Image: Marc Jones.

Team Motul Suzuki’s Matt Moss has made it three-straight Penrite Australian Supercross Championship round victories to open the 2014 season, winning round three this evening at Phillip Island alongside the Tissot Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Moss again dominated the SX1 ranks with both of his heat race wins, going on to lead all 20 laps of the action-packed main event on board the 2015 model RM-Z450.

“I am happy that I won, but I don’t feel I rode well at all,” Moss explained. “I rode tight and got arm pump. The track was really technical and tough. It’s one of those tracks you just can’t push on. We are in a good position, I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

Lawson Bopping (Team Motul Suzuki) came from the lower-end of the top five, in an improvement on his starts from Bathurst, to claim an emphatic 1-2 for Suzuki in the runner-up position, while multiple-champion Jay Marmont (Penrite Honda) scored an emotion-charged third.

Bopping made his move stick on Adam Monea (NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki) during lap seven, and then moved past Jake Moss on the other factory Kawasaki one lap later – setting his sights on new teammate Moss out front. He wasn’t able to make major inroads however, finally finishing 3.783s in arrears.

“It was a night tough tonight, ” Bopping said. “It was a really hard 20-lapper. I am stoked with my result and the team is awesome. I will go home and rest so I am ready to come back and do it all again tomorrow.

“Coming back from where I was last year, I am thankful for the opportunity. It has been a long time since I have been on the podium so I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Behind the Suzuki duo it was a tight fight for third, with Marmont using his unrivalled experience to claim the spot comfortably in the end from former teammate Monea, as KTM factory riders Kirk Gibbs and rookie Jesse Dobson were a fine fifth and sixth.

Suzuki-mounted privateer Sam Martin was the final rider to finish on the lead lap in seventh, as Josh Cachia (Husqvarna Motocross Racing Team), James Booth-Elliott (Suzuki) and Kieren Tisdale (Raceline Suzuki) rounded out a mixed top 10.

After running in a podium spot early, Jake Moss’ end result of 13th again didn’t show his true potential, nor did Kade Mosig’s (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) 15th position – both encountering difficulties in the closing laps.

Defending champion Matt Moss now holds a handy 13-point lead over Monea in the standings, with Bopping closing to within two points of him in third.

Image: Marc Jones.

In the 15-lap SX2 main event, it was Kale Makeham (Tunetech Racing KTM) who led the early laps, until Penrite Honda’s Gavin Faith took charge on lap five and was never headed – claiming his second win of the season in succession by a commanding 9.582s margin.

“I am feeling really good,” Faith admitted. “I just needed to put all the pieces together. The track is pretty slick, but my Pirelli tyres are working really well for me so hopefully we can do it all again tomorrow.”

Behind 2012 champion Faith, countryman Kyle Peters (Wilson MX Honda) nabbed his second podium of the year to make it an American 1-2 after working his way forward from ninth on lap one, and Makeham rounded out the podium – also his second of the season.

Raceline Suzuki rider Hayden Mellross claimed fourth from opening round winner Brenden Harrison (Instant Security KTM), which results in Faith now leading the series by 11 points from both Peters and Harrison tied in second.

The three-race SXD overall was won by Brock McLeary (KTM Newcastle) for the second weekend in a row, as his consistent effort of 3-1-3 finished held out race two winner Jack Simpson (Davey Motorsports KTM) and Dylan Wills (KTM Newcastle), who won the final race of the round.

Victorian Tomas Ravenhorst (KTM) and Aaron Tanti (Sutto’s KTM) also featured strongly throughout the Phillip Island round, eventually capping off the top five overall.

Sweeping the Junior Lites proceedings with three wins from three starts was Jordan Hill (Yamaha Junior Racing), the win over Travis Silk (KTM) and Lachlan Holroyd (Yamaha) extending his championship advantage.

Round four of the series will be hosted on race-day Sunday alongside the Tissot Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix tomorrow at Phillip Island.

2014 Penrite Australian Supercross Championship
Round three – Phillip Island, VIC

SX1 main event results:
1. Matt MOSS
2. Lawson BOPPING
3. Jay MARMONT
4. Adam MONEA
5. Kirk GIBBS
6. Jesse DOBSON
7. Sam MARTIN
8. Josh CACHIA
9. James BOOTH-ELLIOT
10. Kieren TISDALE
11. Justin CARAFA
12. Keith TUCKER
13. Jake MOSS
14. Chris CAMILLERI
15. Kade MOSIG

SX1 championship standings:
1. Matt MOSS 105
2. Adam MONEA 92
3. Lawson BOPPING 90
4. Kirk GIBBS 84
5. Sam MARTIN 74
6. Jay MARMONT 72
7. Jesse DOBSON 70
8. Jake MOSS 68
9. Josh CACHIA 66
10. Kade MOSIG 65
11. Justin CARAFA 59
12. Kieren TISDALE 56
13. Chris CAMILLERI 48
14. Daniel McCOY 42
15. Tim VARE 35
16. James BOOTH-ELLIOT 22
17. Keith TUCKER 19
18. Joel NEWTON 16

SX2 main event results:
1. Gavin FAITH
2. Kyle PETERS
3. Kale MAKEHAM
4. Hayden MELLROSS
5. Brenden HARRISON
6. Ryan MARMONT
7. Luke ARBON
8. Geran STAPLETON
9. Dylan LONG
10. Taylor POTTER
11. Jackson RICHARDSON
12. Jake VELLA
13. Luke WILSON
14. John PRUTTI
15. Tristan DUNCAN
16. Tristan CACHIA
17. Boyd HOCKING
18. Jake WILLIAMS

SX2 championship standings:
1. Gavin FAITH 100
2. Kyle PETERS 89
3. Brenden HARRISON 89
4. Kale MAKEHAM 79
5. Hayden MELLROSS 77
6. Taylor POTTER 77
7. Jackson RICHARDSON 74
8. Ryan MARMONT 69
9. Luke ARBON 69
10. Geran STAPLETON 59
11. Luke WILSON 58
12. John PRUTTI 53
13. Jake VELLA 50
14. Boyd HOCKING 47
15. Tristan DUNCAN 43
16. Nick SUTHERLAND 43
17. Jake WILLIAMS 42
18. Lewis WOODS 26
19. Dylan LONG 22
20. Tristan CACHIA 15

SXD overall results:
1. Brock McLEARY 95
2. Jack SIMPSON 92
3. Dylan WILLS 89
4. Tomas RAVENHORST 88
5. Aaron TANTI 83
6. Izak MAULE 77
7. Tim O’BRIEN 70
8. Trent WHEATLEY 52

SXD championship standings:
1. Brock McLEARY 285
2. Jack SIMPSON 280
3. Dylan WILLS 277
4. Aaron TANTI 253
5. Tomas RAVENHORST 252
6. Izak MAULE 227
7. Trent WHEATLEY 198
8. Blake SOLA 119
9. Tim O’BRIEN 70

Junior Lites overall results:
1. Jordan HILL 105
2. Travis SILK 94
3. Lachlan HOLROYD 90
4. Dylan DUKES 86
5. Joel CIGLIANO 77
6. Drew CIGLIANO 76
7. Bradley CAIN 72

Junior Lites championship standings:
1. Jordan HILL 306
2. Lachlan HOLROYD 276
3. Dylan DUKES 269
4. Travis SILK 266
5. Drew CIGLIANO 223
6. Joel CIGLIANO 197
7. Caleb GROTHUES 158
8. Jimmy GRIFFIN 76
9. Bradley CAIN 72
10. Tyler DERBY 68

Click here for detailed results

Note: All results provisional at time of posting.