CDR Yamaha's Dean Ferris has retained the MX1 championship points leaders' red plate while team mate Dan Reardon moved up a position after action wrapped up at round three of the MX Nationals at Broadford Motorsport Complex in Victoria.
In a day that saw wild storms, glorious sunshine and the odd shower or two sweep across the venue, making the already challenging Broadford circuit extremely difficult to master. It proved to be the most demanding round of the season so far, but the CDR Yamaha crew continued their championship aspirations in a professional manner.
Ferris led the CDR Yamaha charge, taking second for the round with his 4-1 moto results. In moto one, Ferris was well placed as the field charged into the muddy circuit by was quickly shuffled back when not on the racing line during the opening few turns. As far back as seventh at one stage, Ferris struggled to find his groove and it was only the latter stages of the race that he began to move forward, climbing to fourth at the finish.
Disappointed at his opening moto, Ferris was on a mission in moto two and after snatching the lead on the opening lap, he simply motored away from the pack to take a well-earned 12 second victory.
His 4-1 results gave him second for the round and he still leads the MX1 championship by a slender one point as the tour moves towards round four.
"Good and bad day for me in a lot of ways," Ferris said matter of fact. "The first race wasn't good and it took me far too long to adjust to the track and the difficult conditions. It wasn't until the last three or four laps that I was able to work things out and understand what I needed to do.
"So, moto two was far better and the way I think I should ride. I was able to get to the front early and focus on what I needed to do and not by ducking and dodging roost. My lines were good and the bike worked well.
"Thank you to everyone at the CDR Yamaha team who worked so hard in trying conditions. The bike was bullet proof with thanks to the team keeping it in top shape all day," Ferris ends.
Team mate Dan Reardon has moved up to sixth place in the championship after another solid and consistent performance at round three. Reardon raced to 8-7 results to finish equal sixth on the day with Dylan Long and Jay Wilson but was awarded seventh for the round.
Reardon battled manfully on a track that doesn't suit his riding style and still managed to turn in a respectable result.
"It was a tough day for all riders out there," Reardon said. "It was so soft and muddy in the morning but it dried to a one lined, super rutty track that was extremely rough so it was so easy to go down. It wasn't my greatest day but considering the conditions, it was ok and I feel like things are starting to come together.
I'm sixth now in points and the next few tracks are some of my favourites, so hopefully I can continue to gain some more positions in the coming weeks," he ends.
Team owner, Craig Dack, came away satisfied with his teams' performance on the weekend and heaped praise on all members for their efforts on a tough day on and off the track.
"The conditions today made it tough for not only the riders, but the technical staff and mechanics to get the bikes turned around and ready for three seasons on a wet track, so a huge thanks to our off track team for working tirelessly over the weekend.
"On track, I'm happy with how things are progressing. To be leading the championship after three rounds in a very talented MX1 class is an honour and something we are proud of this early in the season. Dean showed plenty of mental strength to turn his day around and that second moto performance was dominant.
"We are also happy with Dan's progress. We have set goals for Dan and he is on track to achieving them and we believe his best is still to come. As a team, sitting first and sixth is an excellent position to be in and we look forward to Murray Bridge in a few weeks' time."
Round four of the MX Nationals takes place at the popular Murray Bridge circuit in South Australia on May 22. It also marks a change in track surface moving to a softer racing surface after three rounds of hard pack clay.
To follow the CDR Yamaha team on social media: www.facebook.com/cdryamaha or @cdr_yamaha
For a full list of results, www.mxnationals.com.au
Round Three Results – Broadford
MX1
1st Kirk Gibbs– 64
2nd Dean Ferris – 63 (CDR Yamaha)
3rd Todd Waters – 63
4th Matt Moss – 60
5th Brett Metcalfe – 50
6th Dylan Long – 47
7th Daniel Reardon – 47 (CDR Yamaha)
8th Jay Wilson – 47
9th Jacob Wright – 42
10th James Allen – 39
Championship Standings – After Round three
1st Dean Ferris – 190 (YZ450F)
2nd Kirk Gibbs – 189
3rd Todd Waters – 182
4th Matt Moss – 177
5th Brett Metcalfe – 165
6th Daniel Reardon – 146 (YZ450F)
7th Dylan Long – 139
8th Jay Wilson – 133
9th Kade Mosig – 130
10th Jacob Wright – 106
Credits: MXN Images
For further information, please contact:
Craig Dack: craig@dackracing.com.au