Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha rider, Hugh McKay, started the second half of the MX Nationals the same way as he kicked off in round one, victorious, after taking the round win in the MXD class at the MX Nationals on the weekend.

McKay took the round win and is now just five points away from the series leader in a successful weekend of racing for the hard-working Tasmanian rider. He finished the day with 1-3 results showing both speed and consistency in a class that is often unpredictable.

Moto one saw him take over the race lead on lap three and from there he was never headed. He managed to keep a cool head and held his challenges at bay for the perfect start to round six. Moto two had him fighting from deep in the pack as he rounded the first lap just inside the top 10. But he continued to fight all the way to the finish lane and take a well-earned third place finish and with it the round victory.

“Myself and the team worked pretty hard over the break and addressed some of the things we didn’t do well in the first half of the series,” McKay explains. “I was determined to come out this weekend and ride well and get things back on track and it was rewarding that I was able to do it and have now put myself in a good position in the series with four rounds to go.

“The WBR Yamaha team have been great and they again worked hard all weekend at Conondale. My bike was awesome and it was set up well for a track that isn’t easy to get your bike right on.

“The plan now is to keep this momentum going and ride well all the way through to Coolum,” McKay ends.

Unfortunately, it was the polar opposite for teammate, Bailey Malkiewicz. Malkiewicz entered the round as the series points leader but had a weekend he would like to forget as he struggled to 18-6 results for 12th overall on the day.

The first race was a nightmare as he was inside the lead group on the opening lap only to hit the back of the rider in front of him and go down. As he got to his feet and collected his bike and thoughts, the entire field roared past and Malkiewicz was a distant last at the end of lap one. He then mounted a spirited charge that saw him back inside the top 20 by the midday point, only to go down again and start the climb all over again. He could only manage 18th place in a frustrating race.

The second race faired a little better as he raced to sixth place but still not happy with riding or his results. He now sits in fourth place and plenty of time to bridge the gap to the series leader.

“I just struggled all weekend,” he lamented. “I couldn’t get a good feel for the track and then just made some mistakes that saw me on the ground and having to come through the field.

“It was just an off weekend and I know that’s not how I race or what I can do. I will bounce back at Raymond Terrace and get things going again as I have done the work and ready to go, just this weekend wasn’t good for me.

“It’s not the end of the world but it won’t happen again,” Malkiewicz said.

Rounds seven and eight will be on a huge double header weekend on July 14 and 15 at the Raymond Terrace track. With just 18 points separating the top four riders in the MXD division, it will come down to the wire in the final moto at Coolum before a winner can be determined.