The 2010 Rockstar MX Nationals is done and dusted... The last piece of roost has been thrown, tear-off pulled and gate fallen. So now that the corney "been said a thousand times" quotes are over, let's take a look at all that was in 2010 and all that will be in 2011.

1.) Coolum Pines

Coolum always seems to have a special vibe about it and this year was no different, except that maybe there are not as many pines as their one was. The club their has the track preparation dialed in and each year the track provides some awesome action! Unfortunately the club faces the same problem that it seems the majority of motor sport complexes are facing right now, development.

One of the great attractions to the venue is the fact that it sits on prime real estate. It is in the heart of the sunshine coast, 5 minutes from Coolum and in right on the fringe of an industrial development, which is threatening to force the club to relocate. While the club is looking at alternate venues there is also a big push to keep the club there for the future! Fingers crossed...

2.) Double or Nothing!

Because of the missed round, the championship decider would take place over an epic 2 days of racing on the most brutal circuit on the calendar. The open class guys faced 2x20 minute moto's on Saturday before the epic 4x15 back-to-back on Sunday. The 19's and Lites raced away with three moto's on each day, meaning all the championships were still up for grabs coming into the weekend. There was also the introduction of the two vets classes which provided some great racing, and entertainment for the crowd!

It was the made-for-TV 4x15 format that really stole the show over the weekend though. As a package it is a really hard format to go past, the crowd gets into it, the riders are physically and mentally tested and it looks great on TV. The break in between the moto's give the TV crew enough time to do interviews and get the behind the scenes scoop and keeps the atmosphere tense and with each moto more anticipation builds for the next...

3.) Special Mention

Each year it seems like we all say that we need to do more for the privateers but I think we are all guilty, myself included, of getting caught up in the hype of the championship battle and the points chase. Aside from Dean Ferris (point #4 on this list) there were a few privateer guys who really stood up this season. Kade Mosig ran out of the SP Motorsports Trucks all season with some solid results in the Lites Class while guys like Daniel McCoy, Beau Ralston and Lewis Woods put a fight to the factory guys in the Opens.

At Coolum Lewis Woods stepping it up with the 5th fastest time in qualifying and solid showings in the moto's. Beau Ralston always seems to go well at Coolum and this year was no different. If the series kicked off at Coolum Pines maybe Beau could gain some momentum and carry it through in the championship.

4.) Ferris on FIRE

Dean Ferris caught fire at Coolum this weekend, dare we say expectedly... Ferris is a gun in the dark soil at Coolum and this past weekend he took the fight to Marmont and Mackenzie in an effort to take home a championship. While Ferris was not able to win the championship his third place overall for the series put the icing on a break-out year for the young QLD'er. Ferris had a rookie year in a lot of ways, crashing out in the first moto at Horsham and making costly mistakes at Albury but this was to be expected. Dean has adapted well to his Brisbane Motorcycles Honda 450 and completed the whole series out of his own VITO!

Dean has made no secret of his plans to head over to Europe next year and it looks like he is trying to get over to race the remainder of the GP Circuit and follow in the footsteps of the late, and great, Andrew McFarlane... Fitting considering Dean was awarded the Andrew "Sharky" McFarlane for the top place Pro Open rider in the championship.

5.) Cachia gets one...

Josh Cachia is a fighter, love him or hate him! It may be said that Cachia has not made a point of making friends on the track, but it was his aggressive, "I'm never going to quit" attitude that lead him to his first championship. Cachia was labeled a one round wonder after once again winning the first round but was determined to quite down the non-believers. At Coolum Cachia made his point know from the time he hit the track. His attack on his competition was relentless and his focus on the start-line was remarkable. He was simply unstoppable in his quest for the championship at Coolum and the look of relief to finally get that title was as plain as day.

6.) Wrapped Up

PJ Larsen has been a revelation in the Lites class this season. He came in under the radar and then blew the doors off of factory semi's all over the pits. Realistically PJ was always going to win the title. Each weekend he was the fastest guy and he was in control of the series from Toowoomba onwards and he was able to wrap up the championship in Saturdays final moto. Throughout the season there was some trash talking going down but when it came down to it on Saturday arvo PJ was humble in victory and a swag of Aussie riders, Team managers and fathers were on hand to congratulate the new Aussie champ. While an American may be taking an Aussie title over the pond I think we can all be grateful for the level that he brought over with him. He made our riders step up to a foreign pace and that is something for the better.

Kevin Williams allowed PJ to run the #1 plate on Sunday because he is heading back to the US for 2011, will he have an Aussie Super X Trophy to take back as well?

7.) SERCO Double

The dynamic duo of Ford Dale and Kirk Gibbs killed it this weekend at Coolum. Ford was in his element riding in front of friends and family and the home track advantage certainly didn't go astray. Since semi-relcating from South Oz, Gibbsy has spent a bit of time at Coolum also and after a horror two moto's at Moree he needed to step it up this weekend to get second in the championship. Saturday's first moto claimed Cody Mackie and Ryan Marmont which played right into the hand of Kirk. Mackie was out for the weekend and Doggy was riding through a bunch of pain after two big crashes.

Ford didn't look like he would be able to make up enough points to finish on the podium overall for the series, but he lived up to the potential that everyone keeps talking about. Ford had basically a mistake/crash free weekend and finished second on Saturday and then first overall on Sunday, in turn placing him on the podium overall for his first ever series podium in third.

8.) R3PEAT

Jay Marmont is the man right now. The guy is as hard as they come and has won back-to-back-to-back championships for CDR/Rockstar Yamaha, a feat that is going to be hard to top in today's super competitive championship. What's more is the way Jay has won each title and the adversity he has over come each time. In 2008 when he took home his first title he was coming off the back of a major brand change, leaving a company that he had been with for most of his career to a new team and bike. What's more the Marmont family Duo was for the first time divided. Jay came home strong though and looked unstoppable as the series wound down.

2009 would prove to be the toughest year of Jay's life as he raced the entire MX Nationals with a seriously ill baby girl. Pressures away from the track as well as a civil war that was raging on track with his team-mate Cheyne Boyd made the number one plate look awe full heavy on the front of his bike. In true champion style though Jay went into the decider at Coolum with his back against the wall and came out swinging, clinching his second title.

This year Jay faced the challenge of developing a new motorcycle and a new breed of determined and hungry riders in the Pro Open Class. Imports Billy Mackenzie, and Cody Cooper; along with the young guns of Ferris, Simmonds and Waters made it look like Jay would be denied. It similar fashion to the year previous though, when his back was against the wall, he came out and got the job done.

9.) So close but so far...

How many points did Billy Mackenzie fall short in the title chase? It doesn't really matter in the end... Who knew after Moree that Billy Mackenzie still had the fight left in him to come back from illness to take it down to the final moto of the season. In true Mac211 fashion though, Billy took it to our guys as he laid down some blistering times to chase down Waters in the first moto for a last corner pass and then capitalize on a 20 second penalty handed out to Marmont for jumping the 100ft extension off the start.

While Billy didn't get that championship he was after, he got so much more by way of personal satisfaction in racing and has once again had his love for racing restored. Billy has openly offered that 2009 was a horrible year and that his motivation was to come to Australia and rediscover his passion for racing. Billy has been a welcomed addition to this championship and has breathed a fresh life into the Open Class.

10.) Silly Seaon?

It seems like after Coolum we already look at who is going where for the next outdoor season. This year is going to see some big changes too... Both Gibss and Ford want to ride 450's. Guys like Reardon, Moss('s), Byrne and Coppins are looking to come back to Oz while guys like Brad Anderson have expressed serious interest in coming over to race in our series.

While we have heard some big rumors it is a bit to early to start speculating just yet! Maybe we will bring you a "10 Things we learned from Silly Sesaon" some other time?

PHOTO CREDIT: Timothy Bardsley, BS Photography