Justice seems to move slowly, especially when it involves drivers charged over a crash with a motorcycle or scooter rider.
In the past week, three drivers have faced NSW courts over crashes with riders stretching back almost four months, yet there are no results so far.
While some may be sceptical that the courts are dragging out these matters and will not deliver justice for the dead and injured riders, it is not uncommon that the legal system moves slowly.
Prosecutors have to develop a water-tight case to ensure that the matter is not thrown out on a technicality. This can take time.
Courts are also overloaded and it can be difficult to fit in a matter that could take days to resolve.
We can’t comment on matters that are before the courts, but we can keep you updated with how the matters are progressing to ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to be done.
Slow justice
These matters are among a raft of others we have been following. Here is the latest on these.
Fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm;
Fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury;
Drive when visiting privileges withdrawn – first offence; and
Not give particulars to injured person.
He has appeared twice in the past week for mentions and a bail variation as well as a change of venue for his next appearance from Blacktown Local Court to Parramatta on December 18.
Case 3
P-plate driver Matthew Giusa, 19, of Kellyville, will next appear in court on 20 January 2020.
A dramatic video showing Africa Twin rider Ben Hannan (inset in photo above) escape bushfires that claimed his home in Wingham, near Taree, NSW, has gone viral.
Ben lost everything in the fires, except his new bike. Several other bikes became molten plastic and metal.
“Wondered if I’d gone overboard buying that bike … never been more glad than now. It saved my life,” he says.
At one stage in the video he points to a hill and says “my house is up there … used to be”. He takes his hand off the handlebars and almost loses it on soft gravel by the roadside.
Great escape
“The vid doesn’t show how bad the smoke was … and had no idea what we were going into,” Ben says.
That’s his mother in the car in front, escaping with what they could fit in the car.
“Needed mum to go cause I figured I could get round shit easier on the bike, trees falling everywhere. Reckon 15 minutes later we would have been trapped.”
The escape video has been picked up by news channels around the world.
However, the fame hasn’t helped Ben and his mother recover from the fire earlier this month.
While his mother was fully insured for home and contents, Ben had no insurance except for the Honda and his father’s Kawasaki H2.
“Stupid of me,” he admits.
“I lived in a converted shed and the insurance agency isn’t recognising it as a dwelling.
“We honestly thought we’d be all right. Lived there 35 years, had fought fires before, even had our own tanker.
“But this just came from all sides, took everyone by surprise. We’ve been told fire trucks couldn’t reach us, but we got out.”
Meanwhile, here are parts two and three of Ben’s escape video that show the full extent of his loss as he stops and looks back. (Language warning)
A few days later, Ben returned to examine the remains of his property and cry at the sight of his molten motorbikes.
Ben says he needed people to see the devastation and “feel it”.
“See this and learn. Never let this happen to you.”
Ben’s list of lost bikes include a 1948 Harley Sportster, 2003 KTM 400SX, 50th anniversary Yamaha YZ450, Honda CRF250 Rally and his late father’s Kawasaki H2 750 triple he had planned to restore.
Ben’s shed full of bikes before the fire.
“I only bought the SX in the last month,” he says.
“The Harley was supposed to be in town but my mechanic got cancer … a lot of bad timing.”
The best survival tip for a bushfire is to avoid it.
You can check the various state fire services websites by going to this central MYFIREWATCH service, then click on the state/territory.
Also check the automobile clubs’ websites for the relevant state, as well as transport department traffic sites or apps such as the NSW Live Traffic App.
Try searching the Facebook pages of local fire and police pages.
Of course, you can use your eyes to see where the smoke is and use your commonsense to gauge wind direction and potential fire direction.
However, don’t think you can outrun a bushfire. They can spread faster than any motorcycle can go, often jumping roadways, reducing your chance of survival.
Follow directions
It is not only stupid, but also unlawful to disobey a police or emergency services direction.
If you are told not to go down a road or there is a roadblock, you must not got that way.
The same goes for flood situations.
Don’t start a bushfire
Take notice of total fire ban signs and warnings as you don’t want to start a bushfire.
Fines are hefty and police have been severe in punishing offenders. Don’t expect a good-natured warning!
Riders should also be aware they can accidentally start a fire by parking their bike on dry grass or leaves.
Firefighters say about 40% of all bushfires are accidentally started by humans dropping cigarette butts, campfires, discarding bottles, sparks from machinery and motorcycles.
The catalytic convertor, which is often underneath, is the hottest part of your bike and can easily spark a fire.
Adventure riders who travel off road should take special care.
Caught in a bushfire
If you are caught in a bushfire, your phone (or EPIRB, beacon, etc) will be your best friend.
Work out where you are exactly and then contact police and emergency services to give them your location.
Park your bike behind a solid structure to block as much heat as you can.
Turn off your bike’s engine, but leave the lights and/or hazard lights on.
Stay near your bike, but not too close in case it goes up in flames.
Try to get down low, near a water source or below the level of the fire as they move faster uphill.
Also try to get upwind from a fire.
Dangers of bushfires
Riders are more vulnerable than motorists in cars because they have no air conditioning to regulate air and temperature.
The biggest dangers for riders are from smoke inhalation, low visibility and eye irritation from smoke.
Carry water with you to flush out sore eyes and to ensure you stay hydrated.
Tips to avoid dehydration in a heatwave:
Don’t drink too much alcohol the night before a ride. It has a diuretic effect which means it causes you to urinate more water than you take in which means you are losing fluid. And you can’t counteract that by drinking lots of water because most of it will go out in your urine. Obviously, don’t drink alcohol while you are riding!
Start drinking water as soon as you wake and keep sipping water right up until you get on your bike. It takes about half an hour for water to reach your muscles. Guzzling water just before a ride is not good as it can make your stomach to cramp. The Royal Flying Doctor Service which has attended dehydrated riders in the Outback, recommends carrying 10 litres of water per day! Read their Outback riding tips here.
Wear ventilated motorcycle clothing. Leathers may protect you better in a crash, but they create a “microclimate” which impairs your ability to lose heat. As a result you will produce more sweat to decrease your core temp. Instead, wear a flow-through jacket. There are heaps of options on the market. Make sure they have vents in the back so the air flows through. Also, loosen the sleeves so you get plenty of air on your wrists which have a lot of blood vessels close to the skin to effectively cool you down. However, be aware that a flow-through jacket cools you down because it is drying the sweat off your skin which can lead to dehydration. A set of Ventz up your sleeve will also keep you cool as air flows up your arms.However, don’t be fooled by your level of coolness as ventilation can also cause you to loose more water through evaporation. So you still need to keep drinking plenty of water.
Don’t be tempted to remove your jacket in the heat! Exposed skin may feel cooler, but that’s because the sweat is evaporating quicker, but that is just making you more dehydrated. And while your skin feels cool, you’ll be tricked into staying in the sun longer which leads to sunburn. That also leads to dehydration because your body needs water to repair and renew damaged skin.
Get a Camelbak or other brand of water-dispensing unit so you can continue to take small sips of water while you are riding. I’ve seen riders on GoldWings and other big tourers with cup holders so they can take slurps from a water bottle. That’s obviously not as safe as the hands-free Camelback option, but anything is better than nothing. Some people don’t like Camelbaks because the water gets hot, but the temperature of the water doesn’t affect dehydration.
Stop more often than usual and hang out in the shade or in an air-conditioned cafe. Since you are drinking lots of fluids, you will probably need to stop anyway!
While you’re stopped, have a coffee, but take it easy. No need to swear off your favourite caramel latte, but avoid excess coffee. That also goes for caffeinated drinks such as Red Bull. High levels of caffeine have a diuretic effect just like alcohol.
While having a coffee break, avoid having too many sweet cakes, donuts and muffins. Sugar can dehydrate you if it gets to very high levels in your blood. This can happen if you are a diabetic, take certain medications or have an infection or some organ diseases. Sugar causes your kidneys to produce more urine to eliminate the sugar, leading to dehydration. Likewise, don’t drink too many sugary drinks. Best to stick to plain water, real fruit juices with no added sugar or drinks such as Gatorade that replace salts and minerals lost in sweat.
We’ve talked a lot about urine and it’s important that you monitor the colour. It should be a straw colour. If it’s too dark, you are dehydrated.
Sweat also depletes your body of sodium and if it becomes too low, it can cause many of the same symptoms as dehydration. The average diet probably has enough sodium, but it’s good to have a little bit of salt on your meals or drink sports drinks that have a sodium supplement. However, beware of sports drinks with caffeine and sugar.
Petronas Yamaha SRT riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli sampled a new prototype engine on day one of the Jerez MotoGP test, however the latest chassis and updated airbox as seen on the factory Yamahas of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi were notably absent from their bikes.
Quartaro admitted it was difficult to understand all the benefits of the new engine following just one day of testing, where he posted the second fastest lap-time – 0.754s off pace-setter Vinales.
“It was a long day despite having great pace on the bike and we were able to try new things,” said Quartararo. “The tyres were working really well, but unfortunately, it seems like every time we put a new set on the bike there was a red flag or it started to rain a little!
“Maverick Vinales is really fast, but we’re not far behind him and I’m feeling really good. We used a new prototype engine from Yamaha for most of the day, but it was difficult to understand all the benefits from just one day, so there’s plenty to continue with tomorrow.”
Morbidelli, who was fifth fastest, says his first impression of the new engine is positive after quickly getting up to speed with it.
“I tried a new prototype engine specification today, and we were up to speed quite quickly with it,” Morbidelli declared. “I had a good feeling from the bike straight away, which is very positive. We’ve still got to collect data and work on our settings, but as a first impression, it was pretty great!
“The plan for tomorrow is to maintain the working routine from today and aim to reconfirm the items we tried in Valencia with the new engine, but for that to happen we need the weather to play ball!”
Karel Abraham has confirmed his departure from Reale Avintia Racing, ruling him out of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship while making way for a potential spot on the grid for Johann Zarco.
The Czech rider, who completed last week’s two-day test at Valencia, initially had a deal in place for next season, however reportedly had his contract terminated in the days following testing in Spain.
“You might know already, but I am not going to compete in MotoGP in 2020,” Abraham said in a statement. “I am very sad and disappointed, but need to move on and focus on what’s coming next.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to all my supporters, all my teams, fans, sponsors and especially my family that supported me through the good and bad times. It was a beautiful 15 years in the world championship, we had some great times and great memories will remain in my heart.”
Zarco is tipped as the favourite to join the squad for next season despite initially showing disinterest in the opportunity, however it’s understood additional support and reassurances from Ducati have swayed him.
The Frenchman cut his two-year deal short with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in August and was later benched altogether in September, although he returned to the grid with LCR Honda for the final three rounds replacing Takaaki Nakagami.
An opening arose at Repsol Honda following Jorge Lorenzo’s retirement, but he was overlooked in favour of reigning Moto2 world champion Alex Marquez.
Monster Energy S-X Open International FIM Oceania Supercross Championship points leader Jason Anderson believes the series is a ‘breath of fresh air’ as it adds motivation to his preparations for the upcoming Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship.
This weekend’s AUS-X Open Melbourne will mark Anderson’s third successive appearance in Australia, the popular American coming off a commanding victory at the S-X Open Auckland in New Zealand less than two weeks ago.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has been a regular at off-season international events over recent years, and in 2019 he’s made the S-X Open series the only two races on his schedule leading up to Anaheim 1.
“This is my sixth year racing the 450 class, and I’m only 26, and I want to keep racing for a lot more years,” Anderson explained. “So coming over here and doing these races, it gives me a little bit of a breath of fresh air with scenery and everything like that.
“I think it’s good for me just to stay positive and motivated for the season. It’s something for me to work towards in the off-season, and at the same time, AME and this whole organisation, they do such a good job. It’s a good time too when we come over here, it’s what it’s all about.”
Anderson holds a three-point advantage over Luke Clout in the Oceania standings, while the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy rider leads the Australian Supercross Championship SX1 rankings ahead of Melbourne’s finale inside Marvel Stadium.
Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez insists a visit to the medical centre at the Jerez test was for a precautionary check after crashing at turn 13, the Spaniard later resuming testing.
The Repsol Honda rider is understood to have a suffered a partially dislocated right shoulder – the opposite side to the one he had surgery on this time last year.
Marquez was still sixth on the timesheets as he continued to make comparisons with a selection of 2020 components, where three RC213Vs were set-up in his garage.
“Again today we tried some different things for 2020, assessing two different directions,” Marquez explained. “It looks like tomorrow the weather could be a little bit tricky, so we had to alter our plan a little bit to make sure we got the most out of today.
“This part of the season is very important, so we have to stay very focused here and keep working. The crash today was my mistake, I ran wide and at that time the outside of the track was a little damp so I lost the front. Fortunately I am okay, I just went to the medical centre for a precautionary check.”
Testing recommences on Tuesday for the second and final day at the Spanish venue.
Penrite Honda Racing’s Chris Blose will sport an all-new livery with increased Mongrel Boots branding at this weekend’s Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne, marking the final round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship.
Mongrel Boots has been a long-time supporter of the factory Honda squad, and will take up a primary position on Blose’s CRF250R for the international event, which is set to attract a mega crowd inside Marvel Stadium.
“We make a broad range of purpose-built boots, so promoting this through one of Australia’s favourite pastimes made perfect sense to us,” said Mongrel Boots’ marketing manager Philip Cloros. “Penrite Honda have been great ambassadors of the product.”
Penrite Honda Racing team owner Yarrive Konsky added: “We felt work boots should be made mandatory at the race track, and that’s where the partnership began – we reached out to Mongrel and have a relationship which now spans three championships.
“The team competes 21 times a year across several disciplines – they’re on their feet for hours on end and on all types of terrain so it’s important we have the right protective footwear. Mongrel is the best choice for Penrite Honda.”
Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) topped day one of the Jerez test by quite a margin on Monday, the Spaniard ending the session over seven-tenths clear of the next fastest Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT).
Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was third and continued his impressive run on the testing timesheets, pipping teammate Alex Rins as the Hamamatsu factory locked out third and fourth. The day was punctuated by some drizzle and red flags, although the majority managed nearly or over 50 laps.
Yamaha have now topped all three days of ‘2020’ so far, once with Quartararo and twice with Vinales. At Jerez, both the former and latter did 68 laps, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in fifth adding another 75.
Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, did 64 laps and was 14th. He and teammate Vinales had one ‘new’ and one ‘old’ Yamaha in the garage to compare, with Rossi’s 2020 machine fitted with the carbon swingarm but Vinales content without it, working on the engine. Neither Petronas Yamaha SRT rider had the carbon swingarm on Monday, although they had ‘some new things’ to test.
At Suzuki, meanwhile, work continued on the new engine. Mir had the upper hand on the timsheets in third after 56 laps, with teammate Rins putting in 69 in fourth. Test rider Sylvain Guintoli was also on track for the Hamamatsu factory, and he put 63 laps to pip his fellow test riders and end the day in 16th. It wasn’t all engine for Suzuki, but that was the key focus.
Honda were the next factory up, with reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in sixth despite a crash at turn 13. It was a slow lowside but in the gravel trap he hit his shoulder, heading to the medical centre for a check up. He’d suffered a partially dislocated right shoulder – not the one on which he had surgery this time last year – and did get back out on track but said he slowed up slightly.
He had three bikes in the garage. And where Marquez was focusing on 2020 comparisons, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was more on 2019 machinery on Monday. He was just 0.026s behind Marquez and put in 66 laps.
Rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, was out in HRC and Repsol colours, and he seemed to take a step forward. The number 73 was 17th and did 70 laps, saying he found Jerez a bigger step on a MotoGP bike – but also an easier one.
KTM were the fourth fastest factory on Monday with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the number 44 slotting in behind Marquez and Crutchlow on the timesheets. He did 56 laps and although he took a tumble – rider ok. He had three bikes in the garage, one ‘old’ and two ‘new’, although he spent his time out on the new.
He did 56 laps and was within a tenth of Crutchlow. Rookie teammate Brad Binder, meanwhile, remained on 2019 machinery and did 67 laps. Red Bull KTM Tech 3 rookie Iker Lecuona had a huge crash on Monday, but rider ok, and he did 38 laps. Test rider Dani Pedrosa was absent due to illness.
Ducati’s onslaught on the timesheets was led by Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), back in action after missing some of Valencia due to shoulder pain, who narrowly headed teammate Andrea Dovizioso as they took P9 and P10.
The former did 48 laps and the latter 45. Dovizioso had the new, bigger ‘salad box’ and work continued on what the duo had worked on at Valencia. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was only 0.018s off Dovi in 11th. Test rider Michele Pirro had a technical issue and that caused ared flag, and a sensor was spotted on top of the tail unit on his machine.
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini were 12th and 13th, and nothing big was seen from the Noale factory although both Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone had the swingarm with a hole in it fitted. Espargaro did 53 laps and Iannone 49. Test rider Bradley Smith had the ‘solid’ version of the swingarm and did 67 laps. Riders return to the track on Tuesday for day two.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Jett Lawrence set for his professional SX debut
Toni Bou claims French X-Trial Round 2 victory
Jack Holder crowned 2019 Oceania Speedway Champion at Gillman
Wade Young wins 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro in South Borneo
Harley announce massive 2020 AFT contingency program
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 American Flat Track
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
2020 FIM Speedway GP
2020 Australian Dirt Track
2020 Australian Track
Jett Lawrence set for his professional SX debut
Australian sensation Jett Lawrence will make his professional supercross debut with Honda Racing Australia at the Monster Energy AUS-X Open event this coming weekend at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
Jett Lawrence – Monster Energy Cup 2019 – Image by Hoppenworld
The Queensland native currently lives in the USA, but is heading back to Melbourne to race his first-ever professional career and international Supercross race onboard a Honda CRF250R.
Since landing in the United States in early 2018, Lawrence has been unstoppable, racking up a multitude of prestigious amateur championships, which have subsequently made him the hottest property on the market. The 16-year-old recently signed a long-term contract to ride under the powerhouse Geico Honda squad in the 2020 World 250cc SX2 Supercross (West Coast AMA) Championship.
Jett Lawrence
“I’m really excited to be making my pro debut in Melbourne. I’ve had my eye on these events for a while now and they’ve progressively grown into something that’s world-class. Being a proud Australian makes it pretty cool that I’ll debut there, in front of friends, family and a lot of riders I grew up with too. Winning Monster Cup was a real confidence booster for me, especially on a Supercross track. I definitely think more gate drops and just being in that race environment will help me heaps as I get ready for 2020.”
Jett Lawrence – Image by Hoppenworld
Lawrence will ride under the awning of the ‘Ride Red’ Honda Racing program, backed by Honda Genuine. General Manager of Honda Motorcycles, Tony Hinton is looking forward to seeing Lawrence in action sharing, “We are really pleased to have Jett under our wing for this final round. He has certainly made a name for himself overseas, so it will be fantastic for local fans to see him race on home soil. We hope for strong results and know he will do the CRF250R proud!”
The addition of Lawrence will add to an already stacked international SX2 division, with existing riders involved in a ferocious title fight that’ll come down to the wire at the Australian Supercross Championship finale.
Jett Lawerence – Image by Hoppenworld
During New Zealand’s press conference, two-time World Champion Chad Reed indicated that this could very likely be his final race as a professional athlete in Australia, which makes Melbourne a landmark event for Australian Supercross fans, with one legend potentially retiring and a future star being born.
Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium will also feature the Monster Energy Best-Trick Freestyle Motocross contest set to feature some of the world’s most insane stunts, with the legendary Josh Sheehan as the headliner. Best Whip will be back again, along with the Yamaha Celebrity challenge as some of Australia’s highest profiled stars do battle on track, including Jack Riewoldt, Jordan De Goey, Scott McLaughlin and many more celebrities.
Aus-X Open
Tickets can be secured from www.ticketmaster.com.au (link) with new tickets released from just $39.95! The Monster Energy AUS-X Open doubles as the fifth and final round of the Australian Supercross Championship, and Grand Final of the FIM Oceania Supercross Championship.
SX1 Standings
Pos
Name
R1
R3
R3
R4
PTS
1
Luke CLOUT
20
22
25
22
89
2
Justin BRAYTON
25
25
20
18
88
3
Daniel REARDON
22
20
22
16
80
4
Brett METCALFE
18
18
16
20
72
5
Dylan LONG
16
11
15
13
55
6
Richie EVANS
13
16
10
8
47
7
Todd WATERS
15
13
12
7
47
8
Joel WIGHTMAN
10
15
9
9
43
9
Lawson BOPPING
14
13
11
38
10
Jayden RYKERS
12
10
8
5
35
11
Josh HILL
18
15
33
12
Cody DYCE
5
5
14
4
28
13
Jesse DOBSON
7
14
7
28
14
Jackson RICHARDSON
12
1
14
27
15
Jason ANDERSON
25
25
16
Henry MILLER
11
12
23
17
Dylan WOOD
8
6
6
3
23
18
Gradie FEATHERSTONE
11
7
2
20
19
Caleb WARD
9
8
17
20
Justin CARAFA
9
4
13
21
Joey SAVATGY
10
10
22
Lochie LATIMER
6
4
10
23
Cody COOPER
6
6
24
Jesse MADDEN
5
5
25
Blake COBBIN
4
4
26
Jamie HARVEY
3
3
27
Joel CIGLIANO
3
3
28
Chad REED
2
2
SX2 Standings
Pos
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
PTS
1
Joshua OSBY
18
22
22
25
87
2
Chris BLOSE
20
16
25
22
83
3
Aaron TANTI
22
20
18
20
80
4
Mitchell OLDENBURG
13
25
20
16
74
5
Jay WILSON
16
18
15
18
67
6
Dylan WILLS
12
10
16
12
50
7
Bradley TAFT
15
12
13
5
45
8
Connor TIERNEY
14
14
15
43
9
Regan DUFFY
15
12
14
41
10
Ricky LATIMER
8
8
9
10
35
11
Geran STAPLETON
9
7
11
27
12
Rhys BUDD
11
8
8
27
13
Jayce COSFORD
10
6
4
6
26
14
Kyle WEBSTER
11
11
3
25
15
Jacob HAYES
25
25
16
Tomas RAVENHORST
13
10
23
17
Morgan FOGARTY
9
3
9
21
18
Kaleb BARHAM
7
7
5
19
19
Wilson TODD
14
14
20
Darian SANAYEI
13
13
21
Hugh McKAY
6
7
13
22
Jack KUKAS
5
4
9
23
Jaxson HADLOW
6
6
24
Chandler BURNS
5
5
25
Madison LATTA
4
4
26
McKenzie O’BREE
2
2
27
Caleb GOULLET
1
1
Toni Bou claims French X-Trial Round 2 victory
The second round of the X-Trial World Championship got underway at the brand new Glaz Arena in Rennes, France, with Repsol Honda Team ace Toni Bou dominating throughout to claim a second 2020 indoor season victory.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
Toni Bou did not disappoint the French crowd, turning out a fine display of riding prowess in front of the Rennes spectators in Brittany. The Repsol Honda Team rider made it through the first five sections of the heats as the superior rider, picking up just four marks.
In the second round, with the top rider from each group qualifying directly for the final, Bou has once again gave a masterful showing, collecting 7 marks in the process.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
The grand finale saw Toni Bou overcome the six sections with a total of 15 points ahead of the 27 accrued by arch-rival Adam Raga, to seal a second season victory.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
Repsol Honda Team will now enjoy a almost two-month break ahead of the third X-Trial World Championship season date which will not be held until January 19, 2020 in Budapest. Bou will arrive as clear leader in the contest on 40 points, 10 more than the nearest second-place rival.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
Toni Bou
“Today I did not start the first round very well; the points were fine, but I didn’t feel right with the riding sensations. I didn’t feel comfortable and it took me a while to get into the sections. We will have to work so that in the coming trials we won’t experience these feelings, since it is very easy to get knocked out in the eliminations. In the end, I was able to enjoy myself more in the second round and the final to take the victory. I want to congratulate the organizer of the event, who set up a very tough trial, where I think the spectators really enjoyed it. Now there will be a break before the third trial in Budapest so it is very important to take the leadership here.”
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
X-Trial Rennes Round 2 Results
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Team
Con.
P.
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
20
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
TRRS
15
3
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
12
4
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
9
5
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
6
6
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
4
7
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
Montesa
2
8
MARTIN Toby
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
1
2020 X-Trial Rider Standings
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
40
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
30
3
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
18
4
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
18
5
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
12
6
CASALES Jorge
SPA
6
7
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
6
8
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
6
9
MARTIN Toby
GBR
1
10
TOULY Kieran
FRA
1
Holder crowned 2019 Oceania Speedway Champion at Gillman
New South Welshman Jack Holder has taken out the inaugural FIM Oceania Speedway Championship at Gillman in South Australia, dominating the seven-race event, only dropping one point finishing ahead of under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey, British rider Dan Bewley and Australian junior international Jordan Stewart.
Holder scored 14 points, and recorded the fastest time of the night, in the heats, passed his biggest challenger, Jaimon Lidsey, to win his semi-final, and then won the final relatively comfortably in a dominating performance.
Holder’s only loss on the night was to Lidsey in their fourth heat, but by that time Holder had already qualified for the semi-finals, and therefore did not need to take any risks to try to pass Lidsey, highlighting one of the obvious flaws with the FIM format used for the meeting, where there is no reward, apart from choice of gate positions, for finishing on, or near, the top of the scorecard.
Second and third, in both the heat points and the final were Lidsey and English rider Dan Bewley, with the other finalist, Jordan Stewart, a non-finisher after he fell on the first lap.
Holder was ecstatic finishing on the top step and believes the new event formula has the support of riders. Holder said he believed European riders currently going through their winter break could see the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship as an opportunity to race.
Jack Holder
“The format and event was great, and similar to events in Europe. Hopefully it (FIM Oceania Speedway Championship) will help us push to gain GP qualifiers. It’s cold over there at the moment with no racing so they may want to come and enjoy the Australian summer and sunshine but to also remain competitive before returning to the European season.”
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FIM Oceania Vice President, Peter Doyle, said the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship showcased the international talent that Australia produces each year.
Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania Vice President
“We have a wealth of speedway talent and this inaugural FIM Oceania Speedway Championship will hopefully open up other avenues for upcoming Australian speedway stars to make their mark on the international stage. With the establishment of this championship we are continuing to support the growth of speedway here in Australia and promoting our international riders.”
Final – Holder (R), Lidsey (W), Bewley (B), Stewart (Y-fell), 56.254 (1st and 2nd from the two semi-finals)
Wade Young wins 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro in South Borneo
The 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro held in South Borneo, Indonesia has presented an incredibly tough challenge that ultimately saw just two riders complete the race over the weekend, with Sherco’s Wade Young on blistering form to take the win in front of Graham Jarvis.
Wade Young
“It was a tough day out at the Uncle Hard Enduro. There was only two finishers as there was a big downpour of rain just before the start which made things interesting.”
Wade Young – 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro
Young’s victory at the Uncle Hard Enduro follows his dominant performance at Wildwood Rock Extreme in Australia just a few weeks ago. Young will now head home to South Africa where he will finalise his preparations for the 2019 Roof of Africa.
Young is the defending Roof of Africa champion and is gunning for his fifth Roof of Africa win. Held in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Roof as it is commonly called, is an event steeped in history dating back to 1967 with legendary winners such as Graham Jarvis, Alfie Cox, Chris Birch and of, course, Wade Young. Labelled, the Mother of Hard Enduro, the 2019 Motul Roof of Africa begins on December 4, 2019.
2019 Uncle Hard Enduro results
Wade Young – ZAF – 1:58.04
Graham Jarvis – GBR – 2:13:25
Harley announce massive 2020 AFT contingency program
Harley-Davidson have announced a major increase in their support of American Flat Track’s AFT Production Twins class. For the first time ever, authorised Harley-Davidson dealerships will now have the race-proven XG750R available for purchase, ensuring that more competitors will field these race-winning machines during the 2020 American Flat Track season.
Dalton Gauthier – 2019 AFT Twins, Springfield Mile – Image by Scott Hunter
To support the racing efforts of Harley-Davidson-mounted riders in the class, the Milwaukee-based marque has also posted a $250,000 contingency package.
Jon Bekefy – GM of Brand Marketing for Harley-Davidson
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Harley-Davidson XR750 next season, this expanded pledge of support shows our lasting commitment to the sport of flat track. Harley-Davidson dealerships fielding the XG750R will provide an opportunity for our community to rally behind this great American sport.”
Harley-Davidson has been synonymous with flat track racing since the inception of the sport. Throughout the golden era of pro flat track, powerhouse Harley-Davidson dealerships from around the country scored hundreds of wins aboard the legendary XR750.
James Rispoli – Lima Half Mile 2019 – Image by Scott Hunter
Moments of brilliance during the 2019 AFT Production Twins season hearkened back to that golden era, as Dalton Gauthier and James Rispoli made consistent podium appearances and scored two wins aboard a privateer XG750R backed by Black Hills Harley-Davidson.
With $7,500 awarded to XG750R riders for each AFT Production Twins race win plus a $25,000 championship bonus on the line, the contingency package offered by Harley-Davidson is sure to heat up the on-track action next season.
A total of $15,000 will be up for grabs to XG750R riders at each AFT Production Twins round in 2020, broken down as follows, by place:
James Rispoli & Ryan Varnes – 2019 AFT – Meadowlands Mile – Image by Scott Hunter
The XG750R is available for purchase for $35,999 and deliveries will begin immediately. Supply is limited and priority will be given to dealerships, with the availability of the XG750R and Harley-Davidson’s contingency setting the stage for a renaissance movement of dealer-backed privateers contesting for AFT championships in 2020.
American Flat Track will kick off its highly-anticipated 2020 season with the first-ever Saturday of Speed featuring the DAYTONA 200 and DAYTONA TT Doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. It all kicks off at the peak of Daytona Bike Week on Saturday, March 14, 2020. You can check out the full calendar below:
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
Maverick Viñales has topped Day 1 of the Jerez Test by quite a margin on Monday, the Spaniard ending the session over seven-tenths clear of the next fastest rider – Fabio Quartararo.
Joan Mir was third and continued his impressive run on the testing timesheets, pipping teammate Alex Rins as the Hamamatsu factory locked out third and fourth.
The day was punctuated by some drizzle and Red Flags, although the majority of riders out on track managed nearly or over 50 laps.
Viñales swung his leg over the bike for the first time in Jerez at 11 o‘clock and found a good rhythm again and began chipping away at his time while comparing various testing items. He completed 68 laps in total familiarising himself with the new engine and showed no signs of slowing down. He posted a best time of 1’37.131s on lap 60, consolidating his place at the top of the standings with a convincing 0.754s-margin over his closest rival.
Maverick Vinales
“We are working a lot on the new engine trying to understand the positives and negative points of the new bike. This test is quite important for us to decide on the engines and take the right approach to further improve the engine on the track, which is our focus here. We are trying to understand the best way to work. For tomorrow my plan is the same. I need to make laps with the engine, and I also need to try the tyres, and then we will see. Even if it rains, we need to go out and try the newer stuff. For sure, we are comparing the old and new items back-to-back. The positive point is that I felt good with both bikes today, so we have two good choices, which is even better. I feel we can create a lot of potential with the new engine.”
Maverick Vinales – Jerez MotoGP Test
Yamaha have now topped all three days of ‘2020’ testing so far, once with Quartararo and twice with Viñales. At Jerez, both the former and latter did 68 laps, with Franco Morbidelli in fifth adding another 75.
Fabio Quartararo
“It was a long day despite having great pace on the bike and we were able to try new things. The tyres were working really well, but unfortunately, it seems like every time we put a new set on the bike there was a red flag or it started to rain a little! Maverick Viñales is really fast, but we’re not far behind him and I’m feeling really good. We used a new prototype engine from Yamaha for most of the day, but it was difficult to understand all the benefits from just one day, so there’s plenty to continue with tomorrow.”
Fabio Quartararo – Jerez MotoGP Test
Franco Morbidelli
“I tried a new prototype engine specification today, and we were up to speed quite quickly with it. I had a good feeling from the bike straight away, which is very positive. We’ve still got to collect data and work on our settings, but as a first impression, it was pretty great! The plan for tomorrow is to maintain the working routine from today and aim to reconfirm the items we tried in Valencia with the new engine, but for that to happen we need the weather to play ball!”
Franco Morbidelli – Jerez MotoGP Test
Valentino Rossi meanwhile did 64 laps and finished the day in 14th. He and teammate Viñales had one ‘new’ and one ‘old’ Yamaha in the garage to compare, with Rossi’s 2020 machine fitted with the carbon swingarm but Viñales content without it, working on the engine. Neither Petronas Yamaha SRT rider had the carbon swingarm on Monday, although they had “some new things” to test.
Valentino Rossi
“We worked a lot today, even though the weather conditions weren‘t fantastic. Every now and then we had some rain, we had to stop and start like this, but the track conditions were quite good anyway. We worked a lot on the new bike and made another comparison with the old one, and the feeling isn‘t too bad. Some things were better, and we also have some areas where we need to work.”
Valentino Rossi – Jerez MotoGP Test
Alex Rins and Joan Mir were joined by Sylvain Guintoli and the rest of the test team as they continued their preparations for the 2020 season. The majority of the track action was spent as a continuation of the Valencia Test; comparing the 2019 and 2020 engine specifications.
Joan Mir – Jerez MotoGP Test
They also worked on electronics and general set-up, with a view to building up the package ahead of the Sepang Test in February. Guintoli also spent some time with a new swing arm and adjusting other aspects of the chassis.
Mir finished the session in 3rd place, having done 56 laps, while Rins was just behind in 4th, completing 69 laps. Sylvain Guintoli closed the session 16th with a total of 63 laps.
Joan Mir
“I’m really happy because I felt we made some improvements today. We focused on the engine and also on electronics; I also tried some new parts which helped my feel even more. I’m feeling comfortable and happy with the bike. Let’s hope the weather will be OK tomorrow so we can continue this good work.”
Joan Mir – Jerez MotoGP Test
Alex Rins
“Today’s test session went quite well. We tried the same things as in Valencia, like the 2020 engine spec., and we confirmed our initial findings. Tomorrow we’ll try a few more things regarding the set-up. We had some more plans for today, such as trying a fast lap with the new tyre, but unfortunately the rain arrived this afternoon and that hampered our progress.”
Alex Rins – Jerez MotoGP Test
Sylvain Guintoli
“Today we worked on next year’s engine, as well as some chassis work such as the swing arm. I also did some long runs and tried the new spec. Michelin rear tyre, which I found to be very good. My lap times were strong today, I did my best lap of Jerez today. Looking forward to tomorrow, fingers crossed conditions are OK.”
Honda were the next factory up, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez in sixth despite a crash at Turn 13. It was a slow lowside but in the gravel trap he hit his shoulder, heading to the Medical Centre for a check up. He’d suffered a partially dislocated right shoulder – not the one on which he had surgery this time last year – and did get back out on track but said he slowed up slightly. He had three bikes in the garage.
Marc Marquez
“Again today we tried some different things for 2020, assessing two different directions. It looks like tomorrow the weather could be a little bit tricky, so we had to alter our plan a little bit to make sure we got the most out of today. This part of the season is very important, so we have to stay very focused here and keep working. The crash today was my mistake, I ran wide and at that time the outside of the track was a little damp so I lost the front. Fortunately I am OK, I just went to the medical centre for a precautionary check.”
Marc Marquez – Jerez MotoGP Test
Where Marquez was focusing on 2020 comparisons, Cal Crutchlow was more on 2019 machinery on Monday. He was just 0.026 behind Marquez and put in 66 laps.
Rookie Alex Marquez was out in HRC and Repsol colours, and he seemed to take a step forward. The number 73 was 17th and did 70 laps, saying he found Jerez a bigger step on a MotoGP bike – but also an easier one.
Alex Marquez
“Today we tried to improve and close the distance to the front while learning how to work with my team for next year. Throughout the day we were able to make steady improvements and I was able to work a lot with used tyres, to understand how I need to change my riding to make the most out of them. We didn’t fit any new tyres at the end as it started raining a little bit, but I am happy. I think today went better than both days in Valencia as I was more comfortable right away.”
Alex Marquez – Jerez MotoGP Test
KTM were the fourth fastest factory on Monday with Pol Espargaro slotting in behind Marquez and Crutchlow on the timesheets. He did 56 laps and although he took a tumble – rider ok. He had three bikes in the garage, one ‘old’ and two ‘new’, although he spent his time out on the new. He did 56 laps and was within a tenth of Crutchlow.
Rookie teammate Brad Binder, meanwhile, remained on 2019 machinery and did 67 laps. Red Bull KTM Tech 3 rookie Iker Lecuona had a huge crash on Monday, but rider ok, and he did 38 laps. Test rider Dani Pedrosa was absent due to illness.
Iker Lecuona
“Jerez is a very difficult track on the MotoGP bike, it’s not easy to go fast here and have a good feeling on the bike. For sure, I need more laps tomorrow in order to get more kilometers in. At the moment, I finished 2.802 seconds from the top, which is obviously too much. After the crash, I feel a bit bruised, but overall, I’m ok. This circuit is definitely completely different to what we had in Valencia, so I need to further adapt myself and I can’t wait to be back on the bike tomorrow.”
Iker Lecuono – Jerez MotoGP Test
Ducati’s onslaught on the timesheets was led by Danilo Petrucci, back in action after missing some of Valencia due to shoulder pain, who narrowly headed teammate Andrea Dovizioso as they took P9 and P10. The former did 48 laps and the latter 45.
Danilo Petrucci
“It was quite a challenging day for me, because I still wasn’t entirely sure about my physical condition. My left shoulder, which was hurting me a lot at Valencia, gave me a bit of bother this morning: in the afternoon however I was better and we were able to carry out some back-to-back tests, without aiming for fast times. We mainly focussed on getting a better understanding of the new solutions present on the bike, and we certainly managed to obtain some useful indications for the future.”
Danilo Petrucci – Jerez MotoGP Test
Dovizioso had the new, bigger ‘salad box’ and work continued on what the duo had worked on at Valencia. Jack Miller was only 0.018 off Dovi in 11th.
Andrea Dovizioso
“Today we were able to carry out the back-to-back comparison between the two bikes, in a much better way than at Valencia, and this was important because Jerez is a track with very different characteristics. The feedback was certainly positive, but we will have to take a closer more detailed look at all the information we accumulated and make a major effort to understand which direction to take for the next development stage.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Jerez MotoGP Test
Test rider Michele Pirro had a technical issue and that caused a Red Flag, and a sensor was spotted on top of the tail unit on his machine.
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini were 12th and 13th, and nothing big was seen from the Noale factory although both Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone had the swingarm with a hole in it fitted.
Aleix Espargaro- Jerez MotoGP Test
Espargaro did 53 laps and Iannone 49. Test rider Bradley Smith had the ‘solid’ version of the swingarm and did 67 laps.
