British champion Brad Anderson dominated the Raymond Terrace MX Nationals in the Pro Open class. Image: kajx Communications

Defending British MX1 Motocross Champion Brad Anderson (Honda) has dominated the Pro Opens class at the fifth round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals in a day where reigning champion and CDR Rockstar Yamaha rider Jay Marmont has retained the series lead.

With heavy rain falling in recent weeks and cyclonic weather conditions threatening racing on Sunday, event organisers Williams Event Management were relieved when the forecast came through giving Newcastle the all clear.

With the sodden track beginning to dry out, qualifying got underway and UK rider Anderson showed the Aussies what he was made of posting the quickest time by more than two and a half seconds.

In the first race, privateer rider Dean Ferris (Honda) easily scored the holeshot however he was quickly overtaken by Kawasaki Racing Team’s Billy Mackenzie.

Ferris kept pace with the Scottish rider, with CDR Rockstar Yamaha rider Cheyne Boyd in third until Anderson made his charge, picking his way through the field from fifth place.

Anderson made light work of Boyd and Ferris and mid-way through the race began to hunt down Mackenzie.

With the gap steadily closing, Anderson made his move, coming up on the inside of Mackenzie – things didn’t exactly go to plan when the two made contact, and it was Mackenzie who came off worse for wear, crashing in the turn and dropping back to fourth place.

With only a handful of laps remaining there wasn’t much Mackenzie could do, while Anderson went on to take the race win ahead of Ferris who finished in second place and Boyd who wrapped up the race in third.

The second race saw several leaders including Ferris, Boyd, and Mackenzie, before Anderson once again, took to the front at the half-way mark.

The reigning British champ held onto the lead, while Boyd, Mackenzie, Ferris and Kiwi and Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki rider Cody Cooper fought it out for the remaining podium places.

As expected Anderson took the flag, and it was Rosebud local Boyd who placed second with Mackenzie finishing in third.

In what is emerging as a strange pattern, reigning Aussie Champ Marmont, had a lack-lustre beginning to the day, failing to impress in the first two races, however just like the last round, the Wollongong local rallied and came out of nowhere in the final race – flying out of the gate bar to bar with Mackenzie for the holeshot.

With one lap down, Marmont had dropped back to third place with the two internationals out in front, however by the seventh lap, Marmont had reigned in Mackenzie and passed him, and then began to close the gap on Anderson.

By the time the chequered flag dropped Marmont was within five seconds of Anderson, and had a safe distance between himself and Mackenzie who finished in third.

“I’ve been riding over in the UK and I’ve done a few GP’s, and we just decided to come out here and try it all out and it’s been pretty good,” Anderson said. “I like it nice and rough like how it is here, the track was pretty good and the people are good, and hopefully I can be back again.

“I’ve got Manjimup next week and then I’ve got to get back for the British Championship, but hopefully I can get back here before the end of the season.”

Mackenzie, Anderson, Boyd and Marmont shared the spoils in the Pro Open class, but Anderson was the man of the moment.

Second finisher Mackenzie was upstaged by his former British championship arch-rival, however was the top overall point scorer of the regular riders on the day.

“It was a tough day for me out there,” Mackenzie said. “I haven’t had a lot of bike time since my injury and I struggled at the last round a bit but I had a lot of track knowledge which helped.

“It was great today, because I got some decent bike time in and I felt really good in that last race. I just didn’t have the speed today for Brad – he’s a fast rider and I’m glad to get second.

“I might have a little regret in inviting Brad over actually, but it’s alright and I was still the first guy behind him! We’ve been racing together since we were six years old, we started our Pro careers together so it’s been a good weekend – we’ve been having a laugh and I’m enjoying my racing again which is the main thing.”

Boyd made a welcome return to the podium after battling at the front all day, emerging as a title contender at the mid-point of the season.

“I’ve had a good week and I’m pumped with today,” Boyd said. “I’ve busted my butt all week and I can’t be happier – everyone has been so supportive.

“It’s been a tough start to the season but I suppose that’s what champions are made of and I’m just going to keep trying and pushing.”

For series red plate holder and dual champion Marmont, Raymond Terrace was a difficult round until reverting to his usual settings on the 2010 YZ450F for the final moto of the day.

“We went out testing last week and it’s all my fault, I got the setting wrong, so in the last race I went back to my original settings and felt a lot more comfortable – so I almost left my run too late out there but the team pulled through in the end,” Marmont said.

“It was good to go out there and bang bars with Brad and Billy and it’s also good to see my teammate Cheyne up there, but I think we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board because we can’t let these guys from the UK keep coming over here and beating us on our home soil!

“Maintaining the red leader plate is a great feeling, that’s our overall goal and what we’ve got our eyes on but at the same time we can’t get too comfortable out there.”

Continuing their dominance of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, JDR Motorex KTM Pro Lites rider PJ Larsen and MX Rad Coastal KTM’s Under 19s rider Josh Cachia have won the fifth round of the Championship in their respective classes.

Larsen started out the day strong, clocking the fastest time in Qualifying, ahead of Suzuki rider Kade Mosig who was only 0.3 seconds slower of Queenslander and Serco Yamaha rider Ford Dale.

In the first race local rider Luke George (Kawasaki) scored the holeshot and an early lead at his home track.

Half-way through the race Larsen made his move, slipping by from fourth place, to overtake George for the lead before the Kawasaki rider lost another place to GYTR Rockstar Yamaha rider and former Under 19s champ Luke Styke.

The three riders remained out in front until the very last lap when a lapped rider landed on the back of George, forcing him out of the race and letting Larsen and Styke continue unchallenged, with JDR Motorex KTM rider Ryan Marmont stepping up into third place.

Larsen was again the dominant force in the Pro Lites. Image: kajx Communications.

In the second race Kawasaki Racing Team’s Cody Mackie took an early lead with Styke and Serco Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs following close behind. Larsen was back in sixth place at the first lap however by the half-way point he had caught and passed everyone in his way, taking the lead.

By the time the chequered flag fell, Larsen had a comfortable lead, with Styke hanging on to second place, however both Gibbs and Mackie fell through the field leaving third place to Kiwi and Cougar Bourbon Honda Thor Racing’s Michael Phillips.

The third moto saw Larsen finally take the holeshot and check out to a massive lead within the first lap while on-track battles raged behind him for the remaining podium places.

Marmont, Phillips, Mackie, Gibbs and Styke all clamoured for the remaining championship points left in Larsen’s wake.

By the time the flag fell it was Larsen by more than 10 seconds, handing him a clean sweep and maximum points for the round, while Phillips made the most of the rough conditions climbing his way into second place with Wollongong local Marmont in third.

“Today was really good, I knew I needed to get a good start in that last moto, after the start I just tried to sprint and get away as quick as possible so I could then settle in and cruise because the track was really gnarly,” Larsen said.

“It was definitely good and rough out there, the track was prepared well, it held up to the rain and honestly the rain did it good.”

In the Under 19s class, Cachia continued his strangle-hold on the red leader plate, winning two of the three motos and increasing his series lead to 33 points.

Despite facing challenges from GYTR Rockstar Yamaha’s Ross Beaton, Harley Quinlan and KTM Race Team’s Ethan Martens, Cachia powered through the rough conditions and seems unstoppable at this stage in the championship.

“I’m feeling good, I had a good start to the season and I just put my head down and hopefully I can keep winning races.” Cachia said.

The series will now take a four-week break before moving on to Albury Wodonga in Victoria on 27 June for the sixth round of the 2010 title chase.

Stay tuned for a full Moto Talk interview with Brad Anderson to be uploaded on Monday.

Be sure to check out our Video Interviews from the round, as well as our Pit Pass image gallery posted earlier today direct from the track.

Click here for detailed results