CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team racer and reigning ProMX MX1 champion, Aaron Tanti, kicked off his 2023 title defence with a round victory at round two of the championship, at the Appin circuit, over the weekend.
With the MX1 class not racing at the opening round due to the tragic events that occurred that day, the Appin round was effectively the start of the season for the MX1 boys and Tanti showed he is out to keep the red number 1 plate on his bike for another season.
To view the CDR Yamaha bLU cRU round review: https://youtu.be/SdfgHOEPZfw
Hot and humid conditions greeted competitors for round two and the format of a thirty minute moto followed up for two, fifteen minute races back-to-back was really going to test the fitness of the riders. Add to that a technical and challenging Appin circuit with its long rut and a couple of new huge jumps thrown in and a quality field, then it was going to be a tough day at the office for the 40 riders on the MX1 class.
Tanti started the day in solid form qualifying inside the top five in the top 10 shootout but confident that he could step it up when the gates full in race one. 40 riders thundered into the first turn in race one with Tanti slotting himself inside the top five on the opening lap but a small mistake on lap two saw him lose a position. He quickly regained his composure and started to move his way forward and by lap six he was into third place and eyeing off Kirk Gibbs in second.
He kept chipping away but couldn’t close the gap on Gibbs and finished in third place, some five seconds behind the KTM rider.
The afternoon races saw the back-to-back format for the first time in 2023 and the intensity of a short sprint race gets the blood flowing. Tanti gated well in the first of the races and slotted into second place behind race leader, Dean Ferris. Ferris then went down on lap two and Tanti took over the lead and never let it go to take the win.
With just five minutes break, the riders were back on the start lined and exploded into race three. Tanti again was in the lead pack, this time in third, but in a tight knit group at the front of the field. Despite the top four riders being almost wheel to wheel in the opening laps, positions stayed the same and Tanti just needed to stay in third or better to secure the round win, which is exactly what he did.
The format used Olympic scoring in the back-to-back races, so Tanti’s 1-3, gave him the race win ahead of Jed Beaton with a 3-2 and Ferris with a 5-1. So Tanti finished the day with a third in race won and a first in the combines motos to give him 45 points, equal with Dean Ferris but Tanti gets the round win with the better result in the final race.
“Getting the championship off to a positive start was the goal for me today and taking the win means we achieved that. We had a lot going on today as the track changed considerably from being wet and muddy in the morning to becoming dry and hard pack in the afternoon due to the heat, but the team did a great job, and we were able to get the win.
“The track was tough and even though we have raced here many times in the past, the new direction was a good change and the way the track shaped up was different.
“But overall, the day went well, the new YZ450F is awesome and I’m ready to get stuck into defending this championship,” Tanti signs off.
The were plenty of positives for teammate, Luke Clout, to take away from the weekend has he returned to the ProMX circuit after nearly 12 months on the side lines. Clout took a little time to shake off the rust but improved all day as he charged his way to a fifth place overall and confident his riding is headed in the right direction.
The opening moto saw Clout fall in the first turn and watch as the rest of the field took off. He remounted his bike and began the long haul back through the field to gather as many points as possible. He clawed his way back inside the top 10 to finish ninth in a gritty performance.
His fortunes changed for the better in the back-to-back motos where he was far better positioned in the first turn and was able to transfer that into good results. He finished with 2-4 results in the sprint motos and as a result came home in fifth for the day.
“On paper I would have liked a better result than fifth but that was the best I could do given the circumstances and I think that I made good progress throughout the day. It’s been nearly a year since I last raced a national motocross round and while you can practice and train all you like, its different when you are on the track and in a race environment.
“The heat was a killer but I stayed pretty strong all day and given my position in every race, I had to keep charging. In moto one, I just had to get as many points as I could so every position mattered, then in the short races, I was in a battle all the way.
“But it was awesome to be back racing again and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team worked hard all day. I think the results will continue to improve from here as I race my way back to 100%,” Clout ends.
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