Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout took out round two of the MX Nationals on his YZ250F and in the process reclaimed the MX2 points’ leaders red plate as the championship moves towards round three.

Sydney based Clout entered the round looking for another strong performance to back up his opening round second place at Horsham just two weeks ago. He comfortably took P1 in qualifying and was confident of a good showing in the two moto format.

Moto one saw a bar banging duel develop between Clout and Yamaha supported rider, Jay Wilson. The pair went backwards and forwards for nearly 30 minutes as the rode well clear of the chasing pack. In the end, Wilson got the better of Clout in moto one but Clout was determined to turn the tables on his good friend in race two.

Again the same pair were out front, this time Clout stalked and passed Wilson to take the race win and with it the overall for the round. His 2-1 results now see him to the top of the leader board in the MX2 points chase.

“I was pretty determined to win this round and get that red plate back,” Clout said. “It’s my home track so I needed to get it done and get back up front. “Jay rode really well today and I had a great time racing him. We were really close in speed so it was always tight but it was fair and it was a good battle. “Next round is at Broadford in two weeks so there is no time to rest. We still have eight rounds to go and leading the championship only means something if you win it at the end.”

Jed Beaton showed his is not just a front runner and he mounted two monumental comeback rides through the MX2 field. In both races he was involved in early race crashes or incidents that saw him well down the field as they completed the opening lap.

In moto one, Beaton charged all the way back to fourth place passing far most established names and in moto two, the shorter 20 minute race, he raced his way back to sixth. His 4-6 results gave him fourth for the round and he now sits in third place in the championship chase.

“It was a tough weekend for me as I wasn’t getting great starts and you really need them at a track like this. When you are back in the pack you are always at the mercy of what happens around you and both times I got caught in other riders’ problems.

“Still, I was able to salvage some reasonable results and keep myself close in the championship but between now and the next round I plan on practicing starts to ensure I can ride my own race,” Beaton ends.

The MX Nationals picks up again at the Broadford Motorsport complex in Victoria on April 26. For more information on the MX Nationals and a full list of results, www.mxnational.com.au

To follow the Serco Yamaha team on social media: www.facebook.com/sercoyamaha or on Instagram: @sercoyamaha