As the second half of today’s proceedings kicked off in Bunbury, riders took to Shrubland Park’s sandy conditions, finishing off day two of finals action at the 2015 KTM Junior Motocross Championships.
Press: 30/9/2015
As bikes roared to life for the action packed afternoon, fans flocked to the fence line, to watch on as the junior athletes continued on their 2015 KTM AJMX campaigns.
65cc Solo 11 years
When the 65cc class hit the track for their second finals race, the class had a tough task ahead of them, tackling what was forming up to be one challenging Shrubland Park circuit.
It was the KTM machine of Tyran Tomich who took the early race lead, ahead of Cody Chittick and Benny Novak in second and third, with Jett Lawrence being a notable absentee from the front of the pack, back in eighth position.
However the battle for the 65cc Solo 11 years second final win was not yet over, with a three-way battle for the race lead emerging on the final lap, seeing Tomich, Chittick and Lawrence go head to head for the race win.
When the chequered flag flew only .9 of a second separated first, second and third, with Tomich narrowly taking the win ahead of Chittick in second and Lawrence putting in a huge comeback to take third.
100cc to 125cc 2-stroke 15 years
The depth of talent in the 100cc to 125cc 2-stroke 15 years class is undeniable, so when bikes headed out for their second finals race today, all eyes were on the first turn, to see who would get the jump and the early race lead.
In a treat for local spectators, Bunbury KTM’s Tom West took the holeshot ahead of fellow KTM mounted Cooper Pozniak in second, while Yamaha’s Hunter Lawrence was buried deep within the pack.
With West determined to keep Lawrence at bay, the pair put on an outstanding performance, with West able to hold back the speed of the number 46 for all of three laps before Lawrence put poetry in motion and took control once again.
With Lawrence out front, West then came under fire from Justin Hart who had moved onto his rear wheel and began to put on the pressure for second position.
When the 100cc to 125cc 2-stroke 15 years second final finished, it was Lawrence who had reason to celebrate, taking the race win ahead of Hart, while Yamaha’s Wyatt Chase crossed the line in third.
128cc – 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc – 150cc 4-stroke 13-u15 years
With the big guns coming out to play for their second finals race, it was BCP Honda’s Taj Marshall who took the early race lead, with KTM’s Caleb Grothues, and Husqvarna’s Callum Norton following only seconds behind.
With Taj Marshall maintaining the fastest lap time at the halfway point, the Honda mounted rider did not look to be letting up, making any chance of Grothues or Norton catching him close to impossible.
And when the chequered flag flew, positions finished relatively unchanged, with Marshall taking the race win ahead of local boy Grothues, followed by fellow Western Australian Mat Fabry who made his way up to third.
65cc Solo 9-u11 years
When racing got underway for the 65cc Solo 9-u11 years class, Deegan Mancinelli got to the early race lead, where he stayed for the duration of the seven-minute moto.
As the laps ticked down, Mancinelli maintained his lead on Noah Smerdon, Zachary Watson and Liam Atkinson who made up the other top positions.
When the race concluded, Mancinelli took a comfortable race win ahead of Smerdon, while Watson crossed the line in third place.
85cc 2-stroke / 150cc 4-stroke all wheel Girls 12-u16
With the track challenging the most experienced of juniors, the ladies headed out for their last race of the day, looking to master the conditions, and make further progress in their AJMX campaigns.
When gates dropped, Hayley Miller made her presence known, edging out Danielle Foot to take the holeshot and move into the early race lead.
However following tradition, Foot moved in to the race lead after only one lap, while Tahlia O’Hare, and Tanesha Rose Harnett slotted in to second and third behind her.
As racing progressed, positions remained unchanged from what they went out in, with Foot eventually taking the race win by seven seconds.
128cc – 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc – 250cc 4-stroke 15 years
When the big boys lined up for the final race of the day, spectators watched on, to see whether Cooper Pozniak could once again snatch up the holeshot from his competitors.
And when gates dropped it was Pozniak who was first through turn one, however it only took two more turns before Yamaha Junior Racing’s Hunter Lawrence moved in to the race lead, leaving his competitors to battle for positions behind him.
After one lap, the running order was Lawrence, KTM’s Wade Kirkland, Pozniak, and Ryan Kenney who settled in to fourth.
Surprisingly Kirkland ensured Lawrence made up no extra ground before the half way point – Kirkland matching Lawrence’s lap times, ensuring that the race win was fought for.
As the 128cc – 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc – 250cc 4-stroke 15 years class second finals moto reached it’s final stages, Lawrence began to put the gap on the field that he is known for, while Kirkland continued to hold down second, and Justin Hart made his way in to third.
When the chequered flag flew for the final time today, Lawrence once again took a commanding 18-second race win on Kirkland, while Hart managed to finish up his racing for today in third.
65cc Solo 11 years Championship Standings:
1) Tyran Tomich – 65 points
2) Jett Lawrence – 65 points
3) Cody Chittick – 64 points
4) Benny Novak – 56 points
5) Alex Larwood – 51 points
100cc to 125cc 2-stroke 15 years Championship Standings:
1) Hunter Lawrence – 70 points
2) Wyatt Chase – 62 points
3) Justin Hart – 60 points
4) Wade Kirkland – 58 points
5) Cooper Pozniak – 51 points
128cc – 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc – 150cc 4-stroke 13-u15 years Championship Standings:
1) Taj Marshall – 63 points
2) Callum Norton – 63 points
3) Michael Driscoll – 56 points
4) Mason Semmens – 55 points
5) Trent Collins – 52 points
65cc Solo 9-u11 years Championship Standings:
1) Noah Smerdon – 67 points
2) Deegan Mancinelli – 65 points
3) Liam Atkinson – 60 points
4) Zachary Watson – 58 points
5) Lewis Callow – 52 points
85cc 2-stroke / 150cc 4-stroke all wheel Girls 12-u16 Championship Standings:
1) Danielle Foot – 70 points
2) Tahlia O’Hare – 64 points
3) Tanesha-Rose Harnett – 60 points
4) Layla Norton – 53 points
5) Britney Boyce – 52 points
128cc – 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc – 250cc 4-stroke 15 years Championship Standings:
1) Hunter Lawrence – 70 points
2) Wade Kirkland – 64 points
3) Justin Hart – 60 points
4) Cooper Pozniak – 56 points
5) Ryan Kenner – 50 points
