Moree MX Nationals curtailed early but some races run

2019 Pirelli MX Nationals

Round Eight – Moree

Images by Bella Maurer

Thor MX1 Report

Kirk Gibbs won Superpole ahead of the opening MX1 moto but due to incidents in the previous MXD moto, riders were pulled back from the gates as organisers chose to instead delay the start of the MX1 moto and head to an early lunch break instead.

MX Nationals Rnd Moree MX Pro class
MX1 450 Start – 2019 MX Nationals – Round 8, Moree

Hayden Mellross carried some injuries into the opening MX1 moto and it was clear from the outset that those knee problems were causing him issues, and likely ruining his championship chances. Heading to Moree Luke Clout held an 11-point lead over Mellross, who in-turn had three-points over Todd Waters.

Kirk Gibbs had been effectively ruled out of the championship chase due to his problems earlier in the season but that had not dented any of his drive for race wins.  A much better middle part of the season has pushed Gibbs forward into fourth place but it would still take not only amazing rides for Gibbs over the remaining races of the season, but probably also some significant misfortunes for the leading trio, for the rider to improve on that placing.

MX Nationals Rnd Moree Kirk Gibbs
Kirk Gibbs – 2019 MX Nationals – Round 8, Moree

Once racing recommenced, Gibbs capitalised on his pole position to break away to an early lead over Todd Waters and that pair quickly started to march away from third placed Brett Metcalfe and Dylan Long. The order remained static until late in the race when Waters squeezed past Gibbs and then pulled away to take a clear victory.

What unfolded ahead of the next race for the premier classes was something we saw once before at a road race meeting. The rough Moree circuit had taken its toll, with 12 riders already sent off to the local hospital, which saw the hospital administration declare that they were not in a position to take any more urgent patients. 

MX Nationals Rnd Moree st Todd Waters nd Kirk Gibbs Brett Metcalfe x MX Pro class
MX1 450 Podium – 1) Todd Waters, 2) Kirk Gibbs, 3) Brett Metcalfe – 2019 MX Nationals – Round 8, Moree

Thus organisers were left no choice but to call it a day, and Todd Waters will take the red plate to the championship finale, with a two-point buffer over Luke Clout. 

As it stands Todd Waters leads Luke Clout in the Thor MX1 class on 422-points to 420, with Hayden Mellross a further 12-points behind Clout on 408. Kirk Gibbs is a distant fourth with a 61-point gap to third placed Mellross, while Brett Metcalfe holds fifth on 323-points.

The 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals will reconvene next weekend at Coolum for the final double-header round that will decide who will wear the championship crowns, with Waters, Clout and Mellross all in the mix, with Kirk Gibbs holding an outside chance of breaking into the top three. 

Thor MX1 Results

Source: MCNews.com.au

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *