The Finale
Australian Supercross 2015
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Comeback king Daniel Reardon and American ace Jimmy Decotis might ride for different teams, on different brands of bikes, in different classes, but the two class acts of the 2015 Penrite Oils Australian Supercross Championships presented by Ryco Filters share one thing in common: a game plan to wind out this weekend’s grand final round of
the Championship in winning style at Knights Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria.
CDR Yamaha’s Reardon leads the SX1 Championship standings, while Penrite Honda Racing backed Decotis does likewise in the SX2 Championship, and even though both riders enjoy a sizeable points advantage over their nearest title rivals, neither says their game plan changes for the Melbourne event.
“My goal is to keep doing what I have been doing and finish the final round of the Championship strongly in Melbourne tomorrow night,” says Reardon, who has won three of the previous five rounds and finished second and third in the other two to maintain a 100 per cent podium hit rate.
With one hand already on the Championship trophy, Reardon, who is 31 points ahead of his CDR Yamaha team mate, Melbourne local Kade Mosig, is tantalisingly close to completing a stunning return to racing this season, after previously retiring at the end of 2012.
“This year has already been amazing,” says Reardon of his return to the race track, “but to come back and win the Australian Supercross Championship, that would be right over the top.”
Behind Reardon and Mosig, defending two-time national Supercross champ, Motul Suzuki’s Matt Moss lies third in the points standings, but is racing the clock to be fit to compete tomorrow night after being injured at last weekend’s AUS-X Open round of the Championship in Sydney.
Meanwhile Lawson Bopping (DPH Motorsport Peter Stevens Yamaha) and leading privateer Daniel McCoy (SFC Racing Yamaha) round out the top five in the SX1 standings, the pair hitting top form at the business end of the Championship with impressive performances at last weekend’s AUS-X Open event, which they will be keen to repeat in Melbourne tomorrow night.
Adding to the mix in tomorrow night’s SX1 racing, Melbourne’s Taylor Potter, who finished runner-up to Moss in last year’s Championship, will ride with the factory-backing of the Penrite Honda Racing team, in what is sure to be an emotional evening for the popular Victorian, whose mother, Jennie, recently passed away.
In the SX2 Championship, American star Decotis also enjoys a 31 point advantage in the Championship standings, over young Aussie Penrite Honda Wilson MX team mates Jackson Richardson and Geran Stapleton.
But just like Reardon, Decotis is a racer through and through, and won’t be toning things down come the drop of the gate tomorrow night.
“I’m a racer, and I want to win!,” enthuses Decotis, whose Championship score card reads 1-1-1-2-1 in the five rounds to date.
“So I am going out there and try to win, but I am not going to make any dumb decisions and lose sight of the big picture. I won’t be taking any crazy risks.
“But I’m a racer and I will just keep doing exactly what I have been doing and go hard for the full 15 laps and hopefully be able to take a Championship home with me.”
Behind Decotis, Richardson and Stapleton, Bacchus Marsh-based Lewis Woods (Davey Motorsports KTM) holds down fourth in the Championship and is the only rider to have taken a round win from Decotis (round four at Jimboomba, Queensland), while SX2 class debutante and last year’s SXD Championship winner, Dylan Wills (Newcastle KTM) completes the top five standings.
On a night when all 2015 Penrite Oils Australian Supercross Championships will be decided, tomorrow’s Melbourne Supercross grand final at Knights Stadium is sure to see a repeat of the close and exciting racing that has been the hallmark of previous rounds at Bathurst, NSW, Jimboomba, Qld (two rounds), Adelaide, SA, and last weekend’s barnstorming indoor AUS-X Open at Sydney’s Allphones Arena.
In the SXD Championship for riders under 19 years of age, the young guns will line up in Melbourne for their fourth and final Championship round, with NSW rider Brock McLeary (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) leading the standings ahead of Mitch Evans (GYTR Yamaha) and Toby Stevens (PSC Yamaha).
Meanwhile in the Junior Lites Championship, after four previous rounds, Cooper Pozniak (Newcastle KTM) heads the points chase over Jake McGlashan (Dubbo City Motorcycles KTM) and Joel Cigliano (CRF Honda Racing).
In the 85cc Championship for riders 12 to under 16 years of age, Jy Roberts (AXO Ipone Husqvarna) has the title well within his sights and makes the front running ahead of Tyler Darby (MCD KTM) and Samuel Noonan (Maitland Motorcycles KTM).
Finally, defending two-time Australian Women’s Supercross Champion Meghan Rutledge (Hitachi Kawasaki Mad Meg Racing) heads the charge of female racers to enter this year’s Women’s Championship, which will be
determined at Knight’s Stadium tomorrow.
With the Melbourne event sure to deliver a thrilling conclusion to the 2015 Penrite Oils Australian Supercross Championships presented by Ryco Filters, tickets are selling fast.
Tickets to tomorrow’s event at Knights Stadium at Sunshine are available by going to thewww.ticketebo.com.au/supercrossmelbourne web site.
Ticket prices start at $40 and along with seeing Australia’s best Supercross racers banging bars for the prestigious national Championship crowns, fans will also be treated to the high-flying action of freestyle MX displays and the high-horsepower antics of a Monster truck demo.
To stay up to date on all the Supercross news and social media channels, Championship points standings, and for all event details and ticket sale information, be sure to check out the officialwww.australiansupercross.com.au web site.
2015 Penrite Australian Supercross Championships presented by Ryco Filters
SX1 Championship: 5/6 rounds
1. Daniel Reardon – Yamaha. 167
2. Kade Mosig – Yamaha. 136
3. Matt Moss – Suzuki. 127
4. Lawson Bopping – Yamaha. 124
5. Daniel McCoy – Yamaha. 118
6. Gavin Faith – Honda. 109
7. Adam Monea – Kawasaki. 107
8. Luke Styke – KTM. 93
9. Danny Ham – Suzuki. 78
10. Kirk Gibbs – KTM. 54
SX2 Championship: 5/6 rounds
1. Jimmy Decotis – Honda. 172
2. Jackson Richardson – Honda. 141
3. Geran Stapleton – Honda. 132
4. Lewis Woods – KTM. 130
5. Dylan Wills – KTM. 122
6. Luke Clout – Yamaha. 113
7. Luke Arbon – Husqvarna. 111
8. Wade Hunter – Yamaha. 109
9. Joel Wightman – Honda. 105
10. Jack Simpson – KTM. 97
SXD Championship: 3/4 rounds
1. Brock Mcleary – Suzuki. 175
2. Micth Evans – Yamaha. 165
3. Toby Stevens – Yamaha. 158
Junior Lites Championship: 4/5 rounds
1. Cooper Pozniak – KTM. 366
2. Jake McGlashan – KTM. 353
3. Joel Cigliano – Honda. 316
85cc 12-U16 Championship: 4/5 rounds
1. Jy Roberts – Husqvarna. 406
2. Tyler Darby – KTM. 356
3. Samuel Noonan – KTM. 335.
