Features 5 Dec 2015

Moto 360

An all-access Australian view of dirt bikes, presented by Alpinestars.

It’s been an incredible week here on MotoOnline.com.au, one of our busiest on record, but also one that has seen us eclipse all previous website statistic records. Australians and a good mix of internationals got right into the spirit of AUS-X Open and we’re all winners because of it.

There’s been plenty said about the spectacle of the inaugural Australian Open of Supercross, but it’s hard to emphasize just one polished the program from AME Management actually was. Sure, there will be lots of improvements to be refined behind the scenes, but for a first attempt it was the best event I’ve covered almost anywhere in the world.

Of course while we’re all still buzzing – both those of us at the arena and also those who tuned in on 7mate – there are a number of riders currently sidelined through injury and that’s a shame to end the 2015 season like that.

Image: Jeff Crow.

Image: Jeff Crow.

Heading into today’s final round at Sunshine’s Knights Stadium in Victoria there’s been minimal build-up coming off the back of the AUS-X Open, but we’re hearing the track is a good one and we’ll almost certainly see Dan Reardon and Jimmy Decotis crowned. There’s plenty of reasons to head out and watch the action.

Reardon’s comeback this year has been nothing short of remarkable and he turned a lot of heads in Sydney. In fact, the majority of our domestic stars were more than competitive against the likes of Chad Reed and Cooper Webb on the tight circuit, so it was a real highlight for everybody watching on.

The true high point for many was Ricky Carmichael’s appearance, both in his head-to-head battles with Chad Reed and also his stunning Sunday Superpole lap. For a guy who’s been retired since 2007, setting the fourth fastest time ahead of Webb even was ultra-impressive.

We continued to follow RC while he’s out here in Australia for his Ricky Carmichael University (RCU) program at Appin (and Coolum today) and it’s amazing to see his sheer love for motocross. Whether it’s closely observing the AUS-X Open or training a mixture of Australian riders, the GOAT has gained much respect on his first visit down under.

So it’s been a memorable week for us and we hope you guys as fans have enjoyed it as much as we have. There were all hands on deck in Sydney and I’m proud to see what the team produced, which I believe sets a new benchmark in the sport locally when it comes to website and social media coverage.

Check back later for results and reports from the Australian Supercross finals in Melbourne and, although we won’t be able to make it this weekend (Australasian Superbike finals are on in Sydney), we have people on deck at the stadium and also Jeff Crow shooting for us once again. Thanks for stopping by, I’ll hand this over to Simon Makker…

Image: Jeff Crow.

Image: Jeff Crow.

The final round of the Australian Supercross Championships kicks off in a few hours and in doing so, it’ll bring to a close a fascinating 2015 race season.

While both the SX1 and SX2 titles are still up for grabs tonight, the racing is merely a formality for championship leaders Dan Reardon and Jimmy Decotis, who both old a comfortable lead of 31 points.

With the depth of the both fields now wafer-thin after a torrid four rounds of racing, the red-platers could happily line up for the main, circulate in last place and still take their titles.

To give you an idea on the heavy toll that’s taken place, neither the KTM Motocross Racing Team, NPS Monster Kawasaki, nor Motul Suzuki trucks will have any riders on the gate. CDR Yamaha will still field both Reardo and Kade Mosig, Penrite Honda Racing has Decotis and Taylor Potter, who’s been given a stand-in ride for the injured Gavin Faith, and DPH Peter Stevens Yamaha will have Lawson Bopping.

We haven’t heard any word as to whether Serco Yamaha will be in attendance after both their riders, Jed Beaton and Luke Clout, both suffered concussions at the AUS-X Open, but last we heard, they wouldn’t be lining up. For now it seems everyone is already anticipating the long off-season, recovering from their injuries, signing deals for next year and beginning preparations for the 2016 season.

On the team news front it seems like rumours are mounting that Jake Moss will remain at NPS Monster Energy Kawasaki next year, possibly on an MX2 machine, despite race team manager Troy Carroll’s previous denials of the fact.

Image: Jeff Crow.

Image: Jeff Crow.

There was a social media post this week showing Jake Moss back practising at Nowra on a Kawasaki, so you’d imagine for him to still be on green so late in the season, that he’ll remain there next year. As for Monz, there’s been no word as to where he’ll end up.

Another little tidbit I heard over the weekend is speculation that Luke Arbon’s team, SD3 Husqvarna, could possibly become the official Husky team next year. It had widely been anticipated that Todd Waters would represent the factory Husqvarna outfit here in Australia, but with him now signing with a new-look Wilson MX Suzuki team, it’s possible that SD3 – who have built a great program with Arbon – could have some involvement. If so, it’ll be interesting to see if they add any more riders to the roster.

Make sure you check out all of MotoOnline.com.au’s social networking channels and be sure to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Instagram and Twitter for even more behind the scenes insights. Just search MotoOnline.

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