Our homegrown talent has been battling it out on track and making us proud! Check out our monthly column that follows all things Aussies racing internationally on and off-road, from MotoGP to AMA Motocross. See what our future and current champions are up to… Words: Ed Stratmann.
Remy Gardner – World Superbike
Beginning his month at Donington Park, Remy Gardner endured a difficult weekend at the office due to the tricky conditions and his lack of prior track knowledge. Although encouragement could initially be extracted from his charge from 18th to 10th in race one, the Superpole race and race two proved very difficult, for he could only muster 15th and 12th place finishes respectively.
Looking for an improved effort at Imola, frustratingly this wasn’t to be, as the Yamaha pilot struggled to adapt to another unfamiliar circuit in the sweltering heat. Bagging 11th in both races to go with his 11th in the Superpole race in a weekend where he displayed solid race pace to recover from way back, an upbeat Gardner took the positives and will now switch his attention to the next round.
“It was once again a very hot day, and the weekend hasn’t been easy, but we have to focus on the good parts – the races today were not bad at all, the race pace was decent, and we could fight to recover positions. We took some valuable points and we gained good data for the future. Let’s move forward to the next round in Most,” said the man who occupies 11th in the standings.
Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Entering the Imola stop of the World Supersport calendar under a serious injury cloud following the dislocated shoulder and subsequent ligament damage sustained at Donington during qualifying, Oli Bayliss ultimately had to withdraw after FP1 due to his ailments despite giving it a crack.
“Unfortunately, the seventh round has come to an early end for myself here at Imola. I’ve been declared unfit for the rest of the weekend. After the crash at Donington Park we had an MRI done and found one ligament sliced through and one sliced halfway through proving we did dislocate the shoulder in the crash,” he divulged.
“I thought I might have at least been able to ride this weekend, however, after struggling to ride a bicycle early on in the week, I knew it would have been a difficult situation. We now have to look at all options to get myself back to 100% so I have no problems in the future with an old injury. Thank you to everyone for the support, and of course my team, D34G Racing for everything they are doing for me. Hopefully we’ll come back strong very soon.”
Senna Agius – European Moto2
Aussie sensation Senna Agius mixed the highs with the lows in July, with an emphatic victory in Portugal starting things off superbly before a frustrating crash in Catalunya ended his month disappointingly. Having logged first in all the sessions and both races to keep up his imperious form to ensure he extended his ascendancy atop the standings, another statement blow was landed by Agius to his adversaries at Portimao.
A nasty spill at Catalunya sadly ended his weekend here on the Friday, though, thus meaning he missed both races and the chance to wrap up the title.
“Portimao two weeks ago was, on the whole, very pleasing from our point of view. First of all, great praise to Senna, who delivered a fantastic weekend. To top it, he won both races, which he really dominated,” said Dirk Reissmann of the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Junior Team.
“For Barcelona we had hoped to continue at this level with him, but unfortunately this came abruptly to an end by a crash. Fortunately, Senna is doing well, apart of course from the two fractures he suffered in his hand. This was shown by a scan very clearly. At the moment it looks like no surgery will be necessary, as there is a long break until the next race. In any case, we wish him all the best for a quick and uncomplicated recovery. Nevertheless, it is a great pity that this weekend is over for him.”
Harrison Voight – European Moto2
Making vital progress with every passing outing, there’s been much to admire about Harrison Voight’s latest offerings. To start with Portugal, and his impressive charge from 10th to fifth was a major highlight on a weekend that was ruined in the second race by a front brake problem. Another step in the right direction was then made in Catalunya, with a 13th and a sixth in the races supplementing his third in FP1, fourth in FP2 and eighth in qualifying.
“Felt good to gain more experience today in both races. In race one, I got off to a good start and was gaining positions early although I started having issues with arm pump and getting pain in my lower back. Race two was much better, having more pace and consistency considering the pain in my back. Nevertheless, I’m satisfied to finally get a decent result after the past rounds we’ve had. Big thank you to the team, sponsors and supporters that make this happen,” he recalled.
Jacob Roulstone – Red Bull Rookies Cup & JuniorGP Moto3
Continuing to make impressive strides forward, Jacob Roulstone’s July has been littered with upside. Kicking things off at the JuniorGP at Portimao with a fifth in qualifying before going ninth in the opening race, where mistakes cost him, and 14th in the second, where he was running fourth until being pushed wide on the penultimate lap, he left Portugal knowing his results didn’t match his speed.
Eager for more at Catalunya, Roulstone’s wicked pace was evident from the outset, as he not only banked fourth and second in the free practice sessions, but also qualified a striking second. He then carried his momentum into race one on his way to claiming a fantastic second to reward himself for all his hard work. Even though he was taken out in the second stanza to end the event on a sour note, he still left feeling content with his output.
“A second podium in FIM JuniorGP today in race one by finishing in P2 and so very happy to share this with everyone who works hard for me to be able to race. Race 2: DNF after being taken out along with three other riders. But we won’t let that take the shine off an awesome weekend,” he reflected. “Thanks to the Aspar Team, Santi, Antonio and Fran for all their amazing work all week. We go on summer break now for this championship until October. In the meantime a little time to relax and then training hard to keep aiming higher.”
Josh Brookes – British Superbike
Beginning the first of the two BSB rounds in July wonderfully at Snetterton, Josh Brookes propelled himself onto the podium in two of the three bouts. While his pair of seconds in the sprint race and the opener were brilliant, the fact he was forced out in the finale courtesy of a sensor issue while leading scuppered his weekend.
Topping the opening practice session and locking in third in qualifying at Brands Hatch, the signs were excellent that this was a precursor for a strong weekend ahead. Getting 12th in a wet sprint race definitely wasn’t what he envisaged, and neither was finishing ninth and crashing out in the Sunday races respectively to end his round in an unsatisfactory manner. Wanting to put this one in the rear vision mirror, both he and the team’s attention will now rapidly shift to the upcoming Thruxton, as Brookes and co. will be striving for an upturn in fortunes.
“The weekend started out well and it was looking promising, we topped the first practice, the pace and everything was consistent throughout practice and even in qualifying we had a last-minute shower and we were on the front row for the first race. But then it seemed everything turned bad and sour. The first race, I can only imagine we had a bad tyre or something as the bike just didn’t perform in wet conditions, we got a poor result, which meant I had a bad position on the grid for the dry race today. I made up a couple of places, but not enough to be satisfied. We tried to make something of the final race, but I got squeezed in the first turn, which ended up in a crash – so I have nothing really good to take away from the weekend. We’re frustrated, annoyed – all the emotions you can have. We’ll now regroup ahead of Thruxton and hope we can turn it around there,” he lamented.
Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike
Racing out of the blocks at Snetterton to grab pole and a third in the sprint, Jason O’Halloran couldn’t have hoped for a better way to start the fifth round of BSB. Backing this up with a fifth and a sixth in the races, these solid outcomes were as good as he could’ve hoped he admitted, with the Ducati and BMW men enjoying a clear speed advantage.
Brands Hatch then awaited the McAMS Yamaha man, as the wet surface and grip issues saw him only capable of fifth in race one to start the round in decent fashion. A pair of sixths then followed on the Sunday, which left him feeling disappointed and eager for more at the next one at a happy hunting ground of his at Thruxton, where he’s won five of the previous six. “It’s been a tough weekend to be honest. I’d be lying if I said I was happy about it. I’m getting quite frustrated at the minute, but that’s life, you’ve got to keep fighting with what you’ve got.” he expressed.
“I thought Brands would be good for us, but it was just a difficult weekend. We don’t really seem to have any strong points at the moment, which is hard to believe really. We need to put our heads together for Thruxton, I’ve won five of the last six races at Thruxton and if I get beaten there it’ll be tough. It’s not ideal, but we’ll work through it and find a solution.”
Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
Jett Lawrence has kept up his scintillating form in the 450 class in AMA Pro Motocross by extending his streak to eight straight overall victories and 16 consecutive moto triumphs. Getting the job done in the last four rounds at RedBud, Southwick, Spring Creek and Washougal, the Aussie continues to underline his class, with his ability to manage races, adapt to the conditions at hand and ramp up the intensity when need be being nothing short of remarkable.
How he’s expertly held off the challenge of his teammate, Chase Sexton, has been another key factor, for the #23 has been pushing hard in recent weeks but without reward due to Jett’s mastery. With an undefeated season edging closer and closer and the championship all but sealed for the Aussie dynamo, it’ll be fascinating watching to see if he can achieve a rare perfect season, as just three rounds remain.
Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
While Hunter Lawrence still holds the lead in the 250 class in AMA Pro Motocross, things certainly haven’t been easy, for he’s faced his fair share of adversity in the form of crashes, a mechanical DNF and through battling injury. To his credit, though, the ultra-competitive and determined Hunter keeps fighting on doggedly.
Even though he’s been far from satisfied with his last four overalls as a whole, that read 9-13-1-3, that quality work from the beginning of the series has ensured he still has a slender three-point advantage over Haiden Deegan. Looking forward to the three-week break to rest, recover and recalibrate his focus, expect the #96 to come out swinging in the final three rounds in his quest for glory.
Mitch Evans – MXGP
Having missed the pre-season and the subsequent first part of the season, Mitch Evans continues to play catch up on his competitors. Making steady gains this month, as he’s now claimed four top 10 overalls in the last five rounds, the aim for him is now to venture into the top five in the stacked MXGP class. Indeed, this is something that’s easier said than done, which was illustrated last weekend in the brutal sands of Lommel, where he duked it out valiantly to claim 13th overall.
“Moto one was really good; I pushed through really well to eighth and was happy with my riding. I got a better start in race two, but got caught up in turn two and lost a heap of positions. I came back through again, but then I felt a lot of cramping in my lower back. There were a lot of positives again; just the last ten to fifteen minutes could have been better,” asserted Evans.
Have we missed anyone? Leave a comment letting us know who you’d like to see us keep you up to date with their international two wheeled successes!
