Race Win For Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Dean Ferris at Sydney Super X

Dean Ferris

Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Dean Ferris overcame crashes in the first two Lites races at Sydney Super X at Campbelltown to take a convincing win in the 3^rd and final race on his KX250F. Opens rider Billy Mackenzie worked himself to the front of the pack throughout the majority of his races however crashes were to prevent him from capitalising on his good speed. Under 19’s Kawasaki rider Meghan Rutledge rode well to make the main event where she was involved in a heavy crash with another rider, keeping her out of the points.

With a 3 x 6 lap racing format on the cards for the Lites class at the 3^rd round of the Super X Championship, good starts were a must at Campbelltown. After a tough start in the first race, Dean Ferris was left fighting hard to make up places and unfortunately crashed putting himself mid-pack at race end. Putting that behind him, Ferris got off to great start in the second moto only to be taken out on the first turn, dashing his chances of a good finish. Determined to turn his night around, Ferris nailed the start in the final moto, claiming the hole-shot on his Monster Energy Kawasaki KX250F and checking out to lead the entirety of the race to take the win. Ferris’s 11-14-1 results left him in 7^th for the night.

An optimistic Dean Ferris says, “It’s great to get the race win but it’s really the overall that counts. I think I showed any doubters tonight that I can ride Supercross in both the mud and the dry.”

“My overall results don’t reflect my speed and race wins but I’ve actually won 33% of the final races this series. I’m one of only 3 riders to win a moto. Perhaps better gate picks could’ve helped to avoid first corner carnage and I probably could’ve made a few smarter decisions plus a bit of luck would be good too. I’m looking at changing up my program a bit and get back on track for Mailtand.”

Showing good speed at Campbelltown, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Billy Mackenzie looked on track for a strong result in the 3^rd round. Another good start for Mackenzie in the first moto meant he was able to find the lead in little time however a small crash was to snatch that lead away leaving Mackenzie in 7^th place. Mackenzie bagged the hole-shot in the second race and led for the majority of the moto before being passed. 2^nd place looked all tied up until a final lap tangle with another rider put Mackenzie off his bike, leaving him in 5^th place. In the final moto, Mackenzie’s bike clicked into neutral on the start straight leaving the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider in last place. Mackenzie fought back to take 12^th place. Mackenzie’s 7-5-12 results left him in 6^th place for the round and 4^th place in the Championship with 2 rounds remaining.

Billy Mackenzie says, “I’m feeling confident with my speed after this round. This was only my second dry Super X meet so I’m still on a learning curve. I know now what I have to work on after seeing the speed of the other guys so I have fresh goals for what I want to achieve from my first full Super X season.”

“The KX450F was getting me off to the best possible starts but this track was a lot more technical than the last dry race I did at Parramatta last year so I learnt a lot and I’m confident to really go for the win now.”

Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge crashed hard in Under 19’s practise, with some fearing she had cracked her collarbone. Unperturbed, Rutledge put in a solid performance in her heat race to qualify for the main event where she came out firing. Riding well and on track for a strong finish in the final, disaster struck on the final lap when another rider landed on top of Rutledge in a racing incident on the finish jump. After a few heart-stopping minutes, the gutsy 16 year old got herself back onto her feet to the roar of the crowd. Rutledge was taken to hospital with mild concussion and released the next morning with a clean bill of health and black tyre tracks up her back as a memento.

Billy Mackenzie

Meghan says, “I can’t remember the crash but others have told me that all I wanted to do was get back on my bike and finish the race. When that wasn’t an option I was determined to walk off the track but somehow they tricked me into getting into the race safe buggy, I think maybe my dad pulled rank on me. It was just a racing incident and I’m just relieved that Jake is OK too. I can’t wait to race at Maitland next week”.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Manager Troy Carroll says, “It was an up and down night for us. We qualified respectfully on a dry, dusty and technical track. Dean had a bad start in the first and was really unlucky in the second. He came out and won the third moto and we know that that’s something he can do every week, we’ve just had some bad luck but hopefully that can change at Maitland. Billy was very fast this week but came together with some riders and had some crashes. It didn’t go our way. Like I said last week, all we can do is fix the problems and move forward for next weekend. Hopefully Maitland can be a better round for us.”

With overall results so far not reflecting the team’s speed and ability, Monster Energy Kawasaki head to Maitland, NSW this weekend determined to capture that elusive overall round win and add more race wins to their 2011 Super X campaign.

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Suzuki Dominates Under 19 Supercross Opener

RACE REPORT

2011 Australian National Supercross Championship (Round One)
Melbourne (VIC)
22 October 2011

Team Raceline Pirelli Suzuki riders Errol Willis and Joey Savatgy dominated proceedings at the opening round of the 2011 Australasian Supercross Championship held at Melbourne Knights Stadium, Melbourne.

Errol Willis - Suzuki

Despite volatile weather and treacherous track conditions, the Suzuki RM-Z250 mounted team mates were never headed during the Under 19 final, finishing 1 - 2.

Willis, the reigning Australian National Motocross Under 19s Champion, placed second in his heat and grabbed the opportunity in the final by scoring a thrilling victory.

U.S import Savatgy made an impressive debut, dominating his heat race for an easy victory before finishing a close second in the final.

Pro Open rider Lawson Bopping, still in his rookie 450 season, looked fast and aggressive on board his fuel injected RM-Z450.

Finishing first in his heat, his night was cut short after a broken clutch lever ruined his hopes of completing the final.

Round two of the Australasian Supercross Championship will take place at WIN Stadium in Wollongong next Saturday October 29.

CHRIS TISDALE, GENERAL MANAGER, TEAM RACELINE PIRELLI SUZUKI

"The U19s result for the team was a great start. Both Joey and Errol put on an exciting battle. To be honest, I was glad to see them both get over the line after such an intense last lap. It was really disappointing to see Lawson suffer a broken clutch lever after such a strong first heat win. But the conditions were terrible and unfortunately Lawson didn't have luck on his side in the final. He will be one to watch in the next few rounds."

Round 1 2011 Australian Results Championship Results

U19 - Top 10 Championship Standings
1. Errol Willis (Suzuki RM-Z250) 25
2. Joey Savatgy (Suzuki RM-Z250) 22
3. Matthew Phillips 20
4. Corey Lucas 18
5. Geran Stapleton 16
6. Jake Williams 15
7. Jay Wilson 14
8. Tristen Cachia 13
9. Jarrad Davis 12
10. Kale Makeham 11

OPEN - Top 10 Championship Standings
1. Tye SIMMONDS: 25
2. Billy MACKENZIE: 22
3. Ryan MARMONT: 20
4. Cheyne BOYD: 18
5. Dan MCCOY: (Suzuki RM-Z450) 16
6. Michael PHILLIPS: 15
7. Todd WATERS: 14
8. Jay MARMONT: 13
9. Daniel REARDON: 11
10. Jake MOSS: 12
Lawson Bopping DNF

Jay Marmont And CDR Rockstar Yamaha Rewrite Record Books At MX Nationals

Jay Marmont produced a superb performance to win the final round of the 2011 Rockstar MX Nationals and in turn create history by being the only rider to win the conveted national motocross championship four years in a row.

Marmont takes championship # 4

Marmont entered the final round 18 points down on series leader and team mate Josh Coppins. But in typical, 'never say die' Marmont racing and with 'Queenslander' blazed across his racing pants, the 28 year old New South Wales rider produce four scintillating motos to win the final round and take the Pro Open championship.

Marmont racked up 1-2-1-1 results in the four races while Coppins fell early in race three and had to withdraw from a shoulder injury.

The four national motocross crowns now has him equal with motocross legends Stephen Gall and Craig Dack for the most wins in the premier division but the only rider to have won four MX Nationals Motocross Championships in a row. His name is now among the greats of Australia's sporting landscape and so is that of his team after success the past four years. Once again the CDR Rockstar Yamaha crew has proven to be the bench mark of Australian motocross.

"From where we started at the beginning of the year, it is hard to believe I have won it," Marmont says emotionally. "Even coming into today and with the form Josh has been racing with lately it was a long shot but I wanted to win the round and hope for a bit of luck."

"Unfortunately for Josh, his fall with another rider in race three was the bit of luck I needed and I feel for him as he rode a great championship and was a fierce competitor."

Marmont was as far back as ninth in the championship after the opening round and struggled to find his mojo in the early rounds. But extensive testing with the CDR Rockstar Yamaha team and development on his YZ450F was the catalyst to get Marmont back on track and he stormed home in the final four rounds, winning three and claiming second on the other to claim a popular and well deserved win that has seen Marmont lift his game to a new level.

"I can't thank my CDR Rockstar Yamaha team enough. The entire season they kept working to make the bike better and gave me everything I needed to go out and get the results I needed. The support of Dacka, Gary, Shaun and Jason has been vital in the success of this team and in this championship."

"I also need to thank my wife Abbey and my family for all their support and we are going to be back in 2012 shooting for number 5," Marmont finishes.

The hard luck story of the round goes to Josh Coppins. After the opening two legs in the morning session, Coppins maintained his 18 point gap and with two races to go, he looked at short odds to take the championship. But fate dealt him a nasty hand when a rider fell directly in front of him and as a result Coppins was part of the collateral damage. The fall popped his shoulder out of place and try as he might, he was unable to finish race three or race four and dropped to second in the championship.

Coppins debut year in the MX nationals has been nothing short of remarkable and even after the pain of his injury and the disappointment of his crash, Coppins was one of the first people track side to congratulate Marmont in a massive show of sportsmanship and a credit to his character.

"That's life! Coppins laments moments after the final race. "I gave it everything I had but sometimes things happen and I guess it just wasn't to be."

"I'm obviously upset about not winning the championship but well done to Jay as there is no one else I would rather see win it than him."

"But my goals are not over yet and I want to come back in 2012 and get this championship."

Team manager, Craig Dack, finished the day experiencing the highest highs and the lowest lows of racing as his team riders duked it out for the championship victory.

"Those final two motos were tough as I felt almost every emotion possible. The pain of Josh and his injury forcing him to not even be able to race for the championship while Jay taking the win and making it four in a row for him and the team."

"I am continually amazed at Jay Marmont the athlete. He is the warrior of Australian motocross and fights for every point on every corner of every lap of every race he enters. His fighting spirit has no end and as a result his ability to win championships is unmatched."

"Josh did everything right and was in perfect position to win this year. A rider fell directly in front of him and through no fault of his own he couldn't avoid the fallen bike and was taken down in the crash. It is a gut wrenching way to lose a major championship."

"But a 1-2 result is exceptional and a real credit to all the staff, sponsors and people involved in the team. I thank Yamaha for their continued support of this team and the opportunity to showcase their products. It has been a tremendously rewarding year for everyone at CDR and we look forward to the rest of 2011," Dack explains.

Round Nine Results - Coolum
Pro Open

Rider	Manufacturer	Results	Points
1st Jay Marmont	Yamaha	1-2-1-1	97points
2nd Billy Mackenzie	Kawasaki	3-6-2-3	77points
3rd Todd Waters	Honda	9-9-4-2	64points
4th Lawson Bopping	Suzuki	8-8-3-4	64points
5th Cody Cooper	Suzuki	7-5-10-8	54points

ROCKSTAR PRO OPEN FINAL 2011 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1 Jay Marmont 682 Points
2 Josh Coppins 650 Points
3 Billy Mackenzie 636 Points
4 Dean Ferris 601 Points
5 Cheyne Boyd 537 Points
6 Michael Phillips 510 Points
7 Lawson Bopping 497 Points
8 Cody Cooper 449 Points
9 Louis Calvin 340 Points
10 Beau Ralston 246 Points

Championship Battles Loom For Yamaha Racing

Kirk Gibbs

Yamaha Racing enter the final round of the nine round 2011 Rockstar MX Nationals in the enviable position of battling for two championship wins and locking down two podium positions in what has been a successful campaign for Yamaha.

After eight rounds and 30 individual motos, only 18 points separate the CDR Rockstar Yamaha duo of Josh Coppins and Jay Marmont in the Pro Open class. 33 points is the gap Kirk Gibbs must bridge if he is to take the crown in the Pro Lites division while Luke Arbon and Shaun Redhead will look to put the finishing touches on their season and nail down second and third respectively in the Under 19 category. Add to that some serious challengers in the Veterans classes and it promises to be a huge weekend for Yamaha.

CDR ROCKSTAR YAMAHA
CDR Rockstar Yamaha is shooting for their fourth successive MX National championship in a row. That feat alone is remarkable and a credit to the entire team for their continued commitment to racing and the culture they provide for their riders.

Josh Coppins will hit the black soil of Coolum holding an 18 point lead over team mate Jay Marmont and trying to win his first Australian Championship. Coppins has been a model of consistency all year and his relentless pursuit of victory is what has got him to this position with one round remaining. With the Moree and Coolum round on consecutive weekends, Coppins stayed in Australia but maintained his regular routine.

"It's actually been nice to stay here and enjoy the warm weather," Coppins commented. "With the team also staying in Queensland I have been able to get some riding in and hit the gym so for me its business as usual this weekend and try and post the four best motos I can."

Jay Marmont is gunning for a record equaling four Australian motocross championships and a record breaking four in a row. Marmont has been the diesel engine of the championship, building momentum slowly but coming home strong and showing no signs of slowing down. His past three rounds have seen two victories and an equal first so his form is first class.

"Coolum has been a happy hunting ground for me the past few seasons and I always enjoy the weekend up there. I did a race at the track during the year and managed to win that so I'm looking forward to the race."

"I have nothing to lose, so it's all or nothing for me this weekend."

SERCO YOSHOMURA YAMAHA
After being as far as 80 points behind the championship leader, Kirk Gibbs has now reduced that margin down to 33. With four races and 100 points remaining the Pro Lites championship is well and truly alive. Gibbs is a fan of the Coolum circuit and was the round winner here just 12months ago and hopes to continue that form this weekend.

"My goal is nothing more than to win the round. There is no point working out points and positions so it's just win the day, get as many points and race wins that I can and see how we end up when it's finished."

"I like Coolum as it's a great track to ride and being close to the Serco team base, it's always good to do well there," Gibbs finishes.

Guest rider Luke Styke is also back for the final round and looking to improve on his ninth last weekend at Moree. Styke is filling in for the injured Jake Moss and now with a race under his belt and more seat time on the Serco YZ250F, he is looking for an improved performance.

"I was pretty angry after Moree as I didn't get the result I wanted. I have been hitting the practice track pretty hard this week to make sure I'm prepared for this weekend. The sandy surface of Coolum is to my liking and I want to give the Serco team a good result to thank them for the opportunity they have given me," Styke comments.

GYTR ROCKSTAR YAMAHA
With their championship aspirations exhausted, the GYTR Rockstar Yamaha duo of Luke Arbon and Shaun Redhead are out to restore a bit of pride this weekend. Both riders are hurting from the disappointing round at Moree and have had a week to regroup and come out swinging at Coolum.

"No one likes to be beaten like we were at Moree," Redhead states. "This weekend is all about gaining back some respect and showing everyone that Moree isn't what this race team is about."

VETS
The Coolum weekend will also see the 30 to 39years as well as the 40 plus class in veterans racing. Cameron Taylor, last years' winner in the 30 to 39 years group is back on his YZ450F and looking to make in back to back wins while New Zealand's ageless warrior Darryll King will be back to defend his 40plus championship.

The ever green King will also contest the Pro Open class and will no doubt get the iron man award as he will line up for eight races over the weekend.

Action gets underway at 8.30am on Saturday morning at the Coolum pines circuit. Veterans and Quads will be on track Saturday as well as practice for the professional classes. Sunday will see the pros race in ager and the 2011 champions decided. Visit, www.mxnationals.com.au for more information.

Championship Standings - One Round Remaining

Rockstar Energy Pro Open
1 Josh Coppins 603 Points
2 Jay Marmont 585 Points
3 Dean Ferris 563 Points
4 Billy Mackenzie 559 Points
5 Cheyne Boyd 494 Points
6 Michael Phillips 460 Points
7 Lawson Bopping 433 Points
8 Cody Cooper 395 Points
9 Louis Calvin 313 Points
10 Daniel Reardon 226 Points

Motul Pro Lites Championship
1 Matt Moss 567 Points
2 Kirk Gibbs 534 Points
3 Brenden Harrison 478 Points
4 Phil Nicoletti 477 Points
5 Daniel McCoy 461 Points
6 Kade Mosig 440 Points
7 Josh Cachia 423 Points
8 Cody Mackie 419 Points
9 Justin McDonald 403 Points
10 Luke Styke 372 Points

Pirelli Under 19's Championship
1 Errol Willis 656 Points (2011 Champion)
2 Luke Arbon 550 Points
3 Shaun Redhead 466 Points
4 Dylan Peterson 425 Points
5 Jay Wilson 385 Points
6 Jake Emanuelli 380 Points
7 Kyle McKeddie 370 Points
8 Sam Martin 305 Points
9 Kale Makeham 280 Points
10 Dylan Long 270 Points

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Monster Energy Kawasaki Dominate Murray Bridge MX

p>Billy Mackenzie & Dean Ferris on the podium

Monster Energy Kawasaki riders Billy Mackenzie and Dean Ferris dominated the 4th round of the Australian Motocross Championship at Murray Bridge, SA on Sunday 8 May winning all four of the 450 motos. Billy Mackenzie returned to form after a couple of injury hampered rounds to win three of the four motos, taking the overall easily. Team mate Dean Ferris overcame a tough first race to finish top two in the remaining motos. A race win helped him to 2nd overall for the round and returns the series leading Red Plate to the front of his KX450F.

Three weeks of sitting on the couch nursing a cracked shoulder and fractured ribs was not the perfect preparation for Billy Mackenzie heading into the 4th round at Murray Bridge. It didn't appear to have any negative affect on his performance though. With the pain gone and the majority of movement returned, Mackenzie came out firing in SA. Even without 100% fitness and desired bike time under his belt, Mackenzie threw down a blisteringly fast lap time straight up with nobody coming within 1.3 seconds for the remainder of the session.

Mackenzie was in a class of his own at Murray Bridge. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider hole-shotted two races and led the entirety of three of the four main event motos within the opening lap. The only race he didn't win he came third after running slightly wide on the final lap trying to overtake team-mate Dean Ferris who took the race win. Mackenzie's 1-1-3-1 results were more than good enough for the overall for the day and moves him to 3rd in the Championship, only 17 points behind the series leader, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Dean Ferris.

A happy Billy Mackenzie says, "It's just great to win again. The bike worked so well, it was awesome! I felt comfortable all day and I felt fit. I was a little depressed after the last couple of rounds but clawing back so many points today has really given me new motivation. I'm having fun again and can't wait for Toowoomba!"

Dean Ferris overcame a tough first moto to claw back enough points to take 2nd for the round and reclaim the series leading Red Plate, the second time he has held it this year. Ferris faced an uphill battle in the opening moto finding himself in last place after stalling his bike on the start gate. Ferris clawed his way back magnificently to take 10th. Ferris then took 2nd in the next race, sitting on the back tyre of team-mate Mackenzie for the entirety before hole-shotting and winning the third moto. Another 2nd in the final moto, again biting at the Michelin rubber on the back wheel of team mate Mackenzie's KX450F was good enough for 2nd overall for the round and 1st in the Championship.

An excited Dean Ferris says, "I stalled the bike in the first race but once I got my starts dialled I was top two off the start and finished top two. It's great to have the Red Plate back on the bike.

I'm so fortunate to have the help of Monster Energy Kawasaki throughout the day. I'm stoked with the bike. Billy and I were really having a good flow. It was a really good day and I'm excited to be on the podium for the third round in a row."

Lites rider Phil Nicoletti was unable to capitalise on four weeks of positive and successful bike set-up and training with an aggressive stomach virus rocking his weekend. A heavy crash on the first turn of the opening moto didn't help his cause either. Very ill, Nicoletti did well to even line up for his four motos managing 16-5-10-19 for 13th overall for the round.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Manager Troy Carroll says, "The sight of Monster Energy Kawasaki bikes in 1,2 formation for almost the entirety of three of the four 450 motos is a sight I think I can get used to. The fact that Monster Energy Kawasaki led the entirety of each race from within the first lap speaks volumes about the talent of the riders, the commitment of the team and the Kawasaki KX bikes. It's great to win every moto like we did and it's great to have Billy back. We put a lot of work in in the time off so it's great to get these results. We now hope to further our points lead at Toowoomba. A big thank you to Kawasaki, Monster Energy, the mechanics and the sponsors for enabling these results."

Monster Energy Kawasaki looks forward to the fifth round of the Championship. The team heads back to Toowoomba, QLD for a home round in front of loyal family, friends and fans on Sunday 22 May.

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