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. This month we have lots of updates! Words: Ed Stratmann
With many Australians showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines both on-track and off-road, our latest column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their chosen classes. This month we have Jack Miller, Senna Agius, Jacob Roulstone, Joel Kelso, Remy Gardner, Oli Bayliss, Tom Edwards, Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence.
On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP
Jack Miller’s endured a mixed start to the 2024 MotoGP season, with one unsatisfactory and one positive result. Kicking things off with a tough opener in Qatar, where an early fall dashed his hopes of achieving a strong outcome, this wasn’t ideal at all. But, to his credit, the popular pilot remounted to valiantly finish in 21st.
Moving on to Portugal, and he enjoyed a far better time at the iconic circuit, with his fifth on Friday and in the sprint underlining his speed and skill ahead of the Sunday action. The #43 then carried on the theme of the weekend by securing fifth in the main race despite encountering some tire problems to pick up some quality points to propel himself to ninth in the standings.
“We still have a bit of work to do but this was a massive improvement over Qatar.”
“I wanted a little bit more today. I wanted to go with the boys at the front early on but just didn’t quite have the pace mid-corner to get my claws-in and hang on for the [tire] drop. We got a bit lucky with some of the crashes at the end there…but we’ll take it. We have to have some luck sometimes! We still have a bit of work to do but this was a massive improvement over Qatar. The bike has plenty of potential, so we’ll do our homework, look at the data and come back for another go in Austin,” Miller mused.
Senna Agius – Moto2
Making steady progress in Portugal following his difficult weekend in Qatar, where he battled tire issues to ultimately claim 17th, Portimao was a valuable step in the right direction for Senna Agius. Gaining a boost of confidence by getting fourth in Q1, this held him in good stead to enjoy a solid weekend full of vital track time and learning.
Eventually clinching 13th in qualifying, not far off the pacesetters, Agius headed to Sunday aiming to secure a points scoring position. And that’s what he did, even though he was handed a long lap penalty for a pass when the yellow flag was out, to ride to 14th. Getting better with every passing race and gaining crucial experience in the elite confines of Moto2, expect him to keep levelling up when the series heads to America.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling. The first points of the season and the gap to the winner was the smallest I’ve had in the championship so far. Anyway, the first five laps were a good improvement, but during the race I had a little problem when I did an overtake under the yellow flag,” he reflected.
“A big thank you to the team, we are working well because I felt the best all weekend today and we are competitive.”
“Nevertheless, I had to give back the position and so I had to ride super slowly. In the end, the situation was a bit confusing, and it turned into a long lap penalty. So, I thought I’d do my best afterwards and bring the points home. A big thank you to the team, we are working well because I felt the best all weekend today and we are competitive. Unfortunately, the top ten slipped away from us due to one or two mistakes, but the most important thing is that we made a good step in pace and the overall feeling is good. A big thank you to the whole LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP team for the weekend, we are ready for Texas.”
Jacob Roulstone – Moto3
Having began his rookie campaign in Moto3 under the Tech3 awning with a solid 10th at the opening round, young Aussie flyer Jacob Roulstone backed that up with an 11th in Portugal. Making improvements all the time with the bike and in terms of his riding while he adapts to the class, Roulstone’s navigated the step up admirably so far.
“Quite happy with the race. I left it all out there, which was the main thing. The only thing that could be better was my first laps and I need to be more aggressive. Still, it was a step up from Qatar. I fought my way back as much as I could. The bike felt really good with a couple of changes we made for the race. The team is leading the championship, which is great, and I learnt a lot today.”
“The team is leading the championship, which is great, and I learnt a lot today.”
Immediately shifting his focus to Texas, it’ll be intriguing to see if he can keep along his upward trajectory and keep making strides in all areas.
Joel Kelso – Moto3
Starting his 2024 term with a handy eighth in Qatar on a night that could’ve been even better if his tires didn’t deteriorate so severely, Joel Kelso is proving what a class act he is. Continuing to flex his muscles in Moto3, the Australian’s speed was tremendous all weekend at Portimao, for the man who loves the thrilling circuit let his riding do all the talking.
Stamping his mark in the early sessions before bagging second in qualifying, this set him up nicely to put his best foot forward in the race. In the fight for victory throughout, super comfortable mixing it with the frontrunners and gelling superbly with the bike, Kelso ended the bout in fifth to round out a brilliant weekend of action.
“It was a good weekend, we worked really well. In the race the bike was perfect, so I’m really happy with how everything went.”
“We scored some good points today. It was a pity not to finish on the podium, but overall it was a very good race. In Moto3 it’s like a lottery, there are a lot of fights and anything can happen in the front group. It was a good weekend, we worked really well. In the race the bike was perfect, so I’m really happy with how everything went. We will have many more opportunities, the season is very long, it’s not how it starts, it’s how it ends. Every race we are stronger and we are already fighting at the front, we have shown that we are candidates for the victory,” he explained.
Remy Gardner – World Superbike
Although he knows there’s huge scope for refinement, the second stop on the WorldSBK calendar didn’t treat Remy Gardner too badly. Looking fast from the off and slotting neatly inside the top five in the early free practice session before nailing down eighth on the grid for race one, a frustrated Gardner battled with tire life to finish 15th.
Sunday saw an uptick in performance after some bike adjustments, though, allowing him to record ninth in the superpole race and sixth in race two, which was amended to seventh due to him being docked a spot for exceeding track limits on the last lap.
“The pace overall was good and in the sprint race everyone was close and I managed to finish ninth”…
“The day was okay, I think we made the correct choices. The pace overall was good and in the sprint race everyone was close and I managed to finish ninth, which allowed me to start again from the third row in race two. Then, I had a good getaway gaining places, ending up fighting for the top five; in the last lap I tried everything I could and crossed the line in sixth before being demoted to seventh due to track limits. I don’t think that’s right, even after checking, but it is what it is,” he insisted.
“We come back home scoring valuable points and being aware that we could enjoy a strong weekend in Assen. I’d like to thank the team for the great job done and the support, see you in the Netherlands.”
Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Mixing the ups and downs in Catalunya, Oli Bayliss left round two with many positives to extract in his quest to get back to a level resembling his best. Struggling in the early stages of the event, which led to him only managing to grasp 17th and 21st in the superpole race and race one respectively, it was terrific to see him flip the script for the final race.
Blasting through the field in the red flag interrupted race, there was much to admire how Bayliss surged from 24th to 11th in just six laps. Showcasing his capabilities emphatically and giving himself a real injection of confidence, he’ll be eager to translate this momentum into Assen in April.
“It wasn’t an easy weekend, I struggled more than expected, but we did a good job in understanding what needed to be changed”…
“Obviously it feels good to finish the weekend off with a pretty good result, considering my starting position after the red flag. It wasn’t an easy weekend, I struggled more than expected, but we did a good job in understanding what needed to be changed and things went differently today. From my side, we know what I need to improve come qualifying in Assen and for the remainder of the year. Thank you to the team and all the sponsors for their great support,” recalled Bayliss.
Tom Edwards – World Supersport
Heading into the opening WorldSSP Challenge round mentally and physically in top shape, Tom Edwards was full of excitement that he could assert his authority early on a track he’d previously shown speed at. The Aussie did precisely that in his first outing with the D34G Racing squad to bank the win in his class, plus prove he has the pace to mix it with some of the WorldSSP heavy hitters.
While his weekend began on the wrong foot with a technical gremlin that the team subsequently resolved and a crash in race one, Edwards stuck at it manfully to produce an excellent second stanza to win his category by virtue of his 13th place finish (just behind Bayliss).
“Obviously. I was very disappointed with the race one crash, but we managed to make amends today”…
“I am happy with today and the weekend overall and I think it is a positive start to the season. Obviously. I was very disappointed with the race one crash, but we managed to make amends today – this is racing, after all. I feel like we have much more potential, and I am excited for what is ahead with the D34G Racing team. The team and I have learned a lot together over the weekend and are ready to fight further up the field in Assen. Big thanks to all the team who worked their hardest all week,” read his statement on the team’s website.
Off-Road
Jett Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Currently leading the championship by 16 points having won three of the last four races, Jett Lawrence continues to captivate audiences across the globe in AMA Supercross. Clearly the fastest man in the absolutely stacked 450 division, it’s been a joy to watch the Aussie sensation strut his stuff in March, and over the course of the campaign as a whole.
Although his three race winning streak this month was broken in Seattle, the fact he picked up third was fine, in a race where mistakes cost him. Owning the fastest lap time in the main event by over a second, an unfortunate incident with eventual winner Cooper Webb, in combination with some extra missteps, ensured he was unable to reign supreme in this one. Nonetheless, Jett still remains the man to beat with seven rounds left, as the series heads to St. Louis.
Jett still remains the man to beat with seven rounds left, as the series heads to St. Louis.
“It was a bit of an up-and-down day – good qualifying, good heat race, not that good of a start in the main. I had a really good flow for the first 10 minutes and started catching the guys in front of me. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t check up when I caught second in the sand and took the fall. I still got away with a third. I lost some points overall, but I’m excited to get them back in St. Louis,” Lawrence stated.
Hunter Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Considering he’s suffering with a lingering shoulder injury that kept him out of Birmingham, Hunter Lawrence deserves immense credit for charging through the pain barrier since. Indeed, his latest body of work in Seattle was a testament to the tenacious #96’s mental and physical fortitude, where he won his heat race, just like his brother, and went on to secure seventh in the main.
“It was awesome to get my first career heat-race win”…
“It was awesome to get my first career heat-race win; I wish we had the same kind of start in the main. I struggled the first 10 minutes, but I felt like I caught fire in the last half of the race and caught a bunch of guys, so that was epic. Thanks to the team because we put in a ton of work lately, and I can feel it paying off,” he concluded.
More than holding his own in the premier class, it’ll be a case of more of the same for Hunter in St. Louis, as the 250 champ’s next aim will be grabbing a coveted 450 podium finish.
