Motocross

MIDWEEK (LATEWEEK) MOTO 2019 Week 10

Author: Aaryn Minerds

Posted:

Friday, March 8th, 2019

10:27 PM

The Yamaha AORC kicks off this weekend in Toowomba, Qld

AROC IS GO

The boys of the bush click into gear this weekend when the opening round of the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road championship fires up in Toowoomba, Qld with two days of sprint action.

With over 250 riders signed on for the opening round, which doubles up as a round of the Queensland state titles, it is sure to be an action-packed weekend of racing.

With multiple riders changing classes for the 2019 season, including class champions from 2018, there is a lot of interest and intrigue on how things will play out and who will be standing on the podium come Sunday afternoon.

We have a look at who we think will be the class contenders across the three pro classes for the 2019 season.

THE BIG BORES

The E3 class was dominated by Daniel Milner in 2018 and some good news for this year's E3 competition, Milner has forgone the opportunity to run the #1 plate in the class this year and has swapped his 500 for a 350 and moved to the E2 class.

The rider who is the standout favourite for the E3 title this year is Husqvarna Enduro Racing Australia's Daniel Sanders, who like Milner has given up the opportunity to run the number one plate after winning the E2 title last year.

There is certainly every chance Sanders could sweep every round in the E3 class this season, though the likes of Beau Ralston aboard his Schwarz Excavation Husqvarna could very well push Sanders at stages during the year. Ralston missed the 2018 season due to injury and once fully fit and up to speed will be a rider to keep an eye on, along with the likes of Andrew Wilksch .

CAN MILNER BE BEATEN

Daniel Milner has also jumped classes for 2019 and will be the man to beat in the E2 class

It is fair to say the KTM's Daniel Milner will be the favourite heading into this year's championship in what is traditionally the most competitive class in the series.

Milner certainly will not have things his own way, with Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Off-Road Team's Josh Green sure to challenge for the title aboard the all-new Yamaha WR450F. Green has the speed and experience to challenge Milner and in the lead up to round one, on paper, it is probably the most exciting matchup of the year.

Green's Yamaha counterparts, Nicolas Tomlinson, Stefan Granquist and Frenchman Jeremy Carpentier , Honda mounted Broc Grabham along with Scott Keegan on his Kawasaki are all sure to keep the E2 class competitive and ensure the podium will have a different look at each round.

CAN ANYONE DETHRONE THE 250F MASTER

There is nothing in Australia that Luke Styke has not won aboard a Yamaha 250F, will history repeat in 2019

There is not much Luke Styke has not won aboard Yamaha 250 four-stroke machinery. With an Australian MX2 Motocross and SX2 Supercross title already to his name, Styke made the move to the Off-Road world in 2018, picking up the E1 AORC title and Australian four-day title and then for good measure added the 250F class win at the Hattah Desert race to his resume!

Styke will undoubtedly go into round one as the rider to beat in the E1 class, though it will be no easy task in making it back to back titles.

His Yamaha Active8, Yamalube Racing Teammate and current Under 19s champion Michael Driscoll moving into the E1 class, there will be a little in team battle going on as they both aim for the title. Throw in the young and talented Husqvarna racer Fraser Higlett, and KTM's championship contender Lyndon Snodgrass and the E1 class could turn out to be the closest fought battle this year.

THE WILD CARD

Matthew Phillips will make his return to racing in Australia this year and could play a huge roll in the outcome off all three pro championship classes

Now just to throw a massive curveball into all three championship classes, former world champion Matthew Phillips has confirmed that he will race the entire championship in 2019. However, he will mix things up during the year and ride multiple classes aboard different bikes in the KTM range.

Kicking the year off in Toowoomba in the E1 class, there is every chance Phillips could lead the E1 championship, before jumping into another class at rounds three and four, or maybe later in the season.

Phillips is an excellent addition to this year's series and will be a rider to watch no matter what bike or class he enters from round to round, and there is every chance we see him stand on the podium and even the top step of the podium in all three classes in 2019.

AUSSIES ABROAD

Mitch Evans - If anyone in the MXGP paddock didn't know who Mitch Evans was before last weekend, certainly knows who he is now. While us, Aussies, know how fast and talented the Queenslander is, Evans who had already caught some of the MX worlds eyes with his ride at the MXoN for team Australia in 2018 and his runner up position in last years MX Nationals MX1 title showed he is world class at the opening round of the 2019 World Motocross Championship held in Argentina that he had the potential to be a world champion in the coming years.

Finishing 6th in his qualifying race on Saturday was just a glimpse of what he had in store in his MXGP debut, then on Sunday when things really mattered, Evans stepped it up even more, racing to fifth in the opening MX2 moto, followed by an even more impressive 3rd in the second moto to round out the day with the final spot on the podium!

Josh Strang - Another podium finish at the latest round of the 2019 American Kenda Full Gas Enduro season was a great result in the lead up to this weekends opening round of the GNCC for Josh Strang aboard his KX450F. It was Strang's second straight second-place result in the series and included two stage wins across the two days of racing.

Tayla Jones - Husqvarna mounted Tayla Jones made it back to back rounds wins, in the Women's class at the second round of the Full Gas Enduro series and like Strang will now turn her attention to the opening round of the GNCC Championship

Josh Strang will turn his attention to the GNCC Championship this weekend.

Mackenzie Tricker - Like the two before mentioned riders, Mackenzie Tricker added to the tremendous Aussie results at Full Gas Enduro Sprint series, once again finishing second in the Women's class behind Jones.

Chad Reed - After what looked like being another top ten result at the ninth round of the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship for JGR Factory Suzuki racer Chad Reed, a small crash late in the night's main event left him in 13th position, however he did move up a couple of spots in the championship standings and currently sits 7th with 8 rounds remaining.

Locky Kennedy - The little know South Aussie made a move to the U.S a few years back and has spent a lot of time training at the Millsaps facility over the years. On Saturday in Atlanta, he had his first crack at qualifying for a round of the Monster Energy Supercross championship.

It was probably the toughest round to try and qualify for his first attempt, with only 20 riders being taken from both the East and West coasts for the night show. While he missed out on qualifying last weekend, he did post the 39th fastest time out of the East Coast series riders, which would be enough at any other round to make the night show. Here is hoping we see him on the start gate in one of the heats this weekend in Daytona.

PRODUCT OF WEEK

R-Tech quick fill fuel can

R-TECH 15L QUICK FILL FUEL CAN

One product we have been using for just over a year now is the R Tech 15L quick fill fuel Can.

Coming standard in clear plastic, with a choice of coloured attachments, nozzles and lids, the R Tech fuel jug has proven to be an easy to use, robust fuel jug that lives up to its name and can quickly fill a tank in a matter of seconds.

Helping to maintain a quick flow of fuel form the jug to your bike, the R-tech jug, instead of relying on a breather hose to allow air to flow back in and increase fuel flow, instead has a secondary breather hole on top of the jug filling lid that ensures a steady stream of fuel from the nozzle.

Coming in a clear plastic form has also been great in making it easy to tell just how much fuel you have left while at the track, or when you walk into the shed the day before a ride, it takes that guesswork out of looking at your jerry can and thinking to yourself, is it full, do I really have to walk over and take off the lid and look inside to find out!

Those days of going, yeah Nah it should be right then waking up on the morning of your next ride and grabbing your lightweight empty fuel jug is something you don't need to worry about with the R-tech can, a simple glance in its direction will determine if you need to fill it on the way to the track, or throw some two stroke oil in before heading to the local petrol station.

The R-tech 15L fuel jug has been a welcome little addition to the race kit over the past 12 months; it is easy to use, easy to pick up and fill any bike and a great all-round product.

For more information on the R-tech range of fuel jugs head to John Titman Racing by Clicking Here

Rtech R15 Race Gas Can Features
- Tough injection moulded construction for exceptional strength and endurance
- Specially designed and located filling handles to make refuelling easier
- 15 Litre quick fill fuel can ideal for large range fuel tanks.
- Long extension spout with secure plastic cap.
- Large graphics side panels can be customised for a factory look.
- Made in Italy

SOMETHING FRESH, LETS GO RACE IT!

Our newest pride and Joy, Yamaha's 2019 YZ250F

Man, it has been a few crazy busy weeks, and somewhere amongst all the craziness, I took ownership of a brand new Yamaha YZ250F thanks to the great people at Yamaha Australia.

With temperatures hovering around the 40 degrees Celsius mark in South Australia, it has not been easy to find firstly a track open to ride, not that anyone really wants to ride in that heat and secondly some free time to ride.

Last weekend with the temperature dropping to a chilly 31 degrees and with the local Tea Tree Gully motocross track open I was able to put a good 20-30 minutes aboard our latest project bike.

The 19 YZ250F is a bike that is not entirely new to us, after we had the chance to spend a day riding last year at Willowbank in Queensland at the Australian media launch, it is a bike that is great straight out of the box, one of the reason's we were keen to get our hands on one for the 2019 season

So with at most 30 minutes of ride time, we decided we might as well go race it, it is what these bikes are designed for after all, so after spending all of Thursday night (the main reason midweek moto this week has turned into LATE week moto!) taking some comfort parts off of the 2018 Yamaha YZ450F, including borrowing last years race plates while we start the process of designing our new graphics kit, we have landed in Renmark in South Australia for two days of fun racing at the Riverland Junior Motorcycle club for their 2 day mashup event in memory of Tyler Lang who lost his life doing what he loved.

Tyler was a young man full of life who could handle a motorcycle with the best of them, and it was a pleasure to watch him race at both a state level along with some racing in the MXD class at a national level.

It is an emotional weekend of riding and one we would not miss and look forward to honouring Tyler Lang #66 memory across this long weekend.

A WEEK IN MOTION - A collection of video's and films from the past week