Larsen takes Pro Lites Championship at 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals

United States import and JDR Motorex KTM rider PJ Larsen has taken out the Pro Lites class at the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals.

PJ Larsen

The Lites rider dominated the Series and took the title win with one day to spare at the massive double-header round.

Hailing from California in the US, Larsen put the Australian riders on notice at the opening round at Horsham, his raw speed in the rough conditions setting the standard for the remainder of the Championship.

Only needing a handful of points to take the Championship win, Larsen rode consistently, securing victory with three races to spare.

One of the few riders to challenge Larsen was Mt Gambier local and Serco Yamaha rider Kirk Gibbs who placed second in the Championship.

Gibbs continued to improve all season and was consistently one of the fastest in the field – with one race to go he had secured second place in the Championship.

Gibbs’ teammate and local rider Ford Dale, battled with the injured JDR Motorex KTM rider for the remaining podium place, however after injuring himself during Saturday’s racing, Marmont just didn’t have the speed.

Dale passed him in the second to last race and rode strongly to secure his place in the top three in the Pro Lites Championship.

Speaking after his win on Saturday Larsen was pumped with the win but sad not to be able to come back in 2011 to defend his title.

“2010 Pro Lites Champion – that sounds really good!” Larsen said.

“I’m glad we could accomplish this and I couldn’t have done it without the entire team – everyone has been working so hard so it’s great to get the team their first Championship.

“I’m glad I got to run the number one plate in the final day of racing, as it will be my only opportunity to run it and it felt pretty good.

“Everyone has been great competition – the Serco guys, they proved it out there, they’re great competition, and they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with next year.

“I think I might be glad I’m leaving and not have to deal with them again because those guys are picking up and they’re going to be strong.

“I wish I could stick around a little bit more and who knows; you might see me back here in a few years which would be good.”

In his first overall podium finish Gibbs was stoked with his second place.

“I’m happy as, it’s final starting to sink in – coming second in the Championship,” Gibbs said.

“Hats of to PJ and the JDR Team – he rode awesome, well done to Ford, getting third overall and Lawson [Bopping] rode well too.

“I’m just stoked to come away with a few race wins this weekend and really happy for the team.”

Local rider Dale was happy to get on the podium and was pleased with his consistency.

“This is awesome - finally consistency pays off, – people have been trying to tell me that all year and obviously it works!” Dale said.

“It’s awesome to get the team up here again, and to win a few races.

“Having my family and friends out here is fantastic and the crowd is great and I really have to thank everyone for helping me out this season.”

Pro Lites Championship Standings

Rider	Team/Manufacturer	Points
PJ Larsen	JDR Motorex KTM	535
Kirk Gibbs	Serco Yamaha	470
Ford Dale	Serco Yamaha	413
Ryan Marmont	JDR Motorex KTM	387
Lawson Bopping	Rockstar Motul Suzuki	380

Cachia clinches Under 19’s title at 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals

Rockstar MX Nationals

Coastal KTM Team rider and Kilmore local Josh Cachia has taken out the Under 19’s class at the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals at the final round of the Series at Coolum in Queensland.

Cachia has been a dominant force in the Under 19’s class in 2010, and clinched the win with one race to spare.

Absent from the podium on only one occasion throughout the Series, Cachia had a massive points lead heading in to the penultimate round, however a bad day in the office saw the gap close to only 11 points ahead of GYTR Rockstar Yamaha rider and Tasmanian Ross Beaton.

Despite making solid inroads on Cachia’s points lead, Beaton was unable to capitalise during races on Saturday at the final round, letting Cachia slip away – stretching out to a massive 41 points ahead of him.

With racing underway on Sunday it was Beaton’s teammates Harley Quinlan and Shaun Redhead who challenged Cachia, with Beaton unable to find the same speed.

As Beaton secured his place in second, Quinlan set about putting as many points as possible between himself and fourth placed Dylan Peterson.

Cachia wrapped up the Championship in the second to last race, with Beaton staying strong in second with Quinlan locking in third place.

Speaking after the race, Cachia was thrilled to finally take the title win and was looking forward to stepping up into the Pro Lites class in 2011.

“It’s so good to be able to go out there and win for Bronte Holland and Sharky [Andrew McFarlane] – two people I’m close to who have died,” Cachia said.

“I’ve been working so hard this year; all the hours out at the track and it’s all paid off - I really need thank everyone for all their help this year – the team, my family and friends, sponsors - everyone has been so supportive.

“I can’t wait to step up into the Pro Lites class next year and see what I’m capable of doing.”

While disappointed with his second place, Beaton was still grateful for all the efforts his team has put in.

“Second place is still pretty good - I am a little bit disappointed but I definitely gave everything,” Beaton said.

“There’s no excuse for coming second, I tried my best and fell a little bit short.

“I can’t take anything away from Josh though, he rode great all season and he matured a lot this year. 

“I’d really like to say thanks to my team – I’ve been in this Championship with them for three years now and haven’t been able to win them the title yet, but for them to get behind me like they have is amazing and I couldn’t have done it without them – it means a lot and I’d like to say thank you to all of them.”

After missing the first round due to injury, Quinlan was happy to be on the podium.

“It’s good to get up here especially after missing the first round after I broke my wrist,” Quinlan said.

“It’s a shame I only came into my own at the end of the season but props to the boys they’re riding great at the moment.”

Results

Championship Standings

Rider	Team/Manufacturer	Championship Points
Josh Cachia	MX Rad Coastal KTM	540 points
Ross Beaton	GYTR Rockstar Yamaha	483
Harley Quinlan	GYTR Rockstar Yamaha	450
Dylan Peterson	Axis Motorsport Honda	414
Matthew Phillips	Privateer Honda	363

Under 19's Podium

Local star Tye Simmonds ready for MX Nationals Sprint format

Rockstar MX Nationals

Only days remain until the gates drop on the penultimate round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, and Bourke local, Tye Simmonds, can’t wait to ride against Australia’s best at his home-track on Sunday 19 July.

“This weekend is a big deal for me,” Simmonds said.

“There’s been so much encouragement from the local community; everyone is supporting me 100 per cent which is great especially coming into a round so close to home.

“I hope everyone comes to have a look – to see what I do for a job, it should be a really great weekend.”

The KTM rider is currently placed third in the premier Pro Opens class and is looking forward to the MX Sprint format making its debut at the Moree Motorcycle Club this Sunday.

In the MX Sprint format, riders will be challenged to four motos in two dynamic back-to-back sessions throughout the day.

With a total of 100 points up for grabs, and twice as many races as the traditional format, it will be an action-packed round for fans.

“When I heard about the format I was stoked,” he said.

“Having the break between the two session’s means I can ride and then come back in and talk to everyone from town and from Bourke about the racing so far.

“Now all I have to do is go out there and do my best so I’m really looking forward to it.”

After a consistent but slow start to the year, Simmonds finally found form at the sixth round of the Series at Wodonga, where despite a DNF in the first race, he placed first and second in the remaining two motos.

“At the last round I think I finally started to loosen up,” he said.

“In the Pro Lites class it was sort of like – ‘oh yeah, I’ve raced these guys all my life, this isn’t going to be a problem’ but when I first stepped into the Pro Opens class this year I put a lot of pressure on myself.

“I’d be thinking, ‘these are the big boys, they’re the fastest in Australia, I’ve got to pull my finger out’ – and it affected me and my riding.

“Going into Wodonga I really didn’t care – I had that attitude where no one really mattered and I just had to do my best.

“And I had a really good weekend – there have been a few rounds where I should have been able to do that and haven’t, but now I know I’ve got it in me I should be able to do it every weekend no worries!”

The seventh round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals will be held on Sunday 18 July at:

Moree Motorcycle Club
10 minutes North of Moree
Newell HWY
NSW

Admission:

Adult $30
Family (Two adults, two kids) $70
Kids (5-15 years) $15

Tune into Fuel TV this Thursday 15 July for all the action from the Toowoomba round of the Championship, including a tribute to the late Andrew ‘Sharky’ McFarlane.

Fuel TV - a 24 hour Australian television channel dedicated to the world of action sports has an audience of extreme sports fans, making it a perfect fit for the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals.

To tune to Fuel TV in simply go to Channel 516 on the Foxtel/Austar Network on:
 

Episode 6 - 15 July	Episode 11 - 19 August
Episode 7 - 22 July	Episode 12 - 26 August
Episode 8 - 29 July	Episode 13 - 2 September
Episode 9 - 5 August	Episode 14 - 9 September
Episode 10 - 12 August	Episode 15 - 16 September
Episode 16 - 23 September

The eighth and final round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals will be held on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July at Coolum Pines Motocross Park:

Coolum Pines Motocross Park
Quanda Rd
Coolum, QLD

Cody Cooper takes out Round Six of Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals

Rockstar Mx Nationals

New Zealander and Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki rider, Cody Cooper, has won the sixth round of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals at Wodonga on Sunday 27 June.

Meanwhile CDR Rockstar Yamaha’s Jay Marmont has retained his Series lead and now sits 16 points clear of Kawasaki Racing Team’s Billy Mackenzie.

With the thermostat dropping to minus two degrees in the early hours of the morning, riders were in for a chilly start to the round.

After struggling in the first half of the season, Cooper finally found some consistent form, stringing together a run of strong rides, however he wasn’t alone with a number of Aussie riders stepping it up a gear and putting on a spectacular show for fans at the Wodonga circuit.

Cooper was fastest in qualifying, however with Honda privateer Dean Ferris merely 0.001 of a second behind him, and four other riders all within one second, the day was shaping up to be massive.

In the first moto, Mackenzie looked to continue his strong form from previous rounds, leading for the majority of the race with Marmont, CDR Rockstar Yamaha’s Cheyne Boyd, Cooper, and Cougar Bourbon Honda Thor Racings Todd Waters all chopping and changing until the final laps of the moto.

Cooper came from seventh place at the beginning of the race, gradually picking his way through the field to catch and pass Mackenzie on the very last lap to take the win.

The Kiwi continued his strong form in the second moto, scoring the holeshot and taking command of the race ahead of JDR Motorex KTM’s Tye Simmonds and Mackenzie.

While the front runners didn’t change, Marmont was facing challenges of his own; trying to keep as many Championship points ahead of Mackenzie as possible.

At the flag, Cooper had stormed out to an eight second lead, ahead of Simmonds with Mackenzie wrapping up the moto in third.

The final moto, however, belonged to the ‘Boy from Bourke’, with Simmonds taking the lead ahead of Mackenzie and reigning Champ Marmont within the first lap.

At times it seemed Mackenzie was catching the 18 year old, however the determined rider powered on to take his first Pro Opens win since joining the class this year.

Again Mackenzie was forced to settle for second place ahead of Marmont who managed to hold onto third despite a late challenge from Cooper.

Quotes:

Cody Cooper – Round Winner

“The last few weeks have been massive for me and the team,” Cooper said.

“I’ve been over here and we’ve been working so hard to get the bike right and getting me sorted and the entire team has done an amazing job.

“We made some changes to my program as well, and I’ll even make some more changes as a result of today which will be even more positive.

“I’m pumped to be up on the top step and certainly hope to keep it this way for the rest of the Series.”

Jay Marmont – Series Leader

“I’m happy to still have the red leader plate, but to be honest I’m disappointed with my performance today and we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Marmont said.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself and I ride quite tight, which is probably why I pumped up in the first moto and made a few mistakes.

“I’ve got to go home and work harder because I want to win races; I want to win the Championship by winning races, not merely by coming second or third each time.”

Yamaha Racing Primed For Albury MX National Success

Yamaha's motocross teams are primed for a big weekend at Albury - Wodonga for round six of the 2010 Rockstar MX Nationals.

Ross Beaton - Yamaha

The months break after the Raymond Terrace event has allowed the teams and riders to refresh and prepare for the Albury round which shapes as a pivotal round in the eight-round championship. Yamaha Racing has riders in the top two positions in each of the three championship classes and it's time to get serious as we reach the business end of the series.

CDR ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK YAMAHA - Pro Open
The pairing of Jay Marmont and Cheyne Boyd both look to the Albury round for a big performance and a championship defining round. Marmont heads into Albury as the points leader in the Pro Open class with a 13point gap over his nearest rival and wants to consolidate his place at the head of the table after a tough Raymond Terrace round.

"Things didn't go the way I had hoped at Raymond Terrace and this weekend is all about redeeming myself. Raymond Terrace is not the way I ride or race and I intent to use that as motivation for a much better result this weekend," say the determined Marmont.

Raymond Terrace was a much happier place for Cheyne Boyd with the Victorian earning his first podium position for the year. But Boyd and the CDR Rockstar Yamaha team have not rested on their laurels and have spent the past two weeks testing and refining their YZ450's.

"If you are not developing or testing your bike in this business, then you are going nowhere. The team has worked hard in the last couple of weeks to improve what already is a great bike in the YZ450F and I hope that work will be rewarded this weekend with a good result at Albury," Boyd said.

SERCO YAMAHA - Pro Lites
The month long break between national rounds allowed the Serco Yamaha duo of Kirk Gibbs and Ford Dale to contest some local races and get some serious training under their belts. The pair racked up a 1-2 finish at the final round of Queensland's Sunshine State Series and look to take that form into the national championship.

Kirk Gibbs currently lies in second place in the Pro Lites championship with Ford Dale in seventh.

"A month is a long time to be sitting around waiting for a race, so with a race not far from where I live, it was a good chance to get some more track time in a race environment. It proved to be a good idea and I was able to work out a few kinks and get my racing back on track," offered Kirk Gibbs.

For Ford Dale, he also was able to mix some local races with a heap of solid training sessions, even heading out west to focus solely on getting back his mojo and racing to his full potential.

"I headed out to Bourke and spent some time riding with Tye Simmonds and Todd Waters. There isn't much to do out there about from ride and train and I feel it has done me the world of good. I can't wait to race this weekend and look forward to getting on the Albury circuit."

GYTR / ROCKSTAR YAMAHA
The previous round at Raymond Terrace was the morale booster the young team was looking for. After a slow start to the championship, the team has picked up a heap of momentum in the last couple of rounds and with three of the four riders landing on the podium at Raymond Terrace, confidence is up and enthusiasm is high for the Albury event.

Ross Beaton sits in second place in the Under 19 championship and hopes to go one better than his Raymond Terrace result.

"My track speed at Raymond Terrace was good and when I got a reasonable start I was able to win a race. So, I have worked hard on my starts the past few weeks and if I can get out of the gate, then I am going for the race win," said a fired up Beaton.

Raymond Terrace also proved to be a break out round for Luke Styke earning his first podium in the Pro Lites with a sensational second place overall. That result has seen him move up to fifth place in the championship and ready to take on the big names in the class.

"The last few rounds have been getting better and then I did a NSW Championship round and was able to win that so I really want to keep my form rolling into Albury. I really like the track there and feel good on the bike coming into event," Styke said.

Racing starts at 9am this Sunday at the Albury Circuit.