A selection of riders detail round two of the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship in Victoria. Team and privateer competitors can submit comments to [email protected] by Monday afternoon after events for inclusion in the post-event Quotebook feature.

SX1

Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

Nick Schmidt (Wilson Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki) – Sixth overall:
We had two weekends off after the first round, and we put in a lot of work with the team and with the suspension. My suspension guy did an amazing job and we made some big improvements. I had a bit of bad luck in the heat race here, I tipped it over again but it’s part of racing and the main event was good. We made a couple of changes during the day and they paid off. I got into about fourth at the half way point, but I just got a little tight and made some mistakes. We know we have the pace to run with the top guys, and we finished sixth tonight so it was good. Hopefully we can get on the podium in two week’s time.

Luke Wilson (Wilson Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki) – 12th overall:
The weekend was definitely better than the first round. I put my head down and worked hard, and although I’m still not where I want to be, this was a step in the right direction. I just rode smooth in the main event, I did everything I could to get the result and just kept working, so we ended up in 12th which isn’t too bad. The track was crazy. It was super hard pack. It was one of those rounds where you just needed to get through safe and healthy, so we’ll go back now and work harder so we can be even better in South Australia.

Kade Mosig (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) – ninth overall:
Feeling good after the heat race. I had an ok start and began working my way forward and by mid race I’d gotten past Reardon and into a podium position, but a mistake in the whoops put me off the track and on the ground. Once I got going again, it was tough to find my rhythm again and battled my way back to ninth. It’s not the night I had planned, but my speed was there, I just need to nail my starts and stay consistent, and I can achieve my goal,

Luke Clout (Crankt Protein Honda Racing) – Seventh overall:
We had a really good day going and I was second fastest. We had some really good speed going and I was second behind Justin [Brayton] in qualifying. I was leading my heat race and that was really good to get out front, but I went down in the whoops and we finished fifth in that one. In the main event I got a good start and I was running in third before I put it down again. I think my speed and everything is there, but we’ve just got to fine-tune some little things and I think we’ll be on the podium in the coming rounds.

Todd Waters (Crankt Protein Honda Racing) – Third overall:
I’m stoked, this was one of the hardest days of racing for me. Unfortunately I hurt my knee during the week, I came in after qualifying and I was beside myself. Basically I was just over riding injured, but dad said to just go out there and ride my laps, and that’s really what I did. With the result, for what the day was, I’m stoked, but I’m not really impressed with my riding overall. But we’ll go back, get make sure we’re healthy and I’m looking forward to round three in Adelaide now where we can go in with a good position in the championship.

Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing) – First overall:
It was a great night. I qualified first and was lapping faster than the competition all night. The track was really slick in some areas but my Dunlop’s were amazing in these conditions. Things are going well, testing has proved valuable and my Honda feels like it’s on rails, I can’t wait to get to Adelaide for round three.

Jesse Dobson (Penrite Honda Racing) – DNF:
Tonight was tough – we had a plan as I was battling with a shoulder injury but I crashed in the main event and didn’t finish. I will get some scans this week and we will access what the future holds following the reports.

Joel Wightman (Penrite CRF Honda Racing) – 13th overall:
Round two featured a really technical track, as the dirt went hard packed and broke away, plus when you throw in the moisture coming up at night, it was a tough gig to nail the big rhythm sections every lap, not to mention the big whoops were a real challenge as well. I had a tip over in my Heat race and finished eighth but I managed to get a good gate down the inside for the Final. But I missed the reaction of the gate drop just a fraction and that was enough to put me back. Still, I was running in 11th and felt comfortable, but I pushed the front into a berm and went down in the mid stages of the race. But I regathered and managed to finish 13th, and I’m 12th in the standings, so now I’m looking forward to round three in two weeks time in Adelaide.

Dan Reardon (Mega Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Fifth overall:
The last two rounds have been hard pack and not something overly expected so bike setup has been crucial so that was a focus point during practice and qualifying. I went down in the heat race, lost the front end and tore my glove off which was a strange crash and that left us in a position that wasn’t ideal for the main event, but I was still confident. I got out there ok but got caught up in the first and second turns. I was around 8th and worked my way to fourth or so but then I crashed again to go back to 8th or so. I had to play catch up once again and I eventually ran out of laps. It was a frustrating round because it just didn’t really go the way I would have liked it to but I feel good and I didn’t hurt myself. It’s such a short championship and every point is so important. If tracks are going to be as hard packed as the first two rounds, we need to do more testing so we can be ready and we can come out swinging once again.

Nathan Crawford (Mega Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Eighth overall:
I had a little crash and hurt my wrist a bit which set me back for the main event. I did get a decent start in the main event though and my wrist was really swore. I ended up in 8th which was not too bad considering but I definitely want to be up the front, that’s for sure. We are very confident for the next round and I just need to gel with the tracks to get quicker and not have any silly crashes.

SX2

Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

Gavin Faith (Penrite Honda Racing) – First overall:
Honestly I was worried I wasn’t going to race, I jarred my wrist really badly in the heat race and had to go the LCQ. The team and I spoke and we decided that I would race to the best of my ability in the main and focus on earning points towards the championship. I felt I had his speed and was quicker in some areas, the pain wasn’t affecting my riding. After a rough start to the night following my crash, I am pleased to walk away leading the championship. Thanks to the team for the efforts they went to with my bike and testing following round one. It was a different bike tonight.

Egan Mastin (KTM Motocross Racing Team) – Seventh:
I got tangled with a few riders at turn one and almost crashed, so we got off to a literally dead-last start, but I came through to seventh and I felt solid – so I was happy. It was my first time getting a supercross main under my belt, and it was a challenging track. There were some pretty big sections and the whoops were difficult and caught a few riders out, but we got around it. I’m happy with the overall result. After the motocross championship I know there’s a little bit of an expectation of me, but I just have to take my time and I know the results will come. I just have to do my own thing – you can’t go in there and be crazy straight away. I know it will come so I don’t let it get to me at all. I’m enjoying supercross already and I can’t wait to do more of it in the future. It’s good to do something a bit different.

Kyle Webster (Penrite CRF Honda Racing) – DNF:
I went over the bars on a dragon’s back section and the bike landed on my back. The impact broke my T7, T8, T9 and T10 vertebrae and for a short time I lost feeling from my waist down. Thankfully, though, that was just the spine in shock, and I have regained feeling and have full movement again. The Racesafe crew were immediately on the scene and I have to pay them a huge vote of thanks, because who knows how this could have played out without their care and expertise. It was a frightening experience and a situation where you really want experienced and caring people around you. I’d also like to say thanks to my carers, Mick and Linda Lillis, who have been at my bedside in hospital throughout, my closest friends and family, everyone on the Penrite CRF Honda Racing team, and all the other riders, families, friends and fans who have wished me well – all the support is so appreciated. Unfortunately this is a part of the sport we all love. But overall I am okay and once we get through the surgery on Wednesday, then we can look ahead to taking the recovery one stage at a time.

Jay Wilson (Raceline Pirelli KTM) – Fifth overall:
Today could have turned out very differently, so to finish in fifth in the main event and with solid points, we’re happy. Before the weekend I actually came down with a stomach bug and we were battling that all day, so to salvage a fifth on a bad day is positive – on a track like that you needed to be on you’re A-game, and we weren’t able to bring that this weekend so to get through safe and healthy and with a consistent result is an achievement. For me, it’s about the bigger picture – you can’t win a championship at Round 2 but you can definitely lose it. We rode smart and calculated tonight, we did what we needed to. We are only 13 points off the lead and three points off second with a lot of races to go, so we will keep working.

Morgan Fogarty (Raceline Pirelli KTM) – 12th overall:
My night was surprisingly good. I am happy with how it ended, I’m in one piece and I achieved what I set out to. I got into the main event, and I got through the whole race – I made some passes, but I didn’t get the best start so that’s what I’ll be working on. The track was pretty crazy, and that first race out there was a bit nerve racking but we all have to do it at some point, and it’s good that we were able to achieve a lot of our goals tonight.

Wilson Todd (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) – Third overall:
I’m really happy to come away with a podium. I was one of the last gate picks since I had to go via the LCQ, and it put me a little further back in the pack, but I just concentrated on my own race, working my way past people. I feel like I deserve to be up here, so hopefully I can get a good start next round and move further up the podium.

Hayden Mellross (DPH Motosport Yamaha) – DNF:
I’m disappointed to come away from the track with a DNF. I was comfortable, controlling the pace and the gap back to Gavin (Faith), but a hay bale had come loose on the track as I rounded the corner and I couldn’t avoid it, landing heavily. I’m pretty sore right now, but I’ve got two weeks to heal up and concentrate on winning some races.