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Australian Motocross

Wow, what a weekend Moree was. I don’t think anybody could have predicted what went down last Sunday in the MX Nationals’ penultimate round, with the title all but falling into the hands of CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha.

No doubt the defending champion team has been working hard to overcome a difficult start to the season all year long, but it was crushing for Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates Dean Ferris and Billy Mackenzie to watch their title hopes fade so dramatically at Moree.

I was able to speak to Ferris on Monday following his disastrous day, which saw him crash out of contention. He said that he basically body-slammed the ground, hitting his chest and causing him to cough up blood almost immediately and then throughout the next 24 hours.

Specialists confirmed a thumb injury on Tuesday, and the 21-year-old will actually undergo surgery on Monday directly after Coolum to fix ligament damage he sustained. He’ll work closely with Suzuki RACESAFE this weekend and will be ready to go come Sunday at Coolum.

Ferris is actually most concerned about the Motocross of Nations even in France this September, where he hopes to once again represent Australia as the team’s MX2 rider. The good news is that he’s going to be fit for that event and Kawasaki has a Pro Circuit-equipped KX250F on hand for him to prepare on if he is given the opportunity to race the MXoN again.

You would have to say that, as a former world championship runner-up, Coppins entered this season as title favourite in many minds. His experience is hard to match, but the Aussie regulars (and BillyMac of course!) have put up a spectacular fight all year long. It’s fitting then that an in-form Marmont will once again be battling for the crown at Coolum for a fourth straight year.

Who will win? We couldn’t tell you. But what I will say right now is that whoever wins this title in 2011 truly deserves it. All have had their bad luck, all have enjoyed runs of good luck. At the end of the day, it’s been one of the series’ greatest years in history.

Just a reminder, Pro Lites series leader Matt Moss will be in studio with Jessica Yates tonight on SPEED News Australia at 7.00pm AEST. The replay will be on at 9.30pm, and it’s a great coup for Aussie MX to have him on the program.

Moss is on track for a second Lites title this weekend, but Kirk Gibbs has been piling on the pressure of late with a host of race wins and the Moree overall for Serco Yoshimura Yamaha. There are 33 points that separate them right now, however Gibbs really does need Mossy to encounter troubles on Sunday if he’s to steal the title at the last minute. It’ll be great to watch either way.

While we’re on the subject of championships, a huge congratulations must go out to Errol Willis and the entire Raceline Pirelli Suzuki team for winning the Under 19s title with a round to spare. That class is no joke this year and in the past it’s created the sport’s top riders that we often see at the front of the Pro Lites and Pro Open classes today. To read an interesting interview with Willis from the weekend, click this link right here on MotoOnline.com.au.

One thing to keep an eye out for at Coolum is 2012 model gear. We’re hearing that FOX will debut their new combos, plus Thor will show off their range as well. ONE Industries already debuted their new gear at Moree, with Willis wrapping up the title for them on that same weekend.

We’re hearing that the MX Nationals formats will be revised for 2012. There has been plenty of speculation what they’ll be, but I’m hearing everything from traditional two-moto formats returning, to three-moto formats featuring one 30-minute race and two 20s. There’s been no confirmation yet, but WEM is no doubt working toward a solution that will be good for both competitors and fans.

Before we shift gears here, make sure you check out our social networking sites at both Twitter (live race day updates) and Facebook (behind the scenes info and images) all weekend long at Coolum.

Also be certain to keep an eye right here on MotoOnline.com.au all week as we put together our most complete coverage yet, with in-depth news, features, images and films that is unrivaled in the industry. Don’t forget to enter our Fantasy League for round nine, where you can win a copy of MX vs. ATV Alive for either PS3 or Xbox!

American Motocross

There’s been a lot of speculation about JDR Motorsports’ U.S. operation heading into next season, which will mark the team’s second year in America. The good news is, Steve Mathes has sent through his latest Column and it’ll be live online tomorrow. I reckon it’s spot on too, but you’ll have to wait and see.

Just quickly though, the possibility of Tye Simmonds not being under the JDR truck next season in the AMA seems very real as you’ll read in The Mathes Report. It’s a surprising twist and one that’s been predicted in our iMoto Community already, but if the team does in fact turn into KTM’s official Lites program over there then he’s simply too big to ride the 250F.

Where would that leave Simmonds? Well, if he can’t get another ride over in the States on a different team, expect JDR to honour his contract with a return to Australia. It’s all speculation at this point and nothing has been confirmed, but as I always like to say, where there is smoke there usually is a fire somewhere along the lines.

Chad Reed may have had a tough weekend at Washougal on Saturday, but by Sunday he’d made it to Northern California for Laguna Seca’s round of MotoGP. Reed was spotted with the likes of fellow Kurri Kurri talent Casey Stoner, as well as the legendary Valentino Rossi on race day. Reed even was back to flying in a private jet and then taking a chopper straight into the circuit!

Fellow Aussie and great friend of Reed, Michael Byrne, was also on hand at Laguna from what we could see on Twitter. Burner actually had a lot to celebrate, breaking through for a top 10 at Washougal for his privateer Suzuki squad.

The Aussies on average had a memorable weekend at Washougal, with Brett Metcalfe scoring a podium, Reed a top five, Byrne a top 10 and Simmonds a top 15. Even privateer Dean Porter has been gaining momentum in recent rounds and doing Aussies proud.

Australian Supercross

Hart and Huntington Australia will field a team in Super X this season, leaking details via its official Facebook page in recent weeks. So, what do we know? Firstly, the big surprise is that Luke Urek is on track to make a comeback in the Pro Lites, while Victorian Chris Camilleri is penciled in for the Pro Open class.

But, the big news is still to come. The guys keep hinting at a guest rider, presumably from the U.S, that will be coming over to contest the series and many are speculating that it will be Chris Blose.

Current Super X champion Josh Hansen is expected to ride for H&H in the AMA next year though, so maybe he’ll return to defend his title on the team. We’ve heard rumours that he’ll be back with Troy Carroll’s Monster Kawasaki team again if he does come though, so watch this space.

With the MX Nationals coming to a close this weekend, Super X preparations will be taking place as soon as next week, with things expected to get really serious in the next couple of weeks. Some riders are even contemplating going over to the U.S. to train, including members of the JDR KTM team. We’ll be right here to cover it all!

Australian Off Road

Following the guys and girls in the green and gold at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) will this year be easier than ever.

Leigh Hutton, from Shooting Star Media, will be behind the scenes bringing you all the news, pics, video and results from the 98th annual ‘Olympics of Motorcycling’, being held at Kotka, Hamina Finland from 8-13 August.

To stay in the loop, simply ‘Like’ the 2011 ISDE Team Australia Event Coverage Facebook page.

That’s all for this week, as always, thank you for stopping by! See you at Coolum.

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