Yamaha Racing press release:

With only a week between events, this weekend sees Yamaha’s factory teams travel north to Mackay for the fourth round of the Australian Motocross Championships.

After first appearing on the calendar in 2007, Gum Valley will make a welcome return to the series on Sunday and Yamaha riders Jay Marmont and Harley Quinlan will be hoping to once again finish on the top of their respective Pro Open and Under 19s  score sheets.

In the Pro Lites, Serco Yamaha rider Kirk Gibbs is hoping to have overcome the bad luck which plagued him at the previous round of the series where he was forced to retire from the final moto.

The fourth round of the 2009 Australian Motocross Championship will get underway with an official opening at 11.00am on Sunday May 24, 2009.

Pro Open Report

CDR Rockstar Yamaha is hoping to replicate their previous successes at this weekend’s event, with Jay Marmont and Cheyne Boyd both focused on delivering the team their second dual podium of the year.

As the championship nears the halfway point, Marmont believes that a strong result this weekend is vital to help cement his lead in the Pro Open category.

“I’m really excited to be racing in Mackay this weekend,” Marmont said, “The last time I raced there was in 2007 and the track was good to me,  I finished on the podium.”

“The Gum Valley track is another that suits me, it is a fast circuit and I think the fans will see a lot closer racing this weekend as many of the other guys are starting to find their feet and show a lot more speed.

“It felt unreal to control the second moto at Toowoomba and to be able to race on my terms. That is something that I am hoping to do again this weekend in order to extend my lead in the championship.”

Boyd is hoping to record his second podium of the year with the YZ450F after putting a challenging start to the year behind him.

Pro Open Championship – Series Points

1. Jay Marmont – 199 points
2. Andrew McFarlane – 186 points
3. Todd Waters – 167 points
4. Codie Mackie – 158 points
5. Cheyne Boyd – 151 points
6. Craig Anderson – 130 points
7. Cameron Taylor – 110 points
8. Brent Landman – 97 points
9. Michael Addison – 83 points
10. Ford Dale – 82 points

Pro Lites Report

After the disappointment of a DNF in Toowoomba, Serco Yamaha rider, Kirk Gibbs is out to make amends this weekend in Mackay.

Gibbs believes his preparation for the event is on track, despite heavy rain beating the Brisbane region where he lives.

“I rode yesterday and was able to do some suspension testing and work on my starts however it is flooding here today so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to ride for the rest of the week,” Gibbs said.

“Despite this, I’m feeling good for the Mackay round and I’ll just keep my off-bike fitness training going which should help me a lot as we continue to race the 30 minute race format.

“I rode at Mackay in 2007 when I received a wild card entry to compete in the Pro Lites category and I finished seventh in the second moto.  I think now with an extra two years experience under my belt and the support of the Serco Yamaha team I should be able to go even better.”

Gibb’s team-mate, Mitch Hoad also raced at Gum Valley in 2007 where he finished eighth overall.

Pro Lites Championship – Series Points

1. Luke George – 146 points
2. Matt Moss – 143 points
3. Tye Simmonds – 141 points
4. Lawson Bopping – 107 points
5. Kirk Gibbs – 104 points
6. Mitch Hoad – 91 points
7. Adam Monea – 86 points
8. Lewis Stewart – 85 points
9. Lewis Woods – 80 points
10. Christopher Gosselaar – 68 points

Under 19s Report

After equaling the championship lead at the third round of the Under 19s Championship, GYTR Yamaha Junior Development Team rider Luke Styke is hoping to forge ahead in the championship pointscore this weekend.

Styke will be joined at Gum Valley by his team-mates, Harley Quinlan and Ross Beaton who finished first and second respectively at the third round of the development series in Toowoomba.

“I’m feeling good and really looking forward to Mackay. I haven’t raced there before but have got a good idea of what the track is like after talking to a few other riders,” Styke said.

”I’m confident that the suspension issues my bike had at the last round are sorted and hope to be fighting for a podium and to extend my lead.”

Last week it was announced that Styke, Quinlan and Beaton were all selected to represent Australia at the Junior World Motocross Championships in New Zealand in August.

Under 19s Championship – Series Points

1. Luke Styke – 142 points
2. Josh Cachia – 142 points
3. Luke Arbon – 129 points
4. Harley Quinlan – 127 points
5. Dylan Peterson – 123 points
6. Ross Beaton – 118 points
7. Jason Reed – 83 points
8. Josh Kilvington – 79 points
9. Kieran Tisdale – 76 points
10. Harrison Wooding – 65 points