GMR Motorex KTM 2009 Season Wrap-up

01/02/10

Now that the rush of Super X 09 and the holiday season is wrapped up, we have had time to reflect on 2009 and can proudly say it has been yet another successful race season for the GMR Motorex KTM Racing Team.

While we thought that 2008 was a brilliant year, with 8 number one plates including three National Championships, 2009 certainly proved that we are not only leaders nationally but also on an international stage. Team riders earned four State Motocross Championships, 1st and 3rd at the FIM World Junior Championships as well as three podium finishes at National Championships. An incredible 5 number one plates were earned in 2009.

Three of our four team members all scored themselves number one plates at a State Championship level, with Jay Wilson collecting the 14-15 years 85cc-150F class at the QLD Motocross Championships while Dylan Long took an impressive double at the VIC Motocross Championships to take out the 12-u16 years 85cc-150F and 13-u16 years 125-150cc class. GMR Motorex KTM’s senior women’s racer Kristy Gillespie also took another VIC Women’s Motocross Championship.

A major highlight for the year was to have our three junior racers Dylan Long, Jay Wilson and Sam Duncanson all making pre selection for the Australian Team for the FIM World Junior Motocross Championships to be held in Taupo, NZ. An injury for Duncanson meant he only just missed the final cut in the 125cc-250F class, while both Dylan Long and Jay Wilson scored places on the team in the 85cc150F class.

In Taupo, it was Wilson who took the honours in race one with Long in second. Heading into the second and final race of the event it was going to come down to the wire and by half race, the GMR Motorex KTM racers were shaping up to finish one-two for the overall until Long was taken down by a rider who cut down on his line. Wilson continued to battle hard with Samuele Bernadini from Italy with the two riders more than happy to smash bars with Long sneaking back up to 3rd. Wilson then crashed during the battle up front and Long slid out in the wet and muddy conditions.

Ultimately, Wilson settled for 3rd in the final race, while Long salvaged 7th. The results cemented Jay Wilson into the history books becoming Australia’s first official FIM World Motocross Champion, with Dylan in an impressive 3rd place overall.

It was an absolute honour working with Jay and Dylan and their families throughout the year and aiming toward this incredible result. I couldn’t be any more proud.

Nationally, while each rider had goals to take home more number one plates a combination of the depth of competition and injury took their toll. Having said that, the results collected in 2009 are still something we are all extremely proud of.

Defending national champion Kristy Gillespie battled to retain her number one over the two rounds of racing at Lakes and Coolum, held in conjunction with the Pro Lite and Pro Open Championship. While Gillespie excelled when the tracks were at their roughest, it wasn’t enough to retain the title placing 2nd just 9 points shy of the Championship and a whopping 52 points ahead of 3rd.

Off the back of their successful World Championship results, Jay Wilson and Dylan Long chose to battle out the Australian Junior Motocross Championships in three classes. It was always going to be a tough week of racing on three machines, plus the level of competition which included rising star Joey Savatgy from the US.

In the 14-15 years 85cc class, by the final race it looked to be a sure thing for Dylan Long to take the title, with the door open for Jay Wilson to take 2nd or 3rd overall. But after an untimely crash for Long which caused significant damage and injury, he limped home to the chequers. Wilson collected 2nd overall while Long’s points still secured him 3rd.

In the 13-14 years 125-150cc class it was an amazing battle for the title and was to go down to the wire in the last race between Long and Joey Savatgy. Both riders were on equal points and it would come down to whoever won the final race. Wilson, who had only been riding the KTM 150SX for three weeks in the lead up to the event had crashed earlier in the finals in this class and was keen to score solid points to improve his overall standing. Long, who was now carrying a significant shoulder injury did all he could to compete, managing two laps of the race with his arm cradled in front of him on his seat. It was definitely a heroic effort. Long scored no points in the final race but still managed to hold onto 4th overall, while Wilson put in a solid final race to lock in 6th.

In the 13-14 years 250F class, the boys were both in the mix for podium results. Wilson rode consistently to collect 4th overall, while Long sat out the final race due to injury and scored 9th overall.

Just a few weeks after the conclusion of the junior nationals, Dylan Long went on to contest the Super X series. It was touch and go as to whether he would even ride and would depend on the recovery from his shoulder injury. Long jumped on his KTM 150SX, the bike he was most familiar with, just two days before round one of the Michelin Junior Development Series at Geelong and decided he would take to the line. Long went on to pick up 3rd overall for the round. He later contested round two held at Canberra, getting stronger and improving his results every time he went out onto the track, this time collecting 2nd for the event. At the final round at Parramatta, Dylan went out swinging taking three wins from three starts for the win at the round and drew equal for the Championship. On count-back rules, Dylan was awarded 2nd overall.

The juniors were then invited to attend the Super X finale in Brisbane for a one-off feature race. This time, we saw both Long and Wilson out on the track. Long qualified fastest, this time on board his KTM 250SXF, with Wilson 3rd fastest in his debut Supercross event. Long went on to win both races convincingly and take the event win, while Wilson had a couple of tumbles on the wet and slippery circuit to take 5th. Wilson’s result was a great effort in his Supercross debut.

Super X put on a great series and it was an awesome experience for our future senior stars.

Throughout the year, Sam Duncanson had an injury plagued season, but when he was out on the track he was certainly impressive. In a comeback ride at the final round of the Queensland Motocross Championships the 16 year old stepped up into senior racing and jumped onto a KTM 450SX-F. Scoring 2nd in moto one behind Andrew McFarlane, and backing it up with a 3rd in moto two behind McFarlane and Robbie Marshall it gave Duncanson 2nd overall for the event.

Duncanson then went on to compete in the final round of the U-19’s Motocross Championship at Coolum collecting 7-5-10 results for the event against seasoned competitors to secure 8th overall in his u19’s Championship debut for the round.

Duncanson will now move on from GMR Motorex KTM to contest his first full season in the senior ranks. We wish Sam all the very best and thank him and his wonderful family for all the hard work and dedication during the last two years with GMR. Go get ‘em buddy!

In other highlights, three of the team members were also nominated for the ADB Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards. Gillespie was nominated for the Women’s Category while both Jay Wilson and Dylan Long were nominated for the Junior Category. Ultimately, it was Jay Wilson who took the honours at the awards night.

Despite the disappointments at the junior nationals, Dylan Long scored the fastest lap of the week-long event and also collected a Skull Candy Sponsorship, nominated by Colleen Millsaps as the most outstanding junior racer.

We also saw Kristy Gillespie score a Wildcard invitation to race in the Pro Lite National Championship in her home town race at Albury-Wodonga. Gillespie was the first ever female racer to contest the Australian Motocross Championship in the Pro Lite class and did so in outstanding form both on and off the track. There were a number of critics, but no one can doubt the amount of media coverage she generated for the event, including a 1/3 page article in the Herald Sun as well as a number of radio and TV interviews. Gillespie also went on to prove her invitation on the track to place 32-35-33 from the 40 gate grid for 36th overall.

We now move on and are focused on the season ahead in 2010. With Long, Wilson and Gillespie all returning with GMR Motorex KTM Racing Team they will be joined by two fresh faces. Reece Rayner and Scott Mann have now joined the team and are excited about the year ahead.

Reece Rayner won the QLD Motocross Championships in 2009 in the 65cc class and put in a solid performance at the junior nationals. Scott Mann, runner-up at the junior nationals in the 12-13 years 85cc class is a state and national title holder who also placed 9th at the FIM World Junior Motocross Championships.

Rayner and Mann are two powerful additions to the team and we are really looking forward to the year ahead.

GMR Motorex KTM Racing Team would like to thank all of their very valuable sponsors for their support in 2009 and it is with the assistance of top of the line products, the rider line-up as well as team and family dedication that sees GMR Motorex KTM at the forefront.

We look forward to reporting on our results throughout the year. Stay tuned to www.gmr-motorexktm.com.au for future updates.

Summary of results for GMR Motorex KTM Racing Team in 2009:

• 1st FIM World Junior Motocross Championships 85cc-150F (Jay Wilson)
• 3rd FIM World Junior Motocross Championships 85cc-150F (Dylan Long)
• 2nd Australian Women’s Motocross Championship (Kristy Gillespie)
• 2nd Australian Junior Motocross Championships 14-15 years 85cc (Jay Wilson)
• 3rd Australian Junior Motocross Championships 14-15 years 85cc (Dylan Long)
• 4th Australian Junior Motocross Championships 13-14 years 250F (Jay Wilson)
• 4th Australian Junior Motocross Championships 13-14 years 125-150cc (Dylan Long)
• 1st Victorian Junior Motocross Championships 13-u16 years 125-150cc (Dylan Long)
• 1st Victorian Junior Motocross Championships 12-u16 years 85cc-150F (Dylan Long)
• 1st QLD Junior Motocross Championships 14-15 years 85cc-150F (Jay Wilson)
• 2nd QLD Junior Motocross Championships 13-14 years 250F (Jay Wilson)
• 1st Victorian Women’s Motocross Championships (Kristy Gillespie)
• 2nd Super X Championship – Junior Lites (Dylan Long)
• 1st Super X Junior Lites Feature Race - Brisbane Finale (Dylan Long)