NO
FEAR HONDA FIRST-RATE AT GILLMAN
It was all smiles for
team No Fear Honda at round seven of the Australian
Motocross Championships with Craig Anderson having a superlative
day of
racing and team mate Cody Cooper returning to round winning form
in a
display that reminded all why he convincingly conquered last year’s
Pro
Lite Championship.
Under sunny skies, lead
rider Anderson finished second overall for the day
in the Open class at the ever popular Gillman, South Australia track
after
keeping current championship leader Daryl Hurley at bay in moto
one and
finishing fourth in moto two.
Showing no residual signs
of his mid season hindering foot injury, Anderson
took the holeshot in the morning’s premiere race with Hurley
applying
plenty of pressure for the entirety of the duel. Ando then managed
to
create a gap of a few seconds in the final few laps, allowing him
to secure
the win.
The second moto of the
day was a tighter affair with Ando getting away in
the top three and dicing closely with Hurley and Team Moto Honda’s
Shayne
King. Craig managed to get the lead but a small upset over one of
the jumps
disrupted his rhythm, causing him to lose precious time and relegating
him
to fourth.
With a second place podium
finish, Ando remains in fifth position on the
ladder going into the final round in two weeks time.
“There was some
tough, close racing going on today and I really enjoyed
it,” Anderson noted. “All of the guys at the top are
extremely competitive,
and I’m looking forward to having another go with them at
the final round
in Conondale.”
In the Pro Lite contest,
Cooper moved himself four places up in the
Championship in one hit after collecting 43 points on Sunday with
privateer
Honda rider Warren Smart finishing in a close second. Cody was clearly
fit
and focused as he set the fastest lap time in qualifying, ultimately
translating that to an overall round win - the first for the flying
Kiwi
this season.
With an average start
in moto one, Cooper slowly but surely worked his way
up through the throng of riders to finish in fourth. Second time
around,
however, the 21 year old talent got away much more effectively into
the top
three. By the third lap, he had taken the lead and simply took off
in
pace-chasing style.
“I knew I had the
speed today and I just had to try and get the best starts
I could. No one likes having to work their way up from the back,
but
sometimes you don’t have a choice,” Cooper said. “It
felt good to get a win
under my belt, that’s for sure. This season has been a tough
one for me so
when you have a weekend where everything feels right, it is a huge
bonus.”
The results were definitely
a “great morale booster for everyone,”
according to Team Manager Pip Harrison. “Cody was in great
form this
weekend. When everything falls into place for him, it is quite an
amazing
thing to watch. He is an incredibly talented motocrosser.”
Whilst enduring Honda
man Troy Dorron sat out the weekend due to an injury
sustained in Tasmania, the Team took on guest rider and enduro racer
extraordinaire Jamie Cunningham.
Jamie had a capricious
but enjoyable experience, proving that he has the
pace to mix it up with this country’s top riders.
A crash within the first
couple of laps in race one put the 32 year old at
odds with the pack, however he managed to finish just inside the
points.
Jamie’s second race was looking much more promising as he
worked his way up
into fifth until a technical problem caused his early demise.
“Jamie has not
ridden in a professional motocross series for some time but
he is still one hell of a rider,” Harrison said. “We’re
really pleased to
have him on board again for the final round in Queensland.”
Anderson, Cooper, Cunningham
and Rebecca Lipsett (National Cup) are all
definite runners for the series decider in two weeks. Dorron will
continue
to recuperate from a separated rib, and will make the decision on
whether
he will ride closer to the day.
In a worthy mention,
Full Throttle Sports Honda junior rider Kade Mosig
also wrapped up the national rookies class in SA after a perfect
three
round score of 150 points. Kade recently secured two Victorian State
Titles
including A grade 125cc (CR 125) and A grade 250cc 4-strokes (CRF
250),
proving he is a young talent destined for greatness.
According to
Team Manager Yarrive Konsky, “Kade is an exceptional athlete.
He has a positive mental attitude and continually moves toward a
higher
level of excellence which constitutes an unbeatable force. Just
like Honda,
our primary supporter, we never forget
that shared team values take us from
strength to strength”.
