2013 MX NATIONALS - ROUND 3 - MX1 - JUST BIKES

2013 MX Nationals - Round 3 - MX1

With its fast sections, big berms and multiple jumps, the track is a favourite with a number of riders. For race day Sunday, heavily overcast conditions looked threatening, but no rain eventuated.

In the MX1 class, the early qualifying pace was set by CDR Yamaha's Lawson Bopping, but in the Go Pro Super Pole for the top five qualifiers, Matt Moss (Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki) triumphed, not only getting his pick of the starting gate, but the five extra championship points that come with the Super Pole win.

The start to the first MX1 moto was clean, with all riders making their way through the opening left hander without incident. Cody Cooper (Motul Pirelli Suzuki), Todd Waters (Motorex KTM) and Daniel McCoy (Carlton Dry Honda) were the fast starters. Waters, who has won the previous two rounds, soon made his way to the head of the field, however, opening up a small, but solid lead.

Behind him, Cooper, Bopping and Moss were battling for the minor placings, while Adam Monea was showing some impressive pace on his Monster Energy Kawasaki. Despite a minor fall, Monea has been impressive on the bigger KX450F so far, showing his step up from MX2 class to the 'big league' of MX1 this season has been the right move.

Kirk Gibbs, another MX1 rookie this year, ran inside the top ten for most of the opening moto, eventually finishing seventh on the Motorex KTM 450 SX-F, while Cheyne Boyd, back in the big league after a season in MX2, was also impressive on his privateer Honda.

At the chequered flag, it was a comfortable win for Waters, with Cooper and Bopping completing the podium, followed by Matt Moss and Monea in fourth and fifth respectively.

Favoured frontrunners for this round, including Billy Mackenzie (CDR Yamaha) and four-time champion Jay Marmont (Monster Energy Kawasaki), struggled in the first moto, both finishing outside the top ten.

The second moto of the day saw both Monea and Moss bolt early, but Waters was close behind, and within a few laps had reeled both the Kawasaki and Suzuki riders in to claim the race lead.

Behind this group, Bopping and Mackenzie ran line astern for a couple of laps, before the latter crashed and dropped back through the field, clearly struggling to see out the moto.

In what was almost a carbon copy of the first moto, Waters ran a smooth, precise race, keeping a relatively comfortable distance between himself and the chasing Monea throughout.

Bopping maintained a solid pace to finish fourth, but not close enough to seriously threaten the leading trio. Behind him, Gibbs raced to an impressive fifth, two places better than his opening moto result. As in the first moto, Marmont struggled again, but improved on his opening race result to record a sixth place finish. Boyd, Cody Mackie (Team 07 Kawasaki) and Jake Moss (Campbell Mining Suzuki) were non-finishers in the second moto.

"It was a great day today, we're getting there, getting the job done," said Waters on the podium after moto two. "I've got a goal ahead of me and I want to reach that."

"I'd like to thank the guys at Motorex KTM and everyone who is making it possible. We're building as a team and working on the bike to get it better and better and I'm doing the same myself."

Matt Moss finished the round second overall from Monea, and also sits in second place in the championship, although the gap between he and Waters currently sits at 44 points. Only 21 points separate second from fifth in the championship, so no-one can afford a bad result in the coming rounds.

Despite a good result in moto two, Marmont sits twelfth overall in the championship, and seems at this stage unlikely to reclaim the title he last secured in 2011.

In his post-race interview, Monea admitted he was following Waters' lines, trying to learn from the series leader, and hopes to close the gap at the next round.

"The first race was tough, but to back it up [in] the second race and even lead a couple of laps was good. It was good to sit in and see some of Todd's lines.

"This is something to build on, we'll work on this result. I want to get on that top step and if we keep working extremely hard then before too long we'll be up there," Monea added.

See separate article for MX2 and MXD report from this round.

The Monster Energy MX Nationals stays in Victoria for the next round, which will take place at Broadford on May 19. For more details and series news, go to www.mxnationals.com.au

RESULTS - 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship. Round 3 - Wonthaggi, VIC.

MX1 round results:
1. Todd Waters 73
2. Matt Moss 63
3. Adam Monea 62
4. Lawson Bopping 59
5. Cody Cooper 55
6. Kirk Gibbs 50
7. Ford Dale 48
8. Daniel McCoy 44
9. Tye Simmonds 42
10. Robbie Marshall 41

MX1 championship standings (after three of 10 rounds):
1. Todd Waters 214
2. Matt Moss 170
3. Lawson Bopping 168
4. Cody Cooper 160
5. Billy Mackenzie 159
6. Tye Simmonds 140
=7. Adam Monea 133
=7. Ford Dale 133
9. Kirk Gibbs 126
10. Daniel McCoy 122