Bugden takes New Zealand Title again
Press Release: Motorcycling New Zealand

Australian Robbie Bugden (Queensland) successfully defended his New Zealand Superbike title this season and he did it with two races to spare.

His season-long dominance continued at the fourth of five rounds at Manfield on Sunday, with back-to-back wins, and the 27-year-old will now not even need to race at Pukekohe’s final round in a fortnight.

“The pressure is off now and I’ll just go to Pukekohe and enjoy the day,” said Bugden, who has been unbeaten thus far in the championship.

“Absolutely I’ll still be going hard at Pukekohe, though. Every time the red light goes out (to signal the start of a race), I go hard and don’t think of anything but winning.”

Though there’s mathematically no reason for Bugden to ride for now, the Suzuki GSX-R1000 rider is determined to turn up and thrill the crowds at Pukekohe anyway and, with the high-speed dueling that’s been seen here all season, the final round promises to be another nail biter, especially if fellow Suzuki stars Andrew Stroud (Hamilton) and Craig Shirriffs (Fielding) have anything to do with it.

Stroud and Shirriffs, and another Australian, Gareth Jones (Yamaha), have been locked in a four-rider freight train all season and, although it was again Bugden who finished each race in front on Sunday, there was really nothing to separate these men.

Pride will be on the line at Pukekohe with many-times former champion Stroud determined to put an end to Bugden’s win streak and gain some consolation for what has been for him a particularly brutal season.

“It might have been like the old days (with Stroud winning everything) if Robbie hadn’t been here,” joked Stroud. “He’s costing me a bit now,” said the 40-year-old father-of-six, now back up to second in the standings after the weekend’s racing.

“But I am enjoying the good, clean but hard racing. He’s done better this season because he’s learned our tracks now and he’s just finished a tough season in Australia, while I haven’t been doing anything. I’ll be going hard at Pukekohe though,” he said.

It is the second consecutive season that New Zealand’s most prized motorcycling silverware has gone back across the Tasman as hand luggage on Bugden’s flight.

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Sister's Set to Battle for National Championship
Story by: Motorcycling Queensland
Photo by: supplied

Local sister’s Tamara (Queensland Yamaha Girls Team) and Chelsea (Pro Kawasaki) Gray are set to do battle, with a host of Australia’s other top female riders, when round 1 of the 2008 Yamaha Australian Women's Motocross Championship & Motul Motocross Development Series descends on Tivoli Raceway, Chuwar this weekend.

Queensland rider’s are set to enjoy the benefit of having the first (of the scheduled 3 rounds) in their own backyard, with sister’s Tamara and Chelsea expected to put on a good showing on what has been their ‘home’ track for the past decade.

The sisters, who have both been riding motorbikes since the age of 4, are looking forward to the event.

“For the meeting to be held at Tivoli this year is great for me. I have never had a home track advantage at the Nationals before. The fast hard pack circuit is not overly technical and I really love the start straight there” said Tamara.

Chelsea agreed adding, “recent rain has the Tivoli Track in great condition, which should result in some close racing and I’m hoping my home track advantage is going to have me at the pointy end of the field”.

Current and dual World Women’s Motocross Champion, Katherine Prumm, 19 will also be jetting her way into Brisbane to contest the opening round of the Series.

New Zealand based Prumm, is in full training mode for the 2008 season and eager to retain her World Champion status this year and plans on using the Australian Championship as a warm up before heading further abroad to Europe

Some other riders to watch out for over the weekend include Kristy Gillespie (GMR Motorex KTM Racing Team) and another up and coming Queenslander Stacey Griffiths (Boyd Young Motorcycles). At the time of writing, their was still some uncertainty whether another local gun Ashlea Bates (Husky Chix Racing), who suffered a recent arm injury, would be present at the event.

For Tamara, who has won numerous Queensland Motocross Titles, it has been a gradual road back from a broken back, suffered in 2006, incurred whilst practicing for the 2006 Womens Championships.

“Up until that day in 2006 I had been in great form, winning 27 local area races in a row. I really do believe that if I hadn't been injured I could have done really well that year at the Nationals. Nonetheless, it happened and I endured the surgery, and a very painful recovery, however I feel that that actually makes me a stronger rider now” said Tamara.

The sisterly rivalry doesn’t end on the track, with Chelsea (Pro Kawasaki Ipswich) and Tamara (City Yamaha) both employed within the motorcycle industry as Accessory Managers at their respective motorcycle dealerships from Monday to Friday.

Next weekend’s event will also include racing in the following classes: Under 19’s, 15yrs Rookies, 250cc 13-14yrs, 125cc 13-14yrs, 85cc 12-14yrs. Queensland rider’s are well represented throughout all of these classes, and hold legitimate chances of victory.

Tivoli Raceway is located on the corner of Coal & Brodzig Roads, Chuwar. Racing will commence at 9am, and best of all entry is FREE.

More information on the event available from www.ozmotox.com.au

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Young Guns Arrive in Scotland
Story by: Gavin Elmes
Photo by: Gavin Elmes

Townsville teenagers Josh Grajczonek (pictured) and Mitchell Davey flew out of Brisbane on Saturday to make their British League debut, riding for the Glasgow Tigers in the Premier League.

Photo shows Grajczonek holding a kangaroo mascot given to him at Mildura in January to take to Scotland. They join three other Australians in the seven man Tigers squad.

Team mate Trent Leverington from the Gold Coast also returned to Scotland last week, a couple of days after fulfilling the Best Man duties at the wedding of fellow rider Todd Groves. Leverington rode against his young colleagues in the Queensland Championship at the Gold Coast in December. The other Aussie Tigers are team captain Shane Parker and Robert Ksiezak, both of South Australia.

Said Parker, "I will be doing my bit to look after the youngsters. I had the chance to see Josh in action in the Australian Championship meetings and he is a very smooth rider with a nice style and I think he will be a very clever rider. I have only seen Mitchell when he was riding in England last September and he, too, has a chance to make a big impression, although it may take a bit of time for that to happen. They have both made a good decision to come to a club where there are three other Australians, as we all look after each other and the club will certainly benefit from that in the long term."

The North Queensland pair finally received their necessary visas and documentation only two days before flying out of the Tropics into a cold, wet and windy Scotland. Josh's bikes had already arrived over there, and Mitchell's were on their way as the pair set off in the company of Mitchell's father Gary, who will oversee them and help establish them in their European racing careers.

After touching down at Glasgow Airport, they had just three days to settle in, combat jet lag, collect and assemble their bikes before appearing at the club's official Press and Practice Day. The photo shoot took place at George Square in the centre of Glasgow, followed by practice at the track during the afternoon, then a "Meet the Riders Night" at the track's bar.

The boys had originally planned on being in Scotland much earlier in order to acclimatise and prepare, but bureaucracy intervened and delayed their departures. They, like several other Australian riders venturing to Britain, had to fly to Canberra to deal with the British High Commission then wait two weeks for their paperwork to arrive. Their work permits are for two years, so they won't face similar delays for 2009.

Glasgow co-promoter Alan Dick said, "There is a lot of interest in the boys from our supporters, so I imagine there will be a lot of eyes on how they do in the opening meetings. But as I have stressed before, the time to judge the lads will be at the end of the season and perhaps not even until the end of next season."

They will soon see the huge difference between speedway in Australia and speedway in Britain, where teams have fanatical supporters and treat their riders like VIPs. Fan clubs, websites, signing autographs, etc are part and parcel of it all. They will ride in the cold and wet conditions of the early part of the season, initially taking in one or two meetings a week. The pressure and tempo builds up as the league starts in earnest, and they'll find themselves with four meetings on consecutive nights in July, at tracks as far apart as Glasgow and the Isle of Wight.

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Meet Jemma Wilson
Story by: Tamara Gray
Photo by: Leigh Hutton

You might have seen her at any number of dirt orientated events over the past few years.  This quiet, happy go lucky girl with an abundance of tight curly hair has in the past made her presence known over several disciplines of racing. 

Whether you’re male or female, riding Motocross or Enduro, two wheels or four, you have probably raced Jemma, and yes she probably gave you a run for your money. 

A second year law student, and part time primary school teacher, Jemma is racking up an impressive list of results in her relatively short career.  2007 saw Jemma place second behind Enduro gun Alison Parker at the A4DE, win the Women’s class at the Honda ThunderX Series and the Queensland 2 Day Enduro Championships. In 2006 Jemma represented Australia in the New Zealand Women’s Motocross Championships.

I have had the pleasure of racing Jemma, a tough and determined competitor and now have had the extra pleasure of finding out the “dirt” on this very bright multi talented young lady.

Ride! eNews:  So Jemma, how did this motorcycle journey begin for you?

Jemma Wilson (JW): I was 11 and a half when I got my first bike, an old DT 175 that Dad picked up for $300, but the deal was that I couldn’t ride it until I was 12. I just did a lot of forestry riding and a few trail rides on that until Dad saw that motorbike riding wasn’t a just passing phase for me, so I got a new CRF230.

Ride! eNews: You have come a long way since you were 12.  How did you get into the competition side of things?

JW: Dad and all his mates used to ride in the forestry every Sunday, (on old dungers) and do the occasional trail ride. A couple of the crew, including my older brother, started racing Enduro's. I went and watched the first one (you were there Tamara – at Esk) and by next race I was there with my new CRF having a crack.
 
Ride! eNews:  That’s awesome.  Describe to us what your first ever competition meant to you.

JW: It was a Suzuki EnduroX at a property at Kumbia near Kingaroy. Leading up to the event I thought that I would be so scared, shaking on the line kind of nervous. But because it was a race against the clock, and not a mass start I pretended it was a trail ride and ended up not being nervous.

All I really remember about the day was all the crashes I had. Most of them in the paddock at the start or finish in front of every one, and that I only just missed out on a trophy, 4th, as the only girl in the class. It was awesome.

Ride! eNews: So how did you progress on to racing Motocross and Quads?

JW: My first motocross was the Queensland Women’s Motocross Championships at Coolum (that one off event they used to have at the start of the year). Dad bought me a second hand YZF250 the day before the event (back to Yamaha), and I flipped off the start line in my first race. Hahaha…   Then I did the ThunderX in the boy’s class and got tenth overall for the season which I was stoked about, and I guess that that got me hooked on motocross.

As for the Quads, Geoff Udy convinced me that I should try my luck on his Yamaha Blaster 200 in the Thunder X at Kingaroy in 2006. I hardly stayed on the track, screamed and screamed the whole race (thinking that I wouldn’t be heard, apparently I was louder than the bike), got lapped by the whole field, and hit a cactus, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So Geoff kindly loaned the 200 to me for the rest of the season and then convinced Dad that I needed one of my own for the 2007 season.

Ride! eNews:  So what was it about competing that got you, so hooked?

JW: Originally, I wanted to race Enduro’s because it looked like a lot of fun and my Dad and brother were doing it, but also because to me it was what I was familiar with, having learned to ride in the bush. I guess what has kept me competing and encouraged me to get into the other disciplines is the people, the places I get to go and that I’m doing something that’s different, I love always learning something new.

I actually don’t really like competition or pressure, which I think is because I can’t deal with disappointment. So I never try to beat other people or win. At the beginning of the day I think that I just have to do my best, after all I can’t do any better than that.

Ride! eNews:  Speaking of people I see I have raced your Dad out there at the Enduros.  What do you think about your Dad ripping through the forest out there?

JW: Yeah Dad races in all the Queensland Enduros. He cleaned up last year in the Over 45’s Clubman Class, and this year is racing in the Over 45’s Experts. He did the A4DE last year as well and finished mid pack with no trail time lost which was cool. He does it for fun but he can get a little competitive!

Ride! eNews: You must have ridden at some pretty awesome places throughout your travels so far.  What are some of the places that stick in your memory?

JW: The Australian 4 Day Enduro last year at Coffs Harbour was amazing. The tracks were perfect; lush green rainforest trails, and great special tests. As for Queensland Enduro events the Fat Farmers ‘Green Valley’ property near Warwick is fun, and ‘Green Park’ Conondale is another of my favorites.

My favorite MX event is the Thunder X! It is the best, and the tracks are always really good. I enjoy all the MX tracks that I’ve raced on, but the stand outs for me are Mundubbera, Roma, Chinchilla and Coolum.

Ride! eNews: 2008 has begun, where will we see you at this year? 

JW: I am competing in the A4DE again this year in Victoria, as well as rounds of the Dirt Bike Promotions National Off Road Series that I can fit in. I’ll also be at all of the Queensland Enduro events, the ThunderX Natural Terrain Series and the Go Girl Series.

I’m on the Yamaha WR250F again this year. It’s a great bike. I put off changing to the WR from the YZF for a long time, just thinking that it couldn’t be better than the YZF but I wish I had changed to the WR earlier. It’s really a terrific bike, that I can use for both Enduro and MX, and it has an electric start! Yay!

I am also racing on the ‘08’ model Yamaha YZF450 Quad, which I am extremely, extremely excited about.

Ride! eNews: I know your efforts from last year haven’t gone unrewarded.  Tell us a little about your ride for this year.

JW: I am extremely lucky to be part of Queensland’s first ever manufacture's Enduro team, The Queensland Yamaha Off Road Team, alongside Kirk Hutton and Grant Siebenhausen. Yamaha, along with Caboolture Motorcycles, GYTR, Yamalube, Yamaha Motor Finance (YMF), Fox, Dunlop, DID and Ballards Off Road, have really stepped it up in the Queensland Enduro scene for this year, and hopefully other manufacturers will follow.

Another sponsor for this year is Bevan and Jo Judd from Go Girl Racing. They have supported me for the past two years and I am excited to still be a part of Go Girl Racing. Paul Baericke’s MPE Enhanced Suspension is also helping out again this year, as well as a local sponsor, Jeff Richard’s Bitsa Country Cabinet Making.

Ride! eNews: Fantastic!  Where do you see yourself in the future? 

JW: I love racing and I know that whereever life takes me, I’ll be getting there on two wheels. I want to keep competing and having fun in the sport, across as many disciplines as I can, for as long as I can. I’m looking forward to having an over 80’s class just for me. Haha. But a career outside Motorcycles is also very important to me; I really want to get into environmental law.

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BEN SCHODEL MOTOCROSS COACHING

COOLUM & KILCOY TRACKS

Ben Schodel is a Level 2 motorcycle coach operating out of the Coolum & Kilcoy Tracks. Ben has his privately owned Motocross Track on his own private property near Woodford licenced by Motorcycling Queensland to conduct permitted coaching and practice.

Contact Ben on 0410 690 392 for all your coaching needs.

Hutton's stronghold on Yamaha Sprint Series
Story by: Leugh Hutton

Yamaha’s ‘King’ Kirk Hutton has kicked off his 2008 season with two wins from two rounds of the Yamaha Sprint Cross-Country Series.

Eight-time Queensland Enduro champion Hutton, who is spearheading the new Yamaha Queensland Off Road Team, blitzed the field for the second time at the second round of the Yamaha Sprint Cross Country Series on Sunday.

Hutton’s teammates Grant Siebenhausen and Jemma Wilson also put in commendable performances, walking away with third outright and first in the Women’s All Powers class respectively.

The first and second rounds of the series were both staged near Boonah about and hour an a half south east of Brisbane and both attracted an impressive turn-out of nearly 200 riders.

The first round on February 10 was characterized by extremely wet and boggy conditions. Competitors at the second round were greeted with semi-loamy to dry conditions.

Both events were changed from their original format which consists of three, class mass start 30-minute races, to Enduro cross format (the same as ‘NSW sprint’ format), with riders competing against the clock and doing one lap at a time.

Hutton won round two by more than two minutes after the four laps.

“I was really happy with how the event went,” Hutton said. “Basically, I had a mistake-free day. I felt very confident on the bike as I have it set up just how I want it.

“Everything went to plan. The track was good, back to the true Queensland-style, mostly dry and dusty with rocks and logs.

“My YZ250 was working perfectly as usual and my Dunlop 773’s were hooking up great in the conditions, so I had a really good day.

Hutton said he was “extremely” looking forward to the next Queensland event, the first round of the Yamaha Queensland Two Day Enduro Championships that will be held at Manar Park on March 22 and 23.

Hutton said he also wanted to thank Yamaha for “all of their fantastic” support.

“Yamaha have supported me for eight years now and that has been fantastic and it’s really good to see them step up their support of the sport up even more by forming this team, which no other manufacturer has done in Queensland,” he said.

Siebenhausen, who is riding a 2008 WR450F this season, still managed to claim third outright, despite having a major crash and crushing his left foot against a tree. He finished second outright in the first round.

Second outright in the Pro Open category went to John Day.

“I made one mistake today, in the second lap, and I crashed because of it... but that’s racing I suppose,” Siebenhausen said.

“The crash affected the rest of my laps, I couldn’t hit G-Outs as hard and I had to keep my foot up.

“But the WR450F went really well, I’m getting more and more used to it and I love the machine.”

A full list of results from the first two rounds of the Yamaha Sprint Cross Country Series will be available at the Qld Enduro website www.qldenduro.com

The next Queensland event will be the first round of the Yamaha Queensland Two Day Enduro Championships at Manar Park on March 22 and 23. Supplementary Regulations are available from the Motorcycling Queensland www.mqld.org.au or Queensland Enduro www.qldenduro.com websites.

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Three rounds into the 2008 Shell Advance Sunshine State Series and the action on the track is really starting to hot up. Some great racing on what has been some of the roughest and most physical tracks in the country has given the riders a real work out.

ISSUES
The biggest issue the sport faced was noise, yet Stewards are pleased to report that every competitor has made a serious effort to ensure their bikes are within the new limits and official Noise Control Officer Michael Green even went as far as thanking the riders for their support at the Coolum round.

The other concern at the moment is time. The Sunday program is full and getting all events in before dark has proven difficult even with the long days of summer. At the moment, race duration has been reduced when required, but the motocross subcommittee is also looking at other alternatives to get all the events on in the allotted time.

ON TRACK
While the profile of the Pro class, especially in 2008 with the presence of major factory teams, has taken precedence, the actual basis of this series is a grading and development series for riders in the lower grades, so let's shine some light on the guys who aren’t always under the spotlight.

CLUBMAN
Trent Maher is the man racking up the points at this early stage in both the Lites and the Open competition. But the points are tight in the Lites with a five-rider battle looming as Jack Walter, Jolon Henricks, Aaron Marks and Aaron Ackerman are all within striking distance. Harley Doust and Aaron Hutton are right in the thick of the open class action.

INTERMEDIATE
The Intermediate Lites race is almost a replay of the 15 years Lites division in 2007. Joel Rizzo, Jimmy Stewart, Casey Turner and Kerrod Morrissey again are banging bars. Luke Wilson is also producing some good rides, but the man they are all chasing now is Harley Quinlan. After taking a forced layoff due to injury, Quinlan is back and working hard to regain his best form. Chances are he won’t stay in the Intermediate class for too long.

EXPERTS
A new class added for the 2007 season and it looks as though many riders have found their niche in this race where previously they were being swallowed up in the Pro division.  Richard Eggerton is showing good form in 2008 as is Beau Dargle, Ricky-Jon Dmitrieff and Sam Liekefett. The Open class sees Shannon King looking good with Brendan Duck, Aaron Rodes, Zak Newsome and Mike Ward also putting in some strong rides.

PROS
The level of competition in the pro class is thick and no single rider or team has really dominated proceedings so far. The Pro Open class has had five winners in the six races contested and you never know who will win the next one. The riders at the front are doing a good speed and all are using this series as a springboard for national glory in 2008.

The Pro Lites class is much the same, with six or seven riders all capable of pulling down a moto or round win. The presence of the national teams has no doubt spurred the local boys on and one team manager even went as far as saying because riders are contesting both Lites and Open classes, the racing and competition is as good as a national and they certainly weren’t expecting that.  

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Mind Games: Understanding the importance of your mental performance
Story by: Matt Ahlberg (Sport & Exercise Psychologist)

Sport psychology is becoming more and more popular with athletes, coaches, families of athletes and sporting organisations but there are still a great many people who are unsure of what we do and what we have to offer people involved in sport.

So, why is sport psychology important to people in sport? Quite simply, the mental aspect of performance allows athletes to reach and exceed their physical potential. Sport psychology fascinates me as I see so many incredibly talented athletes fall short of their physical potential.

I also see just as many less-talented athletes achieve amazing feats in sport because they used every ounce of physical and technical talent they had to its absolute maximum.

Regardless of what you think the specific skill breakdown is in sport, everyone agrees that a large part of performance in sport is due to physical talent and a large part is also due to mental factors such as confidence, ability to deal with pressure, focus, motivation and determination.

The problem is that we generally spend the vast majority of our time training athletes to improve the physical components of sporting performance and spend very little time, if any, training the mental component. To me this doesn’t add up.

What we see time and time again in all sports is that the physical differences between athletes at the top levels are very small. In most cases athletes are at similar levels of strength, fitness, agility and endurance. They are also at similar levels in terms of their technical proficiency.

If athletes didn’t meet the standards in these areas they wouldn’t be at the highest levels. Where the big differences lie is in their mental attributes.

Confidence can be the difference between an athlete rising to a challenge and shrinking from it.

Emotional control can be the difference between an athlete dealing with setbacks such as injuries and form slumps so that they return bigger and better than ever, rather than letting these setbacks ruin their careers.

Setting effective goals can be the difference between an athlete pushing themselves to improve every time they are on the bike and just going through the motions.

Sport psychology uses the principles of modern psychology to enhance performance and enjoyment in sport. As sport psychologists we focus on helping athletes (and their coaches, parents, partners, and organisations) learn, practice and master mental skills that can help them achieve their goals in sport.

Every person, no matter what their area of performance (e.g., motorcycle riding, coaching, work, dancing, exercise), has an “Ideal Performance State” (IPS). Your IPS is essentially a state where your mind and body are working together and performing at their peak so that your performance is focused and effortless. Sport psychology can help people identify their ideal performance state and learn how to use mental skills to achieve their ideal performance state as often as possible.

At Mental Notes Consulting we work with athletes to identify their sporting and life goals then set about giving them the skills to achieve them. Make no mistake, sport psychology is not a magic wand, it is not an instant cure for anything. All the skills that athletes learn with a sport psychologist are the same as any physical skill. They can be learned, practiced and mastered.

One of the greatest myths in sport is the “you either have it or you don’t” myth when it comes to mental attributes. If my experience has taught me anything it is that our minds are the strongest muscle we have. If you are willing to train it and give it a regular work out there is nothing you can’t achieve.

If mental skills are practiced and used regularly they will work and work well for the athlete. If you stop going to the gym your strength and physique will suffer. If you stop using the mental skills then they (along with your performance) will suffer.

Here are a few things to think about in terms of improving your performance by considering the mental component.

*Identify (as athlete, coach, or parent) the mental demands of your performance.
*What are you currently doing to develop or improve these areas of your performance?
*What can you do to begin improving one of these areas of your performance

Historically, the best athletes in the world have been those who consistently perform at the top of their game. You will win races and you will lose races, accept it. Those who are successful have worked hard at becoming complete athletes.

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'Mad Mike' Takes Perfect Round
Story by: Drmsby Middleton

Michael ‘Mad Mike’ Jones took a perfect victory at Round 3 of the 2008 Youngstar Road Race Series, winning five out of five races in a brilliant and commanding performance in the Sportsbike Tyre Warmers J4 80cc competition.  The series leader extended his points lead in the Championship to what appears to be an unassailable margin, putting himself nearly 100 points clear of second place.  The talented 13 year old is quickly earning himself a reputation as one of Queensland’s most promising rising stars in the highly competitive junior road racing scene. 

Round 3 of the 2008 Youngstar Road Race Series was held on Saturday 9th of February at Ipswich Kart Club, Willowbank.  Dry, moderate weather provided perfect conditions for racing, giving competitors all the confidence they needed to push their machines to the fullest.  With only five rounds in the series, plenty was at stake as rivals fought hard for each point throughout the field in all classes. 

Jones was pushed very hard in the early J4 races by Corey Schaffer, who set an amazing new lap record in race one of 56.140 seconds in his efforts to chase down Jones.  Unfortunately Schaffer had to leave after race 3 due to other racing commitments, allowing Jones to take slightly easier wins in the last two races.  “I had to race extremely hard as the competition was so fierce” Jones said about his spectacular duels with Schaffer, adding that predicting the winner at the next round would be impossible, as the racing was very close.  He also explained that he was able to get quickly into a good rhythm, and the track was hot and dry, enabling the tires to work at optimum performance levels. 

Racing on track with the 80cc two strokes, but scored separately, is the other J4 class, the 150cc four strokes.  The winner in this category was none other than Ultimate Coaching Experience recipient Nathan Houterman, proving that the coaching he received was certainly of great use!  He finished second in three races and won the other two to give him the overall victory.  Houterman said the two races he won were both helped by great starts, which enabled him to command the rest of the race without dropping position.  He said his overtaking skills got a workout in the other races, with good results.  Houterman has been road racing for less than a year, but started in Motocross at age seven.  His performance at this round of the Youngstar series propelled him into the championship lead, and he hopes to go on to win the 150cc championship.

9 to under 12 year olds also compete in the Youngstar series, in two classes run together on track:  Barnacle Busters Marine Products J3, for 70cc machines, and Barnacle Busters J2, for 50cc manual bikes.  The J3 competition saw an awesome performance by 11 year old Josh McGrath.  The Dirt Track star put the SP Precision Tools Metrakit 70 on pole, but was hampered by less than perfect starts, which he admits he needs to work on.  He did not let this slow him down however, and after finishing in second place in the first two races he went on to take victory in the following three races with increasing margins. 

When asked about the track conditions he reported that the surface was slippery in the morning, but became better as the day progressed.  According to McGrath he also rode smoother each time out, and is confident of an even better performance in Round 4 of the Youngstar series.  Another great result seems likely, as he has only been riding the Metrakit for about a month.  McGrath is gearing up for a full assault on the Australian Metrakit Title, the winner of which goes to Valencia for the World Mini GP series.

Luke Martin took the Victory in the J2 class, winning five out of five races and setting a new 50cc lap record in the process.  The 12 year old said that he hopes to win as many races as he can this year, and is looking forward to the next race meeting.  Like most other racers, he was very impressed with the track surface, which obviously played some part in the great lap times recorded on the day. 

Making a Youngstar series debut at Round 3 was a class of racing just for adults:  Scooter Racing.  Robert Morrell took the round win with four second place finishes and a win in the last race, courtesy of a fall from Jason Tester.  It was Tester who was on the pace all day however, winning the first four races on the Scooterlife Piaggio.  So far in front was he that the rest of the field was lapped by him in each of those four races.  Predictably he also set a new lap record in the process, and this on a 70cc machine in a class that allows up to 250cc.  The ex-motocross racer has been racing scooters since November last year, and plans to develop a special 50cc racing engine this season.

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The General
Story by: Lindsay Granger (Motorcycling Queensland General Manager)

2008 AGM Process gets under way
Motorcycling Queensland has called for nominations for all sub committees and the MQ Executive. The nominations have now closed and all clubs will be sent postal ballot papers within the next month. The results of the postal ballot elections will be announced at the Annual General Meeting at Tivoli on Wednesday 7th May.

There will also be a postal ballot to clubs to decide on a proposal to elect the MQ Executive to two-year terms, with half of the Executive to be elected each year. This proposal is designed to ensure that we have a consistent approach to goverence of the sport and we are hoping that the clubs support it.

Is China the next frontier?
I have just returned from a week in Southern China with the Queensland Stadium Motocross Club President, Lawrie Coomber. Lawrie is keen for his club to promote a number of motocross events in China later this year and in 2009. The purpose of our trip was to meet government officials, stadium managers and potential sponsors.

The proposal is being designed to promote Queensland riders and officials at events with high entertainment levels in a country which has never seen motocross before. Watch this space for further developments

Sunshine State MX and Darling Downs Trail Ride both off to a big start
Queensland’s ability to raise the bar is obvious again in 2008. Even though poor weather has affected event calendars, two of the biggest motocross and trail ride series in Australia got off to a bigger start than ever this year.

The first round of the Sunshine State Series at Hervey Bay had 442 bikes entered for the weekend and Greenlands Trail Ride kicked off the Dalby Moto Series with a phenomenal 1119 bikes. The reports which came back from Greenlands indicated that the ride was an outstanding success with good trails after recent rain and minimal accidents and injuries.

Lets keep this up for all our events in 2008!

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Yamaha Queensland Motocross Championships
Story by: Scott Bishop

The three round, Yamaha sponsored Queensland Motocross Championships are about to kick off again for another season and all vans are heading north for the Easter weekend to take in the action.

In what has become a ritual every Easter, the opening round of the series is back at the Townsville circuit and it is set for north and south to collide in what is always a hotly contested meeting. The three round series also takes in Gladstone and Kilcoy the winner is determined by the highest points scores over the nine races. (three motos at three rounds).

TIME and PLACE

Round 1: Townsville – 22/23 March
Round 2: Gladstone – 28/29 March
Round 3: Kilcoy – 26/27 April

THE VENUES

TOWNSVILLE
The track is situated about 40kms out of Townsville, just off Charters Towers Road. The surface is mainly hard pack dirt that gets quite chopped up as the weekend wears on. There is some softer dirt in sections but for the most part it is hard and first timers there need to be aware of punctures and the roost and rocks, especially in the open class, hurts like… well, it hurts a lot trust me...

Camping is allowed on site, with the track having toilet and shower facilities, otherwise the nearest accommodation is back at Townsville. There are usually plenty of places to stay, but being Easter it is best to get in early. With Easter falling in March this year, southerners had also better be prepared for a warm and humid weekend and drink plenty of fluid in the lead up and during the event.

GLADSTONE
After hosting a successful open meeting last year with a big wad of cash up for grabs, the Gladstone club was inspired to host a major Queensland meeting and stuck their hand up for a round of the state championships. The track is just off the Bruce Highway, slightly south of Gladstone and very easy to find.

If camping isn’t your thing, then there are several places to stay in the Gladstone area and again being in school holidays getting in early would be a smart move. The track is fairly hard pack and when prepared for racing develops plenty of ruts as the day goes on. It is the first time in a while that this track has hosted a meeting of this size and it is great to see a new club offer to host a round.

KILCOY
Just over an hour north west of the Brisbane CBD is the country down of Kilcoy and it is set to be invaded by hundreds of dirt bikes in late April. The track also hosted a championship round several years ago and most riders were impressed with the track preparation once they hit the track.

Again, dirt is hard and if the last time there was any indication, it will get rutty. Good starts are a must as passing can be difficult. Kilcoy doesn’t have much for travelers yet there is plenty of accommodation at Caboolture, less than 30 minutes down the road. Pit area is confined so be polite to your neighbors. Camping is allowed but only in the designated area.

THE CONTENDERS

Pro Open
With Daniel Reardon off flying the flag in the USA, the Open championship is wide open. Last years place getters, Nathan Crawford, Troy Carroll, and Simon Thompson look to be the major contenders, and look for former Queensland Open champion Adam Cini to be running near the front also. There is also plenty of strength in the younger riders coming though and expect riders like Dean Ferris, Todd Waters, Nick Geck and Harley Quinlan to give it a shake. Another name that has been doing the business at the early rounds is Stephen Smith, he doesn’t say much in the pits, but you can’t argue with his results.

Pro Lites
The list here could be endless. Ferris, Waters, Geck, Joe Hobson, Adam Monea, Ford Dale if he is back from injury, Thompson, heck flip a coin. That riding talent in Queensland is looking good and the winner of either of these two championships will place well at national rounds.

Juniors
The 15 years Lites will be a tussle between Dylan Peterson and Jake Pengelly, both have the edge on the rest of the competitors in that field. Jake is looking at going into the seniors ranks as he will contest the Under 19 championship for 2008. The younger age groups will see names such as Shaun Redhead and Jake Wright near the front of the pack. The 85cc winners could come from Jesse Owen, Jacob Wright, Jay Wilson, Scott Mann, Jesse Dobson, Nick Scott, Joel Dinsdale and a host of others who could shake it up in their respective classes.

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'King Kirk' looks to put 9th plaque on Trophy
Story by: Leigh Hutton

Take a look at the Yamaha Queensland Enduro Championships Champions Trophy, and several really big names in Enduro racing can be seen etched on small, rectangular-gold plaques.

Stefan Merriman, 1997. Shawn Reed, 1996. Gavin McLeod, 1987. Peter Buckley 1989 and 1990. Geoff Dawson, 1983.

However, it’s hard not to notice the plaques with one particular name carved on them – they take up nearly two whole rows of the base of the 600mm-high trophy.

These placards are hard and fast proof of ‘King’ Kirk Hutton’s domination of the Queensland Enduro scene during the last decade.

He has won the championship eight times, six more times than anyone else.

His name appears on the trophy for the first time on the plaque for 1998, when he was 24. Again for 1999, mate and once-racing partner Peter Retke won his first and last title in 2000.

Kirk Hutton, 2001. Kirk Hutton, 2002. Little brother Duncan Hutton won the rivalry for one year – his name is carved in time for 2003.

Kirk Hutton, 2004. Kirk Hutton, 2005. Kirk Hutton, 2006. Kirk Hutton, 2007. Blank plaque. Blank Plaque. No more space on trophy.

“I get a great sense of satisfaction when I look at the trophy and realize that I have put in a lot of hard work and preparation and dedication to my sport,” Hutton said.

“Hopefully I can make it nine times this year, but I don’t look at it that way. I just look at trying to win every race I can because I enjoy racing so much. If I win the title then that is a bonus.”

So, how many more times will the now 34-year-old claim the title?

“I hope a few more, yet,” Hutton says with a smile. “I feel better than I ever have now and I have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.”

The news might be disappointing for the younger generation of riders who would normally be rising up and defeating the older rivals – a cycle which Hutton has kept from happening for 10 years in the Sunshine State.

Hutton said there were a lot more juniors in Enduro racing now than 10 years ago, which is “very promising to see for the growth of our sport”.

“The sport really is looking good for the future, especially the support and motivation the parents are putting into it,” he said.

The first round of the three-round Yamaha Queensland Enduro Championships will be held at Manar Park on March 22 and 23.

“I’m looking forward to the first round of the two-days because they are what I really enjoy; the Enduro formats as opposed to sprint, I like to be in the saddle of my machine for at least seven hours,” Hutton said.

“The more riding the better, I seem to get better the longer I am riding more so than just sprint laps.”

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Queensland's Rising Young Stars
Story by: Tom Williams

We have the healthiest junior road race scene in the country here in Queensland. The success of our locals in last year’s Metrakit and MRRDA series is well documented with these series being dominated by Dylan Mavin and Ryan Dymond respectively. Here is an update on a few of our other younger riders.

Daniel Wheeler until not long ago was one of our promising juniors, and since becoming a senior has been racing a 400 as well as a Yamaha XT660. He’s now taken the step up to a new Ducati 1098 with the help of Brisbane Motorcycles, Dennis Rigon at Trueline Patios and Extensions and Derek Williams for his setup expertise.

At the recent round one of the New South Wales Road Race Championship at Eastern Creek improvements came so fast that his final race’s best lap was 3 seconds quicker than his qualifying time. Daniel reckons he can prune a few off that still.

In the combined Naked/Pro twin/FZ6 races he finished the meeting with 3 thirds and a second placing. The meeting served as a shakedown as he’s set to contest the ASC Pro Twins this year.

Others entered in the New South Wales Championships from the sunshine state included 125GP competitor Brad Gross who has gone from a kid racer to one of the regular front runners in 125’s in this country. He looks tall for a 125 jockey but that doesn’t stop him as his results show. He claimed pole and followed up with two second places to fellow Queenslander Blake Leigh-Smith.

Blake went on to win all the 125 class racing for the meeting, while his brother Jackson, third in the Australian Championship last year, had results not befitting his normal classy riding with a DNF, 4th, 5th and 7th.

Jake Horne has recently turned 16 and moved up to senior status. He got some valuable experience on the Eastern Creek Circuit, finishing closely behind Jackson Leigh-Smith in races 2 and 3 and getting past him in the second last lap of the last race. Jake has also been contesting Supermoto at the Ipswich Kart track and since graduating from junior ranks was regularly winning the C grade races.

Recently the Clerk of Course moved Jake into the A and B grade races as his qualifying time was 2 seconds clear of the next best C grader. His time would see him second fastest in the upgraded event too, and in racing proved his worth with 3 podium finishes and a fall.

Stephanie Redman is another Queenslander doing both disciplines. She impressed at the Eastern Creek meeting with 10th in qualifying on her Yamaha R6 Superstocker in the largest field of the championship. With a few DNF’s to show for the day, resulting in an injured elbow Stephanie is no doubt disappointed with her score sheet, but expect to see a lot more from this young woman in the future with the expertise of Mick Hams guiding her.

These are but a few of those emerging from our state so follow their progress in the coming year.

Round 1 of the Southern Downs Challenge will take place on the long track at Morgan Park on the 29th & 30th March. For more info phone 3262-6677 or check the web on www.motorcyclesportsmen.com.au

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Vintage Motocross Looks Good in 2008
Story by: Jackie McDonald
Photo by: Jackie McDonald

This year’s calendar is looking good for Vintage Motocross, so if you've been contemplating having a ride, then this is the year to start.

QVMX kicked the year off with a successful sign on and practice weekend, which was held on the 8th / 9th February at a new property half an hour past Gympie.

Unlike most of this club's tracks, excluding Tamborine, this one was relatively flat.  It seems most riders were happy with the track, but found the distance a bit off putting. It's still unknown if this track will be added as one of the club's venues. About eighty riders attended over the two days, and by all accounts, it was a pretty good weekend.

The first race meeting for QVMX will be on the 30th March, at Coles Creek. With its rolling hills, Coles Creek is a much-loved natural terrain track, well suited for both the vintage bike, and evolution classes.

While bikes lay sleeping, and collecting dust over the break, the Brisbane Motor Cycle Club has been extremely busy. The advantage of this club is they only have one venue, and it’s in our own backyard, right here in Brisbane, at Raubers Road Nudgee.

Last year drought caused this club plenty of heartache, but the water tank is now installed and will be filled with recycled water. Heaps of work has gone into this track, it’s a good loamy track, which can be run in either direction, and still be challenging. A permanent hut / storage area has also been erected.

Club president Lance Winley was pleased with the number of riders that turned up on the 24th February for sign on and practice day. It was a welcome surprise to see a few girls on the track, but the biggest surprise was our blond bombshell Terry Henderson, looking good dressed in her riding gear and ready to ride. Terry has been a real trouper over the years tending to the men in her camp Mitch and Gary Semmens. They will miss her attention, but by the same token they're proud as punch of her.

Also on the track a were a couple of sidecars, I believe they would like to get something going here so if anyone is interested contact the club.

The first race meeting for BMCC is on the 9th March at Raubers Road, Nudgee. Don’t forget both QVMX and the BMCC have a food van at all meetings, the prices are good and the food is great….

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Roberts in doubt for Australian Championship
Story by: Leigh Hutton

Bribie Island’s Anthony ‘AJ’ Roberts is still unsure if he will be able to contest the opening rounds of the Yamaha Australian Off Road Championships (AORC) due to injury sustained in training earlier this year.

Roberts has dominated the championships since its inception, winning the number one plate for the last three years in a row.

However, if the GHR Honda Off Road Team pilot hasn’t recovered from his broken tibia in time for the first and second rounds of the championships at Port Macquarie on March 15 and 16, it will put him at a serious disadvantage to win the title for another year.

AORC rules stipulate that a rider can not ‘throw’ a round, meaning the lost points from not competing the first rounds would have to be made-up by exceptional performances and luck for AJ to win.

“I am trying to do all the right things. It’s an unknown at the moment whether I will be able to ride, I’m just taking it day by day,” Roberts said.

“I want to be there but I don’t know where I am at the moment. I have been training in the gym and on a push bike and having other people do the testing for me.

“I just got the results from an MRI back, and it said I crushed the bone at the top of the tibia and I’ve got bleeding of the bone as well… ligament-wise everything seems to be ok, I haven’t snapped anything.

“The specialists have said it’s a six-week job all up [for it to heal], it’s been four weeks, six weeks is the weekend of Port Macquarie. I am hoping to start riding by the end of the week, but they say impact isn’t good for the healing and I am trying to take all the right precautions.

“I think sprints will be not bad in a sense, as they are only short laps and then you can stop. But I’m not sure how I will go for the two-hour cross-country races, trying to hang on for that long.

“Even if I don’t race, though, I will still come to Port Macquarie.”

One Queenslander who feels AJ’s injury is “a real shame, as he’s been doing so well and getting some great results for Queensland” is ‘King’ Kirk Hutton of the Yamaha Queensland Off Road Team.

“AJ is a great rider and I hate to see anyone suffer from injury, especially when it’s right at the beginning of a season and its someone who I enjoy racing with and against,” Hutton said.

Hutton said he was lucky to have had a good season preparation.

AORC organiser Phil Sargent of Dirt Bike Promotions said it was an “exciting year ahead” for the championships.

“We work hard to ensure that the championships get bigger and better every year,” Sargent said.

 “We have made some big changes for this year, including professional media management for the championships provided by Shooting Star Media, including a media conference with the riders to be held Friday before every round and every Sunday following racing.

“Kirk and AJ will be involved in these media conferences – AJ at every round as he is the reigning winner and Kirk at the Queensland rounds at Conondale as he is a bit of a local legend up there in Queensland and also a contender.”

Mr Sargent said another major change would be cross-country format (for the Championship Classes this will be 2 hours mass start) being introduced for every Sunday round of the championship. Saturdays will still be run as sprint format.

“Cross-country format is great because it gives riders a lot more bang for their buck and it also gives spectators a real thrill,” Sargent said.

“Right after the racing is finished on Sunday - pros will race in the afternoon and clubman and juniors in the morning - we will pull the top three finishers straight up to the podium to be interviewed for the crowd and by the media during the media conference.

“This will give everyone who’s been watching the race an intimate insight into how it went down and give the dirt bike industry and mainstream media we have invited the opportunity to interview the riders in their gear and on their bikes.”

The AORC are ran over six weekends, with one round on Saturday in sprint format (several laps of the bush/motocross track racing against the clock) and one on Sunday in a cross-country format (class mass start, championship classes race for two hours flat out).

The championships boasts classes for every level of rider, from Juniors older than 9-years to clubman, women, veterans, masters, experts and championship-level racers.

The AORC is fantastic for spectators, with nail-biting action and the chance to get up close and personal with the stars of Australian Enduro racing.

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Australian Sidecar Championship preview
Story by: Gavin Elmes

Easter traditionally brings with it the Australian Sidecar Championships and this year's event is being held at Adelaide's Gillman Speedway, with eight Queensland teams entered. Hot favorites have to be the reigning champions Darren Treloar and passenger Justin Plaisted.

The pair successfully defended their national title at Pioneer Park, Ayr, last year and has pulled out all the stops to try to make it a hat-trick of wins this time, having also won the 2006 title at Gosford.

In most cases, a sidecar duo hails from the same state but Treloar is from NSW and Plaisted from SA. They already hold the NSW, Victorian and South Australian titles, and Treloar is the first rider to win the SA title four times.

By now, Treloar must know every centimetre of the Gillman track. In the seven meetings he has raced there this season, he has lost only one final. That was in the World Sidecar Stars meeting in which veteran Ronny Parker relegated the maestro to second place.

However, Townsville's Rising Sun Honda team of Scott Christopher and Trent Koppe (pictured) also gave the Gillman track a tryout on 1 March and had the speed to match Treloar, until a blown rear tyre forced them out in the final. Christopher and Koppe won the Australian Championship when it was last held in South Australia. That was at Murray Bridge in 2005. They should pose quite a threat to Treloar.

Gary Moon can never be discounted. The nine times Queensland Champion has won the Australian title once, at Newcastle back in 1991, and is as keen as ever to get his hands on the trophy again. Moon is one of six seeded through to the final night, whereas all other Queenslanders must go through a qualifying process two nights before the main event. The five other seeded riders are Darren Cafe (NSW), Mick Headland (SA), Warren Monson (Vic), Mark Plaisted (SA) and Darrin Treloar (NSW).

A further 26 riders will compete in two 13 rider-13 heat qualifiers with the top five from each group qualifying for the final night. The groups (in alphabetical order) are:

Group 1: Jason Aldridge (Qld), Grant Bond (NSW), Jason Bradshaw (Vic), Scott Christopher (Qld), Vince Gianoncelli (WA), Rick Howse (NSW), Dale Irwin (SA), Clint Mayes (Vic), Damien Niesche (SA), Chris Pascoe (SA), Rob Patterson (Qld), Bill Sewell (Qld), Rick Stephens (NSW).

Group 2: Dave Bottrell (SA), Stuart Firth (Qld), Byren Gates (Vic), Noel Gawne (Vic), Malcolm German (Vic), Beau Irwin (SA), Kane Irwin (SA), Gary Jackson (Eng), Mark Mitchell (SA), Paul Newman (Qld), Scott Munro (Vic), Ron Parker (SA), Josh Sinnott (Qld).

Ayr's Aldridge brothers, Jason and Joel stand a good chance of  qualifying from Group 1, along with Christopher/Koppe and possibly the father and son team of Bill and David Sewell. Stuart Firth/Darren Fleming should progress from the second group, given a free run from the mechanical problems which have dogged them of late. Firth was runner-up in the 2006 title. North Queensland teenagers Josh Sinnott/Hamish Golding could also pull a surprise and qualify.

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Supermoto Extreme drawing to a close
Story by: Drmsby Middleton

With only one round to go the Queensland Supermoto Extreme 2008 Club Championship is rapidly drawing to a close.  Round 3 was held on Saturday evening 9th February 2008 at the Ipswich Kart Club, on the now well established Motard track the club has built in partnership with the Motorcycle Sportsmen.  This is the same track that plays host to the Queensland round of the Australian National Supermoto series, as well as State Title race meetings.</