Budd and teammate, Jesse Dobson, both faced some challenges over the weekend as the Appin circuit again provided a confronting stage for the riders with its long and twisted ruts and huge jumps.

Budd was confident coming into the Appin round as he is familiar with the circuit having spent plenty of time here as a junior but with the hot weather expected, the track conditions were considerably different to what he would have experienced in the past with plenty of water pumped into the track to keep the dust under control.

It was those muddy conditions that caught Budd out in moto one when he was barrelled into turn one only to be severally roosted by flying dirt debris as the 40 rider field leaned back in the throttle. Budd’s vision was reduced to nothing and before lap was even completed, he was into the mechanics area for a goggle swap which left him towards the back and a lot of work to be done.

With some new goggles and clear vision began his climb back through the field and made his way from 32nd place back to 10th by race end in a commendable effort. Despite the first race charged, he wasn’t satisfied with the result and vowed to do better in race two.

He ripped a great start and parked his YZ250F in the lead on the opening laps. Slotted in behind him were the heavy weights of the field but Budd dug in and was up for the fight. Wilson Todd was able to sneak by, then Nathan Crawford, as Budd settled into third place. Crawford go the better of Todd, then Budd stayed in touch with Todd all the way until the finish but unable to slip past. His 10-3 results gave him fourth for the day and moved him up to sixth in the MX2 championship.

“We had to work hard for it today,” Budd begins. “The track was pretty wet and sloppy, and I didn’t get a great lap in qualifying in and not the best choice of gate. Then I was just smashed with mud in the first few turns and had to get some goggles as it was too dangerous to race with out them. I did what I could but the leaders were long gone. For race two, we just put a lot of focus on the start, and I was able to get the holeshot and lead for a couple of laps. Nathan and Wilson got past me and I had Alex Larwood right behind me so the pressure was on the whole race but I managed to stay in third and finish the day strongly.”

“Thanks to the Serco Yamaha team and our sponsors for the support and things are starting to come around. I’m looking forward to the next round and keep fighting my way back into this championship,” Budd said.

It was a tough day for Jesse Dobson who just couldn’t find any flow or consistency on the Appin circuit. His qualifying was a bit off and could only manage 6-11 results in the two motos to land in seventh for the day and sit fourth in the championship.

“Not a real lot to say unfortunately. I just had an off day and couldn’t get comfortable on the track. I had speed at times but it wasn’t fast enough for long enough to get the result myself and the team deserve. I want to watch the video of the race to see what the other riders were doing and why I was struggling so much. You can still learn a lot from a tough day like this and I want to ensure I bounce back at the next round and give the Serco Yamaha team a result they can be proud of,” Dobson offers.

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Dobson had been a journeyman racer from the moment he turned pro in 2013 but found a home at Serco Yamaha in 2020 and has come on in leaps and bounds since joining the team. His speed, results and consistency has been on the upswing since day one and culminated with a strong second place finish in the 2021 Pro MX Championships MX2 class.

He has also matured off the track and is a dedicated professional racer who now prepares as well as anyone. Dobson takes his racing seriously and has put the right people around him to climb the ladder and for 2022, that means nothing short of championship success.

“Serco Yamaha has been the perfect fit for me, and my career has changed for the better since coming on board in 2020. Gavin, Ben, and Paul all work hard and put in the hard yards to ensure we have what we need to be successful, and we all are driven by winning,” Dobson explains.

“There is good chemistry in the team and with each season, our relationship gets stronger, and our results continue to get better. Last year, was good but this year is going to be better. We have started the pre-season earlier, the race bikes will be better, and I feel 2022 is my chance to really make it happen. I’m more motivated than ever and the team are right behind me so I can’t wait to get back behind the gates again and go racing,” 

After two seasons of racing in Europe, Bailey Malkiewicz returns to Australia for a full season of domestic racing and looking to re-establish himself as one of the worlds best up and coming racers. At 19 years of age, with a junior world championship already to his name, Malkiewicz’s talent is undeniable, but injuries have slowed his progress for the past two seasons.

But a change of tack in 2022 will see Malkiewicz based not only in Australia but a move to Queensland is on the cards so he will be closer to his Brisbane based team. He is now injury free and able to complete a full pre-season of training, it will allow him to be primed for a long season!

“Since winning the world championship in 2018, I haven’t had the results I have wanted or expected so it’s time to take stock, make some smart decisions and get the right people around me to get things back on track. Serco Yamaha has a great track record and have proven championship results so the opportunity to work with such a successful team was one that I couldn’t pass up. Also being on a YZ250F gives me a lot of confidence as I know just how good that bike is and with the knowledge in the team, I know we will have the best package on the track. I’m ready to go to work and repay the faith Yamaha and Serco have in me,” Malkiewicz said.

Pre-season events get underway in February while the Pro MX championship roars to life in March at Wonthaggi in Victoria. Keep up to date with all the action here.

The post 2022 Dynamic Duo At Serco Yamaha Announced appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

In a career year for the young rider based in Victoria, Webster displayed incredible speed and fitness that put him on another level over his competition for the majority of the time the Pirelli MX2 class spent on track in 2021. Being able to secure a coveted spot under the team truck in MX1 for 2022 was also a major achievement for Webster, as he is now confirmed to graduate into THOR MX1 under the Factory Honda Racing effort.

“It’s been a lot of hard work to get to this point. I relocated to Victoria to be closer to the team, my coach and physical trainer. We really capitalised on the down time last year to fix my body and some old injuries I had to get back on track. We worked on all the small stuff that added up to big gains this year” commented Webster at the Press Conference.

In a feel good story, Serco Yamaha’s Jesse Dobson would claim his career best 2nd in the Pirelli MX2 Championship, after the last few years as a privateer and an injury at the start of the 2021 season, Dobson showed incredible strength and determination to fight back onto the podium.

“It was my goal to be on the podium even after the injury I had before round 2. Our bike is so strong and I love the team environment at Serco Yamaha,I have good people around me now and it has played a big part in my results this year” said Jesse Dobson.

Rhys Budd would also take a massive step forward in his career, capitalising on a recent manufacturer switch to start the season on the Yamalube Yamaha team. Landing on the Championship podium was a massive step forward for the young rider from NSW.

“Consistency was a big goal of mine coming into this season with so many great riders in the MX2 class. We achieved that consistency and although I would have liked more individual podiums throughout the season, I’m thrilled to land on the Championship podium. It wouldn’t have been possible without the whole Yamalube Yamaha team and all our partners and my personal sponsors, thank you” commented Budd.

Stay tuned for ProMX highlight clips from the end of season press conference on their website in the coming days.

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