Yamalube Yamaha Racing's Mitch Evans and Jordan Hill pulled down an impressive 1-3 finish in the MXD category (U19) at round seven of the MX Nationals, held at a rain socked Conondale circuit on the Sunshine Coast.
In conditions that proved to be difficult for riders and teams as the water logged track was punishing to even circulate, it was Mitch Evans who mastered the conditions to take a 1-1 finish in a dominant days' racing.
Evans proved his mud riding capabilities in handling the conditions superbly and showed he meant business right from the get go when he posted the fastest qualifying lap to take pole position. With top four starts in each moto, Evans cut his way through to the front of the field meticulously in each race and had things under control out front by the half way point on each occasion.
From there it was a matter of keeping out of trouble in the wet and rutted conditions and bringing it home safely.
His day of domination has seen Evans charge into second place in the championship and now just 13 points away from the series lead.
"I had a great time out there today and even though it was tough to ride, I really liked the way the track formed up," Evans said. "Good starts and keeping clear vision were important on a track like this so it was good to get pole position to choose a good gate and my starts were good in both races.
"The last couple of rounds have been good for me and I'm starting to ride like I should. This is the first time I have gone 1-1 and to get pole on top of that makes it a day I won't forget.
"Thank you to the team as days like today are hard work trying to keep everything clean and to have myself and Jordan on the podium shows how hard everyone worked," Evans ends.
Jordan Hill returned to the podium at Conondale with 4-3 results that saw him take third for the round in a good return to form.
Hill struggled on the wet track in the morning practice but warmed to the occasion and improved as the day went on to ride the conditions well and deserve his podium spot.
Race one saw Hill come from just inside the top 10 to fourth place at the finish, snapping at the heels of the third placed rider. His last few laps showed great speed and left him confident of a good showing in race two.
The second moto and Hill didn't quite get the start he needed, but he managed to slice his way through the pack and move into third at the mid-way stage of the race. He continued to fight all the way until the end of the 20 minute moto, posting his fastest laps of the day in the final stages of the race.
The podium result keeps Hill in fifth place in the championship but with only 37 points separating the top five riders, things are headed for a very tight finish in the MXD class with three rounds remaining.
"After a disappointing round at Nowra, it was good to get things back on track today here at Conondale. I'm not the greatest fan of mud but it's the same for everyone and you just have to deal with it so I'm happy I was able to get a good result in conditions that aren't my best.
"I want to be on the podium at the last four rounds and be as consistent as possible so today I hit that goal. I will keep working hard to get the best results I can," Hill said.
Round eight of the MX Nationals fires into life on July 31 at Shepparton in Victoria.
To follow the Yamalube Yamaha Team on social media; www.facebook.com/YamalubeYamahaRacing or @yamalube_yamaha_racing
For more information and a full list of results; www.mxnationals.com.au
Round Seven Results – Conondale
MXD
1st Mitchell Evans – 70 points (Yamalube Yamaha Racing)
2nd Cooper Pozniak – 64 points
3rd Jordan Hill – 58 points (Yamalube Yamaha Racing)
4th Zak Small – 51 points
5th Lochie Latimer – 50 points
6th Wade Kirkland – 50 points
7th Connor Tierney – 49 points
8th Hugh McKay – 46 points
9th Luke Abela – 45 points
10th Ryan Eden – 42 points
MXD Championship Standings – After Round Seven
1st Connor Tierney – 359 points
2nd Mitchell Evans – 346 points (YZ250F)
3rd Wade Kirkland – 342 points
4th Cooper Pozniak – 338 points
5th Jordan Hill – 322 points (YZ250F)
6th Kaleb Barham – 300 points
7th Zak Small – 294 points
8th Lochie Latimer – 285 points
9th Hugh McKay – 228 points
10th Levi McManus – 198 points
Credits: MXN Images
For further information, please contact:
Scott Bishop: sk_bishop@bigpond.com.au