Webb earns career-first 450MX overall win at Spring Creek
Section: Competition
Cianciarulo wins 250MX as Australia’s Lawrence lands on the podium.
Image: Supplied.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb has claimed his first-ever overall victory in the 450MX category at Spring Creek’s eighth round of the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
The recently crowned AMA Supercross champion put on a stellar display in muddy conditions, lodging a perfect 1-1 scorecard to earn not only a career-first moto win in the premier class, but also an overall win.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne defeated points leader Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) on countback for second, as Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) locked out the top five.
It was yet another commanding overall victory for 250MX points leader Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), joined on the podium by Alex Martin (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing) and Australian Hunter Lawrence (Geico Honda), who claimed victory in the opening encounter.
Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Star Racing) and Shane McElrath (TLD Red Bull KTM) were fourth and fifth respectively. The Pro Motocross series now heads to Washougal next weekend for round nine.
Scott Redding celebrated landing his second pole position of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship season at Snetterton on Saturday afternoon by 0.109s from Tarran Mackenzie, with a last lap dash to the chequered flag in a hectic final stage of Datatag Qualifying.
Be Wiser Ducati’s Redding had topped the free practice times, but it wasn’t a perfect final stage of Datatag Qualifying when the red flag was brought out in the opening minutes after Peter Hickman crashed at Murrays. The Smiths Racing BMW rider was unhurt, but his stricken Smiths Racing BMW was in the middle of the track and so the session was briefly stopped.
When the session resumed the nine riders in the fight for pole position had less than four minutes remaining of the final stage of Datatag Qualifying, but Redding kept his composure to claim the top spot, but only just, as Mackenzie improved on his final lap.
Scott Redding
“I’m over the moon to land on my feet and take pole position here today. It’s been great but the track conditions were changing a lot. I wanted to get into the 46s, which I dialled in on the lap that got red flagged. I was a bit frustrated when I first saw the red flag. It’s a bit like when you hurt yourself and you swear right after – the same thing happens in the helmet! I was a little bit frustrated to not get a 46s lap, but it is what it is and I can’t cry about it. With that red flag the race control did a great job, they did what they had to do for our safety. I feel like we did a good job though – the wind had picked up and the track was a little dirty after the rain we had earlier, so I had to adjust my riding style a little bit. I’m just so pleased with that and to get pole. I’ve never raced here and I’ve topped every session so I just need to get some wins tomorrow now!”
Mackenzie held second as he continued his impressive pace on the McAMS Yamaha, but by contrast his team-mate Jason O’Halloran had a qualifying session to forget with two separate crashes at Agostini and he will start from row seven tomorrow.
Tarran Mackenzie
Tommy Bridewell had made improvements throughout the session to set his fastest lap of the weekend; he completes the front row for tomorrow’s opening race in Norfolk. The Oxford Racing Ducati rider had managed to hold off Josh Brookes by 0.105s.
Tommy Bridewell
Dan Linfoot equalled his best qualifying performance of the season so far for Santander Salt TAG Yamaha with the fifth quickest time.
Xavi Forés was again in Q3 on his first visit to Snetterton, leading the Honda Racing charge in sixth ahead of Danny Buchan who split the Fireblades with Andrew Irwin eighth fastest.
Peter Hickman starts from ninth on the grid ahead of Bradley Ray and Luke Stapleford.
2019 BSB – Round Six – Snetterton – Qualifying Results
Aussie skipper Jason Doyle says his side will delay any dreams of world title glory until Sunday’s Grand Final after the Roos claimed the overnight lead at the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals in Togliatti on Saturday.
The men from Down Under topped the scorechart on 23 points, pipping defending champions and hosts Russia, who tallied 22. In a tight battle for top spot, the Poles are also in hot pursuit on 21 in third.
FIM Speedway of Nations
Doyle led his country in fine style with 16 points from a possible 18, with Max Fricke adding five and under-21 star Jaimon Lidsey scoring two.
It’s 17 years since Australia’s last world team title win at the 2002 FIM Speedway World Cup Final in Peterborough. But 2017 FIM Speedway Grand Prix world champion Doyle won’t be getting carried away about the prospect of ending that wait with some big rides ahead of his side on Day 2 on Sunday.
Jason Doyle
“We don’t think about that until tomorrow night going into the Grand Final. Everyone knows what can happen. We need to keep our heads screwed on and know it’s a new day. We’re all doing our country proud and we hope the Aussies back at home can see how much it means to us to ride for our country. It’s halfway and we know what can happen in speedway. We need to work very hard in the coming heats to get back the points we missed out on today. Max got on his second bike and started going very fast. That’s a good sign. I’m glad we made that move and we know we’re ready for tomorrow. I am very happy with my performance, but I know speedway can change and you never know what can happen.”
Doyle only made his debut for Australia aged 27 in 2013 and feared his chance to represent his country had passed him by. So he was delighted to underline his pride in racing for the Roos with another big haul of points.
“It’s always an honour to ride for your country and it’s a thing I thought would never be possible. It’s always close to my heart when I do ride for Australia because I know there are many young boys who still want to ride for their country. I take great pride in it and this was a great night for myself with the points I scored. But I know it’s going to be tough tomorrow.”
It was a night of hard knocks for a few of Australia’s rivals with the likes of Denmark’s Niels-Kristian Iversen, Polish racer Maciej Janowski and British pair Craig Cook and Robert Lambert suffering falls.
Iversen sustained a knock in heat 12, when he spun off and was thrown over the handlebars, but is set to be fit for tomorrow. GB had concerns over Lambert (neck) and Cook (wrist) after they collided in heat four, but they expect both to feature on Sunday.
FIM Speedway of Nations
Poland are set to take a decision on whether to replace Janowski, who crashed in heat 21, with World Championship frontrunner Patryk Dudek, who travelled to Togliatti with the team.
Doyle admits staying out of trouble was vital for his side. He said: “That’s what we said before the meeting – bag the points and don’t do anything stupid. It’s a two-day event and anything is possible. We have three fit riders, which is not the case for many other teams. They had a lot of big crashes. Hopefully they’re all raring to go tomorrow. We don’t want to see the crashes that happened.”
Doyle paid tribute to Aussie Under-21 champion Lidsey, who raced to second place and showed impressive speed when he took his mandatory ride in heat eight against Germany.
“Jaimon stood up to the challenge and did really well for himself,” Doyle said. “We know how good he is. The young kid is going to be a big talent in the near future. Hopefully we can lead him on. When I was riding with him in that heat, we looked out for each other. He rode around the inside and I went a bit wide. It worked pretty well. It’s quite difficult for the young kids to come in after three or four heats and try to do well. Hats off to him; he did very well and hopefully we can all do the same tomorrow.”
Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final Day One Scores
AUSTRALIA 23: 1 Jason Doyle 16, 2 Max Fricke 5, 3 Jaimon Lidsey 2.
RUSSIA 22: 1 Emil Sayfutdinov 17, 2 Artem Laguta 4, Gleb Chugunov 1.
Horsman was back in a lonely second place by then, and Ogden had moved through to lead the second group on the chase, gaining 16 places in only a couple of laps. With Seabright seemingly uncatchable, the fight for the podium was heating up as Scott Swann kept Ogden honest despite the number 4’s rapid trajectory through the pack. The two got a little close for comfort on Lap 4 but there was no harm done, and a couple of laps later they’d managed to reel in Horsman, joined by Jack Nixon.
Saturday was deadly for motorcycle riders with two killed and several injured as eight motorcycles were involved in three crashes in Queensland and Victoria on Saturday (20 July 2019).
Victorian crash
In the latest incident, Victorian Police say two motorcycles collided with ute towing a trailer at the intersection of Edwards and Paynes roads, Chirnside Park, about 4.40pm.
One of the motorcyclists, a yet to be formally identified man, died at the scene.
The other motorcyclist, a 38-year-old Ringwood east man was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital in a critical condition.
The driver of the ute was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Police are calling for witnesses to the incident or with dash cam footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.gov.au.
Brisbane fatal
The 31-year-old male rider died and his 27-year-old female pillion was injured when their black Honda motorcycle collided with a Mazda 3 on Old Cleveland Rd about 2pm.
The pillion and Mazda driver, a 72-year-old woman, were taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Forensic Crash Unit investigators are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
Quote this reference number: QP1901395867.
Five-bike crash
The 54-year-old male rider of a red Harley-Davidson motorcycle had his right lower leg amputated in a five-bike crash at Brightview, in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane about noon yesterday.
Police say the Harley rider appears to have been overtaking a vehicle heading north when it ran into a silver Holden Commodore sedan travelling south.
“Four other motorcycles following crashed while taking evasive action,” police say.
The 54-year-old man and another motorcyclist were airlifted to hospital for treatment to their injuries with another three men treated by paramedics.
The driver of the sedan, a 36-year-old woman, was also treated for minor injuries at the scene.
If you have information, quote this reference number: QP1901395049.
Sanders, Milner and Higlett claim victories at Kyogle AORC
Section: Competition
Gardiner and Bacon pick up Women’s and EJ wins at round five.
Image: John Pearson.
Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team), Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Teams) have each scored class victories at Kyogle’s fifth round of the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) in New South Wales.
The trio topped the unofficial outright times, with Sanders leading Milner and Higlett, as Josh Green (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Racing) – who’s battling a broken wrist – and Beau Ralston (Husqvarna) completed the top five.
In the E3 division, it was Sanders who reigned supreme over Ralston and Andy Wilksch (Motul Pirelli Sherco Factory Team), as Jesse Lawton (Husqvarna) and Matt Murry (Kawasaki) were fourth and fifth respectively.
Switching to the KTM 450 EXC-F for Kyogle, Milner continued his dominant winning streak in E2, taking out victory ahead of Green and Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha MX Store Ballards Off-Road Team). The top five was rounded out by Jonte Reynders (Motul Pirelli Sherco Factory Racing Team) and Brad Hardaker (Yamaha).
There was a shake up in the ultra-competitive E1 division as Higlett lifted his first triumph of the season, joined on the podium by Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and Michael Driscoll (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Racing. Class leader Luke Styke (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Racing) was fourth followed by Lachlan Allan (Kawasaki Castrol Factory Racing).
Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha MXStore Ballards Off-Road Team) took top honours in the Women’s category, as did Kyron Bacon (KTM) in the EJ class. Riders return for racing tomorrow, marking round six of the series.
Next month’s Classic TT presented by Bennetts will see the emotional return of Bruce Anstey to competitive racing around the TT Mountain Course.
Bruce Anstey about to receive the tap on the shoulder to start the Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT Race in 2017. Photo Stephen Davison / Pacemaker Press Intl
The popular New Zealander hasn’t raced since the 2017 event with the subsequent two years seeing him absent due to cancer treatement but with that now, thankfully, behind him, he will make a stunning return with his regular Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles team riding a RS250 Honda in the four-lap Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT Race.
Clive Padgett hugs Bruce Anstey after his record-setting win in the Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT Race in 2017. Photo Stephen Davison / Pacemaker Press Intl
One of the greatest road racers of all time, Anstey has won no less than 13 races at the Isle of Man TT but he’s also been one of the most successful riders at the Classic TT since its inception in 2013 and his six podiums – which have come in the Senior, Lightweight and Superbike classes – is the joint highest total, a figure he shares with Ian Lougher and Lee Johnston.
Bruce Anstey (250 Honda/Padgetts Motorcycles.com) at Ballacraine during qualifying for the 2017 Bennett’s Classic TT.
Included in those six podiums are three wins with his first victory coming in the 2014 Superbike Classic TT Race riding Padgetts 500cc YZR Yamaha. Three years later he set the current lap record in the class with a speed of 127.496mph, finishing second to Dean Harrison, and that year also saw him claim his first win in the Lightweight Classic TT class.
Bruce Anstey (500 Yamaha/Padgetts Motorcycles.com) approaching the Gooseneck during the 2017 Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Classic TT race. PICTURE BY DAVE KNEEN
Win number two on the RS250 Honda came a year later and that victory saw him make history as he became the first, and only, rider to lap the 37.73-mile circuit at more than 120mph on a 250cc machine, his lap record currently standing at a stunning 120.475mph.
Classic TT 2016 – Bruce Anstey
Anstey will be joined at the Classic TT by team-mates Conor Cummins and Davey Todd who both enjoyed excellent TT campaigns for the Batley-based concern earlier this year.
Local hero Cummins, twice a podium finisher at the Classic TT, will line up on the 500cc YZR Yamaha in the RST Superbike Race which he took to third place twelve months ago with Todd riding the 750cc OW01 Yamaha that both Cummins and the late Dan Kneen have campaigned at the event.
The OW01 was previously used in the World Superbike Championship by Rob McElnea and Todd, the second fastest newcomer in TT history, will also line up alongside Anstey in the Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT Race on a second RS250 Honda.
A happy Bruce Anstey celebrating his win in the RST Superbike Race at the 2015 Isle of Man TT
Scott Redding set the benchmark on the opening day of free practice at Snetterton; firing the Be Wiser Ducati to the top of the times as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship returned to Norfolk.
Championship leader Redding had edged ahead in the opening practice and then followed it up by posting the fastest lap of the weekend in free practice two, narrowly holding the edge over Tarran Mackenzie by 0.250s at the chequered flag when light rain fell in the final minutes.
Tarran Mackenzie
Scott Redding
“It’s been a good start with free practice at Snetterton and the track is unbelievable! I had so much fun out there, I felt very good and very relaxed. We did a few little things on the bike today, but nothing crazy we were just working with the gearing to understand what works better. The weather held out for us too which was really good to get the laps in and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I’m just happy to be back on the bike, we had a break and now we are back – I’m definitely smiling and enjoying it.”
Peter Hickman surged up the times in the final minutes to move third for the Smiths Racing BMW team as Tommy Bridewell also made improvements in the closing stages of the session to leap into fourth for Oxford Racing Ducati.
Peter Hickman
Andrew Irwin had a strong start to his weekend, making Honda the fourth different manufacturer in the top five as he nudged out Jason O’Halloran, who again missed part of the session with a technical problem.
Local contender Luke Mossey was seventh and the leading Suzuki for the OMG Racing team after his final stint left him ahead of FS3-Racing Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan and Dan Linfoot, who had been in the top three for this morning’s opening session.
Hector Barbera had an impressive debut at Snetterton; ending the opening day in the top ten for the Quattro Plant – JG Speedfit Kawasaki team, narrowly ahead of Josh Brookes and Michael Laverty.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Snetterton, Free Practice 1
Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) 1m:48.817s
Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +0.216s
Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) +0.830s
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +0.839s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.012s
Danny Buchan (FS3-Racing Kawasaki) +1.120s
Luke Mossey (OMG Racing Suzuki) +1.168s
Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) +1.439s
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +1.549s
Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) +1.954s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Snetterton, Free Practice 2
Tom began riding at the age of 10 and owns several motorcycles including a Vyrus 987 C3 4V worth more than $100,000.
His first movie role with a motorcycle was Top Gun where he rode the Kawasaki Ninja GPZ900R.
Tom, GPZ900R and Kelly McGillis in Top Gun
Since then he has ridden in many movies including Oblivion, Knight and Day, and Edge of Tomorrow.
Kawasaki power
But the GPZ900R is a long way from the H2R he rides in Top Gun 2.
The GPZ900R was made from 1984 to 1996 and had a 908cc transverse four-cylinder engine capable of 86kW of power and 85Nm of torque for a top speed of 254km/h top speed.
By comparison, the street-legal Kawasaki Ninja H2 Carbon (about $A44,000 sprint away) has 147.2kW (200ps/197hp) of power at 11,000rpm and 133.5Nm of torque at 10,5000rpm, but the supercharger boosts that to 154.5kW (210ps/207hp) and 140.4Nm.
However, Tom is riding the powerful track-only Ninja H2R which has 228kW (310ps/305hp) at 14,000rpm and 165Nm of torque at 12,500rpm. With maximum ram air, power literally blows out to 240kW (326ps/321hp).
From the Top Gun: Maverick video it doesn’t look like Tom reaches anything near Kenan’s speed, but don’t discount some computer generate images to make him look a whole lot faster!
