17-YEAR-OLD Sam Martin won his first A Grade Open championship by 53 points during the final round of the 2012 Victorian Senior Motocross Championships – the state’s premier motocross competition – at the Horsham Motorcycle Club over the weekend of June 23-24.

With a week of heavy rainfall prior to the final round, club volunteers worked tirelessly to get the Horsham track rideable for the weekend. Racing got underway after a slight delay on Saturday, and as the weather and track conditions improved, so did the riding.

“Our club volunteers were amazing in getting the track ready for the final round,” Horsham club secretary Ken Watts said.

“However, we weren’t lucky with the deluge of rain that we received throughout the week,” Ken added.

Martin, of GYTR Yamaha, had his best round of the year since Round 2 in Cobram, winning three out of four motos, doing enough to stay ahead of Kyle McKeddie and Thomas Alexander to win his first A Grade Open title.

16-year-old Joel Milesevic, of JBS Motorsports, won his first two Victorian Senior titles, claiming the A Lites and Under 19s classes, being one of the youngest riders ever to do so at their first attempt.

“The riding from Sam and Joel throughout the year was just incredible. Joel won 20 races this year which is remarkable and they’re a strong reflection of the quality of our Victorian riders,” Ken continued.

In another history-making feat, GMR Motorex KTM rider Kristy Gillespie, from Albury, in not only battling the weather, other quality riders and also illness, won her seventh Victorian Ladies title by just 15 points over interstate rival Tayla Jones. Maddy Brown had the perfect weekend at Horsham, winning all four of her races, finishing third overall.

“The Victorian Senior Motocross Championships acts as a great springboard into the national competition for our riders,” Ken continued.

“Averaging close to 300 riders per round, the Victorian Championships is also one of the strongest motocross competitions in the country. With amazing riders and volunteers across the state, who freely give up countless of hours all for the love of their sport, motocross in Victoria is looking as strong as ever.”

Click here for the entire overall results of the 2012 Victorian Senior Motocross Championships.
 
The 2012 MVMX Presentation Night is on Saturday, September 1 at the Ultima Function Centre, Keilor.

Round 7 of the 2012 Monster Energy MX Nationals takes place at the Horsham Motorcycle Club on July 15.