Feature

TEN YEAR TURN-BACK: 19th to the 25th of February 2004

Author: Aaryn Minerds

Posted:

Tuesday, February 18th, 2014

5:41 PM

Welcome to the Fullnoise.com.au TEN YEAR TURN-BACK Presented by One Industries

It is amazing to think that Fullnoise.com.au has been Australia's online source for dirt bike news for the past ELEVEN years! Started back in 2003 by Garry Morrow, Fullnoise has grown to be the number one choice when it comes to Online Dirt Bike News in Australia and is a virtual online encyclopaedia of Off-Road dirt bike news and results from Australian and around the world from the start of the digital age covering every discipline of Dirt Bike Riding and Racing.

For 2014 we will be running this new weekly feature that will highlight some of the biggest news articles from the upcoming week 10 years ago! staring with the first week of January and running through to the final week in December 2004.

Thursday the 19th of January 2004 to Wednesday the 25th of February 2004:

SX Injury list continues to Grow:

Despite repeated attempts, "Sic" Mick Cook remains injury free -Credit: Phil Smith

The pressure of the new Supercross Nationals became a telling factor as the injury list continued to grow throughout the series.

Even before the star of the season Kawasaki's Brent Landman succumbed to an elbow injury that all but saw him sit out the new series with recent news of his return before its end.

Round one casualties included Troy Carroll (Compressed vertebrae), Toby Price (Internal injuries) , Adam Robinson (finger, broken elbow), Shane Metcalfe (ruptured Liver) and Danny Anderson (Broken Nose) who then also broke his arm in a training accident later a few weeks later.

Round two in Townsville only saw a couple of injuries, most notably Blake Williams with two broken wrists, suffered while trying to clear the triple in first gear.

While the riders escaped injury at round three a camera man who copped a bike into the base of his tower and while trying to save his $100,000+ kit he cracked three ribs and a vertebrae on the railing.

Round four saw Brendan Harrison brake an ankle in practice sidelining the youngster for the rest of the series. Luck would run out for the unbeatable Wade Thompson in Melbourne with his first corner crash revealing a minor break which has frustrated the youngster but not deterred him.

Round five claimed two riders in practice with Suzuki's Pro lites star Mitchell Hoad breaking his collarbone and more seriously Adam Bailey on his return after breaking his ankle before the series started, breaking his collarbone in three places.

The late, Bronte Holland suffered a sickening crash over the Shick bridge, nose diving his Honda and breaking his femur.

All these injuries were sustained by the conclusion of round five of the ten round series!

Kevin Williams and Cam Taylor talk at Dandenong MCC general meeting:

Kevin Williams and Cameron Taylor talked to the members before Taylor hit the track to give them a close up view of Supercross riding.

Victoria's Dandenong Motorcycle Club held their monthly general meeting with a difference on Feb-19th 2004 when the meeting was moved to club president Gary Hore's property.

Long time members of the 74 year old club Kevin Williams of Williams Event Management and the man behind the then Mr Motocross Outdoor Nationals (Now the Monster Energy MX Nationals) and Cameron Taylor of the then CDR/Boost Mobile/Yamaha team participated with a Q&A session after which Taylor gave a riding exhibition.

Williams gave an insight into the running of his business (WEM) the cost of doing it properly and generally gave a very insightful look behind the scenes. Whilst most of us turn up to a race meeting and think nothing of it, there is a massive amount of time, effort and cost that goes into it, a prime example was the staggering cost of TV coverage for the 2000 round of the World MX Championships at Broadford - $280,000!.

He also talked about the new look Maxxis Australian Motocross championship and stated that he was as excited as he has ever been leading up to a series. In the talk he also announced that TV coverage will continue with WEM in talks with FOX Sports and ESPN for the 2004 series.

For the full article from back in 2004 Click Here

Windham Keeps The Fight Alive, James demoralises 125 Field:

Kevin Windham closed the championship race by three points with his third win of the season.

Honda's Kevin Windham has kept the fight for the THQ U.S Supercross series alive with a 2.5 second win - his third for the season, over championship leader Chad Reed at the HHH Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Windham's win moved him back to with-in 23 points of Reed in the Championship. Michael Byrne finished 9th in Minneapolis and was sitting 6th in the championship as it neared the half way point.

Chevy truck Kawasaki's James Stewart put on another stunning display to simply demoralise his opposition with an a second win in the THQ AMA Supercross Series Eastern Regional over Yamaha's Josh Hansen, and in the process tied Jeremy McGrath's all-time 125cc supercross win list record with 13.

Aussie Brett Metcalfe had a tough night finishing in 16th place on his KTM 125, sliding him back to 8th in the points standings.

In other AMA Supercross news it was reported that Tim Ferry‰Ûªs recent X-rays showed that his wrist injury, suffered at Anaheim 2, was worse than expected and required surgery.

Smith and Stapleton set to join Merriman in world title fight:

Damien Smith at the 2003 ISDE - Credit: Mark Fatore

Australia's representation at the opening round of the 2004 MAXXIS Enduro World Championship increased to three, with Damien Smith and Jacob Stapleton have receiving FIM approval to join the fold.

Smith and Stapleton, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2003 Australian Four-day Enduro, were set to join compatriot Stefan Merriman (Yamaha) in the all-new Enduro 1 class (125cc two-stroke versus 250cc four-stroke) at the opening round of the world championship in Spain on March 13 ‰ÛÒ Smith on a Yamaha and 19-year-old Stapleton aboard a TM.

A total of 64 riders appeared on the Enduro 1 entry list, including 2003 world enduro champions Peter Bergvall (Husqvarna) and Merriman (Yamaha). The latter won his third world title in the 250cc two-stroke class, and finished second in the prestigious outright classification behind Finnish legend Juha Salminen (KTM) ‰ÛÒ by a scant 1.28sec after eight hard-fought rounds!

Other News

Gavin Allen - Credit: Kendall Jennings

- Spectators were treated to a clinical display of aggressive riding by Victorian number 3 rider Glenn Macdonald, riding for team moto Yamaha as he dominated the A grade lites class at the Moomba Championship and then won the back to back dash for cash from all comers in A grade. A young Kale Makeham finished 3rd in the 65cc A grade class!

- Four solid weeks of testing have paid of for New Zealand's World Motocross Championship contender Ben Townley who has had his first hit out on the KTM 250cc four stroke.

Townley competed in his first International event over the weekend (Feb-22) at magnificently prepared circuit of Valence, France, where he ran with the likes of Everts, Gundersen, Mellotte and last years winner Yves Demaria, not to mention a highly competitive field of French riders.

- The third round of the New Zealand National Supercross was postponed by one day due to bad weather. While the event was due to be held on Saturday, by late Sunday afternoon Darryll King (Subway Yamaha) found himself with a six-point lead in both championships.

- Due to the predicted 41 degree temperatures forecast for the weekend in South East Queensland, Queensland's Premier Peter Beattie has made an appeal on national television to cancel or postpone all daytime out-door sport in South East Queensland.

- Top Australian Supermoto rider Mark Avard has confirmed that the proposed Supermoto state of Origin Challenge had been given the green light and was set to take place on the 3rd & 4th April 2004 at the popular Raleigh International Karting Raceway at Coffs Harbor, scene of round 4 of the 2003 Yamaha Supermoto Championships.

- The Craig Anderson owned Redbull KTM Supercross team have signed 27 year old American Greg Schnell for the remainder of the Australian Supercross Nationals. Schnell, who currently sits in 8th position in the THQ US 125 West Supercross Series will make his debut with the Redbull KTM team at this weekends (Feb-21) round to be held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Photo Galleries:

Cody Mackie in Action in Adelaide - Credit: Damir Ivka

Check out all the action from round five of the 2004 Supercross Nationals in Adelaide Thanks to Damir Ivka by Clicking Here

All News from the 19th to the 25th of February 2004:
Motocross: Williams and Taylor talk at Dandenong MCC general meeting - Thu, 19th Feb, 2004
Supercross: Greg Schnell joins Australian Redbull KTM SX Team - Thu, 19th Feb, 2004
Supercross: It gets worse for Tim Ferry - Sat, 21st Feb, 2004 - Fri, 20th Feb, 2004
Supercross: Windham keeps the fight alive - Sun, 22nd Feb, 2004
Motocross: Townley happy with first international - Mon, 23rd Feb, 2004
Supercross: SX Injury list continues - Mon, 23rd Feb, 2004
Supermotard: Supermoto State of Origin clash set for Coffs Habor - Mon, 23rd Feb, 2004
Supercross: King extends his lead in NZ Supercross - Tue, 24th Feb, 2004
Motocross: Glen McDonald takes the cash at Moomba Championship - Wed, 25th Feb, 2004
Enduro: Smith and Stapleton set to join Merriman in world title fight - Wed, 25th Feb, 2004
Supercross: Reed not backing off despite THQ AMA Supercross lead - Wed, 25th Feb, 2004