Jay Wilson congratulates MXD champion Hamish Harwood. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

GYTR Yamaha’s Jay Wilson identifies the mid-season break as a turning point in his 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals MXD campaign, with a refreshed approach and new goals leading to an immensely-successful second half of the season.

A class title favourite, Wilson opened his season with a lacklustre ninth, followed by fifth and 11th place finishes, results stemming from slow starts and a general lack of luck.

The extended break between rounds allowed Wilson to reassess his approach after the disappointing start.

“I took a few days off, decided to try and enjoy my racing and lighten up a bit on race day and then set a goal of trying to win the second half of the series,” said Wilson.

It proved a master stroke, instantly elevating him to the front of the field where he finished in the top two at every round, claiming four overall wins in the process.

Wilson recovered to a solid second in the championship at the finale in Coolum, rounding out the season on a high note with another strong win.

“It was another good weekend for me and I was able to get the starts I needed and ride my own race in both motos,” he explained.

“At the start of the year I wasn’t able to do that as my starts were terrible and things just weren’t going my way but the team kept encouraging me, I kept working hard at training and things came around and I was able to finish the championship off strongly.”

Wilson was gracious in accepting second behind eventual winner Hamish Harwood, who he recognised for his strong run to the MXD title.

“I also want to congratulate Hamish on his championship win,” added Wilson. “He deserved the success as he barely made a mistake all year and was on the podium every round.”