Category Archives: Competition

Supercross season set to resume later in the year

News 26 Mar 2020

Supercross season set to resume later in the year

Las Vegas and Salt Lake City rounds now officially cancelled for 2020.

Image: Octopi Media.

Organisers of Monster Energy Supercross have confirmed that the 2020 season is intended to continue with rounds 11-17 to be completed in the later months of this year.

This year’s championship has been suspended due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, however, it is anticipated that all rounds will take place.

Rounds 11 through to 15 had already been cancelled, with Feld Entertainment now announcing Las Vegas and Salt Lake City have also been cancelled. Instead, the remaining seven rounds are planned to take place later in the year.

Supercross is expected to resume following the completion of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, which outlined its revised calendar late last week to be held between 13 June in Florida and 5 September at Fox Raceway.

That would likely result in Supercross recommencing mid-September and running through October over seven consecutive weekends. Locations and dates haven’t been finalized yet, according to Feld Entertainment.

Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Assen round of WorldSBK postponed until August

News 25 Mar 2020

Assen round of WorldSBK postponed until August

Additional revisions made to 2020 Superbike calendar.

Image: Supplied.

The Dutch round of the Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) has been rescheduled for August in another postponement caused by COVID-19.

Initially due to take place at Assen between 17-19 April, it is now expected to be held on 21-23 August.

“FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization are continuously working with circuits and government officials following up the situation in each country and will inform accordingly if there are further changes to the 2020 calendar,” a statement confirmed.

The Jerez and Magny-Cours rounds had already been rescheduled until later this year in October, while Losail in Qatar remains postponed at this moment – a revised date yet to be confirmed.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Japanese ace Toriyabe joins expanded Yamalube Yamaha team

News 24 Mar 2020

Japanese ace Toriyabe joins expanded Yamalube Yamaha team

Development deal sees All-Japan MX2 number three arrive in Australia.

Image: Greg Smith.

Current All-Japan MX2 number three Kota Toriyabe has been added to an expanded Yamalube Yamaha Racing team as part of a development exercise in the MXstore MX Nationals.

The 21-year-old joins Jay Wilson in MX2, as well as MXD newcomer Levi Rogers, to make the Queensland-based team a three-rider roster outdoors.

“It’s quite an honour to have Yamaha Japan approach us about assisting Kota and work with him to bring out his full potential,” explained Yamaha Racing development supervisor Scott Bishop.

“He finished third in the Japanese national championship last year and he is a rider that we believe has not reached his full speed or potential. Since landing in Australia, he has ridden and trained alongside both Jay and Levi and has fitted in perfectly.

“He is just finding his feet with our tracks and getting acclimatised to Australian conditions. When he left Japan he had been unable to ride as it was snowing and then he walked into a 35-degree heat wave in Brisbane the moment he landed.”

Japanese mechanic Tsuyoshi Watanabe will be alongside Toriyabe for the Australian championship, recently clinching the New Zealand MX2 title with JCR Yamaha and Maximus Purvis prior to arriving in Brisbane at Yamaha Yamalube Racing.

Source: MotoOnline.com.au

New-look Husqvarna line-up of Waters and Duffy unveiled

News 24 Mar 2020

New-look Husqvarna line-up of Waters and Duffy unveiled

National MX1 champion forms Berry Sweet-backed program.

Image: Josh Stephenson.

Reigning Australian MX1 champion Todd Waters has taken the wraps off of his Berry Sweet Husqvarna team that will include himself and Regan Duffy for the 2020 season.

Following the collapse of the title-winning DPH Motorsport organisation last year, Waters has moved to form his own program with the support of Husqvarna.

In addition to Waters’ Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) and Hattah Desert Race commitments previously outlined, both Waters and Duffy will collectively contest the MX Nationals, Manjimup 15,000 and Australian Supercross Championship.

“We are pleased to release the official 2020 Berry Sweet Husqvarna Race Team Australia MX/SX/Off-Road,” Waters commented. “The end of 2019 and the start of this year has been filled with excitement, challenges and a lot of phone calls and emails!

“Just when everything had fallen into place, we are now all facing an uncertain future for racing and sports in Australia and across the world. Despite this, we have a team of great people and sponsors ready to support Regan and I to achieve our goals this year, whenever our competitions can resume.”

“The main focus of our team set-up this year is to replicate that family atmosphere, bring it all back to basics and with a limited budget, spend money where it’s actually important.

“I’ve spent way too many hours in previous years travelling in a van from my home to the team workshop to pick up bikes and parts. We are creating a setup that allows as little disruption to the riders’ training programs as possible, something that I think gets lost in a lot of factory teams. I can’t wait to showcase what we’ve created.”

Duffy, 17, captured the MX Nationals MXD championship last season at his first attempt, now slated to step up to MX2 alongside team owner and mentor Waters as previously reported on MotoOnline last week.

Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Australian Four-Day Enduro in Erica officially cancelled

News 24 Mar 2020

Australian Four-Day Enduro in Erica officially cancelled

Coronavirus restrictions halt anticipated return of 2020 A4DE event.

Image: Supplied.

The 2020 Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) scheduled to be held in Erica, Victoria, during May has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Motorcycling Australia (MA) confirmed this morning that this year’s A4DE won’t be going ahead as COVID-19 continues to cause chaos in the national calendar.

“Government restrictions imposed have now made it impossible for the event to continue,” a statement from MA announced. “With daily government policy and guideline changes in relation to COID-19, travel, mass gatherings and social distancing, MA and Dandenong Motorcycle Club have agreed to cancel A4DE.

“Following discussions between MA, Trail and Enduro Motorcycle Club of WA and Dandenong Motorcycle Club, Victoria, it has been agreed that the 2021 A4DE will be held in Western Australia as previously announced and the 2022 event will now be held in Erica, Victoria.”

As per today’s announcement from MA, next year’s A4DE will take place in Western Australia, before the 2022 edition is held in Victoria at the Erica venue that was due to host this year’s event.

Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Revised Pro Motocross championship calendar released

News 21 Mar 2020

Revised Pro Motocross championship calendar released

Adjustments made to 11-round series amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Image: Supplied.

The 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is scheduled to begin with the Florida National, set for mid-June at WW Ranch Motocross Park.

In response to the evolving health crisis surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus, MX Sports Pro Racing has officially announced an amended event schedule.

“While the whole world is trying to cope with the ongoing global pandemic that is the COVID-19 coronavirus, we have diligently looked at the impending future of our own championship and the impact this will inevitably have on this annual summer tradition,” said Davey Coombs, president of MX Sports Pro Racing.

“While the series has unfortunately already been affected by this pandemic with the cancellation of American motocross’ longest running event, the Hangtown Motocross Classic, we have developed a condensed and redesigned schedule for the remainder of the championship that will now start a little less than three months from now.

“It is our hope that in postponing the start of our season for this additional month, the extended period of time will not only allow for us to obtain a clearer picture of the state of the pandemic, but also provide ample opportunity for our series partners, teams, competitors, and fans to plan accordingly.

“The updated calendar would allow us to still successfully host a complete season of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross competition, in a quick and concise fashion will leave other parts of the calendar open for other racing activities.”

Under the new schedule, the 11-round series would open with seven consecutive weekends of racing, followed by a two-week break and then the final stretch into the Fox Raceway National in California on 5 September – now the final round of the season.

The adjustments made could potentially allow Monster Energy Supercross to complete its season through May, however, that remains an unlikely option at this moment. There is also the broader possibility of it being completed in the final quarter.

2020 Pro Motocross Championship calendar:
Rd1 – 13 June – Florida National
Rd2 – 20 June – High Point National
Rd3 – 27 June – Southwick National
Rd4 – 4 July – RedBud National
Rd5 – 11 July – Thunder Valley National
Rd6 – 18 July – Spring Creek National
Rd7 – 25 July – Washougal National
Rd8 – 15 August – Unadilla National
Rd9 – 22 August – Budds Creek National
Rd10 – 29 August – Ironman National
Rd11 – 5 September – Fox Raceway National

Source: MotoOnline.com.au

MX Nationals season to be delayed until Conondale in late June

News 20 Mar 2020

MX Nationals season to be delayed until Conondale in late June

Outdoors and AUS Supercross to be squeezed into second half of 2020.

Image: Foremost Media.

The start of the 2020 MXstore MX Nationals is near certain to be delayed until mid-year when the Conondale round is scheduled to be hosted in Queensland on 28 June.

Latest information from Motorcycling Australia (MA) on the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that Newry and Gympie are the latest national events to be postponed.

It was initially announced that Horsham’s opening two double-header rounds scheduled for 4-5 April were postponed, however, it’s now been confirmed that both Newry and Gympie will also be affected as a result of coronavirus.

Information on the status of those three events postponed isn’t anticipated until mid-April, with the trio now set to take place in the ‘second half of 2020’ following the traditional mid-season break, making Conondale round one of the season. Further revisions could be made if the crisis continues to escalate into the coming months.

Outdoor gatherings in Australia are currently limited to fewer than 500 people, with indoor gatherings reduced further to 100 people with added restrictions in place. It’s understood that Williams Event Management’s (WEM) Kevin Williams will provide further details on the series postponements next week.

These latest MX Nationals calendar adjustments will make for a tight schedule with all nine rounds – six events – to be fit in across three months prior to the beginning of the Australian Supercross Championship, which is pencilled in for the first weekend of October.

An updated supercross calendar has been circulated throughout the industry in recent weeks and listed as ‘confidential’ prior to the growing coronavirus fears, with series organisers AUS SX Holdings yet to make the intended dates or states public information. Round promoters or venues are yet to disclosed.

This most recent draft calendar is vastly different to the provisional one initially included in MA’s national events calendar last November and modified since. It also suggests that New Zealand’s S-X Open Auckland round won’t be part of the AUS Supercross series if it does in fact continue.

The supercross schedule includes rounds in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria over a two-month span through October and November. It remains unclear if it will be altered due to COVID-19 and when it is eventually formalised.

Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Perth ASBK alongside Supercars cancelled

News 20 Mar 2020

Perth ASBK alongside Supercars cancelled

MA open to re-entering discussions with Supercars at an alternative round.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Perth’s scheduled fourth round of the 2020 Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) that was set to run alongside the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has been cancelled.

The Western Australian stop is the latest venue to be impacted by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, with Wakefield Park and The Bend already postponed to abide by new restrictions on large outdoor gatherings imposed by the government.

Motorcycling Australia’s (MA) CEO Peter Doyle explained the decision to cancel the event rather than postpone it has come after taking into consideration the travelling element, with the event initially intended to take place a week after The Bend, allowing for Superbike teams to directly travel to Western Australian.

Doyle also cited a chaotic schedule in the back half of 2020 if racing resumes as another contributing factor in the cancelling the Perth round, however he hasn’t ruled out re-entering discussions with Supercars for a potential collaboration at an alternative round should an opportunity exist.

“The reality is, is that it’s not going to go ahead as we know it right now,” Doyle revealed to CycleOnline.com.au. “Supercars obviously has their own problems like everyone else, and the event was always put on – from our perspective – the weekend after The Bend, so the Superbike teams going to The Bend could go directly to Perth.

“That probably has no chance of happening now, so as it stands today, that situation is cancelled. Once Supercars confirms what they’re doing, we may re-enter discussions about it, but it may not be in Perth – it maybe somewhere else.

“If it was to come back on, it really depends what Supercars’ schedule looks like, because the issue we have – let’s say we start to recover from this thing – is that the back half of the year is going to be horrendous as far as event calendars go. The opportunity may not exist because we might be racing on the same day as them at a different venue.”

Wakefield Park and The Bend are the only two ASBK rounds postponed at this stage, with rescheduled dates still to be confirmed.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Le Mans 24 Hours rescheduled for a second time

News 20 Mar 2020

Le Mans 24 Hours rescheduled for a second time

Endurance World Championship round moved to August.

Image: Supplied.

The Le Mans 24 Hours round of the 2019/2020 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) has been rescheduled for a second time, and will now take place on 29-30 August.

The event was initially postponed to 5-6 September 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak, however the date left little time for the venue to organise the 24 Heures du Mans, which has also been postponed to 19-20 September.

In order to give the ACO sufficient leeway to organize these two major events within a short span of time, the club and FIM EWC promoter Eurosport Events have decided to bring the dates of the 43rd edition of the 24 Heures Motos forward to August.

The FIM, Eurosport Events and ACO’s priority is to ensure the safety of spectators, teams, competitors and all the people involved in organizing the event, as well as high-quality events. These measures have been adopted in response to the unprecedented situation of the fight against coronavirus.

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Hangtown Pro Motocross season-opener cancelled

News 20 Mar 2020

Hangtown Pro Motocross season-opener cancelled

Californian stop abandoned amid coronavirus outbreak.

Image: Supplied.

Hangtown’s Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship opening round has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The Californian stop is the first outdoor national to be impacted by the current pandemic, with more cancellations or postponements expected in the coming weeks and months.

In a statement, Pro Motocross says it’s continuously monitoring the ongoing developments surrounding the coronavirus, both domestically and internationally, and has taken a proactive stance in discussing various amendments to the 2020 event schedule.

Alongside event promoters, series partners, and race teams, the promoter is taking a collective approach to determining a practical and effective course of action for each of the remaining nationals, and the entire series as a whole.

The current Monster Energy Supercross series has been put on hold, with no further details yet of it recommencing.

Source: MotoOnline.com.au