Hey all...this year I competed in the Victorian Motocross Championship so I'll fill you in on all my results, thoughts, ups and downs and everything in between!
The championship was held over 4 rounds in Broadford, Wodonga, Ballarat and Moe and although I did go to all the rounds I only competed in 3. The first round I was unable to ride as I had a broken collarbone which I received in a training session a few weeks prior to round one. I rode my Honda CRF250 in the A-grade lites class and had to battle with the best riders the state has to offer! I have rode on these tracks in previous years which does take the pressure off a little, but majority of my competitors know these tracks as well as I know the Sunraysia and Calder highways!
Round 1- Broadford (2/5/09)
I'll start with a quick spill about Broadford. I travelled down on the Friday night with Woulfe, slept in my swag and was keen to see things from the other side of the fence (didn't have a choice). Waking up to the sound of sprinklers watering a groomed Broadford circuit is as peaceful as it gets when you're a motocross racer. As practice and racing got underway our day was cut short when Woulfe snapped his achillis tendon. Adam Monea took out the opening round with (1-1-3).
Round 2- Wodonga (5/7/09)
I went to Wodonga not feeling 100% prepared but was going to give it my best shot. Practice was muddy as per usual and half of the start straight was pretty sloppy, and would you believe it I drew a gate in front of the slop! I got an okay jump off the concrete, got through the slop and after a few intense corners was back running 24th. I pushed and battled out the 20minute moto finishing 15th. Moto 2 I got a similar start & rode a similar race but I felt I'd adapted to the track a lot better and started to find my groove and I finished 16th. In moto 3 my start was better and I was able to continue my momentum into a solid ride. By the end of the moto I was getting fatigued and crashed after the whoop section. I was unable to finish moto 3 and was pretty bummed with the weekends results; 21st overall! Kade Mosig took the overall with 2 moto wins and a 3rd.
Round 3- Ballarat (9/8/09)
Ballarat was cold, but according to locals it was a warmer than average day which made for a good days racing. Practice went really good and after a few minor adjustments to the bike I was hoping for a good day. Moto 1 I got an awesome start in the top 6 but I was unable to match the pace of the top riders and slowly dropped back to 12th to finish the moto. Moto 2 I got around the first corner in 4th & had good battles throughout the moto and finished 11th. In the last moto I was around 10th off the start & I rode the moto strong and was stoked to take 11th overall for the day. The overall went to Lewis Stewart (2-2-1).
Round 4- Moe (16/8/09)
Moe in Gippsland was a lazy 8 hour trip, arriving in the dark on Saturday night. It turned out to be a very windy day and with the pits at the top of the hill I'm glad no one was blown away. During practice I felt the best I have all year and was feeling confident of good results. I was happy with the first moto and crossed the chequers in 12th. The highlight of the trip was my moto 2 HOLESHOT on the inside of Cam Taylor! He soon beat me around corner two but i screwed the throttle flat the whole moto. I ran 5th for 3/4 of the race and after plenty of passing and great racing by Alex Morris I finished the moto in 8th. I maintained intensity & rode smart and smooth, and according to Pete my mechanic, rode my best race of my year if not my racing career. The last moto of the day I was keen to again do well. I got wheelspin off the line and was around the corner just inside the top 20. Feeling comfortable with the Moe circuit, slamming the ruts as best I could and attacking probably the ugliest whoop section I have ever seen. I finished the moto 9th. And with those results I took 9th overall for the day and was pretty stoked to finish the championship on a high.
After a slow start to the championship and a solid last two rounds, I finished 13th in Victoria. Lewis Stewart (Honda) won the championship ahead of Adam Monea (Suzuki) and Lewis Woods (Kawasaki).
A big thanks to my all my sponsors, my girlfriend Tahnee, the help from Pete and Marshall on race days and everybody else that helps me in my racing commitments- I am very thankful of your support.