Marmont and Yamaha look to Coolum
Yamaha rider Jay Marmont has his eye on the 2008 Motocross Nationals title this weekend at Coolum.
Marmont and Yamaha set to secure MX title at Coolum A 30 minute moto is all that separates Yamaha and Jay Marmont from taking the manufacturer’s first Pro Open motocross crown in 4 years.
This weekend marks the final round of the Rockstar Energy MX Nationals, a series that Marmont has simply dominated. The Coolum event will crown a new champion, and the CDR Rockstar Yamaha pilot, who enjoys a 38 point lead over second place, needs only to finish within the top 15 in the first moto to take the title. The competition isn’t just restricted to the Open class, with Pro Lites and Under 19’s riders battling out a final round to secure vital championship points.
Yamaha Racing Pro Open
In his debut season with the manufacturer, CDR Rockstar Yamaha pilot Jay Marmont looks set to take the Pro Open Rockstar Energy MX Nationals title at the Coolum event this weekend. From the drop of the gates at round 1 in Tasmania, Marmont has displayed electrifying form, recording top 3 moto finishes at every round. The YZ450F pilot has mastered a variety of terrains, dominating a number of events and consistently recording top points hauls.
His 38 point lead over second place affords a rare luxury – Marmont only needs to finish Sunday’s opening moto in 15th place or better to amass an unbeatable advantage. A strong Supercross performer in seasons past, this will be Marmont’s first Pro Open motocross crown, and he will be taking few risks in securing the silverware at the Queensland finale.
"I have spent a lot time at a local sandy track and haven’t been overdoing it too much," said Marmont. "I don’t need to kill myself in order to get the championship, it’s just a matter of being smart about it and making sure that we do the preparation needed for the day. The YZ450F has been good all throughout the series and hopefully I’ll be able to bring it home at Coolum this weekend."
Team Principal Craig Dack is equally excited at the prospect of securing another trophy for the established team’s burgeoning cabinet this weekend.
"We’ve left no stone unturned with the bike and Jay’s preparation this year," said Dack."We have concentrated on not only winning races but also maintaining our consistency to ensure that we finished each race and recorded no DNFs. The approach has changed for this weekend. We have a good lead and Jay does not need to push himself to win the title."
2008 Pro Open Championship
1. Jay Marmont 338 points
2. Daryl Hurley 300 points
3. Craig Anderson 286 points
4. Cheyne Boyd 273 points
5. Cameron Taylor 214 points
6. Michael Addison 207 points
7. Daniel McCoy 207 points
8. Luke Burkhart 175 points
9. Mitchell Hoad 140 points
10. Dean Porter 137 points
Yamaha Racing Pro Lite
Hometown hero Serco Yamaha’s Ford Dale will look to round out a tough season with a top performance at this weekend’s final round of the Rockstar Energy MX Nationals at Coolum. Dale learnt the tricks of the trade on the sandy Sunshine Coast terrain and has always been a threat on home turf.
"I’m really looking forward to racing at Coolum, this has been my home track for many years and its good to be rounding out the season at a track I know so well," said Dale. "It hasn’t been the best run of late but I know the YZ250F is capable of a good finish here, the team has been behind me the whole way and we all want to finish up the motocross season on a high."
The depth of talent within Yamaha’s factory Pro Lite teams has had little chance to surface this year, with a run of injuries preventing the YZ250F from making its regular consistent appearances on the podium.
Team Seven Fly Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs is eager to round out his season, which started in such promising fashion, on a high note at Coolum. The winner of round 4 of the Pro Lites championship has been plagued by a bad run of luck in previous rounds, and will be out to reverse the form with a top finish in Queensland.
2008 Pro Lites Championship
1. Luke George 311 points
2. Adam Monea 304 points
3. Kade Mosig 299 points
4. Dean Ferris 211 points
5. Ryan Marmont 208 points
6. Kirk Gibbs 183 points
7. Danny Anderson 173 points
8. Todd Waters 168 points
9. Lewis Woods 165 points
10. Lewis Stewart 150 points
12. Damien King 108 points
14. Ford Dale 94 points
Yamaha Racing Under 19s
The thrilling conclusion to close season of Under 19s championship racing will be staged at this weekend’s Coolum finale. The current championship ladder sees 3 Yamaha riders sitting within the top 5, though all eyes are on the 1-2 battle between YZ250F pilot Matt Ryan and the points leader Tye Symmonds.
Ryan stole valuable points from Simmonds at the previous event and has closed to within 9 points of the lead. With a strong run and a little luck, Ryan is still in the running to secure back-to-back Under 19s championship trophies for Yamaha, who also won last year’s contest thanks to the efforts of Brenden Harrison. Luke Styke and Shaun Williamson are locked together in a close battle for 4th place – just 3 points separates the pair of blue bikes.
2008 Yamaha Under 19s Championship
1. Tye Simmonds 190 points
2. Matt Ryan 181 points
3. Lawson Bopping 176 points
4. Luke Styke 154 points
5. Shaun Williamson 151 points
6. Michael Menchi 142 points
7. Josh Cachia 136 points
8. Ross Beaton 110 points
9. Matt Hunt 106 points
10. Brenton Keep 102 points
