Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

It was a massive weekend of racing last weekend as rounds four and five of the MX Nationals played out on the popular Murray Bridge circuit. The fast and flowing layout produced plenty of great racing and the double header format kept riders and teams busy all weekend.

It now also marks the half way point in the championship and all Yamaha teams and riders are well placed but still face a lot of racing laps before any championships are decided.

The month long break in the calendar also gives riders and teams and change to evaluate the first half of the series, make any needed changes and hit the business end of the championship with renewed energy and vigour.

To view a Yamaha bLU cRU weekend recap of Murray Bridge: https://youtu.be/vlSo-DX_WKI

Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team – MX1
“The weekend was bittersweet for us as Luke had a good weekend where he raced well, was very consistent, was on the podium both rounds and now holds the championship lead. It wasn’t without some challenges, but he rides with determination and grit every time he hits the track and that rewarded him on the weekend.

“For Kirk, it was a bit of despair as he fell in the final moto on Saturday and injured his shoulder. As a result, he was unable to race on Sunday which effectively takes away his championship aspirations, so he was gutted as he had worked so hard to prepare for this season. The positive is that he has since had further tests and they have found his shoulder to only have a partial separation and muscle spasm so with rest and some good rehab, he should be back on the bike in three to four weeks and be able to race at round six in Gympie.

“As a team we have plans in place for the break in racing and have scheduled plenty of things that should see us well prepared for the final five rounds and give ourselves every chance of securing another MX Nationals championship.”

To view the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team round recap: https://youtu.be/XUtIArRiB8k

Gavin Eales – Serco Yamaha – MX2
“Murray Bridge was a weekend that started out pretty rough for us but we were able to turn it around and all leave there on a positive note and motivated to work hard during the break.

“Both riders are inside the top five in the championship and considering what they have faced, we are in too bad a position. Nathan has been returning from a long term injury and the time it takes to get back to the level he was at prior to his injuries considerable. I think even he underestimated the amount of time it takes for both your body and mind to recover from such serious injury so to be sitting in fourth at the half way stage is a true show of his fighting attitude.

“Aaron has had his good rounds and not so good rounds but he continues to dust himself off and continue to be in the battle every time he hits the track. His speed is there and as good as anyone in the MX2 class, we just need to add some polish to his package and he will be tough to beat on any track.

“But, we have learnt plenty of things in the first half of the season and will make the needed changes to ensure we come home strongly and give the riders every opportunity to achieve their goals and best results.”

To view the Serco Yamaha round recap: https://youtu.be/e9QpeVrbHak

Scott Bishop – Yamalube Yamaha Racing – MX1/MX2
“As a team, Murray Bridge was our best national round so far as both riders were fast and consistent across the two days and achieved several of the goals we had set with them.

“Richie had his best round of the season so far and finished where he and we believe he should. He is a talented rider who has just had some tough luck so far this year but on the weekend he entered the round fit, had no major issues during the weekend and posted very consistent results in every race.

“He set a goal of finishing all five motos inside the top eight on the weekend and he finished with 7-7 on Saturday and then 6-7-5 on Sunday, so he hit his mark and clawed his way back inside the top 10 and finished off the first half of the season in impressive fashion.

“Jay’s riding on the weekend was inspiring. He had a finger issue before round three and didn’t ride, then had to take the week off after to let his finger recover again, then just after a day on the bike, he became sick and didn’t get back on a bike until practice at Murray Bridge on Saturday morning. So, for him to bust out the speed and results that he did was based all on determination.

“He finished with 2-2-3 on Saturday to land in second place, then went 3-7 on Sunday to take fourth. I could see he was drained after Saturday, but he kept on swinging and never offered it as an excuse. He was dirty that he never made the podium on Sunday and left Murray Bridge pretty determined to get his podium run back on track at Gympie.”

To view the Yamalube Yamaha Racing round recap: https://youtu.be/J1nsPxdp9o8

Travis Whitten – WBR Yamaha – MXD
“All things considered, it was a good weekend for our team and we achieved some good results as well as progress in the boys riding. Sometimes the results can be deceiving but, on the weekend both Max and Jack put in a big effort that we could see from the sidelines.

“Max rides soft surfaces well but Murray Bridge wasn’t as soft and deep as usual, so it was good to see him adapt and still get the job done. He won the round on Saturday with 1-2 results and his speed was good. Sunday, he finished with 1-3 scores to take second so every race he had he finished inside the top 3 and that’s what is required to stay in contention for a championship. He is 17 points from the lead, but we still have a long way to go, so we must all keeping working hard as a lot can happen in five rounds.

“Jack suffered a knee injury at Christmas and as a result, he had no pre-season, so he has been trying to race his way back into shape each weekend. He was better again at Murray Bridge and his starts were good which gave him much better track position that the other rounds. He was able to run up front for a while each day and learn the pace at the top of the field but unfortunately, he fell in the final moto and couldn’t finish the last moto. He is sore and beat up but otherwise ok so he will now knuckle down and get some good training under his belt, so we can see him at his best for the final half of the year.”

To view the WBR Yamaha round recap: https://youtu.be/4lqDtjeU4wY