Posted: Monday, 4th August, 2008 : 10:31 PM - - 5,058 Reads

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Moto 1 of the Pro race saw Queensland rider Luke Beechey the main man for the Polaris team, take the holeshot. Only being 1 point behind fellow Polaris team mate Aaron Ovens, Beechey was out there to prove he had the skill and agility to take the series. Ovens was hot on his tail with Can Am X Team Paul Smith and Privateer Mitch Van Vliet breathing down their necks.

Proving that the Pro race is a thriller to watch all riders were bunched up pushing and shoving for the 1st lap trying to take the lead. Young rider Cameron Wade spun out and Van Vliet got banished to the back from the more experienced riders. Not to be intimidated Van Vliet fought back having the back straight dialled in and passed the majority of the field to take up third position. Smith having bad luck ended up with a DNF which threw him right out of the points for the series. NSW rider Kawasaki Hardiman team Paul Worth had his work cut out for him along with Peter Stevens rider Anthony Dellios having a dual of their on to take 4th position. Overall Beechey took 1st, Ovens in 2nd and Van Vliet in 3rd

In the 2nd moto Wade threw caution to the wind and took an impressive holeshot showing the rest of his field he was there for business. Beechey was in for the chase and took the lead with Wade keeping up the pace. Worth and Dellios once again battled against each other with Van Vliet and Can Am rider Michael Roycroft in hot pursuit. Upset of the day saw Ovens blow a rear shocker and then having insuficient laps to get any points which gave Beechey a great lead overall. Once again Van Vliet gave chase opening full throttle down the back triple leaving Dellios behind and closing the gap on Worth. Van Vliet took Worth on the same triple putting him back up to 3rd. With Smith out of contention points were up for grabs and the field were out to take them if they could. Overall Beechey took his 2nd win with Wade in 2nd and Van Vliet in 3rd.

Moto 3 Wade took his 2nd holeshot with style only to have a devastating red flag accidentally waved by a flaggie pulling the race to halt due to Ovens having a spill. Back on the line for a re-start Beechey pulled the holeshot with Smith and Van Vliet hot on his heels. Wade this time had a spill, which was very unfortunate and disappointing for the talented rider relegating him to the back of the field. Wade not giving up took a beautiful long sweeping berm to pass Roycroft trying to catch the rest of the field. Van Vliet was closing the gap on Smith who was tiring quickly due to a neck injury. Ovens was out circulating on a borrowed bike just to keep points. Worth and Dellios took to the track once again fighting for position chopping and changing throughout the race.

Beechey had a great lead taking out 1st with Van Vliet performing once again to take 2nd and Worth over powering Dellios to take 3rd. Beechey took overall 1st for the days racing with an extremely happy Van Vliet making it a habit of being on the podium taking 2nd . A well deserving Worth took 3rd.

For the Championship points it was clear that Beechey had won the 1st Outlaw Tri State ATV MX Championship for 2008.

Beechey stated " I am thrilled with the win and thank all the organisers and sponsors " With Polaris behind him Beechey is definitely a force to be reckoned with. He thanked his mechanic, loyal and well-respected good team member Victor Bonnaci for his tireless effort in making the team as good as it is.

Ovens managed to keep overall 2nd and a very happy Dellios held onto 3rd.

Support Classes

Expert Class saw Justin Agosta give it his all proving that it may be time to go to the Pro Class for 2009 if not before. Agosta blew his quad away taking the lead in all 3 motos until having a spill in the 3rd moto relegating him to last. Jon Wade had a bad start in moto 1 and took to the track like a man on a mission overtaking 2 riders at a time. Wade also managed to stall it on the start line in Moto 3 but his adrenalin kicked in and once again he proved he was there for the taking. Long time rider Craig Spiers managed to show his face again after a long absence and managed to finish 2 of the 3 motos in fine form. Tait Ovens was a bit off the pace and having only 1 point between him and Agosta for the championships managed to let the trophy slide but still come in 2nd convincingly.

Womens Class had a huge field with NSW Patricia Bartley and Victorian rider Jeanette Lindsay battling out again for the championship. Lindsay missed the 1st round in Canberra so had a lot of catching up to do on her stock bike which she only recently had widened for better handling. Hot on their heels was Donna Newman proving she is an all rounder when it comes to riding quads.

Lindsay unfortunately couldn't make up the points but still showed her champion style on the track.

Overall Bartley, with a newly placed plate in her shoulder, managed to hold onto 1st, proving she is the one to watch. Young Ainsley Anderson held onto 2nd with her consistency and Lindsay with her wins pulled up into 3rd place which is amazing considering she missed a whole round

Once again the Vets Class proved a winner being the biggest class of the day. Can Am X Team rider Rick Beer had an upset in the 1st round of the series giving Pete Middleton a clear advantage in the overall championship points. Beer adding fuel to the fire proved he was there to take the days winnings in fine form leaving the rest of the field behind to breath in his smoke. Between Chris Marks, Ian Haggie, Anthony Parsons and Rob Van Vliet, the hunt was on to keep in touch with Beer and Middleton.

Overall Beer took his 1st place trophy leaving Middleton to contend with 2nd and a very consistent ride from Haggie to keep 3rd.

The championship points went to Middleton with a chuffed Beer in 2nd and Haggie coming in close with 3rd.

Jumbo Juniors had its own upsets as well. Rob Van Vliet and son Mitch Van Vliet were up against each other to win the championship. In a devastating blow Mitch broke down due to his demanding riding on such a small quad giving the championship to his father. Phil Ede with his head down and bum up managed to take the win for the day.

Young Mitch Van Vliet jokingly commented " I had to let dad win as he pays for all the quads - I think its time to retire from the fun jumbo junior class and concentrate on my Pro Racing"

Overall father Van Vliet took the win giving Pete Wilhelms 2nd and Phil Ede 3rd leaving young Van Vliet out of contention due to his DNF

Our Junior Classes are amazing to watch. The 300cc Class was full on with young riders coming from all states to compete and be recognised as our future champions. NSW rider Luke Nixon won all 3 motos with Victorian rider Adam Larson hot on his heels. With Larson leading the championship points Nixon was certainly proving he was there to take the winnings. Not to be out done and hold on to his 3rd place was Jake Van Vliet throwing his quad around the track along side young Ben Wade.

Overall Nixon managed to take the championship by only 3 points to Larson and Van Vliet held onto 3rd.

The 90cc class saw leader Jack Taylor have an upset in the last moto but manage to hold onto overall 1st . Consistency of young rider Cooper Van Vliet held onto 2nd and Michael Beer in 3rd. These young riders look out for each other and help each other out on the track, which is amazing to watch.

The QRCV are thrilled with the success of the Outlaw Tri State Series and look forward to running next years Series. With Polaris being their major sponsor they have had a major impact on the racing circuit and thank them for all their generous support.

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