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(Stouffville, ON – July 15, 2007) - While Jimmy Nelson successfully wrapped up the four-round MX2 West title chase at the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals in Nanaimo, the big story of the day was Kyle Beaton and Simon Homans who claimed their first ever career MX2 and MX1 overall victories respectively.
Clearbrook Yamaha’s Beaton recorded 2-1 motos on his way to the winner’s circle while Yamaha Canada’s Homans took to the top of the box with 3-1 motos. Meanwhile, Team Toyota Yamaha BlackfootDirect.com Fox Racing’s Nelson made it a Yamaha festival by repeating as MX2 West Champion on the strength of 1-3 motos which earned him third overall for the day.
Beaton, like Facciotti and Cooke in MX1 earlier in the season, made his long awaited breakthrough and he did it with style in front of a home province crowd. The Surrey, BC native proved to be the fastest rider all day riding to an impressive second place behind Nelson in the first moto. Runner-up position didn’t come easy as he had to knife his way through the field to finish there by the moto’s end. In the second moto, Beaton started around sixth place but in no time he blitzed his way past the front-runners to take the lead and the win.
Meanwhile, Nelson, who had a slim points lead going into the final round over Honda privateer Ben Evans and Royal Distributing Stoneridge KTM’s Eric Nye, was never threatened by either of his rivals on his way to a second consecutive MX2 West Championship. In the first moto, Nelson did what he had to do to take the checkered in front of Beaton while Evans finished fourth. Nye saw any chance of winning the championship evaporate in the first moto which he finished in tenth place.
In the second moto, Nelson rode a strategic race settling for third while Evans recorded runner-up. Nye didn’t fare much better the second time out finishing in seventh place. Beaton, benefited from Nye’s tepid performance to end up taking third overall in the final points standings.
Team Toyota Yamaha BlackfootDirect.com Fox Racing’s Colton Facciotti grabbed the first moto holeshot which he proceeded to parlay into a cushy lead. At the halfway point, however, he was betrayed by a flat rear tire. While he headed for the mechanics area the lead position was taken over by Rockstar OTSFF Suzuki's Josh Woods, who was just ahead of Denny’s Kawasaki rider Jeff Northrop and Monster Energy/Cernics/Kawasaki’s Jeff Gibson.
Woods, riding a bit too aggressively in order to distance himself from his pursuers went down on the hard Wastelands track effectively handing the lead to Northrop who took it to the checkered. He was followed across the finish line by Gibson in second and Yamaha Canada’s Simon Homans in third.
Obviously buoyed by his third place in moto one, Homans really caught fire in the second moto battling fellow Quebecer Marco Dube for the lead. Royal Distributing Stoneridge KTM’s Dube, riding like in the days of old when he was National Champion, led the field until he had to give in to a persistent Homans. They would finish one-two respectively ahead of first moto winner Northrop who finished second overall for the day. Dube, who finished seventh in the first moto, snared fourth overall.
Series points leader Paul Carpenter suffered mediocre starts in both motos and never played a key role up front. The Monster Energy/Cernics/Kawasaki star recorded 4-6 motos to cement the top five. Meanwhile, in the first moto, Facciotti rejoined the fray after a wheel change, albeit a lap down. An unbridled Facciotti then proceeded to unlap himself to finish 14th. He carded ninth in the second moto and finished tenth overall for the day.
Conspicuous by their absence at The Wastelands were Jean Sebastien Roy, still recovering from a crash at a Quebec provincial race, and Mitch Cooke and Jeff Dement who were injured at Round 5 in Calgary.
Don't forget to tune into BlackfootDirect.com’s Canadian Motocross Radio each Monday night at 9:00PM EST after the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals with your hosts Marc Travers and Brian Koster. For full details go to: www.canadianmxradio.com
