the top five.

Today’s result has further cemented Gibbs’ position in the Pro Lites Championship where he is currently placed third.

“I got an average start in the first moto but managed to pass a few people and in the end I just ran out of time and had to settle for third position.  I got a terrible start to the second race and struggled to pass people but I came on strong in the final stages of the race and was fifth,” Gibbs said.

“My bike was good throughout the weekend and we didn’t need to make any changes. I’m glad to be still third in the championship and can’t wait for the third round of the championship next month,” Gibbs concluded.

Pro Lites Championship – Round Two Results

1. Matt Moss – 50 points
2. Luke George – 44 points
3. Tye Simmonds – 36 points
4. Kirk Gibbs – 36 points
5. Lawsome Bopping – 33 points
6. Ryan Marmont – 30 points
7. Christoper Gosselar – 29 points
8. Mitch Hoad – 27 points
9. Adam Monea – 26 points
10. Lewis Woods – 21 points

Yamaha Racing Under 19s

Luke Styke claimed his first victory of the 2009 Under 19s Championship with the young rider putting on a stunning performance at the second round of the series at Canberra’s ACT Motorcycle Park.

Styke’s team-mates Harley Quinlan and Ross Beaton both showed an improvement in speed over the two 15 minute races of the day and finished the round in fourth and seventh.

In the first of the two motos, Styke continued with the strong form displayed at the previous round of the series with the GYTR Yamaha Junior Development Team rider claiming third with Quinlan following him to the chequered flag. After crashing on the first corner, Beaton recovered to finish 12th.

Styke got a good start in the second moto and lead throughout the whole race with his team-mates Quinlan and Beaton finishing third and fourth respectively.

Two points now separate Styke from Josh Cachia who is leading the Under 19s Australian Motocross Championship.

“In the first moto I had no tear offs after the third lap so it was quicker for me to battle through the race with no goggles. The rocks where hurting my face but I just kept going and maintained my position,” Styke said.

“I got the Holeshot in the second moto and lead the race all the way through – the bike was really good and the gear on it was perfect.  I’m now two points from the lead and we are definitely a lot closer to the lead and it’s now on for the third round,” he concluded.

Under 19’s Championship – Round Two Results

1. Luke Styke – 45 points
2. Luke Arbon – 44 points
3. Josh Cachia – 39 points
4. Harley Quinlan – 38 points
5. Dylan Gosling – 30 points
6. Josh Bilvington – 28 points
7. Ross Beaton – 27 points
8. Dylan Peterson – 27 points
9. Jason Reed – 27 points
10. Kieran Tisdale – 23 points
Woodstock Honda Thor Racing press release:

Woodstock Honda Thor racers Ford Dale and Todd Waters each wrapped a third place in the nation’s capital for round two of the Australian Motocross Championship at Fairburn Park (ACT) today, with Dale third overall for the event and Waters ranked third in the championship standings.

Delivering a standout performance for the round, Dale made a spectacular comeback from a shoulder injury that sidelined him in the opening round to today challenge for race wins and seal his first podium result with Woodstock Honda Thor Racing.
After qualifying third fastest, Dale made amazing starts throughout the new four 15-minute-moto format, but due to separated shoulder flagged throughout the races, leading race one before settling for second place behind reigning champion Jay Marmont. Dale replicated the result in the afternoon’s second 15-minute race.

Moto three saw Dale lead from the gate drop to the last corner where he was wrong-footed as he encountered lapped traffic and dropped back to third place.

In a strong start to the final race Dale passed Marmont on lap one before an error saw the Honda racer crash out of position, forcing him to mount a massive charge to finish fourth.
Netting a solid haul of 82-points, Dale’s third placing for the round saw the young star climb to seventh overall in the championship.
Entering the round with the weight of the championship lead on his shoulders, 18-year-old rookie Waters showed his star quality with a mature, consistent performance throughout the four sprint races.

Maintaining his composure after a crash in moto one in which he rejoined to finish sixth, Waters fought his way back to cross the finish line third in moto two.

Backing up those results, Waters earned a fourth and fifth place in the remaining two races to score fifth overall for the round, to now sit third in the championship.
Standing in for regular Woodstock Honda Thor racer, Peter Boyle, Brent Landman scored tenth overall on the day with consistent results, finishing in the top ten.

Heading to the home state of Woodstock Honda heroes Waters and Dale , the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship’s next stop is in Toowoomba (QLD) for round three on Sunday 17 May.

TODD WATERS:
“I got some good points on the board today, and we’re sitting third in the championship, so I’m pretty happy with that.”

“Today, I struggled a bit with the format. The bike was really good and the team was 100%, but the track got really rutted with deep, squared-off ruts and I really struggled to flow in the short races.”

“I’m looking forward to going back the regular format of two 30-minute motos for the next round. I plan to be racing closer to the front and my goal is to get back on the podium and run up with the leaders again in round three.”

FORD DALE:
“It was great to get on the podium for Woodstock Honda today, especially after such a bad run in round one.”

“My bike was perfect, I had good speed and got some great starts and that really helped to get the overall results.”

“My shoulder isn’t completely 100% so it was tough to maintain the intensity for the entire moto, but we got through and I’m glad to finally get some points stacked up.”

BRENT LANDMAN:
“Today was an alright result. I didn’t really get good starts and took me a little bit to get going in each of the motos, but I got points in all four motos and ended up in the top ten which
was my goal for the weekend.”

“It was great to be part of the factory Honda team and I look forward to racing with the Woodstock Honda Thor team next round, too.”

YARRIVE KONSKY – Team Principal:
“I’m extremely excited by the maturity that both Ford and Todd showed on track here in Canberra.”

“They proved again today that they are total contenders with Woodstock Honda Thor.”

“In the three weeks to the next round we will be working closely with them to help them improve their results.”

“With the new four-race format, the importance of a great team was highlighted as there was only minimal time between the four races to prepare both bike and rider.”

“Brad, Mike, Marko, Jeremy and Steve Waters proved invaluable as they worked as a tight cohesive unit and had the bikes and riders prepared and ready for each race.”

OVERALL RESULTS – ROUND 2 :
1 Andrew McFarlane, 2 Jay Marmont, 3 Ford Dale, 4 Cody Mackie, 5 Todd Waters, 6 Cheyne Boyd, 7 Craig Anderson, 8 Cameron Taylor, 9 Michael Addison , 10 Brent Landman

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after round 2):
1 Jay Marmont 152, 2 Andrew McFarlane 139, 3 Todd Waters 138, 4 Cody Mackie 120; 5 Cheyne Boyd 113; 6 Craig Anderson 99; 7 Ford Dale 82; 8 Cameron Taylor 82;
9 Michael Addison 80; 10 Brent Landman 77

Motorex KTM press release:

Tye Simmonds Pro Lites:

Moto 1: “I got a good start in my first race, sitting in third behind Matt Moss (Suzuki), and Luke George (Kawasaki).  I was following them closely for the first couple of laps, until major arm pump set in.  I couldn’t feel my fingers or hands due to the burning in my forearms, and I couldn’t hold it on, giving Mitchell Hoad (Serco), Kirk Gibbs (Yamaha), and Lawson Bopping (Suzuki) a clean pass on me.

“In the final stages of the race, the best I could do was hold onto sixth place, but then Mitchell Hoad went down, allowing me to move up into fifth, which is where I finished by the chequered flag.

“I’m not sure why I got such bad arm pump, I don’t usually get arm pump, but I didn’t feel solid going into this race, I was nervous, and a little fatigue from ill health during the week leading up to this event.

Moto 2:  “I got the holeshot on the KTM 250 SX-F, with Matt Moss positioned pretty close to my back wheel, he passed me on the first lap, and set out on a mission to make up ground.

“I was holding my own in second, until Luke George put a charge on me.  We battled for awhile, but I couldn’t give it everything I had because I wasn’t feeling comfortable on the bike, and it wasn’t handling how I was used to in both motos, which turned out to be some suspension settings that were not working for me.

“My battle with Luke George continued until we came up to a group of lapped riders, and then it was a single path to try and get past them right up to the chequered flag, so I settled for third in the final moto.

“Combined my 5-3 results from both motos gave me third overall for the day keeping Motorex KTM well in line for a top three result in the Championship.  If I can still secure a podium when I have a bad round like this, then I’m pretty happy.  It’s tough competition in the Pro Lites, and not only from Matt Moss and Luke George, there are around six guys who could win if the conditions suit them.

“Luke George has taken the lead of the Pro Lites Championship on 104 points, only one point ahead of me on 103 points, and then Matt Moss follows us in third on 93 points.  Since Mossy had a DNF in the opening round he is a little behind, but even more so on a mission now to make up ground.

“I know I have some work to do leading up to round three in Toowoomba to find more   speed to take on Matt Moss, who pulled a decent gap on everyone to take the round win.  It’s four weeks now until we next race, and I’m going to be putting in some solid hours training and testing to be well prepared.”

Kade Mosig Pro Lites:

Sideline:  “I watched the Pro Lites races sidelined because of my injury from round one, and it was pretty painful both physically and mentally to be watching a race where I should have been competing,” said Mosig.

“I did a good job of wreaking my hand at the opening round.   I have five wires that are sticking out of my skin going through my fingers to my knuckles to hold them together.  During surgery I had to get bone graft done on one of my knuckles because it was shattered into pieces.

“Specialists haven’t given me a time of return, but I get the wires out in two weeks, and that will be the four week mark since the accident.  Then we have another two weeks until round three in Toowoomba, which will be the six week mark, and although I’d like to say I will return to racing at this round, I think I will be pushing it.

“From a sideline perspective, all the likely podium contenders were showing some fast and consistent lines.  Matt Moss is definitely the rider to beat, and Luke George is riding strong as well.  My Motorex KTM team mate, Tye Simmonds, struggled a little in his opening moto, but he was definitely up there in his second race.  I hated watching, especially when I feel confident if I was out there I would have been on that podium.”

Jason Reed Under 19s:

Moto 1: “I struggled with my start in the opening moto, I was spinning at the start gate putting me way back in the field,” said Read.  “Once I was out of the gate, I picked up some good speed, and started working my way through the pack.  Then I had some mud jammed in the folding tip on my gear leaver, so I couldn’t shift my bike – I was pretty much stuck in third gear.  I rode the best I could with these mechanical challenges, and finished the moto in fifth.

Moto 2: “I had another difficult start in my second moto, and on the first turn I got shut down hard, pushing me to the back of the field.  I then felt my glove loosen, and come off so I was riding with only one glove.   I tried to put my head down to get on with the job, and try my best to get towards the front of the field.  By the chequered flag I crossed in 10th and I got 9th for the round, to move into 8th for the series.

“I’m heading out to Tye’s place for the next few days to start practising for the next round, and starts will definitely be on the agenda.  We’re going to be doing a heap of set up testing on the KTM 250 SX-F, so we’re both comfortable and ready to race come Toowoomba.

“A real positive that came out of Canberra for me was my knee brace supports.  I had no pain in my knee, showing it’s strong enough to support my weak knee, and surgery won’t be required.”

ROSS MCWATTERS Race Team Manager:

“I’m pleased with the team’s results today, and we gained a good understanding of our strengths and weaknesses,” said McWatters.   “Tye was carrying some race nerves going into the first moto, as the class leader holding the red plate.  He then developed arm pump which is quite unusual for him, but I think it was a combination of his race nerves, and anticipation to want to maintain his series lead.

“Tye still held his own, and hasn’t lost too much ground at all, as only one point separates him and Luke George in the Championship points.    Matt Moss and Luke George are a little bit stronger than him in certain areas of racing, but in saying that there is a group of six guys who are going to be strong if they get a good start, so we’re really going to be working on finding more speed.

“Jason Reed had two challenging starts, but recovered well in both races.  The under 19s class is proving that starts are everything.  There are riders in this class, who are usually nowhere near the podium, but they’re holding their own with the front runners due to a good start and following lines that are going to keep them in the lead.  So we’re definitely going to be working on improving Jason’s starts.

“If Jason gets a good start he will hold his own and is capable of winning.  It’s a real positive that the injury cloud over his knee has lifted, and it doesn’t seem to be an issue.  He didn’t have any pain from it with the knee braces on, giving him all the confidence he needs to continue in the Championship.

“Tye and Jason are going to be training together out at Bourke over the next few weeks, and Motorex KTM will be giving them support to ensure the KTM 250 SX-F is set to their liking to bring the best out of their racing.  Starts and finding more speed will definitely be on the agenda leading up to the next round in four weeks time.”

Team Shift Motul Suzuki press release:

Team Shift Motul Suzuki Pro Lite star Matt Moss showed his class with a flawless performance in both races of round two of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships at Canberra.

After qualifying second fastest, Moss proved unstoppable at the recently revamped Fairburn Park course, grabbing the holeshot for both events and never being headed throughout both 30 minute motos.

With his Suzuki RM-Z250 in peak tune, Moss cleared away to win the first race by more than seven seconds, and maintained his dominance in the second moto to finish with a 14 second winning margin.

After the disappointment of a DNF in the first leg of round one at Albury, Moss scored the maximum 50 points on offer to charge into third place of the Pro Lites MX championship table.

He is now just 11 points shy of the lead and, after his dominant performance at Canberra, has set the scene to take over from his rivals at the next round.

Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development squad member Lawson Bopping enjoyed similarly impressive results at Canberra.

The hard-charging Bopping qualified third fastest, and backed up that form by finishing fourth in the first moto and sixth in the second.

That strong points haul moved him up to sixth overall on the championship table and keeps him within striking distance of the top three positions.

In the Pro Open title race, Team Shift Motul Suzuki rider Cameron Taylor demonstrated his consistency in the new four event format, finishing 8th, 9th, 9th and 9th.

With the next round in Toowoomba reverting back to the traditional two 30-minute moto format for Pro Open riders, Taylor’s good haul of points at Canberra keeps him in touch with the leaders.

JAY FOREMAN – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI TEAM MANAGER
“That was a great day, with Matt showing the form we know he’s capable of. With two weeks’ work the Suzuki RM-Z250 was right on the money with everything working well and Matt was in unstoppable form. We’ve been working closely with Team Joe Rocket Suzuki’s Superbike Team Manager Phil Tainton on engine development, and he’s been instrumental in our success.

“We knew after Albury that we had the machinery, the speed and the talent and Matt proved that today. It also highlighted the value of the points he scored in Albury despite the setbacks there and demonstrated his growing maturity to put indifferent results behind him.

“It was another solid effort by Lawson too, who continues to show he is one of the rising stars of Australian motocross and another Suzuki rider to watch.

“He was quick again in qualifying and backed it up with two top six results to make it a great weekend for Team Shift Motul Suzuki and Team Shift Motul Suzuki Development.”

CAM TAYLOR – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI
“It was a good solid effort out there today, particularly with the new four-race format.

“The RM-Z450 was flawless and I’m looking forward to going to Toowoomba in a couple of weeks where I’m confident the 30-minute motos will give us the chance to show just what the team’s capable of.”

MATT MOSS – TEAM SHIFT MOTUL SUZUKI
“That was a great weekend. I felt much more relaxed than I did at Albury and I think that showed in the results.

“Jay and the guys have put in a lot of work since the first round and the Suzuki RM-Z250 didn’t miss a beat all weekend.

“We head to Toowoomba next which is a track that’s typically been good to me, and I’m looking forward to repeating today’s form.”

Kawasaki Racing Team press release:

KRT’s Luke George is back on top! The 2008 Pro Lites Champion moved into the series lead in the Pro Lites class of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships thanks to a strong double podium performance on his KX250F at the second round of the Championships at Canberra on 18-19 April. Under 19’s rider, Luke Arbon has settled into his new factory team quickly taking 2nd overall for the round and moving into 3rd place in the series and Pro Open rider Craig Anderson showed great speed on his KX450F at Canberra qualifying second fastest. Craig then went straight to the podium in his first moto taking 3rd place and sits in 6th place in the Championships.

Once defending Pro Lites Champion Luke George got hold of the Red Plate at the first round of the ’08 series, he never let go of it and went on to win the Championship. Now that he has his hands back on the Red Plate in ‘09, can Luke win back to back Championships? Luke went to Canberra confident of success and didn’t disappoint. After qualifying in 4th place, Luke got off to a decent start in his first moto and turned the first corner in 4th place. He then worked his way up to 2nd place by the end of the first lap and held onto that position for the entire race to cross the line in 2nd place. A poor start in the second moto saw Luke round the first corner in 8th place. From there he rode both hard and smart and again worked himself into 2nd place taking 2-2 for the day and 2nd overall for the round.

Luke says, “I felt really good all weekend. After Saturday’s qualifying I knew I had the pace and the KX250F felt awesome. We’ve done some recent suspension and jetting adjustments that worked really well at Canberra. I’m happy with how I rode and really happy to have the points lead.”

KRT’s Under 19’s rider, Luke Arbon, missed out on winning the second round at Canberra by only 1 point. Proving that he’s well and truly found his feet and position within his new factory team, Luke showed awesome speed at Canberra to take 2nd overall for the round and move up to 3rd  place overall for the series.  Luke got off to a great start in his first moto, rounding the first corner in 2nd place, a position he held onto until the finish. An average start in the second moto meant Luke rounded the first corner in 5th place. He then worked his way back to 2nd to go 2-2 for the round.

Luke Arbon says, “The KX250F handled the rough track really well and I couldn’t fault it.  This round was a good confidence booster for me and I’m looking to go one better at the next round.”

Pro Open rider Craig Anderson set a blistering pace during qualifying on board the KX450F, clocking the 2nd fastest time. Craig then carried his quick pace into the first of the four Pro Open sprint races finishing on the podium in 3rd place. Craig went 3-6-6-8 in the four races and sits 6th overall in the Championship.

KRT manager, Brett Whale says, “A great day for the two Lukes with both riders on the podium. Arbon is settling in real well and George is back on top where he belongs. Ando had a tough weekend after setting a quick pace early on but he still gained valuable Championship points with a podium in the first moto and he’ll come back stronger in Toowoomba.”

Luke George’s KX250F will be wheeled out of the KRT truck wearing number 1 Red Plates at the third round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championships at Toowoomba QLD on 17 May where the team will continue its on-track campaign for Championship Titles.