Dunlop Tyres press release:

Dunlop-shod motocross racers continued to prove they’re leagues above the competition with another stellar string of top results at the fourth round of the 2016 MX Nationals at Murray Bridge, South Australia.

KTM Motocross Racing Team’s defending champion Kirk Gibbs rode to an aggressive race win in the opening MX1 hit-out at his home round, before following it up with a fourth in the second moto. The result was good enough for second overall on the day and sees him claim the championship-leading red plates for the first time in 2016.

Meanwhile, fellow statesman Brett Metcalfe finished his shortened Australian campaign for SD3 Husqvarna with a solid third overall. Battling the flu all weekend, Metcalfe posted a gritty 5-2 result to round out his MX Nationals sojourn with a podium result.

CDR Yamaha’s former series leader Dean Ferris posted consistent 3-4 results in the demanding windy conditions to finish fourth overall and slip to second in the points standings, just one point behind Gibbs.

Further down the leaderboard, DPH Motorsport Yamaha’s new recruit Jacob Wright finished eighth overall in his first outing for the Victorian-based team after quickly adapting to the team’s YZ450F.

In the MX2 class KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Caleb Ward returned to his destructive best as he stormed to a flawless 1-1 result in the orange Murray Bridge loam. Ward’s strong showing clawed back some of the damage he suffered at a disastrous previous round at Broadford.

However, current championship leader Jed Beaton (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) proved he’s more than comfortable in fast, rutted conditions as he turned in a 2-4 moto result to finish the day third overall and retain the red plates in the process.

The MXD division saw Yamalube Yamaha riders Mitch Evans and Jordan Hill finish fourth and sixth overall respectively, with Evans claiming a huge margin of victory in the final race. Also in MXD, SD3 Husqvarna’s Kaleb Barham chalked up consistent 5-5 results for fifth overall.

Dunlop national motorcycle manager Sebastian Mincone was full of praise for the brand’s racers following another positive round in the mid-stages of the season.

“My congratulations to both Kirk and Brett in the hotly-contested MX1 class for their well deserved podium places,” Mincone commented. “Kirk’s results were excellent and Brett rode courageously in both races with a bad flu to take third overall.

“Caleb Ward had an excellent day in the MX2 class, while Jed Beaton also rode well to maintain his championship lead. My congratulations to all these riders for their strong results in such a high level of competition.”

The fifth round of the 2016 MX Nationals will be held in the deep sands of Wanneroo, Western Australia, this Sunday, 29 May.

Visit www.dunloptyres.com.au or find Dunlop Tyres Australia & New Zealand on Facebook and @ridedunlopau on Instagram for further information on the brand.