Paul Holmes Podiums at Australian ATV Motocross National
2010 Australian Quad Motocross Championship - Southern Capes MC - Oct 16-17th

Holmes Racing's Paul Holmes and his KTM 450SX

Australia (10/27/2010) - The 2010 Australian Quad Motocross Championship was hosted by Southern Capes MC over the weekend of 16/17th October at the perfectly prepared Jindong Park venue, near Busselton, in Western Australia. The fast flowing hard pack track saw temperatures as high as 30C as hundreds of riders fought for victory in their respective classes.

It wasn’t just the temperature that was hot, the racing action was scorching and the crowd enjoyed every second. There were 13 groups of riders and making the trip down under to race in the Expert Pro class was Englishman Paul Holmes. Landing in Australia just one week before the event meant there was plenty of preparation work to be done so it was a hectic week of building, testing, riding and setting-up.

Holmes Racing's Paul Holmes claimed the fastest lap time in Saturday morning practice aboud his KTM 450SX

Holmes claimed the fastest lap time in the Saturday morning practice session, showing how quickly he can adapt to any challenge in any environment, without any home comforts! The first two races followed the practice on Saturday and the final 3 races were held on Sunday.

Race 1: Holmes rounded the first corner in 10th place after getting squeezed on the inside. By lap 3 Holmes was up to 6th place but then the 3 riders directly in front collided with each other and, with no room to avoid them, he was tangled up in the crash. Having lost several places, he got back on the track, put his head down and pushed hard to work through the pack. He had another setback when he was forced wide on a turn and momentarily went off the track but worked hard and soon found himself in 5th place with 5 laps to go. Consistently setting fast lap times Holmes caught and made the pass on the reigning champion, Chris Brenton, and then worked past 2 more riders to finish the race in 2nd place.

Race 2: As the gate dropped, Holmes got a good jump but was swallowed up by the pack on the first turn, exiting in 7th place. At the half way point of the race he had caught up to 2nd and 3rd placed riders Ryan Lancaster and Chad McKay. With all 3 riders within a few seconds of each other it was tough to pass, but Holmes managed smooth passes on both riders and found himself in 2nd place with just a few laps remaining. Early leader Brenton had got well away from the pack and despite reducing Brenton’s lead by half to 12 seconds, Holmes had to settle for 2nd place when the chequered flag dropped.

Race 3: Holmes rounded the first corner in 7th place and once again had a lot of work to do. He put his head down and minimised any chances of mistakes on the slippery track to work through to another 2nd place finish, just 5 seconds from 1st place.

Race 4: With a new set of Goldspeed MXR2 rear tyres mounted on Holmes' quad, and 110% determination to get a good start, Holmes grabbed an amazing Holeshot, leading the chasing pack on the rough terrain. With a clear track ahead and the perfect set-up, thanks to Len Pipiciello at ATV NRG and Wayne at PEP suspension, Holmes pushed as hard as he needed, pulling a comfortable gap ahead of 2nd placed Lancaster and setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1.42.617. Holmes continued at a sensible pace to claim the first ever win for an British rider at an Australian Quad Motocross Championship, with a margin of victory of over 10 seconds.

Race 5: Holmes was 9 points ahead of the 2nd placed rider going into the final race and had the overall victory in his sights as he rounded the first corner in 4th place. He soon moved into 3rd place but disaster struck as a technical glitch brought his race to a halt. Holmes’ race was over and he had to sit on the side lines and watch his chances of winning the Championship slip away.

Holmes commented after the weekend: “I have really enjoyed my time in Australia, everyone has been so welcoming and it’s been a pleasure meeting so many great people. Racing this awesome track with a whole bunch of new riders and new challenges has been unbelievable, a totally unforgettable experience. I gave 110% this weekend and was disappointed not to have been able to finish the final race, but I did my best and I’m satisfied with my speed and consistency which enabled me to get three 2nd places and a win. Finishing 3rd overall is a respectable result and I hope to be able to return next year to give this series another go. I have received amazing amounts of help from all my sponsors throughout this 2010 season so first of all I'd like to say thanks to them along with all my family and friends. This Australian venture would not have been possible without a great deal of help from some very special people who I'd like to thank now: Len Pipiciello at ATV NRG, Ant and Lee-Anne Yewers at Berry Sweet Strawberries, KTM Australia, PEP Suspension, Goldspeed Tyres and Lonestar Racing”

Related news:
http://www.ktm.com.au/news.php?newsid=754
http://www.waquadmx.com/2010auschamps.html