Features 23 May 2016

Breakdown: 2016 MX Nationals Rd4 Murray Bridge

The vitals from the fourth round of Australian Motocross.

MotoOnline.com.au breaks down the specifics from race day Sunday at Murray Bridge’s fourth round of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals season in South Australia.

MX1

Image: Jordan Deckert.

Image: Jordan Deckert.

Super Pole: Dean Ferris 1m41.225s

Moto one results:
1. Todd Waters
2. Kade Mosig
3. Dean Ferris
4. Kirk Gibbs
5. Brett Metcalfe
6. Daniel Reardon
7. Matt Moss
8. Jacob Wright
9. Dylan Long
10. Jesse Dobson
11. Jamie Law
12. Michael Menchi
13. Daniel Banks
14. Izak Maule
15. Robert Lovett
16. Joel Green
17. James Alen
18. Craig Bolton
19. Michael Mahon
20. Luke Wilson

Race time: 31m55.955s
Margin of victory: 0.985s
Laps completed: 18
Fastest lap: Todd Waters 1m42.728s

Moto two results:
1. Kirk Gibbs
2. Brett Metcalfe
3. Todd Waters
4. Dean Ferris
5. Matt Moss
6. Kade Mosig
7. Dylan Long
8. Daniel Banks
9. Jacob Wright
10. Luke Wilson
11. Robert Lovett
12. Jay Wilson
13. Jamie Law
14. Michael Menchi
15. Izak Maule
16. Michael Mahon
17. James Alen
18. Joel Green
19. Craig Bolton
20. Jake Watling

Race time: 32m36.365s
Margin of victory: 1.656s
Laps completed: 18
Fastest lap: Brett Metcalfe 1m44.565s

MX1 overall results:
1. Todd Waters 65
2. Kirk Gibbs 63
3. Brett Metcalfe 58
4. Dean Ferris 58
5. Kade Mosig 57
6. Matt Moss 50
7. Dylan Long 46
8. Jacob Wright 45
9. Daniel Banks 41
10. Jamie Law 38
11. Robert Lovett 36
12. Michael Menchi 36
13. Izak Maule 33
14. Luke Wilson 32
15. James Alen 28
16. Joel Green 28
17. Michael Mahon 27
18. Craig Bolton 25
19. Daniel Reardon 25
20. Jake Watling 21

MX1 championship standings:
1. Kirk Gibbs 252
2. Dean Ferris 251
3. Todd Waters 247
4. Matt Moss 228
5. Brett Metcalfe 225
6. Kade Mosig 187
7. Dylan Long 185
8. Daniel Reardon 171
9. Jay Wilson 152
10. Jacob Wright 151
11. Michael Menchi 140
12. Daniel Banks 134
13. Michael Mahon 111
14. Matthew Toth 108
15. Izak Maule 100
16. Kurt Wightman 98
17. Lawson Bopping 85
18. James Alen 80
19. Jesse Dobson 78
20. Luke Wilson 76

Verdict:
In four rounds so far we’ve had as many different overall winners. And this time out, Waters did what was required to get the overall on a track he also won at in 2012 and 2013. The racing throughout both motos was mega and Waters’ opening moto victory is what set him up for the overall, fending off Gibbs in the process. As the track dried and got slicker in the afternoon, Gibbs grabbed his first moto win of the year after overcoming Metcalfe in a gritty performance. The latter had a great send-off in his home round, now returning to the US ahead of the Canadian nationals, and the locals no doubt enjoyed mixing it up with Metty. Ferris lost the red plate to Gibbs by a point after his fourth overall, but it doesn’t mean too much at this point with a lost of racing to run. Fifth overall after his Broadford injury scare was Mosig, his day highlighted by leading much of that first moto. Now it’s straight onto the deeper sands of Wanneroo.

MX2

Image: Jordan Deckert.

Image: Jordan Deckert.

Pole position: Wilson Todd 1m46.942s

Moto one results:
1. Caleb Ward
2. Jed Beaton
3. Nathan Crawford
4. Jayden Rykers
5. Wilson Todd
6. Jake Moss
7. Dylan Wills
8. Dean Porter
9. Richie Evans
10. Keiron Hall
11. Joel Wightman
12. Ricky Latimer
13. Nick Sutherland
14. Mitch Norris
15. Kyle Webster
16. Kurt Gow
17. Hamish Harwood
18. Riley Graham
19. Joel Evans
20. Mathew McEntee

Race time: 32m33.404s
Margin of victory: 17.558s
Laps completed: 18
Fastest lap: Nathan Crawford 1m44.651s

Moto two results:
1. Caleb Ward
2. Nathan Crawford
3. Jake Moss
4. Jed Beaton
5. Dean Porter
6. Dylan Wills
7. Wilson Todd
8. Hamish Harwood
9. Joel Wightman
10. Wade Hunter
11. Kyle Webster
12. Richie Evans
13. Ricky Latimer
14. Keiron Hall
15. Jayden Rykers
16. Riley Graham
17. Mitch Norris
18. Josh Adams
19. Kurt Gow
20. Joel Evans

Race time: 22m23.044s
Margin of victory: 6.270s
Laps completed: 12
Fastest lap: Caleb Ward 1m46.215s

MX2 overall results:
1. Caleb Ward 70
2. Nathan Crawford 62
3. Jed Beaton 60
4. Jake Moss 55
5. Wilson Todd 50
6. Dean Porter 49
7. Dylan Wills 49
8. Jayden Rykers 44
9. Joel Wightman 42
10. Richie Evans 41
11. Keiron Hall 38
12. Hamish Harwood 37
13. Ricky Latimer 37
14. Kyle Webster 36
15. Mitch Norris 31
16. Riley Graham 28
17. Kurt Gow 27
18. Nick Sutherland 25
19. Josh Adams 23
20. Joel Evans 23

MX2 championship standings:
1. Jed Beaton 232
2. Nathan Crawford 231
3. Jake Moss 216
4. Caleb Ward 212
5. Wilson Todd 198
6. Jayden Rykers 188
7. Kyle Webster 174
8. Dylan Wills 173
9. Richie Evans 162
10. Hamish Harwood 161
11. Luke Arbon 161
12. Joel Wightman 154
13. Dean Porter 152
14. Wade Hunter 151
15. Kale Makeham 134
16. Ricky Latimer 108
17. Kurt Gow 106
18. Aaron Tanti 84
19. Nick Sutherland 80
20. Keiron Hall 77

Verdict:
Now that was a statement. Two wins in dominant fashion placed Ward well back in title contention and he’s now just 20 points outside of the lead despite a horror Broadford round. And he looks like he’s doing it easy once out front and in control of the races. It was also a strong day for Ward’s major championship rivals as Crawford charged to second and Beaton third, which he was happy enough with at day’s end. Jake Moss continues to quietly rack up points, with a fourth overall and strong showing in the second moto particularly, while aside from that we witnessed confidence-increasing rides by Porter and Wills. Fifth overall was okay for Todd, however considering the speed he’s been displaying at times, he’s definitely capable of being on the podium, if not winning more races.

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