This weekend's third round of the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals will be a crucial one for Yamaha's Pro Open and Pro Lite teams as they set their sights on the top championship placings.
YZ450F pilot CDR Rockstar Yamaha's Jay Marmont is second in the open class, while the YZ250F-mounted Kirk Gibbs is second in the lites.
Consistency, coupled with pace, has kept the riders hot on the heels of the points leaders as the series heads north for its first of two visits to Queensland.
Conondale's Green Park will host the hotly-anticipated showdown in its picturesque natural amphitheatre. The track features a range of natural obstacles, and weaves its way through light forested sections before opening up into higher speed fields. A spectacular descent is the highlight of the spectator-friendly track.
After back-to-back opening rounds, Marmont and the entire CDR outfit has had time to regroup and refocus in the extended break, setting their sights on Conondale in Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland.
The YZ450F-mounted Marmont said he was looking forward to pegging back the small points advantage that rival rider and current championship leader Craig Anderson currently held.
"The bike is working well and I'm enjoying racing at the moment," said Marmont. "It's been a solid start to the season and to be up there and winning motos is great."
"The time off has been spent testing and fine-tuning the bike and working on my fitness ahead of the Conondale round, it's important to be prepared from hereon in as there aren't too many more breaks between rounds."
Cheyne Boyd is out to turn around a tough start to his motocross season, and has been working hard during the time off.
His results so far are hardly indicative of his ability, and the team recently knuckled down for a thorough test session to help Boyd recapture his regular form.
He currently sits in sixth in the standings and can improve significantly with a strong result this weekend.
Team Seven Fly Yamaha riders Tom Jones and Danny Ham are both eager to bounce back to top-10 form after a tough round at Horsham.
The three-week break has allowed for some solid preparation and extra fitness work in the leadup to Conondale.
"I definitely feel ready for this round," said Ham. "I've been doing a lot of work, both on and off the bike and a new job has really freed up some necessary time for me to prepare."
"I'm coming off a few bad rounds but I'm definitely aiming for a top 10 at Conondale, the bike is good and I'm feeling pretty fit."
Team Seven Fly Yamaha's Kirk Gibbs has handled the pressure of a move to Pro Lite competition with relative ease, and over the past few rounds has revelled at the top of the leaderboard despite nursing a back injury.
A slim 2 points shy of the outright series lead, Gibbs will again be considered one to beat when the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals heads to Conondale on Queensland's Sunshine Coast this weekend.
He said the three-week break had been a good opportunity to rest and recuperate, and indicated that he would be back to full fitness for the round 3 showdown.
"I'm pretty happy with the way the season has started, and to be second after two rounds and have ridden with injury is good, it can only get better from here as I'm feeling a lot more fit," said Gibbs.
"I'm looking forward to being able to challenge for moto wins this weekend at Conondale."
Serco Yamaha's Lewis Stewart will look to back up his consistent performance at Horsham with another strong run at what is effectively a home event for the factory Lites outfit.
After a zero-points round in Penguin, Stewart is languishing outside the the top ten standings but can make back a number of placings with a composed performance this weekend.
"Lewis showed what he is capable of at Horsham but a lack of race fitness slowed him down in the closing stages," said Team Principal Gavin Eales.
"He's had a few steady weeks of preparation and should be back in good form at Conondale."
