The season-opening round of the 2017 Motul MX Nationals series is set to take place this weekend at Wonthaggi Motocross Track in Victoria where the MX1, MX2 and MXD contenders will hit the track for the first time this season. MotoOnline.com.au previews what fans can expect when the gates drop this Sunday.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Round location

Wonthaggi Motocross Track
West Area Rd
Wonthaggi, VIC

Track map

Event entry

Adult (over 15): $30
Kids (6-15 years): $20
Family (2 adults and 2 kids): $70

Schedule

Riders lists

MX1 predictions

First:
Dean Ferris – Ferris has put together a strong and consistent pre-season and he has plenty of racing under his belt already after contesting the 2017 New Zealand Motocross Championship. Coming into the season as the defending champion for the first time in his career, the CDR Yamaha rider will be comfortable and ready to go with minimal changes to his program in comparison to certain title contenders lining up alongside him this season. Ferris showed a matured and more calculated approach to his racing in the latter stages of the 2016 season and we expect him to bring much of the same to this weekend’s event in Wonthaggi.

Second:
Kirk Gibbs – Although the KTM Motocross Racing Team rider is returning from injury ahead of the 2017 season, he’s a former champion and knows how to approach race day correctly in order to capture strong and consistent results. You must remember, Gibbs entered the 2016 season in a similar situation and went on the come very close to defending his 2015 MX1 championship. It’s a familiar situation for the South Australian and he will be a strong contender this weekend in Wonthaggi and he attempts to kick his year off on the right foot and return to the top step of the podium.

Third:
Todd Waters – There’s a whole lot of stiff competition in the premier class this season, but it’s hard to go past Waters as a top contender, especially in the conditions we’ll see in Wonthaggi. Waters is quite strong in sandy conditions and he’ll be one to keep an eye on aboard his new Crankt Protein Honda Racing entry. It’s an all-new motorcycle and the development time aboard the bike has been short, but the Queenslander is very experienced and will be pushing to land on the podium for a strong start to his 2017 MX1 title campaign.

Watch for: Brett Metcalfe, Kade Mosig, Aleksandr Tonkov, Kyle Peters, Luke Styke

MX2 predictions

First:
Jackson Richardson – Following multiple years touring the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in the United States, Richardson returns to racing domestically full-time in 2017 off the back of an SX2 supercross title in 2016. Part of the Serco Yamaha outfit for the upcoming season, the Queenslander will carry a wealth of knowledge into the series and a tonne of raw speed. There’s definitely an abundance of talent in the MX2 class this season and Richardson will have his hands full, but his combination of speed and experience will prove a successful combination this weekend.

Second:
Wilson Todd – According to multiple sources, Todd has been flying down in Victoria in preparation for the 2017 Motul MX Nationals series and looks super comfortable aboard his new DPH Motorsport Yamaha ride. Moving into his second season in the MX2 class, the 2015 MXD champion will be on the hunt for race wins and round victories following a disappointing rookie season. The Queenslander proved he had the speed in 2016, but a combination of bad starts, bad luck and mechanical issues denied Todd to show his true championship potential – expect him to come out swinging come 2 April.

Third:
Jayden Rykers – The Western Australian proved he had impressive speed and racecraft in 2016 as he put together multiple strong performances in a largely privateer effort. Now part of the factory-backed Raceline Pirelli KTM squad for 2017 and with a year under his belt in the MX2 class, Rykers is preparing for an improved season and will be pushing for the top step. He has been putting in the pre-season work and now knows what it takes to take that next step aboard his KTM 250 SX-F.

Watch for: Mitch Evans, Dylan Wills, Kyle Webster, Aaron Tanti, Luke Arbon

2017 calendar:

Rd1 – 1-2 April – Wonthaggi, VIC
Rd2 – 23 April – Appin, NSW
Rd3 – 7 May – Conondale, QLD
Rd4 – 21 May – Horsham, VIC
Rd5 – 28 May – Murray Bridge, SA
Rd6 – 2 July – Nowra, NSW
Rd7 – 16 July – Shepparton, VIC
Rd8 – 30 July – Port Macquarie, NSW
Rd9 – 13 August – Toowoomba, QLD
Rd10 – 19-20 August – Coolum, QLD

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