Avard wins Victorian Supermotard Cup
1 September, 2002
Under magnificent blue skies Mark Avard (Procycles/ Metzler) (Husaberg),
finally took the days honors after a come from behind win at the Victorian
Supermotard Cup on 1 Sep 02 at Broadford to receive a magnificent father's
day present.
Greg Moss (KTM), the usual Supermotard leader, succumbed to injury and was
unable to keep the mornings hot pace after winning the 1st Prestige race,
during the second race he was piped by the hard charging Avard on the line
fresh from his overseas riding in the World Supermoto Championships, and so
the scene was set for the rest of the day.
Nearly 70 riders fronted for the one off event to try the new GP layout,
five classes were contested and by all reports the track design has been
hailed as the best so far used in Supermotard Australia's history.
Riders had to qualify for the final by progressing through heats with 32
riders fronting the starter.
Adam Altham (Stafford Yamaha) (WR426) led the first 7 laps charging hard
while the rest diced between themselves, Trevor Thomas (K & J Thomas Racing)
(XR650) ,riding in his first ever Supermotard event held second and finally
caught Altham just as Avard and Mark Willis (XR650) pounced. And so the
battle commenced for the next five laps with only two seconds separating the
leaders, Willis nudged ahead but Avard fought back and finally held on to
take the days honors as the outright winner. Altham pushed Thomas for the
last laps for third and finally elbowed past in the last lap to take an
against the odds placing.
Another example of the growth of Supermotard with near full grids in three
classes and continuing growth in the juniors and Clubman riders fields ever
expanding.
Victorian Supermotard Cup
Feature race
1 Mark Avard Husaberg FS650
2 Mark Willis Honda XR650
3 Adam Altham Yamaha WR426
4 Trevor Thomas Honda XR650
5 Graham Cheney Yamaha YZ426
6 Brett Hickman KTM SX520
7 Ricky Rice KTM EXC520
8 Josh Houwen Yamaha YZ250
9 Nick Selleck Honda CR250
10 Miles Davis Honda CRF450
11 Justin Rogers Husaberg 501
12 Nick Clee Yamaha YZ426
13 Chris Speechly Yamaha WR400
14 Jordan Mann Yamaha WR426
15 Brian Little Honda CR500
16 Jay Normoyle Honda XR420
17 Andy Fisher Honda CR500
18 Craig Alick Yamaha WR250
19 Cameron Watts KTM EXC520
20 Baden Ansell KTM 400
21 Peter Kirkman Yamaha YZ426
22 Mark Draper Kawasaki KX500
Fastest Lap: Mark Avard 1.04.9
Supermotard Prestige
(451 4t/301 2t & over)
1 Mark Avard 70
2 Greg Moss 45
3 Trevor Thomas 42
4 Brett Hickman 39
5 Mark Willis 33
6 Jon Hafey 32
7 Ricky Rice 21
8 Toby Andrews 20
9 Brian Little 18
10 Andy Fisher 18
Supermotard Sports
(upto 450 4t/ upto 300 2t)
1 Graham Cheney 75
2 Miles Davis 52
3 Nick Selleck 37
4 Glenn Kempson 37
5 Josh Houwen 35
6 Adam Altham 33
7 Dean Rundle 28
8 Mitch Wolfe 27
9 Nick Clee 21
10 Craig Alick 21
Supermotard Clubman
1 Cameron Donald 75
2 Jordan Mann 60
3 Blair Maxwell 48
4 John Linnie 39
Supermotard Junior
(upto 250 4t/ upto 125 2t 13-16 year olds)
1 Troy Herfoss 75
2 Joe Harvey 60
3 Luke Annett 48
4 Ryan Taylor 39