Mastin makes his championship move
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
24 August 2014: Gladstone, Queensland
GYTR Yamaha rider Wilson Todd completed the perfect day out at Gladstone in Queensland, winning both of his races in the Pirelli MXD class to take the outright win at round nine of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals.
Todd rode the conditions perfectly to record two race wins and finish the day eight points clear of Berry Sweet Husqvarna rider Egan Mastin (second and third from his two races).
KTM privateer Jayden Rykers finished the day in third place recording third and fourth place finishes from his two motos.
Practice and qualifying threw up the first drama in the tightly contested class, with privateer Jack Simpson rolling his ankle, an unable to post a qualifying time – relegating him to the last pick of the gates.
Husqvarna privateer Nathan Crawford and Mastin posted the top-two fastest qualifying times, setting themselves up for a mouth-watering.
At the first corner of the opening race it was Dylan Wilson (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) who took the holeshot from a fast-starting Simpson who rocketed into second.
Soon after Crawford showed why he is a top title contender passing Simpson and then storming by Wilson to take the lead, with Mastin also making his way up the field and into third.
On lap two the unthinkable happened to Crawford, and with his Husqvarna machine suffering mechanical problems he was eventually forced to retire from the race and register a DNF.
Mastin made his move shortly after and took the lead from Wilson, while Todd moved into third.
The top three were all within two bike lengths of each other going into lap four, and shortly after Todd passed Wilson into second place.
On the turn immediately after the finish on lap seven, Wilson dropped his Suzuki and was relegated back to fourth behind Rykers.
With three minutes remaining in the moto, Todd placed incredible pressure up front on Mastin and shortly after made the pass to take the lead.
It was a lead he never surrendered taking out the race in first place ahead of Mastin, Rykers and Wilson, while Simpson’s fifth placing was important in the context of the overall championship series.
In the second moto it was privateer Brock McLeary who got the surprise holeshot, but he soon surrendered the lead as Mastin, Todd and Crawford came through to try and take control of the race.
Kyle Webster (GYTR Yamaha) moved into fourth, privateer Aaron Tanti settled in fifth while Simpson rounded out the top-six.
Mastin and Todd were neck and neck throughout the whole first lap, while Crawford just held off behind the pair – content to see how the jostle for first place played out.
On the third lap Mastin slipped back to third and Todd moved to the lead, while Crawford moved into second and took the challenge right up to the back of Todd’s rear tyre.
With only a few laps to go, Webster – filling in on the GYTR Yamaha team in place of the injured Jed Beaton, overbalance at the second last turn on the track and was relegated back to 14th.
Tanti was an unfortunate victim of arm-pump on the day, and over the closing laps drifted back to finish in seventh.
In the end, Todd held onto his lead to record his second race win for the day, while Crawford snuck home in second, Mastin held onto third, with Rykers and Simpson finishing in fourth and fifth respectively.
In the overall championship results, Mastin has moved into the series lead and holds a 30-point lead over Simpson heading into the final round.
Crawford is a further 15 points behind in third.
For a full list of results, visit www.mxnationals.com.au.
The final round of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals takes place in Coolum on 30 -31 August.
MXD CLASS:
Round Results:
1) Wilson Todd 70 (35, 35)
2) Egan Mastin 62 (32, 30)
3) Jayden Rykers 58 (30, 28)
4) Jack Simpson 52 (26, 26)
5) Zac Small 47 (25, 22)
6) Dylan Wilson 47 (28, 19)
7) Brock McLeary 45
(22, 23)
8) Aaron Tanti 44 (20, 24)
9) Jett Anderson 43 (18, 25)
10) Bailey Coxon 43 (23, 20)
Overall Championship Standings:
1) Egan Mastin 513
2) Jack Simpson 483
3) Nathan Crawford 468
4) Jed Beaton 459
5) Wilson Todd 444
6) Jayden Rykers 395
7) Aaron Tanti 386
8) Brock McLeary 354
9) Kyle Webster 343
10) Jett Anderson 263
– ends –
Image: Jeff Crow / Explorer Media
Media Enquiries:
Andrew Weiss
0402 447 783
andrew@eskimomediagroup.com.au
www.eskimomediagroup.com.au |
