Todd Waters Dominates
2013 Australian MX Nationals
www.fullnoise.com.au Motocross News and Photos By: Aaryn Minerds
Todd Waters has dominated the opening round of the 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals at Raymond Tce, New South Wales under bright blue skies and in front of a healthy size crowd.
Waters got the day off to the perfect start when he qualified his Motorex KTM
450 SX-F fastest in regular qualifying. Waters then again showed he was going
to be the rider to beat riding another perfect lap during the new Super Pole
qualifying lap for the five fastest riders at the end of the regular qualifying
session.
CDR Yamaha rider, Billy Mackenzie posted the second fastest time in the one
lap dash giving him second gate pick for the day's two motos, followed by
Campbell Mining Suzuki rider Jake Moss and Berry Sweet, Lucas Oils
Yamaha rider Tye Simmonds.
The fifth rider in the Superpole Carlton Dry Honda's Ford Dale, went
down during his flying lap, still giving him 1 championship point and fifth
gate pick.
When the gate dropped on moto one it was Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jay
Marmont who set the early pace, making his way to the front of the pack and
looking comfortable out front.
It was not long however before he came under pressure from Waters who had
charged from well out side the top five. Waters wasted no time making the move
in to the lead and checking out, riding a comfortable and in control 30 minute
moto to clearly win ahead of Marmont and Motul Pirelli Suzuki's Cody Cooper
who worked his way through the field after a slow start.
Waters
was blindingly fast all day, though very much in control and smooth. –Photo credit
Aaryn Minerds. Moto two was the Waters show with the 22 year old getting to the
front of the pack early and again checked out, this time by an even bigger
margin early in the race. From there Waters settled in to a smooth pace for the
second half of the race and never came under pressure from any other rider.
Behind Waters the battle was intense and by the time everything shaken out, it
was Billy Mackenzie who turned his day around, spending moto two racing forward
through the pack for a fine second place finish.
Rounding out third place in the second moto was once again, Cody Cooper who put
in a carbon copy of his moto one performance to work his way forward from a
average start. The two third place finishes for the Kiwi was enough to secure
him second place for the day.
The though belonged to Waters, who walks away from Raymond Terrace with a
maximum 75 points for his Superpole win and domination of the two motos.
"It was the perfect day, I really have to give up to the KTM guys, they
have been working so dam hard," Waters stated on the podium, "The
racing in New Zealand paid off for us.
"I have to thank Jeff (Leisk) for giving me this chance and Rob
Twyerould, he has been working working hours and hours and my mechanic Ryan
and the rest of the team, those guys are the reason I am standing up here right
now and I am excited to be here," he added.
"Being back on KTM, it really feels like I never left, all the other teams
I rode for I had a fantastic experience with, I can't say a bad word about any
of them, but today we have come away with the number one plate and the red
plate and it shows that the team has been working extra hard.
Cooper put in a consistant 3-3 for 2nd
overall – Photo Credit Aaryn Minerds. Starts
were the only thing that kept Cooper from having a chance to go head to head
with Waters on track, after pulling multiple holeshots during the New Zealand
national championships, Cooper could not quite the starting form this weekend
at MX Central, though showed he defiantly has the pace to be a contender in
this years championship.
“My mind was a bit on the suspension side of things,” explained Cooper. “Todd
was hauling today. I’ll go back home and do what I was doing and keep working
at it.
“I want to thank the team and my trainer for getting me in the shape I need to
be in.
"It was an exhausting day, the heat was pretty intense, I am not
physically to tired, it was just the heat was exhausting out there today."
Cooper concluded.
Mackenzie bounced back in moto 2 for a great second place finish and 3rd
overall – Photo credit Aaryn Minerds. Mackenzie performance in Superpole
gaining four championship points along with his form turn around in moto two
after sliding backwards through the field in moto one sealed the final spot on
the podium for the Scotsman.
"I was able to do well with the Qualifying lap, it is something I am used
to from racing the GP's" Mackenzie explained, "it defiantly works for
me, I like the Superpole, it paid off today and I was able to get second.
"I just have to work on on a few things, It was good to be up there in
Superpole, but what I want is the number one on the podium.
"The first round has been awesome, I have to thank CDR Yamaha for making
some decisions for me today when I got a little bit lost, full credit to the
team." Mackenzie added.
MX2
Luke Styke was back to his 2012 winning ways at the
opening round of 2013 – Photo Credit Aaryn Minerds. Luke Styke has set the early pace in the MX2 class and like
Waters in the MX1 class, dominated both both moto's after qualifying second on
his way to the perfect start to the season.
In the opening moto of the year, the Serco Yamaha rider slotted in to second
place early in to the opening moto, stalking race leader Josh Cachia. At
about mid race, Styke made his move in to the lead, holding on for the race win
ahead of his team mate, Luke Clout.
KTM racer Kale Makeham rounded out the top three in moto one, with a
great ride through the field aboard his 250 two stroke and was followed home by
fellow KTM two stroke racers, Brock Winston, with Cachia rounding out the top
five.
In moto two Styke moved in to the lead early in the race and was never headed,
going on to take the race win, this time ahead of Carlton Dry Honda's Josh
Cachia and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Kade Mosig who bounced back from a
tough moto one. Rounding out the top five in moto two was Scrivens Honda,
privateer Matt Ryan in his return to racing.
Cachia's second place finish was enough to see him finish second for the day by
the smallest of margins over Makeham who finished fourth in moto 2.
Styke who held the Red Plate for the majority of 2012, will re mount the red
plate to the front of his Yamaha for round two at Murray Bridge of his dominant
display at Raymond Terrace.
"I can't thank Serco Yamaha and all the boys enough, the team works around
the clock to get us here on the weekend," Styke commented on the podium,
"A big thanks to the Raymond Tce club and WEM for putting on a great
event.
"My trainer Brenden McMillan has got me tuned up pretty tight, I just want
to go back home and continue working on things and never stop learning,"
he added.
Cachia
had the speed and in moto 2 showed he has the stamina, he will be a title
challenger in 2013. Photo credit Aaryn Minerds. Cachia overall had a bit of a
mixed day, after leading early in moto one, he struggled in the second half of
the race with an issue in his right arm, causing him to slip back to fifth
place.
There was no repeat in moto two, with Cachia holding strong for a clear second
place finish.
“I got a good holeshot and led the opening race then something happened to my
right arm and I just simply couldn't hold on any more,” Cachia explained. “I
backed off and thought being fifth is better than being on the ground.
“In the second race I told myself I had to pull my finger out, get the job done
if I crash I crash at least I am trying and I came away with second.
“I am stoked to get the first round done and to come away with a podium. There
is definitely a problem there with my arm that I will need to get fixed before
we head to Murray Bridge," he continued.
Make impressed in his first MX2 outing. Photo credit Aaryn Minerds. Makeham was the surprise of the round, though
a very talented rider coming fresh off the back of a under 19s supercross
championship, recent history has shown that the move from MXD to the MX2 class
is a steep step and not an easy one to make.
Makeham proved otherwise, with his fine 3-4 results for 3rd overall.
"Ever since I won my championship in under 19s, I really have become a new
man," Makeham stated, "I have confidence, I have self belief.
"I know I can do it, I just have to put in the hard work and I have been
doing that, so I have no reason for running right up there," he added.
MXD
Simpson (#7) held off a charging Dobson (#414) in
moto one for the overall win for the day.
Jack Simpson lead
a trio of new faces to the MXD ranks straight to the podium after a race win in
the opening MXD moto of the year, before following that up with a fine second
place finish in moto 2.
In Moto two Jesse Dobson who crashed in the second to last corner in the
opening race in a last ditch bid for the race win, rebounded for the race win
giving the Crazy Dogs Kawasaki team rider a podium finish, just ahead of New
Zealand's Hamish Harwood.
"It was good to be out there and ride consistent, I now go in to Wonthaggi
with the red plate, It is pretty local down there so all should be good,"
said Simpson after his first round win.
Round two of the Monster Energy MX Nationals will head to Murray Bridge in
South Australia in two weeks time on the 28th of April.
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Monster Energy MX1 Overall Results:
1. Todd Waters 75
2. Cody Cooper 60
3. Billy Mackenzie 58
4. Jay Marmont 54
5. Matt Moss 53
6. Tye Simmonds 52
7. Lawson Bopping 50
8. Jake Moss 47
9. Adam Monea 46
10. Ford Dale 43
11. Cody Mackie 41
12. Kirk Gibbs 37
13. Daniel McCoy 37
14. Robbie Marshall 36
15. Jacob Wright 35
16. Sam Martin 32
17. James Booth Elliot 26
18. Matt Clarke 24
19. Sam Duncanson 21
20. Jason Reed 21
Motul MX2 Overall Results:
1. Luke Styke 70
2. Josh Cachia 58
3. Kale Makeham 58
4. Luke Clout 55
5. Kade Mosig 53
6. Brock Winston 52
7. Matt Ryan 47
8. Kayne Lamont 46
9. Takeshi Katsuya 44
10. Geran Stapleton 43
11. Tristen Cachia 38
12. Nathan Brochtrup 33
13. Zak Newsome 32
14. Glenn Kearney 31
15. Wade Hunter 27
16. Aden Brown 26
17. Lewis Woods 22
18. Beau Ralston 22
19. Rhys Carter 20
20. James Brown 18
Pirelli MXD Overall Results:
1. Jack Simpson 67
2. Jesse Dobson 65
3. Hamish Harwood 56
4. Nick Scott 52
5. Corey James 52
6. Logan Blackburn 44
7. Jake Emmanuelli 44
8. Richard Evans 42
9. Joel Wightman 41
10. Jay Wilson 41
11. Jesse McNally 39
12. Jordan Bissaker 30
13. Joel Dinsdale 30
14. Meghan Rutledge 28
15. Tomas Ravenhorst 27
16. Jarrad Davis 26
17. Jett Anderson 23
18. Jesse Madden 22
19. Tyler Lange 22
20. Aaron Tanti 22
Click here for detailed results
