Misano is a race weekend that I always look forward to. It is the scene of my first ever SBK win in 2009 and the whole atmosphere of being in Italy, and right by the beach, means it has a great feeling to it. And people always come out and watch as well. After a really difficult Jerez it is the perfect place to go to and try and get back the feeling we had in Imola and some previous races. We had a really strong test at Misano just a few weeks ago, where I was both fast and consistent, so we have a really good idea where to start FP1 from, and then build forward from there. I will work with all my crew to maximise our potential. http://jonathan-rea.com/news/season-mid-point-worldsbk-misano
The 2019 FIM World Superbike Championship reaches the half way point this weekend with round seven at Misano World Circuit Marco Sim Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
The stars of EnduroGP had to cope with overwhelming heat on Day 1 in Greece, despite a huge storm on Friday night before the Super Test. These demanding conditions made their marks on both man and machine, as was proven when Alex Salvini suffered a shoulder injury.
Christophe Charlier
We’ll start with the premier category, EnduroGP, where Salvini was looking to be one of the favouites at the beginning of the day. The Honda RedMoto rider was in the fight with Matteo Cavallo for 3rd place overall before he took a heavy hit on his shoulder in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Test. It was a similar story for Christophe Charlier, on fire at the end of the day, and closing in on Cavallo before a big mistake on the final test….
There were no such problems for the British duo of Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman. The former, who seems to be largely recovered from the debilitating virus he’d been in the grip of since the German GP, was running well at the start of the day and held a 12 second advantage at the end of the first lap. Meanwhile Freeman initially found it tricky to ‘open the road’, but the Beta Boano rider quickly regained control of the EGP class to pull out an amazing 39 second lead on Holcombe by the end of the day.
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
Behind these two top guns, Matteo Cavallo achieved his first career podium in EnduroGP. He fought well to see off attacks from Oldrati and Redondi, in addition to taking advantage of the misfortunes of Salvini and Charlier. It was a nice reward for the 2018 Junior World Champion who did not expect to get on a EnduroGP podium so soon!
Neck and neck for a long time, Oldrati ended up getting the better of his compatriot Redondi and therefore took 4th place and 13 points, while Loïc Larrieu had to settle for 6th place and Eero REMES just managed a place in the Top 10.
The class which saw the most twists and turns was Enduro 2! Salvini had been establishing himself as a potential winner before he fell and injured his shoulder … And at that time, the category win was all to play for between Redondi, Loïc Larrieu and Charlier, all ready to take advantage of the 2013 World Champion’s unfortunate DNF.
Alex Salvini
Charlier made an impressive comeback to take the lead two tests before the end of the day. But the Corsican crashed in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Test and damaged his bike. He managed to finish the Technomousse Xtreme Test, but he was unable to get through the last test of the day and had to give up his first victory of the year to a very consistent Redondi…
For his part, Loïc Larrieu finished 2nd despite a big scare in the last lap and it was Chile’s Benjamin HERRERA who took advantage of the misfortune of Salvini and Charlier to finally climb onto the E2 podum in front of Eero Remes and Hugo Blanjoue. This ‘middle weight’ class remains thrilling and full of surprises.
In E1, Brad Freeman remains unbeaten in front of Matteo Cavallo and Thomas Oldrati. Davide Guarneri had to settle for 4th place and Kirian Mirabet completed the Top 5 …
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
In E3, Steve Holcombe was back on the top step of the podium after he lost out to his rival, Danny McCanney, in Spain. The factory TM rider, struggling with a hand injury, still clung on to 2nd place, just in front of Anthony Geslin.
In the Juniors, Andrea Verona has not yet given any chances to his rivals, and today was no different as he scored victory 47 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. The talented Italian remains unbeaten so far this season.
However, the fight for second place was very intense and interesting between Enric Francisco, Ruy Barbosa, Theo Espinasse and Roni Kytonen. After putting in another solid performance it was the Spaniard who took the second step on the podium and 17 points, despite an amazing recovery from the Kytönen Husqvarna Motorsport rider, who took his first Junior podium.
Andrea Verona
Barbosa, meanwhile, had to settle for 4th place despite a very speedy start to the day, the Chilean finished 56 hundredths of a second ahead of Espinasse.
Verona also remains undefeated in J1, today joined on the podium by Kytonen and Espinasse while Francisco pocketed a fifth victory in 2019 at the expense of Barbosa and Jack Edmondson…
In the Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, David Knight is only one victory away from the Open Senior Cup, having won his 7th race day right in front of the friendly Austrian duo of Werner Muller and Hans Peter Musil!
In Open 2-Stroke, Gonçalo Reis is also a step closer to the cup, taking his 6th victory of 2019 ahead of the Greek rider George Pisimanis, while the Open 4-Stroke was turned on its head with a 100% Greek podium following the retirement of title contender Mathias Van Hoof. It was therefore Ioannis Chasapis, Panagiotis Zafeiriou and Konstantinos Nikias in front of their home crowd.
EnduroGP of Greece – Day 2
The first victim of the tough day was Giacomo Redondi. Fifth overall yesterday and the winner of the E2 class, the Italian had a heavy fall in the first Champion Lubricants Enduro Test of the day and damaged his ribs. He lost more than 14 minutes and managed to finishes the day 19th overall by gritting his teeth.
After a DNF yesterday, Alex Salvini bravely took to the start again this morning and rode in pain to finish in an honorable 12th position overall, taking some valuable points.
Alex Salvini
But perhaps the biggest victim of this stifling weekend was Brad Freeman. Strong from the outset, and dominating Day 1, the Beta Boano rider pulled out a gap right from the start of Day 2. However, as fatigue set in the Brit had a huge crash on the last Enduro Test and injured his left shoulder.
Despite this, he was able to hold off Thomas Oldrati and Matteo Cavallo and win the EnduroGP class nevertheless. Increasing his gap on a struggling Steve Holcombe who could only managed 7th overall today. But this mistake from Freeman could cost him dearly next weekend in Italy if he does not recover quickly. This story is to be continued…
Thomas Oldrati
So it was in fact Oldrati who was the surprise of Serres by being the closest rider to Freeman on the second day of racing. They were joined on the podium by another Italian, the impressive Cavallo.
Fighting for the EnduroGP podium for the majority of the day, two errors relegated a resurgent Christophe Charlier to fifth position, he was beaten by Britain’s Danny McCanney who courageously put his hand injury to the back of his mind.
Christophe Charlier
With a 100% win-streak in Enduro 1, Freeman took victory on Sunday ahead of Oldrati and Cavallo. Davide Guarneri and Kirian Mirabet completed the Top 5 in this small engine capacity class.
As for the Enduro 3 class, Danny McCanney took his second win of the season ahead of Steve Holcombe and the consistent Anthony Geslin…
Danny McCanney
In Enduro 2, it was another crazy and dramatic day. After his early and heavy crash, Day 1 winner Redondi was forced to try and limit the damage by finishing 8th. For his part, the “warrior” Alex Salvini holds on to the title lead in E2 before arriving at his home GP in Rovetta. He finished 5th with his damaged shoulder, only 14 seconds behind the Chilean Benjamin Herrera.
While the Italian is still the leader, the French duo of Charlier and Larrieu are edging dangerously close to him. Honda RedMoto’s Charlier took a deserved victory on Day 2 and TM’s Larrieu was just behind him in 2nd. Clearly, this category remains unpredictable and there are still at least four riders in with a shout of the title!
Loic Larrieu
A couple of times this season we’ve seen Enric Francisco come close to knocking Andrea Verona off the top spot. But it has taken until the 4th GP of the season to end the 7-strong winning streak of the Italian! However, it wasn’t Ivan Cervantes’ protege who achieved this feat but instead the Finn, Roni Kytonen. Absent at the opening round in Germany, the Kytönen Motorsport rider already showed great potential during the Iberian tour and now he has proven that he can compete with the best young talents on the planet.
But Francisco gave him a hard time, and remained on the Finn’s tail until the last test of the day. Verona managed to fight his way back to a useful third place, pipping an unfortunate Antoine Magain on the last lap!
Andrea Verona
Also worth noting is the disqualification of Ruy Barbosa, taken out of the race by the FIM due to reckless and unsporting behaviour.
Naturally, Kytonen also had the beating of Verona in the J1 class, while Magain took third place. Francisco grabbed a second J2 win in as many days in front of the great Czech hope Krystof Kouble and Jack Edmondson…
This Maxxis Grand Prix of Greece also gave us our very first victor in the history of the newly-created Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup. Present at every race since the start of the season and undefeated so far, ‘Enduro legend’ David Knight finished the job without a hitch on Sunday and leaves Greece, as the cup winner of the Open Senior category, 14 years after his first ever World title, also won here in Serres! Knighter beat Austria’s Werner Muller, 2nd. And Sweden’s Patrik Andersson completed the Top 3, taking his very first International podium!
In Open 2-Stroke, Gonçalo Reis did the double and is only one win away from taking the crown. Second was George Pisimanis. Let’s see if the rider from Portugal can finish the job next weekend in Rovetta.
Finally, in Open 4-Stroke, Mathias Van Hoof who had a very unlucky Day 1 with mechanical failure was finally able to take his first world level win! The Belgian took this brilliant victory ahead of Konstantinos Nikias and Panagiotis Zafeiriou.
So it’s ‘hats off’ to Serres OffRoad Premio Aris Liougas and Christos Pouftas who took on the considerable challenge of replacing the Corsican in just 3 months, something they did excellently with three high level special tests.
Round 3 of the Asia Talent Cup saw Sho Nishimura claim the Race 1 win from Afridza Munandar and Takuma Matsuyama, with young Aussies Harrison Voight 13th, Luke Power 16th and Jacob Roulstone 18th.
Afridza Munandar – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
In Race 2 it was Afridza Munandar who claimed the race win from Adenanta Putra and Warit Thongnoppakun. Harrison Voight took fourth, with Jacob Roulstone inside the top 10 in ninth, and Luke Power 11th.
Asia Talent Cup Race 1
Sho Nishimura has extended his lead in the standings after a dramatic Race 1 at Sepang International Circuit, with the first showdown of the weekend cut short by a Red Flag after a mutliple-rider incident with five laps to go. Indonesian Afridza Munandar and Japanese rider Takuma Matsuyama, who remains second in the Championship, completed the podium.
Race 1 Start – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
It was Shoki Igarashi who took the holeshot from third on the grid, slotting into the lead ahead of Matsuyama as polesitter Nishimura lost out slightly off the line. But it wouldn’t stay that way for long as the number 11 machine of Matsuyama soon attacked and took the lead, initially then pushing to try and break away but Nishimura able to pull him back in. And so it became a group of four fighting at the front, with Munandar up in the mix.
Warit Thongnoppakun was on the chase, however, with the Thai rider managing to chip away at the gap and join the foursome in the lead. Could he get into a podium position and take his second rostrum finish? As it transpired, he wouldn’t get the chance as some serious drama was about to hit the second group.
Sho Nishimura – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
A multiple-rider crash saw Hildhan Kusuma, Adenanta Putra, Tatchakorn Buasri and Abdul Mutaqim all go down, and soon after the Red Flag was shown, bringing the race to an early end. That meant that last time over the line decided the winner – and it had been close. By an infinitesimal 0.060 the win goes to Nishimura, with the Japanese rider just ahead of Munandar, and Matsuyama completes the podium. Thongnoppakun and Igarashi complete the top five.
Because the results are taken from the last time over the line, it’s Putra classified sixth, ahead of home hero Syarifuddin Azman as the Malaysian put in a top performance on home turf. Herjun Firdaus takes P8, with Hildhan Kusuma and Piyawat Patoomyos completing the top ten.
Takuma Matsuyama – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
Buasri and Mutaqim were 11th and 12th and the last two in a tight freight train of seven riders within a few tenths before the key incident. Riders were all ‘ok’ after the crash, although Buasri and Mutaqim were sent for further checks.
Australian Harrison Voight took P13 and some points after a top qualifying, with Ryosuke Bando and second Malaysian Idil Mahadi completing the scorers.
Race 1 Podium – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
Asia Talent Cup Race 1 Results
Sho Nishimura 18’42.072
Afridza Munandar +0.060
Takuma Matsuyama +0.289
Warit Thongnoppakun +0.544
Shoki Igarashi +0.962
Adenanta Putra +5.506
Syarifuddin Azman +5.552
Herjun Firdaus +5.789
Hildhan Kusuma +5.928
Piyawat Patoomyos +6.159
Tatchakorn Buasri +6.247
Abdul Mutaqim +6.376
Harrison Voight +8.161
Ryosuke Bando +15.990
Muhammad Idil Fitri Bin Mahadi +19.981
Luke Power +23.609
Rei Wakamatsu +23.858
Jacob Roulstone +23.828
Kadir Erbay +51.360
Asia Talent Cup Race 2
Afridza Munandar took a commending second win of the season at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, staying clear of a chaotic fight at the front in the final laps to take home 25 points and take over second in the standings. Compatriot Adenanta Putra followed him home, with Thai rider Warit Thongnoppakun taking his second rostrum of the finish in third after escaping some final corner drama.
Race 2 Start – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
Sho Nishimura took the holeshot from pole, but Takuma Matsuyama was quick to attack back and the two headed up a five-rider fight at the front, with Thongnoppakun, Shoki Igarashi and Adenanta Putra in the mix. There was a small gap back to Tatchakorn Buasri on the chase, and eventual winner Afridza Munandar was soon challenging too.
Afridza Munandar – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
With Matsuyama streaking away at the front, it was Munandar who sliced through to start reeling the number 11 in with a show of intent and he did just that; the freight train at the front then appearing again and 12 riders within 1.8 seconds.
With eight laps to go, big drama hit for Matsuyama. Running off and then making contact with another rider on track, the number 11 fell from the front fight and the initial pacesetter was out. That left Munandar in the lead at the front of the group, with Nishimura in second and home hero Syarifuddin Azman having sliced through into third.
Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
As the group kept chopping and changing and the laps ticked down, however, it was Thongnoppakun who managed to escape the melee to stay with Munandar and the duo began to pull away. Heading onto the final lap, the Indonesian had half a second in his pocket and that would prove a crucial gap.
Although those behind managed to close in, no one could attack Munandar into the final corner – and the final corner was where the attack happened. Azman, gunning for a home podium, tried a move on Nishimura but the Malaysian tagged the back of the Japanese rider, taking them both down and out of podium contention.
Munandar crossed the line in clear air, Thongnoppakun was able to avoid the drama and, despite losing time, made his way back on track to gun it to the line – but he was beaten to it as Adenanta Putra pipped him to the post, the podium decided in dramatic fashion.
Harrison Voight – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
Harrison Voight took his best finish yet in fourth after a good weekend for the Australian, ahead of Hildhan Kusuma who completed the top five. Tatchakorn Buasri took P6 ahead of Piyawat Patoomyos, with Abdul Mutaqim crossing the line in eighth.
Jacob Roulstone headed the next group and beat home hero Idil Mahadi to ninth, with Luke Power, Rei Wakamatsu, Kadir Erbay and wildcard Shinji Ogo completing the finishers. Igarashi and Herjun Firdaus suffered DNFs.
Jacob Roulstone – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
It’s a long wait for the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup until the next round alongside MotoGP at Buriram now, but it’s still Sho Nishimura who leads the way despite Day 2 at Sepang not going his way. Who will be strongest when the field return to the fray? Find out in October.
Race 2 Podium – Asia Talent Cup 2019 – Round 3 Sepang
A Sydney woman continues to face strict bail conditions after fronting court today on charges related to a hit-and-run crash that injured a rider and pillion.
Molly Cahill, 22, of Sans Souci appeared in Sutherland Local Court today when the matter was held over for mention on July 30.
She has been committed to stand trial on charges of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, failing to stop and render assistance after impact and not keeping left of a dividing line.
The crash scene (All images: Channel 7 Sydney)
Bail conditions
Her bail conditions of a strict curfew, passport confiscation and daily reports to police have been continued.
The injured rider is Tony Nissirios, 38, and his injured pillion is his female partner Sam, 26. They were transported to St George Hospital.
Tony suffered multiple leg fractures and Sam had a broken wrist. Their current conditions are not confirmed at this stage but it was feared Tony would need his leg amputated.
Committed driver bailed
Police will allege Cahill was driving a Peugeot hatchback on the wrong side of Forest Road in Peakhurst about 1.20am (Monday 8 April 2019) when she hit the motorcycle head-on.
The rider and pillion were thrown from the bike and suffered multiple fractures.
Police will allege the driver left the scene, dumped her car nearby and texted “I think I’ve hit someone”.
She was later arrested at her Sans Souci home and taken to Kogarah Police Station. She was granted bail the following day in Sutherland Local Court.
The 2019 Australian Supercross Championship calendar nears completion with the return of Port Adelaide being announced as round two of the series at Gillman Speedway on 19 October.
Promoter Troy Bayliss Events has confirmed the South Australian round will adopt a traditional race format for the 2019 edition, after last year’s instalment saw the Triple Crown format introduced.
“It’s all about the racing,” promoter Troy Bayliss commented. “Gillman Speedway has a top quality dirt stockpile of 7000 tonnes onsite with access to more and we don’t have any bump in time restraints, which we think will deliver us one of the best tracks of the year.”
Penrite Honda Racing’s Brett Metcalfe, a South Australian local and winner of the event last year, is hopeful the crowd will get behind him once again after it created an incredible atmosphere.
“South Australia last year was a huge step forward for me, I wanted to win and it could not have been at a better time – the crowd definitely influenced my win and the track layout was incredible,” Metcalfe explained.
“I’m looking forward to doing it all again in 2019 and hopefully go back-to-back in front of my home crowd down there at Gillman Speedway on 19 October.”
A full list of support categories will fill the night’s program including SX1, SX2 and the junior Australian Supercross Championship classes. Fans will also be able to meet and greet the riders before the event starts, with the pit party taking place between 4-5pm.
Just the season-opening round is still be confirmed, with Port Adelaide, Wollongong, Auckland and Melbourne making up the remainder of the series in that respective order.
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The LATEST News
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Entries Open for 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
Gajser and Prado Win MXGP of Latvia
Kegums in Latvia has hosted an action packed ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship and it was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who have won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively and in doing so have extended their championships points leads.
MXGP of Latvia 2019
MXGP Report
The most successful team in recent GP history has been the Red Bull KTM team but season 2019 went completely pear shaped in Latvia with their brightest hopes in Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings both suffering major set-backs.
Jeffrey Herlings leading the MXGP Race 1 start – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Herlings, in his second GP back from injury won the opening moto before it was reported that he has re-broken his previously injured ankle after incredibly crashing during the second moto warm up lap then former 2019 championship dominator in Cairoli crashed hard out of the second moto just an hour after a solid fourth in the opening moto.
All of that aside, there were three riders tied on 40 points at the top of the MXGP points tally for the day but on a count back Gajser scored his 20th GP victory with 6-1 moto finishes but more importantly now holds a 33-points lead in the championship over Cairoli.
Tim Gajser
“I am so happy about today. First race I was struggling, but the second one I found a good rhythm and I had a good battle with Jeremy. I am so happy for the team. Yesterday I had good speed but at the qualification race I had a big crash and I was a little sore today with some pain in my neck, but I got enough for sixth in the first race. Second race I tried to ride my race and I didn’t know I had won the overall. This is everything we work for and I am happy for the team.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Romain Febvre (4-2) and Arnaud Tonus (2-4) rounded out the podium for the Yamaha fans.
Romain Febvre
“Today was okay, much better than yesterday. I made some mistakes with bike set-up yesterday. We changed it a lot for today and I felt better. My start was not there, and I struggled a bit. I could have finished fourth but I got really bad arm pump. Tony was in front of me and I couldn’t catch him. The second race I had a good first lap and kept my moment. Middle of the race I struggled in the wave but I could catch the guys in front. Maybe I needed two or three extra laps to catch Tim. I thought I won the overall, but I am happy even if a bit disappointed. It isn’t so long after I came back from my injury, so I feel satisfied.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Arnaud Tonus
“I had a good feeling, at the beginning I got passed by Jeffrey and I followed him, then I found some good lines and it was great to lead. I had a good lead, but Jeffrey passed me, and he got the win. I will take every race to learn and just get better. I have to be happy. Sure, a bit frustrated, coming so close to the win, I will keep working and it is great to be on the podium, I enjoy this a lot. The way I was riding today, it’s maybe the best I have ridden in these types of conditions. It’s been years that I am trying to work on myself to compete at this level and if you look at the last few GPs, I am super happy. My mechanic told me if I could pass Romain, I could win the GP, but the track was sketchy, and I tried to keep it on two wheels.”
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Cairoli walked off the track after spectacularly crashing out of the second moto holding his right arms and at the time of writing the extent of his injuries are unknown while Herlings is already in hospital to repair the damage he incurred during his warm up lap crash.
Tony Cairoli
“On Saturday I had the Flu and a fever, and my arm was not as strong as I wanted after the crash in Russia. I could battle with the guys for first position in the first moto but then I got a bit tired and settled for third, which was good for the championship. In the second moto I was fourth and trying to follow [Arnaud] Tonus. I had quite a big crash and when I stood up I felt my shoulder was out. My hope is to be ready to at least start next week in Germany. I don’t want to give up at all and I want to be there as much as possible for the championship.”
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Latvia 2019
MXGP Overall Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 40 p
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 40 p
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 36 p
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 30 p
Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 25 p
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 23 p
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 22 p
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 20 p
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 20 p
MXGP – World Championship Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 391 p
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358 p
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 256 p
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 254 p
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 246 p
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 226 p
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208 p
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 200 p
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 190 p
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 186 p
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MX2 Report
The Kegums track offered plenty of lines and passing opportunities but none of that worried Prado who won the opening moto from Jago Geerts, Thomas Kjer Olsen, Ben Watson and Maxime Renaux before dominating the second moto over Geerts, Kjer Olsen, Watson and Adam Sterry.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jorge Prado
“It is my first time to win here, I was fourth two times here. I won the qualification race and two races today, so that makes me happy. Another great weekend going 1-1 and making the gap bigger in the points. I felt comfortable and I want to thank the team, my family and my girlfriend. It is making me stay in the top level like I am doing now.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jago Geerts
“Pretty good start, but the first three corners I messed up a little, I tried everything I could do to pass Thomas and I am really happy with the weekend.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I am finally getting good starts and being up there I learn a lot. The speed is high from the beginning and it is a bummer I couldn’t stay there, but I gave my all and I want to thank everyone behind me.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Aussie Jed Beaton went 10-13 for 10th overall on the day while Mitch Evans was forced to sit out the qualifying race after crashing hard during qualifying. This gave him the most outside gate in both GP races but it was looking good after a ninth in Moto 1, before a massive over-the-bars crash in Moto 2 relegated the Honda rider to 22nd for 15th overall.
Evans and Beaton are now 7th and 13th in the MX2 championship points respectively but nothing is surer that these two are cementing themselves as worthy of their factory rides.
Mitchell Evans
“Tough day, finishing ninth and twenty-second. A crash in moto two ruined my chances of achieving my goal of two top-ten finishes today.”
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jed Beaton
“It’s been a really tough GP for me, but I’m pleased I came away with points in both motos. I got sick with the flu on Thursday before the race and I really struggled with a fever and low energy. I worked hard during the qualification race and did all that I could during today’s motos.”
Van De Moosdijk and Bengtson win EMX rounds in Latvia
The Latvian round for European Championship classes of EMX250 and EMX2T saw Roan Van De Moosdijk and Ken Bengtson score 1-1 moto finishes in their respective classes.
Roan van de Moosdijk – MXGP of Latvia 2019
EMX250
Van De Moosdijk proved to be very strong in the sand of Kegums and also closed up on new series leader Alberto Forato, who finished second overall with 3-4 results while third overall in the EMX250 class was Jeremy Sydow with 2-5 results obtaining his first podium of his career.
Roan van de Moosdijk
“Unbelievable! 1-1 for my first perfect weekend; I was first in every session in practice and in racing. The start was the key and today I was fourth leaving turn one; I soon had the lead so I could ride my own race and check out to control the race. I’m really happy that I didn’t make any mistakes today; I was riding safe in the sketchy section. I didn’t look at the standings but I know that I’ve closed the gap with the leaders again and I’m just focusing on each race. I’ve got a great family behind me at Kawasaki and F&H Racing and we can look forward confidently to Teutschenthal next weekend after taking the last two overall wins and four motos from the last five.”
Roan van de Moosdijk – MXGP of Latvia 2019
EMX250 – Overall Classification Top 10
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 50 points
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 38
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 38
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 36
Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 32
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 29
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KTM), 27
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 24
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 18
EMX250 – Championship Top 10
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 201 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 201
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 194
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 138
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 114
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 112
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 88
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 86
Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 74
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 73
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EMX2T
Sweden’s Ken Bengtson might have just made his debut in the EMX2T but he looked solid in the sand of Kegums. With second place overall, Team Ecomaxx Fuels team’s Mike Kras scored 2-2 results leading the series points with a two point over Verde Substance KTM team’s Brad Anderson. Third overall was Andero Lusbo with 4-3 scores.
Bengtson held on for both race wins to take the overall victory ahead of Mike Kras, Andero Lusbo, Todd Kellet and former championship leader Brad Anderson so when the dust settled Kras now has the red-plate by just two points over Anderson.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Classification Top 10
Ken Bengtson (SWE, HUS), 50 points
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 44
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 38
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 36
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 34
Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), 29
Gianluca Deghi (ITA, KTM), 28
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 26
Nick Leerkes (NED, KTM), 23
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 20
EMX2T Championship Classification Top 10
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 199 points
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 197
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 178
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 162
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 153
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 86
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 79
Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 72
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 72
Tomac and Cianciarulo win High Point AMA Motocross
The infamous High point Raceway has hosted the latest round of the AMA Motocross Championships and it was the Kawasaki paring of Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo who have won the 450 and 250 classes respectively.
AMA MX 2019 – High Point
450 Report
In a day of ups and downs on a brutally rut infest layout Tomac’s 3-2 effort gave him his second overall victory of the season and the 19th of his career. Ken Roczen’s second-moto win vaulted him into the runner-up spot (6-1) ahead of Jason Anderson who finished third overall on the back of 2-5 moto finishes.
AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Eli Tomac
“Today was a unique situation by winning with 3-2 moto scores. I’m not sure if I’ve ever won a race without winning a moto. We did what we could and battled towards the front, so overall the day was good. The track had a lot of good character today, the ruts were plenty deep and the track was rough.”
Eli Tomac – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Ken Roczen
“I’m glad we left today on a high note. I had a new setup in Florida and unfortunately with the weather, I’ve only been able to put a very short amount of time on it, and that’s what I started with here today. I struggled all morning with it. Going into the first moto, we went back to my Colorado setting, except with some clicker changes I’ve been running at home. However, that didn’t work for me at all. I wasn’t riding well and just went backwards in the first moto. For the second moto, I just went back to our full Colorado setup, and it was nice to see that we have a very solid base that I can go back to. I just knew exactly what the bike was going to do, and we had an incredible moto. I came from far behind after a bad start and came away with a moto win and second on the podium. It was pretty huge.”
Ken Roczen – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
With the win, Tomac move to a tiebreaker with Roczen in the championship point standings with 176 points apiece while teammates Zach Osborne and Anderson are tied for third, 32 points out of the lead.
Dean Ferris battled hard all day on his factory Yamaha to come home 11-11 for 11th outright to sit ninth in the championship points chase.
Dean Ferris – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
450 Results
Eli Tomac Eli 3 – 2
Ken Roczen 6 – 1
Jason Anderson 2 – 5
Cooper Webb 7 – 3
Zach Osborne 5 – 4
Marvin Musquin 4 – 7
lake Baggett 1 – 15
Joey Savatgy 8 – 6
Justin Bogle 9 – 8
Justin Barcia 10 – 10
Dean Ferris 11 – 11
450 Points Standings
Eli Tomac – 176
Ken Roczen – 176
Zach Osborne – 144
Jason Anderson – 144
Marvin Musquin – 139
Cooper Webb – 132
Justin Barcia – 99
lake Baggett – 92
Dean Ferris – 89
Justin Bogle – 88
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250 Class Report
The opening moto was a slug fest between front runners Justin Cooper, Colt Nichols, Hunter Lawrence, Cianciarulo, Dylan Ferrandis and Chase Sexton with the layout offering a multitude of passing opportunities, but in the end it was Lawrence who got his first win on American soil over Cianciarulo, Ferrandis and Sexton.
250 Start – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Moto 2 was pedestrian in comparison with Cianciarulo taking the moto win for his fourth consecutive victory (2-1) of the season. Lawrence’s consistent (1-3) moto scores carried him to a career-best second overall ahead of Sexton who also had the best finish of his career with third (4-2).
250 Start – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Wilson Todd recovered from a poor start in the opening moto to score a solid 12th but in the second moto the current Australian MX Nationals Championship leader dropped his TLD KTM into fourth place coming out of the second corner. He then held fifth place for a large part of the early part of the moto before slipping back to 10th for 10th overall – Lawrence and Todd Currently hold down seventh and 12th respectively in the championship.
Hunter Lawrence – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Adam Cianciarulo
“I’m so grateful for these wins, they’re hard to do and I’m just stoked. The first moto was a battle from the beginning, I had a terrible start. By the time I was able to get into second, I just kind of struggled and that was it. The second moto I obviously put myself in a much better position to get the win and that is what I was able to do. I just want to keep the ball rolling heading into Jacksonville.”
Adam Cianciarulo – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
The win helped Cianciarulo extend his championship point lead to 26 points over Cooper who could only muster ninth overall (6-9). Ferrandis remains in third, 42 points out of the lead.
Wilson Todd – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
250 Results
Adam Cianciarulo 2 – 1
Hunter Lawrence 1 – 3
Chase Sexton 4 – 2
Dylan Ferrandis 3 – 4
Colt Nichols 5 – 5
J. Hampshire 9 – 6
Cameron McAdoo 8 – 7
Michael Mosiman 7 – 8
Justin Cooper 6 – 9
Wilson Todd 12 – 10
250 Points Standings
Adam Cianciarulo – 186
Justin Cooper – 160
Dylan Ferrandis – 144
Chase Sexton – 134
Colt Nichols – 126
Michael Mosiman – 112
Hunter Lawrence – 111
J. Hampshire – 104
Alex Martin – 87
Garrett Marchbanks – 63 …12. Wilson Todd – 56
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Bauman Brothers Storm Laconia AFT Grand National
In a final that featured no less than three re-starts, Bronson and Briar Bauman have gone 1-2 at the inaugural Laconia AFT Twins Grand National while championship rivals in Jared Meeds, Henry Wiles and Sammy Halbert all suffered from either mechanical issues or crashes.
AFT Twins Start – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Bronson Bauman won his first career Grand National win by a narrow margin over his brother and championship leader Briar who actually took over the lead just as the third red flag came out but because Bronson was leading the lap before he was reinstated as the leader for the restart – a lead he would not relinquish.
Bronson Bauman – AFT Twins – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Henry Wiles held down third place for most of the race but crashed just before the third restart and was able to gather several places to earn a credible seventh while Sammy Halbert’s bike stopped during the first restart before Jared Mees mount suffered the sme dilemma during the second restart.
Bronson Bauman – AFT Twins – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Points wise Briar has extended his championship lead over Brandon Robinson to 34 points while Mees remains in third, now 35 points behind Briar Bronson.
AFT Twins Podium – 2019 Laconia Short Track
AFT Twins Main Event (30 Laps)
Bronson Bauman – 25p
Briar Bauman – 20p
Jake Johnson – 17p
Jarod Vanderkooi – 15p
Bryan Smith – 14p
Brandon Robinson – 13p
Henry Wiles – 12p
Roger Hayden – 11p
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 10p
Robert Pearson – 9p …15/DNF. Jared Mees – 4p …16/DNF. Sammy Halbert – 3p
AFT Twins Championship points
Briar Bauman – 142
Brandon Robinson – 108
Jared Mees – 107
Bronson Bauman – 87
Jarod Vanderkooi – 85
Henry Wiles – 79
Jake Johnson – 70
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 70
Sammy Halbert – 66
Robert Pearson – 65
AFT Singles
The 20 lap AFT Singles final was also drama filled with two restarts but it was Dalton Gauthier who dominated the early running. After the first restart he lost the lead to the hard charging Mikey Rush who ran away with the win after keeping himself out of harm’s way after the second restart which saw a five lap dash to the finish.
AFT Singles Start – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Rush got the win over Gauthier just ahead of Aussie hard charger Max Whale, who snuck his way towards the front at every restart from his seventh place starting position.
AFT Singles – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Rush now has a 10 point lead in the series ahead of Gauthier with former championship leader in Jess Janisch dropping to third after a disappointing ninth at Loconia while Whale has moved to eigth in the championship.
AFT Singles Podium – 2019 Laconia Short Track
AFT Singles Main Event (20 Laps)
Mikey Rush – 25 points
Dalton Gauthier – 20
Max Whale – 17
Andrew Luker – 15
Dan Bromley – 14
Ryan Wells – 13
James Rispoli – 12
Ben Lowe – 11
Jesse Janisch – 10
Kevin Stollings – 9
AFT Singles Points
Mikey Rush – 141
Dalton Gauthier – 131
Jesse Janisch – 129
Dan Bromley – 114
Ryan Wells – 91
Shayna Texter – 69
Chad Cosem – 67
Max Whale – 66
Morgen Mischler – 65
Michael Inderbitzin – 58
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Kolodziej Wins Czech SGP
Polish racer Janusz Kolodziej admitted becoming an FIM Speedway Grand Prix winner has boosted his belief on the world stage after triumphing at the ANLAS.
2019 Speedway GP of Czech – Image by Jarek Pabijan
Kolodziej raced to the first SGP win of his career at the Czech Republic SGP in Prague last Saturday beating Leon Madsen, Patryk Dudek and Jason Doyle in the final.
Dudek now holds top spot in the World Championship – level on 40 points with Madsen – as the pair maintained their record of reaching every final this year. But the night belonged to an elated Kolodziej – a man competing in his first SGP season since 2011.
Janusz Kolodziej
“Now maybe after this win, I can believe more in myself and I will try to win more. But there is not too much pressure on me. The best situation for me is when I just race. I don’t like too much pressure. We will see what happens. But this is so, so amazing. I am older, but I can still win.”
Madsen was pleased to maintain his sublime start to SGP life as he made it three finals in as many rounds in what is his full-time debut season.
Leon Madsen
“It’s great, now I have a first, second and third place. I’ve been in the final and on the podium in my first three GPs. I am very happy. We are a third of the way into the season and I’m tied for first position. I am very pleased with that.”
Third-placed Dudek – the new World Championship leader by virtue of his superior FIM ranking over Madsen – admitted his ANLAS Czech SGP was no easy night after he battled his way into the semi-finals on nine points, before making it into the final after Emil Sayfutdinov dropped a chain while holding second place.
The Aussie duo of Jason Doyle and Max Fricke had their best results for 2019 with Doyle earning two wins to make his first final for the year while Fricke sensationally won three heats on his way to 13 points. Next up is the Norrbil Swedish SGP in Hallstavik on July 6.
2019 Speedway GP of Czech
Czech SGP Top Ten
Janusz Kolodziej – 7 Rides 4 Wins = 15 points
Leon Madsen – 7 Rides 2 Wins = 14
Patryk Dudek – 7 Rides 1 Win = 12
Jason Doyle – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 12
Max Fricke – 6 Rides 3 Wins = 13
Fredrik Lindgren – 6 Rides 3 Wins = 12
Emil Sayfutdinov – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 11
Artem Laguta – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 9
Bartosz Zmarzlik – 5 Rides 1 Win = 8
Maciej Janowski – 5 Rides 1 Win = 7
SGP Points Standings
Patryk Dudek – 40
Leon Madsen – 40
Bartosz Zmarzlik – 36
Fredrik Lindgren – 32
Emil Sayfutdinov – 30
Martin Vaculik – 28
Janusz Kolodziej – 26
Niels-Kristian Iversen – 24
Jason Doyle – 23
Artem Laguta – 22 …14. Max Fricke – 16
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Clout and Rutledge Crowned Champions at Nowra
Nowra has hosted the 2019 King of MX Final and it was Luke Clout and Meghan Rutledge who successfully defended their thrones in Nowra in front of over 4000 spectators who enjoyed the two-day event. The Nowra event included 20 classes, and two action-packed, 10-minute, $10,000 winner-takes-all feature races.
2019 King of MX Final winners
It was a strong weekend for Luke Clout, taking all three MX1 A-grade race wins to seal the State Title before drawing the 40th gate pick. Selecting a yet-to-be-used inside gate, Luke raced to the holeshot and, ultimately, to the King of MX feature-race win.
The reigning Queen of MX, Meghan Rutledge, entered the final under an injury cloud after wrapping up the Australian Women’s Championship the previous weekend. However, two from three race wins and a dominant performance in the Queen of MX feature race saw Rutledge take the win and the $10,000 cheque.
For the newly crowned Prince of MX, Blake Fox, it wasn’t an easy run. A first-turn crash in race one put the 15-year-old in last. However, some strong, smart racing saw the KTM-mounted rider move through the field to finish second. Two impressive race wins later, and the youngster was crowned Prince of MX and the 15 years 250cc State Champion. Up-and-coming racer Taylor Thompson has made it back-to-back Princess of MX crowns after a dominant performance in the 13-u16 ladies’ class.
Luke Clout
“I can’t thank everyone enough for their support. I feel like I’m at the top of my game at the moment and to take home the MX1 State Title, as well as the King of MX race, this year is unreal. For me, the King of MX has worked out perfectly for my pre-season and mid-season Nationals campaign and it’s great to see a state championship with this many people here racing and watching. I’m full of confidence right now and I can’t wait to go racing again.”
Meghan Rutledge
“This time last week, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to race after hurting my thumb in Manjimup, so to come to Nowra and take home both the Queen of MX race and the WMX State Title wins is unbelievable. It’s been a roller coaster of a year for me so far and, with the support of my family and sponsors, I’ve been able to achieve my goals and keep the #66 KX250F at the front of the pack.”
Dave Cooke – MNSW CEO
“What a weekend! First and foremost, I want to congratulate the Nowra club, and, in particular, Tyson, the manager of Nowra Motoplex, for turning the circuit into a world-class race track that not only provided awesome racing for the elite racers, but to those in all classes throughout the three days of racing. I also want to thank all the competitors that raced a qualifier. We had over 1600 entrants in the King of MX this year, not just from NSW but from across Australia, so to even make it to the final was an achievement in itself. To our 20 new State Motocross Champions, congratulations. NSW has some of the best racers in Australia, and the depth of talent is amazing. We’re dedicated to working hard to grow and improve motorcycle racing and we’re already working on 2020 in the Motorcycling NSW office.”
Duvall Stays with Husqvarna
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road have announced that they have agreed to terms with Thad Duvall on a two-year contract extension that will run through the 2021 season.
Thad Duvall
“I am excited to continue my relationship with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. I love being a part of a pioneering brand and I look forward to a successful future with the team!”
Thad Duvall – Image by Simon Cudby
Through seven rounds of the 2019 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, Duvall has two wins and sits second in points, 18 behind Kailub Russell. Duvall, who has been with the team since 2017, has finished runner-up in the championship to Russell the last two years.
Tim Weigand – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road Team Manager
“I have had the privilege to work with and get to know Thad over the last three years. He is class act guy whose determination and grit is infectious. Thad is a constant front runner no matter what race series he lines up for and this is evident by his results over the last few years. I know we have yet to see his true potential and I look forward to seeing his confidence grow in the years to come. We are extremely happy and grateful Thad has chosen to continue his journey with us.”
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Desalle, Lupino and Bobryshev injured
Three prominent MXGP class riders in Clement Desalle, Alessandro Lupino and Evgeny Bobryshev are all recovering from injuries sustained at the MXGP of Russia, two weekends ago.
Alessandro Lupino
The Russian round of the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a success for Kawasaki during the past two seasons with overall GP victories for Desalle but 2019 saw the Kawasaki rider crash hard in the first race and was back on Monday in his homeland to have surgery with Doctor Claes. He underwent successful surgery to his broken left tibia-fibula but he’s also suffering from a right ankle sprain and is now entering a long recovery programme.
Clement Desalle – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Lupino and Bobryshev also crashed in the first moto, with Lupino hit by another rider and for several seconds immediately after the incident he didn’t have any feeling in the legs. He was transferred earlier this week to Italy where Doctor Sangiorgi confirmed injury to the D11-D12-L1-L2 vertebrae of transverse processes, and a fracture of the sternum while Bobryshev suffered a broken right tibia.
Seely injured
Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross series due to a torn labrum and fractured glenoid socket, sustained when he dislocated his right shoulder in a practice crash at the Moto Sandbox in Claremont, Florida, on Tuesday, June 11.
Cole Seely – Image by Hoppenworld
Seely flew to California on Wednesday for further evaluation, during which it was determined that he would need to undergo surgery. Dr Warren G. Kramer, the same surgeon who operated on Seely’s shoulder in 2015, will conduct the surgery on Tuesday, June 18, at the Newport Surgical Center in Newport Beach. The recovery time is estimated to be three months.
Cole Seely
“I’m extremely sad to have to sit out the remainder of the season. I’ve been working really hard to continue to build myself up after my big injury last year, so to have another setback like this is very disappointing. It seems like I’ve had nothing but challenges. I want to thank all of my fans and my team for their support.”
Cole Seely
Erik Kehoe – Team Honda HRC Manager
“It’s really unfortunate to see Cole’s season end this way. The beginning of this season has been a challenge for him, but he showed a lot of speed during the first moto at Colorado; it’s a bummer that we won’t be able to see how he progresses. He’s had some tough luck with injuries, but he has kept a good attitude and continued to give his best effort. On behalf of the team and everyone at Honda, I wish him well during his recovery.”
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Entries open for 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
Entries have now opened for the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships, hosted by the Hunter Motorcycle Club at Barleigh Ranch Raceway in Eagleton, NSW on October 5-6.
2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
The event also marks the first time that the new Australian Dirt Track Championship logo will be used, a move that demonstrates Motorcycling Australia’s (MA) commitment to developing a professional image for this renowned event.
Across the two-day event, the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships will feature the following classes (subject to entries):
Championship Classes • Under 19’s • Pro 250 • Pro 450 • 250cc Slider • Pro Open • MX Open • 500cc Slider • Pro Open Women’s • Sidecars • ATV Pro • ATV Open • ATV Open (Women) Support Classes • Junior (65cc, 8 to under 12 years) • Junior (85/150cc, 9 to under 13 years) • Junior (150cc 2 stroke, 250cc 4 stroke, 13 to under 16 years) • Senior (Unlimited over 35 years)
Further information can be found in the Supplementary Regulations (download).
**Where there are insufficient entries for the Slider Classes, these machines may be combined with the events marked with asterisks in the table above. All machines must have one effective brake where MX and slider classes are combined.
Entries close 23 September 2019. Late entries will not be accepted. Gates open at 7AM (AEST) each day, with racing commencing immediately after the conclusion of practice and parade lap.
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MXGP of Finland back in 2020
Youthstream and Finnish based Lahti Events have announced that the FIM Motocross World Championship will make its return to Finland at the KymiRing motor circuit in 2020.
Motocross has had a great history in Finland with legendary World Champions and the last time MXGP visited Finland was back in 2014 but the 2020 MXGP of Finland has been built at KymiRing motor circuit, which is situated only 50 km from Lahti and 140 km from Helsinki.
Daniele Rizzi – Chief Operating Officer of Youthstream
“We are very happy to have come to an agreement with Lahti Events for the return of MXGP to this beautiful and innovative country. There is indeed a very innovative, ambitious, fan-oriented project behind the Finnish MXGP and we, like all parties involved, are eager to support it: it will definitely do good to the sport. This event will add a bit of Motocross fashion to the outstanding location of KymiRing which, thanks to Lahti Events’ choice of venue, will broaden its horizons to include the sport of Motocross in its program”
MXGP of Finland back in 2020
Kurt Ljungqvist – Managing Director of Finnish Motorcycling Federation
“World Championship races have always a very special meaning when it comes to awareness of the sport. When the youth gets to see the stars of the motocross world championship ride, it awakes an interest to try the sport and eventually they become our future stars and champions. The return of the race to our home soil also creates good opportunities to make it to the highest level of the sport and serves as a good motivator to believe in success and reaching the World Championship level. Motorcycling federation is very happy that Lahti Events has chosen to bring the highest level of motocross to the future heart of motorsport, the KymiRing circuit,”
Emilia Mäki – Managing Director of Koko Lahti
“The MXGP of Finland in 2020 will be our first ever motocross race for our Lahti Events company at the KymiRing and with this event we will set the standards of this venue. As the event organizer in Lahti region, we can also guarantee that the events will have their presence regionally,”
Finland is also home race of Ice1racing team; Antti Pyrhönen, former motocross rider himself, is one of the internationally known faces of Finnish motocross and he is currently the Team Manager of Team Ice1Racing, now Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing owned by the F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen.
Antti Pyrhönen
“The return of MXGP to Finland after several years is great news for our team, whose origins are in Finland and whose owner is Finnish, too. I’m sure that all the MX community, including teams and riders, will be also very excited to be back to Finland for an MXGP event.”
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Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins is optimistic after taking to Catalunya’s MotoGP test with an updated chassis for his GSX-RR contender.
The new chassis, which was debuted by test rider Sylvain Guintoli at the weekend’s Catalan grand prix, has offered Rins an improved feeling with the bike, particularly under braking.
While acknowledging the positives, Rins still believes there are improvements that can be made in the earlier stages of its development.
“Today I found that the modified chassis had a lot of positive points, but also there are some things about it that I would like to improve,” Rins explained. “There’s not a lot to change with it, but we will evaluate it further to try and get the best from it. I’ve done quite a lot of laps today and in general I think we can feel very positive about the way things are going.”
Rins finished the test fourth on the timesheets, as Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy MotoGP Yamaha) was fastest.
A crash during timed practice on Saturday at the MXGP of Latvia ultimately set the tone for the remainder of the weekend for Mitch Evans, as he endured one his toughest rounds of the series.
The Queenslander was nursing an injured shoulder sustained in the practice crash, prompting him to sit out the qualification later on Saturday.
The Team Honda 114 Motorsports rider charged to an impressive ninth in the opening encounter on Sunday, however he suffered yet another heavy fall in the final outing, mustering up a P22 result for 15th overall.
“It was a tough day today,” Evans admitted. “I had a decent start in race one from a pretty poor gate choice and made my way forward into ninth place. After my time practice crash I didn’t really gel with the track and struggled to find my flow but I was quite happy with race one.
“I didn’t get a great start in race two and was battling through the pack and then had a pretty big crash again. Then after the crash I was riding in fear of crashing again. It was a tough race and a tough weekend. I’ll rest up this week and come back swinging in Teutschenthal.”
Evans is ranked seventh in the championship standings as the series resumes this weekend at Teutschenthal in Germany.
The Spaniard crashed at turn nine before rolling violently into the gravel, although he was able to escape the incident without injury and would later resume testing.
Admittedly battered and bruised, the five-time world champion sampled a number of components and changes on his way to P17 on the timesheets.
“The crash affected my speed and my stamina a lot during the test, it was a very big crash at turn nine and I rolled a lot in the gravel,” Lorenzo explained. “I was lucky not to break anything and I’ve had pain in my elbows, fingers and back all day but we needed to keep working.
“We worked more on the ergonomics and on some small chassis details, some things for the next races and some things for next year. I want to say thank you again to Honda for organising the trip to Japan we had and their rapid developments.”
The test saw Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Vinales register the fastest time at the Spanish venue.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Dean Ferris admits he struggled to match the pace of the front runners at High Point’s Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross on Saturday, expressing disappointment after his last appearance at the venue in 2017 saw him earn a P2 moto result in a one-off appearance.
Qualifying in 12th, the three-time Australian motocross champion lodged a pair of 11th place finishes in both outings, crediting him 11th overall – one position behind teammate Justin Barcia.
The New South Welshman, who’s been riding consistently in the first four rounds of the season, is ranked ninth in the championship standings.
“Today I qualified 12th and went 11-11, so I guess that’s where I belong at the moment,” Ferris stated. “I really struggled to go with the faster guys, which was kind of disappointing for me as I went so well here three years ago. We’ll keep trucking forward and keep trying to improve.”
Team manager Jim Perry added: “Today did not go as planned. Both Justin and Dean have been working hard these past two weeks, but unfortunately the results didn’t show it today.
“Both guys struggled with the high-speed, choppy, Mount Morris track and could never get comfortable. We’re looking forward to heading to Florida and we’ll spend some time making improvements and come back full steam at the WW Ranch next weekend.”
The Pro Motocross series resumes this weekend at WW Ranch Motocross Park in Florida for round five of the championship.
Spate of hit-run incidents
