Image: Jeff Crow.

Serco Yamaha rookie Jed Beaton has won the opening round of the 2015 MX Nationals in the MX2 ranks, to lead the series following the opener.

Beaton went 3-1 for the overall on a sun-soaked day of racing on board the factory YZ250F, leading home defending champion teammate Luke Clout.

Clout was denied the overall after a 10-second penalty for cutting the circuit in moto two dropped him from second to fourth, ended up second for the weekend with a 1-4 scorecard.

The podium was completed by multiple Japanese champion Takeshi Katsuya, riding his Sony Action Cam Kawasaki entry to second in moto one and third in the final outing.

JCR Yamaha’s newly-crowned New Zealand champion Jay Wilson was fourth, just two points off the podium via a solid 4-2 showing today.

Completing the top five was Husqvarna’s Nathan Crawford, who took a pair of fifths in his fulltime MX2 debut, with added factory support for the new season.

Tied for sixth was privateer duo Wade Hunter (Yamaha) and Dylan Wills (KTM), who was also top of the two-stroke runners in the field this weekend.

Anticipated title threat Caleb Ward (KTM) made his first four-stroke appearance in the nationals this year for eighth overall, but was 12th in moto one after mud made it unable to shift during the moto.

SD3 Husqvarna’s Luke Arbon has a conservative weekend by his standards, still recovering from a back injury in the pre-season for ninth, while moto one standout – claiming sixth in the first race – Riley Graham (KTM) was 10th.

Check out the new Race Feed feature on MotoOnline.com.au, posted direct from the circuit moto-by-moto, for further details on each of the motos.

2015 MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship
Round one – Horsham, Victoria

MX2 overall results:
1. Jed Beaton 65
2. Luke Clout 63
3. Takeshi Katsuya 62
4. Jay Wilson 60
5. Nathan Crawford 51
6. Wade Hunter 46
7. Dylan Wills 46
8. Caleb Ward 45
9. Luke Arbon 44
10. Riley Graham 44
11. Rhys Carter 43
12. Hamish Harwood 36
13. Geran Stapleton 36
14. Dylan Leary 35
15. Joel Wightman 32
16. Jack Simpson 32
17. Tom Jones 24
18. Dylan Gosling 21
19. Luke Wilson 18
20. Alex Morris 18

Click here for detailed results