Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals - Round 6, Wodonga, VIC
Morning temperatures of minus two degrees had competitors and fans alike reaching for the gloves and beanies as race day dawned for round 6 of the 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals. A thick frost coated Wodonga's Diamond Park track throughout most of the morning, and while the day itself brought sunshine, sections of the track were showing the effects of torrential rain that had hit the region in the days leading up to the event. With sloppy sections and deep ruts, each moto was going to be a challenge, but the conditions didn't stop the top riders from showing their class.
More than any other track this season, qualifying times at Wodonga were crucial. A concrete start pad presented its own unique challenges, but deep mud and standing water ahead of the start gate on the right hand side made the left side the prime position for a holeshot opportunity into turn 1's left-hander.
In the Pro Opens, Rockstar Motul Suzuki's Cody Cooper handled the chilly conditions best, setting the fastest time in qualifying, just ahead of Dean Ferris (Honda) and Tye Simmonds (JDR Motorex KTM). P.J. Larsen (JDR Motorex KTM) was fastest in Pro Lites qualifying, while Josh Cachia again proved his pace, setting fastest qualifying time in the Under 19s.
The Under 19s threw up a mixed bag of results across the three motos, with Ross Beaton (Yamalube GYTR Rockstar Yamaha) winning two on his way to the round win. Beaton's victories narrowed the gap between himself and championship leader, Cachia, while 3-2-4 results from Dylan Peterson (Team 7 Axis Motorsports Honda) saw him leapfrog Matthew Phillips (Circular Head MC Honda) to third in the championship.
P.J. Larsen was once again dominant in the Pro Lites, winning all three races comfortably. Kirk Gibbs (Serco Yamaha) did keep the American honest in the second moto, which was restarted following a big first turn pile-up. In his debut outing with the JDR Motorex KTM's satellite squad, Brendan Harrison impressed. After a dismal first moto where he finished second last, the former Yamaha rider stormed back to take seventh and second in the next two motos. UK Yamaha rider, Jason Dougan, joined the Serco Yamaha squad for this round, posting a solid 5-8-4 result. Dougan will also ride for Serco at Moree's penultimate round. The Lites also featured a 'girls v boys' contest when Kristy Gillespie was given a wildcard entry. While she never threatened the frontrunners, the Wodonga local and former Australian Womens MX Champ still enjoyed her chance to mix it with the guys.
In the Pro Opens, Cody Cooper (Rockstar Motul Suzuki) reveled in the conditions, winning the first two motos and securing his first round win of the season. In the first moto, Cheyne Boyd (CDR Rockstar Yamaha) just pinched the holeshot ahead of Billy Mackenzie (Kawasaki Racing Team), but a few corners later, the Scot had opened up a good lead, ahead of a freight train of six riders led by Boyd. Dean Ferris (Honda) crashed heavily on lap two, suffering broken ribs, but he still managed to finish. What looked like another dominant performance from Mackenzie was turned on its head when Cooper broke free of the chasing pack and managed to catch and pass Mackenzie on the very last lap to take the win. Cooper continued his good form in the second Pro Open moto, taking the holeshot and a comfortable win ahead of Tye Simmonds (JDR Motorex KTM), who DNF'd the first moto with a mechanical problem.
Simmonds made the final moto his own, securing the holeshot ahead of Mackenzie and Jay Marmont (CDR Rockstar Yamaha). The latter pair were in Simmonds' shadow for most of the race, with only a couple of seconds separating the top three at the finish. While it has seemed like Simmonds has been at the pointy end for a while, the final moto at Wodonga marked the boy from Bourke's first race win this year. However, the first moto DNF has hurt Simmonds championship chances, dropping him to second behind Mackenzie and actually increasing Marmont's lead, albeit only slightly.
While P.J. Larsen is virtually unbeatable in Pro Lites and Josh Cachia remains a strong favourite to take out the Under 19s, the results from Wodonga have set up a scintillating scenario in the Pro Open class leading into the final two rounds of the championship. Will CDR's Jay Marmont score a record-equalling championship three-peat? Will Mackenzie clinch the title for the green machines? Or will Simmonds and Boyd eclipse both and grab their own piece of championship glory? Watch this space next month for all the answers!
ROUND RESULTS
Pro Open
C. Cooper (Suzuki) 1-1-4
B. Mackenzie (Kawasaki) 2-3-2
J. Marmont (Yamaha) 4-5-3
C. Boyd (Yamaha) 5-4-5
T. Simmonds (KTM) X-2-1
Championship: 1. Marmont - 295, 2. Mackenzie - 279, 3. Simmonds - 275, 4. Boyd - 264, 5. Ferris - 258.
Pro Lite
P.J. Larsen (KTM) 1-1-1
C. Mackie (Kawasaki) 4-3-3
R. Marmont (KTM) 3-5-7
F. Dale (Yamaha) 2-4-11
J. Dougan (Yamaha) 5-8-4
Championship: 1. Larsen - 357, 2. Gibbs - 273, 3. Mackie - 271, 4. Marmont - 265, 5. Dale - 226.
Under 19
R. Beaton (Yamaha) 4-1-1
J. Cachia (KTM) 1-3-5
D. Peterson (Honda) 3-2-4
H. Quinlan (Yamaha) 7-5-2
M. Phillips (Honda) 2-10-9
Championship: 1. Cachia - 334, 2. Beaton - 308, 3. Peterson - 255, 4. M. Phillips - 248, 5. Arbon - 231.
Source: JUST BIKES, August 2010, Collectors Issue #254
