News 20 Dec 2012

Simmonds relocating to Newcastle in bid for 2013 turnaround

Tye Simmonds will relocate to team owner Craig Anderson's residence in Newcastle as he prepares for the 2013 season with Anderson's Berry Sweet/Lucas Oil/Yamaha team.

Tye Simmonds will relocate to Newcastle for 2013 where his new Berry Sweet/Lucas Oil/Yamaha team is based.

Tye Simmonds will relocate to Newcastle for 2013 where his new Berry Sweet/Lucas Oil/Yamaha team is based.

Tye Simmonds will relocate to team owner Craig Anderson’s residence in Newcastle as he prepares for the 2013 season with Anderson’s Berry Sweet/Lucas Oil/Yamaha team.

Simmonds had a great start to his 2012 Monster Energy MX Nationals campaign, with two MX1 podiums out of five rounds, before an injury saw his season take a turn for the worst.

The newest recruit to Anderson’s Berry Sweet/Lucas Oil/Yamaha team is hoping to bounce back in 2013 and believes the move to Newcastle with Anderson will give him the best opportunity to do so.

“The plan is to move to Newcastle around January second or third,” Simmonds tole MotoOnline. “I was going to spend a lot of time at home in Bourke, but I don’t have the right tools there.

“Just with having a mechanic full time, my dad used to be my mechanic all the time but he’s bought his shop and what not, he built all my tracks and all that kind of stuff, so that’s not really happening anymore.

“The next best thing is definitely to go to Newcastle to Ando’s. I just think having him there day in, day out, you can’t go wrong with that. He’s training with me everyday, we’re riding everyday, we’re at the shop together everyday.

“We’re going to get in each others faces obviously and butt heads a little bit, but I figured that it’s definitely going to work and everything’s going good.”

Simmonds says the switch to the Yamaha YZ450F heading into 2013 has been a smooth one and looks forward to further testing as the new year looms.

“Really good, unreal, I’m so happy with the Yamaha,” Simmonds added. “I was really happy with my Honda and how it was, but I got on this and it’s just a different bike, a completely different feel and I’m over the moon with it.

“We’ve done quite a bit of testing already and have a lot more to go, so far we’ve made a lot of progress just in the testing we’ve done and I’m looking forward to doing a lot more that’s for sure.”

Simmonds will be the lone Berry Sweet/Lucas Oil/Yamaha rider in the professional ranks throughout the 2013 Australian motocross and supercross series.

Recent