Boyd blitzes in Mackay

Cheyne Boyd has produced a masterful display in round four of the Australian Motocross Championship at Mackay this afternoon, easily winning both races on his CDR Yamaha.

After an inconsistent start to the championship, the Victorian turned the corner with a powerhouse display, as he led home teammate and defending champion Jay Marmont in both 30-lap (plus a lap) motos.

Cody Mackie (Kawasaki) Andrew McFarlane (Yamaha) swapped third places, while 2006 champion, New Zealander Daryl Hurley (Suzuki), made a strong return to Aussie competition with a pair of fourth places.

“It was great to get the monkey off my back with a couple of convincing race wins,” Boyd said. “I had a rough start to this championship, but I took a lot of confidence from my third placing last weekend (in Toowoomba) and capitalised on it today.

“I am now third in the championship and the next two events are at tracks that really suit me, so hopefully I will be able to keep the momentum going and try and reduce the points difference to Andrew (McFarlane)."

After winning the third round at Toowoomba last weekend, Marmont endured a unsettling lead-up to Mackay with a nasty bout of the flu -- just the 'boring' normal one, not swine...

“It hasn’t been an easy week,” Marmont said. “Given the circumstances and despite feeling a bit weak within myself, I have come out of it in pretty good shape."

Marmont has now extended his lead over McFarlane to 21pts (243 to 222), ahead of Boyd (201), Mackie (194) and round one winner Todd Waters (Honda, 167).

Waters didn't score any points in Mackay after retiring from race one with injury, which put him out for the rest of the day.

In Pro Lites, Suzuki's Matt Moss (Suzuki) easily claimed overall honours after first and second places, ahead of Yamaha's Kirk Gibbs (4-2) and Suzuki's Lawson Bopping (3-4).

Kawasaki's Luke George, the current No. 1, defeated Moss in race one after a superb battle, but then crashed in the finale and had to scramble his way back from last to 12th position.

“That first moto was the toughest I’ve ever done, it was a great moto," said Moss. “It’s disappointing that Luke went down in the second one but it’s all about chasing the championship.

“I’ve now got the red plates and plan to keep them for the rest of the series.:

Only five riders set a lap time below two minutes all day -- and four of them were Pro Lites campaigners. Unsurprisingly, Moss and George were two of them after their blitzreig in race one, joined by Gibbs and American Kawasaki rider Christopher Gosselaar.

Boyd set the fastest lap of the day - 1:59.140.

Moss has now moved into the Pro Lites lead on 190pts, from George (180), KTM's Tye Simmonds (173), Bopping (145) and Gibbs (144).

In the Under 19s, the Yamaha continued its domination, with Ross Beaton claiming a convincing win over teammate and round three winner Harley Quinlan, with Kawasaki's Luke Arbon third.

Beaton was then injured in race two, with Luke Styke and Quinlan claiming the quinella, with Arbon again third.

For full results and standings in all classes, click here.

The championship will reconvene in Murray Bridge, 45 minutes south-east of Adelaide, on Sunday, June 14.