Posted: Wednesday, 28th May, 2008 : 12:53 AM - - 9,844 Reads

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Despite carrying a knee injury, Prumm dominated yesterday’s competition with the 19-year-old crossing the finish line 30 and 32 seconds ahead of her rivals at Newry in Gippsland, Victoria last Sunday.

“The first round was the first real time I had raced a Yamaha, but now I feel much more confident on the bike and really enjoy racing it. I also like the track at Newry, the surface and the track preparation was great and some of the jumps were fun,” Prumm said.

“My knee isn’t really a concern, rather something I have to manage during the week. I am booked in to have a reconstruction in September after the final round of the world championship and as far as I am concerned, its business as usual and I will deal with it then.”

Unfortunately the weekend was the last chance for Australians to see the current World Champion in action with Prumm set to miss the final round of the championship as she will be required in Europe as part of her commitment to the Van Beers Yamaha team.

“I would like to thank Yamaha Australia for their support of me in 2008 and their help at these events. I also want to thank the WEM crew for their hospitality while I am here and it’s great to see them running a women’s championship. If my 2009 schedule permits, I will certainly be back.”

With Prumm un-available for the final round the title looks likely to be fought out between second place finisher Kristy Gillespie from the GMR Motorex KTM team and Husky Chix rider Ashlea Bates who finished third. Both girls sit 2nd and 3rd in the championship respectively also.

Gillespie commented, “For the past few years, I have finished third in the Australian Women’s Motocross Championship, when luck hasn’t been on my side. I was working for second this year, which I felt was an achievable goal given World Champion, Katherine Prumm was dominating the series.

“Katherine has pushed all of the Aussie girls to bring out the best in our riding and now that she won’t be able to race the final round at Lakes, it will be a battle between myself and fellow Aussie contenders Ashlea Bates, Adelia Barton and Amy Boyd.

“With Katherine out of the final round, I have an eight point advantage over Ashlea Bates who sits in second, so if I stay consistent like I have throughout the season I could take home the Women’s Championship title.

“I’m riding the KTM 250 SX-F, which I’m really comfortable on particularly with dirt start gates. I struggled with my starts at round two, because the start gate was on concrete and I’m not good with a lot of back wheel spin. My riding style favors a dirt start, which is what Lakes in NSW has, so I’m hoping with better starts I won’t have to fight my way through the pack like I had to at this round.”

Bates suffered the same fate as Gillespi at Newry but still managed third overall. “Being a concrete start, my back tyre just lit up at the start so I put my head down and worked my way through the pack. I ended up with arm pump so I just tried to ride smoothly to finish the race.” Said Bates

Tahlia Neilson finished 4th while Adelia Barton 5th fifth to keep her faint championship hunt alive.

Maffra Motorcycle Club also hosted the Motul Development Series on the same day.

In the Under 19s Championship NSW Yamaha Junior Development rider Luke Styke took the wins in both motos to score maximum points. Stephen Zappelli finished a point ahead Adam Parrington who now holds a ten point advantage in the championship after round one winners Harley Quinlan and Nick Geck where sidelined with injuries.

In the Rookies 15 years class Harrison Wooding scraped home ahead of Queenslander Dylan Peterson and GMR KTM rider Jason Reed. Peterson's second was enough to give him a 7 point advantage over Reed going into the final round.

It was as close as it gets in the 12 – 14 years 85cc/150cc class with Hayden Mellross and Corey James finishing the day locked on 38 points with Mellross getting the nod for the top step of the podium. It is just as tight in the championship stakes with Errol Willis and Mellross both tied up on 60 points. Both riders will have not only beat each other but stay in front of GMR KTM rider Joben Baldwin who sits only 4 points away from the duo.

In the 13 – 14 years 250cc class Matthew Phillips took a 2 point win over the unstoppable QYJDT / Pro Griffin Yamaha rider Shaun Redhead. Redhead convincingly won both moto's at round one but a crash cost him another perfect round and a win. Dylan Berwick finished third. Redhead still maintains the points lead in the championship with Thomas Rushton a distant 20 points away in second.

Redhead faired better in the 13 – 14 years 125 cc by taking maximum points ahead of GMR KTM's Dylan Berwick. Redhead maintain a perfect score in the class and sits on 100 points in the championship

"I raced here once back in 2001 and it was under water so I had no idea what the track was like But I liked it and the club did a great job of preparing it," Redhead said after the event. "Those crashes in the first moto were my fault, I lost my vision but instead of backing it down, it kept pushing hard and couldn’t see the ruts in the turns so I went down a few times," he continued.

"I am happy to be leading this series and its important for me to keep winning races at a national level. These rounds provide juniors with high profile events against national competition and if I want to be a professional rider then this is where I will have to succeed. The WEM people and the Newry club did a great job today and it was worth sitting in the Van for 40 hours to race it," Redhead added.

Shaun also looks to have cemented support to contest the FIM World Junior Motocross Championships in Holland later in the year.

2008 Yamaha Australian Womens Motocross Championship Round Two Results
1. Katherine Prumm 50 points
2. Kristy Gillespie 42 points
3. Ashlea Bates 34 points
4. Tahlia Neilson 34 points
5. Adelia Barton 31 points

2008 Yamaha Australian Women’s Motocross Championship
1. Katherine Prumm 100 points
2. Kristy Gillespie 82 points
3. Ashlea Bates 74 points
4. Adelia Barton 64 points
5. Tahlia Neilson 62 points

2008 Under 19s Championship Round Two Results
1. Luke Styke 50 points
2. Stephen Zappelli 35 points
3. Adam Parrington 34 points
4. Austin Gill 30 points
5. Corry Hopkins 30 points

2008 Under 19s Championship
1. Adam Parrington 60 points
2. Luke Styke 50 points
3. Harley Quinlan 47 points
4. Nick Geck 47 points
5. Mitch Bush 47 points

2008 Rookies 15 years Round Two Results
1. Harrison Wooding47 points
2. Dylan Peterson 45 points
3. Jason Reed 42 points
4. Aaron Bonfadini 32 points
5. Jake Ridley 31 points

2008 Rookies 15 years Championship
1. Dylan Peterson 89 points
2. Jason Reed 82 points
3. Chris Gay 62 points
4. Harrison Wooding 60 points
5. Jake Ridley 59 points
6. Troy McNally 56 points
8. Tye Simmonds 50 points

2008 12 – 14 years 85cc/150cc Round Two Results
1. Hatden Mellross 38 points
2. Corey James 38 points
3. Luke Clout 34 points
4. Joel Milsevic 33 points
5. Jordan Bissaker 29 points

2008 12 – 14 years 85/150cc Championship
1. Errol Willis 60 points
2. Hatden Mellross 60 points
3. Joben Baldwin 56 points
4. Joel Milsevic 55 points
5. Jake Emanuelli 51 points

2008 13 – 14 years 250cc Championship Round Two Results
1. Matthew Phillips 47 points
2. Shaun Redhead 45 points
3. Dylan Berwick 38 points
4. Dylan Gosling 34 points
5. Thomas Rushton 33 points
8. Michael Crugnale 27 points

2008 13 – 14 years 250cc Championship
1. Shaun Redhead 95 points
2. Thomas Rushton 75 points
3. Dylan Gosling 72 points
4. Dylan Berwick 72 points
5. Michael Crugnale 60 points

2008 13 – 14 years 125 cc Round Two Results
1. Shaun Redhead 50 points
2. Dylan Berwick 40 points
3. Corey James 36 points
4. Sam Martin 32 points
5. Errol Willis 32 points
6. Steven Bennett 29 points
7. Michael Crugnale28 points

2008 13 – 14 years 125cc Championship
1. Shawn Redhead 100 points
2. Dylan Berwick 80 points
3. Michael Crugnale68 points
4. Sam Martin 59 points
5. Steven Bennett 51 points

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