Yamalube Yamaha Move up in Championship Chase

After a challenging opening round at Wonthaggi, the team were determined to make some improvements and the riders showed plenty of heart at Canberra as the MX2 championship really gets down to business.

Rhys Budd has now moved to second in the championship after finishing fourth at Canberra in a day that was nothing short of eventful for the 19 year old speedster. He steered his YZ250F to P1 in qualifying with a scintillating lap that was over one second quicker than his rivals and gave him a good confidence boost heading into race one.

Budd was in a tight knit pack and just outside the top three and wanting to move forward when he came together with another rider. The incident saw both of them taste the dirt and scrambling to get back to their machines. Budd recovered quickly and despite losing several positions he was able to rally late in the race to cross the finish line in fifth.

Race two and Budd was again towards the front of the pack and working hard to get some clear air. He continued to push all the way to the finish to just miss a podium spot, taking fourth in the final moto. His 5-4 results gave him fourth for the round, but more importantly, saw him jump to second in the points.

“I’m not going to lie, I desperately wanted, and my goal was, to win today, so I’m a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to do that,” Budd laments. “I had the speed to win, but I just wasn’t able to put myself in a position to make the most of it.

“Still, I made up some positions in the championship and felt I can take a lot from the weekend and apply it in my riding. The bike was awesome in both motos and the team did a great job. I just want to keep improving every round and stay in the championship fight right until the end.”

It was a much improved performance from Jay Wilson in Canberra that saw him return to the podium in third place with 2-6 results. Wilson was able to make passes early in race one and move into second before the midway point and consolidate it all the way home.

The second moto saw Jay as high as fourth place but some late race errors saw him drop back to sixth, but still good enough to secure the final step on the podium and bounce him up to fourth place in the championship.

“Today was a step in the right direction for me but there is still a lot of work to be done. At least this weekend I was in the battle and competitive unlike Wonthaggi where I just stunk.

“There is still more speed to come and some fitness at the end of the motos but things are heading in the right direction and with a four weeks until round three in Adelaide, hopefully I can make another step forward.

“Thanks to the team for a big effort in the lead up to the round and I’m looking forward to get more work under my belt before Adelaide and getting back to where I belong,” Wilson said.

While a 10th on paper might not look like a great result, Levi Rogers showed he can take up the battle to the established MX2 stars in 2021. On a track he had never seen before, he showed good pace throughout the day and can go home feeling like he made progress.

He was able finish sixth in race one and within sight of the podium in a race that would lift his spirits. He was in battle for fourth for the majority of the race and a mistake late in the race saw drop to sixth. Still, it was a good showing from the up and comer, finishing ahead of many of the established MX2 riders.

Race two saw his fortunes change seconds into the race. He was involved in a multi rider pile up in the first turn that saw him remount a distant last on a bent and twisted bike. But with a full 25 minute race ahead of him, he began to catch the back of the field and then move forward. He made his way to 14th place at the finish and a strong- willed ride that gained him valuable points in the championship.

“Overall, I’m pretty happy with how I rode today and race at a speed that would put me inside the top five. On the hand other, I need to put two motos together at each round and get as many points as I can in every race.

“The sixth place was good and I felt had I been able to get passed the rider in front of me quicker, I may have been able to move further forward. Race two was ugly as I was ran over a few times and ended up with a bike on me in that first turn crash. But I raced all the way to the end and was able to salvage as many points as I can.”

Rogers maintains ninth place in the championship, with all three riders in the top ten after two rounds.

Round three will see a track different surface as the Pro MX tour moves to Gilman in Adelaide. The riders have faced the sand of Wonthaggi and the hard pack ruts of Canberra but will now look forward to the loamy based soil in Adelaide on May 30.