Australian MX Nationals set for Sunday
Thursday 28 March: The opening round of the 2012 Monster Energy MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, will fire the series into life at Conondale in Queensland this Sunday, 01 April.
Jay Marmont (pictured right) will contest the 2012 MX Nationals, which get underway in Queensland this weekend
Conondale returns
to the calendar as the first of 10 rounds to be contested during the
season, which is tipped to be the most competitive on record with an
all-star line-up of international contenders.
Defending four-time
champion Jay Marmont will vie for a fifth straight MX1 (Pro Open) title
after switching to Monster Energy Kawasaki during the off-season,
leading Australia’s local charge.
"We’ve done a lot of testing
and we’ve been working hard, just getting seat time and testing on the
2012 KX450F,” 28-year-old Wollongong resident Marmont said. "The whole
package has come together at the right time, but I’m under no illusions
and I’m certain that it’s going to be tough.
"Last year I got
the championship at the last round, but I haven’t left anything on the
table this year and I’ve been putting in more work than ever. This is
just what I need to keep me going at the moment and I am excited to race
everybody out there for this number one plate.”
Other top
Australian riders include a host of rising stars who are highly capable
of winning races and fighting for the title, including Lawson Bopping
(CDR Yamaha), Todd Waters (Motul Pirelli Suzuki), Tye Simmonds
(Honda/Red Bull/Simmonds Racing) and Jake Moss (Campbell
Mining/TLD/Maxima Honda).
Former national champion Dan Reardon
will also be another rider in with a chance at lifting the crown, the
Brisbane-based 26-year-old spearheading JDR/KTM Factory Racing’s hopes
as their lone MX1 contender in season 2012.
"The team structure
is great right now, we’ve been really productive during testing and
everything like that,” Reardon commented. "I’ve been real happy with the
way things are going this year so far and it feels good to be healthy
heading into the season.”
No less than 20 world class riders have
signed up for the season opener throughout all three National
Championship classes – MX1, MX2 and MXD – and making for a truly
international series on Australian soil.
Former Motocross World
Champion Ben Townley will enter the weekend as a red-hot favourite in an
anticipated one-off appearance for Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing,
recently signed to compete in the United States for Chad Reed’s TwoTwo
Motorsports Honda team following the Conondale round.
"I want to
use my race craft going into [the AMA season], so at least round one is
on the cards for me,” recently crowned New Zealand Motocross Champion
Townley added. "I’d like to repay the fans and everybody involved in
Australian motocross, so it will be nice to see people face to face
before I head off.”
Last year’s series runner-up Josh Coppins
(CDR Yamaha) returns to the MX Nationals from New Zealand, as does
fellow Kiwi Cody Cooper (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) and Scotland’s Billy
Mackenzie (Monster Energy Kawasaki). In addition, dual British champion
Brad Anderson (Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing) joins the fray for a
full-season after winning a round as a wild card in 2010.
Sweden
will be represented by 20-year-old rookie Calle Aspegren on a privateer
Honda, heading to Australia after spending a full season in the U.S.
during 2011.
The Motul-backed 250cc MX2 category also has an
international flavour, with a new champion set to be crowned since
current champion Matt Moss is now based in America flying the Aussie
flag for JDR Motorsports and KTM.
JDR/KTM Factory Racing will
feature a three-rider Lites team consisting of former champion Ryan
Marmont, Josh Cachia and Queensland’s Brenden Harrison when he returns
from a leg injury. The team will shoot for a third straight title in the
250s.
Dual runner-up Kirk Gibbs returns for Serco Yamaha Metal
Mulisha Racing alongside new teammate Luke Styke, while Carlton Dry
Honda Thor Racing has signed former Serco rider Ford Dale in a
single-rider MX2 assault. Monster Energy Kawasaki has ever-popular
Victorian Kade Mosig in its corner.
Motul Pirelli Suzuki has
opted for the international route by signing British talent Steven
Clarke, however he continues to recover from injuries sustained last
year and will be replaced by New Zealand Suzuki regular Scott Columb for
Conondale.
Australia’s top development riders will also be in
action all season long in the Pirelli MXD (Under 19s) category. This is
the class where riders sharpen their skills before stepping into the pro
ranks, as we’ll see in 2012 with current MXD champion Errol Willis
joining the MX2 class for Raceline Pirelli Suzuki.
The 2012 Championship Series will commence on 1 April at Conondale in Queensland.
For further information, visit www.mxnationals.com.au
Practice Starts 8.30am
Copy and photo courtesy of Alex Gobert - TwoThree Public Relations