MotoOnline.com.au takes a closer look and assesses the Hits and Misses following an eventful second round of the 2017 Motul MX Nationals at Appin, New South Wales.

Hit

Yamaha teams:
You can be certain there were some wide smiles and back-slaps going down at Yamaha Motor Australia this week after the bLU cRU swept the top placings in each class for the second round in a row. Dean Ferris’ 2-1 put CDR Yamaha on top of the MX1 rostrum, while Serco Yamaha’s Mitch Evans (1-1) and Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Cody Dyce (7-1) lifted the number one round plate in the MX2 and MXD classes respectively. In today’s age of highly competitive machinery and technology, that’s a hell of an achievement for Yamaha.

Kirk Gibbs (KTM Motocross Racing Team) – MX1, second overall:
If you’d seen 2015 MX Nationals champion Kirk Gibbs charging like a wounded bull to the MX1 moto win in stifling heat, you’d have never guessed he’d come off a lengthy injury after snapping his femur in September. The KTM Motocross Racing Team pilot looked like he hadn’t missed a beat as he tore to a 12-second win over red plate-holder Dean Ferris. In the second race Gibbsy was caught in a first-lap crash with Kyle Peters and Luke Clout and remounted well behind the rest of the pack. Still, he pinned his ears back and steamrolled his way to sixth place before reaching the checkers, awarding him with an impressive second overall in the process.

Nathan Crawford (MEGA Bulk Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) – MX1, seventh overall:
MEGA Bulk Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki racer Nathan Crawford had every reason to be chuffed after Appin. In his second national appearance with the new squad the 19-year-old scored his first Super Pole appearance where he finished fourth, then backed that up with another fourth placing in the opening race. His eighth position in the sodden second race wasn’t exactly a shining example of his best riding, but Nato had a big smile as he left the Macarthur Motorcycle Complex and will take plenty of confidence into his home round at Conondale in two weeks’ time.

Miss

Dylan Long (CDR Yamaha) – MX1, 12th overall:
CDR Yamaha’s new recruit Dylan Long had a day to forget in Appin’s notorious ruts and square-edged bumps. Early in the opening race he jarred his recovering wrist and was forced to grit his teeth and block out the pain for the remainder of the day. He circulated to a 12th in the first race and a 13th in the second moto for 12th overall on the day. As a result of the disappointing results he’s slid to 11th overall in the MX1 standings. He’ll get some more treatment on his wrist and allow his body to recover as much as he can before Conondale.

Luke Clout (Crankt Protein Honda Racing) – MX1, 10th overall:
As his home round with thousands of hours clocked around the Appin complex Crankt Protein Honda Racing rookie Luke Clout would’ve been targeting round two as one where he could make his mark in the premier class. Home ground advantage, family and friends on the sidelines, local knowledge, it was all pointing in his favour, until the gate dropped. Crashes in both motos – including one spectacular wreck involving Kirk Gibbs and Kyle Peters right off the start in the second race – saw him playing catch-up all day as he battled to ninth in both motos. Clouty showed good speed all day, but it’s hard to run at the front of the pack when you’re picking your bars up out of the dirt.

Aleksandr Tonkov (MEGA Bulk Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) – MX1, eighth overall:
It was kept pretty quiet, but MEGA Bulk Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Russian import Alex Tonkov had a heavy practice crash after Wonthaggi and had limited time on the bike leading up to the MX Nationals’ second round at Appin. When you consider he’d had limited bike set-up time before the series started as well, it starts to make sense why the MXGP podium contender has yet to fire much of a shot in this series. Still, he told us he feels more confident on the bike every time he goes out and his results are starting to improve, so it shouldn’t be too long before he becomes a regular contender for the podium.