Yamaha Motor Australia press release:
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team’s Dylan Long turned in his best performance of the Australian Supercross season, taking fourth place at round four of the championship, held at Gillman Speedway in Adelaide.
Long was in good form on the weekend and looked great on track on his YZ450F as he contested the premier SX1 division. With steady as you good rides so far this year, Long showed real endeavour at Adelaide that he was determined to mix it up with the established stars of the class and finished a very respectable fourth overall in a better night for him and the team.
Long raced to 6-4-2 results on the night in a much-improved night for the talented Victorian racer. His start was ordinary in the opening triple final format, but he fought back well to make it to sixth by the end of the 10-lap affair.
Race two and three saw Long start much closer to the front and he hung with the leaders throughout the racing. His fourth on the night now sees him in fifth in the overall championship with three riders fighting over the final podium spot in the series.
“Tonight was better from me and I felt really competitive in all three races. This format mixes up the points so much, so you have to keep plugging away every race and you never know how it ends up. Tonight, I was fourth, but only three points from the second so that’s good progress and hopefully I can keep that rolling into the final round in Sydney in a few weeks’ time,” Long said.
“The track was good tonight and the dirt was the best of the rounds so far. I just needed to get a start and I think I have a chance of getting a race win or two if I can get clear track early in the main events,” he concluded.
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team boss, Craig Dack, liked what he saw from Long and feels he can still salvage plenty from the final round.
“Dylan showed up to race tonight and it was pleasing to see him wanting to be in the battle and move forward. He was very close to the podium and that’s where we expect him to be.
“The chance to finish the season on the podium is still there and he is eight points off third with one round to go. Being at Qudos Bank Arena and in the very tight confines of an indoor track anything can happen so it’s the goal of the team and Dylan to finish the final round and the championship on the podium,” Dack explained.
The fifth and final round of the Australian Supercross Championship hits Qudos Bank Arena on November 10 where the local heroes like Dylan Long with be up against the current AMA Champion in Jason Anderson as well as Australian legend, Chad Reed.