Under clear blue skies and perfect track conditions Round 2 of the MX Nationals series was held over the weekend in Appin, NSW. The event also hosted round 1 of the Junior ‘Rookies Cup’ where Australia’s best junior racers would go head to head as part of a three round championship that would also include the Murray Bridge round and Coolum’s final round of the series.

BCP Pro Circuit Honda Factory junior rider and current national junior 250cc champion Dante Hyam performed well on the day finishing a solid second place overall behind eventual winner Regan Duffy. Hyam’s score card showed a third place in moto one after coming through the pack due to being caught in a first turn pileup. Moto two saw Hyam work his way from 7th place up to 2nd by the time the chequered flag was waved.

“I’m happy with second place points to start the series, but I’m not happy with how I was riding today,” said Hyam.

“We’ve got some work to do and we know exactly what needs to be done. We’ll be better come Murray Bridge.”

Dante Hyam’s team-mate Kipp Adams performed well in his first national event for the team scoring two top 10 finishes on board his number 7 machine, while        Tanesha Harnett turned a lot of heads finishing 13th overall against the best junior boys in the country.

“I honestly was just hoping to gain some experience today on a track like Appin at a National Title event which is one of the toughest on the calendar, but I kind of surprised myself a bit,” said Tanesha.

“I got some good starts, rode smart, kept out of trouble and really enjoyed riding my Honda in the deep ruts today.”

Team manager Lee Hogan was impressed with the solid start to the ‘Rookies’ campaign.

“I expected Dante to do well here against the best in the country and he didn’t let us, or himself down,” said Hogan.

He didn’t have the best day on the bike though, and for Dante that would usually end up with one really good race and the other race with a bunch of crashes or incidents that would put us way back in the pack. So I’m really happy with how he tackled today and salvaged some terrific points. You win your championships on your bad days.”

“Kipp had some struggles during the day but still came away with two top 10 finishes, while Tanesha Harnett continues her incredible season with another impressive weekend on the bike.”

Honda Brand and Motorsport Manager Glyn Griffiths sees the value in Honda’s Factory Junior Program and the development of our younger riders, and is impressed with their solid start to the season.

“It’s a terrific inclusion to have the Junior Rookies racing a three round series in conjunction with the MX Nationals on the big stage,” said Griffiths.

“Dante Hyam is off to a good start for us with a solid second place at Round 1 and new recruit Kipp Adams will continue to develop as the year progresses. Tanesha has been terrific for us and continues to represent herself, her sponsors and women’s motocross exceptionally well.”

The team will once again join forces this coming weekend as Round 2 of the Victorian Junior State Motocross Championships get underway at Outtrim (Korumburra).

 

Photo Credit- Main Image: MXN Images