John and Rose England’s patriotic Can-Am Spyder and trailer
The eagle has long been associated in Harley logos and trademarks as it represents a connection between the motorcycle company and American patriotism and liberty.
Number One is also a highly American patriotic icon and has been used before by Harley.
However, it can also be seen as synonymous with American elitism.
The special edition paint option finishes are backed by the Harley-Davidson limited warranty.
Supersport shapes up for an epic season after ARRC lifts age cap
With Barry Russell
Having been ARRC’s premier class for 18 years, Supersport was repositioned in 2019 as a stepping stone for riders on their way up to ASB. In the process, an upper age limit of 25 was introduced.
The development category experiment was successful to the extent that stars like runaway champion, Peerapong Boonlert, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin, and Andi Farid Izdihar found themselves drawn into CEV and Moto2 championships.
Zaqhwan Zaidi
The downside was that it thinned out the field. To ensure the ongoing health of the class promoter, TWMR has lifted the age cap to make it a true intermediate category. So, looking back at 2019 won’t tell you a thing about what could happen in 2020.
Teams have welcomed the move by springing surprises that promise a year of unpredictable, hard-fought battles. The result is also that out of 19 entries, 12 are riders who were not on the 600 grid in 2019. Of those, just three are above the erstwhile age limit.
Soichiro Minamimoto
Starting at what, for now, is the top, Yamaha Thailand are replacing 2019 champion Peerapong with their 2018 champion, Ratthapong Wilairot, who moves back to 600s after an indifferent year in ASB.
Next on the list comes Soichiro Minamimoto, the rider who, as a wildcard, broke Peerapong’s 2019 six race winning streak in round four at Suzuka. The 20-year-old will again be aboard the Akeno Speed Yamaha and starts the season as a top contender. Joining him is Yusuke Nakamura.
Soichiro Minamimoto and Yusuke Nakamura
Another promising young Japanese rider, Rei Toshima, emerges from the Japanese Superbike (JSB) paddock to join the grid for the evocatively monikered Speed Heart DOGFIGHT Racing Yamaha team. He has previously had outings in AP 250 and ran as a wildcard at Suzuka in 2019.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is Victor Racing’s Ahmad Yudhistira, who was the stand-out ASB privateer in 2019. As with other international and top-level domestic series, factory involvement in ASB makes it difficult for those without it to compete at the front. It is less of a factor in Supersport, which gives a rider of Yudhistira’s quality a real shot at the title.
Adam Norrodin and Ibrahim Norrodin
Zulfahmi Kairuddin’s Sepang-based team takes on a slightly new name, IUSB ZK Racing, and doubles in size, signing both Adam and Ibrahim Norrodin for 2020. Adam was the team’s regular rider in 2019, causing all kinds of discomfort to Peerapong, scoring seven podiums from 12 starts, including wins in China and Thailand. Ibrahim stepped in for his big brother in Australia and surprised everyone with brilliant fourth and third place finishes. Sibling rivalry should keep both riders well and truly focused.
Yamaha Indonesia has promoted former AP 250 rider, Faerozi Toreqotullah to the intermediate class for 2020. Although always fast on a 250, Faerozi didn’t quite get into title contention and could well be one of those riders who goes better on bigger capacity bikes.
Kyle Paz and Afif Amran
Cross border collaboration between Hong Leong Yamaha and Yamaha Motor Philippines brings together Filipino prodigy, McKinley Kyle Paz and 2019’s highest scoring class rookie, Afif Amran. Under the Yamaha GENBLU Racing Team banner, the hugely popular UB 150 champion is expected to harness the extra horses quickly, as well as drawing thousands of extra eyeballs to the championship, while Afif should continue build on his impressive debut season.
He is sure to enjoy the additional 450cc and should work his way quickly into contention. At the time of writing there is speculation that another Filipino could join the class. If that indeed proves to be true, then expect to see McKinley’s erstwhile UB150 partner, Fernando Masato included in an announcement about the team they’ll be riding for.
ONEXOX TKKR SAG have just announced their full line-up for 2020. Ramdan Rosli is the only top rider from 2019 to reappear and he’ll be joined by Nazirul Izzat, whom the team promotes from AP 250. He’s a rider who showed good speed and was marked out as one to watch by some of us, despite a lack of consistency.
Muklada Sarapuech
With all the riders mentioned so far being Yamaha-mounted, the question has to be asked whether Honda can be competitive with its ageing CBR600RR. During 2019 there was an almost perfect split in qualifying and finishing positions, with Yamaha’s continually upgraded YZF-R1 occupying the top half, so it’s to be hoped that Honda will be helping their teams to find more speed.
There are some hugely talented riders aiming to break Yamaha’s stranglehold on the class, led, at least in terms of media attention, by AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Muklada Sarapuech. The 2015 Asia Dream Cup champion, having spent the last few seasons showing her male counterparts how to ride a 250, steps into the 600 class. The 26-year-old already has glittering supersport credentials, having won the Suzuka 4 Hours in 2019 and will immediately be on the pace.
Muklada is joined by Passawit Thitiwararak, who returns for a third season in the class. He established himself as one of the quickest Honda riders in 2019, finishing sixth overall in the standings.
Irfan Ardiansyah & Rheza Danica Ahrens
One of the most exciting riders to move up is Irfan Ardiansyah, who is rewarded by Astra Honda for his third place finish in the 2019 AP 250 championship. The young Indonesian has the maturity and confidence of a champion as well as the physical size to dominate a bigger machine, so expect him to get up to pace quickly. Rheza Danica Ahrens, the 2018 AP 250 champion, starts his second year in the class looking for strong results after a lacklustre inaugural season.
Musashi Boon Siew Honda are again fielding Malaysian underbone graduates, Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman, who won the UB150 title in 2018. Azroy, who starts his third supersport season, was the best of the Honda contingent in 2019, finishing fourth in the standings and will again be looking to get amongst the Yamahas and onto the podium. Helmi had a difficult first season after sustaining a nasty leg injury in round two. He should start 2020 with his fitness and confidence restored and will be aiming to mix it up with the leaders.
Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman
Another new team, Honda Philippines Okada Manila Access Plus Racing, will be in the next garage to the Ducati team of almost the same name. On board will be Troy Jacob Cua Alberto, younger brother of Timothy Joseph ‘TJ’ Cua Alberto. Troy, 18, has had some decent outings in the Asia Talent Cup and the Thailand Talent Cup and entered SS600 rounds last year at Sepang and Zhuhai for Yuzy Honda.
2020 ARRC Supersport 600 Entry List
With the age cap lifted, it could be anyone’s game, however here’s a look at the final standings in the 2019 Supersport 600 category.
2019 ARRC Supersport 600 Final Standings
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
Peerapong Boonlert
THA
300
2
Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin
MAS
224
3
Muhamad Adam Mohd Norrodin
MAS
170
4
Azroy Hakeem Anuar
MAS
125
5
Andi Farid Izdihar
INA
115
6
Passawit Thitivararak
THA
108
7
Md Helmi Azman
MAS
105
8
Ahmad Afif Amran
MAS
105
9
Md Ramdan Rosli
MAS
90
10
Javier Orellana Malloy
ESP
78
11
Rheza Danica Ahrens
INA
78
12
Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi
THA
68
13
Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam
MAS
52
14
Soichiro Minamimoto
JPN
41
15
Ma Sai
CHN
36
16
Liam Taylor MacDonald
NZL
34
17
Kyusuke Okude
JPN
30
18
Md Ibrahim Md Norrodin
MAS
29
19
Yuto Sano
JPN
23
20
Muhammad Izam Ikmal
MAS
20
21
Katsuto Sano
JPN
12
22
Nazirul Izzat Md Bahaudin
MAS
11
23
Md Akid Aziz
MAS
11
24
Sha Juntong
CHN
9
25
Ao Leong Fu
MAC
8
26
Chen Hpng Yan
CHN
8
27
Kota Arakawa
JPN
7
28
Chen Yuan Hang
CHN
5
29
Md Khairul Ikhwan Ajis
MAS
4
30
Rei Toshima
JPN
1
2020 Asia Road Racing Championship Calendar
Pre-Season Test – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 2–4, 2020
Round 1 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 6–8, 2020
Round 2 – The Bend Motorsports Park, AUSTRALIA – May 7–10, 2020
Round 3 – Suzuka Circuit, JAPAN – June 26–28, 2020
Round 4 – Zhuhai International Circuit, CHINA – July 24–26, 2020
Round 5 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – August 21–23, 2020
Round 6 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – September 25–27, 2020
Round 7 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – November 27–29, 2020
Predictions for the AP250 are practically impossible, with big gaps in team announcements and some top riders moving up to Supersport.
Andy Fadly
After much off-season uncertainty, it was confirmed last week that Manual Tech Kawasaki will return with their 2019 pairing of reigning champion Andy Fadly and Aiki Aiyoshi. That makes Fadly only the second AP 250 champion to defend his title.
Indonesia’s Astra Honda have announced three riders again, with Lucky Hendriansyah now leading the line, chased by class rookies, Herjun Atna Firdaus and Adenanta Putra.
Lucky Hendriansyah, Herjun Atna Firdaus and Adenanta Putra
With Muklada Sarapuech moving to the 600s, AP Honda Racing Thailand keep the promising Piyawat Patoomyos and bring in rookie, Kantapat Yakantai. Piyawat scored his first class win in the very last race of 2019 and has been tasked with breaking Indonesia’s stranglehold on the championship.
ONEXOX TKKR SAG are fielding three entries, keeping frontrunners, Muzakkir Mohamed and Rey Ratukore and bringing in Syafieq Aiman.
Rafid Topan Sucipto is a potential title winner who has yet to make an announcement. His fans will be hoping to see him on the Bike Corner Honda once again, which transformed his 2019 season following his switch from Yamaha.
Rafid Topan Sucipto is another rider yet to announce a ride
Anggi Setiawan is in again for Yamaha Indonesia, joined this year by Wahyu Nugroho, one of the most exciting Underbone riders we saw in 2019. Although he managed only one podium appearance, Nugroho’s speed is beyond doubt and he should grow as an all-round racer in AP250.
Yamaha Thailand will not have any AP250 entries this year. For now, the team is delegating young rider development to satellite outfit, Yamaha HiSpeed, which is expected to run wildcards at selected races. The team made their mark in the last race of the season, when Vorapong Malahuan brought his banana-yellow R25 through to second place behind AP Honda’s Piyawat.
Cao Viet Nam
Turning to some of the sport’s emerging countries in the region, the highly rated Cao Viet Nam joins the class for another year. The 2019 Thailand Talent Cup champion clearly has the ability to run at the front, so will be hoping for the full support of Honda Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Honda India are going for continuity with Sethu Rajiv and Senthil Chandrasekaran and Victor Racing bring in Chinese rider, Leong Nang Tse.
Asia Production 250
Finally, and as widely expected, Indian motorcycle giant TVS is in for 2020. The company’s racing division put a large toe in the water at Buriram last December, when they contracted World Supersport star Hikari Okubo to take the Apache 310RR for a spin in the final round. What they learned there will be taken forward by Vorapong Malahuan.
The popular Thai has a bagful of AP 250 trophies from several seasons with AP Honda and it’s hard to think of a more capable development rider. There are plenty of challenges for the mono-powered machine, such as rear wheel locking and chassis and suspension development, but there is no doubting the commitment and resources of TVS, so we should see their results on an upward curve during the season.
2019 AP250 Standings – Top 15
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
Andy Muhammad Fadly
INA
214
2
Awhin Sanjaya
INA
198
3
Irfan Ardiansyah
INA
187
4
Muklada Sarapuech
THA
143
5
Lucky Hendriansya
INA
133
6
Reynaldo Christiano Ratukore
INA
126
7
Tatchakorn Buasri
THA
118
8
Rafid Topan
INA
112
9
Piyawat Patoomyos
THA
108
10
Aiki Iyoshi
JPN
104
11
Muhammad Faerozy Toreqqotullah
INA
86
12
Md Muzakkir Mohamed
MAS
75
13
Nazirul Izzat Mohd Bahauddin
MAS
52
14
Cao Viet Nam
VIE
50
15
Anggi Setiawan
INA
44
Late announcements leave pieces missing in UB150 jigsaw
Underbone racing fans know that this is a class apart. While many racers from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand go on to international fame and fortune from Underbones, for many more, racing these hopped-up family bikes is what they end up doing for a living.
Underbone 150cc
The ARRC Underbone 150 class is the pinnacle of Underbone racing and a place where we get to see a mixture of young, ambitious teenagers fight it out with fast, clever riders, who are in some cases, older than their parents. It provides heart-stopping on-track competition that thrills and fascinates fans from far beyond the geographical limits of South East Asia.
While much of the interest comes straight from the intensity of the racing, Underbones also evoke a gone and golden age of racing, when you would buy a street machine, strip it, add the lightest, trickest parts you can find and tune the engine to breaking point.
Underbone 150cc
UMA Racing Yamaha (Philippines), which took the 2019 championship with McKInley Kyle Paz, return with Fernando Masato, who won race two in the first round, and the highly-rated Kerwin Chang.
Meanwhile, UMA Racing Yamaha (Malaysia) are back in with former champion Akid Aziz and Haziq Fairues, who gave notice of his potential last season by taking his first victory in round six at Sepang. Akid finished just two points behind McKinley in 2019, after two DNFs from mechanical failures in the final round.
Wawan Wello, who was in title contention until a foul run of luck at the end of 2019, has re-signed for SND Factory Racing. The team, which has parted company with former double champion, Gupita Kresna, also announced the signing of rookie, Hildan Kusuma.
Gupita Kresna
Gupita himself, who was has been dogged by a mix of bad luck and inconsistency in the past two seasons, joins Philippines outfit 41SM, where he will run together with John Emerson Inguito. It should be a good match – 41SM has strong domestic underbone credentials and the Indonesian’s experience and quality should help the team step up to international competition and enable him to set his sights on a third title.
Team One for All keeps its rider line-up for 2020, with another former champion, Malaysia’s Affendi Rosley and Thailand’s Peerapong Luiboonpeng. The pair will once again be making their presence felt under the watchful eye of 125 GP legend and team owner, Youichi Ui.
ONEXOX TKKR SAG is fielding a mix of established and emerging talent. Indonesian double champion, Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and the evergreen, ever-threatening Ahmad Fazli Sham are joined by Hafiza Rofa, who proved himself as a front-runner in 2019 and newcomer, Faiz Zekri.
Fazli Sham and Wahyu Aji
Aldi Satya Mahendra, the youngest rider in the class at 13, and who sensationally won a wet race two at Suzuka in 2019, will be flying the flag for Yamaha Indonesia. He is sure to cause plenty more upsets for senior riders this season.
Cardinals Racing Malaysia brings in two new riders, Fazrul Sham and Iqbal Amri from the Petronas Cub Prix talent pool for 2020.
RCB Yamaha YY Pang Racing are fielding three riders with Vietnam’s To Ha Dong Nghi joining regular frontrunners, Izzat Zaidi and Adib Rosley.
Proliner RCB 549 Kaboci Racing Team also have a three rider team, with Richard Taroreh, Iswandi Muis and Aldy Taufil.
Conspicuous by their absence are UMA Racing Yamaha’s 2018 champion, Akid Aziz and team mate Haziq Fairues. The duo just missed out to McKInley Kyle Paz in 2019, finishing second and third in the standings and it is hoped they will squeeze themselves onto the entry list within the next few days.
2019 UB150 Standings – Top 15
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
McKinley Kyle Paz
PHI
121
2
Md Akid Aziz
MAS
119
3
Md Haziq Md Fairues
MAS
113
4
Wahyu Aji Trilaksana
INA
110
5
Ahmad Fazli Sham
MAS
106
6
Aldi Satya Mahendra
INA
96
7
Wawan Wello
INA
94
8
Fernando Masato
PHI
93
9
Richard Richie Taroreh
INA
78
10
Md Affendi Rosli
MAS
72
11
Peerapong Luiboonpeng
THA
71
12
Wahyu Nugroho
INA
69
13
Md Amirul Ariff Musa
MAS
65
14
Md Faiz Zekri Sabri
MAS
60
15
Rozaiman Md Said
MAS
54
–
…31
Travis Hall
AUS
5
2020 Asia Road Racing Championship Calendar
Pre-Season Test – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 2–4, 2020
Round 1 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 6–8, 2020
Round 2 – The Bend Motorsports Park, AUSTRALIA – May 7–10, 2020
Round 3 – Suzuka Circuit, JAPAN – June 26–28, 2020
Round 4 – Zhuhai International Circuit, CHINA – July 24–26, 2020
Round 5 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – August 21–23, 2020
Round 6 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – September 25–27, 2020
Round 7 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – November 27–29, 2020
With the growing Enduro market, from the desert to the bush, an increased capacity to take on any riding condition has become a necessity, an area where the former FIM-certified D909 Enduro Dunlop tyre was a huge success, demonstrating great performance under various course conditions.
Dunlop Geomax EN91 Enduro tyres announced
Riders however, now require new levels of innovation to ride in harsher conditions, going places they have never been able to go before.
To fill this need Dunlop have designed an all-new tyre from the ground up. The Dunlop Geomax Enduro EN91 has been specifically designed to allow users to ride with increased stability under an even wider array of conditions from soft sand to hard, technical, rocky slopes.
Featuring Dunlop’s latest innovations and technology, the EN91 tyre offers more progressive cornering action and additional slide control than any of its predecessors. It is designed to work extremely well in hard, packed conditions and provide substantial grip and handling for ultimate performance.
Geomax EN91
Some notable features of the EN91 include a significant increase in outright performance in dry, wet or mixed conditions and enhanced feedback and compliance for better bike control and rider confidence as they push limits.
Vastly increased versatility and terrain coverage courtesy is also offered according to Dunlop, thanks to hex shape blocks and tilted crown blocks, contributing to greater grip and biting edges.
Hex Shape Blocks and Tilted Crown Blocks
That combines to provide improved durability and rider comfort, with the Carcass Tension Control System (CTCS) controling casing stress distribution, optimising the tension in the different areas, resulting in more consistent and controlled line holding, straight-line traction and better feedback.
Classic TT specialists Team Classic Suzuki will make their first visit to the Isle of Man TT Races later this year, fielding youngsters Joe Akroyd and Tom Weeden.
The duo will contest the RST Superbike and Senior TT Races on Suzuki machinery, with Yorkshire’s Akroyd riding the ex-Hawk Racing factory Suzuki GSX-R1000R that Richard Cooper rode at last year’s International North West 200 road races.
Joe Akroyd and Tom Weeden
Weeden, meanwhile, will ride the 2016 factory Suzuki as used in that year’s British Superbike Championship by Ryuichi Kiyonari and Tommy Bridewell.
Both riders made their name at the Manx Grand Prix, with Weeden taking first and second place respectively in the 2016 Senior and Junior races, with Akroyd joining him on the podium by taking two third place positions.
The duo moved up to the TT the following year but Akroyd suffered multiple injuries after a heavy crash at Glentramman during qualifying. It meant the former 125cc British Championship points scorer had to miss the 2018 meeting as he continued his recovery, but he was back in action last year where he more than impressed.
Team Classic Suzuki
The 30-year old got quicker as the week wore on and after 22nd and 32nd place finishes in the second Monster Energy Supersport and RL360 Superstock Races respectively, he saved the best until last with an excellent ride into 18th place in the six lap Senior Race. Akroyd won a bronze replica in each of the three races with his final lap in the Senior seeing him post a lap at an impressive average speed of 124.115mph.
Meanwhile, Weeden has made steady progression in his three years at the TT with his best finish coming in last year’s second Supersport Race when he took 24th place. Indeed, last year’s event saw the 26-year old also pick up three bronze replicas and improve his personal best lap to 122.890mph whilst riding for the Burrows Engineering with RK Racing team.
The duo will also contest the Supersport and Superstock Races with their own respective teams.
Steve Wheatman – Team Classic Suzuki’s Principal
“Our aim is to provide Joe and Tom, two up and coming riders, with reliable and competitive Superbike machinery which will allow them to concentrate with their own teams on the Supersport and Superstock classes. We will have our support team headed up by Nathan Colombi along with having valuable advice throughout the event from Hawk Racing. The bikes will run in our usual Team Classic Suzuki colours and we are fortunate to have a good number of spares and options for these machines.”
Team Classic Suzuki
Team Classic Suzuki have been staunch supporters of the Classic TT presented by Bennetts since its inception in 2013 and, experts in their field, have won the RST Classic Superbike Race on three occasions with Michael Dunlop. Other riders to have benefited from their immaculately prepared machinery at the event include Conor Cummins, Lee Johnston, Danny Webb, Phil Crowe and Nick Jefferies.
She says it’s all got to do with chemicals in the brain.
“There are more than 10,000 chemical reactions going on in the brain every second,” she says.
“The chemicals that make you feel happy – oxytocin, dopamine, endorphin and serotonin – are produced by the endocrine system.
“Not all of these chemicals are released at the same time and each has a different outcome.
“However, more of these chemicals are produced when we look forward to doing something we enjoy, we get up early, we go outside in the sunshine and fresh air, we challenge ourselves, we meditate, we concentrate on an activity that requires skill and generally do things that motivate us.
“That pretty much sounds like motorcycling to me,” she says.
Sharon Ledger
Happy signals
“So when you get up early anticipating a good ride, already dopamine is starting to send happy signals to the brain.”
Different combinations of the chemicals come into play as you ride, she says.
“Add a bit of adrenalin and it’s like a happy cocktail for the brain.”
Sharon says an increase in serotonin can also reduce depression.
“You can increase your serotonin levels with fresh air, mild exercise and even morning sunlight, all of which you get on a ride.
“It won’t cure depression, but will help people cope.”
American dating service, BikerKiss, says Harleys, in particular, can even give women an orgasm!
The Southern California online dating service asked about 3000 members (1900 men and 1100 women) “is Harley your favourite motorcycle brand” and 31% of women said yes, compared with 19% men.
The most common answer to the question was that Harley motorcycles are “gorgeous and expensive”. One dating club member said: ”I love it when I am on a Harley. It gives you all the attention you want.” Another said: “it’s not about being pretentious or anything, or like I’m doing it out of vanity. I just love it deep down.”
But here’s the thing that Harley-Davidson and makers of big-twin motorcycles will love the most: some women are able to orgasmwhile riding a bike with a big twin-cylinder engine because of the bike and seat vibrations.
Could you be any happier?
Black Dog Ride 1 Dayer
The annual Black Dog Ride’s iconic annual 1 Dayer on 15 March aims to start a national conversation about depression and suicide prevention.
Black Dog Ride claim one in five Australians experience a mental health condition each year; three million Australians live with depression or anxiety and eight Australians take their lives each day.
The ride aims to build a community culture of awareness, inclusion, acceptance and breaking down the barrier of silence around mental illness.
If you are experiencing mental issues, we suggest going for a ride, joining the Black Dog Ride 1 Dayer, or calling Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Lifeline Australia on 131114.
Eli Tomac arrived in Georgia off the back of a fairly dominant performance in Texas. The Kawasaki rider started on the front foot overnight in Atlanta by recording the fastest lap in qualifying and then also won his Heat race ahead of the 450 Main.
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen was second fastest in qualifying and had won the other Heat ahead of Jason Anderson and Justin Brayton. The 450 Main looked likely to be shaping up as a Tomac versus Roczen showdown…
Roczen scored the holeshot aheead of Davalos and Friese while a slow-starting Tomac was in seventh place sandwiched between Wilson and Brayton.
Jason Anderson and Justin Barcia then both demoted Tomac further down the field over the first couple of laps. The move by Barcia seemed to light a fire under Tomac who then upped his aggression in response.
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
A lap later though Tomac got caught up with Baggett in a left-hander. The Kawasaki man made a move up the inside that Baggett was not expecting, the two got tangled up and both hit the deck, Tomac rejoining the race way down in 14th place.
As the race approached the half-way mark Roczen was nine-minutes clear of second placed Davalos who in turn had two-seconds on Justin Hill. Friese was fourth, Barcia fifth and Anderson sixth. Tomac was working his way back up the field and working on taking tenth spot from Justin Brayton.
Tomac got Brayton then pushed past Stewart, Friese and Plessinger to move up to seventh place behind Cooper Webb with four-minutes remaining. Both Webb and Tomac passed Justin Hill to move up to fourth and fifth respectively.
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia had worked his way past Tomac earlier on and streaked his way through the field to a hard fought second place finish
Justin Barcia had worked hard to force his way through the field during the middle part of the race and on the run to the flag had a three-second buffer over third placed Davalos. That second place somewhat of a triumph for Barcia.
Up front though it was Ken Roczen all on his lonesome. Taking the chequered flag 13-seconds ahead of Barcia, despite backing off considerably on the last two laps and just cruising home.
Ken Rozcen – Image by Hoppenworld
Webb and Tomac fought hard over fourth place all the way to the flag but it was the Kawasaki man that won that battle to score 19-points that sees Tomac tied with Roczen at the head of the points table ahead of Monster Energy AMA Supercross Round Ten at Daytona Beach next weekend.
Chad Reed scored a 15th place finish to add eight-points to his season tally which now stands at 39-points, and ranks him 17th in the standings.
The win for Roczen made it a double for Honda in Atlanta as Sexton had won the earlier 250 SX East Main.
Ken Roczen – P1
“These wins just keep getting sweeter and more fun each time! I’m so happy with how tonight went and stoked to have the red plate again. The last couple weekends have been tough but I’ve managed to minimize the damage, which was huge for us because it put us in a good position for a situation like today. With all the chaos, we made up seven points in one night and now are tied for the points lead again. The battle continues for the championship.”
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
Justin Barcia – P2
“What a crazy race. I started middle of the pack and made lots of passes in the beginning. I kind of got into a groove in the middle and was behind a couple guys waiting for some mistakes to capitalize on something. They started falling apart a little and I was able to move into second towards the end and just rode really solid. The track broke down a lot. It was the roughest supercross I’ve ridden in a while, but all in all, I felt really good and the bike was solid. I can’t thank the whole team enough for making good changes on the bike all day and always believing in me.”
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb – P3
“That was probably the hardest race I’ve ever had. I was way back and just put my head down and tried to do the best I can. I got a few gifts from the guys ahead of me but man, it was painful. I knew it wasn’t going to be fun or easy, but that’s racing. It’s a long way out but the only thing keeping me going is this championship, so we’ll do whatever we can.”
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac – P4
“The main event didn’t go as planned, but the good news is we live to fight another day and line back up next weekend at one of my favorite tracks, Daytona. There are still positives to take away from today; we were fastest qualifier, won our heat race, and we never gave up in the main event, and battled hard all the way to the very end to salvage as many points as possible. We are going to put this race behind us and be ready to rock next week in Daytona!”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Eli Tomac
200
2
Ken Roczen
200
3
Justin Barcia
177
4
Cooper Webb
176
5
Jason Anderson
151
6
Malcolm Stewart
137
7
Adam Cianciarulo
128
8
Justin Hill
127
9
Justin Brayton
116
10
Dean Wilson
113
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Chase Sexton claims the Atlanta SX win and lead
RJ Hampshire scored the holeshot from Chase Sexton and Shane McElrath when the third round of the 250 East AMA Supercross Championship got underway on Saturday night in Atlanta.
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
McElrath and Sexton started tussling for position after a few laps and their battle allowed Hampshire a little breathing space. After the first few thrusts from McElrath, Sexton then stepped his pace up a gear to stretch away and close on to the tail of McElrath once again.
Jeremy Martin, Garrett Marchbanks and Jordon Smith were fourth, fifth and sixth with ten-minutes remaining. Sexton finally made a move past Hampshire with eight-minutes left on the shot clock. Hampshire is well known for making hard passes and taking no prisoners, Sexton returned the favour with a very fair but forceful pass for the lead when Hampshire opened the door.
Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
The leaders were now encountering a lot of lapped traffic and at this point of the race it was working somewhat in the favour of Sexton. Jeremy Martin went down out of fourth place and was relegated back to tenth place by the time he was up and running again.
Sexton continued to pull away from Hampshire, the Husqvarna man then lost touch with Sexton and was getting pressured by McElrath in the latter stages of the race. Hampshire held on for that second place though with McElrath finishing in third place at the flag.
Sexton the clear victor and extends his 250 SX East Championship lead to five-points over McElrath.
Chase Sexton
“HOTlanta was a good one! Honda Racing US sweep with Ken Roczen and I taking both heat and main wins! I’m super thankful to be apart of a great team and to have the people behind me that I do! Fans were awesome all night as well! You guys are great.”
Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld
RJ Hampshire – P2
“Each week we’re going to continue to get better. Getting those holeshots felt good and we had a good flow out there. I want to win but I also want to be in this thing [championship] a few weeks from now, so we’re going to continue to fight week in and week out.”
RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld
Shane McElrath – P3
“I felt really good during the day, even in the Heat race. We made a few bike changes for the Main that we thought was going to be good, which was kind of my call. I was struggling with the track quite a bit, but I’m learning a lot. It was tough to get third. I felt like I should have been able to win, but I was struggling with a lot of things. So we’ll work on those this week and we won’t make those same mistakes twice.”
Shane McElrath – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordan Smith – P4
“Honestly, I am happy with today’s performance. I would have liked to be closer to those front three guys battling for a podium position at the end, but after last week’s rough ride I am just happy to be back up towards the front of the pack where I belong. I just need to work on cleaning up a few things and we’ll be right where I expect us to be. The last time I raced Daytona was in 2018 and I won at the iconic track, so I am excited to get back down there and try to do it again.”
Joradn Smith chases Jeremy Martin – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX East Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Chase Sexton
75
2
Shane McElrath
70
3
RJ Hampshire
61
4
Garrett Marchbanks
53
5
Jordon Smith
47
6
Jeremy Martin
44
7
Jo Shimoda
44
8
Josh Hill
41
9
Enzo Lopes
36
10
Joey Crown
31
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Strong Aussie showing at MXGP opener in Great Britain
The first round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) season has concluded at Matterley Basin, with Jeffrey Herlings and Jago Geerts taking the overall victories in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively, as sunny weather on Sunday set the stage for a fantastic day.
Aussie Mitch Evans kicked off the season on form, claiming third in Race 1, while a more challenging Race 2 still saw him in the top ten, with seventh. This leaves Evans in fifth overall heading to Round 2.
Mitch Evans
“It was a good weekend, excluding the start of that second moto. Everything else went really well. In the first moto I had a good start, avoiding some of the early race carnage and made my way into second for a little bit. Unfortunately, I struggled with my breathing a bit because of my chest infection and finished third. I felt a lot better in the second moto although I had to push throughout the race because of the bad start. I used a lot of energy to get around guys as fast as I could and I hit a bit of a wall with eight minutes to go. Overall it was a good weekend though, I’m happy with my MXGP debut and now I get ready for Valkenswaard next weekend.”
Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo
In MX2 top Australian was Jed Beaton in fourth overall, with second in Race 1, and sixth in Race 2. Fellow Aussies Nathan Crawford and Wilson Todd took 14th and 17th overall respectively, at the season opener.
Jed Beaton
“It was a good weekend for me. Fourth overall is a great result for the first Grand Prix, although I’m a little disappointed to miss the podium because of a small crash in the second race. In the first moto I had a good start, found some nice lines and came from eighth to second, which was great. I felt good and, yeah, it was good to get that result in the books. Second moto, it took a while to settle into a rhythm and then I just washed the front wheel out in a corner, losing a few places and I finished the race in sixth. For the upcoming rounds I just need to be a little more patient. Overall, it’s been a great day and there are plenty of positives to take into round two next weekend.”
Jed Beaton
Nathan Crawford
“Qualifying was a really challenge – especially for me coming from Australia. I’ve never race in condition that cold, windy and rainy. It was definitely something that I hadn’t been through before, so it was quite a shock. We tried to prepare for it and did our best in the tough conditions. In race one I got a mid-pack start, but made some good passes on lap one. I was hovering around 10th position and then had a big crash and after that I was just surviving and trying to get through the race. In race two it was an OK start, but not great – so I set about battling my way through and ended the race in 10th place. The second trace was definitely better for me and that gives me something to build on.”
2020 MXGP Standings after Round 1
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
47
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
38
3
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
38
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
35
5
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
34
6
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
32
7
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
32
8
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
30
9
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
23
10
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
21
11
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
13
12
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
13
13
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
13
14
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
13
15
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
12
16
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
11
17
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
11
18
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
9
19
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
6
20
Guillod, V.
SUI
HON
5
21
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
2
22
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
2
23
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
2
MX2 Standings after Round 1
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
43
2
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
40
3
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
40
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
37
5
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
35
6
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
28
7
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
26
8
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
22
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
22
10
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
21
11
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
21
12
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
15
13
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
15
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
14
15
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
14
16
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
11
17
Todd, Wilson
AUS
KAW
8
18
Harrison, M.
USA
KAW
7
19
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
6
20
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
5
21
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
4
22
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
3
23
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
2
24
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
2
25
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
1
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Courtney Duncan opens 2020 WMX campaign with double wins
Defending Women’s World Motocross Champion (WMX) flying Kiwi Courtney Duncan has begun her 2020 campaign with a double victory this weekend – demonstrating to her rivals that she is a returning force to be reckoned with.
Courtney Duncan
Battling through deep mud and ruts at the season-opening MXGP Great Britain at the popular British circuit of Matterley Basin, 24-year-old Otago motocross queen Duncan bagged the maximum 50 points on offer over the two races on her 2020 Kawasaki KX250. Riding for the England-based Kawasaki Dixon Race Team, she was the first to admit she took some time to warm into her winning ways.
Courtney Duncan
“I’m happy to go 1-1 here at the opener. I felt a little bit rusty. A little bit off the pace but that’s a given, since I haven’t raced in six months. I’m very happy to walk away with the full 50 points and I think we can be proud of that especially given the conditions – they weren’t easy. They were pretty difficult out there with a lot of mud. I’m stoked to get the first round win, I couldn’t ask for more. I can only go up from here. My goal is to just continue to improve and I think I can do that. The more bike time I get on the race bike with testing, I can up the pace. I look at improving each day and each race as it comes.”
Courtney Duncan – Image courtesy of MXGP
During the first race, Courtney Duncan took the holeshot closely followed by Nancy Van De Ven who was flying out of the gate. Van De Ven led the race for two laps, before crashing out, allowing Duncan to run her #1 plate out front, followed by Kiara Fontanesi who made some quick moves in the first laps to move into second. Meanwhile Lynn Valk moved up to third.
The top three stayed the same for the entire race, as Van De Ven tried to fight off Larisa Papenmeier. Papenmeier was able to pass the Dutch rider with two laps to go, to secure her spot in the top four of the race, with Van De Ven finishing fifth.
Larissa Papenmeier – Image courtesy of MXGP
In race two, Duncan got off to another flyer, leading Van De Ven, Valk, Papenmeier and Amandine Verstappen. By lap 4, Papenmeier passed Van De Ven for second securing herself the second spot on the podium, as she remained in the position for the entire race.
From then on there was not much change with the leaders, as Duncan continued to lead Papenmeier, with Van De Ven, Verstappen and Valk rounding out the top 5.
Kiara Fontanesi was making her way back up the chart, following a start in the top 10 and by lap 5 was up in P6 after gradually passing riders each lap. Also doing the same was Mathilde Martinez who finished the race in seventh behind Fontanesi.
Kiara Fontanesi – Image courtesy of MXGP
The top three were Courtney Duncan securing the first overall victory of the season, followed by Larissa Papemnemier and Kiara Fontanesi.
Courtney Duncan
WMX – Race 1 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:54.805
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), +0:11.560
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:17.018
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:31.542
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +1:20.495
WMX – Race 2 Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 28:37.429
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:05.505
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:27.613
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:31.137
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:32.200
WMX – Overall Classification Top 5
Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 50 points
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 40
Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, KTM), 37
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 36
Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 36
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Liam Everts tops EMX125 in Great Britain
Liam Everts secured his first overall victory in the EMX125 class over the weekend, at Round 1 of the MXGP championship held at Matterley Basin in Great Britain.
EMX125 Podium – Image courtesy of MXGP
In the opening race Everts got off to a flying start, followed by Kjell Verbruggen and Maxime Grau. By lap two Verbruggen was in second, as Grau went missing, dropping down to 13th position.
By lap 4, Verbruggen was coming under fire from Rasmus Pedersen and a crash saw the Dutch rider drop down to 35th. Pedersen then moved to third as Kevin Brumann passed for second place.
Finding good rhythm around the British circuit, Everts was able to pull away from Brumann, finishing the race with an impressive 24.122 second lead! Pedersen finished third, while Cato Nickel and Meico Vettik placed fourth and fifth. Local riders, Joel Rizzi and Eddie Jay Wade made the Brits proud with a ninth and tenth place finish.
In race two, it was Brumann who took the holeshot and led the race for four laps, before Everts was able to chase him down on lap 5, with Florian Miot and Grau in third and fourth.
Kevin Brumann – Image courtesy of MXGP
Grau moved up to third, but less than a lap later Miot passed him back to secure third. While the top three stayed the same, Haakon Osterhagen found his way past Andrea Bonacorsi.
It was Liam Everts who took the race win, overall victory and red plate, going into Round 2 as championship leader.
Liam Everts
“I wasn’t expecting when I came here, second race was a bit tough for me but I had good starts during the weekend. I’m super happy to win here after my dad (Stefan Everts) did 14 years ago. This victory is for him.”
Liam Everts – Image courtesy of MXGP
EMX125 Race 1 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 33:17.460
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:24.122
Rasmus Pedersen (DEN, KTM), +0:34.977
Cato Nickel (GER, KTM), +1:23.920
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +1:36.878
EMX125 Race 2 Top 5
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30:50.463
Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:10.584
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), +0:20.625
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), +0:25.385
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), +0:26.749
EMX125 Overall Classification
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 50 points
Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 44
Florian Miot (FRA, KTM), 35
Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, KTM), 32
Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 31
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Gibbs and Purvis take NZ MX lead at Hawke’s Bay
Altherm JCR Yamaha riders Kirk Gibbs and Maximus Purvis were two men on a mission, storming into the lead of their Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship classes over the weekend in Hawke’s Bay.
Riding their respective Yamahas in the series’ penultimate round at Ngaruroro Raceway, near Fernhill, the two took the upper hand in their title hunts, ahead of the championship wrapping up in Taupo, in a fortnight.
Sunshine Coast-based Gibbs was untouchable in the premier class on his YZ450 – qualifying first and winning three from three races.
Kirk Gibbs took the round win from Cody Cooper and Hamish Harwood, with Kayne Lamont fourth and Brad Groombridge fifth.
The top-notch results give him a five-point lead over defending champion Cody Copper and 29-point buffer over Hamish Harwood in third.
Kirk Gibbs
“It was a really good day for me. I’ll go home and work on some more things that Josh [Coppins – Team Manager] and BT [Ben Townley] gave me to work on. It’s so helpful to have such good people to get information from. I’ll go there with a good mindset and put a couple of good races in and try to bring it home.”
Kirk Gibbs – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis went 2-1-4, with the final race result slightly lower after the 19-year-old Mangakino flyer crashed on the last lap, while in second.
Maximus Purvis and Dylan Walsh were tied on 65-points for the round win, with James Scott third overall, Josiah Natzke fourth and Caleb Ward fifth.
Maximus Purvis
“It definitely feels good to be leading the points going into the last round. I’ve been trying to chip away at it and now I just have to finish it off with some good results at Taupo.”
Maximus Purvis – Image by Clmintiepix
Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh displayed some of the form that saw the 22-year-old crowned the British Motocross Championship’s MX2 winner last year, with a 4-2-1 results’ set on his Yamaha YZ250F.
Dylan Walsh
“Round three was a big improvement for me. We made huge changes during the week on the suspension and it paid off. I was able to get the round win and show what I was capable of.”
Dylan Walsh – Image by Clmintiepix
Maximus Purvis now holds the MX2 lead on 183-points, with Josia Natzke second on 179-points, with James Scott third overall on 172. Dylan Walsh is currently fourth on 161 points, with Caleb Ward fifth.
MX1 Round Results
Kirk Gibbs (YZ450) – 75
Cody Cooper – 64
Hamish Harwood – 62
Kayne Lamont (YZ450) – 54
Brad Groombridge – 46
MX1 Standings
Kirk Gibbs, 211 points
Cody Cooper, 206
Hamish Harwood, 182
Kayne Lamont, 149
Brad Groombridge, 138
MX2 Round Results
Dylan Walsh (YZ250F) – 65
Maximus Purvis (YZ250F) – 65
James Scott – 58
Josiah Natzke- 53
Caleb Ward – 53
MX2 Standings
Maximus Purvis, 183 points
Josiah Natzke, 179
James Scott, 172
Dylan Walsh 161
Caleb Ward, 143
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AMA Supermoto Championship kicks off in April
The 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association, kicks off 2020 in Primm, Nev., on April 4-5, with the 2020 season to feature two rounds at new venues, including one in Honolulu at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on May 2. The remainder of the schedule includes four events in the United States and Canada. The other new venue is Colorado National Speedway, which hosts Round 3 on May 30.
2020 AMA Supermoto Championship – Image by Steve Alkyer, courtesy DRT Racing
The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, round is sanctioned by the Canadian Motorcycle Association. That round, coupled with the event in Sturgis, S.D., determines the FIM North America Supermoto Championship.
Ken Saillant – AMA Track Racing Manager
“This year’s AMA Supermoto National Championship Series schedule features a great mix of proven venues and new markets for one of motorcycling’s youngest competition disciplines. We’re looking forward to another year of intense supermoto competition.”
Supermoto racing includes a mix of street-style racing and motocross. Riders compete on tracks that feature dirt and pavement sections with jumps and turns. Venues can range from football stadiums to closed-course streets or parking lots. The AMA Supermoto National Championship Series is promoted by DRT Racing.
For more information about the 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series, visit www.drtracinginc.com.
2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship Series
April 4-5: Primm, Nev.: Anthony Hart Memorial Race
May 2: Honolulu, Hawaii: Aloha Stadium
May 30: Dacono, Colo.: Colorado National Speedway
June 12-13: Austin, Texas: 25th Annual Republic of Texas Rally
July 31-Aug. 2: Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada: 51st Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières (CMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
Sept. 11-12: Sturgis, S.D.: 8th Annual Streets of Sturgis (AMA/FIM North America sanctioned)
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
2020 FIM ISDE pre-registration opens
Preparations are already underway for the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) that will be hosted in Rivanazzano Terme in northern Italy from 31 August to 5 September. The pre-registration phase that closes on 30 March 2020 is now opened on www.fim-isde.com.
PRE-REGISTRATION CLOSES 30 MARCH
All riders (World Trophy, Junior World Trophy, Women’s World Trophy Teams and Club Teams / riders) must contact their National Motorcycling Federation (FMN) to register. Login access will only be given to FMNs. Same procedure apply for riders wishing to compete in the Enduro Vintage Trophy (Teams and Individuals). Federations have to complete the relevant online form before the pre-registration closing date.
CONFIRMATION OF SELECTED TEAMS ON 15 APRIL
At the end of the first phase, depending on the number of pre-registrations, Club Teams will be informed about the selection of their teams by their National Motorcycling Federation. The National Motorcycling Federation must then pay the relevant 25% deposit of registration fee relating to the number of Club Teams confirmed. At this stage, each National Motorcycling Federation will be asked to fill the detailed information about the team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so.
FINAL ENTRY PHASE FROM 1 MAY TO 30 JUNE
The National Motorcycling Federation must pay the remaining 75% of the registration fee for all Teams as confirmed on 15 April. The National Motorcycling Federation must have fully completed the entry form and details about team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so, and before 30 June.
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Jeffrey Herlings signs new KTM MXGP contract
Four-times FIM Motocross World Champion Jeffrey Herlings has signed a new contract with his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and will remain ‘in orange’ for a further three years until the end of the 2023 MXGP season.
The 25-year-old Dutchman inked his deal on the eve of the British Grand Prix this weekend and the opening round of twenty in the 2020 MXGP series; his fourth in the premier class and eleventh in the FIM World Championship all with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
The association began in 2009 when Herlings was signed to make his MX2 GP debut for the 2010 season as a fifteen-year old. He claimed his first top-three race finish in just his second moto at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria at Sevlievo, celebrated his first podium at Mantova in Italy for round two and then started an incredible seven-year unbeaten streak of wins a few weeks later at his home event at Valkenswaard; scene of his very first 1-1 clean sweep.
Since that initial term in 2010 Herlings has gone on to accumulate 86 Grand Prix victories in two classes and ace titles in 2012, 2013, 2016 (all MX2) and then 2018 (MXGP) with KTM 250 SX-F and KTM 450 SX-F machinery. In that time there have been some astonishing performances – such as the first moto chequered flag in Latvia last summer, taken with a broken foot – and also some tough moments when he conceded likely titles in 2014 and 2015 due to injury. His peerless 2018 MXGP campaign saw #84 own 17 from 19 Grands Prix and classify as runner-up in the other two outings.
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Herlings is already the most successful Dutch rider in the history of the sport and is third on the list for all-time Grand Prix triumphs. In 2019 he added the Motocross of Nations Chamberlain trophy to his heaving collection of silverware.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I’m very, very happy. I have been with KTM since 2009 so by the end of this next contract it will be fifteen years together. I’m excited to stay in the orange family and I have been working with Pit [Beirer] and the entire crew since the beginning and I was fourteen. I’m blessed to be able to do it for another three years; four including this one about to start. It is also good to have this done before the weekend and GP1 of 2020. KTM is where my heart is, and they are my family. I’m thankful that they trust in me, and I believe in them, the bike and all the people I work with. I’ll be racing with them until I’m 28 and I’m super-happy, hopefully there many more happy days ahead.”
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Ray Archer
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director
“This contract definitely means a lot to me personally because it was back in 2009 that we gave this young kid and his family our word that we’d take good care of him and he had a great future in front of him: we wanted to be a partner in that. We went through so many ups and downs with Jeffrey and he has collected all of his wins and titles with us – just one brand. It was actually quite emotional to know he could spend his career with just one company. I’m really happy that we could agree everything so early for another three years and I wish him a healthy and strong season and hopefully an even longer association with us when he’s stopped racing.”
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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)
Proposed helmet accessories testing regulations have concerned riders that aftermarket externally fitted Bluetooth intercoms and cameras may be banned.
However, one helmet expert says there is no cause for concern!
The new UN ECE 22.06 proposal also seeks to include testing for head rotation in a crash, visor shatterproof durability and the ability of modular helmets to protect you when the chin bar is in place and when it is open.
Members of the UN Working Party will continue discussions on the ECE 22.06 proposals in June 2020 with two years of research results incorporated before it’s finalised.
This would mean the new regulations would not come into effect in Europe until, at the earliest, 2023.
That will be followed by three years of coexistence with ECE 22.05 rules.
Longtime Australian helmet law advocate Wayne Carruthers says that means they would not affect Aussie riders for about five or six more years.
New helmet regulations
The controversial change is that helmets should not be modified from original manufacturer specification, which appears to have serious implications for intercoms and action cameras.
“Accessories must be fitted in accordance with the helmet manufacturer’s instructions,” the proposal says.
“Only accessories approved by the Authority shall be used. In case of any other modification or addition of non-approved accessories (helmet cameras, visors, communication devices, etc.) the helmet homologation becomes invalid.”
The Australian Motorcycle Council has long said that ECE 22.05 only affects the helmet at the point of sale and should not impact on the owner’s desire to fit accessories, so long as they do not affect the integrity of the helmets.
For example, you shouldn’t drill holes in the helmet to fit them.
However, the new rules seems to suggest that helmets are not allowed to be modified … ever!
Not so, says Wayne.
“Basically the move means helmet manufacturers selling helmets with their own accessories must test them to ensure the helmet with their accessories fitted meets the standard and have approval numbers for the accessories,” he says.
Wayne points out that the phrase “Only accessories approved by the authority shall be used” means aftermarket accessory manufacturers would have to go through an approval process for use on helmets.
“Since comms and camera technology development is moving so fast by the time 22.06 came into force in Europe let alone Australia we would be likely to see standardised inbuilt mounting cavities in helmets for many makes and models of accessories,” he says.
Spokesperson Wim Taal says: “The way I read it, this means you will not be allowed to fit accessories that were not tested with the helmet. It is hard to imagine the police checking this.”
Obviously Wim is unfamiliar with Australian police!
A man believed to be in his 30s has died when his motorcycle crashed into trees on Mandalong Rd in the Lake Macquarie region of NSW about 6.15pm yesterday (2 March 2020).
NSW Police believe the rider was travelling south on the gravel road when his bike left the roadway and crashed into trees.
The rider was treated by passing motorists until NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived but he died at the scene.
The man is yet to be formally identified but is believed to be aged in his 30s.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended and established a crime scene, which was examined by specialist police.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
Meanwhile, a man is still in a critical condition in Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, after a motorcycle crash in Sydney’s south-west on Saturday.
NSW Police have been told a motorcycle and car travelling south on Edgar Street near Augusta Street, Condell Park, collided about 12.45pm.
The motorcycle crashed into a pole.
The rider, a 23-year-old man, was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene before being taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured.
Anyone with information about either of these incidents is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 orhttps://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Our sincere condolences to the deceased rider’s family and friends and our sincere best wishes to the injured rider for a full and swift recovery.
Stupid speed
In Victoria, Greensborough Highway Patrol caught a motorcycle rider speeding and drink driving at Watsons Creek on Sunday morning.
Officers clocked the Ducati motorcycle travelling along Eltham Yarra Road at 110km/h in a 60km zone about 9.45am.
The rider was intercepted, and the male rider returned a positive preliminary breath test.
He was taken to a police station where he returned a blood alcohol reading of .061.
The motorcycle was immediately impounded for 30 days.
A 35-year-old Diamond Creek man is expected to be charged on summons with drink driving and exceed speed.
Qatar has now enforced a two-week quarantine on direct flights from Italy.
That should also affect the World Superikes which is due to be staged there next weekend (13-15 March 2020).
However, there is no announcement yet about that event.
How far the MotoGP and World Superbikes schedule will be affected is anyone’s guess.
The North and South American MotoGP rounds in April may go aead because they do not have travel bans … yet.
But then the MotoGP and WSBK return to Europe where talk of travel bans is growing.
Even the Isle of Man has issued a statement about its TT events from 30 May to 12 June.
Isle of Mann TT
“The Isle of Man Government is carefully monitoring the Island’s position regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) with a cross-government working group established to regularly review the changing situation,” organisers say.
“While the threat to the public in the Isle of Man remains low, a number of future contingency scenarios are being considered. This is usual practice and is in line with the WHO advice for preparations in case of a pandemic.
“The risk is low and preparations for this year’s TT remain on schedule. Work will continue as usual in order to ensure another successful TT.
“The Organisers, in partnership with the Department for Enterprise and the Isle of Man Government and in line with experts in the UK, will continue to monitor the situation.”
If we’re stuck at home with this virus there won’t even be anything decent to watch on TV!
Patriotic American Eagle paint job
John and Rose England’s patriotic Can-Am Spyder and trailer
Sex on wheels?
Isle of Mann TT