Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

With the 2018 racing season in full swing, there were plenty of events across the country that saw Yamaha supported riders in action and standing on the top step of the podium.

The opening round of the Australian Off-Road Championships were conducted at Gympie in Queensland over the weekend in near perfect conditions. The Active8 Yamalube Yamaha team of Luke Styke and Josh Green finished first and second in their classes respectively while Michael Driscoll won the under 19 division in a great first outing for the team.

But it was the girls that dominated proceedings with Jemma Wilson taking the double win over the weekend and continue her domination of Women’s off road in Australia. In behind her was fellow Yamaha mounted riders Emelie Karlsson and Jess Gardiner who fought over the final podium positions. Karlsson finished with 3-2 results while Gardiner took a 2-3 finish to make it an all Yamaha podium both days at the season opener.

With the MX Nationals just around the corner, many of the countries best motocross riders converged on the rolling hills of Toowoomba’s Echo Valley circuit for the annual Mountain Man event. It is an all capacity open event that sees 40 riders race three back to back 10minute races before a 30minute feature event to end the day. Highest points scorer over the four motos is crowned as Mountain Man.

CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris again proved why he has the number 1 plated bolted to his YZ450F as he won all four races contested. Infact, the final moto was a riding clinic from Ferris as he charged around the Echo Valley circuit. Ferris looked in fine form and looks to be well prepared heading into the MX Nationals with just four weeks to go before the opening round.

Plenty of Yamaha’s made up the top 10 with Serco Yamaha’s Nathan Crawford the highest placed 250cc rider, coming home in fourth place while team mate Wilson Todd landed in sixth. Yamalube Yamaha’s Jay Wilson and Richie Evans were eighth and ninth respectively in some spirited racing inside the top 10 in a high quality field.

Yamaha Junior Racing (YJR) riders were also in action across several events with races held at Horsham, Nowra and Rockhampton. Horsham hosted the Amateur MX event with Alex Larwood and Ryder Kingsford staring for the YJR team. Larwood dominated his 85cc class, winning both motos and then backed that up with a fourth on his YZ125. Kingsford claimed the win in his 85cc division also taking two moto wins.

Nowra hosted a NSW state qualifier with Bayley Clancy coming home third in the 125cc class with 1-4-3 results. And finally, Levi Rogers flew the YJR flag in Rockhampton for the CQ series event that saw him take the win in the 125 class with a clean sweep of all four motos and he snared third place on his 250F with 3-3-3-1 results.