Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

It was a day of mixed emotions for the Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team with the highs and lows of racing all experienced throughout the day at round three of the MX Nationals, held at Green Park, Conondale.

The team entered the round in good shape with Cooper Pozniak leading the MXD (under 19) championship chase while team mate, Cody Dyce, was just a few points behind in third but all that was turned on its head as the gates fell for race one on a perfect day in Queensland.

For Dyce, the upside of the day was huge. He jumped well from the gates and muscled his way to the front of the field quickly. He took control of the race and broke out to a six second margin over the chasing pack and he continued to maintain that gap all the way to the finish to take the race win in a well-managed performance.

Race two and again Dyce was up the front early. He barged his way to the lead and was eyeing off a 1-1 day at Conondale. But, Morgan Fogarty quickly joined Dyce at the head of the field and the pair started trading positions. The duo turned on some great racing and the lead swapped several times before Fogarty was finally able to creep clear of Dyce.

As they crossed the finish line it was Fogarty from Dyce and the pair were locked on 67 points for the round, each with a first and a second-place finish. Fogarty gets the round win due to his win in the final moto but it is Dyce that now holds the lead in the championship after another successful day of racing.

“Moto one went well and I got see everyone behind me and just worked on keeping that gap. Morgan closed in a little and then I was able to pull it back out so it was good and nice to get another race win,” Dyce explains.

“The second race was fun and Morgan and I had a good battle going. We both had some different lines and we were going backwards and forwards a fair bit there. I made a few mistakes on the second last lap and lost a bit of time so I decided to settle and take second and not throw the thing away.

“I still have a lot to work on but it’s good to have the championship lead. Thank you to everyone on the Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team for all their efforts again on the weekend as everyone puts in 100%.”

Pozniak’s day took a turn for the worse just 50 metres into race one. After setting the fastest qualifying lap and feeling great on the bike, Cooper was involved in a huge first turn pile up that saw multiple bikes and riders on the deck. Pozniak was slow to his feet but gathered himself and remounted his bent and twisted machine in a gutsy attempt to salvage anything from the race.

Obviously in pain and adjusting to his bent bike, Pozniak battled on bravely and finished the race in 28th place but gains a few points.

Between the races, a gutted Pozniak was treated by the RACESAFE medical team while the Yamalube Yamaha team worked feverishly to straighten out his twisted bike. RACESAFE passed him to race although he was far from 100% and he fronted the start-line for race two.

Under considerable pain, he gritted his teeth and again when hard into the first turn to emerge in the top three. He struggled on the big down hills where his grip strength needed to be strong but he continued to circulate inside the top five for the opening laps before he fell and dropped several positions.

He fell again in the later stages of the race and finished in eighth place in what was a gritty and determined ride that keeps his championship hopes alive.

“Going into the first turn in race one, someone on the inside of me didn’t turn and a bunch of us ended up locking bars. From there I had no control of the bike and ended up going end for end down the track. My wrist hurt instantly but I got back on the bike to see if I could get around and I just wanted to finish the race.

“After the race, I looked at my wrist and I thought it was broken as it was pretty swollen and there was a lot of pain. I had treatment from the RACESAFE team who worked on it for a while, strapped it up as best as they could and said that they felt I could race, so I lined up again for the second moto.

“I did the best I could and I never gave up all day. It is so frustrating as I felt unreal in qualifying but it’s not over yet and I’m going to do whatever I can to ensure I’m ready to race at Horsham in two weeks’ time.

“Thank you to the RACESAFE guys and also to the team for keeping me going all weekend,” Pozniak ends.

The focus now shifts to round four of the MX Nationals in Horsham, Victoria where Dyce will be looking to consolidate his lead while Pozniak will seek treatment on his wrist and be in a race against time to be ready.

To follow the Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team on social media: www.facebook.com/YamalubeYamahaRacing or @yamaha_yamaha_racing on Instagram.

For more information on the MX Nationals; www.mxnationals.com.au