Yamaha Previews Broadford MX
Yamaha Racing’s factory teams and riders are gearing up to launch a united 2007 Nokia MX Nationals season campaign at Broadford Motorcycle Complex this weekend.
Yamaha Racing’s factory teams and riders are gearing up to launch a united 2007 Nokia MX Nationals season campaign at Broadford Motorcycle Complex this weekend.
With Supercross victory eluding Yamaha factory teams by just a few points in both Pro Open and Pro Lite categories, they will be out to settle the score by taking bragging rights at Broadford.
Injury made for a turbulent start to the year for Yamaha’s MX teams, and there are a number of riders eager to prove that they are fully fit and race ready in the CDR/Nokia/Yamaha, Serco Yamaha and Team Seven Yamaha squads.
Broadford is the first of 10 rounds in the national series, which will see the motocross teams visit various locations across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Yamaha Racing Pro Open Motocross
Motocross fans will experience a blast from the past this weekend as former Pro Open champ Darryll King reunites with his CDR/Nokia/Yamaha team to take on the field at the season’s Broadford opener.
King retired from the Australian scene last year, but has received a callback from Team Principal Craig Dack following the unfortunate news that young gun Matt Moss would be unfit to ride next weekend due to a niggling Supercross injury.
Fully fit, he is eager to show the up-and-comers a thing or two aboard the bike and demonstrate the skill that has taken him to multiple titles throughout his career. “I am stoked to be able to come back for a one off race,” said King. “It is the first time in 2 years that I will not have to worry about riding with an injury.”
“My form is pretty good at the moment, not perfect but I will be ready to do my best on the CDR/Nokia/Yamaha YZ450F.”
Supercross runner-up Cheyne Boyd is fresh from his latest off-season challenge, winning the Natural Terrain Motocross event in Western Australia a fortnight ago.He feels as though it has allowed him to keep a competitive edge and is gunning for a win to start his Nokia MX Nationals season on a high note.
“I am really looking forward to getting the motocross season underway this weekend and will be aiming for nothing less than the win,” said Boyd. “I feel as though my preparation has been perfect and have been riding very well in training.”
The surprise package of 2007 has been by all accounts the performance of CDR pilot Ford Dale, who finished 5th in his maiden full-time Supercross season just a few weeks ago.Far exceeding his own goals and expectations, Dale is eager to maintain the fast-finishing form and bring home a good points haul at Broadford.
“I’m pumped to get started and know that I’m now a real contender for top 5 placings,” said Dale.“I’m looking to get good consistent points on the board and make a strong start to the season at Broadford this weekend.”
Team Seven Motorsports will field two riders in this year’s quest for Pro Open class honours – Shane Metcalfe and Tom Jones. After contesting the Pro Lites class in 2006, Metcalfe has blasted back onto the Open scene with a vengeance, illustrated by a strong 7th overall placing in the Supercross series.
Injury free, he believes the 2007 motocross season will be a fantastic battle and is looking to get some runs on the board early at Broadford. Jones is eager to get his Nokia MX Nationals title fight underway in 2007 after injury forced the 23-year-old to sit on the sidelines for the final 5 rounds last year.
“The season holds a lot of promise and I’m just looking forward to getting back to competitive riding again at Broadford,” said Jones. “My Team Seven machine has been working well in testing and I’ve got a lot of confidence it can go the distance in the races.”
Yamaha Racing Pro Lite Motocross
There’s little question that Daniel McCoy’s return to Yamaha has re-ignited his desire to win, as demonstrated in this year’s Supercross series where he was unlucky to lose the title by just a point. Back on a YZ250F, McCoy is leading the way in Pro Lites and is eager to make his mark early in the motocross season with a top finish at Broadford for his Serco Yamaha squad.
“It was pretty devastating to come so close to the Supercross title and lose by 1 point and I really want to make every moto count to make sure I have the upper hand,” said McCoy. “I’ve been putting a lot of work into my fitness and training as the motocross season is generally much more demanding than Supercross and am pretty confident at my chances.”
Not satisfied with his results in 2006, Jake Moss has set the bar higher this year and believes he should be chasing podium positions at every round of the season. Moss’ brilliance shone through many times last season and he hopes to improve his level of consistency to bring home solid results.
Another new inclusion for Serco Yamaha is Brenden Harrison, who is tipped to be a genuine contender in 2007. At just 18 years of age, Harrison is immensely experienced and is sure to be instantly competitive as soon as the weekend kicks off. “It’s great to be on board with Serco as they are definitely a leading Pro Lites team, the bike is really nice to ride and I’m looking forward to scoring some good points and mixing it with the top riders."
Team Seven Motorsports will field a youthful rider lineup in this year’s Nokia MX Nationals competition with Kirk Gibbs and Shaun Williamson stepping up to the plate. Gibbs displayed fantastic form throughout the Supercross season and is pumped to continue his good run of results.
“I’m really focused on getting some good results this year and know I’m capable of keeping touch with the frontrunners, it should be a good season.”
Williamson has devoted hour upon hour of training to ensure he gets off to a good start at Broadford, spending a lot of time on the bike at a private test track. He is confident that his powerful 250cc machine, a proven Pro Lites winner, will be up to the task as it blasts from the gates this Sunday, and will certainly be a rider to watch.
