Round Two – Wonthaggi

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Wonthaggi hosted the second round of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals on Sunday, with the championship again having to contend with trying weather conditions that saw riders pushed to their limits.

Thor MX1

The Thor MX1 class saw 25-year-old Estonian international Erki Kahro, take the first moto win followed by Luke Clout and Hayden Mellross.

Todd Waters had crashed in the first moto but came out all guns blazing in the second bout to take the win ahead of Luke Clout, and Hayden Mellross.

Luke Clout earned the round with his 2-2 results but it is Hayden Mellross that claims the red plate, with a three-point advantage over round winner Luke Clout. Kirk Gibbs is now third in the championship standings while the DNF in the opening moto for Todd Waters has seen the Husqvarna man demoted to fourth.

Clout, on board his CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team, YZ450F posted 2-2 results in trying conditions to win the round, chalking up his first round victory in the premier MX1 division.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Clout who had to overcome time penalties in each outing to secure his second place finishes in each moto.  Clout now jumps to second place in the championship.

Race one saw Clout power out of the gate only to lose traction in the wet and sloppy first turn and drop back to fifth place. He ticked of his laps and picked his way forward passing one rider at a time until he hit the lead with a lap to go.

He was the first racer across the finish line at the end of the 30-minute moto but received a 10 second penalty for an on track infringement and was relegated back to second place.

Ekri Kahro took the Moto1 win from Clout as a result, with a 8.856 second lead after the penalty, while Hayden Mellross completed the podium a further 5.744 in arrears.

The second race saw Clout in a similar position on the opening lap but determined to get to the front early. He charged his way to second place and slotted in behind race leader, Todd Waters.

As the race unfolded, he was issued with a 20 second penalty but despite the time issued, he was able to maintain his second place by race end and was awarded the round victory on the back of his super consistent 2-2 results.

Luke Clout

“After all the hard work over the summer and in the pre-season, I’m so pumped that I was finally get a round win in the MX1 class. The day wasn’t without its challenges, both on and off the track, but as a team we were able to get it done and I’m thankful for the efforts everyone at CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team have made. The track was thick and heavy today and staying upright and carrying speed was the key. The first straight and turn was so slippery and getting through there was half the battle as track position was so important. It was also a good test of my fitness as two long motos in these conditions are tough. The plan is now to keep the momentum rolling for the next round and continue to climb my way back into championship contention.”

Todd Waters was in dominant form on his FC450 Husqvarna, winning the MX1 Superpole and race two, however a DNF result in the first moto knocked him down the points tally come weekend’s end.

Todd Waters

“I’m really happy with how the year is coming together, the team and the FC450. It was a bummer to have a DNF in the first race after winning Superpole, but I got a bad start and put myself in a position where anything can happen, so I’m disappointed about that. The team worked hard to get the bike the ready for me and I turned it around in the second moto, taking the win and finished the weekend strong. I’m looking forward to the next round in Broadford with DPH as it’s such a good weekend with those guys!”

Round two proved to be a frustrated and challenging day for team mate, Kirk Gibbs. Gibbs was in the wars seconds after the gate dropped in each moto and was involved in first lap pile-ups that left both him and his YZ450F batted and bruised. But despite the rain, the mud, the crashes and the lack of vision, Gibbs battled on bravely to come home with 8-7 results and claim fourth for the day and control the points damage, somewhat!

Kirk Gibbs

“It wasn’t a great day for me and I leave here pretty frustrated and angry. I was way back in moto one and was moving forward when another rider went down and took me with them and I lost plenty of time there and then in the second one I went down at the start, had to stop into the mechanics area to get the bike straightened out and was a long way behind the field when I re-joined the race. I kept on chipping away and managed to get myself back to seventh and felt I rode alright but seventh isn’t where I belong and makes my determined to bounce back at round three in a couple of weeks’ time.”

New South Welshman Bopping kickstarted his time with the official Kawasaki outfit in sensational fashion, hole-shotting the opening moto before checking out and leading the field for the opening two thirds.

As the race neared the closing stages, the number 70 was overcome by a selection of riders, ultimately seeing him settle for fifth. Returning for race two, Bopping remained consistent as he managed his body, collecting a 10th in the tough conditions for a very respectable fifth overall.

Lawson Bopping

“It was a great weekend and I had a lot of fun with the team. I struggled a little in practice and got arm pump straight up – that was to be expected – I haven’t done a national in three years. I qualified in 12th, which wasn’t real great, but I ripped an awesome start in the first moto and led for maybe 20 minutes – that was awesome! I put the fade on in the last 10 minutes and a few guys got around me. Leading those few laps at the start made my whole weekend and it was a good time! The second moto was pretty miserable, to be honest. I think I went pretty hard in the first race and I was pretty flat for the second one, but overall we’re happy.”

Thor MX1 – Moto 1

1. Erki Kahro 32:51.019
2. Luke Clout +8.856
3. Hayden Mellross +14.600
4. Jayden Rykers +17.883
5. Brett Metcalfe +22.073
6. Lawson Bopping +31.264
7. Richie Evans +37.407
8. Zak Small +55.627
9. Kirk Gibbs +57.715
10. Charlie Creech +1:40.615
11. Lachlan Davis +1:44.894
12. Jesse Dobson +1:46.277
13. Levi McManus +2:07.533
14. Tomas Ravenhorst +1 Lap
15. Joel Wightman +1 Lap

Thor MX1 – Moto 2

1. Todd Waters 1:54.227
2. Luke Clout +27.023
3. Hayden Mellross +34.350
4. Justin Rodbell +50.239
5. Jayden Rykers +51.169
6. Erki Kahro +53.632
7. Kirk Gibbs +1:23.236
8. Jesse Dobson +1:28.802
9. Charlie Creech +1:37.067
10. Lawson Bopping +Lap
11. Zak Small +1 Lap
12. Tomas Ravenhorst +1 Lap
13. Cody Dyce +1 Lap
14. Joben Baldwin +1 Lap
15. Levi McManus +1 Lap

MX Nationals Round 2 Wonthaggi – MX1 Round Results

1. Luke Clout – 64
2. Hayden Mellross- 60
3. Erki Kahro – 60
4. Kirk Gibbs – 47
5. Lawson Bopping – 47
6. Charlie Creech – 44
7. Zak Small – 44
8. Jayden Rykers – 43
9. Jesse Dobson – 43
10. Justin Rodbell – 38

Thor MX1 – Championship Standings

1. Hayden Mellross 92
2. Luke Clout 89
3. Kirk Gibbs 77
4. Todd Waters 73
5. Jesse Dobson 69
6. Charlie Creech 64
7. Justin Rodbell 63
8. Zak Small 62
9. Tomas Ravenhorst 61
10. Erki Kahro 60
11. Jayden Rykers 58
12. Brett Metcalfe 57
13. Joben Baldwin 52
14. Levi McManus 52
15. Joel Wightman 50

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Pirelli MX2

DPH Husqvarna rider Wilson Todd dominated the Pirelli MX2 class in both the back to back motos, and the traditional 20 minute moto. That of course put Todd on top of the podium for the round and with the red plate coming heading towards round three at Broadford. The smallest winning margin for Todd was in the third moto, where Kyle Webster was 10.825s in arrears.

Wilson Todd

“I felt good coming into this weekend, the FC250 is working unreal for me and I’m really comfortable being back with DPH. I wanted to really race this weekend after Appin, and I’m super stoked to have first gate pick and then take all three race wins. As the track dried it got faster, and I was able to put in some really strong, consistent laps and the hard work I’ve been putting in is really starting to show.”

Moto 1 saw Todd claim the win from Aaron Tanti by 20s, with Cooper Pozniak completing the podium a further 30s in arrears. Jay Wilson and Jye Dickson filled out the top five.

Moto 2 once again saw Todd dominate, this time taking the win by 22.822 from Jy Roberts, with Joel Evans a further 15s back. Cooper Pozniak and Kyle Webster completed the top five.

The longer format Moto 3 couldn’t put a dent in Todd’s winning ways, with the smallest gap of the weekend seeing Kyle Webster in second, 10.825s behind. Jay Wilson completed the podium, while Aaron Tanti and Jy Roberts completed the top five.

While Wilson Todd proved ultimately consistent across the weekend, Aaron Tanti, Cooper Pozniak, Jy Roberts, Joel Evans, Kyle Webster and Jay Wilson shared the minor podium positions, with only Todd on the podium across all three races.

Wilson Todd heads into Round 3 with the championship lead on 100 points, with Jy Roberts on 91 and Jay Wilson completing the top three with 86 points.

Aaron Tanti

“In the past, softer or sand tracks haven’t been my strong point and have struggled to get the results I need on those style of tracks, so it was good to ride well here in these conditions and get on the podium. I had race one under control and didn’t really feel much pressure from behind me but as I came down the pit board straight, I felt the front wheel aquaplane in the mud and by the time it grabbed traction again, I was already heading off track. But second was still a good finish. Race two was pretty average but I was able to rebound well in the final one and get on the podium. Thanks to everyone in the Serco Yamaha team. The first two rounds have been a nightmare for the mechanics and they have done a good job of keeping the bikes in great shape. Next up is Broadford and I’m looking forward to that and hopefully keep this momentum going.”

Pirelli MX2 – Moto 1

1. Wilson Todd 15:12.009
2. Aaron Tanti +20.843
3. Cooper Pozniak +49.727
4. Jay Wilson +55.887
5. Jye Dickson +1:04.332
6. Nathan Crawford +1:06.989
7. Jy Roberts +1:11.134
8. Sam Pelz +1:22.005
9. Issac Ferguson +1:26.410
10. Dylan Wills +1:32.364
11. Joel Green +1:35.168
12. Ricky Latimer +1:38.002
13. Bailey Malkiewicz +1:40.495
14. Riley Dukes +1:54.454
15. Jesse Bishop +1:55.639

Pirelli MX2 – Moto 2

1. Wilson Todd +15:38.490
2. Jy Roberts +22.822
3. Joel Evans +37.961
4. Cooper Pozniak +39.771
5. Kyle Webster +43.745
6. Bailey Malkiewicz +51.163
7. Sam Pelz +52.521
8. Riley Dukes +55.602
9. Aaron Tanti +1:04.153
10. Jye Dickson +1:06.744
11. Issac Ferguson +1:08.358
12. Jay Wilson +1:09.455
13. Jesse Bishop +1:34.237
14. Joel Green +1:35.694
15. Nathan Crawford +1:38.108

Pirelli MX2 – Moto 3

1. Wilson Todd 19:59.021
2. Kyle Webster +10.825
3. Jay Wilson +16.906
4. Aaron Tanti +24.646
5. Jy Roberts +33.349
6. Dylan Wills +37.639
7. Jye Dickson +43.528
8. Nathan Crawford +52.229
9. Sam Pelz +55.449
10. Issac Ferguson +58.769
11. Joel Evans +59.692
12. Bailey Malkiewicz +1:05.547
13. Cooper Pozniak +1:07.725
14. Kaleb Barham +1:12.303
15. Riley Dukes +1:13.556

MX2 Round Result – Wonthaggi

1. Wilson Todd – 70
2. Aaron Tanti – 56
3. Jy Roberts – 56
4. Jay Wilson – 54
5. Cooper Pozniak – 52
6. Jy Dickson – 49
7. Sam Pelz – 48
8. Kyle Webster – 46
9. Nathan Crawford – 43
10. Isaac Ferguson – 42

Pirelli MX2 – Championship Standings

1. Wilson Todd 100
2. Jy Roberts 91
3. Jay Wilson 86
4. Aaron Tanti 77
5. Cooper Pozniak 76
6. Issac Ferguson 70
7. Nathan Crawford 68
8. Jye Dickson 64
9. Dylan Wills 63
10. Kyle Webster 62
11. Sam Pelz 61
12. Riley Dukes 61
13. Joel Evans 51
14. Ricky Latimer 45
15. Bailey Malkiewicz 44

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Motul MXD

Raceline KTM Thor rider Regan Duffy had a straight sweep of qualifying and dominated in both the motos in the Motul MXD class, taking home the red plate.

Moto 1 saw Duffy claim victory from Mason Rowe with a 4.206s advantage, while Rhys Budd took the final podium position. Noah Ferguson and Mason Semmens completed the top five.

In Moto 2 Duffy again took the win, this time from Maximus Purvis by over 10s, with Moto One runner-up Rowe claiming the final podium spot. Rhys Budd came home in fourth with Noah Ferguson fifth.

Regan Duffy now leads Rhys Budd by a narrow four-point margin in the MXD standings, with Max Purvis completing the top three, and Mason Rowe two-points off in fourth.

Motul MXD – Moto 1

1. Regan Duffy 21:18.377
2. Mason Rowe +4.206
3. Rhys Budd +33.406
4. Noah Ferguson +59.218
5. Mason Semmens +1:00.221
6. Brodie Ellis +1:00.942
7. Jai Walker +1:20.833
8. Tye Jones +1:36.480
9. Jack Kukas +1:41.269
10. Mackenzie O”Bree +1:57.791
11. Jayce Cosford +2:14.914
12. Riley Fucsko +2:20.188
13. Liam Walsh +1 Lap
14. Wilson Greiner-Daish +1 Lap
15. Hugh Roache +1 Lap

Motul MXD – Moto 2

1. Regan Duffy 20:22.013
2. Maximus Purvis +10.356
3. Mason Rowe +15.953
4. Rhys Budd +17.847
5. Noah Ferguson +29.381
6. Mason Semmens +30.009
7. Brodie Ellis +40.151
8. Liam Andrews +1:09.052
9. Jack Kukas +1:11.220
10. Micheal Murphy +1:18.265
11. Navrin Grothues +1:26.703
12. Korey McMahon +1:29.561
13. Riley Findlay +1:44.319
14. Jake Cobbin +1:45.104
15. Mackenzie O”Bree +1:45.881

Motul MXD – Championship Standings

1. Regan Duffy 94
2. Rhys Budd 90
3. Maximus Purvis 80
4. Mason Rowe 78
5. Noah Ferguson 69
6. Jack Kukas 64
7. Mason Semmens 63
8. Brodie Ellis 58
9. Micheal Murphy 55
10. Tye Jones 55
11. Jayce Cosford 54
12. Liam Walsh 52
13. Jai Walker 50
14. Hugh Roache 48
15. Liam Andrews 44

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Images by MX Nationals Media

Source: MCNews.com.au