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.

The post Rhys Budd Rebounds For A Good Finish At Appin ProMX appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Rhys Budd and Alex Larwood will shape the team in 2022 and mounted on the championship winning YZ250F machines. For Budd it’s his second year with the Yamalube Yamaha Team while Larwood makes the transition to the Queensland based team as part of Yamaha’s step-up program. 

Rhys Budd proved the surprise package of 2021, when after a last-minute call up to the Yamalube team, made every post a winner since coming on board. He finished the ProMX Championship in third place, beating plenty of more fancied rivals and established himself as a major player in the MX2 category. 

Budd is a hard working and dedicated athlete who puts his heart and soul into racing. The support of the Yamalube Yamaha Team at the start of the 2021 season was just the leg up Budd needed and he is excited to be back with the team again for 2022.

“As soon as I got the call from the team at the start of the 2021 season, I put my head down and got to work,” Budd explains. “Now that the pressure of preparing bikes and arranging things was taken from me, I was able to dedicate more time to my riding and training and it paid off with some good results and a new deal for this year, which I’m stoked about.”

“The team have been amazing for me and its good to know you have a bunch of people who believe in you and want to help you achieve your goals. We already have a great base to start from as well as some additional plans that will only see me improve. I was pumped to stay with the Yamalube team again for 2022 and I really want to reward them for taking me on this year when they didn’t have to and no one else would,” Budd ends.

Partnering Budd and making for a very competitive environment within the team is Alex Larwood. The 18-year-old South Australian, is a product of the Yamaha Junior Racing program and stepped up to the professional ranks for the 2020 season. The 2020 season never got off the ground with Covid, but in just a handful of races contesting in 2021, Larwood showed he has what it takes at MX2 level.

He moves from the WBR Yamaha team to the Yamalube Yamaha Team, so his support continues to grow to match his results. Larwood charged to a podium finish at the opening round of the 2021 season, but injury slowed his progress at the remaining rounds. Back to full health and fitness, Larwood is ready to continue his meteoric rise up the ranks in 2022.

“I have been with Yamaha for a long time now and for them to continue to support me through the years is important to me. They picked me up back in 2014 as a junior, moved to the WBR Yamaha Team when I turned 16 and now the support increases in 2022 via Yamalube Yamaha. No other manufacturer can offer support like that over a long period of time. In just the short time I have had to deal with them, I can see the professionalism in the team and how they go about their jobs. The team have my back, racing is back to normal, and we are looking good for a full and exciting season next year. I can’t wait,” Larwood enthuses.

National racing gets under way in March with the return of the eight round Pro MX Championship starting in Wonthaggi, Victoria before finishing on the Sunshine Coast in August. Standby for a further announcement regarding Jay Wilson in the coming weeks.

The post Riders Added For Team Yamalube Yamaha In 2022 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.

The post Kyle Webster Crowned 2021 ProMX MX2 Champion appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....