Defending Rockstar Energy MX Nationals Pro Open Champion Jay Marmont has reclaimed the red plate signifying his championship leader status in the 2010 championship title chase after finishing third overall at Toowoomba in Queensland last weekend.

The CDR Rockstar Yamaha rider rode to 10-4-1 results in the three-moto format at the technical Echo Valley complex, good enough to take over the series lead with a four-point advantage after the fourth round.

“Winning the last race of the day was definitely the highlight of my weekend and it rewarded me with the red plate,” Marmont commented.

“Qualifying didn’t go so good, or the first moto, but the way that I ended the day with the final two motos was a good way to wrap up the weekend. I’ve got the red plate now and I definitely don’t want to lose it from this point.”

The track formed a lot of ruts during the motos on Sunday, race starts again proving critical for the end result throughout the weekend’s event.

“The track was difficult – they ripped it pretty deep and it was gnarly come race day. Echo Valley is all about the start, and this year’s sprint formats make it so important to get off the line because if you don’t then it’s hard to get up the front. These formats seem a little tougher than the traditional 30-minute motos because everybody is going so fast and putting it all on the line, so it’s satisfying when you can get up and win races.”

After qualifying eighth for the round on Sunday morning, Marmont was involved in a first turn pile-up in the opening 20-minute moto, charging back through the field to record a hard-fought 10th place finish.

Later that afternoon, in the second and third motos that were 10-minutes in duration and contested back-to-back, the dual champion finished moto two with a fourth place before capping off his weekend with a satisfying victory in the final outing.

The final race victory marked Marmont’s third of the season, setting him up as a favourite heading into the fifth round of the championship to be held at Raymond Terrace in New South Wales on 30 May.

“I’m looking forward to Raymond Terrace and it’s a place that I used to race at a lot when I was a Junior,” he continued. “I seem to go well there and it’s a track that I like.

“My CDR Rockstar Yamaha team is putting a lot of effort into this year and they are going to come up to test for a few days before Raymond Terrace, just trying a few more things on the bike.

“They’re trying everything they can this year, really banking on me winning this championship and I’m putting in all the effort that I can to make it happen for both myself and everybody around me. Hopefully we can get a round win and extend our lead in the championship.”

Marmont now holds a slender four-point lead in the Pro Open series as it reaches the second half of the eight round championship.

Be sure to follow Jay on Twitter @Marmont2 for the latest updates.