Defending
triple Australian Motocross Champion Jay Marmont has taken his first
podium of the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals season with
third overall at Appin on Sunday, 3 April.
The
Wollongong-based fan favourite raced to 4-4-2-8 results during the
round’s gruelling four-moto format consisting of 20 minutes per
heat, enough to secure an overall position on the rostrum.
After
qualifying fastest for the round, 27-year-old Marmont was relentless
in his pursuit of victory in motos one and two despite bad starts,
clawing his way back to fourth on both occasions.
Later in the
afternoon in the second pair of back-to-back motos, Marmont enjoyed a
tight tussle with Dean Ferris to finish second in moto three, before
a first turn crash dashed his hopes of an overall win in the day’s
finale.
After remounting at the rear of the 40-rider field,
Marmont sliced his way through the pack to salvage eighth, sealing
third overall and boosting him from ninth to seventh in the title
chase.
“I qualified first so I thought the whole day was
going to come easy for me at what is my home race at Appin,” CDR
Rockstar Energy Yamaha's Marmont reflected. “I’m kind of used to
the surface here and I just thought it would come together for me,
but it wasn’t to be.
“I didn’t get very good starts in
the first two races so I had to work my way to fourth in those from
outside of the top 10, but in looking at my lap times I should have
been able to get those race wins.
“Going into the last two
races the day was still wide open, and I was able to have a good
battle with Ferris in moto three – full credit to him because he
was riding really good.
“In the final race I got an okay
start but I was involved in an incident at the first turn and my bike
got stuck with [Cheyne] Boyd’s. Once I got going I had another
crash, but I eventually got back to eighth.
“All things
considered I’ll take that podium overall and I definitely know that
I’ve got the speed to win more races. I just have to go home, put
my head down, and come out swinging at Raymond Terrace.”
Following
two of nine rounds, Marmont now sits 21 points out of the series
lead, halving the deficit of 42 points that he was faced with after
the opening round held in Victoria last month.
The MX
Nationals series will continue this weekend at Raymond Terrace, near
Newcastle in New South Wales, round three of the series taking place
on Sunday, 10 April.
2011
Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals
Round 2 Pro Open
Results:
1. Josh Coppins 80
2. Dean Ferris 76
3. Jay
Marmont (CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha) 71
4. Michael Phillips
69
5. Ryan Marmont 60
6. Cheyne Boyd 54
7. Lawson Bopping
51
8. Billy Mackenzie 48
9. Louis Calvin 47
10. Lewis Woods
42
Pro Open Championship Standings (after 2 of 9
rounds):
1. Dean Ferris 139
2. Billy Mackenzie 137
3.
Josh Coppins 134
4. Ryan Marmont 128
5. Cheyne Boyd 123
6.
Lawson Bopping 121
7. Jay Marmont (CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha)
118
8. Michael Phillips 113
9. Louis Calvin 99
10. Cody
Cooper 96
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