Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris has made it back-to-back Motul MX Nationals championships after clinching the MX1 crown with a round to spare at Toowoomba, Queensland, today.

There was no stopping the former MXGP regular at the penultimate stop of the season, going on the take his eighth overall in nine rounds aboard the factory-backed YZ450F.

In the opening encounter KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs captured the hole-shot ahead of Luke Clout (Crankt Protein Honda Racing) and Super Pole winner Brett Metcalfe (Mega Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki), but it was Ferris who would swoop into the lead by lap two.

Ferris went on to fend off Gibbs in the open stages to take a well-earned victory by 12.336s. Gibbs was a distant second, as Metcalfe held third in the first half before a mistake saw him forced to pull in, ultimately recording a DNF result.

American Kyle Peters (Wilson Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki) capitalised for third, followed by Nathan Crawford (Mega Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Todd Waters (Crankt Protein Honda Racing). Sixth through to 10th was Kade Mosig (DPH Motorsport Yamaha), Dylan Long (CDR Yamaha), Luke Styke (KTM Motocross Racing Team), Clout – who crashed in the opening laps – and Lachlan Davis (KTM).

Gibbs piloted his KTM SX-F 450 to yet another hole-shot in race two, but it was short-lived as Ferris stole the lead within a matter of corners. The number one rode a flawless race to take his eighth round victory of the year, clinching the MX1 title in the process with a round to spare.

Despite his best efforts, Gibbs was forced to accept second, as Peters pulled three for third to back up his race one result. Mosig and Crawford were fourth and fifth respectively, as the top 10 was completed by Clout, Styke, Long, Metcalfe and Waters.

It was Ferris who captured the overall ahead of Gibbs, a rejuvenated Peters, Crawford and Mosig, while in the championship standings Ferris is untouchable, 80 points ahead of Gibbs, who is a further 64 in front of the ever-consistent Mosig.

Coolum’s 10th and final round of the championship will be contested next weekend, 19-20 August, in Queensland to cap off the season.