Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s Matt Moss clinched the 2013 Australian Supercross Championship in a dramatic final round at Tooowoomba, Queensland, on Saturday night. Our Australian media partner motoonline.com.au put together this race report.
Moss qualified first, won his heat and led all 20 laps of the main event to seal his second championship of the year alongside the MX Nationals title, however it was the controversy that unfolded behind him that stole the show.
The SX-Open main event started with Moss getting the holeshot, trailed by twin brother Jake Moss (Campbell Mining Suzuki) and American import Josh Hill (Hart and Huntington/InsureMyRide/DPH Suzuki) – the trio entering the night separated by just seven points.
Hill made a move on Jake near the end of lap two, before a counterattack over the finish line entering lap three saw the pair collide in the turn following and Hill go down. The incident forced the series leader out of the race, become an all-Moss battle for the title out front.
Jake, who was two points in arrears of Matt coming into the weekend, had to pass for the victory if he was to steal the championship, but it wasn’t to be – Matt comfortably winning by 3.063 seconds to win the championship.
Matt Moss was flawless in his Australian Supercross Championship victory at Toowoomba. Image: Grant Reynolds/FiftySix Clix.
The result handed the Moss brothers first and second in the championship, with Hill salvaging third despite a DNF in the final round of the season. A protest was lodged by the Hill camp post-race, however no communication has been made on the outcome.
“My feeling right now is indescribable,” 25-year-old Moss commented. “I just wanted to do my own thing, stay clean and that’s exactly what I was able to do. All day long I felt confident, I knew I had to do my job and get a good start in the main, which is how it turned out.
“I’m really thankful to Jay and Jess Foreman, as well as the entire Motul Pirelli Suzuki team – now we need to come back and defend these two number one plates next year!”
Jake denied any wrongdoing in the clash with Hill, proud to be 1-2 in the championship with his brother after a quality campaign.
“I’m sore. No-one knows, but I dislocated my shoulder last weekend and haven’t been able to ride all week,” Jake said. “I felt good, just made a couple of mistakes and lost the rear of Matt. Me and Hill came together, he came across and didn’t want me to have that inside.
“He hit me and we locked, then I hit the tough block. Next minute I hit him and he’s on the ground, but you know, we were talking a little bit of smack on the start line, so it makes this second place feel a little bit more satisfactory.”
Third for the weekend was outgoing champion Jay Marmont (Monster Energy Kawasaki), picking up his first podium since Darwin’s season-opener to bookend the series with podiums. He ended up fourth in the championship four points behind Hill.
Motorex KTM’s Daniel McCoy was fourth at Toowoomba and wound up fifth in the standings, tied on points with Marmont after his final outing with the team.
CDR Yamaha’s Lawson Bopping bounced back from injury to claim a fighting fifth without the full support of the team on hand, while rookie Hayden Mellross (Carlton Dry Honda Racing) was an impressive sixth. Trailing him was another Honda young gun in Jacob Wright (Tattoo Racing Australia).
Completing the top 10 was local Matt Haworth (Kawasaki), Lewis Woods (Suzuki) and Brett Metcalfe (Kawasaki), who crashed twice during the main event in a frustrating finish to his homecoming.
Luke Styke added the SX-Lites title to his MX2 outdoor crown, winning Tooowoomba from Brenden Harrison and Luke Arbon. Image: Grant Reynolds/FiftySix Clix.
The SX-Lites main event was just an thrilling, with Serco Yamaha’s Luke Styke scraping through to claim his second title of the season aboard the YZ250F after entering the finale five points behind defending champion Gavin Faith (Carlton Dry Honda Racing).
Styke fended off determined Queenslander Brenden Harrison (Choice Motorsports KTM) for the victory by 0.783 seconds, with Luke Arbon (Serco Yamaha) claiming his first podium of the season in third.
It was a first lap fall from Faith that set up a nail-biter though, requiring a second place finish to retain the title if Styke won. He eventually climbed to fifth, but another incident on lap 12 of 15 dashed his hopes.
Styke won the championship from Faith, while Ryan Marmont (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) ended the year third after finishing a lowly sixth in Toowoomba.
Fourth for the round was top privateer Taylor Potter (Honda) from Nicholas Sutherland (TM Racing Australia), before Marmont, Kayne Lamont (Choice Motorsports KTM), Faith, Wade Hunter and Luke Wilson rounded out the top 10.
Corey James won the round, but Jay Wilson the Under 19s title with Jake Emanuelli third. Image: Grant Reynolds/FiftySix Clix.
Jay Wilson was crowned Under 19s champion for GYTR Yamaha, racing to a conservative second in the main event to win his first Senior title for the Scott Bishop-managed team. Four straight wins and a second comfortably handed him the number one plate.
Winning Toowoomba was YZ250-mounted Berry Sweet/Lucas Oils/Yamaha rider Corey James, blasting past Wilson out of the first turn through the whoops and stretching to a 2.893-second advantage. Wilson and Jake Emanuelli (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) filled the top three.
New South Wales privateers Joel Wightman (Yamaha) and Blake Sola (KTM) completed the top five. In the points race it was Wilson the winner from James and Emanuelli.
Yamaha Junior Racing’s Wilson Todd won the Junior Lites main event in Queensland by near 10 seconds in a convincing effort to complete the season. He won over Brock McLeary (KTM), while the final podium placing went to Trent Wheatley (Honda).
McLeary was crowned champion on the night during the podium presentation, however Computime currently has Todd listed as the winner – those results pending the scoring of the Phillip Island rounds.
2013 Australian Supercross Championship
Round six – Toowoomba, QLD
SX-Open main event results:
1. Matt MOSS
2. Jake MOSS
3. Jay MARMONT
4. Daniel McCOY
5. Lawson BOPPING
6. Hayden MELLROSS
7. Jacob WRIGHT
8. Matt HAWORTH
9. Lewi WOODS
10. Brett METCALFE
11. Kieran TISDALE
12. Brad FITZGERALD
DNF. Josh HILL
SX-Open championship standings (final):
1. Matt MOSS 123
2. Jake MOSS 118
3. Josh HILL 103
4. Jay MARMONT 99
5. Daniel McCOY 99
6. Weston PEICK 83
7. Sam MARTIN 69
8. Lewi WOODS 54
9. Hayden MELLROSS 51
10. Jacob WRIGHT 51
11. Lawson BOPPING 44
12. Kade MOSIG 40
13. Brett METCALFE 31
14. Kirk GIBBS 31
15. Callum DICKSON 20
16. Tim VARE 20
17. Mat HAWORTH 20
18. Phillip BODEY 16
19. Matt HAWORTH 13
20. Kieran TISDALE 10
SX-Lites main event results:
1. Luke STYKE
2. Brenden HARRISON
3. Luke ARBON
4. Taylor POTTER
5. Nickolas SUTHERLAND
6. Ryan MARMONT
7. Kayne LAMONT
8. Gavin FAITH
9. Wade HUNTER
10. Luke WILSON
11. David MELLISH
12. Tristen CACHIA
13. Rhys DORREEN
14. Nicholas GECK
15. Casey TURNER
16. Joel EVANS
17. Dylan LONG
SX-Lites championship standings (final):
1. Luke STYKE 135
2. Gavin FAITH 128
3. Ryan MARMONT 117
4. Taylor POTTER 88
5. Brenden HARRISON 86
6. Dylan LONG 84
7. Kayne LAMONT 82
8. Luke ARBON 79
9. Nickolas SUTHERLAND 71
10. Luke WILSON 58
11. Tristen CACHIA 52
12. Rhys DORREEN 41
13. Boyd HOCKING 38
14. Kale MAKEHAM 31
15. Nicholas GECK 28
16. Ryan ZIEPES 25
17. Allister KENT 15
18. Daniel CHALLEN 14
19. Wade HUNTER 12
20. Daniel McINNES 11
Under 19s main event results:
1. Corey JAMES
2. Jay WILSON
3. Jake EMANUELLI
4. Joel WIGHTMAN
5. Blake SOLA
6. Bailey COXON
7. Jake DONAHER
8. Izak MAULE
9. Elijah WIESE
10. Tristian DUNCAN
11. Dylan WILSON
Under 19s championship standings (final):
1. Jay WILSON 122
2. Corey JAMES 103
3. Jake EMANUELLI 98
4. Joel WIGHTMAN 96
5. Jake DONAHER 75
6. Bailey COXON 67
7. Izak MAULE 67
8. Elijah WIESE 57
9. James BROWN 49
10. Tim O’BRIEN 39
11. Jonathan KRUSIC 20
12. Jake KATS 19
13. Blake SOLA 16
14. Tristan DUNCAN 16
15. Jett ANDERSON 16
16. Jesse McNALLY 14
17. Tristian DUNCAN 11
18. Jordan WATERS 11
Junior Lites main event results:
1. Wilson TODD
2. Brock McLEARY
3. Trent WHEATLEY
4. Jordan HILL
5. Kaleb BARHAM
6. Nathan CRAWFORD
Junior Lites championship standings (final):
1. Wilson TODD 94
2. Brock McLEARY 90
3. Jordan HILL 78
4. Trent WHEATLEY 68
5. Nathan CRAWFORD 58
6. Kaleb BARHAM 16
7. Ty LYNCH 15