15 May 2012
RACE REPORT
2012 Australian National Motocross Championship (Round Four)
Wanneroo (WA)
13 May 2012
Waters claims third podium of 2012 for Motul Pirelli Suzuki at Wanneroo
Motul Pirelli Suzuki rising star Todd Waters clinched his third podium in four attempts at the Wanneroo round of the MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, on Sunday, 13 May, in Western Australia.
The talented 21-year-old finished a fine third overall in the unforgiving sand of WA, scoring 4-4-3 results in the trio of gruelling motos. Again showing impressive speed and consistency, Waters has proven that he and the RM-Z450 are one of the most competitive combinations in the sport.
“I’m not going to say it was an easy day, because it was probably the toughest one I’ve had to date,” Waters explained. “I had bad starts all day and was trying to come through the pack, so the front guys were just running away from me. The last moto went really good, I came from 19th and managed to get up into third. I was really happy with how that went.
“I’m starting to mature that little bit. A couple of times I’ve sort of stepped it back, I don’t need to be on my head, because that would just send me backwards. I took my time and I managed to get up there with two fourths and a third for third overall. My goal is to get on that box every weekend and that’s what we’re starting to do.”
Teammate Cody Cooper raced to a solid fifth place despite again suffering from his starts throughout the round, taking home ninth in moto one, fifth in moto two and fourth in moto three after progressively improving aboard the RM-Z450.
Cooper now sits fifth in the championship as it approaches the halfway mark, and he’s anticipating a strong result when the series continues this weekend at Murray Bridge in South Australia.
“I felt good fitness-wise, but my strength let me down a bit at the end of the day,” Cooper explained. “It definitely got rough, so gnarly and not event Southwick gets that rough – the sand was just so deep. In the first two motos people were going everywhere, I was getting roosted and it’s hard to pull tear-offs in those conditions.
“Everybody had the same problem, but in the final moto I managed to come through the field better after another bad start. I passed a lot of guys quickly early on in the moto and that helped, so we’ll keep working in that direction and hopefully it comes together for us.
“I’m always trying to go for a win and would definitely like to get on that podium this weekend in South Australia, so I’ll practice my starts this week and really work hard on them. Murray Bridge is a track I like and that loamy dirt suits me, so it should be good. Once I have my starts sorted then that should help out a lot.”
Motul Pirelli Suzuki Pro Lites contender Scott Columb was eighth overall in WA, riding the RM-Z250 to ninth in moto one and 11th in moto two, before he capitalised on the duration of the final 30-minute moto to claim fifth. Columb now sits 11th in the standings in what is his first full season of contesting Australian Motocross.
The MX Nationals series will next head to round five of the 2012 season at Murray Bridge in South Australia, marking the halfway point of the 10-round schedule.
Round Four, 2012 MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship
Pro Open Overall Results:
1. Josh Coppins 72
2. Lawson Bopping 57
3.Todd Waters (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) 56
4. Brad Anderson 50
5. Cody Cooper (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) 46
6. Tye Simmonds 45
7. Daniel McCoy (Hart & Huntington Suzuki) 42
8. Jay Marmont 38
9. Mike Phillips 33
10. Gordon Crockard 32
Pro Lites Overall Results:
1. Luke Styke 68
2. Cheyne Boyd 62
3. Adam Monea (Team 07 Motorsports Suzuki) 55
4. Kade Mosig 54
5. Josh Cachia 46
6. Lewis Woods (Hart & Huntington Suzuki) 44
7. Ford Dale 42
8. Scott Columb (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) 38
9. Luke Arbon 38
10. Kirk Gibbs 37
Pro Open Championship Standings (after 4 of 10 rounds):
1. Josh Coppins 253
2. Brad Anderson 211
3. Todd Waters (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) 208
4. Lawson Bopping 203
5. Cody Cooper (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) 183
6. Tye Simmonds 178
7. Jay Marmont 177
8. Jake Moss 157
9. Daniel McCoy (Hart & Huntington Suzuki) 125
10. Daniel Reardon 107
Pro Lites Championship Standings (after 4 of 10 rounds):
1. Luke Styke 260
2. Ford Dale 221
3. Kirk Gibbs 199
4. Cheyne Boyd 198
5. Josh Cachia 195
6. Kade Mosig 194
7. Adam Monea (Team 07 Motorsports Suzuki) 190
8. Justin McDonald 143
9. Lewis Woods (Hart & Huntington Suzuki) 134
10. Errol Willis (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) 131
11. Scott Columb (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) 123
About SUZUKI
Formed as a weaving loom manufacturer in 1909, Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan started producing motorcycles in 1952.
Suzuki is an established brand in the Australian market, as the third-highest selling motorcycle brand.
For further information on Suzuki products, interested customers should visit their local Suzuki dealer, who can be found through the Dealer Locator on www.suzuki.com.au.
About MOTUL
Motul is a synonymous brand name when it comes to the motorcycle community and their passion for performance and excellence. Riders using Motul synthetic oil, ride their bikes with upmost confidence. They know that the oil they are using in their bikes has a proven pedigree that not only protects engines but also improves performance.
The uniqueness of Motul lubricants is that the oil available on the store shelf is a direct result of Motul’s research and development on the racing circuit.
Focused on improving the reliability and performance of lubricants, Motul has remained an industry leader, consistently pioneering many of the most important developments in engine oil history.
1953 – Motul produced the world’s first multigrade oil.
1966 – Motul produced the world’s first semi synthetic oil.
1971 – Motul produced the world’s first 100% synthetic oil with ester.
2004 – Motul produced the world’s first double ester technology.
Due to their ability to produce oils that will genuinely endure and protect during the toughest conditions in motor racing whilst also providing extra horsepower, Motul has become a dominant presence in National and International Motorsports. Maintaining this relationship over many decades has come via a commitment to evolve side by side with the engine technology of tomorrow.
For more information on the any of the products in the Motul range, visit www.linkint.com.au or www.motul.com.au.
About PIRELLI
Pirelli Motorcycle Tyres have a long history of outstanding success in a range of racing disciplines.
In 2011 Pirelli Scorpion MX riders won the premier World MX1 World Championship and MX2 World Championship which brings their MX World Championships up to an impressive 56 titles.
In Australia Pirelli has taken out the Motocross Nationals Pro Lites Championship and Under 19s Championship in 2011, as well as winning the 2011 Australian Four Day Enduro.
Pirelli is one of the biggest tyre manufacturers in the world in terms of sales revenue.
Pirelli has been producing motorcycle tyres for over 100 years and is well known in the motorcycling world for their technical precision and their advancements in cutting-edge motorcycle tyre technology.
The Pirelli range caters for all segments of the motorcycling market with performance tyres suited to motocross, enduro, trials, scooter, ATV, cruiser, touring, sport touring, sports and racing bike applications, including the exciting new Diablo Rosso II.
As a reflection of their quality and high performance, Pirelli is used by racing teams around the world including Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki and Raceline Pirelli Suzuki in the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships. Pirelli is also the exclusive supplier of tyres for the World Superbike Championship.
For further information contact:
Sou Fong
Event / Racing Coordinator
Suzuki Australia - Motorcycles
Ph: (03) 9931 5590
Email: sou_fong@suzuki.com.au
