The 2008 Australian Women’s Nationals has come to a close with Yamaha dominating third and fifth position in the over all. The final round was held at Lakes Motocross track in Newcastle, the rain during the week made for a demanding track with wet muddy sections and sticky rutted out corners in practice and Moto 1.

Yamaha’s Tahlia Neilson was second fastest in practice/qualifying behind eventual Championship winner Kristy Gillespie. As the gates dropped for Moto 1 Neilson gained a solid start in fourth behind Bates (Husq), Gillespie (KTM) and Barton (Honda). On lap two Neilson crashed over the wet double section at the bottom of the track and picked her bike back up in fifteenth position. After catching back up to seventh position, a move to pass another rider on the inside of a rough down hill for sixth, saw to be detrimental to Neilson’s race plan and she was taken out. After remounting again and working back through the pack a second time, she was able to get back to a seventh place finish.

The run of bad luck continued though out Moto two with Neilson getting caught up in a tyre wall at the start of the race. After finally getting the bike out Neilson moved through the field swiftly but ran out of laps and ended up in seventh again.

“I really was expecting more from myself today, practice went well and I was happy with my lap times but it didn’t seem to come together in the race. It’s been one of the most frustrating race day’s I’ve had. Looking ahead I have the NSW state titles this weekend and a few other big races before the end of the year, this weekend has really fired me up for those.”

Tahlia finished 5^th overall in the Australian Women’s motocross Championship, and has the first round of the NSW state titles in Clarence next weekend.

Overall

1                    Kristy Gillespie (KTM)

2                    Adelia Barton (Honda)

3                    Katherine Prumm (Yamaha)

4                    Ashlea Bates (Husqvarna)

5                    Tahlia Neilson (Yamaha)

Tahlia’s Major Sponsors: City Coast Motorcycles, Yamaha, HyperFlow Troy Corser radiators, MxRad, Shift, Oakley, Rockstar Energy Drink, Etnies and Doma Pipes.