2010 Monster Energy Super X Round 7 - Brisbane
Heavy rain on race day forced the cancellation of all the day's practice and qualifying sessions, and with sheets of water over the start straight, the Eliminator sessions and Manufacturer's Challenge were also pulled from the program. Riders were first allowed on track to do a number of sighting laps before the heats started late in the afternoon.
Making a guest appearance at this round was Toby Price, the 2010 AORC champion, A4DE champion and Finke and Hattah Desert Race winner. Price last raced Super X in 2008 and was looking forward to returning to short circuit competition, riding out of the JDR Motorex KTM pits.
When the heats did get underway, the Open class riders went out first and Tye Simmonds (JDR Motorex KTM) was victorious in the first five-lap heat race, finishing ahead of Jay Marmont (CDR Rockstar Yamaha) and Daniel McCoy (Coastal KTM Motorex). The second Open heat went the way of Josh Hansen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), who recorded a solid win in the sloppy conditions ahead of Jake Moss (Rockstar Motul Suzuki) and Billy Mackenzie (Kawasaki Racing Team/Cool Air Conditioning). Next out were the Lites riders, and Steven Clarke (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) showed his experience in the wet conditions by easily winning the first heat, finishing almost 12 seconds ahead of Josh Cachia (Coastal KTM Motorex), with P.J. Larsen (JDR Motorex KTM) third. Larsen's title rival, Matt Moss (Rockstar Motul Suzuki), crashed several times and could only manage a sixth place finish in the second Lites heat, which was won in convincing fashion by Kade Mosig (Cougar Bourbon Thor Honda). Lawson Bopping (Rockstar Motul Suzuki) finished second, followed by Ryan Marmont (JDR Motorex KTM). Both classes would race the 'Triple Challenge' format for the finals, but race duration was cut to only five laps for each moto.
The opening Triple Challenge final in the Lites class started with drama. Larsen and Moss were both involved in a startline incident that saw Larsen DNF with an injured wrist, while Moss only completed three laps after struggling to get his bike restarted. Despite not completing 75-percent of race distance, Moss was still classified as a finisher - a decision later brought up for review. The race, however, was all Clarke's. Despite losing the holeshot to Marmont, the Brit moved to the lead within the first lap and held it to the finish. A slip-up from Marmont on lap three allowed Bopping, Coastal KTM's Belgian guest rider, Joel Roelants and Cachia through, but the latter's good work was undone when he crashed on the final lap. At the chequered flag, the finishing order was Clarke, Bopping, Roelants, Marmont and Ford Dale (Serco Yamaha).
Larsen was cleared to ride in final two, and avenged his race one DNF to take the holeshot and early lead before he was overtaken by Mosig on lap two. Robbie Marshall (Advanti Assink Excavations Yamaha), Luke Arbon (Kawasaki Racing Team/Cool Air Conditioning) and a number of privateers were all knocked out of the race on lap two. Moss crashed on the same lap, dropping from third to tenth, a deficit he couldn't make up in subsequent laps. Out front, Mosig held the lead to finish, followed by Larsen, Clarke, Cachia and Bopping.
Thanks to Larsen's good result and Moss's poor one, the championship contenders went into the final Lites race tied on 290 points apiece, so it really was a winner-take-all scenario! With the track surface deteriorating, Clarke bolted early, winning the holeshot and holding off Larsen, Moss and Arbon on the opening lap. Larsen slipped back to fourth on lap two, and while he was able to pass Arbon, he couldn't close the gap to second-placed Moss. Larsen's third place finish meant that Moss was crowned the 2010 Super X Lites champion. However, a review of the points allocation in the days following have thrown the result into doubt. With only two points separating Moss and Larsen in the final standings, and both riders' results under review from different rounds, the championship could still go either way. Motorcycling Australia and series organisers, Global Action Sports, were yet to make an announcement on this at the time of writing.
The Open class championship was a more predictable scenario going into the Triple Challenge races.
Josh Hansen's only challenger for the title, Jay Marmont, needed to win at least two races and the American had to DNF at least two to lose the title. In the deep sticky mud, staying on two wheels was going to be a challenge, let alone trying to secure race wins, so anything was possible. The track was showing the effects of racing and the weather by this stage, exposing the wooden baseboards in sections, with trackworkers feverishly filling holes and repairing damage between events.
Hansen stamped his authority in the opening Triple Challenge final by scoring the holeshot, fastest lap and a 15+ second victory over Marmont. Luke Davis (Ringmaster Images AXO Yamaha) ran as high as second before an attempted pass on Hansen came unstuck and he crashed on lap four. Simmonds rode a consistent race to finish third and Mackenzie recovered from a poor start to finish fourth ahead of Price.
The second Triple Challenge final started with a bolt from Simmonds, but the Kawasaki pairing of Mackenzie and Hansen soon reeled him in. Mackenzie fought his way to the lead on lap three, while Hansen got stuck behind a lapped and bogged rider. Marmont's title hopes were over after a poor start saw him languishing as low as seventh. Hansen's third place finish behind race winner Mackenzie and Simmonds meant he'd won the Open class Super X title, making the final race a formality.
Determined to wrap up the series on a high note, Hansen started the last race with the holeshot, just ahead of Daniel Reardon (Cougar Bourbon Thor Honda) and Mackenzie. Price was up the pointy end of the field before a mistake on lap two allowed a bunch of riders, including Moss and Marmont, to pass. Out front though, it was all Hansen, as the American put a gap on Mackenzie and Reardon to finish more than 10 seconds ahead at the chequered flag. Marmont improved to finish fourth, and wrap up top-placed Australian rider in the championship.
Speaking afterwards, Hansen thanked all those who helped him win his first Super X championship.
"I am really stoked Monster brought me out here for this series and I really want to thank my mechanic Aaron Johnson for being with me the whole time. Our goal was to win and that's what we did, so it's going to be good returning home to the Kawasaki team in the US with this result. I have loved my time here in Australia and can't wait to come back again next year," Hansen said.
Hansen's win makes it back-to-back Open class victories for Kawasaki, while Matt Moss's Lites title, if it's confirmed, will make it the third in a row for both Moss and Suzuki.
Full results and more details are available at www.superx.com.au
SUPER X Championship Results - after 7 of 7 rounds.
OPEN
1. Josh HANSEN (USA) Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki Kawasaki421
2. Jay MARMONT CDR Rockstar Yamaha Yamaha362
3. Jake MOSS Rockstar Motul Suzuki Suzuki311
4. Tye SIMMONDS JDR Motorex KTM KTM296
5. Daniel REARDON Cougar Bourbon Thor Honda Honda285
6. Daniel McCOY Coastal KTM Motorex KTM251
7. Mike ALESSI (USA) Jagermeister KTM/JDR Motorex KTM KTM159
8. Todd WATERS Cougar Bourbon Thor Honda Honda155
9. Lewis WOODS Top Gear KTM KTM150
10. Billy MACKENZIE Kawasaki Racing Team/Cool Air Conditioning Kawasaki146
LITES
1. Matt MOSS Rockstar Motul Suzuki Suzuki312*
2. P.J. LARSENJDR Motorex KTMKTM310*
3. Ryan MARMONTJDR Motorex KTMKTM244
4. Steven CLARKE (UK) Raceline Pirelli SuzukiSuzuki226
5. Cody MACKIE Kawasaki Racing Team/Cool Air Conditioning Kawasaki225
6. Lawson BOPPING Rockstar Motul Suzuki Suzuki217
7. Ford DALE Serco Yamaha Yamaha188
8. Josh CACHIA Coastal KTM Motorex KTM177
9. Kade MOSIG Cougar Bourbon Thor Honda Honda167
10. Luke STYKEGYTR Rockstar Yamaha Yamaha158
