Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Jay Wilson has had an emotional victory at round nine of the MX Nationals, held at Gladstone on the weekend. Competing in the hotly contested MX2 division (250cc), Wilson finished with 3-2 results to claim the round win and fought back tears in the moments after crossing the finish line.

The 2015 MX2 champ has taken a long time to get back to the top step of the podium and the moment wasn’t missed on him as the joy of winning swept across his face after being informed that he had won the round.

“I had no idea I had won,” he said with surprise. “My pit-board said I needed to win the race to win the overall and I got right up to the back of Wilson Todd but never passed him, so I assumed that I didn’t get it done. Then when I stopped after the finish, I was told I did win and it was a bit overwhelming.”

Wilson started the day with the second fastest lap in qualifying and race one was an eventful affair with multiple lead changes and tip overs on a rut infested and challenging track. All the MX2 heavy hitters were up front and in the lead at some stage with Wilson Todd, Arron Tanti, Jay Wilson, Richie Evans and Kyle Webster all jostling for position in the early stages. Todd went down, Evans then moved to the lead and the racing was intense.

By race end, Hamish Harwood took the win ahead of Tanti, Wilson and Richie Evans.

Race two saw Wilson Todd and Jay Wilson break clear of the field. While not bar to bar, the pair had similar track speed and were well in advance of the others throughout the 20-minute moto. With the positions all mixed up from race one, some quick calculations were going on in the pit-board area and the on-track positions were far from settled.

In the end, Wilson took second place and with race won winner, Harwood back in fifth, it was enough for the Yamaha rider to snatch the victory by one point.

“We have all been working hard for this result and apart from one bad moto at Raymond Terrace, we have been pretty close at a lot of rounds this year, so it was nice to get it done. Both Richie and I were up front all day and results like that just lift everyone’s spirits. It’s awesome to go to the truck and everyone is happy and smiling,” Wilson said.

It was also a return to form for team mate Richie Evans who finished with 4-6 results to take fifth overall in a positive day for the north Queenslander. Evans had barely ridden since the Raymond Terrace round as he had been sidelined with an ulcer under his eye which didn’t clear up until the days leading into Gladstone.

But he turned up ready to go and qualified well to kick his day off just right. He then found himself in the lead of moto one for several laps before eventually dropping to fourth.

Moto two and despite an average start he made some good moves on the opening lap and suddenly found himself inside the top five. He even moved into third for a moment and was looking at a potential round podium, but he made a couple of mistakes in the challenging ruts that allowed some riders to get by before regathering his composure and finishing in sixth place.

“It was good to get back out there and be up front and in the battle,” Evans begins. “I haven’t lead many laps at this level before so when I got to the lead I tensed up a bit and rode tight but the more I keep putting myself there, the more comfortable I will feel.

“The track today was difficult and with the lead up I had I was pretty tired at the end of each moto but it feels good to leave here with a top five result and hopefully at Coolum I can go better again.

“Thanks to the team for their hard work and I want to finish the season on the podium at the final round.”

The final round of the MX Nationals will be on this weekend at the Coolum Pines circuit on the Sunshine Coast. Jay Wilson is closing in on a top four spot in the championship while Evans is getting back into top form and out to make every post a winner.