Serco Yamaha’s Rhys Budd has won his maiden ProMX round after taking victory in the MX2 (250cc) division at round four of the championship at Maitland on the weekend.
After finishing on the podium multiple times in the last few years, Budd finally broke through for an emotional round victory, with plenty of friends and family in attendance. The day also saw Jesse Dobson take his first race win at a national level and consolidate a good weekend for the Serco Yamaha team.
To view the Serco Yamaha bLU cRU round review: https://youtu.be/V7dHChFqR1EBut the moment belonged to Rhys Budd as he took his first round win in MX2 with a consistent 3-2 result on the weekend. But it wasn’t cut and tried from the moment he crossed the finish line in the second race. The points were tight at the top with Budd and Wilson Todd sharing a 3-2, 2-3 finish with Budd’s better result in the final moto allowing him to be the club house leader.
But all eyes were fixed a little further back in the pack as race won winner, Nathan Crawford was moving his way forward and if he managed to get to fourth, then he would have enough points to take the win. With a lap to go, Crawford was closing in on fourth at a great rate of knots but as the pair crossed the finish line, he was unable to make the pass and it was Budd declared the winner.
“Its awesome to finally get a round win and get this monkey off my back,” he mentions from the podium. “I have been close a few times and been in the running to get a win but it’s a relief to finally get it done and stand on the top of the podium. I know it’s taken way too long to do that.
“I have always raced well here, and I had plenty of support in the pits, so it was awesome to get my first win in front of so many of my friends and family.
“The start to this year hasn’t been great but I’m going to use this as a turning point in the season and consistently get back up the front. The team have continued to work hard and now we all get a little reward and give everyone so extra motivation to keep it rolling.”
It was an up and down weekend for Jesse Dobson who finished with 9-1 results for fourth overall. Dobson came into the weekend under an injury cloud after a fall at a Queensland event the weekend prior but shook off the cobwebs early to snatch pole position in qualifying.
He gated well in the first moto only to fall in the very early stages, dropping well down the field. While slow to get his pace back, Dobson toiled away and continue to move forward as the 25minute race progressed. He was able move into ninth by race end and salvage some handy points.
Race two and conditions had drastically changed. A cold front swept over the venue and dumped some rain and wind, and the sunny skies were now a little gloomier. But that had no effect on Dobson who snatched the lead right from the get-go and was never headed to take a race victory by 13 seconds over teammate Rhys Budd.
Dobson landed in fourth for the day and now sits sixth in the championship after four rounds.
“The weekend was good for me and one that I needed after the last round in Wodonga. I felt fast all weekend and had I not crashed in that first race, the round results might have been a lot better.
“But it's nice to get back up the front and it’s a while since I have won a race. I got a great start, got to the lead, and just rode my own race.
“Thanks to Matt my mechanic and the entire Serco Yamaha team for the effort and support for the last few weeks and hopefully this is the start to get my season back on track,” Dobson ends.
ProMX Results
-
ProMX Results
Round Four – Maitland
MX2
1st Rhys Budd – 42 (Serco Yamaha)
2nd Wilson Todd – 42
3rd Nathan Crawford – 41
4th Jesse Dobson – 37 (Serco Yamaha)
5th Noah Ferguson – 33
MX2 Championship Standings
1st Wilson Todd – 147
2nd Brodie Connelly – 120
3rd Nathan Crawford – 116
4th Rhys Budd – 108 (Yamaha YZ250F)
5th Kayden Minear – 107
6th Jesse Dobson – 97 (Serco Yamaha)