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GMR Motorex KTM – A year in review

01/12/11

The Glenn Macdonald Racing Motorex KTM Racing Team has had yet another outstanding season in 2011 in both junior and women’s motocross collecting eight number one plates, consisting of two National and six State Motocross Championships. Team riders rarely missed the podium throughout the season at all major event and continued to prove why GMR Motorex KTM is a power-house in junior and women’s racing.

Led by Team Owner- Manager Glenn Macdonald, the KTM Australia factory team line-up under the GMR Motorex KTM banner was the largest since its inception in 2008, hosting six juniors and one women’s representative with riders spanning the east coast located in Far North Queensland to Lorne in Victoria. 2011 results also raised the tally of number one plates in State, National and International titles for the GMR-KTM combination to an astounding 33 in just five years.

In Victoria, team riders scored three State Championships. Callum Norton (VIC) led the charge for the juniors taking the double in both the 9-u12 years 65 and 85cc classes at the Victorian Junior Motocross Championships. Andy Dinicol (VIC) was poised for a solid result in both the 12-u16 years 85cc and 13-u16 years 100-150cc but the ever improving Dinicol crashed heavily in the final round of the series and unable to compete due to the injury sustained. Kristy Gillespie (NSW) scored her sixth consecutive title in the Victorian Women’s Motocross Championships, claiming three of four round wins on her way to another overall victory.

The New South Wales Motocross Championships were also another successful series for the GMR Motorex KTM juniors. Round one at Clarence was a highlight for the team with Norton, Reece Rayner (QLD) and Egan Mastin (NSW) claiming a clean sweep of all five classes. Norton and Mastin continued through the next two rounds of the series to ultimately claim three State Championships. Norton again took the double in the 9-u11 years 65cc and 9-u12 years 85cc, while Mastin claimed the 12-u14 years 85cc and runner-up in the 13-u15 years 100-150cc on board his KTM150SX.

The Queensland State Championships was a one-round stand alone event held at Coolum on the Sunshine Coast. Scott Mann (QLD) was poised to take the title in both the 13-u16 years 100-150cc and 15 years 250F classes until his recurring should injury sidelined him. New recruit Mitchell Evans (QLD) also had a tough time at the event, placing 7th overall in his first season on the big-wheel KTM85X in the 12-u14 years age group. Despite some challenges for Rayner, he went on to claim two hard earned runner-up results in his 10-12 years 65cc and 9-u12 years 85cc classes.

GMR Motorex KTM racers were also appointed the incredible honour of representing Motorcycling Australia at the FIM World Junior Motocross Championships held at the hilly Cingoli circuit in Italy. Rayner was selected for the 65cc, Evans the 85cc and Mann the 125cc Championship classes. GMR Motorex KTM racers have had great success at the World Championships, with former members Jay Wilson claiming the 2009 85cc Title with Dylan Long in third. Mann has also represented Australia in 2009 with a top ten result, and again in 2010 with the support of GMR to claim a third in moto one and a 9th overall in the 85cc class.

Rayner impressed at the event in Italy with a fifth in moto one and was pushing for the race win in moto two, but a hard hitting crash hampered his result and a potential podium at the FIM World Championship, ultimately placing 11th overall. Evans and Mann faced incredibly tough competition and qualified for the 40 gate start in their respective classes. While both didn’t score their desired results, the learning curve was immense, both returning stronger riders for the experience. Both Evans and Mann will eligible for selection in their respective classes at Bulgaria in 2012.

In the major Sunshine State Series held in Queensland, Rayner led both classes heading into round seven of the series, but missed a round of racing due to his World Championship commitments. Despite this, Rayner returned to the final round to take a clean sweep in the 65cc class and placed runner-up in both his 65cc and 85cc classes for the series overall. Evans, who also missed a round due to his attendance at the World Championships was poised for a podium overall, ultimately placing fourth overall for the series. Evans scored two round wins during the series and rarely missed the podium.

Prior to his injury, Dinicol competed at the South Australian round of their Championship series at Murray Bridge, the venue to play host to the Australian Junior Motocross Championships at the end of the season. 14 year old Dinicol impressed in the broader age group and claimed third overall for the round in the 12-u16 years 85cc class.

On the national scene, Gillespie was keen to defend her 2010 Australian Women’s Motocross Championship but in treacherous conditions in the mud at Coolum, QLD she rode with determination and consistency to claim runner-up, and her sixth consecutive podium at the National Championships.

The next major event for the junior line-up was the Australian Junior Motocross Championships held at Murray Bridge in South Australia. Despite an injury cloud, all six junior riders were declared fit and were keen to score top results.

Norton, four-time 2011 State Champion went on to claim the 9-u11 years 65cc title, winning all three finals in convincing fashion and also claimed an impressive runner-up in the 9-u12 years 85cc while Rayner went on to claim 3rd place overall in the 11-u13 years 65cc class.

With an exceptional resume of results behind him, 12 year old Evans turned this tough season around and made a huge impression at the nationals. Consistency and smart racing saw the 12 year old bring home runner-up in the 12-u14 years 85cc age group to fellow teammate, Egan Mastin.

Mastin, who has been a quite achiever in recent years and faced some bad luck at the 2010 Australian Junior Motocross Championships and was keen to make his mark in 2011. Mastin’s focus on preparation for the nationals certainly paid off, with the charger claiming the 12-u14 years 85cc class in style with 1-1-2 results. Mastin also went on to impress in the 13-u15 years 125-150cc class, with his best placed finish a third in moto three and scoring fourth overall in the Championship chase.

Dinicol made a great recovery from injury to make it to the Nationals at Murray Bridge, making the decision to focus solely on the 12-u14 years 85cc. Unfortunately it wasn’t injury that ultimately hampered Dinicol’s run, but two mechanical DNF’s in the first two motos which significantly hampered his result.

Mann also returned from an injury plagued season and was keen to follow up on his double victory in 2010. With some tough racing in both 15 years 100-150cc and 250F classes, Mann ultimately came through with a second overall on his KTM150SX and a third for the 250SX-F.

Macdonald said on reflection “This has been a great year for the team. We had a building year planned for 2011 with Norton, Evans, Mastin and Dinicol who were all new recruits and at the younger end of their respective age groups at a national level so these results were excellent. All of our riders and families have been extremely committed and combined with the amazing KTM machines and the incredible sponsor support we have received it has translated again into another very successful season.”

Team updates and race results for GMR Motorex KTM Racing Team can be found at www.gmr-motorexktm.com.au and www.ktm.com.au as well as on FACEBOOK at www.facebook.com/gmrmotorexktm

GMR Motorex KTM would like to thank their sponsors: KTM Australia, Motorex, Michelin, Fox, Ringmaster Images, Alpinestars, Easton, Oakley Motocross Advanced Coaching Academy, Hammerhead Designs, Uni Filter & NGK

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