Yamaha previews Dapto SX
21 March 2007.
Yamaha Racing’s Supercross teams will launch one last assault on 2007 title glory at Dapto this weekend, with both Pro Open and Pro Lite crowns still within grasp.The fourth and final round of the Australian Supercross Championship is set to produce a classic showdown between the nation’s top riders, with Yamaha’s championship hopes resting on the shoulders of Cheyne Boyd and Daniel McCoy.
At peak form and fitness, they are ready to take the fight down to the wire, and will be backed up by their CDR/Nokia/Yamaha (YZ450F), Serco Yamaha (YZ250F) and Team Seven M2R Yamaha (YZ450F, YZ250F) teammates from start to finish. Dapto Showground is located at Wollongong, which traditionally produces large and passionate crowds, and the factory team riders are determined to put on a good show.
Pro Open Supercross
Cheyne Boyd is not prepared to settle for second-best.
The CDR/Nokia/Yamaha sensation, who campaigns a YZ450F in the premier Pro Open Supercross class, already has the runner-up trophy from 2006 on his mantle, and dearly wants to go one better in 2007.
With just a single round remaining, Boyd once again finds himself within reach of the title, a mere 7 points separating him from the leader. The final fling will be hosted at Dapto Showground on Saturday March 24, and the young Victorian has exerted every effort to ensure he is prepared – both physically and mentally – for the task.“It has been a pretty good season so far but a few minor mistakes have dropped us back from the leader,” explained Boyd.
“I have been working extremely hard to make this dream a reality, we came so close last year only to take second after a tough final round, and I really want to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”
Consistency is a key element of Boyd’s game, and he knows he will need to stick close to points leader Daniel Reardon as soon as the gates drop on next weekend’s final race.“I’m confident I can get a good start and stay with Reardon for the first few laps, it will be then my chance to apply maximum pressure and force him into mistakes.”“It is all or nothing, I need to take every point I can.”
He will be ably assisted by teammate Ford Dale, who – at just 18 years of age – is in striking distance of a top 5 finish to the championship. Dale has been working closely with Team Principal Craig Dack, setting achieveable short-term goals and continually pushing for results through consistency. In just four rounds, Dale has exceeded his and Dack’s expectations and has firmly established himself as a future star.He will look to back up teammate Boyd will producing another strong performance on Saturday night.
“At this stage I’m in a very competitive position and have the opportunity to finish in the top 5 which is really exciting,” said Dale. “I’ve been putting everything into my riding up to this round and I’m really hoping for another strong result to finish the season off.”
Team Seven M2R Yamaha’s Shane Metcalfe sits comfortably within the top 10 on points and will pull out all stops in order to finish the season on a high.With injury worries aside, he is determined to get off to a quick start and avoid incidents similar to the previous round which saw his run slowed by a damaged clutch.
“Luck didn’t go my way at the last round, and I wasn’t able to record the points I was after,” said Metcalfe. “Hopefully I can push forward at this round and grab some more points to move up the ladder, its quite close between a group of us and it will be an exciting race.”
Pro Lite Supercross
After three injury plagued, lacklustre years competing for rival Supercross teams Daniel McCoy returned to Serco Motorsport and the Yamaha family in 2007 with a dogged approach, determined to prove his worth as a genuine championship contender.
The final round of the Australian Supercross Championship is set for this weekend and McCoy currently sits second in the Pro Lites Championship, a prominent position as he prepares to go head-to-head with his former teammate, now arch-rival Ryan Marmont.
McCoy’s consistent top six results included finishing fourth at the opening round of the series, a maiden victory at Avalon and sixth at Round 3.
The 8,000 strong crowd at the penultimate round of the series two weekends ago witnessed McCoy’s steely determination to succeed when the 22 year old, barely able to walk following an arthroscopy operation on his knee only days earlier, rode impressively on board his YZ250F to come from dead last to finish sixth.
While he always felt he had the motivation to succeed McCoy acknowledged he also now has the support.
“It feels like I have returned home,” McCoy said. “I guess I learnt the hard way the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”
“Yamaha and Serco supply me with the complete package needed to win and the Serco Yamaha YZ250F is without a doubt the best race bike I have ridden in my whole career.”
“I have always had the motivation and now I feel I have the right support network around me to help me succeed,” McCoy outlined.
“Despite a couple of years of average results both Gavin Eales of Serco and Yamaha put enough faith in me and my ability to win and I intend to repay that faith with not only race wins but also a championship.”
“We have our work cut out for us this weekend at Dapto but from where I am in second place I have nothing to lose, he (Ryan Marmont) on the other hand has it all to lose,” McCoy continued.
McCoy will be joined at the final round by Serco Motorsport teammate and South Coast local Jake Moss who is currently seventh in the championship.
Since failing to finish the opening round of the series the 18-year old from Nowra has enjoyed two solid top five results and will be looking to finish the season on a positive note.
“I am stoked that the final round of the championship is on the South Coast,” Moss said. “I know I will have a lot of local support.”
“The past two rounds I have finished inside the top five and I have been getting really good starts, I just need to avoid other people’s incidents.
“Being such a short season there is no room for error and the first race incident really cost me a top three championship place. My goal for this weekend is a top three race result which will hopefully elevate me to a top five championship finish,” Moss added.
Team Seven M2R Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs is looking forward to racing at the pointy end of the field again after a strong result at the last round.
His championship hopes dimished after a DNF meant he recorded no points in round 2, but he feels this will be to his advantage as he can put everything he has into Saturday night’s performance.
Suiting up again in the Pro Lites class will be Northstar Yamaha rider Robbie Marshall, who has finished on the podium at both of the previous events he competed in.
Marshall clean-swept the field at Rosedale and is aiming to run away with the race lead again this weekend.
