Aussie Champions crowned at 2011 Honda Australian Junior MX Championship
Sunday 09 October: Sixteen young Aussie Champions have been crowned after an action packed final day at the 2011 Honda Australian Junior Motocross Championship in Murray Bridge.
After
a week of tumultuous weather conditions, South Australia turned on the
sun in time for the deciding day of competition, leaving
the Monarto Motocross track dry for the last sixteen battles of the
Championship.
NSW
rider Tayla Jones took the Female 85cc 12-U16 years crown with 119
points, climbing two podium steps from her 2010 third place finish.
Victorian Emma Milesevic grabbed silver with 116 points, and South
Aussie girl Amy Bartsch claimed the bronze with 94 points.
Jones
also secured herself a silver medal, finishing second in the Female
Lites on 112 behind new Aussie Champion Mackenzie Tricker
(Yamaha Junior Racing) who ratcheted up 117 points. Tricker, from NSW,
performed impressively throughout her last Junior Championship to
improve on her 2010 second place finish. Victorian Emma Milesevic also
bagged a second Championship medal, taking third
in the Lites with a 106 point haul.
2010
Champion Hunter Lawrence (KTM Australia, Fox) from Queensland retained
his National Title status, consolidating a week of dominating
performances to take two Aussie crowns. The youngster swept to victory
in the 85cc 9-U12 class with a comfortable 11 point margin over
Victorian Callum Norton (GMR Motorex KTM) and Tasmanian Wade Kirkland,
before smashing home to take the 65cc 11-U13 class
with an unbeatable 125 points. Kirkland took another medal, picking up
the silver on 106 points ahead of Queensland’s Reece Rayner (GMR Motorex
KTM) on 102 points.
Jordan
Smith finished a fantastic Championship campaign with two gold medals
in hand. The US Suzuki rider rode to success in the 100-150cc
13-U15’s, taking out all three finals to lock in the ultimate 75 point
tally. Smith was tailed home by Queenslander Joel Dinsdale (Yamaha
Junior Racing QLD) on 64 points, and Western Australian Jayden Rykers,
who managed to nab a 57 point bronze medal score
despite placing sixth in the final race. Smith also swiped the crown in
an exceptionally close 250cc 13-15 years class, finishing with 69
points ahead of Dinsdale (68) and Western Australia’s Kyle Webster (45).
Western
Australia’s Scott Kramer conquered the 150cc 14-U16 class with flair,
winning every single final to bag gold with a perfect
125 points. Second and third was a NSW affair, with Corey Hamilton
claiming silver (122) after five consecutive second place finishes, and
Ty Gear claiming bronze (88).
2010
Champ Wayde Carter (Honda Junior Development Team) performed
brilliantly yet again to take out the 150cc 12-U14 years National
Title, passing the final chequered flag with a total 113 points. The
Victorian topped the class ladder ahead of Queensland’s Zac Small (109)
and Western Australia’s Connor Tierney (100).
NSW
rider Egan Mastin (GMR Motorex KTM) took out the 85cc 12-U14 crown,
with a second place finish in today’s spectacular decider pushing
his final point tally to 72. 2010 Champ Mitchell Evans (GMR Motorex
KTM) from Queensland rode solidly to finish the Championship in second
place (62). NSW rider Dylan Heaton (Dirt Bike Factory, KTM) pulled out a
brilliant ride when it was most needed, storming
the field in the decider to take line honours and claw three rungs up
the ladder to finish with the bronze.
New
Zealand rider Hamish Harwood romped home in the final 100-150cc 15
years race to wrap up the Title, finishing the Championship on
a mammoth 72 points. Dual 2010 Champion Scott Mann (GMR Motorex KTM)
from Queensland walked away with the silver (58 points), while Joel
Milesevic (Yamaha Junior Racing) stole the Championship bronze from his
fellow Victorian Billy Jackson by a single point
after placing second in the decider.
Riley
Dukes picked up a second medal, claiming the 150cc 9-U12 Championship
Title in a tight points battle. The NSW rider finished the
finals with 105 points, collecting three wins across five events. Mitch
Johnstone from Queensland took the silver with 101 points, despite
finishing ninth in the final race. NSW rider Cooper Pozniak (Coastal
KTM) walked away with third in both the Championship
and the final race, with a total of 105 points in the bag. Queenslander
Mason Rowe missed out on the bronze by a mere two points, despite
surging to a second place finish in the final race.
Keith
Tucker from the US nabbed gold in the 85cc 14-U16 class after solid
finals performances and two wins left him with a total of
110 points. Victoria’s Mitchell Landy (99) collected the silver and
South Australia’s Jett Anderson (88) narrowly squeezed onto the bronze
podium ahead of US rider Chase Smith. (errr actually from NZ!!)
The
65cc 9-U11 Aussie Title went to Victoria’s Callum Norton (GMR Motorex
KTM), who finished the finals with an immaculate top score
of 75 points. Western Australia’s Caleb Grothues clocked up the third
fastest time in the decider, putting enough points (58) in his bucket to
take the Championship silver. NSW rider Riley Dukes (SS Racing) snared
bronze with a second place decider finish
and an overall tally of 55 points, narrowly pipping fellow NSW rider
Blake Cobbin (North coast KTM) at the post.
Young
Caleb Clifton from NSW secured himself the 65cc 7-U9 Championship Title
with a perfect finals showing, earning 125 points with
five straight wins. Fellow NSW rider Korey McMahon (Sutto’s Motorex KTM
Team) locked in silver on 93 points and Queensland’s Lance Cameron
secured bronze with 88 points.
After
enduring a week of difficult and boggy conditions, the young crew in
the 50cc 7-U9 class enjoyed battling out their final race
out on a dusty track. Liam Andrews secured his fifth consecutive
chequered flag to secure the ideal 125 points and the Aussie Title.
Young Queenslanders Noah Ferguson (Twisted Sports, MX Race Prep) and
Jett Lawrence finished the final race and the Championship
in second and third place, on 108 and 96 points respectively.
The
250cc 15 years class provided the final encounter of the Championship,
with the big bikes the last to roar down the Monarto Motocross
straight. The Aussie Title belonged to 2010 250cc 13-U15 years Champion
Hayden Mellross (Honda Junior Development Team) who was victorious
after stepping up to the 15 years class for his last Junior Aussie
Championship. The NSW rider amassed a winning 70 points
across three finals, and was followed onto the podium by Hamish Harwood
(62) and Scott Mann (55).
The
epic week of Championship action was wrapped up with a Presentation
Ceremony, organised by host’s Murray Bridge Sporting Car and
Motorcycle Club. The Championships were proudly sponsored by Honda.
Club Manager Tim McAvaney congratulated everyone involved on a fantastic Championship. "I would like to thank Honda Australia for their support of this great event,” Mr McAvaney said. "Thanks also to Fox, Motorcycling Australia, Motorcycling South Australia, and all our associate and club sponsors. It’s been a great week, something we have really enjoyed putting on. Congratulations to all the winners and participants who made the event what it was. I
would like to thank everyone who has helped with the event, the
officials, the canteen workers, the clean-up crew and everyone who
helped prepare the venue. We couldn’t have done it without every one of
them. Good luck to Coolum, who I am sure will put on a fantastic event in 2012.”
What about the Kiwis ?
- 85cc 14-U16 Chase Smith was =3rd but 4th on the countback. Sean O'Connor 6th
- 150cc 15yrs 1st Hamish Harwood, 7th Chase Smith, Kurtis Lilly 18th.
- 250cc 15yrs 2nd Hamish Harwood, 10th Dion Picard.
- 150cc 13-U15 - 9th Hadleigh Knight.
- 250 13-U15yrs - 21st James Anderson