Josh Cachia's Wonthaggi MX2 podium was JDR/KTM's first of 2012. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Victorian Josh Cachia was able to gift JDR/KTM Factory Racing its first podium of the 2012 season at Wonthaggi, cementing himself as the team’s one and only hope for a Monster Energy MX Nationals title this year.

The team has been plagued by injury this season, with Cachia now ranking as the two-time defending MX2 champion team’s only chance at the title after just three rounds of racing.

Cachia scored a superb win to open his account for the weekend before sealing his spot on the rostrum with fourth and seventh place results in the proceeding motos.

Cachia is now placed fourth in the series, again benefiting from fast starts as he has all season on the 250 SX-F. Between he and teammate Ryan Marmont, they’re nine from nine in the holeshot department.

“The day went good, in the first race I got the holeshot and felt good,” Cachia said. “My corner speed was flowing and I ended up just riding away with it. Ford put a bit of pressure on me but I ended up surviving his attack.

“In the second race I got another holeshot and was behind Stykesy for a little bit, but the lines had changed after the first one and those guys got onto the new lines quicker than me. I sucked for a while and the class is fast, so I didn’t have it.

“For the last one I got a good start and a couple of strong dudes came through, I knew they’d be strong the whole moto, so I went into survival mode. I ended up third overall and I’m stoked.”

Cachia will be the team’s lone 250F rider at Wanneroo next weekend since Marmont has been ruled out following his crash on Sunday, and Brenden Harrison continues to recuperate after pre-season surgery.

Lone JDR/KTM Factory Racing MX1 contender Dan Reardon finished 13th for the round on the 450 SX-F, struggling to gel with the circuit as he and the team continue to work toward improvement during the season. The former champion ended the round with a scorecard of 11-12-16 finishes.