Post-race updates from the MX1 and MX2 classes at round five of the 2018 Pirelli MX Nationals, direct from Murray Bridge in South Australia.

Image: Foremost Media.

Pirelli MX2 practice/qualifying (results only):
1. Hamish Harwood 1m42.040s
2. Jay Wilson 1m42.295s
3. Kale Makeham 1m42.617s
4. Wilson Todd 1m42.820s
5. Dylan Wills 1m42.945s
6. Egan Mastin 1m43.361s
7. Kyle Webster 1m43.645s
8. Aaron Tanti 1m43.786s
9. Jayden Rykers 1m44.743s
10. Cooper Pozniak 1m45.030s
11. Jy Roberts 1m45.180s
12. Isaac Ferguson 1m45.462s
13. Kaleb Barham 1m45.519s
14. Joel Evans 1m45.875s
15. Cody Dyce 1m46.656s
16. Sam Pelz 1m46.874s
17. Tomas Ravenhorst 1m47.165s
18. Lochie Latimer 1m47.174s
19. Ricky Latimer 1m47.301s
20. James Brown 1m47.810s

Thor MX1 practice/qualifying/Super Pole (results only):
1. Kirk Gibbs 1m37.083s
2. Dean Ferris 1m37.230s
3. Luke Clout 1m37.373s
4. Kade Mosig 1m37.618s
5. Brett Metcalfe 1:38.465
6. Dylan Long 1m39.386s
7. Mitch Evans 1m39.457s
8. Caleb Ward 1m39.738s
9. Rhys Carter 1m41.186s
10. Daniel Banks 1m41.776s
11. Connor Tierney 1m42.153s
12. Riley Graham 1m42.528s
13. Mitch Norris 1m43.528s
14. Zak Small 1m43.661s
15. Corey James 1m43.794s
16. Izak Maule 1m43.952s
17. Joel Wightman 1m43.984s
18. Joel Green 1m44.217s
19. Keiron Hall 1m44.231s
20. James Alen 1m44.503s

Pirelli MX2 moto one:
Defending national MX2 champion Egan Mastin put forward a commanding performance in the opening Pirelli MX2 moto of the round, launching to the hole-shot and controlling the moto from there. Mastin picked up his first race win of the season since joining KTM Motocross Racing Team and switching to the 250 SX-F, extending his advantage to 9.172s during the 30-minute plus one lap encounter. Behind the number one, current points leader Wilson Todd (Serco Yamaha) rode a controlled race for second, holding Kyle Webster (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing) at bay, as top qualifier Hamish Harwood (Davey Motorsports KTM) and Dylan Wills (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna) filled the top five. It was a strong result for privateer Kale Makeham (Yamaha) in P6, narrowly ahead of rookie Jy Roberts (Husqvarna), with Jayden Rykers (Raceline Pirelli KTM), Joel Evans (Husqvarna) and Aaron Tanti (Complete Parts Kawasaki Racing Team) 10th. Disaster struck Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Jay Wilson in the early laps, his YZ250F coming to a halt and forcing him out of the moto.

1. Egan Mastin
2. Wilson Todd
3. Kyle Webster
4. Hamish Harwood
5. Dylan Wills
6. Kale Makeham
7. Jy Roberts
8. Jayden Rykers
9. Joel Evans
10. Aaron Tanti
11. Kaleb Barham
12. Cooper Pozniak
13. Ricky Latimer
14. Tomas Ravenhorst
15. Isaac Ferguson
16. Lochie Latimer
17. Lachlan Wilson
18. Sam Pelz
19. Glen Segeri
20. Chandler Burns

Thor MX1 moto one:
It was a battle royale in the opening Thor MX1 moto as KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Luke Clout stormed to the lead out of the gates and led the first 25 minutes. Coming under all kinds of pressure from dominant defending champion Dean Ferris (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team) – who worked his way forward from outside the top five – it was a defining ride from Clout, who tried to best to retaliate when Ferris made his way by in the closing minutes. From there Ferris went on to win by 5.662s, ahead of Clout and his teammate Kirk Gibbs (KTM Motocross Racing Team), the Super Pole winner who had to throw his goggles in the race’s second half. Another South Australian in Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) was fourth across the line, two seconds in arrears of Clout, while Kiwi Rhys Carter (Complete Parts Kawasaki Racing) pressed through to fifth. In sixth and seventh came rookie duo Mitch Evans (Raceline Pirelli KTM) and Caleb Ward (Davey Motorsports Husqvarna), with a fast-starting Dylan Long (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team), Kade Mosig (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna) and top independent Connor Tierney (Yamaha) closing out the top 10.

1. Dean Ferris
2. Luke Clout
3. Kirk Gibbs
4. Brett Metcalfe
5. Rhys Carter
6. Mitch Evans
7. Caleb Ward
8. Dylan Long
9. Kade Mosig
10. Connor Tierney
11. Corey James
12. Joel Wightman
13. Mitch Norris
14. Keiron Hall
15. Riley Graham
16. Joel Green
17. David Birch
18. Beau Dargel
19. Charlie Creech
20. Daniel Banks

Pirelli MX2 moto two:
The second MX2 moto was dominated by class newcomer Roberts, making full use of his hole-shot to remain composed out front and that’s where he remained. Roberts showed maturity beyond his experience to lead from the front, eventually crossing the finish 7.126s ahead of last year’s Murray Bridge victor Harwood, with Todd rounding out the podium in another consistent effort. Usual suspects Webster and Tanti were fourth and fifth respectively, with Wilson rebounding from his race one DNF to capture sixth this time out, ahead of Wills, Makeham, Kaleb Barham (Mladin Racing Husqvarna) and Isaac Fergusson (KTM). In 11th was moto one winner Mastin, forced to recover from a first turn fall, but bumping himself out of contention for the overall podium. Instead it was Todd who extended his championship lead with the overall, ahead of Harwood and Roberts in what was a breakthrough result in his pro career.

1. Jy Roberts
2. Hamish Harwood
3. Wilson Todd
4. Kyle Webster
5. Aaron Tanti
6. Jay Wilson
7. Dylan Wills
8. Kale Makeham
9. Kaleb Barham
10. Isaac Ferguson
11. Egan Mastin
12. Joel Evans
13. Jayden Rykers
14. Cooper Pozniak
15. Cody Dyce
16. James Brown
17. Sam Pelz
18. Tomas Ravenhorst
19. Jordan Hill
20. Chandler Burns

Thor MX1 moto two:
Moto two of the premier class has resulted in the perfect run of Ferris to date this season coming to an end, as Mosig delivered his first victory of the year aboard the DPH-prepared FC 450. After getting out front from the outset, Mosig was able to keep the number one plate-holder at bay by 1.713s at the conclusion of the 30 minutes, with Gibbs rounding out the top three, albeit near 20 seconds in arrears of the leaders at the head of the field. Fourth was a stronger ride from Long this time out, followed directly by Ward, as Metcalfe, Clout after a more difficult start this time out, Evans, Carter and Tierney completed the top 10. Overall for the round it was Ferris who still managed to make it five from five overall in 2018, trailed by the ever-consistent Gibbs and Mosig, who made it consecutive round podiums on his behalf heading into the annual mid-season break.

1. Kade Mosig
2. Dean Ferris
3. Kirk Gibbs
4. Dylan Long
5. Caleb Ward
6. Brett Metcalfe
7. Luke Clout
8. Mitch Evans
9. Rhys Carter
10. Connor Tierney
11. Zak Small
12. Corey James
13. Mitch Norris
14. Keiron Hall
15. David Birch
16. Joel Wightman
17. Joel Green
18. Charlie Creech
19. Izak Maule
20. Levi McManus