MX Nationals head to Wodonga

As Australia's leading motocross series, the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals circus will be heading to Wodonga in Victoria this weekend, with racing set to commence on Sunday July 3.

The Wodonga event marks round seven of the nine round season, and the pro open class is looking pretty tight at the top, with Dean Ferris in first place on 461 points, Billy Mackenzie on 448 in second, Josh Coppins on 429 and Jay Marmont on 407.

The Wodonga round of the MX Nationals will be a pivotal race and has the potential to shape the 2011 champion.

Aged just 20-years-old, Australian Dean Ferris is on top but has yet to win a round, sitting 13 points ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki teammate Billy Mackenzie, who hails from Scotland. But the CDR Rockstar Energy Yamahas of Kiwi Josh Coppins and Jay Marmont will be looking to charge hard on the weekend, as Marmont won the Coonabarabran round by a single point from Ferris earlier this month.

Will Marmont take out his fourth straight Australian motocross title? Ferris will be doing everything he can to stop him.

After the Wodonga event, Coolum’s double-header round will be staged next month, and if we rewind the clock 12 months, New Zealander Cody Cooper won the Wodonga round in 2010 for Rockstar Motul Suzuki, but his form this season has taken a hit after suffering an injury earlier in the year.

Meanwhile in the Under 19s category, local boy Errol Willis has shown impressive form to be sitting on the top of the ladder, and the Raceline Pirelli Suzuki rider considers the Wodonga round of the MX Nationals series as his home round on the calendar, hailing from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.

All his friends and family will be at the race, and says he can't wait to compete: "I’ve been looking forward to this round because the Raceline Pirelli Suzuki team and I have been working really hard," 17-year-old Willis said. "We’ve been doing a lot of testing at my place, which has the same type of dirt as what we’ll race on this weekend.

"There will be a lot of family and friends there, plus I have a lot of motivation to do well for the round. I had a cousin pass away last week and I was really close to him, so I’m definitely looking to try and win for him," added the youngster.

Willis is 38 points ahead of GYTR Rockstar Energy Yamaha’s Luke Arbon, while Coastal KTM’s Jay Wilson will be looking for another win after scoring two round wins in succession.

The Motul Pro Lites field will again feature a battle between talented twins Matt and Jake Moss, with JDR Motorex KTM’s Matt Moss leading the series into Wodonga by a healthy 54-point margin.

Moss opened his account for 2011 with three wins on the trot, but since then he has battled injury while watching his rivals excel at the front. The most recent round winner was Monster Energy Kawasaki’s American import Phil Nicoletti.

Serco Yoshimura Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs sits second in the series, with teammate Jake Moss quickly climbing the championship ladder after standing on the podium for three-straight rounds.

Practice and qualifying begin 8:30am with the official opening ceremonies kicking off at around 10:30am. Ticket prices are $30 for adults $15 for kids aged five to 15 years and kids under five years old are free. Family tix can be had for $70 (2 adults, 2 kids).

Check out MXnationals.com.au for more details.

2011 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals Championship Standings (after 6 of 9 rounds):

Pirelli Under 19s
1. Errol Willis 464
2. Luke Arbon 426
3. Shaun Redhead 366
4. Dylan Peterson 338
5. Jake Emanuelli 296
6. Kyle McKeddie 286
7. Jay Wilson 285
8. Kale Makeham 215
9. Dan Banks 182
10. Ben George 173

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