Image: Foremost Media.

Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

Serco Yamaha riders proved they have the speed to mix it with the best in the Australian Supercross Championship despite neither rider landing on the podium at the opening round of the championship, held at Jimboomba-X Stadium, over the weekend.

Wilson Todd and US import Jacob Hayes, both had speed to burn in the 15 lap, SX2 (250cc) main event on Saturday afternoon, but mishaps and mistakes prevented them from reaching the podium and both are determined to get things back on track at round two of the championship.

At his first event in Australia, Jacob Hayes, charged through from a terrible start in the final that saw him outside the top 15 on the opening lap, to make it all the way back to fifth place and closing in on fourth at a rapid rate of knots by the end of the race.

Hayes sliced through the field on the tight Jimboomba circuit and posting a fifth place finish was a well-constructed ride considering his position in the opening laps. He proved consistent throughout the entire day and believes he will be better for the hit out after landing in Australia just two weeks ago.

“It’s good to get the first round out of the way and get back into the swing of racing,” Hayes commented. “Things have gone well with the Serco Yamaha team since I have got here, and it was good to just experience how the events are run, the competition I race against and just get a good feel for how things are over here.

“I’m sure that I’m capable of much better results and they will come over the next few rounds. But the team and bike are great and now that I have that little bit of experience under my belt, things will get better from here,” Hayes warns.

It was a case of a couple of costly mistakes for Wilson Todd that kept him from the podium. The reigning Australian MX2 Motocross Champion was in good position early in the race and briefly moved into second before coming together with another rider and being forced off the track. He regained his composure and began to get things back on his terms only to go down at mid race distance when he was in third.

After the fall, he dropped as low as ninth before making a couple of late passes to claw his way back to seventh by race end. It wasn’t the result Todd was after as his lead up preparation has been impressive. His lap times in the practice and qualifying were right on the money and Todd is a skilled and experienced supercross racer.

“I’m disappointed with the final on Saturday,” Todd recalls. “I passed one of the US guys just before the whoops, then suddenly we hit at the end of the whoops and I’m off the track and trying to get control of my bike.

“I was able to get going again but then I lost traction on one of the slick spots on the track and went down while I was in third. From there, I think I forget how to ride a dirt bike and struggled to the end of the race.

“But, I’m determined to get things back on track at round two. We have a couple of weeks off before the next round so I will keep working hard and learn from some of the things I could have done better in the weekend. Seventh isn’t a great start to the series but I will bounce back and there isn’t much room for error over the next four rounds,” Todd said.

Round two will be at the Coolum Pines motocross circuit, on the Sunshine Coast, on a purpose-built track especially for the event. Again, it will be a day event taking place on Saturday October 6.