Raceline Pirelli KTM press release:

Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Morgan Fogarty collected his second podium of the season in the Pirelli MXD class yesterday, in what was a positive day for the team at Round 5 of the MX Nationals at Murray Bridge.

With the mid-season break kicking off following racing yesterday afternoon, both Fogarty and MX2 pilot Jayden Rykers were determined to finish the first half of the season with a positive result in South Australia, and for Fogarty that’s exactly what he did.

Victorian based 17-year-old Fogarty qualified well down the charts at Murray Bridge, setting the tenth fastest time and with a large task ahead of him when racing kicked off. However, when gates dropped yesterday, Fogarty remained focussed – racing to consistent 3,5 moto finishes awarding him third overall at Round 5.

“Round five was good for us – we ended up third overall which is a good way to go into the mid-season break,” Fogarty shared.

“Moto one was pretty good, I got off to a great start and made my way up to third. I was battling with the top two guys which is where I want to be.

“In moto two I got off to another good start and was in third but I had a little fall which put me back to fifth and finished there.

“All in all it was a positive weekend for us. We have a bit of a break now so we’ll keep working hard and then finish off the last part of the season strong.”

Unfortunately for Rykers in the MX2 class, the weekend’s outing at Murray Bridge was one he would rather put behind him. Rykers qualified in seventh place aboard his KTM SX-F 250, and then went on to record a top ten (9th) in moto one. However, moto two proved to be a challenge for the rider now based out of Victoria, wrapping up the final 20-minute race in 12th position, handing him ninth overall for the round.

“Yesterday went pear shaped. We saw improvement in some areas, all I’m missing is the start and that is so important this year,” Rykers explained.

“In moto one I was in around 25th going in to the first turn so that made things hard from there.

“In moto two the start was the same, and I got caught up with another and went down. After that I got back up and going and we managed to get back some points.

“I’m looking forward to five weeks of work and actually putting some good races together over the next five rounds.”

Following the weekend’s racing, Fogarty now sits in third position in the Pirelli MXD championship standings, while Rykers sits in ninth in the MX2 class with five rounds remaining.

The 2017 MX Nationals will now commence the mid-season break, with round six taking place at Nowra in New South Wales on Sunday, July 2. Visit the official series website at www.mxnationals.com.au for further information.

To follow Raceline Pirelli KTM’s progress this year, like ‘Raceline’ on Facebook or follow @raceline_motosport on Instagram.