Moto News Wrap | Weekly recap from the dirty side of motorcycling

Moto News Weekly for December 3, 2019

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What happened this week

  • Tai Woffinden to race in Perth this weekend
  • Rossi and Marini win 100km dei Campioni
  • Anderson, Brayton, Blose crowned at Aus-X Open in Melbourne
  • CDR Yamaha’s Clout & Reardon go 2-3 in SX1
  • Josh Osby claims SX2 runner-up for Raceline KTM Thor
  • Jay Wilson closes out SX2 season in fourth at Marvel Stadium
  • Dunlop the tyre of choice for Supercross winners
  • Ricky Carmichael’s SX-Open RM-Z450 sold for $18,000
  • FIM versus WESS stalemate continues
  • FIM and FIA fail to reach agreements over SSV racing
  • Discovery/Eurosport named FIM Speedway GP promoters
  • Full 2020 AORC calendar announced
  • 2020 Championship Calendars
    • 2020 AMA Motocross
    • 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
    • 2020 MXGP
    • 2020 American Flat Track
    • 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
    • 2020 FIM Speedway GP
    • 2020 Australian Dirt Track
    • 2020 Australian Track

Tai Woffinden racing in Perth

Graeme Sinden has informed us that two-times British Champion, three-times World Champion, twice winner of The Rob Woffinden Classic and current Western Australian Speedway Solo Champion Tai Woffinden is in town and booked to race at the fabulous Perth Motorplex on Saturday 7th December.

Tai Woffinden in action ImgWarwickHemy
Tai Woffinden – Image by Warwick Hemy

Tai Woffinden will also race the following week at the Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway in Neerubup the following Saturday night for the running of the Rob Woffinden Classic. He has previously won the title twice and is the defending RWC Champion.

Joining Tai Woffinden at Perth Motorplex will be three other British riders who together form a British Team who will contest a series of events against a strong West Australian side.

Team GB

  • Jack Smith, son of former British Champ, Andy Smith.
  • Leon Flint, the 16 year old Berwick Bandits flyer
  • Drew Kemp 2019 British under 19 CHAMPION.

Headlining the Team WA will be former International rider, Frank Smart, the in form Dan Winchester and Matt Marson.

Tai is down under in the Southern hemisphere for some R & R to recover from a bruising European season and his World Grand Prix commitments. He will head back to the UK in the new year, however while in Perth he gives of his time to perform in a couple of shows for his WA fans.

Tai Woffinden – Image Colin Rosewarne

Tai set the Pinjar Park track on fire last January winning the RWC and the WA State Championship and was responsible for some of the largest crowds the new track has seen in its relatively short existence.

This is a great opportunity to see Tai Woffinden and his fellow British team mates perform, an opportunity we don’t get to see often in Perth, and I urge you not to miss either of these two huge speedway meetings.

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Valentino Rossi and Luca Marini win 100km dei Campioni

Brothers claim victory ahead of Franco Morbidelli and Andrea Migno in the sixth edition of the event held at Rossi’s VR46 Ranch while despite suffering falls on the unfamiliar surface American duo JD Beach and Sammy Halbert rounded out the podium.

The race started in ‘endurance’ style with riders running towards their bikes. Elia Bartolini entered the first corner ahead of the group followed by Rossi, Migno and Stefano Manzi.

The first laps of the race stages some thrilling moments, Manzi crashed and Rossi managed to overtake Bartolini. During the first bike swap Marini, teaming up with his brother Valentino, gained the head of the group chased by Morbidelli and Lorenzo Baldassarri.

During the fifty laps of the race with riders swapping bikes every five laps, exciting head to head battles are staged.

Marini’s bike stopped and Morbidelli took advantage of Luca’s mistake to gain the lead of the race. On the other hand, some grip issues for Bartolini allow American pairing JD Beach and Sammy Halbert to comeback to fight for third position.

In the last few laps of the race, Rossi succeeded in his attempt to reduce the gap with Migno, getting very close to the Academy rider and setting the last laps of the most exciting edition of the 100km dei Campioni on fire.

The last bike swap marks the beginning of the last five laps which decide the podium positions. Marini took the chequered flag first followed by Morbidelli a few tenths behind and JD Beach fighting with Baldassari until the last corners.

Morbidelli made a mistake and a cone got stuck into his bike. This allowed Marini to overtake Franco and gain the lead of the race which he manages to keep util the finish line winning the 100km dei Campioni together with his brother Rossi. Second place went to Morbidelli and Migno following six seconds behind. The American pair of Beach and Halbert gained the third step of the podium ahead of Bartolini and Baldassarri with a gap of just over a second.

Fifth position went the way of Mattia Pasini and Stefano Manzi, sixth was claimed by Celestino Vietti and Marco Bezzecchi.


Aussie SX season concluded in Melbourne

For the full Aus-X Open report see:
Massive blow by blow recap of Australian SX finale (link)

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2019 Aus-X Open – Image by AM

The Monster Energy AUS-X Open rocked Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium over the weekend as American Jason Anderson claimed the prestigious S-X Open International FIM Oceania Supercross Championship, while Justin Brayton and Chris Blose claimed the Australian Supercross SX1 and SX2 Championships respectively.

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne Anderson heat
Jason Anderson – Image by AM

An on-form Luke Clout started off the night in perfect fashion, as he laid down the fastest lap in Superpole, clocking faster than Anderson, Brayton and Chad Reed to name a few.

When the SX1 Finals kicked off Justin Brayton made a positive start to claim the first win of the night, as his title rival Clout ran into dramas, going down multiple times and finishing well down the order.

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Justin Brayton – Image by AM

Anderson claimed the race two victory over Brayton, and put in a repeat performance in the third final, earning the S-X Open International FIM Oceania Supercross Championship title, while Brayton claimed the Australian Supercross SX1 Championship.

Justin Brayton – SX1 Champion

“I’m stoked I got the win – the last few weeks have been so tough, so to get this championship means a lot. I love this country, thank you so much for welcoming me, and I hope that I’ve done your country proud coming over here and winning four straight.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne BraytonCelebrate
Justin Brayton – Image by AM

For Anderson, claiming the FIM Oceania Championship is a big tick off the list.

Jason Anderson – FIM Oceania Champion

“This title is sweet, it’s rad I was able to get it done. The track was slick, racing was tight, but my Rockstar Husky was locked in. Thanks to all the AME boys for putting this on. I love coming Down Under, and really plan on doing it for sometime to come.”

Australian Supercross AUS X Auckland ImgeAM AndersonPodiumMonster
Jason Anderson – Image by AM

2019 Australian Supercross SX1 Standings

Pos Name R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 PTS
1 Justin BRAYTON 25 25 20 18 25 113
2 Luke CLOUT 20 22 25 22 14 103
3 Daniel REARDON 22 20 22 16 15 95
4 Brett METCALFE 18 18 16 20 18 90
5 Dylan LONG 16 11 15 13 12 67
6 Richie EVANS 13 16 10 8 13 60
7 Joel WIGHTMAN 10 15 9 9 11 54
8 Josh HILL     18 15 20 53
9 Todd WATERS 15 13 12 7 4 51
10 Jason ANDERSON       25 22 47
11 Jayden RYKERS 12 10 8 5 7 42
12 Lawson BOPPING 14   13 11 3 41
13 Jackson RICHARDSON   12 1 14 9 36
14 Cody DYCE 5 5 14 4 5 33
15 Dylan WOOD 8 6 6 3 6 29
16 Jesse DOBSON 7 14 7     28
17 Henry MILLER     11 12   23
18 Gradie FEATHERSTONE 11 7 2   2 22
19 Justin CARAFA   9 4   8 21
20 Caleb WARD 9 8       17
21 Chad REED         16 16
22 Jesse MADDEN     5   10 15
23 Joey SAVATGY       10   10
24 Lochie LATIMER 6 4       10
25 Cody COOPER       6   6
26 Blake COBBIN 4         4
27 Jamie HARVEY     3     3
28 Joel CIGLIANO   3       3
29 Jono KRUSIC         1 1
 
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SX2

The SX2 Class was once again full of insane racing, with the Triple Crown offering up some incredible action that resulted in Honda’s Mitchell Oldenburg taking the overall victory. In P4 was Australian prodigy Jett Lawrence, who claimed two Knobby Holeshots, as he demonstrated why he has secured a long-term contract with Geico Honda.

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2019 Aus-X Open – Image by AM

The star of the show however in SX2 was American Chris Blose; as he brought home the 2019 Australian Supercross SX2 Championship.

Chris Blose – SX2 Champion

“Oh man; I can’t explain this. I’m so pumped, the Penrite Honda team worked so hard for this, I did too, and we walk out of here with a number one plate. Thanks to everyone involved, it’s a dream come true to be crowned champion.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne Blose CelebrateFam
Chris Blose – Image by AM

Collingwood F.C superstar Jordan De Goey took out the Yamaha Celebrity Challenge, as he put his previous motocross skills to the test and eventually stretched his lead to five seconds in the two-lap affair. His AFL rival, Jack Riewoldt, finished in second to last, with 2019 Supercars Champion Scott McLaughlin claiming the wooden spoon.

The Polyflor International showdown was taken out by the Australian Team, with Dan Reardon, Luke Clout and Chad Reed taking out the USA trio of Jason Anderson, Josh Hill and Ricky Carmichael.

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne ReedAnnouncement
Chad Reed – Image by AM

The Monster Energy Best Trick contest saw Melbourne young gun Jayo Archer stomp his first ever Double Backflip in competition, and subsequently, the crowd decided he deserved the gold by popular demand. For Boost Mobile Best Whip, Tyler Wakeford beat some heavy hitters to take gold.

That’s a wrap for supercross action in the Southern Hemisphere for 2019, with 2020 already in the works to become bigger and better than ever, as riders continue to strive for supercross stardom.

2019 Australian Supercross SX2 Standings

Pos Name R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 PTS
1 Chris BLOSE 20 16 25 22 22 105
2 Joshua OSBY 18 22 22 25 14 101
3 Mitchell OLDENBURG 13 25 20 16 25 99
4 Jay WILSON 16 18 15 18 20 87
5 Aaron TANTI 22 20 18 20 4 84
6 Connor TIERNEY   14 14 15 15 58
7 Regan DUFFY   15 12 14 16 57
8 Bradley TAFT 15 12 13 5 12 57
9 Dylan WILLS 12 10 16 12   50
10 Rhys BUDD   11 8 8 13 40
11 Geran STAPLETON   9 7 11 11 38
12 Ricky LATIMER 8 8 9 10 1 36
13 Tomas RAVENHORST   13 10   9 32
14 Morgan FOGARTY 9   3 9 8 29
15 Kyle WEBSTER 11   11   6 28
16 Jayce COSFORD 10 6 4 6   26
17 Jacob HAYES 25         25
18 Darian SANAYEI       13 10 23
19 Kaleb BARHAM 7 7 5   2 21
20 Jett LAWRENCE         18 18
21 Hugh McKAY 6     7 5 18
22 Wilson TODD 14         14
23 Jaxon HADLOW     6   7 13
24 Jack KUKAS 5 4       9
25 Chandler BURNS   5       5
26 Madison LATTA       4   4
27 Alex LARWOOD         3 3
28 McKenzie O’BREE     2     2
29 Caleb GOULLET     1     1

CDR Yamaha’s Clout & Reardon go 2-3 in SX1

US guest Josh Hill made his first trip to the podium in 2019 taking a third place over the weekend at the Aus-X Open, while Luke Clout and Dan Reardon claimed the two – three finish in the premier SX1 championship despite a challenging final round.

Luke Clout carried the championship leader’s red plate into the final round with a slender one point lead over Justin Brayton. Clout looked on point all day posting the fastest laps in qualifying and in Superpole, but when the three back to back main events rolled on, his luck deserted him. He took a 10-3-7 result, crashing in the first and last race.

Luke Clout

“Look, it’s a bit of a disappointing way to finish the championship but overall, I still see it as a very positive series for me and one that I made gains on as a rider. Myself and the team put in a lot of work both in the lead up and during the championship and it was rewarded with good results all the way through and a second championship behind Justin is still something both the team and myself can be very proud of. Thank you to Craig and everyone on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team as well as my brother Aaron for the amazing job they do. And to race in this venue tonight, in front of so many people is such a huge moment for our sport. Walking out for race one and seeing the crowd and venue gave me chills.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne CLoutrace
Luke Clout – Image by AM

Dan Reardon finished up third in the SX1 championship after another solid season, matching his 2018 result, and was sixth overall for Round 5 with a consistent 5-5-7 result. A crash in his heat race, left him a little battered and bruised, while he had to transfer through to the main event via the LCQ but once on the start line it was business as usual for the Queenslander.

Dan Reardon

“I made things difficult for myself when I crashed in the heat race. Instead of having an early pick of the start gate with a direct transfer spot, I had 17th pick of the gate and as a result wasn’t in a good position in the first turn on every start. I would love to have done better here tonight as it was a big stage for our sport in a venue like this and with the biggest crowd we have had for supercross, but still happy to finish third in the championship and be racing at this level. Last year I finished the season with an injury in Auckland that took months to rehab. It took a lot of work to come back and get full strength back in my foot and ankle, but I am glad I did it as I still love racing supercross. It was also great to hook up with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team again and re-ignite a successful working relationship. We won in 2015 and here we are four years later still going for championships.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne ReardonFinal
Dan Reardon – Image by AM

With his three race stint here in Australia as a guest of Monster Energy and CDR Yamaha, Josh Hill broke through for his first podium in 2019, charging to a 3-4-2 result in a hectic night of racing. He was up the front in all thee races and challenging the likes of Justin Brayton and Jason Anderson. In only three round appearances, Hill made his way to eighth overall in the championship.

Josh Hill

“I had such a great time here in Australia and can’t thank everyone from Monster and Yamaha for their support and enthusiasm in having my race down here. Everything about this trip has been so much fun and if the opportunity comes up again I would love to do it as my time here as been amazing. “It was also good to get on the podium at the biggest race of the season and reward the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team. We have been close at the other two rounds and I was desperate to give them some decent results for everything they have done. I hope to come back next year and do a full supercross season as I can see the sport is growing here. I can see why Justin does it every year, you Aussie people are cool, so hopefully we can work out a deal that will enable me to do it again as I think I have more to give in racing and enjoy my time here so much.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne HillRaceB
Josh Hill and Justin Brayton – Image by AM

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Josh Osby claims SX2 runner-up for Raceline KTM Thor

The Aus-X Open started well for Osby, who qualified as the fastest rider of the day’s timed qualifying sessions and went into the nights heat race feeling confident. The night took a turn for the worse in the very first lap of the heat race however, as Osby was landed on by another rider at the conclusion of lap one, hitting the ground hard.

Making the direct transfer to the main, he went on to claim a 5-7-12, despite a penalty in race two and a ruptured oil filler cap in race three. The result left him seventh overall for the round, and relegated Osby to runner-up in the SX2 championship.

Josh Osby

“Tonight was one of the hardest nights of my career. I put myself in good positions like I have all season, but unfortunately it just didn’t work out. It seemed like nothing went my way from the beginning of the heat race on and although we tried, it wasn’t meant to be this time around. I want to thank the entire team, we came so close and they gave me everything I needed to get the job done. But that’s racing and hopefully I’ll be back for redemption next year.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne OsbySmoke
Josh Osby smoking due to damage to an oil filler cap – Image by AM

In a fantastic showing rookie Regan Duffy finished a very impressive fifth overall with 9-5-6 results respectively in the three SX2 main events. A fifth overall culminates a fantastic rookie Supercross season, leading to seventh overall in the SX2 Championship standings.

Regan Duffy

“Tonight was intense for me, the track here at Marvel Stadium was unreal. I had to figure out a few rhythm sections after the days timed sessions, but we worked it out for the main events and it made a big difference come race time. I had some close calls out there tonight, the racing was incredible to be a part of and I had a great time. I can’t thank the team and everyone in my corner enough, 2019 has been a solid start to my Professional career.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne DuffyRace
Regan Duffy – Image by AM

In an unfortunate incident, SX1 rider Henry Miller would crash in the timed qualifying session during the day and be forced to retire from the event with minor injuries, following a collision with another rider.


Jay Wilson closes out SX2 season in fourth at Marvel Stadium

Jay Wilson, defending SX2 champion, has had a frustrating 2019 season just missing the podium at the opening four rounds, despite winning races and being in contention throughout. But he put all that behind him over the weekend, where the Triple Crown format was again is use, with Wilson carding a 3-2-3 result to take third on the night and move to fourth in the final championship standings.

Jay Wilson

“Tonight my mentality was that I had nothing to lose. I was fifth coming into the final round and even if I had a shocker, it wouldn’t have done much for the overall result, so I just laid it all on the line and see what happened. I didn’t get great starts all night and that was my fault, my reaction time at the gate was terrible but I managed to make some passes only to get near the front but run out of time. But, I feel pretty good with how I raced tonight and just wished I had of taken that mentality in from round one. The team did a great job as always and the bike was perfect. The Yamalube Yamaha Racing team put in a big effort and it was frustrating not to be able to get them on the podium until now in this series. Thanks to my mechanic, Mike Ward, his dedication and passion is unrivalled and while we didn’t get the championship back, we gave it a good shake.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne WilsonQualB
Jay Wilson – Image by AM

The Aus-X Open also saw Richie Evans complete his first series in supercross, claiming sixth overall in the SX1 championship. The north Queenslander had only competed in a few supercross events prior to the 2019 season and never on a 450, making sixth place a worthy achievement, alongside taking eighth overall for the round with a 6-9-8 result.

Richie Evans

“Sometimes I look at who is alongside me on the start line and think its pretty amazing that I am on the same track as them. I started next to Jason Anderson in all six main events in Auckland and Melbourne- the guy was the 2018 world champion, and I’m just a dude riding a dirt bike from Cairns. I think he must be over me as I got a few starts on him as well. But its been a good supercross series for me. I came in injured at round one, got a top five in Adelaide, had a couple of tough races in Wollongong and Auckland before finishing strongly here in Melbourne. The team have been great and having Michael work with me has been good as he has so much experience. Thank you to everyone on the team and I have had a great time racing supercross.”

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne RichieEvansFinal
Richie Evans – Image by AM

 
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Dunlop the tyre of choice for Supercross winners

In front of 35,000 race fans, Dunlop racers took a clean sweep of not only the final-round podium, but also the championship. The Dunlop Geomax MX33 pattern once again proved to be the tyre of choice inside Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, taking the win in every SX1 track outing.

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Justin Brayton – Image by AM

Justin Brayton opened the night with the win in heat one, while Jason Anderson took the top spot in heat two. Superpole saw Clout set the fastest lap, before the triple-crown race format saw the SX1 class line up for three eight-lap races.

It was Brayton’s consistent 1-2-3 results that earned the overall win, ahead of Anderson’s 7-1-1 and Josh Hill’s 3-4-2 to round out the podium, and it was a 2019 Australian Supercross Championship podium lockout with all riders choosing to race with Dunlop.

Australian SX Rnd Melbourne AndersonIntro
Jason Anderson – Image by AM

In the SX2 class Yamalube Yamaha’s Jay Wilson took third for the night, securing fourth in the championship. Title contender Aaron Tanti, went down hard, earning just four points for the round and settling for fifth overall in the championship. All eyes were on 16-year-old Jett Lawrence as he made his supercross debut, taking a 4-3-2 race results for fourth in the round, and showing many why he is not just a future star of the sport, but a star already.

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Jay Wilson – Image by AM
Robbie Bugden – Dunlop Motorsport Manager

“Just like that, the Australian Supercross Championship is over. What an amazing atmosphere, with 35,000 people watching a world-class field on a world-class track. I’m obviously ecstatic about not only securing the round and championship win in SX1, but to lock out the podium is just amazing, and a credit to both the riders and the Geomax product range. Congratulations to Justin Brayton on his fourth SX1 championship, but also to CDR Yamaha Monster Energy for securing second and third overall with Luke (Clout) and Dan (Reardon), along with Josh Hill taking eighth after missing the first two rounds! It was great to watch Jay Wilson take it to the Americans all night in SX2. He’s a class rider and it’s great to see him up front, once more showing that consistency gets you everywhere. 2019 has been a year of change, but also a great year. We’re proud to work with some incredible teams and riders, and supporting the sport in so many ways, and I’m really looking forward to what 2020 has in store.”


Ricky Carmichael’s SX-Open RM-Z450 sold for $18,000!

Suzuki Australia recently announced the opportunity to own the RM-Z450 ridden by Ricky Carmichael at the 2019 SX-Open Supercross event just run in Melbourne, with the bike passing reserve and selling for $18,000, with all proceeds past the reserve going to the Starlight Foundation.

Ricky Carmichael RM Z Image
Ricky Carmichael’s SX-Open RM-Z450

Ricky Carmichael’s one-off 2019 Suzuki RM-Z450 featured the following modifications from standard.

  • Yoshimura RS-4 full titanium exhaust system
  • Hinson complete clutch assembly and factory Suzuki clutch cover
  • Unique to SX-Open event custom RC graphics kit
  • ODI Ricky Carmichael signature handlebars and lock-on grips
  • DID gold race chain
  • Personally signed by the G.O.A.T himself
  • A set of FOX riding gear as worn by Ricky Carmichael at the SX-Open event=
Ricky Carmichael RM Z Image
Ricky Carmichael’s SX-Open RM-Z450

Carmichael, the most successful AMA motocross racer of all-time is a seven time AMA Motocross premier class champion and five time AMA Supercross Champion. His unrivalled successes in the sport of motocross have given him the nickname ‘The G.O.A.T’ by his peers; standing for the Greatest of All Time.

 
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FIM versus WESS stalemate continues

Talks have been taking place since the beginning of the year as the FIM have sought to bring WESS under their umbrella.

The FIM have made statements such as, “The FIM will not be flexible in environmental rules, safety conditions, protection of our riders and controlling the sport.” Using such statements to indicate that competitors are at more risk in non FIM events due to riders not being covered under the FIM insurance scheme while competing in WESS events.

WESS GetzenRodeo Start FM
2019 GetzenRodeo – Image by Future7Media

For their part WESS organisers seem determined to go their own way. The WESS was set-up largely by Red Bull and KTM/Husqarna immediately joined the competition and had their star contracted riders concentrate on the WESS series.

From the outside looking in, WESS certainly seems to be much more professional than World Enduro/Enduro GP. The media and promotion efforts surrounding WESS make EnduroGP look very amateur indeed.

This week the FIM stated that; “The FIM stays firm with regards to environmental rules, safety conditions, protection of riders and controlling the sport. A new meeting will take place in February 2020, where all parties hope to reach an agreement.”

“Two different tenders were launched: one for the promotion of the FIM Enduro World Championship 2021-2030 and another for a new FIM Enduro Extreme World Cup 2020-2029, with the objective of bringing together the Enduro family. The FIM hopes to receive interesting offers.


FIM and FIA fail to reach agreements over SSV racing

SSV (Side by Side Vehicles): Despite their best efforts, an agreement was not possible between the FIM and the FIA on the matter of SSV Classes. The FIM will proceed with its own production category of light vehicles.


Discovery/Eurosport named FIM Speedway GP promoters

Speedway: A tender was launched during the third trimester of 2019 for the promotion of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship for 2022-2031.

FIM Speedway World Championship Boll Warsaw Poland
2019 SGP of Poland

Various offers were submitted to the FIM Board of Directors, who chose after much consideration to sign with Discovery / Eurosport Events as their proposal was the most interesting and innovative from a sports, development and TV coverage point of view. The FIM would like to thank BSI for its dedication and hard work and hopes to collaborate with them again in the future.

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Kiwi world champs receive medals at FIM Awards in Monaco

In an historic first for Motorcycling New Zealand (MNZ), two Kiwi world champion riders Courtney Duncan and Hamish MacDonald were officially presented with their 2019 FIM World Championship medals at a glittering ceremony in Monaco, on Sunday night. 

Since MNZ became affiliated with the FIM in 1986, New Zealand has never had two riders win world championship events in a single season.

Dunedin-based 23-year-old Duncan (Kawasaki) dominantly won the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in 2019, after three years of near misses, since bursting onto the scene as a race-winning rookie in 2016.

While 20-year-old MacDonald (Sherco), of Christchurch, claimed the FIM 125cc Youth Enduro World Championship – New Zealand’s first title in the discipline, thanks to an impressive second season at this level.

Duncan says it was “definately a proud moment receiving my world championship medal among all the other winners.”

Courtney Duncan
Courtney Duncan

Her victorious season started with a win in the opening moto of the season at Valkenswaard, The Netherlands. Although she slipped to fourth in the second moto and allowed Dutch rider Nancy van der Ven (Yamaha) to claim the top spot, that would prove to be the only moment she would let her guard down all season.

Consecutive doubles in Portugal, the Czech Republic and Italy, set up a title shot at the final round in Turkey, where she wasted no time in wrapping things up with a dominant 12-second victory in the first moto. Duncan signed-off her 2019 assault with a second race win, making it nine from ten for the season, as she followed in the footsteps of fellow Kiwi Katherine Oberlin-Brown (nee Prumm), who won the Women’s World Cup in 2006 and 2007, before the class was elevated to FIM World Motocross Championship status.

MacDonald showed the world how it was done this year too, by scoring a podium in every single race that he finished in the seven-round season. The first Kiwi rider to compete at world level in over fifteen years, he also showed no shortage of grit and determination to come back after breaking his shoulder at the third round in Spain, where he missed out on the points completely after back-to-back double victories in Germany and Portugal.

His only other no-score after that was on the second day in Italy and despite having conceded the championship lead to Italy’s Claudio Spanu (Husqvarna), MacDonald gradually fought back to make sure of the title with a pair of third places at the final round in Ambert, France.

He and Duncan were treated to all the super-star treatment in Monaco – complete with a helicopter transfer into Monte Carlo and Duncan was dressed for the awards night by Kiwi fashion label Company of Strangers, from her hometown of Dunedin.

“It was a huge honour to be representing New Zealand at these awards and to have Hamish alongside – another Kiwi – is pretty special for our country. I will enjoy this moment before I get back to work towards next season,” Duncan says.

MacDonald was blown away by the hillside district of Monte Carlo, describing it as “amazing and so beautiful.”

“It was great to represent New Zealand on a world stage – not just myself too which is pretty crazy because New Zealand has never had two world champion riders in one year!” Hamish says.

Hamish MacDonald World Enduro Champion
Canterbury’s Hamish MacDonald celebrates wining the FIM 125cc Youth Enduro World Championship and becoming the first New Zealander to become victorious in this discipline – Image by MAastorgne Photography and Dario Agrati

Like Duncan, he will start increasing his hours on the bike and cross-training, as he prepares for the up-coming season, where he moves up to the junior enduro category.

“It will be tough, but I like a challenge and I’m excited to see what it brings, and hopefully I can come back to Monaco next year! Summer will be hard training for me. I don’t know if I’ll race any events in New Zealand yet. I’ll also be doing lots of riding, running and cycling preparing for my return back to Europe in January 2020.” MacDonald says.

Duncan also heads back to Europe around the same time, as her first round is in Britain at the end of February, where she will begin her title defence.

“I’ll start to build for the season when I’m return to New Zealand at the end of the week. It’ll be another big year, which I’m looking forward to.” Duncan says.

Courtney Duncan and Hamish MacDonald at FIM Awards
Kiwi riders Courtney Duncan and Hamish MacDonald with their world championship medals at the glittering Monte-Carlo-hosted FIM Awards ceremony on Sunday

2020 AORC round 1-3 locations announced

The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) have released race weekend locations for the first six of 12 rounds of the 2020 national championship series.

The AORC kick starts the 2020 season off returning to Toowoomba featuring a new Cooby Dam venue for rounds 1 and 2 on February 22 and 23.

AORC Rounds 1 & 2 at Toowoomba with John Pearson
2019 AORC Rounds 1 & 2, Toowoomba – Image by John Pearson Media

The championship then heads south to Dungog, NSW on March 14 and 15 for rounds 3 and 4 and a new venue at Nowra for rounds 5 and 6 on April 18 and 19.

The 2020 Championship will continue to use a double-header format, which will see six weekends make up twelve rounds of the AORC for 2020.

Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager

“With the recently crowned World Champion Junior Team and overall second placed Australian ISDE team returning for action in 2020, we will have the best riders in the world competing in the Yamaha AORC. We are very excited for the 2020 Yamaha AORC to be returning to Toowoomba, Dungog and Nowra, where we have held successful events in the past. With new exciting venues in the 2020 AORC we are sure to again field upwards of 200 plus riders for each event in every state.”

AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner F
Daniel Milner – 2019 AORC

AORC reveal the second half of the year’s locations for the twelve round 2020 championship once relevant planning approvals have been met.

2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 & 2: Toowoomba, QLD – 22–23 February 2020
  • Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW – 14–15 March 2020
  • Round 5 & 6: Nowra, NSW – 18–19 April 2020
  • Round 7 & 8: SA – 1–2 August 2020
  • Round 9 & 10: VIC – 19–20 September 2020
  • Round 11 & 12: TBC – 17–18 October 2020
 
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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)
  • June 7 – Russia, Orlyonok – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 14 – Latvia, Kegums – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 28 – Indonesia, Jakarta
  • July 5 – Indonesia, Palembang
  • July 26 – Czech Republic, Loket – (EMX65, EMX85, EMX 2t)
  • August 2 – Belgium, Lommel – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 16 – Sweden, Uddevalla – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 23 – Finland, Litti-KymiRing – (EMX125, EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • September 6 – Turkey, Afyonkarahisar – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • September 13 – China, (TBA) –
  • September 20 – Emilia Romagna, Imola – (EMX125, WMX)
  • September 27 – Motocross of Nations, France, Ernee

2020 American Flat Track

  • Round 1. March 14: Daytona 200 &  TT – Daytona Speedway, FL
  • Round 2. March 28: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
  • Round 3. April 4: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Speedway, Concord, NC
  • Round 4. May 2: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
  • Round 5. May 9: So-Cal Half-Mile – Perris Speedway, Perris, CA
  • Round 6. May 16: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
  • Round 7. May 30: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
  • Round 8. June 13: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Speedway, Loudon, NH
  • Round 9. June 20: OKC Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Round 10. June 27: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
  • Round 11. July 4: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
  • Round 12. August 9: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
  • Round 13. August 11: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
  • Round 14. August 22: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
  • Round 15. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 16. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 17. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Round 18. September 26: Meadowlands Mile* – Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

  • Round 1, January 3 – Kurri Kurri Speedway, Loxford Park NSW
  • Round 2, January 6 – Diamond Park, Wodonga VIC
  • Round 3, January 7 – Undera Speedway, Echuca Road, Undera VIC
  • Round 4, January 9 – Olympic Park, Regina Street, Mildura VIC
  • Round 5, January 11 – Gillman Speedway, Wilkins Road, Gillman SA

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 8-10
  • Round 2: Trefle Lozerien AMV (France) May 21-23
  • Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) June 10-14
  • Round 4: Red Bull 111 Megawatt (Poland ) June TBC
  • Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 21-25
  • Round 6: Tennessee Knockout (USA) August 15-16
  • Round 7: Hawkstone Park Cross-Country (UK) September TBC
  • Round 8: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) October TBC

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

  • May 16 – PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland – Warsaw
  • May 30 – German SGP – Teterow
  • June 13 – Czech SGP – Prague
  • July 18 – Adrian Flux British SGP – Cardiff
  • July 25 – Swedish SGP – Hallstavik
  • August 1 – Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland – Wroclaw
  • August 15 – Scandinavian SGP – Malilla, Sweden
  • August 29 – Russian SGP – Togliatti
  • September 12 – Danish SGP sponsored by ECCO – Vojens
  • October 3 – Revline Torun SGP of Poland – Torun

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

  • April 11-12 Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships
    • Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD, North Brisbane Jnr Motorcycle Club
  • October 17-18 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
    • Fairburn Park, ACT Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

  • May 16-17 Australian Senior Track Championships
    • Qurindi, Tamworth, NSW, Tamworth Motorcycle Club
  • September 26-27 Australian Junior Track Championships
    • Gunnedah, NSW Gunnedah Motorcycle Club
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Source: MCNews.com.au

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