MX Nats bLU cRU Managers Review Round Three

In the MX1 division the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy duo of Kirk Gibbs and Luke Clout finished with team 1-3 result on their YZ450F’s in another strong performance. The MX2 class saw Jay Wilson, Aaron Tanti and Nathan Crawford fill positions 3-4-5 producing some very competitive racing while the MXD category saw the WBR Yamaha pair claim fourth and sixth.

It was also the first national of the year not to impacted by weather so proved to be a pleasant change not riding and working in the rain for riders and teams.

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team – Craig Dack – MX1
“Round three was good day for the team with both riders on the podium and Kirk getting his first round victory of the year. We have won the last two rounds so its good both riders are doing well and in a good position for the overall championship.

“My discussions with the riders leading into this weekend was to reduce the amount of mistakes and capitalise on others who are as they seems to be plenty of that going on in the MX1 class this year. Both Kirk and Luke are experienced racers now and should be able to make mature decisions on the track and not be the ones letting themselves down. To their credit, both riders did that on the weekend and being the sprint format with back to back races, consistency and remaining in contention are vitally important.

“It was also nice to have a race in the dry and get a real feel of the lay of the land. The first two events where very muddy and while that is motocross, its not a true indication of where it all sits, both in terms of our opposition as well as our own performance.”

To view the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team recap: https://www.youtube.com/embed/kJUZ82o9GZY

1st Kirk Gibbs
3rd Luke Clout

Serco Yamaha – Gavin Eales - MX2
“While we never got the results we were chasing at Broadford, there were lot of things we can take away from the round and build on. Both riders showed they had good speed on a very tricky track. They qualified well and generated speed in both motos so that’s a good base to work from.

“Aaron was fast all day and always in the heat of the battle only to let things slip late in each race. I don’t believe it’s a physical issue as Aaron works hard on his fitness and is in good shape, he just needs to stay focussed all the way to the finish and not intense up and ride tight as the races draws to a conclusion. His starts were good, and he is smart on the track, so the goal now is to just clean up the final few laps and I think he will capable of race and round wins.

“For Nathan, it was a day that he needed to have just to re-affirm his own beliefs and hard work. The opening two rounds haven’t seen him at his best since he recovered from his injury, but Broadford saw him step it up and match the front runners for speed and fitness. He got a reward for his work and perseverance and it was just what he needed as he is so hard on himself. I think he has turned the corner know and the results will continue to improve.”

To view the Serco Yamaha recap: https://www.youtube.com/embed/wjfh0DOJw0M

4th Aaron Tanti
5th Nathan Crawford

Yamalube Yamaha Racing – Scott Bishop – MX1 and MX2
“Things were not looking good for us on Sunday morning as Jay was dealing with a finger issue from the last round while Richie was up all night throwing up from some kind of virus he picked up. We were like a bit of a casualty ward there for a while but both riders soldered on and dug deep when they needed to.

“Jay was good right from the get go in qualifying and the finger wasn’t an issue on track. He came back to fifth in race one after a fall but was super-fast in race two and in the second half of the race was a man on a mission. He looked fast and aggressive as he reeled the leaders in only to run out of time and finish third.

“Poor Rich just had a tough day. His body was in no mood for doing any physical activity and every time he came in he looked as white as a ghost. We suggested to him to sit it out and that depleting his already ran down body wouldn’t be good, but he elected to ride and put in a huge effort considering the circumstances. There are far better days ahead for him.”

To view the Yamalube Yamaha Racing team recap: https://www.youtube.com/embed/5NPbm2XzBco

3rd Jay Wilson – MX2
13th Richie Evans – MX1

WBR Yamaha – Travis Whitten – MXD
“So close but so far for us on the weekend as both Max and Jack had the opportunity to get round or race wins only to see it slip through their fingers at the crucial times.

“Both were fast in qualifying which always builds confidence and then they were running in the top three from the majority of the first moto. Max went on the win the race while Jack made a couple of mistakes and slipped back to eighth.

“The final moto was tough as both riders were behind the eight ball right from the start when they both didn’t get a good start and had to work their way through the field. Jack made it to fifth and Max was right behind him in sixth. So, not the greatest day for us but we think there are plenty of things we can take away from Broadford and learn from them.”

To view the WBR Yamaha team recap: https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWjLE7YeNxE

4th Max Purvis
6th Jack Kukas