The 2015 Australian Supercross Championship fired into top gear with an action-packed round two staged in front of a capacity crowd tonight (October 17) at Jimboomba in the heart of the Logan City Council district of south-east Queensland.
And when a fast-paced evening of full-throttle Supercross action was all said and done, it was local CDR Yamaha rider Dan Reardon and visiting American Jimmy Decotis (Penrite Honda Racing) who had the biggest smiles of all after scoring resounding victories in the SX1 and SX2 classes respectively.
For Queenslander Reardon, the Jimboomba victory tasted extra-sweet, as it’s been three years since he raced Supercross after coming out of retirement to race with the CDR Yamaha outfit this year.
“That feels so good to win,” enthused Reardon from atop the Jimboomba X Stadium podium. This is pretty much a home town race for me and it was so good to see so many people in the pits and at the track today who I’ve known for so many years. It feels great to get a win for them; I think I’m as happy as the fans tonight!”
Reardon’s Jimboomba win was a dominant one, the Yamaha gun comfortably leading home NPS Kawasaki Monster Energy Racing Kawasaki rider Adam Monea, who enjoyed a fabulous turn-around of the bad luck that dogged him at last weekend’s opening round of the Championship in Bathurst to finish second, while defending two-time SX1 Australian champion, Team Motul Suzuk’s Matt Moss finished a distant third.
Third place is a result Moss is somewhat unaccustomed to, after he went undefeated through last year’s Australian Supercross Championship, and he won last week’s 2015 Championship opener.
But tonight Moss tasted the dirt more than once in the Final, leaving him no option but to claw his way back onto the podium to salvage vital Championship points from the event.
“It was one of those nights,” said Moss afterwards. I think I just tried a bit too hard and made some mistakes and paid the price. I lost the front end and went down, and then my hand came off the grip and I tangled with Kirk (Gibbs – KTM Motocross Racing Team) when I was trying to come back though the field.
“That’s just how it goes sometimes, but I’ll be back: I know what I need to work on and we’ve got two weeks to get ready for the next round.”
Behind Reardon, Monea and Moss, the top five SX1 placings at Jimboomba were completed by Kade Mosig (CDR Yamaha) and KTM Motocross Racing Team rider Kirk Gibbs.
Victory in the Jimboomba round now gives Reardon the honour of running the red plate as Championship leader in round three of the series being held at Adelaide’s Wayville Showgrounds on October 31.
With second/first placings in the opening two rounds of the Championship, Reardon has just outpointed Moss (first/third results) for the Championship lead, setting up what is sure to be a classic confrontation between the two arch rivals as the new-look 2015 Australian Supercross Championship continues.
Meanwhile in the SX2 Championship, Jimmy Decotis and his Honda Genuine Parts and Accessories equipped Penrite Honda picked up just where they left off at Bathurst a week ago.
While Decotis explained he took a little time to get a handle on the Jimboomba track, which was modeled on last year’s St Louis AMA Supercross race circuit, he certainly hit top gear in the Final and simply motored away from the opposition to take his second straight win and thus keep the red plate as the undisputed Championship leader.
“Yeah, I had some struggles in practice, but then everything came good when it counted most,” said Decotis.
“A good start in the Final makes all the difference and once I got into a rhythm I could just ride my own race and come home with the win.
“It feels awesome to get another win and to get so many cheers from all the Australian fans. I really appreciate all their support, and I also have to thank everyone in the Penrite Honda team, who have been looking after me so well and have given me the best equipment.”
Behind Decotis, a pair of fast young north Queensland racers filled the SX2 podium, with Jackson Richardson firing his Penrite Honda Wilson MX team CRF250R to the runner-up spot, ahead of freshly signed DPH Peter Stevens Yamaha rider Wade Hunter.
For both Richardson and Hunter, it was their first-ever trip to the podium in a national Supercross event, and both were rapt to share the honour.
“My plan was to get on the box tonight and after getting a good start and riding consistently, that’s just what I did,” said Richardson, who has spent recent seasons based in the USA contesting the AMA Pro Racing scene as a privateer.
“It feels so great to get my first podium in a Supercross in Australia, and to have another ‘FNQer’ up here as well is just awesome.”
As for Hunter, he was equally rapt.
“Myself and Jatz (Richardson) have been racing together since we were five, so to share our first ever Supercross podium is just really special,” said Hunter, who has replaced the injured Josh Cachia in the DPH Yamaha team.
Rounding out the top five SX2 results at Jimboomba were class favourite Luke Clout (Serco Yamaha), who had to fight his way through the pack to finish fourth after a mid-pack start, while Geran Stapleton brought his Penrite WIlson Honda MX machine home in fifth.
Full Jimboomba event results and Championship points standings will be posted as soon as available on the official www.australiansupercross.com.au web site.
The Jimboomba event was hailed as a resounding success for promoter Scott Bannan, who was staging his first-ever national championship meeting. But there will be no rest for Bannan and his crew, as they will host round four of the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship at Coolum on the Queensland Sunshine Coast on November 21.
Meantime the Australian Supercross Championship now moves on to South Australia for round three in Adelaide in October 31, where South Aussie native Brett Metcalfe will be making a special appearance back home from the USA to mix it up with the front runners of the SX1 Championship.