Australian Supercross Magazine 2015
description
Transcript of Australian Supercross Magazine 2015
-
1 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
ISSUE
AU $9.95 NZ $11.99
2015
RIDER: MATT MOSS
01
-
2 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
01SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
02 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
03SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
04 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
UNITED BY FREEDOM.
Protect what you love
Go to swanninsurance.com.au or call 13RIDE.
UNITED BY SWANN.
SWN3291_297x420_V1.indd All Pages 1/10/2015 11:25 am
UNITED BY FREEDOM.
Protect what you love
Go to swanninsurance.com.au or call 13RIDE.
UNITED BY SWANN.
SWN3291_297x420_V1.indd All Pages 1/10/2015 11:25 am
-
05SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
UNITED BY FREEDOM.
Protect what you love
Go to swanninsurance.com.au or call 13RIDE.
UNITED BY SWANN.
SWN3291_297x420_V1.indd All Pages 1/10/2015 11:25 am
UNITED BY FREEDOM.
Protect what you love
Go to swanninsurance.com.au or call 13RIDE.
UNITED BY SWANN.
SWN3291_297x420_V1.indd All Pages 1/10/2015 11:25 am
-
06 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
AVAILABLE ATAVAILABLE AT
-
07SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
AVAILABLE AT
-
JEREMY MCGRATH PERFORMS BETTER INTHE OMEN GOGGLE WITH HAPPY LENSTM.LEARN HOW AT SPYOPTIC.COM/HAPPY
JEREMY MCGRATH PERFORMS BETTER INTHE OMEN GOGGLE WITH HAPPY LENSTM.LEARN HOW AT SPYOPTIC.COM/HAPPY
-
012015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
JEREMY MCGRATH PERFORMS BETTER INTHE OMEN GOGGLE WITH HAPPY LENSTM.LEARN HOW AT SPYOPTIC.COM/HAPPY
JEREMY MCGRATH PERFORMS BETTER INTHE OMEN GOGGLE WITH HAPPY LENSTM.LEARN HOW AT SPYOPTIC.COM/HAPPY
-
10 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
WELCOME TO THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP Whilst 2015 marks our 37th year of Supercross in Australia,
the quest for an extended Championship with more prizemoney
and greater coverage for riders, fans and sponsors came in late
2014 when Championship rights holder Full Throttle Sports
Management initiated open discussions.
For 2015 we have entered into new agreements with four different
promoters to provide a brand new Australian Supercross Championship.
Motorcycling Australias top priority was to secure more
rounds,more exposure and increase prizemoney for competitors.
The 2015 Australian Supercross Championship has doubledfrom
three weekends to six and there is a massive increase in
prizemoney, with more than $120,000 being paid out.
The 2015 Australian Supercross Championship will entertain more
than 50,000 spectators at events across four states, including
venues in Bathurst and Sydney (NSW), Jimboomba and Coolum
(Queensland), Adelaide (South Australia) and Sunshine (Victoria).
This year we welcome back numerous valued sponsors, including
presenting partner Penrite Oil and for the first time, Supercheap
Auto.
Motorcycling Australia would like to thank thepromotersand the
dedicated volunteers and staff who ensure the fans have a truly
memorable experience; this Championship is simply not possible
without their hard work and commitment.
On behalf of Motorcycling Australia, the sponsors, promoters,
staff and riders, we warmly welcome you to the 2015 Australian
Supercross Championship.
MARK LUKSICH Championship Coordinator
-
11SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
Over 1 million products available to
order in store & online
YES WE CAN GET
THAT
View our extended range across:
View the range online at supercheapauto.com.au
Car audio Karcher pressure cleaners Thousands of tools
Custom fit seat covers Custom fit car covers 300,000 spare parts
For Dane.indd 1 1/10/2015 1:18 pm
-
12 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
CONTENTS
10 MOTORCYCLING AUSTRALIA
12 SONSORS MESSAGE
14 EVENT SCHEDULE
40 THE MAKING OF THOR
64 BE A HERO -THE GO PRO STORY
70 QUARTER LITRE ROCKETS
102 SXD DEVELOPMENT PHASE
113 WORLD CLASS AUSSIE WOMEN
116 BRETT METCALF
120 YOU CANT STOP US: UNIT
126 PRIVATEER POWER
134 GABRIEL JOINS SUPERCROSS
138 KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
142 SHINING LITES
160 JUNIOR LEAGUE
162 TAKE YOUR SEATS
18 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS HISTORY 20 years of supercross30 WHOS THE BOSS Matt Moss on making it a three-peat69 TRUE FAITH Gavin Faith from Iowa USA to Australian Supercross champ92 KING KIRK Can Kirk Gibbs claim both Australian titles?
106 GETTING STARTED A helpful introduction to dirt bikes and racing149 HOW TO SUPERCROSS Blitzing the whoops, jumping and getting off the line
Publisher: Motorcycling Australiia | Managing Editor: Yarrive Konsky | Art Director: Josh Smith Assistant Designer: Rhys van Slooten | Senior Writer: Andrew Clubb | Senior Photographer: Cameron Taylor
Senior Photographer: Marc Jones Photography | Contributing Photographers: Jeff Crow and Craig Bourke Digital Prepress: CMYK Hub | Printing: CMYK Hub
18 30 69
92 106 149
-
13SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
On behalf of Penrite, I am delighted to welcome you to the 2015
Australian Supercross Championship. This marks the second year
for Penrite as a primary partner of Australias premier motorcycle
championship and we are looking forward to another exciting
season in 2015. This year is particularly momentous as the
championship has been extended to six rounds and prizemoney
has been increased to more than $100,000.
Our special association with motorcycle sport, specifically the
Australian Supercross Championship comes from our passion
towards this amazing country and its motorcycle racing heritage.
As Penrite moves towards its 90th year in business the Australian
owned and made oil company is proud to be associated with
motorsport events of the highest level.
The high performance of Penrite lubricants in terms of
specifications, range and applications, and reliability naturally
compliments its alignment with the high speed, intense and
technologically advanced sport of Supercross
We welcome riders, race fans and industry partners and wish you
all a memorable 2015 Australian Supercross Championship.
Toby Dymond
General Manager
SPONSORS MESSAGEFROM THE PENRITE GENERAL MANAGER
-
14 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
RACING SCHEDULE SUPERCROSS IS A NUMBERS GAME, THAT STARTS WITH GETTING THE HOLESHOT, BY BURSTING OUT OF THE GATES AND LEADING A FULL GRID OF 20 RIDERS THROUGH TURN ONE AND ON INTO THE RACE, SO YOU DONT HAVE TO NAVIGATE AROUND SLOWER COMPETITORS.
Its about qualifying first during the days all-important Qualifying events, so you get first
pick of the start gate to nail your preferred line to turn one.
Its about winning Heat races and setting the fastest Heat time, so as once again you can
pick which gate you want to start from for the most important races of the whole event,
the Finals.
SX1 (450 Pro) and SX2 (250 Pro) riders race across two Heats respectively. The line-ups
for the Heat races are determined from Qualifying earlier in the day. The highest placing
Qualifier goes into Heat 1, second to Heat 2, third to Heat 1, fourth to Heat 2 and so on. The
top eight finishers in each Heat race go straight to the Final, with the remainder going to
a Last Chance Qualifier. The top four finishers in the Last Chance Qualifier earn the last
remaining spots in the Final, to complete the 20-rider grid. In the Finals, SX1 competitors
will battle it out over 20 laps, while SX2 will contest a 15 lap main event. THE SXD will race
one heat and one 12 lap final.
The Womens, Junior Lites, Junior Minis (85cc two-stroke and 150cc four-stroke) and
Intermediate and Clubman Open and Lites classes will all contest three races, where points
scored will be accumulated to determine the Overall placings in the event.
SX1 (PRO OPEN)
2 x Heat races (8 laps), 1 x LCQ (6 laps)
1 x Final (20 laps)
SX2 (PRO LITE)
2 x Heat races (7 laps), 1 x LCQ (5 laps) 1 x
Final (15 laps)
SXD (UNDER 19 DEVELOPMENT CLASS)
2 x Heat races (7 laps), 1 x LCQ (5 laps)
1 x Final (12 laps)
SX1 AND SX2 (INTERMEDIATE AND CLUBMEN)
3 x 6 lap races
JUNIOR LITES:
3 x 6 lap races
JUNIOR MINIS (85CC TWO-STROKE AND 150CC 4-STROKE) 3 x 6 lap races
WOMENS: 3 x 7 laps
*Race program subject to change pending rider entry numbers
-
15SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
www.supercheapauto.com.au/trade
Own or operate a workshop or small business?
TRADE DIRECTTRADE DIRECT
HOTLINE ACCESS TO INDUSTRY EXPERTS
VOLUME BASED PRICING & DISCOUNTS
OVER 1,000,000 ITEMS AVAILABLE
7 DAY SERVICE NATIONWIDE
CALL OUR EXPERT TEAM 1300 787 570
ASK ABOUT SUPERCHEAP AUTO TRADE DIRECT FOR:
For Dane.indd 2 1/10/2015 1:19 pm
-
16 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
Dunlop tyres are distributed throughout Australia by:VIC, NSW, ACT, WA - Monza Imports (03) 8327 8888QLD, SA, NT - Ficeda Accessories (07) 3906 7034 and (08) 8359 0176TAS - Fulton Enterprises (03) 6326 9199
I RIDETO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Share your I RIDE story@RideDunlopAU
Dunlop Geomax tyres helped Kirk Gibbs win his maiden Australian MX1 Championship
Dunlop dominated the 2015 MX Nationals Motocross championships securing 5 of the top 6 overall MX1 results
Congratulations to all our Dunlop riders on a fantastic MX Nationals result
OFFICIAL TYRE
Dunlop tyres are distributed throughout Australia by:VIC, NSW, ACT, WA - Monza Imports (03) 8327 8888QLD, SA, NT - Ficeda Accessories (07) 3906 7034 and (08) 8359 0176TAS - Fulton Enterprises (03) 6326 9199
I RIDETO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Share your I RIDE story@RideDunlopAU
Dunlop Geomax tyres helped Kirk Gibbs win his maiden Australian MX1 Championship
Dunlop dominated the 2015 MX Nationals Motocross championships securing 5 of the top 6 overall MX1 results
Congratulations to all our Dunlop riders on a fantastic MX Nationals result
OFFICIAL TYRE
-
17SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
Dunlop tyres are distributed throughout Australia by:VIC, NSW, ACT, WA - Monza Imports (03) 8327 8888QLD, SA, NT - Ficeda Accessories (07) 3906 7034 and (08) 8359 0176TAS - Fulton Enterprises (03) 6326 9199
I RIDETO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Share your I RIDE story@RideDunlopAU
Dunlop Geomax tyres helped Kirk Gibbs win his maiden Australian MX1 Championship
Dunlop dominated the 2015 MX Nationals Motocross championships securing 5 of the top 6 overall MX1 results
Congratulations to all our Dunlop riders on a fantastic MX Nationals result
OFFICIAL TYRE
Dunlop tyres are distributed throughout Australia by:VIC, NSW, ACT, WA - Monza Imports (03) 8327 8888QLD, SA, NT - Ficeda Accessories (07) 3906 7034 and (08) 8359 0176TAS - Fulton Enterprises (03) 6326 9199
I RIDETO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Share your I RIDE story@RideDunlopAU
Dunlop Geomax tyres helped Kirk Gibbs win his maiden Australian MX1 Championship
Dunlop dominated the 2015 MX Nationals Motocross championships securing 5 of the top 6 overall MX1 results
Congratulations to all our Dunlop riders on a fantastic MX Nationals result
OFFICIAL TYRE
-
18 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
ARCHERFIELD 1979, L-R REX STATEN, MIKE BELL & STEPHEN GALL
-
19SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
WHEN IT COMES TO RIP-ROARING, BARNSTORMING, HIGH-FLYING MOTORCYCLE RACING THAT IS GUARANTEED TO GET THE
FANS ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS, SUPERCROSS IS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE PACK AND ITS BEEN
THAT WAY FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS IN AUSTRALIA.
For the more than 40 years since the first Superbowl
of Motocross roared into life inside the Los Angeles Coliseum in July
1972, Supercross has been on a full-throttle charge that has taken dirt
bike racing to the masses.
Today the superstars of Supercross in the USA are household names
who strut their stuff on man-made tracks inside the biggest baseball
and football stadiums across the country. With big-buck backing from
the major motorcycle manufacturers and outside industry sponsors,
they follow a nationwide five month schedule of Monster Energy AMA
Supercross Series racing, all of which takes place under the glare of
blazing floodlights and live broadcast TV cameras that instantly take
the sport to fans right around the world.
Supercross in America is big business and nowadays it is doing
the kind of business that Mike Goodwin, the promoter of that first
Superbowl of Motocross could have only ever dreamed of. (Mind you,
Goodwin has plenty of time to dream about that nowadays, as he is in
jail after being found guilty of plotting the murders of rival promoter
and former busines partner Mickey Thompson and his wife ...
but thats a whole other story.)
AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS
HISTORY
-
20 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
SIMPLY SUPERJUST LIKE TRENDS LIKE THE YO YO, HULA HOOP, SKATEBOARDS AND BMX BIKES, ALL OF WHICH WERE BIG IN THE 70S, IT DIDNT TAKE LONG FOR SUPERCROSS TO MAKE ITS MARK DOWN UNDER.
The consensus is that Australias first
Supercross-style race events played
out at Sydneys Parramatta Raceway
in 1978. More stadium motocross
than pure Supercross, speedway
promoter Sid Hopping had a man-
made motocross track built inside the
confines of his clay speedway venue
and a three-round series played
out, with Mr Motocross series rivals
Stephen Gall and Anthony Gunter the
star attractions.
The Parramatta events were the first
time we raced inside a stadium on a
man-made track, Gunter remembers.
It was a lot different to traditional
motocross races outdoors, but they
were good events and drew good
crowds.
The local Brian Collins Motorcycles
dealership was the major sponsor and
they dished up three Yamaha YZs as
the major prizes; one YZ to the winner
of each class. I won the Unlimited
class, ahead of Gally, so I scored a
brand new YZ400, which was pretty
neat. But I was sponsored by Suzuki,
so I sold the bike ... looking back now,
I wish I had have kept it, it would be a
classic! Gunter laughs.
-
21SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
SHEEP FLOCKING TO A SHEPHERDA YEAR LATER REAL BIG-TIME SUPERCROSS HIT AUSTRALIA WHEN SPEEDWAY RACER AND PROMOTER BLAIR SHEPHERD DESCENDED ON ARCHERFIELD SPEEDWAY IN SUBURBAN BRISBANE WITH THE INAUGURAL STAGING OF THE STEFANS SUPERBOWL OF MOTOCROSS IN 1979.
Sponsored by hair care magnate
Stefan Ackerie, Shepherd recreated
a full-size American-style supercross
track on the Archerfield infield and
then flew in leading American racers
Mike Too Tall Bell and Rocket Rex
Staten to take on Australias green-
behind-the-ears Supercross hopefuls.
The record books show that despite
the night being hit by a massive storm
that drenched the huge crowd and the
track, Bell took the win from Staten,
with Gall the top of the Aussies and
claiming the final step on the podium.
Upping the ante, Shepherd took the
Supercross show to Sydney the next
year, for the first of two magnificent
events staged upon the massive
green infield of the Sydney Speedway
at the then Sydney Showgrounds at
Moore Park, which today has been
redeveloped into the FOX Studios
entertainment precinct.
Exploiting once again the Australia
versus the USA theme, not to mention
promoting the pants off any angle he
could to get Supercross in front of
the masses, which included bringing
wheely king, American Doug Domokos
to wheely around the track before
the cameras on press day, Shepherd
filled the Sydney Showgrounds to
the rafters for Supercross two years
running.
The first Sydney Supercross in 1980
saw Rex Staten and countryman
Marty Smith lead home Stephen Gall
in the final. But a year later, Gall came
up trumps in the 1981 Sydney event
and took a rousing victory ahead of
American national champ, Jammin
Jimmy Weinert.
Thats when Supercross really
started to come of age in Australia,
remembers Gall, as the Sydney
Showground events really caught
the imagination of the public, thanks
to all the great promotion Blair
Shepherd put into his events.
BACK THEN GRUNT AND I WERE BASICALLY AT THE TOP OF THE GAME HERE IN AUSTRALIA, BUT RIGHT AWAY WHEN THE PROMOTERS STARTED BRINGING THE AMERICANS TO AUSTRALIA, WE SAID, LETS GO TO WHERE THE BIG BOYS PLAY. STEVEN GALL
BLOKES ON SPOKES1981 ALSO SAW SUPERCROSS MOVE SOUTH TO THE VICTORIAN CAPITAL, WHEN MELBOURNES ROYAL SHOWGROUNDS PLAYED HOST TO THE FIRST-EVER SUPERCROSS MASTERS EVENT.
This time the event was promoted
around an Australia versus the World
theme, with organisers flying in big
name Yanks, as well as riders from
Belgium, Sweden, Scotland, France
and New Zealand, to face off against
a big grid of hopeful Aussies. This
time American golden boy, Yamaha
factory rider Broc Glover, took the
win from countryman Jim Gibson.
The Melbourne event was co-
promoted by Phil Christensen,
founder of the Spokes Promotions
organisation, and who would go on
to become Australias most prolific
of Supercross promoters.
Supercross was now much
entrenched in the psyche of
Australian motorcycle and
motorsport fans and through the
early 1980s the sport exploded
in popularity, as professional
promoters like Spokes staged big
events at major stadiums that saw
Australian riders constantly facing
off against international heroes. The
imports included no lesser stars than
world motocross champions Danny
LaPorte and Hakan Carlqvist, as well
two-time winner of the LA Coliseum
1990 MYDT PETER MELTON & CRAIG DACK
-
22 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
A SUPERCROSS IN EVERY TOWN ... & EVEN INDOORS!THROUGH THE MID TO LATE 1980S, AND INTO THE 90S, AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CONTINUED ON AN UPWARD SWING, WITH THE RACE CALENDAR DOTTED WITH SUPERCROSS EVENTS AT SPEEDWAYS AND SHOWGROUNDS RIGHT AROUND THE COUNTRY, ALONGSIDE STATE AND NATIONAL MOTOCROSS RACES, AS WELL AS THE PREMIER MR MOTOCROSS SERIES.
This was an era when journeymen
young motocross racers could travel
the length and breadth of the land,
at first in their panel vans and box
trailers, and later in their HiAce vans,
with prizemoney and sponsorships
giving them the means to maintain the
road tripping lifestyle. Meanwhile, a
precious few, among them the likes of
Craig Dack, Glen Bell and transplanted
American Eddie Warren, were able to
make a comfortable full-time living
from racing.
Spokes Promotions had now
cemented itself as the countrys
leading Supercross promoter, and in
1986 pulled off what remains to this
day as a promotional coup: they took
the Supercross Masters indoors to
the plush confines of the downtown
Sydney Entertainment Centre.
Christensen and his then partners Alan
Horsley and Phil Harrison must have
known deep down it was a big ask
to build a dirt bike race track inside
a plush downtown entertainment
centre more known to hosting rock
concerts and stage shows. But living
by the old adage, if you dont ask, you
dont get, they went for it.
Wed talk about bringing dirt in and
racing bikes inside the Entertainment
Centre and laugh about it, explained
Harrison in an interview with the
speedcafe.com web site about the
birth of the indoor Supercross Masters
events.
REST IN PEACE JOEL ELLIOT, TRAGICALLY TAKEN AWAY JUST WHEN HE WAS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING THE NEXT AUSSIE AFTER JEFF LEISK TO SCORE A FACTORY RIDE IN THE USA.
Supercross, American Jimmy Ellis,
who would eventually settle full-
time Down Under, and AMA national
motocross champion, Darrell Shultz,
to name but a few.
The classy international imports
played a huge role in those formative
years of Supercross in Australia. Not
only did they draw the fans in droves
and keep the turnstiles ticking over,
much to the delight of the promoters,
they also helped drive Australian
racers to sharpen their Supercross
skills in rapid fashion.
From those very first international
Supercross events Blair Shepherd
promoted, I just knew I had to get
to America and learn more about
Supercross and the specific skills
it would take to win, explains Gall,
who in 1980 made the first of what
would become an annual pre-season
training and racing pilgrimage to
southern California.
Back then Grunt and I were
basically at the top of the game here
in Australia, but right away when
the promoters started bringing the
Americans to Australia, we said,
lets go to where the big boys play.
Anthony and I spent two months in
California at the start of 1980 and we
just soaked up as much as we could,
in terms of riding and training and
bike set-up, Gall continues.
Bob Leisk also took his son Jeff
over there at the same time, as Jeff
was coming up through the ranks in
Western Australia, and we all ended
up staying together for a few weeks
at the place they had organised.
Back then you could ride and race
almost every day of the week at
tracks all around Los Angeles, which
is exactly what we did, and we learnt
so much.
Indeed the quietly spoken but so
naturally talented young Leisk put the
skills honed on his trips to California
to great effect, by becoming the first
Australian rider to win a Supercross
Masters event and bring the American
whitewash to a halt. Leisk would go
on to notch up two stellar seasons in
Australia in 84 and 85 with Honda,
before moving to America full-time in
86 in a global assault that saw him gain
factory team rides with Yamaha and
Honda and would ultimately take him to
runner-up honours in the World 500cc
Motocross Championship in 1989.
-
23SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
ONE DAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, THE NEXT WE WERE MEETING THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE MANAGEMENT WITH A PROPOSAL. I THOUGHT THEYD THROW US OUT OF THE OFFICE PHIL HARRISON
One day we were talking about
it, the next we were meeting the
Entertainment Centre management
with a proposal. I thought theyd throw
us out of the office, but management
listened. They didnt say much, but
they said they would contact us the
following Tuesday.
Sure enough they called us back
and the first thing they said was, why
didnt you come to us sooner?
That first event in Sydney was very
successful; we sold out two nights and
half a matinee on the Sunday. Then
we went on to stage further indoor
events in Brisbane (at the Boondall
Entertainment Centre) and Melbourne
(at Rod Laver Arena).
At the time, indoor supercross was a
concept that shocked the purists to
the core, who screamed the indoor
stadium floorspace would be too
small. The track was tight, yes, and
the lap times short, but the racing
was intense, the facilities were top-
shelf and the crowds absolutely loved
it. Well, they loved nearly all of it, save
for the fact that brash American rider,
the beefy Jo Jo Keller, barnstormed
his way to victory and grabbed
the whopping $8,000 first place
prizemoney at that first indoor event
in Sydney.
-
IF ANYONE IS OWED A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THE GOALS AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS
AS A SPORT HAS KICKED OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, IT HAS TO BE PHIL CHRISTENSEN
AND THE SUPERCROSS MASTERS, CRAIG DACK
20 YEARS OF SUPERCROSS MASTERYFOR THE BEST PART OF THE NEXT 20 YEARS, THE SUPERCROSS MASTERS SET THE PACE IN SUPERCROSS PROMOTION IN AUSTRALIA UNDER THE CAREFUL GUIDANCE OF CHRISTENSEN, WHO NOT LONG AFTER THOSE FIRST INDOOR EVENTS GAINED SOLE CONTROL OF SPOKES PROMOTIONS. FROM THAT POINT ON, HE MAINTAINED A SINGLE-MINDED VISION TO PUSH SUPERCROSS INTO THE RANKS OF AUSTRALIAS MAINSTREAM SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS.
The Supercross Masters gained
series status in 1989, with Team
Hondas then prodigal son Glen
Bell winning the first-ever series
and etching his name in the record
books.
The Masters was also granted
Australian Supercross Championship
status by Motorcycling Australia
a few years later, as the prestigious
series wound its way through
a national championship chase that
each year would continue to include
major speedway, showground,
stadium and indoor venues around
the country. And nearly every step
of the way the action took place under
the bright lights and watchful gaze
of television cameras that helped
to push Supercross racing into the
lounge rooms of fans, which in turn
helped to increase the popularity of
the sports leading racers.
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre
was soon added to the Supercross
Masters calendar of prime inner-
city venues, while the Newcastle
Entertainment Centre also scored
a round. And then in 1999, the
Supercross Masters became the first-
ever ticketed event at the brand-new
Sydney Superdome that was built as
part of the Sydney 2000 Olympics
precinct.
Then three years later, Gosford
Stadium on the NSW central coast was
added to the mix and the giant green
infield of the purpose-built football
stadium became a fabulous fixture
for the annual Supercross Masters
spectacle.
In fact, through the early 2000s,
the Supercross Masters series
was arguably at its zenith.
Christensen time and again
concentrated on the Australia versus
the USA theme for the premier indoor
Sydney Superdome and Melbourne
Rod Laver Arena and outdoor Gosford
Stadium events, by bringing some of
the biggest names in the sport Down
Under to take on Australias best blokes
on spokes as the bill posters screamed.
American champions of the highest
calibre, including Jeremy McGrath,
Travis Pastrana and Mike LaRocco,
all took their turn in leading the
American assault on some of
the Supercross Masters most
memorable meets in the 2000s.
Meanwhile, any time Christensen
could negotiate the return of the
by then American-based Aussie
superstar Chad Reed to race at
the Superdome or Gosford rounds,
they were always barnstormer
events that had the turnstiles
spinning and the sold-out shingle
hung out above the ticket booths
as the aura and anticipation of the
latest Supercross Masters show hit
fever pitch.
Credit where credit is due,
Phil Christensen did a great job
promoting Supercross in Australia,
for a very, very long time, says
legend Australian racer turned
race team owner, Craig Dack.
I was there as a racer in those earliest
days of the Supercross Masters in the
late 1980s, and I was there all the way
through from the mid 1990s as CDR
Yamaha team owner and manager,
and theres no question Christo had
the formula right.
With the Supercross Masters the
promotion was solid, the racing
was exciting, the crowd went home
happy, and as a promoter, he had
the business model in place to
ensure his events ongoing success.
If anyone is owed a debt of
gratitude for the goals Australian
Supercross as a sport has kicked
over the past 30 years, it has to be
Phil Christensen and the Supercross
Masters, says Dack.
01 2015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
-
012015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
A CORNER IS TURNED IN 2004 MOTORSPORTS PROMOTER SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED (SEL) TURNED ITS CONSIDERABLE PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPERCROSS AND LAUNCHED THE SX NATIONALS SERIES WITH GREAT FANFARE AND HYPE HOWEVER A YEAR LATER IT WAS BUT A DISTANT MEMORY AS RAINED-OUT EVENTS AND EXPENSIVE OVERHEADS DASHED ITS COMMERCIAL VIABILITY.
Then, two years later, in 2007,
Christensen staged what proved to be
the final Supercross Masters events
after it was announced another new
promoter would enter the Supercross
fray, when former IronMan series
organiser, Mike Porra, joined forces
with Chad Reed to reveal the Super-X
series would launch in 2008.
Super-X was big and bold, bright and
brassy, offering rounds at leading
football stadiums around the country
and even in New Zealand, with giant
USA-style tracks, live television
coverage and innovative race formats
that moved well away from the heat-
semi-LCQ-final format of traditional
supercross events. And with the
involvement of Reed, who was now
well and truly established as a global
Supercross superstar, Super-X looked
set to really fire.
But two years later Super-X was also
gone, as Reed eventually removed
himself from the series and Porra
wound down this side of his business
interests to concentrate on the Nitro
Circus action sports and FMX events
he also promoted, and which continue
to go gangbusters to this day. Once
again big-time Supercross promotion
had proved a tough commercial
proposition.
In the years since then Supercross has
somewhat returned to its grass-roots,
with former racer and current Penrite
Honda Racing team owner, Yarrive
Konsky, stepping forward to work with
Motorcycling Australia and re-ignite
the sport that so many of us in the pits
and in the stands know and love.
A long time racer and a person with
a deep passion for the sport, Konsky
had previously promoted successful
one-off Supercross events in 2003
and had been co-promoter of the
Australian Supercross Championship
in 2007.
Konsky and his team at Full Throttle
Sports took over the reigns of the
Australian Supercross Championship
in 2011 and for four years straight
he guided the fortunes of the series
almost single-handedly.
Given the economic climate of recent
years, and the only ever escalating
costs of staging major events, no
matter whether they be in sport or
more mainstream entertainment
spheres, the role of event organiser
has come with arguably more
promotional risk than ever.
Supercross is entertaining, but from
a promoters point of view, it can be
unpredictable, explains Konsky.
Nevertheless, the crowds have
always continued to support the
sport, its riders and the championship.
Branching out and adopting a new
strategy to widen the reach of the
sport will enable Supercross to grow
its popularity.
Supercross needs to adapt to
changing trends and this is a positive
direction for the future of the sport.
ITS A FULL HOUSE FOR THE SUPERCROSS MASTERS AT GOSFOR IN 2004 AS CHAD REED RETURNS HOME TO GIVE THE PACK A RIDING LESSON.
-
26 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOWALL OF WHICH BRINGS US TO TODAY AND THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH IS BEING CO-ORDINATED BY MOTORCYCLING AUSTRALIA, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH FOUR DIFFERENT EVENT PROMOTERS ACROSS THE CHAMPIONSHIPS SIX ROUNDS.
Konsky and his FTS crew will stage
round one at Bathurst and round six
at Melbournes Sunshine Stadium.
Scott Bannan and his staff at Bannan
Corporation will host round two at
Jimboomba in south-east Queensland
and round four at Coolum on the
Queensland Sunshine Coast.
Longtime Adelaide motorsport
promoter, Mark Gilbert who has
previously partnered with Christensen
in Supercross Masters events in South
Australia and his team at Gilbert
Racing will stage round three at
Wayville Showgrounds in Adelaide.
Finally, Adam Bailey and his partners
at AME Management will host round
five of the Championship at Allphones
Arena at Homebush in Sydney as part
of their Aus-X Open event thats
right, Supercross is returning to the
Superdome at Sydney!
With a $120,000 prizemoney pool up
for grabs across the championship,
and all Australias leading race
teams confirming their participation,
the 2015 Australian Supercross
Championship is really kicking gears
and roosting.
And with international stars of the
calibre of leading American pros Gavin
Faith (the reigning SX2 Aussie champ)
and Venezuelan Anthony Rodriguez
here to race the entire series, along
with global superstars James Bubba
Stewart and Australias own Chad Reed,
who will race at round five at Allphones
Arena, this years championship will be
an absolute cracker.
The co-operation we have received
from so many people to get to
this stage has been outstanding,
enthused Series Co-Ordinator Mark
Luksich on the eve of the opening
round at Bathurst on the weekend of
the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
V8 Supercars race at Mount Panorama.
The promoters, motorcycle industry,
teams, riders, Motorcycling Australia
and all our Championship partners
have been working so hard behind-
the-scenes. In particular the four
promoters of the Championship events
deserve credit for their efforts and I
know they all want to give the crowds
a great show and exciting racing.
We have had some great partners
come onboard with the Championship,
including many traditional supercross
sponsors, as well as some exciting new
sponsors, Luksich continues.
Feedback from so many of the
riders and teams is positive and I
know they are looking forward to the
Championship and all the excitement
that comes with racing under lights in
front of large and vocal crowds.
Indeed, Supercross in Australia,
after an amazing almost 40 year run,
is locked and loaded and ready to
continue its high-flying ride in 2015 ...
may the best riders win!
WE HAVE HAD SOME GREAT PARTNERS COME ONBOARD WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP, INCLUDING MANY TRADITIONAL SUPERCROSS SPONSORS, AS WELL AS SOME EXCITING NEW SPONSORS. MARK LUKSICH
AMERICAN GAVIN FAITH HAS PLUNDERED THE AUSSIESUPERCROSS SCENE FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, AND IS BACK AGAIN FOR 2015.
-
27SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
AUSTRALIAS HIGHWAY TO THE USAFOR AS LONG AS SUPERCROSS HAS BEEN STAGED IN AUSTRALIA, A COMMON THEME OF MAJOR EVENTS BEEN THE SPECTACLE OF OUR LOCAL AUSSIE HEROES TAKING ON THE SOME OF THE BEST RIDERS OF THE WORLD FROM AMERICA.
Most times, the American heroes are
flown in for one-off appearances,
lured either by a sizeable bank-roll of
appearance money or an all-expenses
paid working holiday in the Aussie sun
or a combination of both.
For some of Uncle Sams finest, their
jet-setting visits turned into something
more permanent: witness the likes of
Jimmy Ellis and Eddie Warren, both of
whom settled here full-time after their
racing days.
But the traffic across the Pacific
Ocean has not been all one-way.
In fact Aussie riders have been taking
aim on the USA since the early 1980s,
initially going there in the pre-season
to hone their skills for the Australian
race calendar. Stephen Gall and
Jeff Leisk were the first to do so,
and enjoyed instant results on their
returns back home.
Of course Leisk then went on to
become the first Aussie rider to crack
the American scene on a permanent
basis and joined the ranks of the
USAs elite factory team riders for
three seasons from 1986. The WA ace
scored factory rides with Yamaha and
Honda in America before heading to
Europe, proving that an Aussie could
make it big in the USA.
But it took a while for another Australian
to do it: in 2002 to be precise and Chad
Reed was the man to do it.
The Hunter Valley, NSW, gun spent
a year in Europe in 01 and then hit
the USA with all guns blazing in 02,
winning the AMAs Eastern Region
125cc Supercross Championship,
which catapulted him straight into
a factory ride with Yamaha in the
premier 250cc class the very next
year. And believe it or not, the guy is
still there in the USA doing it, having
won multiple AMA championships
along the way and cementing his
reputation as one of the greats of the
sport, no matter what nationality.
Reeds early successes in the USA
instantly put Australia on the radar
of Americas leading race team
managers and talent scouts. and for
a long time through the 2000s, the
exodus of Aussie riders to the land
of the star spangled banner was
constant.
Michael Byrne and Brett Metcalfe
were next to make a career in the
USA, and both are still there.
Then in rapid succession over the
last decade Craig Anderson, the late
Andrew MacFarlane, Daniel Reardon,
Jay Marmont, Tye Simmonds, Josh
Cachia, Matt and Jake Moss, and Dean
Ferris to name the most high-profile
of Aussies to move to America, all
scored prized seats with teams in the
USA on a permanent basis.
And while some have scored AMA
race wins and podium placings, none
has managed to match the exploits of
Reed in climbing to the very top of the
Supercross totem pole.
Reed is often described as a once in a
generation rider and he has certainly
set the bar high for any Australian
rider wanting to match him. Will it
happen? Only the next generation of
aspiring Australian riders can answer
that question: best of luck to them all!
CHAD REED HAS BEEN AUSTRALIAS MOST SUCCESSFUL SUPERCROSS EXPORT EVER, INSPIRING A GENERATION OF RIDERS TO TRY AND FOLLOW IN HIS WHEEL TRACKS.
-
28 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
JUSTIN BARCIA Alpinestars.com/MXJUSTIN BARCIA Alpinestars.com/MX
-
29SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
JUSTIN BARCIA Alpinestars.com/MXJUSTIN BARCIA Alpinestars.com/MX
-
30 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
31SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
TEAM MOTUL PIRELLI SUZUKIS MATT MOSS WAS THE UNDISPUTED BOSS OF AUSTRALIAN MOTOCROSS AND SUPERCROSS IN 2013 AND 14, ROMPING THROUGH DUAL MOTOCROSS AND SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BOTH SEASONS. BUT THIS YEAR AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT CUT SHORT HIS MX NATIONALS CAMPAIGN.NOW THE NINE-TIME AUSSIE CHAMP IS BACK ON THE BIKE AND READY TO ROOST WITH A SINGLE-MINDED GOAL OF TAKING AN HISTORIC SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP THREE-PEAT.
WHOS THE BOSS
-
32 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
Flashback to 2001 and press day for the
Supercross Masters at the then brand new
Sydney Superdome that just a year earlier
had been one of the epicenter venues for
the worlds ultimate sporting spectacle,
the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
This time though, the spectacle about
to play out inside the state-of-the-art
20,000 seat indoor Superdome venue
is one of a very different kind. Theres
not a gymnastics mat, parallel beam or
badminton net in sight, instead the stadium
floor has been buried under hundreds of
tonnes of topsoil and turned into a man-
made torture-track for the best of the
blokes on spokes.
Supercross is about to hit the Olympic
precinct and the two big stars of that
memorable 2001 event are Aussie hero
Chad Reed, who has just jetted back
home after contesting the World 250cc
Motocross championship in Europe
and finishing runner-up on debut and
American rider Travis Pastrana, who was
fast on his way to becoming the worlds
greatest action sports hero.
Riding a Suzuki, Pastrana takes centre
stage with Reed and fast starts busting out
all the aerial tricks he is renowned for in
front of the cameras, before then taking a
breather back in the pits.
In the Suzuki team enclave, a pair of pint-
size powerpacks are zapping about behind
Pastrana, hanging on his every word and
figuratively nipping at his heels like a pair
of playful puppies.
The two youngsters are Matt and Jake
Moss, twins from the NSW south coast,
and junior racers with modest backing
from Suzuki on RM80s but being part
of Suzukis inner sanctum gives them
the greatest Gold card pass of the whole
weekend: they get to hang out with Travis;
yes, THE Travis Pastrana.
Every kid in the Superdome that weekend
and there were thousands upon thousands
of them would have given anything to get
to hang with Travis.
Yeah, it was pretty cool! remembers Matt
Moss, who is now aged 27.
Back then Travis was pretty much still a
pure racer and only just starting to get into
jumping and freestyle, so getting all that
time with him was unreal. We got to talk
heaps and just soak up so much from a guy
who was our idol.
Plus hed give us challenges, where hed
let us have his jersey if we won our next
race. Stuff like that, it was so cool.
Its moments like those that help mould the
careers of aspiring young sportsmen like
the motocrossing Moss twins.
So fast forward the time machine 14 years
and Matt Moss now proudly carries the
number one plate into the 2015 Australian
Supercross Championship.
Hes been Australias leading dirt bike
racer through 2013 and 14, and has the
championships to prove it.
But theres been a whole lot of water under
the bridge since that 2001 Superdrome
press day, and its fair to say the Matt Moss
story has had its roller coaster moments
along the way.
-
33SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
IN THE BEGINNINGWEVE ALWAYS HAD DIRT BIKES, SINCE JUST BEFORE WE WERE FOUR YEARS OLD, MATT REMEMBERS. MY FIRST BIKE WAS A PEE WEE 50.
Matts dad, Greg, was a motocross racer
and to this day continues to be deeply
entrenched in the sport, running the Moss
Institute motocross coaching program,
which is based in the NSW southern
highlands near Braidwood but stages
coaching clinics right around the country.
Dads still my coach, and my mentor,
always has been, Matt explains.
With the family pedigree it was pretty
much a given the Moss twins would make
a career from riding bikes, if they wanted.
We just loved motocross and racing, from
day one, it was in the blood, says Matt.
The Moss twins had an instant talent for
it, for sure, and if there was one thing they
loved most, it was jumping.
Thats for sure! Matt beams.
We were always jumping anything on our
85s, Jake and I just loved that, which really
helped us to excel at Supercross.
That reputation for ballsy aerial antics was
part of what brought the Moss twins to the
attention of Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki boss
Jay Foreman, who began to help the pair
out with bikes and parts.
In the early days of juniors Jake and I
were in the hunt for championships, Matt
remembers, but until Jay took us on we
never had the really good machinery.
From there Jay really helped both Jake
and I, as he realised the potential we had.
As the podium places and titles started
rolling in, the Moss twins moved up into
seniors and put together a support team
deal with Yamaha and Ficeda Accessories,
under the AXO banner.
That was when we turned 16 and were in
our first year in seniors, says Matt.
Jake won some races and I got some
seconds and thirds, but it had some
tough times, as we were riding YZ125s
when 250Fs were starting to dominate,
especially in motocross.
When I finally got on a 250F for some
races, thats when I started to get some
results in the nationals and that helped
open up some doors, which lead to a deal
with Craig Dacks CDR Yamaha team.
Matt had a couple of seasons on the CDR
team, primarily on 250Fs, but for a while
there was a game plan for him to race
a YZ250 two-stroke, and certainly in
Supercross events, against the onslaught
of the fast becoming dominant new-age
450cc four-strokes.
I was still young and kind of small to be
racing a 450, so thats why that plan was
made, Matt remembers.
It was good for a while, and I was getting
podiums against riders who had been my
idols, but that was short lived. I crashed
into the back of another rider landing a
jump in a Supercross when I was leading
the series and broke my leg.
So that time with CDR wasnt what I hoped
it would be, but at least a highlight was a
round of the Nationals at Toowoomba,
where Jake won the Lites and I actually
won the 450s. That was pretty cool.
-
34 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
THE MOTO MERRY GO ROUNDWHEN MATT ANNOUNCED A CHANGE OF HORIZONS FOR THE 2008 SEASON, IT CAME AS LITTLE SURPRISE THAT JAY FOREMAN AND THE NATIONAL SUZUKI TEAM WERE BACK IN THE PICTURE. REKINDLING THE RELATIONSHIP FROM THE MINIBIKE DAYS DELIVERED INSTANT RESULTS AND BIG ONES AT THAT.
Jake was going to sign with Jays Suzuki
team for 08, but then Jake left to go race in
America, so the chance came up for me to get
the deal, Matt explains.
Getting back with Jay and Suzuki worked
out really well. I loved being back on a 250
thumper and I won the Lites Supercross
championship in 2008 and then backed up
and won the Lites Motocross and Supercross
championships in 2009. They were two really
solid seasons.
But 2009 had a sting in the tail.
At the final Supercross of the year in Brisbane,
Matt crashed and broke his wrist and his back.
But theres a double-whammy to the story:
Matt had just signed a contract to race a 450
with Roger DeCoster and the factory Makita
Suzuki team in the USA for 2010 ... after his
twin brother Jake, who was his team mate in
the local Suzuki squad, had to opt out of the
ride after he was injured.
Yeah, Jake was meant to go, but then he
got injured, so I was offered the deal, which
was unreal, but in the end it turned out to be
probably the worst decision of my life, Matt
reveals.
I got hurt just before I was due to head over
to America, which meant I missed the entire
Supercross season over there.
And then when I could get back on the
bike, I was just chasing my tail for the whole
motocross series over there and wound out
the series in 23rd overall.
Plus I was living on my own over there, doing
everything myself, and it was tough.
When I look back now at that 2010
experience, it sounds like it should have been
so unreal to be on a factory team in the USA,
but it was really a case of taking too big a step
too soon.
Heading back home to Australia, Matt
regrouped and eventually accepted an offer
to jump camps to JDR Motorsports KTM
to race a Lites bike in OZ in 2011, with the
promise of being part of the team when it
expanded to also race in the USA.
It was a good deal, Matt says of the offer
from the JDR team, which had factory
support from KTM Australia and KTM USA.
JDR offered that if I won the motocross and
supercross titles in Australia in 2011, then I
would get a ride with the team in America in
2012. And thats just what I did and thats how
it panned out.
NOT SO MELLOW YELLOW2013 AND 14 WERE ABSOLUTE BANNER YEARS ONCE AGAIN FOR THE REKINDLED MATT MOSS AND TEAM MOTUL PIRELLI SUZUKI COMBINATION.
Showing the sport who is boss, Matt, under
the guidance of team manager Jay Foreman
and now on a 450 full-time, steamrolled the
opposition and won the MX1 MX Nationals
championship AND the SX1 Australian
Supercross Championship both years.
Complete domination? Absolutely. Jay and
the Suzuki team give me great equipment, the
best, says Matt.
So two years after that somewhat aborted
American effort with Suzuki in 2010, Matt was
back in the States full-time.
But this time it was a lot different,
Matt explains.
JDR was an Aussie team that expanded to
race in America, so I knew the people on the
team and this time my girlfriend (now wife,
Sophie) came over with me and I had a lot
more support around me.
I was fit going into the season and raced a
Lites bike in Supercross in the Western Region
and had some great races and finished sixth
in the series and got on the podium with a
third place at one round.
But then as we started to get into the
motocross series, I got sick and came down
with a virus that just knocked me out of action
for ages. And that was that.
Heading back home to OZ once again, Matt
had to look after his health first, while at the
same time get back on the hustings for a ride
for 2013, as the JDR team was doing it tough
to secure the sponsorship support to keep it
operating in the USA all the way through the
next year.
It was looking like the JDR team would not
continue, Matt explains, so I did a deal with
Jay and Suzuki again to race the Supercross
series in Australia at the end of 2012, and, well,
weve been back together again ever since.
Plus Jay has a lot of trust in me and
what I can do and cant do. He trusts my
decisions and that has had a big bearing
on us winning so many championships over
the years.
But at the end of the day, I push myself to
the limits and want to win races; Im never
happy unless Im winning.
But after two seasons filled with winning,
this year has been a different story.
Two days before the first round of this
years MX Nationals I had a big crash and
knocked myself out, Matt explains.
Then in the first race at the first round I had
another big crash and rung my bell again.
I tried to race the second moto, but the
head injury was taking its toll and I couldnt
finish the race and I was even spewing in
my helmet, the whole lot.
Over the next few rounds, things werent much
better and after Coolum, I just said to myself: This
isnt me, Im not this guy.
So I just started training my butt off, and my
brother Tom and my dad helped out a lot, to get
things back on track.
At Raymond Terrace I came out and won a moto
and got second on the day, which was great.
Then at the next round at Shepparton I qualified
first and was right back into it... and then
I hit a bobcat ... and that was it for the
motocross season.
-
35SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
1). How close are you and your twin brother Jake? We are real close, super-close; all those stories about twins
are pretty true. Jake and I can look at each other and have a
conversation, without even talking! And yeah, there are times
when I wake up at night and have to ring him, because I just know
something has happened.
2). On the track, could you take-out Jake, just like any other rider? We did have pretty big contact in a race once, and everyone though it was deliberate, but it was an accident. I would
never take my brother out; if he is better than me on the day, I
have to accept that.
3). Whats your greater strength as a racer: physical or mental? In the last couple of years my mental strength has been massive. But now my physical strength also has come up a lot, its
ten times what it used to be.
4). Who has been your greatest rival over the years? Kirk Gibbs, and my brother. Gibbsy is a threat, while my bro, well, hes
my bro!
5). What has been your greatest race ever? Winning my first MX Nationals MX1 championship in 2013 over Todd Waters. It
was a huge season and crossing that finish line at the final race at
the final round to win the championship was the best feeling in the
world. I wanted to beat him so bad.
TEN QUICK QUESTIONS
WITH MOSSY
6). Who do you look up to for inspiration? My dad, for sure, and Chad Reed, definitely. But I also take inspiration from family
and people who have a great family and put time into their kids.
7). Do you get a kick out of helping with coaching at your dads Moss Institute? Absolutely. I try to help as much as I can. The next best thing to winning yourself is seeing someone
you have helped to win and achieve their goals.
8). Are you a spender or a saver? Ohh ... I used to be a spender! Seriously, I used to have two cars, and two jet skis, and
all sorts of stuff. Now I have two houses.
9). What are three things people might be surprised to know about Matt Moss? First, people dont realise all the effort and work that actually goes into doing what I do, its not just riding
the bike. Second, I love surfing. And third, I love fishing actually, if I
wasnt a pro motocrosser, Id like to be a pro fisherman.
10). Where to now for Matt Moss? Im 27, so Ive still got a few more years racing in me, I would like to think. Maybe by the time
Im 31 or 32 the drive might diminish and a crop of new young kids
might come through and take over. As for after racing, I want to stay
in the sport and maybe run a race team, that would be pretty cool.
-
36 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
THE COMEBACK TRAILINJURIES ARE PART AND PARCEL OF EVERY PROFESSIONAL MOTOCROSS RACERS CAREER: THEYRE AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD.
Matt, and his twin brother Jake, have had
more than their fair share of injuries over
all their years of racing, and coping with
them is part and parcel of what they do.
Injuries in racing are just one of those
things and you deal with them, Matt
says matter-of-factly.
They happen, and usual ly as a result
of a decision you made at the time on
the track .
But what of an incident like that
unfortunate accident at Shepparton, where
circumstances are out of your control?
Matt ponders the question before
answering.
Its one of those things where a lot of
other riders might have quit, he suggests.
But Im strong, physically, and mentally,
and I knew I was at the top when it
happened. I was wanting to win.
And I wanted to keep winning, which is
what drove me to want to heal and get back
on the bike and get ready for Supercross.
Scaphoid and knee injuries were amongst
the most serious of the wounds Matt
suffered in that bruising Shepparton
encounter, and it was just on eight weeks
before he gained a clearance from the
doctors to start riding again and hit the
training tracks.
It felt so good to be back on the bike, just
awesome! Matt enthuses.
I felt really good right away, and had been
keeping myself healthy during the time off
the bike, so that as soon as I was riding
again, I was back to 100 percent almost
straight away.
As soon as I could I was pounding out the
20 lappers to get ready for Supercross.
TARGETING A SX1 THREE-PEATAFTER CAPTURING THE SX1 TITLE IN 2013, MATT ENJOYED A SENSATIONAL RUN THROUGH LAST YEARS AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, WINNING EVERY SINGLE ROUND TO TAKE BACK-TO-BACK TITLES AND LEAVE THE PACK IN HIS ROOST.
It was just one of those years when
everything seemed to click into place, Matt
says of his 2014 Supercross campaign.
I felt good going into the championship
and knew I had done all my training and my
program was solid, so it was great to go
through undefeated and get my name in the
record books.
I would love to do that again: when you
achieve something once, you want to go and
do it again.
With the announcement of a $120,000
prizemoney pool for this years six round
championship, and the presence of
international stars Gavin Faith and Anthony
Rodridguez for the series, not to mention
global supercross superstars Chad Reed
and James Bubba Stewart who will contest
round five at Sydneys Allphones Arena on
November 28, Matt agrees the 2015 Australian
Supercross Championship is shaping up to be
one to remember.
Any time we can get riders of the calibre
of Chad or James to Australia is incredible,
Matt enthuses.
They are the best riders in the world and the
Sydney event is going to be a stand-out, no
question about it.
But the whole series this year is really
ramping up, he continues.
There are international riders at every round
and all the promoters are so hungry to make
every round a huge success.
The tracks are going to be awesome and I
know the Queensland rounds will both have
big USA-style tracks the racing will be
sensational. The whole Supercross vibe is
really firing up.
And with that, Matt climbs back in the saddle
of his Suzuki 450 to hit the Moss Institute
Training Facilitys brand new Supercross
training track to throw down another 20
lapper ... but gives one final, and perhaps
most ominous, comment:
Ill be going all-out for Supercross again this
year, Matt offers.
I wont be leaving anything on the table,
thats for sure.
-
37SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
AUSTRALIA VERSUS THE USADOES MOSSY RECKON ANOTHER AUSSIE RACER WILL EVER
MAKE IT BIG IN THE USA AND BEAT THE AMERICANS AT THEIR
OWN GAME?
In the past decade or so a constant stream of Australian riders have
winged their way across the Pacific Ocean with a dream of conquering
dirt bike racings holy grail: the prestigious AMA Supercross Series.
But Chad Reed is the only Aussie who has ever made it all the way to
the very top and stayed there for more than a decade.
Matt Moss has had two cracks at America: once with a full-factory
Suzuki 450cc ride in 2010 and then with a KTM-supported Lites ride
in 2012.
We had to ask Matt what is it that has set Reedy apart from the
crowd, and will another Aussie rider ever replicate Chads efforts?
Chad has done everything right, every step of the way,
Mossy reckons.
People dont realise just how much effort, and in particular money, it
takes to get where he has. He left Australia, went straight to Europe
and made a name and made good money and then went straight to
America and had one year in Lites and then went straight to the big-
time. And he went into it in a time when the contracts were big, like
hundreds of thousands of dollars, even for Lites riders back then. You
could run top ten and make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Now the contracts arent as big, except for the very best guys, plus
there is so much depth of talent right now, that if you get there, but
you dont make your mark right away, youre gone.
Bottom-line, though, Chad is one gifted guy, hes that one rider in a
generation.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe anyone from Australia will
do that again any time soon.
-
38 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
ELI TOMAC Alpinestars.com/MXELI TOMAC Alpinestars.com/MX
-
39SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
ELI TOMAC Alpinestars.com/MXELI TOMAC Alpinestars.com/MX
-
40 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
ALL IN.THE MAKING OF THOR
After every image has been shared, every detail
analysed, every opinion voiced, and every race
run, there is still that one space that exists where
there is only man and machine. The last bastion
of solitude and joy that can only be found when
riding your dirt bike.
Once youve experienced it, theres simply no
turning back, no undoing of what youve done,
no unfeeling of what youve felt, no magic spell to
take you back to who you were before you started
riding. Youve become one of us. Welcome.
For more than 45 years, the worlds best motocross
and Supercross racers have ridden with THOR.
From company founder Torsten Hallman and
GP legends Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster,
to the next generation of superstars like Adam
Cianciarulo and Jason Anderson, THOR salutes its
Championship heritage.
-
41SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
42 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
43SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
H E AV YI S N O TFAS TSTOP SABOTAGING YOUR MOTOSGET THE LIGHTER, FASTER VERGE HELMET.
-
44 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
When you are in a competition and you want to win, you need to be prepared. Lining up is not enough. Off the bike you need
to train, fuel your body with the right nutrients, and spend time recovering. On the bike you need to practice your techniques,
improve your race fitness and test your motorcycle. The motorcycle that rolls out of your respective dealership needs
customising to suit your height, weight and skill level. Whether it's suspension, engine, tyres or the chassis, championship
winning technical expert Steve Powell of SPMX can build a bike to suit your requirements. Performance delivered.
Feel the Performance
SPMOTOSPORT.COM.AU
03 9786 [email protected]
When you are in a competition and you want to win, you need to be prepared. Lining up is not enough. Off the bike you need
to train, fuel your body with the right nutrients, and spend time recovering. On the bike you need to practice your techniques,
improve your race fitness and test your motorcycle. The motorcycle that rolls out of your respective dealership needs
customising to suit your height, weight and skill level. Whether it's suspension, engine, tyres or the chassis, championship
winning technical expert Steve Powell of SPMX can build a bike to suit your requirements. Performance delivered.
Feel the Performance
SPMOTOSPORT.COM.AU
03 9786 [email protected]
-
45SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
When you are in a competition and you want to win, you need to be prepared. Lining up is not enough. Off the bike you need
to train, fuel your body with the right nutrients, and spend time recovering. On the bike you need to practice your techniques,
improve your race fitness and test your motorcycle. The motorcycle that rolls out of your respective dealership needs
customising to suit your height, weight and skill level. Whether it's suspension, engine, tyres or the chassis, championship
winning technical expert Steve Powell of SPMX can build a bike to suit your requirements. Performance delivered.
Feel the Performance
SPMOTOSPORT.COM.AU
03 9786 [email protected]
When you are in a competition and you want to win, you need to be prepared. Lining up is not enough. Off the bike you need
to train, fuel your body with the right nutrients, and spend time recovering. On the bike you need to practice your techniques,
improve your race fitness and test your motorcycle. The motorcycle that rolls out of your respective dealership needs
customising to suit your height, weight and skill level. Whether it's suspension, engine, tyres or the chassis, championship
winning technical expert Steve Powell of SPMX can build a bike to suit your requirements. Performance delivered.
Feel the Performance
SPMOTOSPORT.COM.AU
03 9786 [email protected]
-
46 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
OPEN WARFARE
OPEN WARFAREPRO OPENS TEAM REVIEWSWHEN THE GATES DROP ON THE PREMIER SX1 DIVISION OF THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, ITS GOING TO BE ALL-OUT WAR AS THE STRONGEST FIELD OF 450CC CLASS CONTENDERS IN YEARS BANG BARS IN PURSUIT OF THE COVETED NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN.
SX
1 2
01
5 A
US
TR
AL
IAN
S
UP
ER
CR
OS
S C
HA
MP
ION
SH
IP
-
47SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
OPEN WARFARE
-
48 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
And then theres the intensity of that full-
throttle charge to the first turn, where bars
bang and elbows rub as the fight gets real
for the honour of grabbing the holeshot
and setting the front running pace all the
way to the chequered flag.
Its the sort of excitement that brings the fans
to their feet as they cheer themselves hoarse.
In 2015 the Australian Supercross
Championship promises to deliver an
absolute feast of it and nowhere more so
than in the big-bore SX1 class, where this
years field is stacked with more genuine
championship contenders than the sport
has seen in ages.
THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
OF SUPERCROSS RACING ARE SIMPLY
SPECTACULAR.IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN MATCH THE SHEER IMMENSITY
OF A FULL GRID OF FINELY TUNED 450CC SUPERCROSS MACHINES
REVVING TO THE REDLINE IN THE MOMENT BEFORE THE GATE
DROPS?
This really is going to be war and come
the end of 2015s six-round, four-state
championship battle, only one rider will
stand tall as the ultimate conquerer ... so
lets take a look at the leading factory-
backed teams gladiators.
-
49SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
1 MATT MOSS TEAM MOTUL SUZUKI
3 ADAM MONEA MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
4 CHEYNE BOYD PARK 4 MX YAMAHA
5 KIRK GIBBS KTM MX RACE TEAM
7 JACOB WRIGHT CRAIG DACK RACING
8 KADE MOSIG CRAIG DACK RACING
11 SAM MARTIN WILSON HONDA RACING TEAM
15 GAVIN FAITH PENRITE WILSON HONDA
18 AARON TANTI GRAIG ANDERSON RACING
26 LUKE STYKE KTM MX RACE TEAM
46 CHRIS CAMMILLERI FREESTYLE KINGS
62 ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ PENRITE HONDA
65 DANIEL MCOY SFC RACING
70 LAWSON BOPPING DPH MOTORSPORT YAMAHA
86 DANIEL MCENTEE DPH MOTORSPORT YAMAHA
96 KALE MAKEHAM TEAM MOTUL SUZUKI
111 DANNY HAM
117 DYLAN LONG NPS MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
122 DANIEL REARDON CRAIG DACK RACING
141 JOEL NEWTON DAVIS BIKE WORX
SX1 PRO OPEN
-
50 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
PENRITE HONDA RACINGHONDAS LEADING NATIONAL RACE TEAM IS MAKING A BOLD MOVE FOR SUPERCROSS GLORY BY BOLSTERING ITS ARSENAL AND BRINGING IN TWO INTERNATIONAL COMBATANTS FOR THIS YEARS SX1 CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE.
One rider is a name well known to local Supercross
fans: its American Supercross and arenacross
specialist Gavin Faith, who has made a happy hunting
ground of annul pilgrimages Down Under at the end
of each year to race the Aussie Supercross titles.
Faiths raced in OZ the last four years straight,
and has concentrated on the SX2 division, where
he won the championship two years out of four.
In fact hes the reigning SX2 champ, but this year
steps up into SX1 to race the Penrite Honda teams
potent CRF450R all series long. Will Faith being
able to translate all his small-bore success to the
Open class bike? Thats the question Honda fans are
eagerly awaiting to be answered.
Meanwhile Faiths international team mate at
Penrite Honda will be Venezeulan star Anthony
Rodriguez, who will also race a CRF450R in the
series.
Rodriguez was a multi-time national motocross
championship winner in his native Venezuela,
before taking aim on a race career in the USA,
which saw him rack up a dozen American
amateur national titles before turning Pro.
In 2014 and 2015 Rodriguez scored a 250
class ride with the factory-backed Star Racing
Yamaha team and this year nailed down
sixth overall in the AMA 250 Eastern Region
Supercross title chase, highlighted by two fifth
place finishes.
Rodrigeuz bases his race program out of
Georgia in the USA, and like Faith, is keen
to take on Australias best racers in the 2015
Australian Supercross Championship.
-
51SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
52 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
NPS KAWASAKI MONSTER ENERGY RACING TEAMAS A FORMER AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION AND ACCOMPLISHED INTERNATIONAL COMPETITOR, JAKE MOSS WAS ALL SET TO SPEARHEAD THE FACTORY-BACKED KAWASAKI RACE TEAMS EFFORT IN AUSTRALIA THIS YEAR.
But a broken leg ruled him out early in the season, and
then, just when he could get back on the bike and eye
off a mid-season comeback, Jake suffered a broken
leg again and with that his season was done and
dusted thanks to two strokes of very bad luck.
Adam Monea was left to fly the NPS Kawasaki Monster
Energy Racing Team flag through the MX Nationals
and stepped up to the plate in a big way to nail down
third overall in the MX1 category behind Kirk Gibbs
and Kade Mosig.
After finishing second overall in last years Australian
Supercross Championship, Monea has serious form
on the board for the 2015 SX1 title chase
and with former multi-time national
champ, Kawasaki team boss, Troy Carroll,
in his corner, is sure to be a championship
contender.
Meanwhile Victorian young gun Dylan Long
was drafted into the Kawasaki squad mid-
year to fill the void left by the injured Moss,
and the former privateer clearly rose to the
challenge. Long stunningly won a MX1 moto
at the Nowra round of the MX Nationals on
his way to locking down a solid top-ten
finish in the motocross championship.
Long, like team mate Monea, thrives on
Supercross racing and with the Team Green
duo mounted aboard Kawasakis latest
2016 KX450F, expect the green machines
to be charging for wins every time they hit
the track.
kawasakiaus www.kawasaki.com.au
RACE READY SSF-AIR TAC (TRIPLE AIR CHAMBER) FORKS I LAUNCH CONTROL FOR THE HOLESHOT ADVANTAGEPLUG-AND-PLAY DFI COUPLERS FOR EASY ENGINE TUNING I ADJUSTABLE HANDLEBAR AND FOOTPEG POSITIONING
DIGITAL FORK AIR PUMP AND NEW HANDHELD KX CALIBRATION KIT ACCESSORIES PROVIDE THE SAME PRECISION TUNING AS KAWASAKI FACTORY TEAMS
LIGHTER, SLIMMER & MORE RIGID FRAME FOR SHARPER HANDLING & FEEL UPDATED ENGINE DESIGN IS EVEN LIGHTER & MORE POWERFUL REVISED SEAT, TANK & RADIATOR SHROUDS FOR EASIER BODY POSITIONING NEW REAR INTAKE DUCTS IMPROVE AIRFLOW & THROTTLE RESPONSE
-
53SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
kawasakiaus www.kawasaki.com.au
RACE READY SSF-AIR TAC (TRIPLE AIR CHAMBER) FORKS I LAUNCH CONTROL FOR THE HOLESHOT ADVANTAGEPLUG-AND-PLAY DFI COUPLERS FOR EASY ENGINE TUNING I ADJUSTABLE HANDLEBAR AND FOOTPEG POSITIONING
DIGITAL FORK AIR PUMP AND NEW HANDHELD KX CALIBRATION KIT ACCESSORIES PROVIDE THE SAME PRECISION TUNING AS KAWASAKI FACTORY TEAMS
LIGHTER, SLIMMER & MORE RIGID FRAME FOR SHARPER HANDLING & FEEL UPDATED ENGINE DESIGN IS EVEN LIGHTER & MORE POWERFUL REVISED SEAT, TANK & RADIATOR SHROUDS FOR EASIER BODY POSITIONING NEW REAR INTAKE DUCTS IMPROVE AIRFLOW & THROTTLE RESPONSE
-
54 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
TEAM MOTUL SUZUKIWHATS IT LIKE TO BE THE RIDER WITH THE BIGGEST TARGET OF ALL ON YOUR BACK?
Just ask Team Motul Suzuki top dog Matt Moss,
who heads into the 2015 Australian Supercross
Championship as the reigning two-time winner of the
premier SX1 championship.
Moss won the 2013 Supercross and MX Nationals
championships in 2013, then backed up and did it all
again last year, the Suzuki ace even going undefeated
in the 2014 Supercross series as he laid waste to the
opposition in no uncertain terms.
It was a stunning display, in which Moss says,
everything just clicked.
And now that hes done it once, he wants to do it again.
But 2015 has been tough. Moss suffered a terrible
mid-season accident at the Shepparton round of the
MX Nationals, which sidelined him from riding for two
months with wrist and knee injuries.
That ruled out his motocross hopes for the year, so
now Moss is setting his sights on an historic third
straight Australian SX1 Championship. And
given the Suzuki stars determined mood
and no-nonsense attitude to racing, it will
be a brave punter indeed who bets against
Moss and the Suzuki squad taking out a
memorable Supercross three-peat.
Meanwhile young gun Kale Makeham is the
second member of the Motul Suzuki team,
and is in his first full season of Open class
racing, having just locked down a solid
ninth overall in the MX Nationals.
With a fifth overall in last years SX2
Supercross championship, Makeham has
form on the board and with the resources
of the Motul Suzuki squad behind him,
a break-out performance in this years
championship could be well on the cards.
-
55SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
EASY ENTRY FROM ANY SMART PHONE OR DEV ICE !
1 . GO TO WWW.UN IT.COM
/WIN1. 2. 3.2 . ENTERYOURDETA I LS 3 . YOU REIN THEDRAW!
WIN $500 OFUNIT CLOTHING& ACCESSORIES
BONUS OFFER : CHECK YOUR EMAIL TO F IND A PROMO CODEFOR 30% OFF STOREWIDE AT UN IT.COM
-
56 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
DPH MOTORSPORTS PETER STEVENS YAMAHAIT DEMANDS REAL COMMITMENT TO STEP UP AND TAKE ON THE OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTOR-BACKED FACTORY RACE TEAMS IN AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS AND MOTOCROSS RACING, BUT THATS JUST WHAT THE DPH MOTORSPORTS PETER STEVENS YAMAHA TEAM HAS DONE.
Theres no missing the DPH Motorsports team in the
pits, thanks to their impressive transporter, sizeable pit
enclave and very serious race effort, all made possible
thanks to major sponsors Peter Stevens Motorcycles,
Yamaha, SP Tools, Shift, Fox and Repsol.
And on the track the DPH squadron has also made its
mark the past two years.
Last year lead team rider Kade Mosig scored a MX
Nationals round win and finished top ten overall in
Supercross for the DPH Motorsports team, which no
doubt went a long way to him scoring a spot
with the full-factory CDR Yamaha Racing
team in 2015.
This year DPH Motorsports Peter Stevens
Yamaha rider Lawson Bopping fired his
YZ450F race bike to a resounding win at
the Coolum fifth round of the MX Nationals,
and ultimately went on to finish a strong fifth
overall in the MX1 championship chase.
Now Bopping, who made the SX1 series
podium last year with third place overall,
is leading the DPH Motorsports outfit into
battle in Supercross, supported by the highly
experienced Josh Cachia in the SX2 class.
With a pedigree that includes stints on
factory race teams in previous years, and
representing Australia in the Motocross of
Nations in 2012, Bopping certainly ranks as a
rider who might just spring a serious surprise
in Supercross this year.
-
57SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
CDR YAMAHA RACINGBY SHEER WEIGHT OF NUMBERS, THE CDR YAMAHA RACING TEAM IS SHOWING HOW SERIOUS IT IS TAKING THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP BY BRINGING A TRIPLE-BARREL ASSAULT TO THE STARTLINE.
Victorian ace Kade Mosig and decorated veteran
Dan Reardon have been flying the CDR Yamaha flag
all year long in the MX Nationals, where Mosig nailed
down the runner-up spot in the MX1 championship,
while Reardon finished sixth in the standings.
Now the longtime Yamaha factory team, which is
managed by motocross and supercross legend Craig
Dack, is rapt to welcome its third team member, Jacob
Wright, back from the sidelines to join Mosig and
Reardon in the battle for the Australian Supercross
Championship.
Wright has spent all this year recovering from a knee
injury and now that hes finally back in the saddle, is
busting to play his part in putting the blue bikes at the
front of the pack in the Supercross series.
All three CDR Yamaha riders are
championship contenders and have been
pounding the training tracks in recent
months.
But the story of Reardon is a stand-out
one: the stylish Queenslander actually
retired from racing three years ago, after a
decorated career spent in Australia and the
USA racing for leading teams.
After three years out of the game, a
chance invite to ride at a dirt track event in
Queensland late last year lead to the racing
bug biting again and Reardon worked out a
deal with Dack and the CDR Yamaha team.
Reardons been part of some memorable
Supercross races in the past, not the least
of which was a ding-dong battle with
Aussie hero Chad Reed at the Burswood
Superdome in Perth in 2009 where
Reardon emerged on top. If he can repeat
that kind of form, Reardon wont be giving
anything away to his younger team mates
and the rest of the Supercross pack.
-
58 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
KTM MOTOCROSS RACING TEAMHOT OFF A BIG WIN IN THIS YEARS MX1 CLASS OF THE MX NATIONALS THANKS TO THE SEASON-LONG DOMINANCE OF TEAM LEADER KIRK GIBBS, THE KTM MOTOCROSS RACING TEAM HAS A REAL SPRING IN ITS STEP COMING INTO THE 2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP.
Gibbs snared the KTM team its first Open national
motocross championship since 2002 and the factory-
backed squad was so rapt, they gave the South
Australian ace a guest ride in the final round of the
World MX GP Championship in America in September.
And then the KTM squad renewed not only Gibbs
contract for 2016, but team mate Luke Styke as well,
and even signed on young gun Caleb Ward for the MX2
class for next year.
All of which means the KTM team is locked and loaded
for Supercross ... and beyond.
Gibbsy ran fourth in last years Supercross
championship chase behind Matt Moss, Adam Monea
and Lawson Bopping, and readily admits he should
do better than that. He wants to challenge
for this years SX1 championship and wont
accept anything less.
Meantime Styke, who has an impressive
resume that includes Australian
MX2 Motocross and SX2 Supercross
Championships in 2013, and who spent
2014 racing the MX GPs in Europe full-time,
returned to race in Australia with KTM this
year and wound out the MX Nationals
fourth overall in his first season racing a
450.
Gibbs and Styke have been team mates in
previous years, are great mates, and both
are accomplished Supercross racers, so
look for the orange army to pull out all
the stops in an effort to take control of the
Supercross battlefield.
-
59SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
-
THE 2016 MOTOCROSS MODEL RANGE.The revolutionary 2016 Husqvarna motocross range. Redesigned from the wheels up, this is a profoundly lighter,
much faster and infinitely better-functioning range of bikes unlike any before them. Featuring cutting-edge
design innovations and premium-quality components, going fast was
never more fun or as effortless as this.
2016 MODEL UPDATESNew carbon fibre subframeNew swingarm with reduced weightUpdated WP 4CS front forkNew CNC machined triple clampsNew WP rear shockNew Footpeg mounts New Magura hydraulic clutchNew Pro Taper handlebarNew ODI Lock on gripsNew airbox design & tool-less air filter accessNew seat cover with high-grip and durable materialDID Black WheelsDunlop MX52 motocross tyresLIGHTER FOR MY2016Model MY2016 MY2015TC 125 89.1 kg 91.9 kgFC 250 100.1 kg 103.7 kgFC 350 101.7 kg 106.0 kgFC 450 102.4 kg 107.2 kg
www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com
2 STROKE MY2016 TC85 | TC125 | TC2504 STROKE MY2016 FC250 | FC350 | FC450
over a centuryof history
012015 SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
HUSQVARNA AUSTRALIA/CRAIG ANDERSON RACINGTHERES PRECIOUS FEW MOTORCYCLE BRANDS WITH A 100-PLUS YEAR PEDIGREE, BUT THATS THE PROUD HERITAGE HUSQVARNA HAS BEHIND IT.
Originally founded in Sweden, Husqvarna in
recent years has traded hands through Italian,
German and now Austrian ownership, with
the renowned white, blue and yellow marque
now part of the fast-charging KTM group of
companies, which in recent years has undergone
stunning growth.
Husqvarna has factory-backed racing activities
right around the world including the World MX
GP Championship, where this year Aussie riders
Todd Waters and Dean Ferris have been part of
the brands factory MX1 teams while here in
Australia, Husqvarna teams contest all the major
national off-road championships.
Legend Australian motocross racer Craig
Anderson now manages the Craig Anderson
Racing Husqvarna team, where this year the
teams Open class rider is Aaron Tanti, who
pushed his FC350 thumper to 11th overall in the
MX Nationals, despite also having to juggle the
demands of a full-time job with his race program.
Meanwhile young gun Jesse Dobson races the
Open class as part of the national Husqvarna
Factory Support team, and he finished tenth
overall in the MX Nationals, despite missing the
final two rounds through injury.
Both Husqvarna riders are now looking for a
strong finish to their 2015 seasons, by aiming
for big results in the SX1 class of the Australian
Supercross Championship.
DANNY HAM FLIES AGAINTHE NAME DANNY HAM NEEDS LITTLE INTRODUCTION TO HARDCORE AUSSIE DIRT BIKE FANS OF THE LATE 1990S AND 2000S.
Hammy was the high-flying hero of a generation of moto
followers, by successfully crossing the divide between racer
and freestyler ... in the days before freestyle MX became a
sport all its own.
Born and bred in the NSW Hunter Valley, which has always
been a hotbed of dirt bike talent, Hammy raced at the
highest levels of the sport in factory team rides with both
CDR Yamaha and Team Suzuki, and was also hand-picked
to appear in an early instalment of the globally renowned
Crusty Demons of Dirt video series.
Now, at age 37, Hammy has decided to put a whole lot of fun
back into his world, which in recent years has been dominated
by working fly-in, fly-out operating heavy machinery in the
mines in WA. Hes climbing back on a bike to line up in the
2015 Australian Supercross Championship.
Ham is back on a Suzuki RM-Z450 with backing from Maitland
Motorcycles and has scored the support of long time friends,
Chris Woods from the Raceline Pirelli Suzuki team, and
Andrew Hopson from Axis Motorsports. Hes been training
hard and putting in plenty of laps at the practice tracks.
I love Supercross, its fun, and what Im doing now is all
about having fun, serious fun, enthuses Ham.
No doubt plenty of fans will want to say, Good luck Hammy!
I LOVE SUPERCROSS, ITS FUN, AND WHAT IM DOING NOW IS ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN, SERIOUS FUN, DANNY HAM
-
THE 2016 MOTOCROSS MODEL RANGE.The revolutionary 2016 Husqvarna motocross range. Redesigned from the wheels up, this is a profoundly lighter,
much faster and infinitely better-functioning range of bikes unlike any before them. Featuring cutting-edge
design innovations and premium-quality components, going fast was
never more fun or as effortless as this.
2016 MODEL UPDATESNew carbon fibre subframeNew swingarm with reduced weightUpdated WP 4CS front forkNew CNC machined triple clampsNew WP rear shockNew Footpeg mounts New Magura hydraulic clutchNew Pro Taper handlebarNew ODI Lock on gripsNew airbox design & tool-less air filter accessNew seat cover with high-grip and durable materialDID Black WheelsDunlop MX52 motocross tyresLIGHTER FOR MY2016Model MY2016 MY2015TC 125 89.1 kg 91.9 kgFC 250 100.1 kg 103.7 kgFC 350 101.7 kg 106.0 kgFC 450 102.4 kg 107.2 kg
www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com
2 STROKE MY2016 TC85 | TC125 | TC2504 STROKE MY2016 FC250 | FC350 | FC450
over a centuryof history
-
62 SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
COLE SEELY PERFORMS BETTER INTHE OMEN GOGGLE WITH HAPPY LENS TM.LEARN HOW AT SPYOPTIC.COM/HAPPY
COLE SEELY PERFORMS BETTER INTHE OMEN GOGGLE WITH HAPPY LENS TM.LEARN HOW AT SPYOPTIC.COM/HAPPY
-
63SUPERCROSS MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 / 2015
COLE SEELY PERFORMS BETTER INTHE OMEN GOGGLE WITH HAPPY L