I have a love/hate relationship with the Coonabarabran round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals.

The dislike stems from the mega road trip on windy roads through country NSW (laptops and windy roads don’t mix) as well as the lack of phone/internet service, however that can all be overlooked once bikes turn wheels simply because it’s a phenomenal complex.

Loamy turns are the entrée, highspeed hills are served up as the main, and incredibly spectacular jumps rank as the desert. The whoops at Coona are key, while the big air we saw last weekend over the new step-up and popular finish line jump mean that we see a well-pleased crowd come Sunday arvo.

In fact, the majority of the crowd was situated up on the top of the hill where the fast-paced antics and massive jumps were largely based (or they were desperate for some Telstra 3G as we were on multiple occasions!). Either way, the top spot is the place to be at Goanna Tracks.

Watching up close, the way these rising stars are attacking the track is something to see. The speed of Lawson Bopping was the highlight for me, setting pole and then logging the fastest lap of all in moto one as he raced through the pack.

Bopping is one of these kids with a new outlook on riding a dirt bike, riding with style that emulates what we see on any given weekend in the U.S. It’s not just him though, with the likes of Tye Simmonds, Todd Waters and Jake Moss (plus others) all laying it on the line.

But while Bopping was quickest in the first two motos, it was Josh Coppins who pulled through in the final moto when it counted with the fastest lap and race win. His 2:39.144 wasn’t quite as quick as Bopping’s 2:38.079 in moto one, but the track was rougher and race was longer.

It’s amazing to see the differences in style between these guys on the 450s, with Coppins still using his Euro experience (as does Brad Anderson). Meanwhile to me, it looks like Jay Marmont is really reinventing himself in some ways on that Kawasaki.

Marmont still has his trademark way of revving the bike super hard, yet he’s learning to ride like these new school youngsters and seems to be starting to make it work. He’s not doing it intentionally, so to speak, but is well aware that the sport’s evolving every year.

The MX2 and MXD guys are even more spectacular in some ways, probably due to their lighter bikes and near fearless mindsets, and Jay Wilson’s ability to scrub jumps made headlines on Facebook after a few photos were posted after qualifying.

It’s a fun time in the sport right now, not just from a rider’s perspective, but also from a media perspective, not to mention the many social media accounts that we’re seeing info stream through on a day to day basis. Just like the guys on track, we here at MotoOnline are pushing as hard as we can and hope that so far this season, it’s been enjoyable on the other side of the fence.

Bring on Wonthaggi!