Raceline Pirelli KTM press release:

Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Dylan Wills has once again edged closer to a SX2 podium finish after a successful night at Round 4 of the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship at Avalon in Melbourne yesterday.

After showing renewed speed at the team’s last outing in Adelaide, Wills headed in to the Victorian instalment of this year’s Supercross series with the vision of an SX2 top three, and when gates dropped last night the KTM 250 SX-F rider kicked off the round in spectacular fashion.

With Wills qualifying in fourth, and teammate Jesse Madden taking 13th gate pick, both rider’s headed in to the evening’s events with the goal to place their Raceline Pirelli KTM machines at the pointy end of the field. In heat one Madden raced to a consistent 5th place finish, while in heat two, Wills collected his first Supercross race win of the year.

Following the heat races, Wills went through to the ‘Dash for Cash’ where he lined up against the fastest 250cc and 450cc riders of the evening and with Wills on the pace, it was no surprise to see the KTM rider edge out all of the 250 riders before being knocked out by the SX1 defending champion Dan Reardon.

But it was in the main event that both Wills and Madden showed just what they’re capable of. Wills secured the holeshot and led for a good portion of the race, only slipping back from third to fourth in the final laps due to an unfortunate electrical issue. Madden was also ‘Mr Consistent’ at round four, wrapping up the 15 lap final in an impressive 9th place.

Wills now sits in 5th position in the overall SX2 Championship standings, while teammate Madden has moved in to 16th with two rounds of the series remaining.

Dylan Wills – SX2 – (4th Overall)

“Round four was definitely a step in the right direction. I took the win in my heat race and that set me up pretty well for the night show, and then in the main we just put in consistent laps out in front,” Wills shared.

“I’d caught back up to Jackson Richardson in the final and I hit a map switch on the bars when I was setting up for a corner or something, so that caused the bike not to run as we’d set it up, but unfortunately these things happen sometimes.

“It was a bit of a bitter sweet night. I knew I had the pace, and the top guys weren’t pulling away from me at all, but we won a race, did well in the ‘Dash for Cash’, and finished fourth in the main, so we’ll take away the positives and then keep fighting all the way to Sydney.”

Jesse Madden – SX2 – (9th Overall)

“This weekend was much better than last round, I was just glad to stay on the bike – the track was seriously slippery out there,” Madden shared.

“The goal was just to get consistent laps out. I struggled with the whoops a little bit tonight, but I’m just happy to walk out injury free and to get back home and train for next week in Sydney.

“I’m stoked with 9th overall. Top ten is my goal, and I don’t get much time to ride during the week with having a full time job so I’m happy with that, and hopefully we can improve again next weekend.”

Chris Woods – Raceline Pirelli KTM Team Manager

“It was a pretty solid round for us. Dylan obviously showed great speed from the minute he hit the track at Avalon, and Jesse stayed nice and consistent which paid off in the main event,” Woods said.

“Unfortunately now and then all riders and teams experience small bike issues, and at round four what happened with Dylan’s bike in the final was no one’s fault, it was just a bit of bad luck.

“The positives from Melbourne definitely outweigh any of the negatives though. Both boys finished inside the top ten, and Dylan was only one position shy of the podium, so all in all we’re happy, and looking forward to finishing off the year with a home round in Sydney next weekend.”

Raceline Pirelli KTM will now begin preparations for the final two rounds of of the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship, the AUS-X Open, being held at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Saturday and Sunday, November 12-13.

To follow Raceline Pirelli KTM’s progress this year, like ‘Raceline’ on Facebook or follow @raceline_motosport on Instagram. To learn more about Raceline and their products, head to www.raceline.com.au

For further information on the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship, head to www.ma.org.au