MotoOnline.com.au reflects on round nine of the outdoors with an up-close perspective.

Almost a full week has past us by and you can bet that new four-time champion Jay Marmont is still pinching himself following a dream MX Nationals win at Coolum last weekend.

Entering the round during press day, nobody was quite sure what would happen. Coppins seemingly had it in the bag with 18 points to spare, however nobody was ignoring what happened to Dean Ferris just seven days earlier in Moree.

In fact, Coppins’ advantage almost took the pressure off Marmont in some ways heading into Coolum. He knew he had to win, but whatever Josh did was entirely out of his control. Little did he know that Coppins’ fate was so disastrous on Sunday.

There is no doubt that both the CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha riders stepped it up at these final two rounds. At Moree they applied the pressure that some say made Kawasaki crack, and then come Coolum it was obvious that nobody could match either Jay or Josh.

After motos one and two the distance between them remained at 18 points. Jay won moto one with Josh right behind him and then that result was reversed in the second moto. Between motos three and four, the title may as well have been delivered to Josh.

But it all went pear-shaped for him in the first turn of moto three. As we all know by now, Coppins collected a fallen Ferris and the rest was history. He tried to return for the final moto despite dislocating his shoulder, but when he went to mount his YZ450F at the start line his shoulder popped out again. Game over.

What many don’t know about that third moto is that Marmont was actually about to take that gate that Coppins started from in moto three. Not to say he could have been the one who went down, but a last minute switch with Josh very well could have been the difference in the final outcome.

Instead, Marmont raced to a relatively easy victory and he didn’t even realise Coppins was out of the race. When he returned to the gates he saw Coppins’ bike there, which he thought was strange, and then WEM’s Kevin Williams notified him that Josh had gone back to the truck and he could not be beaten for the championship.

The elation and relief in Marmont’s face was clear to see. All of his effort had been made worthwhile, and you could tell that this title rated right up there with his first. Better yet, it came as a surprise to him in a year where many predicted the series would go down to the final lap of the final moto. But, Marmont won it with a race to spare after a dramatic turn of events at Moree and Coolum.

You have to feel for Coppins, although he kept a brave face and proved why he is a fan favourite worldwide, as well as the Monster Energy Kawasaki guys. Ferris deserved more than fourth, but his consistent run was spoiled in the final two rounds with two trips to the hospital. We can’t forget that Coppins also crashed out of a moto earlier in the season at Murray Bridge.

Scotsman Billy Mackenzie’s season was fascinating. When you look back it doesn’t seem like he was at his best since he battled injury through much of it, but on paper he has eight moto wins to his credit. Consistency let him down though, and he needs a confidence boost if he’s to factor in the fight for Super X.

Of the young guys alongside Ferris, you would have to say that Todd Waters and Lawson Bopping are two of the brightest we have at the moment in their early 20s. Waters took two round podiums to finish the year despite missing much of it, and you can bet that Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing wishes he wasn’t injured to start with.

As for Bopping, in his rookie season on a satellite team, the fact that he picked up a moto win and six additional race podiums is impressive for Raceline Pirelli Suzuki. He’s a good fit for that team and could surprise once he realises he belongs on that podium week in, week out.

As for the Pro Lites, Matt Moss took a well-deserved title and continued his newly improved off-track approach. JDR Motorex KTM has really helped him develop this year, and he says he really feels at home on the 250 SX-F now.

Serco Yoshimura Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs can hold his head up high just 10 points behind Moss in the series though, a credible result that he will be frustrated with, but shouldn’t be. Gibbs did outscore Moss in four of nine rounds, but ultimately fell short. If he’s on a Lites bike next year I think I’ll put my money on him for the title.

The Under 19s saw Errol Willis wrap up the championship with a full round to spare after sweeping Moree, an amazing way for the 18-year-old to conclude his season. He sported the number one plate at Coolum, but things didn’t exactly go his way on Sunday and he missed the podium.

We did see a breakthrough of sorts for GYTR Rockstar Energy Yamaha’s Shaun Redhead though, winning the overall after his best performance of the season. It was a confidence-inspiring ride for Redhead after featuring in the shadow of teammate Luke Arbon all year, and one that will likely secure him a seat on the team for 2012 if he continues the form in Super X.

Not only was the on-track action hot, but the off-track activities were sensational in what would have to be rated as the best round of the year as far as we’re concerned. The crowd was high and enthusiastic, plus the industry was right behind the round with displays, signings and more happening behind the scenes.

Plus, the weekend marked our first real chance on Aussie soil to see the 2012 FOX, Thor and ONE gear, as well as the latest YZ450F and 250F motocross models from Yamaha. Suzuki even had Craig Lowndes on hand checking out the action!

Upon reflection, the big winner at Coolum was Yamaha. With wins across the board at the finale in the Pro Opens (Marmont), Lites (Gibbs), Under 19s (Redhead) and Vets (Daryll King and Cam Taylor), the blue team’s investment has worked a treat this season.

Here’s hoping to an even bigger and closer season for 2012 – if that’s event possible!

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