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Anderson and Marmont strike
After showing impressive lead-up form in Wonthaggi on April 30, New South Welshmen Craig Anderson (Honda) and Ryan Marmont (KTM) finally unleashed their full arsenals in round four of the Nokia MX Nationals at Conondale (Qld) yesterday.
The duo easily won both their 14-lap races at Green Park, with Anderson (No Fear Honda CRF450R) trimming Suzuki’s Daryl Hurley’s lead in Pro Open, while Marmont (Motorex KTM 250SX-F) extended his hold on the Pro Lite category.
It was the first clean sweep in both classes since round six of the 2004 season, when Cody Cooper (Pro Lite) and Darryll King (Pro Open) dominated.
Anderson’s Conondale rout marked a return to the immaculate form he showed in the early part of last year, as he seeks to wrest the Pro Open title back from New Zealand Inc. for the first time since 2002.
“I’m very happy with finishing first today – it was my aim to come here and do exactly that,” said Anderson. “I felt good physically, and obviously my bike was running to perfection.
”I always come to a race meeting with the intention of winning both motos. This is what I need to do for the rest of the season, because the competition is very tight.”
After qualifying in third position behind teammate Cooper (CRF450R) and Daniel Reardon (Team Kawasaki KX450F), Anderson happily led all the way in race one – his first win in five podium appearances.
Meanwhile, some of the other big guns were feeling the pinch, with Daniel McCoy (Motorex KTM 450SX) an early retirement with mechanical problems (which would be repeated in race two), while fast-starter Matt Moss (CDR Nokia Yamaha YZ450F) crashed on lap four, but re-joined the action to eventually seventh – behind teammates Darryll King (YZ450F) and Cheyne Boyd (YZ450F).
Hurley was another rider to kiss the terra firma in the early stages, but the championship leader recovered beautifully to finish fourth.
Back at the front, Reardon held down second position for the first 11 laps before Cooper, who had just set the fastest lap of the day (2:16.019), made his move on lap 12. It was a decisive move that would stick for the Conondale specialist – he won Pro Lite races in 2004-2005 – with Reardon unable to invoke a response.
Race two was an absolute corker; the season’s best. Anderson led over the finish line on every lap – including the one that mattered most – but Hurley certainly wasn’t there for a joy ride.
While Boyd and Ford Dale (CDR Yamaha YZ450F) both succumbed to massive crashes, with Cooper also a minor faller, the Suzuki maestro pushed and prodded Anderson at every opportunity, with his perseverance finally rewarded when he seized his opportunity with 10 minutes to go – before Ando hit straight back.
That signalled the end of the serious stuff, with Anderson’s final winning margin just a little bit less than the opener – 3.264sec. A long way in arrears, Reardon finally got the better of teammate Shayne King (KX450F), with Darryll King the only other competitor within cooee of the winners.
Approaching the halfway mark in the championship, Hurley’s lead is now 16pts (177 to 161) over an ominous Anderson, followed by Reardon (132), Cooper (128) and Darryll King (124).
After recently lamenting the fact that he hadn’t broke through for a win in 2006, Marmont didn’t have to wait too long to find a remedy. He won both races with plenty to spare over Troy Dorron (No Fear Honda CRF250R), although it was Wonthaggi hero Mitch Hoad (Team Kawasaki KX250F) who caused him the most concern – in race one at least.
In that one, Hoad moved into the lead on lap 11, before his Kawasaki locked up soon after. From there, Marmont only had to keep things tidy to join Jake Moss (Serco Yamaha YZ250F), Michael Addison (Belmont KTMK 250SX-F), Cameron Taylor (Serco Yamaha YZ250F) and Hoad on this year’s winners’ list.
Taylor, the defending champion, was third in race one, ahead of with Moss, New Zealander Michael Phillips (Teknik Racing KX250F) and former junior prodigy Toby Price (Kawasaki Connection KX250F), who was also the boss in qualifying.
In race two, there was no halting the Marmont juggernaut. His final margin over Dorron was nearly five seconds, while Moss scored his maiden Pro Lite podium in third.
“It felt great to take my first double moto win for the season,” said Marmont. ‘My fitness is really getting back to a level it should be at following my shoulder surgery so I’m starting to feel on a big high.
“Whilst I’m enjoying the success, I know the competition is tough and there are a number of riders in the Pro Lites who are just as hungry for a win and the championship top spot.
“I haven’t ridden at (round five venue) Geelong before, but I’ll be putting in the hard yards for testing and training leading up to the round so hopefully everything will continue to run smoothly.”
Moss battled with Hoad for nearly half the race before the latter crashed and dropped back to 11th.
Taylor was fourth from Cody Mackie (Troy Lee Design KX250F) and exciting young Victorian Kade Mosig (Fox Full Throttle Sports CRF250R).
After some exceptionally tough racing at Green Park, Moss was the biggest mover – up three spots to equal fourth alongside Mosig. Both are on 107pts, behind Marmont (166), Dorron (148) and Taylor (135). Meanwhile, the unlucky Hoad has dropped back to sixth on 104.
In the second round of the National Cup support category, Kym Wright (Yamaha) bounced back from an abysmal opening to claim the overall honours, ahead of Honda duo Tom Ovens and Kyle DiCecco. Ovens lead on 78pts from Jarrod Long (Honda) and Grove, both on 65.
Round five of the Nokia MX Nationals will be held in Geelong (Vic) on May 21, followed by Newcastle (NSW) a week later.
Conondale results
