The second round of the Smarter Than Smoking 2012 Women‰Ûªs WAMX State Championships held in conjuction with the Queen of the Cross has shaken up the series standings with two riders now tied atop of the standingsand with one round remaining.
Southern Cross has become a venue well entrenched for a round of the state championship for the women and has become a favourite for the competitors who travel from throughout the state to compete at the Queen of the Cross, which incorporates round two of the state championships.
Practice was a combined affair with the vets in heavy fog, and the ladies certainly put some of the veteran riders on notice with sensational lap times as they had their first up close and personal look at the changes in the Richie Kings circuit.
Thankfully skies had cleared for moto one which had lightening fast Courtney Hirst grabbing the holeshot and the early moto lead, Jess Moore the 2010 Champion was hot on her heals as the two KTM riders battled for the lead, it was to be Jess Moore‰Ûªs victory at the moto end with Hirst 3 seconds behind the lead to pick up second, Storme Green fought hard for third with Shelley Connor and Hannah Lovett rounding out the top five.
There were mechanical issues for defending champion Chelsea Blakers which saw her unable to start in the moto on her familiar Kawasaki. Whilst seasoned campaigner Kathryn Scoble who has fought injury after the Collie round picked up a DNF after a crash and took no further part in the day.
For moto two, the girls picked up where they left off, as Chelsea Blakers was back on the line on a borrowed bike from Aaron Devenish. As the gates dropped the ensuing battle for the lead and indeed the state championship hotted up again with a titanic battle between Hirst and Moore, whilst the battle for a top three finish with Storme Green holding off Blakers who had her work cut out for her with Shelley Conner and Teleisha Outram.
At the flag fall it was Moore ahead of Hirst with Green picking up a consistent third place.
It came down to the final moto with 25 valuable points up for grabs for the championship lead and also who would be deemed the Queen of the Cross.
The crowd clambered to the fence to witness a massive first corner pile up in which the two contenders Hirst and Moore went down, allowing early moto leads for Connor and Outram, before the two lead riders fought their way back through the field.
Hirst was electrifying but a determined Moore was in hot pursuit, unfortunately for Moore the laps ran out as Hirst took the victory with Moore finishing in second place and Outram finishing in third, Connor fourth and Blakers picking up fifth place.
It is now a point‰Ûªs tie with one round remaining in the state championships for Hirst and Moore, with Green moving into third place.
At days end Jess Moore was delighted with her round win,
‰ÛÏI can‰Ûªt thank my sponsors enough and in particular my family, my Mum and Dad for making this all possible I can‰Ûªt do it without them" said a delighted Moore. "The track today was great, the competition was fantastic, and my KTM did not let me down."
"I am super-pumped to pick up the Queen of the Cross crown for the third time in a row and I can‰Ûªt wait for next week at Noble Falls‰Û
