Yamaha’s Ryan Lancaster decimated the competition at the final day of racing in the Yamaha Australian Quad MX Championships at the Maffra Sale Motorcycle Complex, taking 4 from 4 race wins to grab a close runner-up in the overall event stakes.

Lancaster’s dominant showing turned heads and shone the spotlight on the YFZ450, which left rival race machines in its roost.

As he crossed the line to grab victory in the final race of the day, he had put an incredible one-minute gap on the closest competitor, an advantage that had been steadily building throughout the day.

And while an engine problem for Saturday’s opener put him on the back foot in the overall points for the 2007 Championships, there was no overshadowing his pace and proficiency on terrain rarely encountered in his home state of Western Australia.

He collected maximum points in Saturday’s second race, and repeated the feat four more times on Sunday to finish on 100 points, 2 shy of statesman Anthony Yewers.

Lancaster was pleased by the strong showing but slightly disappointed to miss out on taking the national #1 plate by such a small margin.

"The weekend was fantastic, and after the technical problem in the opening race the bike kept getting better and better," said Lancaster.

"To take 5 from 6 wins and to do it in such a style was great, I was aiming to go into the event and back up my recent state win there and despite not taking home the overall trophy I am happy with the performance."

"With so much going on the track was constantly changing, and the YFZ450 was really up to the task, and the result has made me hungrier than ever to back up and take the 2008 title."

A strong crowd from across the Gippsland region headed to the circuit to witness Australia’s top ATV pilots battle it out for title honours, and organisers prepared a first-class facility despite the recent wet weather.

13 classes took to the 1.97km motocross track and thrilled spectators with frenetic pace on four wheels.

Yamaha Motorsport Coordinator Cheryl Muldoon praised the efforts of all stakeholders and said the manufacturer’s first year of naming rights sponsorship had proved an exceptionally successful venture at a time when ATV racing was undergoing a significant rise in popularity.

“The weekend saw some fantastic competition between the country’s top ATV racers and the event was well organised and attended,” said Muldoon.

“It was also a fantastic showcase for Yamaha products and the performance of Ryan Lancaster was nothing short of amazing; he was unlucky not to record 6 straight wins after such a dominant effort.”

“This is an exciting time for the ATV, it is coming on strong as a recreational and commercial motorcycle and as a result the national championship can only get bigger and better.”