Mackenzie's overall, Moss' title lead

Yamaha riders swept the Hervey Bay round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, on Sunday, July 28 in a pivotal round for the premier MX1 title chase.CDR Yamaha rider Billy Mackenzie claimed his first overall victory aboard the factory-backed YZ450F, with a Super Pole victory and a pair of third places in the two 30-minute motos enough to clinch the round.

Behind the Scotsman were Moss twins Matt and Jake, with Matt (Motul Pirelli Suzuki) moving into the championship lead after seven of 10 rounds. Moss finished second in Super Pole, sixth in moto one and won moto two.

Jake Moss (Campbell Mining Suzuki) was third overall after being excluded from the Super Pole session, posting a solid second in both motos.

The opening moto win belonged to South African series newcomer Gareth Swanepoel (Carlton Dry Honda), sealing him fourth overall after he raced to fifth in the second outing.

Former series leader Todd Waters (Motorex KTM) was fourth in both motos, resulting in fifth overall for the round and he now trails Matt Moss by 2pts with three rounds remaining.

“In the second race we changed suspension and tyres to suit the sandy surface and my bike felt so good, it was completely different,” Matt Moss said. “I’m just happy to get a moto win and to get the red plate.

“I’ve been working towards it for seven rounds now and there’s only the three to go. I’m looking forward to the challenge and what lies ahead, I think me and Todd (Waters) will be battling to the end.”

The Motul MX2 ranks saw Luke Styke (Serco Yamaha) race to his sixth round win of the season with another clean sweep, heading privateer Tune Tech Racing KTM rookie Kale Makeham and Kade Mosig (Zero Seven Motorsports Kawasaki).

Makeham qualified first and scored 3-2 results in the motos, while Mosig finished with 2-3 finishes. Styke now enjoys a mammoth 91pt advantage in the standings.

The championship will continue in Swan Hill (Vic) on Sunday, August 11.

MX1 overall results:
1. Billy Mackenzie 65
2. Matt Moss 64
3. Jake Moss 64
4. Gareth Swanepoel 61
5. Todd Waters 58
6. Cody Cooper 51
7. Kirk Gibbs 50
8. Lawson Bopping 45
9. Jay Marmont 45
10. Cody Mackie 42

MX1 championship standings (after seven of 10 rounds):
1. Matt Moss 436
2. Todd Waters 434
3. Billy Mackenzie 405
4. Cody Cooper 382
5. Lawson Bopping 365
6. Jake Moss 343
7. Kirk Gibbs 343
8. Adam Monea 323
9. Jay Marmont 286
10. Tye Simmonds 273

MX2 overall results:
1. Luke Styke 70
2. Kale Makeham 62
3. Kade Mosig 62
4. Ryan Marmont 53
5. Beau Ralston 52
6. Brock Winston 52
7. Dylan Long 47
8. Rhys Carter 46
9. Kayne Lamont 44
10. Geran Stapleton 40

MX2 championship standings (after seven of 10 rounds):
1. Luke Styke 473
2. Kale Makeham 382
3. Brock Winston 354
4. Josh Cachia 305
5. Geran Stapleton 304
6. Ryan Marmont 297
7. Luke Clout 285
8. Takeshi Katsuya 280
9. Dylan Long 274
10. Rhys Carter 255

MXD overall results:
1. Jay Wilson 67
2. Hamish Harwood 63
3. Joel Dinsdale 62
4. Jack Simpson 54
5. Corey James 48
6. Jake Emmanuelli 46
7. Jesse Madden 44
8. Dylan Wilson 43
9. Joel Wightman 42
10. Dakota Court 39

MXD championship standings (after five of eight rounds):
1. Hamish Harwood 307
2. Jack Simpson 279
3. Jay Wilson 257
4. Joel Dinsdale 256
5. Jesse Dobson 249
6. Corey James 226
7. Joel Wightman 221
8. Logan Blackburn 205
9. Jake Emmanuelli 180
10. Nick Scott 176