PJ Larsen Aussie C'ship Update
April 20, 2010 1:50pm
Everything kicked off nice and early for the second round of the series in Canberra on Sunday morning. Pro Lites practice took off at 9:00am. I went out and got a good feel for the track the first 15 minutes of practice and then went to work once the green flag came out to signal the start of timed qualifying. I threw down my fast laps early and returned to the pits with the fastest qualifying time – 1.5 seconds quicker than the next fastest rider.
This weekend was definitely a true test of fitness, bike, and of course, luck. We had four 7 lap motos with 5 minutes between each moto. It was definitely different than the format I am used to in the U.S. but exciting to try something new.
In the first moto I got a decent start running 4th before getting hit on the first lap resulting in a crash. I quickly recovered (now in last place) and worked my way from the back of the pack to 9th before the end of the short moto.
My luck changed in the second and third motos. I was able to get good starts in both motos making the pass for the lead in the second turn. I went on to win both of those motos fairly easily and helped salvage some championship points.
There was still one final moto left and it ended up being the killer to my whole day. I was tied for the lead with Kirk Gibbs going into the final moto after my 9-1-1 motos. I got a decent start only to get held up in a massive pile up in the second turn. For the second time, I started dead last and was forced to make another come from behind charge. I was feeling good and sprinting past as many guys as I could and managed to work my way up to 8th before the moto end.
It was definitely a long day for my team and me but my overall scores resulted in a 3rd place podium finish which I am happy with considering my results. We are still in a great position for the overall championship points. I can’t wait for the third round in Barrabool to try and get back on the top of the box. I would like to thank my JDR Motorsports/Motorex/KTM Team plus MxRad, Shift, Scott, Pirelli and FMF for all of their support.
Overall Points – Pro Lites –
1) Kirk Gibbs – 143
2) PJ Larsen – 135 – JDR/KTM
3) Ryan Marmont – 118 – JDR/KTM
This weekend was definitely a true test of fitness, bike, and of course, luck. We had four 7 lap motos with 5 minutes between each moto. It was definitely different than the format I am used to in the U.S. but exciting to try something new.
In the first moto I got a decent start running 4th before getting hit on the first lap resulting in a crash. I quickly recovered (now in last place) and worked my way from the back of the pack to 9th before the end of the short moto.
My luck changed in the second and third motos. I was able to get good starts in both motos making the pass for the lead in the second turn. I went on to win both of those motos fairly easily and helped salvage some championship points.
There was still one final moto left and it ended up being the killer to my whole day. I was tied for the lead with Kirk Gibbs going into the final moto after my 9-1-1 motos. I got a decent start only to get held up in a massive pile up in the second turn. For the second time, I started dead last and was forced to make another come from behind charge. I was feeling good and sprinting past as many guys as I could and managed to work my way up to 8th before the moto end.
It was definitely a long day for my team and me but my overall scores resulted in a 3rd place podium finish which I am happy with considering my results. We are still in a great position for the overall championship points. I can’t wait for the third round in Barrabool to try and get back on the top of the box. I would like to thank my JDR Motorsports/Motorex/KTM Team plus MxRad, Shift, Scott, Pirelli and FMF for all of their support.
Overall Points – Pro Lites –
1) Kirk Gibbs – 143
2) PJ Larsen – 135 – JDR/KTM
3) Ryan Marmont – 118 – JDR/KTM
