Big weekend ahead for Yamaha at round five of ProMX at Murray Bridge
It’s ProMX time and the trucks are again headed to South Australia for round five of the championship, this time at the Murray Bridge circuit just an hour out of Adelaide. Words: Yamaha
It’s been a few years since the ProMX tour has been to Murray Bridge but it is one of the more popular circuits of the season with its loamy, orange dirt and fast layout. It’s also round five and heading towards the business end of the championship, so there is plenty of action to look forward to this weekend.
The Women are back in action for round two of their championship and it seems like an eternity since the opening round at Wonthaggi back in March. After finishing third in her ProMX debut at Wonthaggi, Danielle McDonald has been a busy girl racing the first six rounds of the Australian Off-Road Championship, which she currently leads, as well as contesting a couple of rounds of the US GNCC series for the AmPro Yamaha team.
But McDonald is back and ready to go and looking forward to this weekend and it will be her first time to the Murray Bridge track. She landed on the podium at round one and will be out to at least match that performance at round two when the nation’s best female riders tackle the challenging Murray Bridge circuit.
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team – MX1
Jed Beaton will be the sole CDR Yamaha rider this weekend at Murray Bridge as Dean Ferris recovers from an injury sustained last time out at Maitland. Ferris is eyeing a return to racing at the Toowoomba round in a few weeks’ time, but it will be left to Beaton to handle the racing duties this weekend.
Beaton comes into the round just one point behind series leader, Kyle Webster, after the pair have traded race and round wins since the series started. But since the Maitland round, Beaton looks to have found some momentum with a big win at the Manjimup 15,000 that saw him win the final two motos of the day to inject some confidence into the CDR Yamaha team rider.
The Murray Bridge circuit will hold no fears for Beaton and he knows it’s time to pour on the pressure with just four rounds and eight races to go before a championship is crowned. “I feel like the last few weeks have been good for me in that I got the win in WA, but then returned and did a day or two with the team and really gelled with the bike. After four rounds, we are basically where we started in terms of points, so it’s time to chase some race wins and go after this championship,” Beaton explained.
Yamalube Yamaha Racing – MX2
It’s getting tight at the top of the MX2 leaderboard after Ryder Kingsford had a weekend to remember at Maitland by taking two race wins and the round win to close the gap on the series leader. The top three riders are now within 20 points and suddenly the MX2 championship has come alive. Kingsford took the momentum at Maitland and turned that into a victory in the MX2 All Stars class at Manjimup and hopes to keep the ball rolling at Murray Bridge. It’s a circuit that will be new to Kingsford, but he has proven he adapts well to new tracks and is ready to go this weekend.
Jayce Cosford sits in fifth place and continues to fly under the radar with his gritty rides. Never one to give less than 100%, Cosford has chipped away all season and finds himself well placed at the halfway stage and looking forward to the back half of the year with a heap of races in his home state of Queensland.
Kaleb Barham has also been showing good signs and the starts are beginning to return. Barham ran up front consistently at Maitland before he suffered from some arm pump but has recently injured his wrist and will be sidelined for this weekend at Murray Bridge.
WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing – MX3
The WBR Yamaha team are enjoying a successful season to date with three of their four riders in podium positions at the halfway point of the championship and another finding form after a delayed start to the year due to injury. So, it’s business as usual for the team as they look to keep the momentum rolling their way as they look to close out the championship at the final four rounds. The points are close and there are four riders in the MX3 class with a legitimate chance of snaring the MX3 crown.
Koby Hantis has been a picture of determination all year. He fights for every point and position on the track and doesn’t quit until his bike is back on the stand in the pits. His lead has been a reward for his desire to fight and Hantis will continue to put up a battle be it for first or fifteenth.
Kayd Kingsford lets it all hang out on the track. Quiet and reserved off it, Kingsford is wild and loose once the gate drops but there is no denying the speed he possesses.
Drew is unassuming and goes about his business quietly. He is yet to win a race or round yet but will just continue to bank the points each time he is on the track.
Seth Burchell comes off his first podium result of the year at Maitland and will be out for more this weekend in South Australia. He missed the first round through injury, so while the championship is out of the question, winning races and rounds are totally in play for Burchell and that is the goal for the final four rounds of ProMX.
Image: Yamaha
