With many Australians showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines both on-track and off-road, our monthly column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their chosen classes against the best riders in the world. Edward Sratmann has our September update…
Jack Miller – MotoGP
Jack Miller ended the month of September in scintillating fashion by recording an outstanding victory in Japan. Looking fast all weekend and riding full of authority, composure and intelligence, there would be no denying the likeable Australian, on a day where he finished 3.409s ahead of Brad Binder in second.
Recording his first win since he was triumphant at Le Mans last year, an emotional Miller couldn’t hide his delight with his triumph. “It was an emotional one that’s for certain, as it always is with me, I don’t know why. I was crying like a baby on the in-lap. It was awesome, I didn’t know I had that in me, it was amazing to lead from almost start to finish,” he disclosed.
“When you’re riding or racing like that, the biggest opponent you’ve got is the man inside your head – so I was just trying to not listen to him too much, and it was relatively easy to not listen to him today when the bike’s working as well as it was. I got asked afterwards whether that was the race of my life, and I’d have to say 100 percent yes. Ever since we kicked things off here in Japan on Friday afternoon, I felt incredible on the bike. Everything felt like it was coming relatively easy. The bike was working fantastic and every little thing we tried was getting better.”
While the rest of the month saw him mix the highs, such as coming fifth in Aragon, with the lows, his 18th at San Marino, Miller now heads into Thailand buoyed with confidence following his win in Japan.
Remy Gardner – MotoGP
Having confirmed his switch to World Superbikes for next season after a frustrating campaign that’s been littered with obstacles, such as being axed by KTM, niggling injuries and issues with the bike, Remy Gardner has admirably kept plugging away.
Obtaining a decent 19th in San Marino, a great 16th at Aragon, where he fought doggedly before ultimately missing the points, and a 19th at Motegi, it’s hard to fault his recent efforts considering the circumstances he’s in.
Knowing he hasn’t got the package to beat the big guns in the class, he’s still finishing his races and gaining vital experience in this elite class that will surely hold the former Moto2 World Champion in good stead for his future endeavors.
Senna Agius – Moto2
Serving as Sam Lowes’ replacement for two more rounds as the Brit recovered from injury for the Marc VDS Racing Team in Moto2, Senna Agius keeps highlighting his class. After an unsatisfactory round at Misano, where he unintentionally took out Filip Salac to DNF, the man who usually competes in European Moto2 got back in the groove at Aragon.
Grabbing a terrific 16th in what was his third Moto2 race, things could’ve been even better for him had he not had to perform two long lap penalties – one for the aforementioned Salac move and one for exceeding track limits. Putting in lap times that rivalled those inside the top 10 and gaining crucial experience duking it out in this fiercely competitive division, the Sydneysider will have learned plenty yet again while instilling himself with the belief he can compete at this high level.
“I felt really mentally solid out there today. After the first long lap I just put my head down and caught the group again. I was managing the drop of the tyres really well compared to the last races where I kind of lost my way a bit. I met some personal goals there,” he insisted. “In the end I was pushing a bit hard and on the exit of turn 10 in the third sector, I ran onto the track limit. I knew I had made a mistake. But I didn’t give up on the last lap. A top twelve was definitely on the cards today. We have to take these two penalties into consideration and be happy about today.”
Joel Kelso – Moto3
Although his last three races haven’t been what he’s looking for, positives can still be extracted from Joel Kelso’s September even though he had a DNF at the Japanese GP last weekend. To start with Misano, and the way he scorched through the field from 30th to finish 14th was very impressive indeed, as he demonstrated his super speed.
Off to Aragon with momentum, sadly his race day was scuppered when Ryusei Yamanaka crashed near him on the first lap, thus forcing Kelso to avoid him, which cost him valuable time. Pushed to the back and effectively ruining his race, ultimately had to settling for 21st.
Another interesting piece of news surrounding the 19-year-old comes in the form of the announcement that he’ll be switching teams to CFMOTO for the 2023 Moto3 crusade. “First of all, I’m really excited about this new project for next year, being a part of the team and racing for CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP,” gleamed Kelso.
“Honestly, the goal is to be in the front in most of the races and I think it’s a doable task for me. Especially since the team is very strong, experienced and competitive. I want to show my speed, so I’m grateful to have the opportunity at CFMOTO to fight for podiums.”
Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike
Having endured some challenging recent rounds that saw him relinquish the championship lead, Jason O’Halloran was desperate to get back on track at the first of the three Showdown rounds. Starting his weekend promisingly to secure third in qualifying, things took a turn for the worse in the races, though. Crashing twice after collisions in two of the races, it just wasn’t his weekend at all, with luck clearly not on his side at Oulton Park.*
When speaking after the first spill, it was clear the weekend’s action left him devastated and dejected. “I’m disappointed, we’ve worked all year for this and someone that’s not even in it has just absolutely cleaned me out,” he lamented.
“Physically I’m alright, the bike is bent in half so the boys have got a big job on tonight. I’m gutted, I was lining Tommy up for a pass into the last turn, it should have been 20 points for us and now we are a pretty big chunk behind. I’ve worked my balls off all year for this and I’ve been taken out just like that. I felt like I was riding really well, we did a couple of 1:33s in the race which I was really happy about and I had the pace to match Tommy, Brad had a bit more but I definitely had enough for second so I’m sure we’ll be in the fight tomorrow.”
With his title charge as good as over with two rounds left, the Aussie should still be proud of his efforts, as he’s shown consistently what an accomplished rider he is.
Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight – Red Bull Rookies & Moto3 Junior World Championship
Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight returned to action in the The Red Bull Rookies Cup at Aragon, as both enjoyed solid weekends at the office.
In the case of Roulstone, it was another valuable weekend of work, for he displayed some handy pace in the first race especially, where he methodically worked his way through the field after a rocky start to finish 13th. The second race didn’t go as well for him courtesy of him getting bumped off the track and then getting hit in the head with a knee slider, thus dropping him way back. To his credit, though, Roulstone recalibrated his focus and stuck at it, with him eventually clawing himself back to 17th.
Meanwhile, Voight’s Aragon adventure got off to a sparkling start, qualifying in an outstanding fourth position to kick off his weekend wonderfully. Desperate to translate his pace into race day, unfortunately things didn’t go as well as he envisaged. But Voight nonetheless registered a commendable ninth in the opening race and 11th in the final stanza of the day. “A good start to the weekend yet a not so satisfying end. Although I have a positive mindset knowing I had a crack & also what I need to work harder on,” he said afterwards.
Sitting 10th in the championship in a class that’s full of gifted youngsters heading into the final round, there’s every chance he could rise even higher if everything goes to plan at the Valencia round.
Josh Hook – FIM EWC Endurance
Drawing the curtain on his 2022 season by becoming EWC Champion, Josh Hook rounded out the year in fine style.
Getting the job done by virtue of their fourth placed finish at the 100th anniversary of the Bol d’Or at Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, the Aussie and his TSR Honda France teammates in Mike Di Meglio and Alan Techer couldn’t have been happier at the completion of the gruelling 24 hour race.
Having faced some adversity with tire and radiator problems during the race, which dropped them back to 27th, they produced a magnificent comeback as a collective to ultimately secure fourth place to ensure their status as World Champions.
“I have learned from the past to never take a result for granted before the chequered flag. We have come back from complicated situations in the past and nothing is ever certain,” a delighted Hook told the Honda website. “Like everyone else, we did our race and never gave up. We did very well, all three of us were fast, especially at night. We were quickly no longer in a position to fight for victory, so we focused on the championship, which was clearly the priority goal. We chose to take care of the engine as much as possible to avoid the problems that most of our competitors have. And it’s done!”
Mitch Evans – MXGP
Ending a largely positive MXGP season 10th in the hugely competitive class, Mitch Evans should be proud of his efforts even though his results didn’t always match his undoubted pace. While he produced some exceptional rides, such as his qualifying race win in Sweden, the popular Aussie was still slightly disappointed he couldn’t achieve his goal of securing a podium. But all things considered, it was fantastic to see him come back from his long-term wrist injury to complete the entire season.
Building as the campaign progressed and showing he had the speed to match it with the frontrunners on a variety of surfaces, there was much to admire about his crusade.
Marcus Pereira de Freitas, HRC MXGP General Manager, gave an insightful summary of his 2022, explaining: “For Mitch, we really thought he could achieve his goal of a podium, and for the first part of race one it looked really likely. However, we are still proud of his efforts because he never gave up and put in all the work necessary to get back to the front of the field. The results might not always show it, but he is one of the best motocross riders on the planet.”
Jed Beaton – MXGP
Starting the season off with a bang in MXGP by banking a masterful sixth overall at Matterley Basin, Jed Beaton proved he has what it takes to duel with the elite pilots in MXGP. Frustratingly, though, he was unable to replicate this effort for the remainder of the term due to a shoulder injury he suffered at Mantova, which severely impacted the rest of his term.
Forced to sit out a few rounds after initially attempting to carry on, upon his return to action, the F&H Kawasaki man bravely rode through the pain to put in some credible results on his way to closing the season with nine top fifteen overall finishes.
“It’s been a tough and struggling year to say the least, I don’t really have too much to say about it as it’s done now and I can just move forward. I’m sure this year will make me a better person/athlete overall in the future,” he stated. “I just want to say a huge thank you to every single person at F&H Kawasaki Racing Team, they all play a part in us going racing week in, week out. They were all behind me in the good and bad times, and I’ll be forever thankful for that! Even though it wasn’t a good year on the bike it was still awesome to be a part of the team this year – thanks for having me.”
Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
Clinching his second consecutive 250 AMA Pro Motocross championship in style by claiming the overall at Pala II to accompany his 250 East Supercross title, Jett Lawrence was unquestionably a cut above his competitors once more.
Winning nine of the 12 rounds, there was no stopping the gifted 19-year-old on his path to glory. Riding with consistency and with a maturity that belies his tender years, the ultra fast Australian’s crown was the latest step in a career that’s destined to be littered with even more silverware.
Limiting the damage on his off days and able to cope if he got a poor start, the effortlessly speedy Honda HRC wizard cut a content figure when reflecting on his outdoor campaign. “It’s awesome to get it done back-to-back. I’m definitely grateful,” he asserted.
“The team has been awesome this year. Honda brought out an awesome new CRF250R and I’m super pumped to be on it again in Supercross next year. I’m also excited to ride the 450 in Pro Motocross next summer.”
Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
Not riding to his full potential, making some uncharacteristic mistakes and enduring the odd bike issue, Hunter Lawrence incredibly finished his motocross season without an overall victory unfortunately.
Knowing he has the speed to match it with anyone on his day, the older Lawrence brother still impressively recorded nine overall podiums. Engaging in some captivating battles with Jett and Jo Shimoda and highlighting what a skilful operator he is, claiming third in the standings wasn’t a bad outcome in the end. Eager to come out swinging in 2023 to truly stamp his mark and win a title after coming close indoors and outdoors, expect him to be a major player in both disciplines.
Team Australia Motocross of Nations
Entering the Motocross of Nations as one of the favourites, Team Australia, that consisted of the Lawrence brothers and Mitch Evans, did their country proud by bagging a tremendous third overall. Starting off the showpiece tidily, their third place in qualifying served as a good omen for things to come, as the Aussies looked comfortable and fast on the RedBud circuit.
Come race day, and all three men did their job in the rain soaked, treacherous conditions to propel the boys from Down Under onto the podium. While Evans and Hunter Lawrence proved their quality to claim ninth and second in their respective classes, Jett’s debut on the 450 was particularly impressive, as the 19-year-old immediately found his rhythm to win the Open class ahead of seasoned stars like Chase Sexton and Dylan Ferrandis.
“It is great to get on the podium with Team Australia. It hasn’t happened much in our history, so to be part of a team that’s done it is a massive honour,” Evans stated after the event. “The first moto went well, just rode a nice consistent race and kept a good pace throughout. I knew it was important to get us off to a good start and together with Hunter we did that in race one. Jett and Hunter then did a great race two to give us a solid shot at the podium, and that’s what happened in race three.”
“I would have liked to have done a bit better but it’s motocross and anything can happen, but thankfully we still did well enough to land on the podium. A big thank you to all of the team for the job they did in what ended up being really tough conditions, and I can’t wait to be part of this event again, where we will try to do even better.”
