Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris and Dylan Long have finished third and fourth respectively in SX1 division at the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship after the final round of racing was completed in extreme conditions on Saturday night.

Consistent rain throughout the day turned the pristine Jimboomba course into a mud bog that had riders and teams scrambling to keep their machines circulating as standing water and mud made it more than challenging but both CDR riders battled through the conditions to post respectable results.

Ferris started the round in third place and just two points behind the second place rider, Dan Reardon. Given the treacherous conditions, he was even a chance at taking the championship as only 20 points separated the top three riders and it was anyone’s race once the rain began to fall.

The Kyogle resident started his day well, posting the fastest lap time in qualifying but starts, not crashing and vision were the keys to the meeting once racing got under way. Unfortunately, none of those went Ferris’ way once the gates dropped in the SX1 main event.

Ferris didn’t get off the gate well and as a result, was plastered in mud and water as the field roared into the first turn. From then on it was survival as he struggled for vision before crashing a few times and even at one stage had to pull into the mechanics area to clean his grips and get some fresh gloves so he could hang onto the bike.

Despite all the drama, he managed to claim a sixth-place finish and lock down his third place in the SX1 championship.

“It was a tough main event,” Ferris shrugged at the end of the night. “Conditions were terrible but that’s the way it goes with dirt bikes and we have to deal with them and I just didn’t adjust well enough in the final.

“Once I fell the first time, it was really hard to grip the bike has your hands, knees and boots just slip off and you need to muscle it around in conditions like this. I tried to keep going and get through but I fell again and had to stop to get new gloves and my grips cleaned off so I at least had half a chance.

“It was a disappointing way to finish the championship and a tough night for the team. Third is ok but I’m a racer and I’m determined to get better at supercross and win this championship in the future.

“Thank you to everyone at CDR Yamaha for not only tonight but the entire season and they as much as anyone deserve a break to refresh for next year. I look forward to a few quiet weeks myself before getting stuck into the 2018 season,” he concludes.

It was also a challenging night for team mate, Dylan Long, who finished up in eighth place in the main event. Long’s night started with a big crash in the heat race where his YZ450F was bent and twisted but the CDR Yamaha team rallied to have the bike straightened out and ready to go for the final.

Long crashed twice during the main event, each time losing a position on the water-logged track. He rounded the first lap in sixth place but slipped to eighth in conditions that had riders in survival mode, not battling for championships.

“What a terrible way to finish the year,” Long said. “No one can control the weather, so you can’t blame anyone but it wasn’t much fun out there and the longer the race went on, the harder it was to ride.

“I’m pretty happy to finish the championship in fourth place as this is the first time I have completed the Supercross championship since I started racing a 450 and the guys ahead of me all have a lot of international experience.

“It has been awesome working with the CDR Yamaha team and I feel sorry for Brad today as I put him under the pump to have my bike ready for the main event after the crash in the heat. But he and the team got it done and I can’t thank them enough.

“My year started off pretty slowly but the last half has been good and I love riding, racing and being a part of the CDR Yamaha team. Thank you to everyone here for their help, support and encouragement this year,” long ends.

That is season over for the CDR Yamaha team as there are no more contracted races for 2017. The team will tidy up any loose ends for the year before beginning preparations for the 2018 season.

To follow the CDR Yamaha team on social media: www.facebook.com/cdryamaha

For a full list of results: https://speedhive.mylaps.com/Events/1480955