MOTOCROSS: AUS: Yamaha team Wonthaggi preview

FACTORY YAMAHA TEAM AIM FOR BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Victorian based motocross team owned by twelve time national champion Craig Dack will kick their 2005 title defence at the opening round of the Maxxis Outdoor Motocross Championship at Wonthaggi this weekend.

Twenty-two year old Victorian rider Cheyne Boyd joins the team in 2005 and will contest the Motocross and Supercross pro open categories on board respective YZ450F Yamaha YZ250 and machines.

It is an exciting time for the factory Yamaha outfit, who with existing team riders, Toowoomba's Troy Carroll and Kiwi, Darryll King, will be out to defend their respective Australian Supercross and Motocross titles.

King will race the pro open class in the Motocross series on the all encompassing YZ 450F while Carroll will compete in the pro open class in the Supercross and lites in the Motocross.

Kiwi sensation King is the oldest competitor at 35 years of age and will be aiming for his fourth Australian Motocross title and third in succession.

"It is going to be a tough season in the pro open class with Craig Anderson and Darryl Hurley returning from the US and my brother Shayne back with his new team," King said.

"I really stepped up my training during the off season to prepare for this series but it will be a case of wait and see come Sunday.

"Craig has really put together a fantastic team this year with the addition of Cheyne Boyd in the pro open arena and Troy Carroll moving back to challenge the pro lites class.

"All going well I would love to pull of a hat trick," King concluded.

New recruit Cheyne Boyd will miss the opening two rounds of the Maxxis Outdoor Motocross Series while he recovers from a successful shoulder reconstruction.

The Melbourne based rider is expected to return for round three at Toowoomba in April and said he was excited about re-joining Yamaha after racing for the Motorex KTM team.

"The CDR Nokia Yamaha race team has everything a rider could want in a team and I can't wait to go racing with them," he said.

"It's great to be back with Yamaha, their team are proven performers, and in many ways this feels like a fresh start for me as I look to 2005 with confidence and excitement."

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