Matt Moss Wins AUS SX Opener
Round one of Milwaukee presents the Terex Australian Supercross Championship commenced at Hidden Valley Raceway today, with current Australian MX Champion Matt Moss and US racer Gavin Faith taking home the silverware.
On a day where the sun blared and temperatures soared to 33 degrees, fitness became a crucial factor as racers battled the challenging elements. Ice baths and maximising hydration became the order of the day.
In the Pro Open class the Moss brothers put on a show for the crowd. They both looked in good form from the drop of the first gate and this was affirmed with each of them taking a heat win. The main was all Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki's Matt Moss, with Campbell Mining Racing's Jake Moss a couple of seconds behind for most of the race.
“We didn’t get the preparation we wanted, but it was a good win and I was happy with it.
“We will go from here and try and win again tomorrow. The track was a bit gnarly and a little bit dry, but I have the red plate now so I need to keep the momentum.
"The bike was working awesome, so hats off to my team,” he continued
Jake was not as happy with his performance and struggled with arm-pump throughout the race.
“My actual riding was really terrible tonight and I got arm pump pretty bad," Jake explained. "The track was hard and the sun played a big factor.
"I think I will definitely improve tomorrow, as I found some lines towards the end of the race that should work out well. I played it smart today and that has left me in a good position for the championship.”
Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jay Marmont filled the top three, with the first podium of the year a welcome relief.
“The result felt good, as I haven’t run up the front since last year in Supercross," Marmont said. "It has been a long time coming for the team, so to be on the podium is a big step forward.
"It gives me something to build upon. I know I am going to get stronger as the series goes on, so I want to try and be in the hunt for that championship.”
In the Pro Lites class, current champion Carlton Dry Honda Racing rider Gavin Faith picked up where he left off at the end of the 2012 SX season. He once again proved too strong for his local counterparts and after pouncing on an early error by Luke Styke, he was never really headed.
“I got a decent start and worked my way into second,” Faith said. “Styke was a little way ahead of me, so I just tried to reel him in.
"He ended up going down and I got into the lead. At one point I almost stalled and he caught back up to me. Other than that it was pretty smooth.”
While not entirely happy with his performance, second placed Luke Styke was happy with his result.
“The race was good. I had a bit of a crash while I was leading fairly comfortably, so I was pretty bummed about that," Styke explained.
"I ended up catching back up to him [Faith], but the track was a little one-lined and it was tough. My starts were good and I can build on that, so hopefully I can replicate them and build on my result tomorrow.”
Dylan Long rounded out the top three with a solid performance.
The championship continues tomorrow, with Round 2 also taking place at Hidden Valley.
Terex Australian Supercross Championship Top Ten Pro Open Championship standings (After Rd 1 of 6)
1. Matt MOSS 25, 2. Jake MOSS 22, 3. Jay MARMONT 20, 4. Josh HILL 18, 5. Lawson BOPPING 16, 6. Daniel McCOY 15, 7. Weston PEICK 14, 8. Kirk GIBBS 13, 9. Kade MOSIG 12, 10.Sam MARTIN 11.
Terex Australian Supercross Championship Top Ten Pro Lites Championship Standings (After Rd 1 of 6)
1. Gavin FAITH 25, 2. Luke STYKE 22, 3. Dylan LONG 20, 4. Ryan MARMONT 18, 5. Luke ARBON 16, 6. Kale MAKEHAM 15, 7. Nickolas SUTHERLAND 14, 8. Kayne LAMONT 13, 9. Taylor POTTER 12, 10. Luke WILSON 11
