Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

Serco Yamaha’s Wilson Todd made a glorious return form at rounds three and four of the MX Nationals, where he surged to the top of the MX2 (250cc) championship, after a season defining weekend at the challenging Wonthaggi circuit in Victoria.

After facing a hard pack and slippery round one and a clay based rut fest at round two, riders faced soft and loamy conditions at the MX Nationals for the first time this year and with two rounds held over the weekend, it certainly changed the shape of the MX2 championship.

Todd had an inconsistent start to his weekend where he claimed pole position and the all-important first pick of the starting gate for moto one. But he didn’t get the jump he required and was buried mid pack in the early stages of the race. But even when he was able to some clear track, he wasn’t able to really impact the race and had to settle for an uninspiring seventh place.

But this disappointment on moto one sparked a fire inside the North Queenslander and with a head full of steam, he kicked it up a gear or two for the remainder of the weekend. He charged to the lead in moto two on Saturday and never let it go where he combined 7-1 results saw him land in third spot on the podium but more importantly, gain some confidence in his riding.

Sunday came and despite the wet conditions, there was simply no stopping Todd and he claimed both race victories and with it his first-round win of the season. The three wins from four moto starts results, combined with a tough day for team mate and previous red plate holder, Nathan Crawford, now sees Todd in the championship lead with a 16-point margin of his Serco Yamaha stable mate.

“Getting that race win on Saturday was just a relief and a reminder to myself that I can win races and this is where I belong. The last two months I have put in plenty of hard work so I knew that it was coming and I was improving, I just needed to get that first win on the board and really kickstart my season.

“To come into the weekend so many points down, but to leave with a 16 point lead is hard to believe but that’s how it goes sometimes and I really need keep working hard as there are plenty of riders in the MX2 class capable of winning races and big points swings won’t be uncommon if you are having a bad day or have issues.

“Thank you to the Serco Yamaha team and all our sponsors for the long hours in the lead up and over the weekend. My YZ250F was sweet and my focus now is to keep the momentum rolling at Murray Bridge next week.”

For team mate Nathan Crawford, it was a weekend of highs and lows that saw him increase his lead in the championship on Saturday then see it ripped away on Sunday.

Crawford entered round three in great form, having won both motos at round two and carrying the leaders red plate into Wonthaggi. And on Saturday, the train remained firmly on the track with Nathan powering his YZ250F home to 2-2 results that saw him claim second for the round and snare a few extra points in the championship chase.

But that turned to despair on Sunday when he fell in the early stages in race one while inside the top five and doing dome damage to his shoulder. He was able to remount and get back in the race to finish up a very respectable sixth place and limit the point loss.

But moto two his luck went out the window when his bike came to a halt just three or four laps into the race and he was forced to withdraw from the race and cop a 35point loss to Todd.

He now sits in second place in the championship, 16 points arears of Todd, but is determined to get things back on track next week at round five of the championship.

“I’m not really sure what to say,” Crawford laments. “The weekend started well and although I didn’t win on Saturday, my riding was good and I did exactly what I needed to do. I gained a few points in the championship, felt good on the bike and made quick passes when I needed things to happen so I was confident I could do the same on Sunday.

“But it wasn’t to be. I tweaked my shoulder in race one when I fell but it came good by the end of the moto and I was able to get back to sixth place in a pretty good ride. But it wasn’t strong in race two so I will get it checked out this week and see if there are any issues.

“But, the boys will get the bike sorted, I will get my body sorted and I plan on getting things back on track at Murray Bridge this weekend,” he said.