The country’s top 8 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Athletes were back on center stage at 2nd round of the 2016 STIHL Timbersports Australian Championship in Tasmania on Friday 6th of May.
The cold Tasmanian weather didn’t seem to effect the interstate athletes as records were smashed all day.
In Round 1 it was Brad De Losa (NSW) who did the unthinkable and beat Matt Gurr (TAS) by 0.01 of a second to set a new Australian Record in the Springboard of 45.18, The championship leader Jamie Head (QLD) had broken the previous record in an earlier heat also, but De Losa looked like a man on a mission showing no signs of the abdominal injury he sustained just 4 weeks previous at Sydney Royal Show.
De Losa (NSW) continued his good start picking up 8 more points in the 2nd round of the Stocksaw with a time of 11.45, another Australian record beating the old record set last year in the TAS qualifier by Kelly Oakley. Jamie Head (QLD) took 2nd and Laurence O’Toole (VIC) 3rd.
Round 3, Standing block, enter the 2015 Australian Champion Brayden Meyer (VIC). A little bit of controversy surrounded his standing block in the wood preparation where Meyer accidently setup the wrong block. The athletes were called on to make a decision by the judges as to whether he could take the spare. After a short meeting they allowed him, a decision they would regret as being the head log it was a lot softer and Meyer smashed through a new Australian Record of 16.22, over a full 3 seconds faster than the rest of the field. O’Toole (VIC) picked up 2nd, Steers (TAS) 3rd and Mr. Consistency, Head (QLD), 4th, De Losa started to show signs of his injury picking up just 2 points in 7th.
3 disciplines down and 3 New Australian Records!
VW AMAROK LEADERBOARD after 3 of 6 disciplines.
Brayden Meyer (VIC) - 18
Jamie Head (QLD) - 18
Brad De Losa (NSW) - 18
Laurence O'Toole (VIC) - 15
Matt Gurr (TAS) - 12
Kody Steers (TAS) - 10
Brodie Dingle (QLD) - 9
Mitch Argent (QLD) – 7
The misery whip of the single buck was up next, none of the athletes enjoy this discipline, the unforgiving 2metre long manual saws have taken many a casualty over the years, Would current Record holder De Losa’s injury hold up? The answer was yes, But only just. 1st De Losa (NSW) 17.93, 2nd Meyer (VIC) 18.18, 3rd O’Toole (VIC) 18.54. Kody Steers (TAS) set a new Personal Best of 19.55 with the first run on his new saw, but the surprise of the round came from Jamie Head (QLD) who could only manage 6th Allowing De Losa (NSW) and Meyer (VIC) to take a 5 and 6 point lead respectively with only 2 rounds remaining.
Underhand Chop was up next and Meyer (VIC) once again showed his pure dominance in the chopping disciplines, another Australian record, this time eclipsing his own record by nearly a second in 18.87 secs. De Losa (NSW) once again struggled with the axe finishing in 23.25 secs only enough for 5th place and 4 points, allowing Meyer to open up a 3 point lead. Head (QLD) and O’Toole (VIC) were battling it out for 3rd place, Head (QLD) taking the advantage with a 2nd place finish in the Underhand one position ahead of O’Toole (VIC).
4 Australian Records broken, three 1st places for De Losa (NSW) and two 1st places for Meyer (VIC), with one round remaining the VW AMAROK Leaderboard had Meyer (VIC) in control.
Brayden Meyer (VIC) - 33
Brad De Losa (NSW) - 30
Jamie Head (QLD) - 28
Laurence O'Toole (VIC) - 27
In the battle for 5th place and those vital Championship points it was also all still to play for with just the Hotsaw remaining.
Kody Steers (TAS) - 17
Matt Gurr (TAS) - 16
Brodie Dingle (QLD) - 15
Mitch Argent (QLD) - 13
As per tradition, errors and equipment malfunctions were going to decide the day in the final round. Nobody could have guessed what would un-fold.
Heat 1: Dingle (QLD) 10.69 vs Argent (QLD) 10.73
Not bad times with the competition supplied 250cc Rotax Hotsaws, but they weren’t going to be fast enough to take the maximum points, the pair needed a DQ or two in the next 3 heats.
Heat 2: Gurr (TAS) 17.30 vs Steers (TAS) DQ.
Gurr hadn’t quite got his new Hotsaw ready for the Tasmanian Round, so he was back on the competition supplied 250cc Rotax saw, a slight miscue with his 2nd cookie meant he had to go back for a 4th. On the other side of stage Steers with his custom 300cc Rotax got off to a lightening fast start and looked like taking the round lead, but a malfunction to his rear handle saw him unable to complete the final cookie, time ran out and a DQ.
Heat 3: O’Toole (VIC) vs Head (QLD)
At Round 1 in Adelaide Head took the win using a competition supplied 250cc Rotac Hotsaw, with his custom built 325cc Rotax saw now back up and running a fast time was expected, O’Toole running his 330cc DC Hotsaw should surely also put some pressure on Meyer and De Losa in the final heat. Once again O’Toole had a slight miscue on his 2nd cookie meaning he had to go back for a 4th, but the time was quick, 8.86 sec, a new PB. Head was quick too, 8.76 sec, which put them both temporarily in 1st and 2nd.
Heat 4: De Losa (NSW) vs Meyer (VIC)
Meyer just needed a time faster than 8.86 with his custom 330cc DC Hotsaw to clinch the round win, De Losa, with his 325cc Rotax, needed to beat 8.76 and Meyer to at least force a Stocksaw off.
De Losa started fast, and took the win with 6.75 secs, just half a second slower than his Australian record, Meyer on the other hand cut very close to the allowed 15cm of wood, but with a good time of 7.65 seconds. On review Meyer was over his line and a DQ awarded. An appeal followed on both athletes, De Losa’s tether (a safety requirement of the Hotsaw) had snapped on the start and hit Meyer on the stand behind. The judges consulted the rule book and deemed De Losa’s start ok as the tether was in place, but felt Meyer was impeded by the handle hitting him and was awarded a re-run. Meyer steadied himself and powered to victory with a time of 7.43 seconds and claimed the vital 8 championship points.
VW AMAROK Leaderboard - Final standings:
Brayden Meyer (VIC) - 40
Brad De Losa (NSW) - 38
Jamie Head (QLD) - 34
Laurence O'Toole (VIC) - 32
Matt Gurr (TAS) - 18
Brodie Dingle (QLD) - 18
Kody Steers (TAS) - 17
Mitch Argent (TAS) - 17
Championship Points after 2 of 5 rounds:
Jamie Head (QLD) – 14
Brayden Meyer (VIC) - 13
Brad De Losa (NSW) – 13
Laurence O’Toole (VIC) – 12
Brodie Dingle (QLD) – 6
Kody Steers (TAS) – 6
Matt Gurr (TAS) – 6
Mitch Argent (QLD) – 2
Next chop Queensland 23rd and 24th July – Ipswich V8’s SuperSprint.