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Kawasaki riders share High Point 450 wins | Swoll tops 250

June 21, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 3 – High Point

Images by Jeff Kardas

Following its first break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to action with its East Coast debut from legendary High Point Raceway. The third round of the summer campaign marked the sport’s return to the famed Pennsylvania venue for the first time since 2019 with the GEICO Motorcycle High Point National, where the threat of rain loomed over the afternoon but never really materialised.

In the 450 Class a hard-fought, consistent afternoon was enough to put Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis atop the podium for the second time this season.

In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jalek Swoll extended the parity in the division and broke through with his first professional victory as Jett Lawrence increased his lead in the 250 Championship.

Video Highlights

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450 Moto1

Light precipitation was present when the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, where Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo prevailed with the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Christian Craig, who soon gave up the position to Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen, the championship leader. As Cianciarulo sprinted out to an early lead the Honda teammates engaged in a battle for second place.

As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, the lead trio solidified their hold on those positions as Ferrandis gave chase from fourth. As the minutes continued to tick away the distance between the top three continued to shrink. Sexton soon closed in to within a couple bike lengths of Cianciarulo, but a mistake by Sexton not only caused the Honda rider to lose some ground, it forced Roczen into a mistake when he briefly went down and gave up third to Ferrandis.

With the threat defended, Cianciarulo gradually built a multi-second advantage over Sexton, who in turn built a comfortable margin over Ferrandis. As time ran out on the moto clock with just over three laps to go, Sexton tucked the front of his Honda and went down. As he looked to remount, both Ferrandis and Roczen were able to get by, which placed Sexton in fourth when he resumed. Out front, Cianciarulo looked to close out his first moto win of the season with ease but was dealt with one last obstacle as a slower rider went down exiting the final corner. With nowhere to go, Cianciarulo ran over the downed motorcycle and fell over. He kept his Kawasaki running, got up, and pushed his bike across the finish line to win in unconventional fashion. Ferrandis followed five seconds behind in second as Roczen rounded out the podium in third. Sexton recovered to finish fourth as Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Aaron Plessinger completed the top five.

450 Moto 2

The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off as Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia emerged with the MotoSport.com Holeshot out of a gaggle of bikes. He was quickly passed by Plessinger for the early lead, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo followed through. Cianciarulo put the hammer down and made an aggressive push that carried him all the way around Plessinger and into the lead. He continued to ramp up the pace and established a multi-second advantage after just two laps. Behind him, Tomac’s first opportunity to run at the front of the field in 2021 saw him surge around Plessinger into second to put the Kawasaki riders at the top of the running order.

As the battle up front took shape the class’ title contenders made moves as well, as Ferrandis worked his way from fourth and Roczen from sixth. Both riders were urgent in their push and successfully moved into third and fourth, respectively. By the time they finished their early charge, the Kawasaki team-mates were more than five-seconds ahead. From there, Ferrandis and Roczen went head-to-head for third and traded the position before Ferrandis got the upper hand and asserted control of the spot.

Up front, Tomac closed onto Cianciarulo’s rear fender and a battle for the lead ensued. Tomac was able to get by, but Cianciarulo fought back and reclaimed the position. However, Tomac didn’t give up and kept the pressure on. The two came together, which pushed Cianciarulo out of a rut and allowed Tomac to move into the lead for the first time this season.

Once out front Tomac started to build an advantage over his teammate and was soon in control of the moto. As the moto surpassed the 20-minute mark Cianciarulo found himself under pressure from Ferrandis and Roczen in third and fourth. All three riders then duked it out for second and used every inch of the track in search of an advantage. As the crowd cheered them on, both Ferrandis and Roczen bullied their way around Cianciarulo, who dropped from second to fourth. That thrilling sequence also changed the battle in the overall classification, as Ferrandis moved into control of the afternoon.

For Tomac it was a dominant ride indicative of his three-year championship run. He stormed to his first moto win of the season by 3.2 seconds over Ferrandis, who was able to fend off Roczen for the entirety of the moto.

Although he missed out on a moto win, Ferrandis’ consistency was enough to vault him to the second overall victory of the season and his career via 2-2 moto finishes. Cianciarulo’s drop off the podium in the final moto relegated him to the runner-up spot by a single point (1-4), while Tomac made his first appearance on the podium this summer in third (6-1), which bumped Roczen (3-3) off the podium via tie-breaker.

“What a race. I don’t know (what to say),” said Ferrandis. “I got a good start and was able to get by Ken (Roczen), which was good because he was so fast today. It was a war (after that). Ken kept pushing me and we were able to come to Adam (Cianciarulo). It was crazy how competitive it was with them. We were going so fast and the track was so difficult. It’s just amazing to get a win here today and get a hold of the red plate again.”

Ferrandis won the round and moved into the series lead

With the win Ferrandis also reclaimed control of the red plate as 450 Class point leader for the second time this season. He currently has a slim three-point advantage over Roczen, while Plessinger, who finished sixth on the afternoon (5-8) maintained his hold on third, 30 points out of the lead.

450 Results & Championship Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News | Finke | King of MX | NZ Enduro | TrialGP | MXGP | Rally

June 15, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Yearbury wraps up 2021 New Zealand Enduro Championships

By Andy McGechan

There was probably a small moment in time when Waikato man Dylan Yearbury thought his national title hopes had just flown out the window. But, a never-say-die attitude from the Husqvarna man was enough for him to complete the task he’d set himself when forced to settle for overall runner-up at last season’s COVID-19 pandemic-shortened New Zealand Enduro Championships… and that was to fight back and win it in 2021.

Yearbury (Husqvarna FE350) was in command after the first three of five rounds in this year’s championships, having compiled a 2-1-1 score-sheet from the events in Tokoroa and the Marlborough and Porirua/Upper Hutt regions respectively, and he arrived in the Wairarapa Region for the final two back-to-back rounds at the weekend in a confident mood.

Yearbury finished runner-up to his main title rival Tommy Buxton at round four on farmland near Masterton on Saturday and was still the favourite to go on and wrap it up on similar terrain near Martinborough the following day. But a high-speed crash during Sunday’s fifth and final round very nearly shattered his dreams.

“I had a huge crash and the impact of that cracked the bike’s rear sub-frame. I knew it was risky to carry on with the bike damaged like that, but I didn’t have a lot of choice,” said the 26-year-old Cambridge builder. “The crash was in the day’s first ‘special test’ and it stunned me a bit. I struggled to get a flow going with my riding after that. I went okay, but not brilliant.”

But even when Yearbury is not at his best, he’s still a lot better than so many others in the competition and he managed to end the day at Martinborough third overall of the 65 starters, finishing behind Whanganui’s Seth Reardon and Buxton.

Fortunately for Yearbury, this was easily enough for him to get the job done and he could therefore celebrate winning his first national enduro championships outright. Buxton finished the series runner-up, with Reardon, Oparau’s James Scott and Taupo’s Wil Yeoman rounding out the top five.

Yearbury also added icing to his cake by claiming the over-301cc four-stroke class win. He is current and two-time winner of the parallel-but-separate New Zealand Extreme Off-Road Championships, but never the enduro nationals and that’s probably largely due to his competing overseas in past years.

With COVID putting a crimp on international travel, it’s likely we’ll see Yearbury’s name feature a little more regularly at home.

The various class winners this season were:

Dylan Yearbury (Husqvarna, expert over-301cc 4-stroke class);
Seth Reardon (Yamaha, expert under-300cc 4-stroke class);
Aston Grey (Yamaha, expert over-201cc 2-stroke class);
Wil Yeoman (Yamaha, expert under-200cc 2-stroke class);
Sean Clarke (Husqvarna, expert veterans over-40 years class)
Julia Williams (KTM, women’s class);
Joshua Alexander (KTM, intermediate over-201cc 2-stroke and over 301cc 4-stroke class);
Harrison McClintock (KTM, intermediate under-200cc 2-stroke and under 300cc 4-stroke class);
Phil Gibson (Husqvarna, intermediate veterans 40-49 years class);
George Callaghan (Yamaha, intermediate 50-54 years class);
Phil Skinner (Husqvarna, intermediate veterans over-55 years class).

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Bou & Fujinami share TrialGP opener victories

Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou became the first leader of the 2021 TrialGP World Championship after claiming victory in the Italian town of Tolmezzo. Team-mate Takahisa Fujinami finished in seventh place.

Just five weeks ago Toni Bou was lying on a stretcher waiting to be operated on for a left leg fibula fracture. Today, Toni Bou was back in the competition, finishing on the highest step of the podium, having sealed the win at the 2021 Trial World Championship curtain-raiser in Italy.

Without having prepared or trained as he had wished, the Repsol Honda Team rider was nevertheless able to endure the first day of competition held in Tolmezzo (Italy). Despite suffering some discomfort on the second lap of the twelve sections, Bou went on to claim the victory by a mere point ahead of arch rival, Adam Raga.

Takahisa Fujinami, at 41 years of age, claimed victory on the second day of the Italian TrialGP. Toni Bou, runner-up, keeps hold of the overall leadership after the world championship opener.

Five years have gone by since Takahisa Fujinami’s last win in Lourdes, France, in July 2016. Today, Repsol Honda Team’s Japanese rider made his return to the top step of the podium sealing victory number 34 in the Outdoor Trial World Championship.

Elevated temperatures marked the second day of the trial in the Italian town of Tolmezzo, wreaking havoc among riders in the more technical sections. Repsol Honda Team rider, Takahisa Fujinami, gradually improving throughout the day, was however, able to overcome many of the tougher sections, picking up just four marks on an extraordinary second lap to capture the final victory. With this superb result, “Fujigas” now holds third place in the overall standings, eight points behind the leader and team-mate, Toni Bou.

Takahisa Fujinami

“Yesterday, I felt comfortable on the bike, but the results didn’t materialize. In general, these last few months I have trained hard and I have felt very good with the bike. Yesterday, I did not expect to finish seventh, but the truth is that I was close to fifth and with room for improvement. What I did not expect was to be able to win today! I was looking for the win, but not 100%. I’m very happy. At 41, I don’t think anyone was expecting it, not my team, nor Toni, and I don’t think I was. It was terrific to be able to achieve it. I felt like I did in 2004, when I was 24 years old. Thank you very much to the whole team for always supporting me and helping me, this victory is a gift for all of you.”

Despite starting the day somewhat worse for wear after Day 1’s huge victory effort, Toni Bou once again performed well and was able to finish in a more than commendable second position. The Repsol Honda Team rider leaves Italy leading the world championship.

Toni Bou

“First of all, I want to congratulate my partner Takahisa Fujinami. What he has done today at 41 has been incredible. He works a lot and does such a good job with the whole team. As for me, I am happy with the weekend in general. Today in section 6 I hurt myself a bit, I made a mistake with the line and wasn’t able to secure my foot. Even so, I got a very good result. I hope I haven’t done too much damage and hopefully I will be able to recover fully for the second round of the world championship.”

Laia Sanz also showed she’s lost none of her feet-up skills by winning the opening day of the Women’s Trial World Championship at the GP of Italy. Giving her all to secure victory, Laia then placed a strong second on day two to sit as joint leader of the women’s championship ahead of the second round.

Laia Sanz

“Overall, it’s been a great trial for me. It’s been so nice to be back in the trial paddock, and to win on the first day was incredible – it felt so, so good to get that result. It wasn’t easy for me with the non-stop rules, but things worked out really well. The second lap was tough, but I managed to push to the end. I found day two hard. I was already struggling physically a little at the end of the first day, and today, with the heat, I wasn’t at 100%. I made some mistakes on the first lap that really I shouldn’t have made, but I was leading, so I was happy. The second lap was hard, I dropped some extra marks, and Emma was riding well. But there are many positives from this weekend, not least the day one victory.”

Next stop for the TrialGP World Championship will be a one-day-only event in Charade, France, on July 3.

TrialGP Italy Results

Pos.	Rider	Nation	Team	Points
1	Toni BOU	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	37
2	Adam RAGA	SPA	TRRS Factory Team	32
3	Takahisa FUJINAMI	JPN	Repsol Honda Team	29
4	Matteo GRATTAROLA	ITA	Beta Factory Racing	26
5	Jeroni FAJARDO	SPA	Sherco Factory Team	24
6	Jaime BUSTO	SPA	Vertigo Factory Team	22
7	Miquel GELABERT	SPA	Gas Gas	18
8	Gabriel MARCELLI	SPA	Montesa Factory	18

Abestone Hard Enduro next stop for World Championship

The 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship looks to hit its stride for round three at the Italian Abestone Hard Enduro. Despite a difficult start to this year’s championship, due to the Covid-hit Extreme XL Lagares and subsequent cancellation of Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, the fighting spirit of Hard Enduro is very much alive as it regroups for the remainder of season.

Only four weeks out from the Abestone Hard Enduro, all eyes focus towards the Italian event. Injecting a new event into the Hard Enduro scene, taking place in the heart of the Tuscany mountains, the event is set to be both spectacular and exciting. Hard Enduro veteran Michele Bosi and his organising team are hard at work to ensure no stone is left unturned and no trail unexplored, as they work to ensure a race that will undoubtedly put Italy firmly back on the international Hard Enduro map.

With barely time to recover it’s then off to Romania and the incredible Red Bull Romaniacs for round four. An event that needs little introduction, it’s produced some iconic memories during its 17 editions to date. With organisers also planning for a marathon stage, featuring a ‘night under the stars’ for competitors, another show-stopper is on the cards.

From Romania the series heads across the pond to the USA for the Red Bull TKO. North America’s premier Hard Enduro, the Tennessee venue will be one to watch. With a wealth of American talent eager to shine on home soil, everyone will be pushing the limits to win.

Poland’s HERO Challenge in early September brings the series back to Europe for the home stretch. Staged over days there will be a real mix of Urban and Hard Enduro for riders to contend with, plus high-speed elements. The city prologue in the heart of Dabrow Górnicza is sure to become a highlight of the weekend. At a crucial stage in the championship, expect this year’s title contenders to step forward.

Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro plays host to the penultimate round of the series. Staged over three days, it offers a wide array of riding. From Friday’s prologue in the heart of the medieval town of Aguilar de Campoo, to Saturday’s extreme cross-country race around the shoreline of a gigantic lake and Sunday’s intense multi-lap quarry-based finale, it’s a technical masterpiece to excel at.

Ready to provide a truly memorable ending to the inaugural season of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is Germany’s GetzenRodeo. Arguably one of the smallest venues on the calendar, it punches way above its welterweight. As the venue of the 2019 WESS finale, the racing was electric and we’re certain it will deliver another grandstand ending to sign off 2021.

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy on July 10-11.

ProMX set for Gillman, SA return to action at Round 3

The dirt flying action will return to South Australia on July 11 when the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, hits Gillman, following the forced postponement last month of Round 3 of the Championship.

The round was scheduled for May 30 at Gillman but was postponed due to the South Australian Government’s COVID-19 border restrictions only days prior to the event.

ProMX Management Team has now advised the tentative rescheduling of the Gillman round for July 11, 2021, subject to lifting of the SA Government COVID-19 border restrictions. The team will provide confirmation that the round will go ahead no later than June 25.

If restrictions do not allow the July 11 date to occur, a secondary date of September 19 will be considered by the ProMX Management Team and MRA.

Riders and teams are advised to monitor ProMX announcements in the meantime and entries for the event will re-open soon, a further communication will be announced confirming the time.

For the fans who had already purchased tickets, they will be able to use them for entry in July. For spectators wanting to get along to Gillman tickets are available now via www.auspromx.com.au.

Queensland to host 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track

The 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships will fly into action September 4 and 5, at Mick Doohan Raceway, Banyo, Queensland. Originally slated to be held in Canberra, Queensland club North Brisbane Junior MCC will now host the Championships. The club is also hosting the Australian Junior Track Championships July 3 and 4.

The Senior Dirt Track Championships weekend will see Australia’s best dirt trackers fight it out to be crowned Motorcycling Australia’s Senior Dirt Track Champions. Full fields of 10 Championship classes are expected following the success of the recent Track Championships held Tamworth in NSW.

Classes of competition will include:

Pro 250 – 100cc to 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke (MX)
Pro 450 – 250cc 2-stroke & 450cc 4-stroke (MX)
MX Open – 500cc 2-stroke & Over 300cc 4-stroke (MX)
250cc Slider – Up to 250cc
500cc Slider – Up to 500cc
Slider Open – Unlimited 460cc and over
Pro Open – Women Unlimited (MX)
Sidecar – Up to 1100cc
ATV Open – Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke
ATV Open – Women Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke

Jarred Brook who recently had success at Tamworth will be hoping to repeat his 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships results (the last time the Championship was held) where he clean swept the competition in the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes.

Andrew Brook – North Brisbane Junior MCC President

“It’s an honour to host the Championships, we as a committee have worked really hard to get us in this position to hold major meetings and we are very happy that we have secured both the Junior and Senior Dirt Track Championships. We have been doing some fairly major pit extensions which are looking very professional and will be ready in time for the Championships. With the excitement of Australian titles and being so close to the Brisbane, people love to see good riders, and good fast clean action, so we certainly expect a good crowd.”

Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II this weekend!

Images by Scott Hunter

For the first time in 2021, the full power of Progressive American Flat Track will be unleashed on a big Mile racetrack with this weekend’s Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19.

Coming off of the cathartic victory of reigning two-time champion Briar Bauman at the recent Chicago Half-Mile, his title rival Jared Mees will be seriously motivated to counter with a victory (or two) of his own this weekend.

While he built his reputation largely on his Half-Mile prowess – and later his all-around game – Mees has developed into one of the sport’s all-time great Milers in recent years. Since 2016, he’s racked up an astonishing 15 Mile wins, including all three previous stops at Remington Park.

Even though title hopeful Sammy Halbert is out of action while on the mend from injury, Mees’ path to victory will be all the more difficult to negotiate considering this weekend marks the anticipated return of “Mile Master” Bryan Smith.

A tactical genius in high-speed drafting wars, Smith is tied with the iconic Bubba Shobert for third on the all-time Mile wins list at 25. Now picking and choosing his best races and funneling all of his focus and effort into winning those rather than the season-long grind of a championship chase, Smith could be a serious threat at the OKC Mile.

Despite the fact that the OKC Mile is one of the few Miles Smith has yet to conquer, he’s been on the podium in each of his three attempts. Given a sniff of the draft on the final lap, victory #26 could be within his grasp.

AFT Singles

Estenson Yamaha teammates Dallas Daniels and Mikey Rush are separated by just a single point atop the AFT Singles championship order thanks to their consistent excellence. Rush has yet to finish off the podium this year, while Daniels has finished no lower than fourth and holds the slight advantage thanks to his Atlanta Super TT victory.

Both riders are proven Mile experts – Rush in particular – so it would be a surprise if they weren’t among the lead group battling it out for the wins again this weekend.

However, all eyes will be on the class’ all-time winningest rider, Shayna Texter-Bauman. Aggressive, instinctive and intelligent, Texter-Bauman is nearly unbeatable on high-speed tracks when everything is clicking, as evidenced by her record eight-career Mile wins, including one at Remington Park. Should she up that tally to ten, Texter-Bauman would instantly reignite the title pursuit she kicked off in double-win fashion back in March at Volusia Speedway Park.

Even though he’s best known for his legendary TT and ST accomplishments, Henry Wiles was actually the best Miler in the class during last year’s abbreviated schedule with a win and runner-up at the 2020 Indy Mile. The Honda ace could use a similar result this weekend to kickstart his championship campaign.

AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Cory Texter leads the AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines field into the OKC Mile fresh off his second victory of the season at the Chicago Half-Mile.

The championship’s top four ranked riders – Texter, Chad Cose, Dan Bromley and Dalton Gauthier – have put themselves in that position with consistently strong performances.

Oklahoma native Danny Eslick, fresh off of a third place finish at the Chicago Half-Mile, stands confident as he prepares to line up on his home turf.

In its return, the Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile brings back with it the open paddock experience and the return of a rider autograph session to precede Opening Ceremonies both days. Chasing Neon will entertain with its eclectic mix of live party music that ranges from country to classic rock and everything in between. Additionally, the Fan Zone and vendor area will keep spectators fully fed, hydrated, and stimulated all day at the track.

AMA 2021 ISDE Teams revealed

The American Motorcyclist Association have announced the 10 Trophy team riders selected to represent the United States at the 2021 FIM International Six Days Enduro in Italy on Aug. 30 – Sept. 4, 2021.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati USA Australia Italy — Team USA win ISDE 2019 – Image by Dario Agrati

The 10 Trophy riders will compete as the U.S. World Trophy, Junior World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy teams. Every country participating in the ISDE is allowed four riders on its World Trophy Team, three riders age 23 or younger on its Junior Trophy Team, and three female riders on its Women’s team.

The U.S. World Trophy Team last won the ISDE —- the world’s largest annual off-road motorcycle competition – in 2019, giving the U.S. its second ISDE World Trophy title. The U.S. Women’s Trophy team won in 2019, as well, the first time since 2007 the Women’s Trophy team had taken the award.

The 2021 U.S. World Trophy Team includes: Johnny Girroir of Boonville, N.C., GASGAS EC 250F; Taylor Robert of Scottsdale, Ariz., KTM 450 XC-F; Layne Michael of Boonville N.C., Yamaha YZ450F; and Ryan Sipes of Ekron, Ky., GASGAS EC 300 TPI.

Antti Kallonen – U.S. ISDE Trophy Team Manager

“I’m excited to return to ISDE racing after a long, one-year break from it and our motivation is high with lots of fresh faces on our team roster this year. I’m excited to bring a new rider — Johnny Girroir — to the World Trophy team, as [Girroir] has been dominating in our national races here on a 250F. He is new to ISDE, but I have all the confidence he will perform well. With our seasoned veterans and former ISDE overall winners Taylor Robert’s and Ryan Sipes’ guidance, I have no doubt about it. I’m very excited to welcome back Layne Michael, who was part of our championship team in 2016. Since then, Layne has developed tremendously and I’m looking forward to a great performance from him as well. I’m equally excited about our all-new Junior team this year. Our former riders from the past have all aged out and we have some very fast, next-generation riders eager to step in, prove their speed and continue the title hunt in the Junior class. We have some new faces in the Women’s division as well. Brandy Richards will be returning and gunning for the overall victory together with new team member Rachel Gutish, who is no stranger to ISDE and I’m happy to welcome her back. I’m excited to bring new rider Britney Gallegos to the team and work with her and the entire team to have a successful race. I believe we have been able to form three strong teams to defend our World Trophy and Women titles and aim for a Junior title, as well.”

The 2021 U.S. Junior World Trophy Team, made up of riders age 23 and younger, includes: Cody Barnes of Sterling, Ill., Honda CRF250R; Dante Oliveira of Hollister, Calif., KTM 450 XC-F; and Austin Walton of Sparks, Nev., Husqvarna FX450.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati Women Sheets Richards Gieger — USA took out the Women’s competition in 2019 – Image by Dario Agrati

The 2021 U.S. Women’s World Trophy team includes: Brandy Richards of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM 250 XC-F; Rachel Gutish of Terre Haute, Ind., Beta 250 RR; and Britney Gallegos of Monte Vista, Colo., Husqvarna 250FX.

Joining the 10 Trophy riders are 21 Club Team riders, who have qualified through the AMA East and West ISDE Qualifier series in the first six months of the season.

Club Team riders include:

Tyler Vore — Indianapolis, Ind.
Axel Pearson — Panaca, Nev.
Tanner Whipple — Colona, Ill.
Preston Campbell — Murrieta, Calif.
Travis Reynaud — Strafford, Mo.
Anson Maloney — Grass Valley, Calif.
Cade Henderson — Pacelot, S.C.
Josh Knight — Ogden, Utah
Talon Soenksen — Fife Lake, Utah
Anthony Ferrante — Penn Valley, Calif.
Nicholas Swenson — Delano, Minn.
Nathan Ferderer— Bend, Ore.
Grady Faint — Hoschton, Ga.
Joel Tonsgard — Arlington, Wash.
Brian Storrie — McKinney, Texas
Jayson Densley — Fairfield, Utah
Reid Brown — North Plains, Ore.
Mateo Oliveira — Hollister, Calif.
John Beal — Snohomish, Wash.
Cole Martinez — Camp Verde, Ariz.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News | Manjimup 15000 | Evans to miss MXGP opener | ISDE is go

June 8, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Mitch Evans to miss 2021 MXGP opener

Team HRC’s Mitch Evans will have to sit-out the opening round of the 2021 MXGP season after complications with his wrist injury has deemed him unfit to race in Russia this weekend.

It is a big shame for Evans, who has shown that when he fully fit, he can battle with the top riders in the class, posting numerous top five finishes in what was his rookie MXGP campaign in 2020. Now though, his focus is to try and get 100 per cent healthy so that he can get back to that level and challenge for the podium spots when he returns to racing action.

Mitch Evans

“Obviously, I am really disappointed to have to miss Russia and the start of this season. I have tried my hardest to be ready but we just aren’t in a position where I feel confident I can give it my best shot and perform at the level that I expect from myself. Everyone at Team HRC has shown their support during this difficult time and it is now up to me to make sure that I am back ready to compete in the shortest timeframe possible. A big thanks to my team and all my fans around the world, and hopefully I’ll be able to see you at a racetrack soon.”

Central Coast Cup this weekend at Somersby

The 2021 Honda / The Construction Team Central Coast Cup dirt track motorcycle meeting is on this weekend as a one-day event on Sunday June 13 at the Allen Park track at Somersby.

Central Coast Cup - Billy van Eerde and Kale Galeano - Photo by David Lamont — Central Coast Cup – Billy van Eerde and Kale Galeano – Photo by David Lamont

Since its inception in 2005 the Central Coast Cup meeting has established itself as one of the major non-championships meetings on the dirt track calendar but this year it falls in between an Australian Championship meeting and a New South Wales Championship meeting two weeks either side of it.

Even with entry numbers down on previous years Central Coast Junior Motor Cycle Club President David Smith Snr. said that the club is committed to staging the meeting for the competitors who have supported the event.

Looking down the honour roll of winners in both the senior and junior (13 to Under 16s) classes you quickly realise how significant the Central Coast Cup is.

The senior class has been won by previous, or future, Australian champions and even a future world champion. David Smith will be striving to become the first rider to win the Senior event for a fourth time, but he faces a stern task to do so.

Harrison Ryan will also be out to achieve an unusual double as he is aiming to become the third Junior Cup winner to go on to win the Senior Event. David Smith and his brother Peter are joined by another pair of brothers Angus and Rory Hutchison in the line-up.

Defending champion Jarred Brook - Image by David Lamont — Jarred Brook – Image by David Lamont

Boyd Hollis, who won the Casey Stoner Cup meeting late last year, and the fast-starting Luke Bush are two others expected to serious contenders. There will definitely be a new name on the Junior Cup honour roll, with two contenders standing out as favourites.

Kurri Kurri Junior Club rider Cameron Dunker and host club rider Cody Lewis loom as the stand-out contenders.

The younger age brackets will have to wait to be able to chase Central Coast Cup honours but their racing invariably provides plenty of close, hard-fought racing which augers well for the future of the sport.

Also on the programme to add to the variety will be races for older riders (Over 35s) and older bikes (pre1995). The 8-lap finals of both the Junior and Senior Cup will wrap up the program on Sunday afternoon after action gets underway at 10 am. Entry fee for spectators this weekend will be $10 per vehicle payable at the gate as a tax deductible donation to the St Johns First Aid.

The Allen Park track is situated at Debenham Road North, Somersby. For more information see – http://www.ccjuniormotorcycleclub.org.au.

95th ISDE to go ahead in Italy

With registration now finally closed, after the extension due to the pandemic situation, the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) in Italy now has a full list of entrants. This includes 29 nations and a total of more than 200 teams of which 160 will participate in the Club Team Award plus the entire Italian team of 150 riders.

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At the time of writing, the 2021 ISDE has received confirmation that it has been approved as a recognised international event by the Italian authorities, meaning that all participating riders and staff members are exempt from the normal quarantine requirements. Obviously all other COVID protocols and rules will still need to be respected, full details of which will be confirmed in due course.

National teams entered for both the World Trophy and the Junior Trophy include, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States The other federations that will compete solely for the World Trophy are Austria, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Venezuela. The Chilean and Norwegian federations will also be present with their respective Junior teams.

Eight national teams will contest the Women’s World Trophy: France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the meantime, the organisation proceeds according to the programme with the definition of the details of the route that will be developed for the first three days, mainly in the province of Pavia going up the Staffora Valley, and the following two days, the fourth and fifth plus a part of the third, in the adjacent Val Curone in the province of Alessandria.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati — 2019 ISDE – Image by Dario Agrati

The competition days will offer a single lap for each day with a diversified programme and route for day 1/2 and 3, plus 4/5. There will be six special stages on each race day, three cross tests and three enduro tests.

In the initial two days, the four scheduled time checks will be in Ponte Nizza (twice), in Casanova di Staffora and in Varzi, a total of 192 kilometres will be covered. There will be three time checks on the third day, in Varzi and Ponte Nizza (twice), about 195 kilometeres in total.

The fourth day will be spent in Piedmont with a tour of just under 200 kilometres used as it is also for the last stage: five time checks, in Monleale to and from the start, then Garbagna, Fabbrica Curone and San Sebastiano Curone.

The cross test on the sixth day, 4 September, has been moved as is well known, to the Tazio Nuvolari facility in Cervesina, which is about 20 kilometres from the paddock. A mixed dirt and 10% asphalt track in the internal area of the circuit will be created especially for the Six Days.

Jeffrey Herlings wins French Elite MX opener

The opening round of the French Championship at Ernée attracted a truly world-class entry as many GP teams and riders took the opportunity to complete their final preparations before the 2021 GP premiere.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were active in France over the weekend in national competitions for final ‘warm-up’ outings ahead of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship. Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle won their respective classes at Ernée for the first round of the French Elite series.

It was also the first racing opportunity for the Kawasaki Racing Team since their success at the Italian International Championship more than three months ago.

Herlings, steering his factory KTM 450 SX-F, took his second win in as many weekends (after success in the UK), with a 2-1 scorecard. The Dutchman barreled through from a mediocre start in the first moto but aced his launch in the second outing to beat Romain Febvre to the checkered flag.

Jeffery Herlings

“I was fastest in qualifying by a good margin! I had a bad start in the first moto but came from mid-pack to be on the rear wheel of the winner by the end. I pulled a holeshot in the second and could lead, control and win it. My feeling was alright on the track. The bike was working well but I had a bit of arm-pump. Overall, some good work done for Russia.”

Wheelspin at the gate cost Febvre a top-six start in the first race but he was soon on the charge and, setting the fastest laps of the race, was established in third by lap four and confirmed his speed over a full race distance by closing down the front two in the final minutes. An impressive second-placed start in race two saw the Kawasaki rider, who again set the fastest lap, pressure the leader to the finish as they outdistanced the chasers by no less than thirty-six seconds; his 3-2 moto placing’s secured third overall on the day.

Romain Febvre

“I’m happy with this weekend; we had good weather and a very nice track. That’s why we came here; we knew that the track would be very well prepared! In the first race I spun at the gate, came back sixth, then third, but was still making a few mistakes. However I had good speed racing together with Herlings and came back close to the leader. My second start was much better in second position behind Jeffrey and we were close all race with the gap always between one and two seconds; I was close but I never had the possibility to pass him even if there were many lines on the track. I’m ready for the GP season; I’m not afraid to say that I have never been so well-prepared. It was a long winter but we did a good job with the team; the bike is really good and mentally I feel confident. I showed again today that I have a good speed and a good rhythm.“

Vialle used the KTM 250 SX-F to defeat countryman Thibault Benistant in both motos. The MX2 World Champion claimed a comfortable second race by almost seventeen seconds. Also active in MX2 was Vialle’s teammate Rene Hofer. The Austrian made a lively getaway in the first moto before collecting 4th place by the finish. Hofer would occupy the same slot in the overall classification after a small crash meant 5th position in the second race.

Tom Vialle

“A nice day. The track was good to ride and my results were decent. I was 1st in practice and then passed Rene in the first moto. I had a bit of arm-pump but this is pretty normal as it was my first race in almost six months! In the second I had the holeshot and won with pretty good lap-times. Today was fun and went well. I’m ready for the first GP.”

Ivo Monticelli again showed the advances he has made since joining KRT and was fifth overall on the day.

Ivo Monticelli

“It was good to be back racing; it had been like another winter as it was more than three months since our three races at the start of the year in Italy. Today was almost a mini-GP so it was nice to see where we are and I had two good starts. The first moto I got really bad arm pump at the end after not racing for so long but the speed was already there. I could pass Seewer for third in the second race but I took a stone on the front brake and had to take care during the second half. Romain and Jeffrey are another level, but we could see that I can stay close to the top five; the work we did this winter is already paying off. You never know where you are until you get to race with the others; now I look forward to showing my speed with a good result in Russia next week.”

Mathys Boisrame also finished on the podium for the F&H Kawasaki Racing Team in the MX2 class, taking the chequered flag third in each moto after topping his qualification group during the morning.

Mathys Boisrame

“I had a good feeling on this nice track and I already had a good result in the timed practice period. The first race was not that easy. My start was not so good but I came back to second; then I made a mistake and crashed back to fourth but I finished third with good lap times and good lines. In the second moto I was nearly last at the start but I came back to third again so in the end it was a good result for me.”

French Elite Championship, Rnd1, Ernée
MX1 Overall Result

Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Jeremy Seewer (SWI), Yamaha
Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), Yamaha
Ivo Monticelli (ITA), Kawasaki

MX2 Overall Result

Tom Vialle (FRA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Thibault Benistant (FRA), Yamaha
Mathys Boisrame (FRA), Kawasaki
Rene Hofer (AUT), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Tom Guyon (FRA), KTM

Yearbury wins NZ Enduro Round 3 at Moonshine Valley

By Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

After two brutal and unforgiving, back-to-back days of racing, there was just one-second to separate the top two finishers at round three of the 2021 New Zealand Enduro Championships at the weekend.

Cambridge’s Dylan Yearbury (Husqvarna), on his way to cementing his position at the top of the standings at the weekend. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

The third round of five in the Yamaha-sponsored series was held in forestry in the Moonshine Valley, halfway between Porirua and Upper Hutt, over the Queen’s Birthday Weekend, the tricky terrain certainly putting riders to the test and ensuring the margins between success and failure were ever so small.

It was a gruelling double-header event, with riders racing two consecutive days in the Akatarawa Forest, albeit with Sunday’s racing in a few different sectors of the forest than had been raced on the previous day, and it was the cream of New Zealand’s dirt bike racing talent that rose to the top.

Best of the bunch were close friends and fierce rivals Dylan Yearbury and Tommy Buxton, with Oparau’s young enduro racing rookie James Scott, Whanganui’s 2019 national enduro champion Seth Reardon and Taupo’s national junior cross-country champion Wil Yeoman the most impressive.

Thames’ multi-time former New Zealand and international championship winner Chris Birch, Palmerston North’s two-time former United States cross-country champion Paul Whibley, Wainuiomata’s eight-time former New Zealand trials champion Jake Whitaker and Wairoa’s 2021 national cross-country champion Tommy Watts also shone out at the weekend.

Helensville’s Buxton won Saturday’s phase of the action by 13 seconds from Cambridge rider Yearbury.

Yearbury responded by going on the attack on Sunday, the Waikato man wiping out the time deficit and reasserting himself at the top of the standings.

Yearbury won day two by 14 seconds from Buxton and he therefore took the weekend’s overall honours by a solitary second.

Dylan Yearbury

“Well, the weekend went not too bad in the end. I finished 13 seconds behind Tommy on Saturday, but I caught up that time and won Sunday by 14 seconds, so that gave me the overall win. It was extremely close… two days of racing and just one second between us in the end. That’s pretty incredible really. I had a small crash on Saturday and then had an incident when I stalled the bike on Sunday… and it is little mistakes like those that can spell the difference in the end. The course at Moonshine was pretty fast in a lot of places and not too technical, but I was okay with that. With just two rounds to go, I need to minimise my mistakes. A slip-up now could be costly.”

The 19-year-old Scott finished the weekend third overall, 53 seconds behind Buxton, the recently-crowned national motocross championships No.2 (in the 250cc class) showing great versatility to take a 450cc enduro bike and seamlessly transfer his skills from one bike code to the other.

Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson said the course at Moonshine was certainly tough, but he was also pleased to report that there were no injuries all weekend.

Justin Stevenson

“That’s a credit to the host club. The course featured a few very steep down-hills, but the club did a wonderful job of marking it well to ensure the safety of riders.”

It could be a winner-takes-all final two days of racing, at separate venues in the Wairarapa Region, next weekend. Round four is set for farmland near Masterton on Saturday, June 12, with the fifth and final round due to be fought near Martinborough the following day.

The 2021 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championships are supported by Mitas tyres Macaulay Metals, Best Build Construction, Silver-bullet and Kiwi Rider magazine.

Daniel Sanders set for Rally Kazakhstan with GasGas

Daniel Sanders is the newest member of the GasGas Rally team and will be competing the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship this year, with Rally Kazakhstan.

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Held in the west of the country, and based in the coastal city of Aktau, Rally Kazakhstan will cover a total distance of 2,270 km, of which 1,465 km will be timed special stage with competitors racing through the mixed terrain of the Mangystau region.

June 8 will see the traditional ceremonial start, held on the Caspian Sea shore of Aktau City, that will then be followed by five tough days of racing, including one marathon stage, before the finish on June 13. Both Sunderland and Walkner will be looking to get their world championship campaigns off to a positive start with strong performances in the Kazakhstan dirt.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner are ready to compete at the first round of the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – Rally Kazakhstan – taking place from June 7-13.

Sam Sunderland

“I am feeling good at the moment. We’ve been doing some really constructive testing with the team in Spain, and it’s been great to get the feel of things back after Dakar. We’ve made some changes to the bike’s settings, mostly with the suspension so it’s good to make some really positive steps there. I’m looking forward to seeing how they work out in a full race situation. The goal for me for this year is to keep the number one on my bike, which I won in 2019. Obviously, with no championship last year I’m still carrying the #1 plate. Hopefully, a strong start to the series in Kazakhstan will lead to another good year.”

Matthias Walkner

“I’m super excited to start the world championship season, it feels great to be back on the rally bike again. The first round is looking really interesting because hardly any of the leading riders have been to Kazakhstan and so the race should be a good test for all of us. I’m really looking forward to racing in a new country and experiencing some different landscapes. My preparation in the off-season has been going well. I’ve really tried to focus on my bike skills – getting back out on the motocross bike and working on my speed. Testing in Spain has gone well, we made some good changes and I’m really happy with how I feel on the bike. The plan now is to do my best at round one of the championship and keep working hard for the rest of the year.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes are also set for the rally. For Benavides, the race marks the first competitive outing since his injury at the Dakar in January, while for Howes, it will be his first FIM event since signing for the team earlier this year.

Luciano Benavides

“Thankfully I’m feeling really good right now. It’s been three months since I had surgery on my shoulder after Dakar, and so I feel like new again. A lot of the time since then I have been training hard to get back to 100 percent, and more recently I have been in Spain with the team, back on the rally bike and working on my navigation. I really want to come back to competition even more prepared than ever. For me, when I have a crash or an injury it often motivates me to come back even stronger and that is what I have been working on. The changes we have made to the bike seem to be good – I felt more comfortable straight away and that is important for my confidence going into round one of the world championship. My plan for the race is to get a strong finish, I will take it day by day and try not to make any mistakes. I’m really looking forward to starting racing again now!”

Skyler Howes

“Everything has been going really well since joining the team. It’s been a nice, smooth transition from privateer to factory rider and thankfully because of that I’ve had time to not only work on setting up the bike, but also on myself in terms of focus and fitness. I have done a couple of races already in the U.S. and they both went well with me finishing as runner-up twice. Since then, I have come to Spain to do more road book training and get better acquainted with the team. I’m really looking forward to racing my first FIM event for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, but the major goal is to get more time on the bike and try and build my confidence as the year goes on and we get close to Dakar 2022.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Roczen tops Thunder Valley MX | Jett Lawrence takes 250 lead

June 7, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 2 – Thunder Valley National

Images by Jeff Kardas

Round Two of the 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured the toughest challenges of the season so far as the early title fights continued to take shape.

A dramatic afternoon of action made for added intrigue as Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen captured his first 450 Class victory since 2019, and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper prevailed for his first 250 Class win of the season – his second straight in Colorado, beating Australian Jett Lawrence by a single-point for the overall.

Jett Lawrence now holds the 250 overall lead however, with brother Hunter Lawrence also on the overall podium.

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450 Qualifying

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450 Moto1

The stars of the 450 Class charged up the hill to start the first 450 Class moto and as they exited the first turn it was Adam Cianciarulo who came away with the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Cooper Webb, Dylan Ferrandis, and Ken Roczen.

Cianciarulo asserted himself out front, but it was Roczen who was on a torrid charge forward. The German moved into third, made the pass on Ferrandis for second, and then stormed past Cianciarulo to seize control of the lead before the completion of the opening lap.

After a highly competitive early phase of the moto Roczen, Cianciarulo, and Ferrandis settled into their positions and put a little distance over the rest of the field. Roczen and Cianciarulo exchanged fast laps at the front of the pack, but just past the 10-minute mark of the moto Cianciarulo edged closer and closer to Roczen’s rear fender.

The Kawasaki rider looked for a spot to make a move and pulled the trigger just past the finish line, with a dive under Roczen that resulted in slight contact that pushed Roczen off his line, which allowed Cianciarulo to move into the lead.

The top three were separated by less than three seconds halfway through the moto and as time continued to elapse that gap only tightened. With less than 10 minutes remaining Ferrandis took advantage of an opening to slip by Roczen for second.

The Frenchman continued to push the pace and closed in on Cianciarulo, who left an inside line open for Ferrandis to slide under and capture the lead with six minutes to go.

Cianciarulo responded and got back under Ferrandis, but the point leader fended him off and sprinted away. Roczen then took advantage of this battle and made the pass for second, which dropped Cianciarulo to third.

Ferrandis and Roczen soon pulled away from Cianciarulo, which made it a head-to-head battle for the moto win. The international duo carved through lapped traffic with ease and Roczen found alternate lines to keep the pressure on Ferrandis.

With just over two laps to go, Roczen made a pass attempt that caught Ferrandis off guard and forced the Frenchman into a miscue that took him off track. The German assumed the lead and pushed hard for the final two circuits to prevent another late push by Ferrandis.

Roczen earned his second moto win of the season by 3.7 seconds over Ferrandis, with Cianciarulo third, Chase Sexton fourth, and Aaron Plessinger fifth.

450 Moto 2

The final 450 Class moto began as Webb surged to the MotoSport.com Holeshot over his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Marvin Musquin, but behind them Roczen was heavy on the throttle again. The Honda rider quickly got by Musquin for second and set his sights on Webb.

The rivals briefly battled for the top spot, but Roczen was relentless and fought his way into the lead. Behind this battle, Cianciarulo fell from third place but remounted quickly while Ferrandis was mired deep inside the top 10 off the start.

Back near the front, the jockey for position changed again as Justin Barcia moved into second and Plessinger fought his way into third.

With a wide-open track ahead of him Roczen put the hammer down and built a lead approaching 10 seconds less than 10 minutes into the moto. That left Barcia, Plessinger, and Cianciarulo to duke it out for the remaining spots on the podium.

As Roczen’s lead grew to double digits, Barcia and Plessinger remained in a tense battle for second throughout the moto, often separated by no more than a second. Behind that battle Ferrandis slowly made his march forward as he moved into the top five and then caught and passed Cianciarulo for fourth with just over 10 minutes left in the moto.

As the moto wound down, Ferrandis made quick work of Plessinger and took over fourth. He then looked to close the deficit to Barcia and make a push for second. As the clock ran out on the 30-minute-plus-two-laps moto Ferrandis found himself within striking distance of Barcia.

The Frenchman was patient and with two laps to go he made his move into second. Out front, Roczen was in a class of his own en route to his third straight moto win. He completed his 1-1 outing 8.9 seconds ahead of Ferrandis, followed by Barcia in third.

Roczen’s impressive outing marked his first sweep of the motos since the 2019 Unadilla National. The 19th win of his career has moved the German to within one victory of tying James Stewart for sixth on the all-time 450 Class wins list.

With his runner-up effort, Ferrandis (2-2) has opened his 450 Class career with a victory and a second-place effort. Cianciarulo rounded out the top three (3-6) with his seventh career podium finish.

Ken Roczen – P1-1

“I wasn’t really full of confidence and had a lot of work to do, but the muscle memory is kicking in and we did some work on the bike too that I wasn’t totally sold on when we left the track during the week. But you have to go racing and it proved that it was better and I really nejoyed that today. I knew what the bike was doing, I like Thunder Valley in general, the ruts and the clay dirt just suits me really well. So I enjoyed both motos, I really enjoyed the first one, it was super fun, not just because I won, but being there and all the passing. I also like how in the beginning it’s been a bit of a debate about not ripping it as deep, but I didn’t mind it because it allowed us to move around the track a lot and use a lot of different lines.”

Dylan Ferrandis – P2-2

“It’s the second race in a row that I’m on the podium, which is great. We rode great in the first moto, probably one of the best motos of my career, but unfortunately had a small issue that cost me the win. I had a bad start in Moto 2 and was mid-pack, but I gave everything I had and came back through the field and finished second again for second overall. We made some changes on the bike for the second moto, and it was really awesome. It was a good weekend. I’m just happy to be on the box again, and we’ll see if I can get the red plate back at the next race.”

Aaron Plessinger – P5-4

“It was a solid weekend for me. We had some good battles and were consistent with a 4-5 finish to get fifth overall. I’m stoked to have a weekend off. We’ll go back and do some homework and come back for High Point ready as ever!”

Adam Cianciarulo – P3-6

“I think for me it’s getting back into the flow of racing, the race intensity, it’s difficult to mimic that in practice. I was not doing a lot of riding in this off-season. Getting back into the race condition, beginning of the moto my speed is good, but at the end I’m just not strong enough. I can go as fast as those guys I just need more laps, more time, more races. So really just more time on the bike.”

Justin Barcia – P7-3

“My start wasn’t great in the first moto but I worked my way up to seventh and unfortunately that’s where I stayed. I had a couple guys in front of me but I just couldn’t make it happen, which is a little bit frustrating but I re-grouped and got off to a better start in Moto 2. All-in-all, I’m really happy with where we’re at with the bike and we just need to work on a few little things to put myself in a good position to capitalize on some podiums and wins.”

The win allowed Roczen to move atop the 450 Class point standings. He and Ferrandis are separated by just one point, with Plessinger third, 16 points out of the lead.

450 Result & Championship Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News | Whale wins Chicago Half-Mile | AMA Pro MX | TrialGP

June 1, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Dylan Ferrandis wins the Fox Raceway I Pro MX opener

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The opening 450 class moto of the 2021 championship saw newly crowned AMA Supercross Champion Cooper Webb emerge with the MotoSport.com Holeshot aboard his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine ahead of Ferrandis and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo.

These three quickly jockeyed for position, during which Cianciarulo clawed his way past both riders to go from third to first before the completion of the opening lap. He sprinted out to a multi-second lead over Webb, while Ferrandis and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen battled for third.

Cianciarulo continued to build on his advantage and soon enjoyed a lead approaching the double digits just 10 minutes into the moto as Webb and Ferrandis asserted themselves into second and third. With firm control of the race, Cianciarulo saw it all go away in an instant when he crashed on one of the track’s downhills.

He was able to remount, but lost multiple positions and reentered in fourth. That handed the lead to Webb, but not for long as Ferrandis seized the opportunity and took control of the top spot in his first 450 Class moto. Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton assumed third, just ahead of Cianciarulo.

Ferrandis edged out to a lead of just over three seconds past the halfway point of the moto, as Webb fell into the clutches of Sexton. The Honda rider, and defending race winner at Fox Raceway, made the pass for second and looked to close in on the Frenchman out front.

As the moto wound down all eyes turned to GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia, who was on a tear and charged up the running order. Barcia picked off Roczen, Aaron Plessinger, Cianciarulo, and Webb en route to podium position in third.

The run to the checkered flag was a thrilling one as Sexton’s persistence brought him to within striking distance of Ferrandis on the last lap. As they exited the final corner Sexton’s outside line gave him an edge in momentum that allowed him to get alongside Ferrandis off the final jump.

They crossed the finish line side by side, with the edge to Ferrandis, who secured the moto win on his first attempt in the premier class, just .099 ahead of Sexton. Barcia finished an impressive third, while Plessinger and Webb completed the top five.

The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off with a Yamaha at the head of the pack as Plessinger earned the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by Roczen, Webb, and Cianciarulo. Known as one of the best starters in the sport, Roczen went on the offense and made the pass for the lead on Plessinger, as Cianciarulo moved up to third.

Behind the leaders Ferrandis started from a spot deep in the top 10, while Sexton found himself on the ground in the first turn and started last in the 40-rider field.

Roczen sprinted out to an early multi-second advantage, his first laps led in Pro Motocross since 2019, while Plessinger gave chase. Cianciarulo lost ground to the lead duo but settled solidly into third, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne, the defending 450 Class Champion, gave chase from fourth.

As the moto wore on the battle for the overall win turned compelling as Roczen, Plessinger, and Ferrandis sat in a three-way tie early on. With the lead pair well over 10 seconds ahead of the field, the focus shifted to Ferrandis’ ability to continue to move forward, which he did in pursuit of another impressive ride by Barcia. Both riders passed Osborne and Cianciarulo, which moved Barcia into third and Ferrandis into fourth.

Just past the halfway point of the moto Plessinger started to put the pressure on Roczen for the lead. The German successfully withstood Plessinger’s move and forced the Yamaha rider into a mistake, which put some distance between the top two.

Behind them, Ferrandis was able to get a firmer grasp on his lead in the overall classification with a pass on Barcia that moved the Frenchman into third. Roczen was able to build on his advantage as the moto wore on and carried on to capture his first moto win since the Unadilla National in August of 2019 by 11.8 seconds over Plessinger, with Ferrandis in third.

With his 1-3 moto finishes Ferrandis, last season’s 250 Class Champion, became the first rider since Ryan Villopoto in 2009 to win in his full time 450 Class debut in Pro Motocross. The Frenchman also gave Yamaha its first premier class win since the final round of the 2018 season.

Dylan Ferrandis topped the overall podium from Roczen and Plessinger

In his anticipated return to the championship, Roczen earned the second-moto tiebreaker to finish in the runner-up spot (6-1), while Plessinger captured his first podium result in third (4-2).

Dylan Ferrandis – P1

“It was a way different Pala race than last year, but it was a really good day for me. I didn’t wake up this morning thinking that I would win the overall. It’s an amazing result as a rookie in the 450 class to win the first moto and the overall. I’m also really happy to get that first 450 win for the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team. I’m really hard on these guys, and I make them work many hours during the race and the whole week, so this one is really for them. The hard work has definitely paid off. I want to say a big thanks to all of the people around me. It’s an amazing feeling and a day that I will remember.”

Ken Roczen – P2

“I think everybody probably struggled a little bit in practice, it was really deep and wet and we really only were using three feet of the track. It was a little tough, but we got it back together for the second practice and put ourselves in a good position for the first gate pick. I had a decent start on the first one, but I tangled a little bit with a few riders in the front and was in a good position in the beginning to make some moves so that’s what I did. Riding a track like that I wasn’t too comfortable and haven’t raced MX in a while so I rode tight and wasn’t going anywhere either. But very late in the race I could put a move on Adam in the last corner and started going forward just a little bit. In the second moto I grabbed a great start and we just laid it down, with some great lines. The track is really gnarly, so I just rode as hard as I could as long as I could and not make any mistakes. The two lap board came out and I was surprised but I brought it home.”

Aaron Plessinger – P3

“It was a great day for me overall. I felt good coming into this weekend and felt like I could do some damage, and I did. I think my last outdoor moto was at the Ironman back in 2019, so to come out here and finish third after a tough two years, it’s pretty amazing. I want to thank the whole team. They do an amazing job. I love my bike right now, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m just going to come into Colorado with the same outlook and try to do It again!”

Justin Barcia – P4

“The track was really gnarly today but my bike was working awesome. I got through practice and went into the first moto open minded and that was a really good ride for me. All-in-all, fourth overall is a super good spot to be in going into the season. It’s a long, grueling season and I definitely need to be on the podium a lot, win races and just stay consistent. I am definitely looking forward to next weekend.”

Chase Sexton – P5

“Round 1 at Pala for me didn’t start off the greatest. I had a rough time in practice, just finding a flow with the track and the bike. I turned it around in the first moto when I got a pretty good start. I kind of went backwards a little bit and then found my groove and charged forward. I made a good push towards the end and got close to Dylan [Ferrandis] but couldn’t quite make it happen. In the second moto I went down on the start and from there it was an uphill battle, just trying to do as much damage control as possible. I got back to 10th and am looking forward to Thunder Valley.”

Jason Anderson – P6

“It was not terrible day but we definitely need to keep building. In the first moto, I had a good start and tipped over while running fifth but I was able to make it back to 10th. In the second moto, I charged up the whole moto and was able to end up fourth, which was a good ride for me.”

Marvin Musquin – P7

“I knew competition would be very tough and a good start would be key. I was happy with my practice, qualifying second, and felt good going into the motos. In both of my motos, my first lap was no good and I was not aggressive enough and making huge mistakes. After that, I had to fight back but it was very difficult to make passes on this track. I was battling with Tomac in both motos, so that tells you the level of competition in the top-10. I’m not super happy with the result on paper. I did a couple good things but overall, I can do better, so let’s do it again next weekend.”

Cooper Webb – P8

“A tough day at the office with eighth overall to start the season at Pala. It felt good to line back up outdoors and I’m looking forward to having fans back at the races this summer. We’ll build on this and come back swinging for the next 22 motos.”

Eli Tomac – P9

“Overall, it was an alright day. It wasn’t my best result, but we managed to put together two consistent motos and deal with the difficult track. I’m looking forward to Thunder Valley next week, especially since it’s my home track. We’ll take the week to get everything dialed and plan to be back on the top step where we belong.”

Zach Osborne – P10

“My day definitely could have been better but I’m still healthy and looking to get more. The first moto was a little disappointing and not what we were looking for but I turned it around and I’m happy to leave in a better spot than I was when I got here. This is the first time I’ve done two motos in a day since I started riding again so we didn’t have any expectations and to get a top-five in the second moto was a step in the right direction.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P11

“Even though the result wasn’t what we hoped for today, there were a lot of things we can build on for the season. I’m staying positive and I’m glad we can shake off those first-round jitters. We can now focus on getting back up on that podium where we belong. We know what we need to work on, and I can’t wait to get back out there next week.”

Christian Craig – P12

“It was a decent day at Pala for the first round. I struggled with the bike set up in the first moto, but I was able to rebound with a solid second moto. I expect a lot more out of myself, so I’m just going to keep pushing!”

Ferrandis has established a five-point lead in the 450 Class standings over both Roczen and Plessinger, who sit tied for second.

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continue next weekend with its second round of the 2021 season.

450 Pro MX Results

Source: MCNews.com.au

News

Ferrandis & Jett Lawrence win Pro MX opener at Fox Raceway

May 31, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 1 – Fox Raceway National

Images by Jeff Kardas

Sunny California saw the 2021 Pro Motocross Championship kick off with the first of the 12 rounds, the Fox Raceway I National, showcasing a historic depth of talent across both classes of competition, where Dylan Ferrandis prevailed with a surprise win in his first 450 Class start and Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence confirmed his position as a title contender with his second 250 Class victory.

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450 Moto 1

450 Moto 2

Behind the leaders Ferrandis started from a spot deep in the top 10, while Sexton found himself on the ground in the first turn and started last in the 40-rider field.

In his anticipated return to the championship, Roczen earned the second-moto tiebreaker to finish in the runner-up spot (6-1), while Plessinger captured his first podium result in third (4-2).

Dylan Ferrandis – P1

Ken Roczen – P2

Aaron Plessinger – P3

Aaron Plessinger and Dylan Ferrandis celebrate

Ferrandis has established a five-point lead in the 450 Class standings over both Roczen and Plessinger, who sit tied for second.

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continue next weekend with its second round of the 2021 season.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto Wrap | GNCC | Speedway | MX | SGP | Rally

May 24, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Texas Half-Mile cancelled due to weather

Due to the continued and anticipated rainfall at Texas Motor Speedway, the 2021 Texas Half-Mile has been cancelled. Despite the dedicated efforts of the Progressive AFT track prep crew, the heavy rainfall expected to continue throughout the evening will prevent the event from continuing on Sunday.

Fans who have purchased tickets may receive a credit to be used for any race promoted by AFT Events within the 2021 calendar year – including the June 18-19 OKC Mile doubleheader – or a refund for the cancelled event. Customers who have purchased advance tickets will be contacted directly by AFT Events with further information.

Progressive AFT will continue its season next season with the Chicago Half-Mile in Joliet, Ill. on Saturday, May 29 at Dirt Oval Route 66.

2021 Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland cancelled

Due to the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 in Poland, the 2021 Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland, scheduled to take place on August 7, 2021 at the PGE Narodowy stadium has been cancelled.

Michał Sikora – President of the Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Association

“We are very sorry to have to cancel the event and assessed all possibilities before coming to this tough decision. Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic with the restrictions on fans being able to watch safely has made this impossible. I would like to reassure fans that all tickets for the Warsaw SGP will remain valid or refunds will be issued and we ask for patience and understanding going forward.”

FIM Speedway World Championship Boll Warsaw Poland — SGP of Poland cancelled for 2021

Paul Bellamy – Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG

“We’re sad to not be returning to Warsaw in 2021 and know the event will be missed by riders and fans this year. We fully support the PZM in their decision. The ongoing uncertainty around social distancing, venue capacity and other pandemic-related restrictions posed multiple challenges to staging an event of this scale and installing a temporary track in a multi-purpose stadium.”

The FIM Speedway Grand Prix series is set to return on July 16 and 17 as the 2021 season kicks off in Prague with a double-header at the Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix, taking place at Marketa Stadium.

Jeffrey Herlings wins British MX Round 2 at Lyng

Jeffrey Herlings scored a 2-1 result to finish as the overall winner at Lyng for the second round of the 2021 ACU British Championship, marking his first race appearance of the year.

The 26-year-old elected to travel to the UK to compete in the second date of the national series in the absence of other pre-season events and with the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship delayed twice. Herlings last rolled into a start gate at the Grand Prix of Citta di Faenza, September 2020.

The Dutchman used his factory KTM 450 SX-F to head Timed Qualification by over a second around the shallow hillside course. In the first moto he ran out of time to chase down the figure of native racer Ben Watson after having to stop briefly to dislodge a stone from the rear end of the bike.

He collected a solid runner-up finish. In the second outing he hounded his MXGP peer and made the move to lead the field. Less than a second split Herlings and Watson at the flag and thanks to his victory he reached the highest step of the podium even though they tied on points.

Jeffrey Herlings

“It was a good day of racing. I had a bit of a problem in the first moto and lost around ten seconds while I sorted out the stone. I came back through the pack but the track wasn’t easy for passing and I finished on the leader’s rear wheel. In the second moto I had to come back from 6-7th at the start, although I could reach 1st place this time. I had a few issues with arm-pump but I guess that’s normal after eight months away from a race! We’ll keep working from here and hope to get a bit better each week until we go to Russia.”

The Grand Prix of Russia opens 2021 MXGP in three weeks.

ACU British Motocross Championship MX1 overall result, Round 2, Lyng

Pos	Rider	Man.	Points
1	Jeffrey Herlings	KTM	47
2	Ben Watson	Yamaha	47
3	Tommy Searle	Honda	36
4	Adam Sterry	KTM	33
5	Jake Millward	KTM	33

2021 Southwick National moves to July 10

Following newly lifted COVID-19 restrictions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the annual visit to New England which was originally scheduled for June 26, will now commence on July 10 as the fifth round of the 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.

AMA MX Rnd Southwick Starts JK MX Southwick — 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Southwick

The decision to move Southwick to a later date is in an effort to better accommodate event organizers at The Wick 338. Due to previous concerns in the ongoing communication with state and local health officials in Hampden County to host large public gatherings, preparations for this year’s event were briefly halted.

However, following the latest announcement from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to lift the state’s remaining restrictions, the staff at The Wick 338 has resumed its efforts to welcome the anticipated return of American motocross, following the event’s cancellation last season.

Roy Janson – Managing Director at MX Sports Pro Racing

“We want to commend Rick Johnson, Keith Johnson, and the team at The Wick 338 for their resiliency over the past year. They have faced quite a difficult task navigating the state’s mitigation strategies, but have remained steadfast in doing everything possible to successfully host the Southwick National for the 2021 season. Fortunately, their patience has allowed them to reach this celebratory juncture in which fans will be openly welcomed to watch the world’s fastest racers tackle the hallowed sands of Southwick, albeit at a slightly later date than originally planned.”

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will begin on Saturday, May 29, with the Fox Raceway I National in Southern California. With its new date on the calendar, the Southwick National will move from Round 4 of the season to Round 5, following the RedBud National over the Independence Day holiday.

Sherco boasts extensive Hattah line-up for 2021

The Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team has assembled a potent blend of youth and experience for the 2021 running of the prestigious Hattah Desert Race in Victoria from July 2-4.

The traditional follow-up to the Finke Desert Race will see off-road legend Ben Grabham, former motocrosser turned enduro rider Justin Carafa and Tasmanian hotshot Jonte Reynders all competing for the distributor-backed team in the event near Mildura, while Nathan Trigg will also hit the energy-sapping scrub and sand on a Sherco.

Grabham, 39, is already a multiple outright winner of the Hattah, and this year he’ll compete in the Veterans class on a 450 SEF Factory, while Reynders will campaign the 300 SE Factory two-stroke that has already taken him to a slew of top three results in the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) over the last two years.

Carafa will make it three different French-built Shercos under the Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team banner on the company’s big bertha – a 500 SEF Factory.

Grabham, or ‘Grabbo’ to the motorcycle racing set, is a part-time racer these days as he devotes most of his energies towards a coaching business specialising in one-on-one riding tuition.

Racing will always remain a part of his DNA, though, and he recently competed in round two of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship for the Motul Pirelli Sherco Racing Team, finishing in a strong fourth position.

However, the Hattah will see him return to his bread-and-butter – pushing to the limits in vast open spaces. It’s a storied career which has taken him all the way to a top 15 finish in the famed Dakar Rally.

Ben Grabham

“I’m on bikes quite a lot these days with my coaching business (Grabbo’s Trail and Track) and I’m over a niggling arm injury so why not give the Hattah another go. I’ve really loved riding the Sherco two-stroke in the extreme enduro events, so now I’m jumping on the big four-stroke to give that a go.”

Reynders, 24, is really hitting his straps in 2021 after a second place finish in the AORC opener and then dominating round three of the Tasmanian enduro series.

He’s back at Hattah for the second time and failing to finish the rain-lashed event in 2019 because of a mechanical problem on the final lap – a bitter pill to swallow after leading his class by as much as five minutes. His chance for redemption in 2020 was then scuppered by a Covid-enforced cancellation.

Jonte Reynders

“I am super keen to get to Hattah this year and hopefully do a full four-hour race in the usual conditions. I’m looking forward to the long race and seeing what we can achieve on the 300 two-stroke. I think the 300 will be great in the tighter sections of the track but won’t obviously have the top-end speed on the straights. I’m aiming to win the 300 class and finish top 20 outright.”

Carafa returns to the Sherco factory operation after competing for the brand during the tail end of the last decade, which included an eyebrow-raising victory on the 125 SE-R enduro bike in a support class at the Australian Motocross Championship!

Justin Carafa

“I’ve raced at Hattah 10 times and, even though I keep telling myself I won’t do it again, I keep changing my mind!” said Carafa, who runs a thriving concreting business on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. When (team manager) Derek offered me a ride on the 500, I coldn’t resist and it’s also a good chance to push hard in the outright battle on the big four-stroke. I’d like to think I’m easy to work alongside as well, so I’m hoping that it’ll be a great event for us.”

Meanwhile, Trigg (450 SEF Factory) knows the Hattah landscape like the back of his hand, with the farmer living just down the road from the race epicentre at Ouyen.

The 27-year-old was fourth in the over 450cc four-stroke class in 2019, and seventh overall, and he’ll be riding the Mallee Motorcycles-backed 450 SE Factory that he’s using in the Finke Desert Race on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

The 2021 Hattah Desert Race begins with scrutineering and sign-on in Red Cliffs – 25km north of Hattah – on Friday, July 2, followed by the prologue on Saturday to determine the starting order for Sunday’s competition. For the senior riders, racing will encompass eight laps of a 37km circuit, while juniors will also be in action.

2021 Australian Classic Motocross entries open

Nowra Motoplex will soon come alive in July when hundreds of competitors descend on the venue for the 2021 Australian National Post Classic Motocross and Classic Motocross. The Australian Classic Motocross Championship will be held on July 9-11, and the Australian Post Classic Championship will be held July 16-18.

The Heaven VMX Club Inc will host the Championships which will see the best senior solo and sidecar classes in Australia compete at Nowra Motoplex, Braidwood Rd, Yerriyong, NSW.

With more than 20 classes of competition in the Classic Motocross Championship and more than 30 classes in the Post Classic Championship, the action is expected to deliver sensational racing over both weekends.

Both weekends kick off with practice on the Friday, before on-track action gets under way Saturday from 8.15am with racing kicking off at 9.30am. Sunday race action kicks off from 8.30am.

The 2021 Australian National Post Classic Motocross and Classic Motocross Championship supplementary regulations and entry forms are available here.

Tim Gajser shows off his new track – Tiga243land

Join reigning MXGP world champion Tim Gajser as he shows you around his new track, Tiga243land. The Team HRC rider competed here as a 65cc kid but decided to buy this facility this year in order to step-up his training regime, as he attempts to win his fifth world motocross title.

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You can also check out a full lap of the track below:

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May madness for GYTR YJR

The month of May has been a hectic one for the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team riders with nearly every state in action over the past few weekends. Races spread from Perth in the west, Tasmania in the south and Queensland in the north and with GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing making their presence felt.

Tasmania

The month kicked off with the Penguin circuit hosting round two of the Tasmanian Motocross Championships and the duo of Angus Pearce and Jay Jennings looking to build on their round one results.

Angus led the way with his round win in the 13-16 years 125/250cc class with 3-1-1- results on the day. Angus had just returned from injury as he battled his way back into form but he managed to take the win on the day and increase his lead in the championship to 13 points.

Jay Jennings did battle in two divisions, the 10-12 years 65cc and the 9-11 years 85cc and proved to be ultra-consistent in both classes. He finished with second place in both and racked up six second place results to keep him well placed in championship as the series progresses. He leads both classes with a 16 point lead in the 65cc and a 21 point lead on the 85 proving his consistency is paying off.

Western Australia

Round two of the WA Junior Motocross Championships hit Hendley Park on the same weekend with both Jake Rumens and Deegan Fort ready to do battle across four classes in a busy weekend for the team. Rumens on board his YZ85 and YZ125, while Fort handles the 65 and 85cc duties.

Rumens finished the day with a win on board his YZ85 taking 1-3-1 results and close in on the series leader. He backed that up with a third place finish in the 125 class in what was a strong day for the young gun.

Deegan Fort also wanted his slice of the podium action and did that by securing a second place finish on his YZ65 in the 10 – 12 years group and a third place in the 9-11 years 85cc making it a big weekend for the team with a podium result in all classes contested.

After two rounds of the championship, Rumens sits second and fifth on his 85 and 125 respectively, while Fort holds down second place on both his 65 and 85.

New South Wales

The Maitland round of the East Coast MX series in New South Wales got under way in May and despite the event having wet weather issues in recent times, conditions were good for round two of the popular series and the event was well attended with a big rider turnout over the weekend.

Flying the YJR flag at the event were the Kingsford brothers, with both Ryder and Kayd in action. Ryder was doubling classing it, contesting the 13-15 years 125 and 13-15 years 250cc while Kayd held things down in the 12-15 years 85cc division.

Ryder claimed the win in the 250 class with 3-1-2 results. A fall in races one and three cost him the perfect score in the class but he was able to quicky rebound in each race to salvage good results and take the round win on the day.

He also secured third place on his YZ125, making it another trip to the podium for the day. He finished with 3-2-3 results and wasn’t happy with how he rode this bike on the day and is determined to get things back on track next outing.

For younger brother Kayd, he took the win on his 85 with two race wins and a second place in a good days racing. Kayd has battled injury in recent times but is now starting to build some continuity into his riding and the results are starting to show.

Queensland

It was round four of the Sunshine State Motocross Series at the Warwick circuit recently and that track proved to be one of the more challenging in recent times. Lead up rain left it wet and thick all the way through but with a fine and sunny weekend, the track become rutty, technical and sorted out the men from the boys.

Kobe Drew continues his outstanding form in 2021 with another two class victory at Warwick. He won all three motos on his YZ125 in the 13-15 years 125cc class after having to charge his way through the pack in each moto.

On the 250, he almost made it the perfect weekend for the second round running but come up just short finishing with 2-1-1 results but still enough to claim the round win. The success in both classes saw Drew extend his lead in the series and with one round remaining just needs to use his smarts to secure both series victories.

Jake Cannon showed he knew how to handle the ruts and bumps at Warwick as he dominated the 12-15 years 85cc class. Cannon won all three motos on his YZ85 with a comfortable gap over his rivals. He also proved consistent in the 125cc class, taking fourth place.

Cannon holds the lead in the 85cc class and second place on the 125, right behind teammate Drew.

Victoria

The Victorian junior Motocross championships continued Warrnambool over the weekend with round two taking place. As many as five of the YJR team riders converged for the event and again posted impressive results.

Jay Jennings and Angus Pearce from Tasmania as well as Jake Rumens from WA, joined the Victorian pair of Pat martin and Jobe Dunne at the event.

Jobe Dunne took a hard fought win in the 9-11 years 85cc class with 1-3-1 results to finish a handful of points clear of Tasmanian counterpart Jay Jennings in second with his 3-2-2 finishes. Jennings made it a double podium day when he took the victory in the 10-12 years 65cc class with 1-2-2 results.

In the bigger bikes, Angus Pearce charged home with a second place in the 13-15 years 125 cc class and racked up a third place finish on the 250 with another consistent and strong performance.

Pat Martin was just a hair behind Pearce in both divisions where he finished fourth on the 250cc machine with 6-5-4 moto scores and fourth again on the 125 taking 5-4-2 results. Jake Rumens chimed in with a fifth place result in the 12-15 years 85cc class and improved as the day went on.

Silk Way Rally 2021 route revealed

On May 19, the final route of the 11th Edition of the 2021 International Silk Way Rally was officially unveiled during a presentation in Moscow. With just over a month to go before this key event in the summer off-road calendar, preparations have entered their final phase.

It is from Omsk, Russia, a city situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Irtysh and the Om, that the Silk Way rally 2021 Start Ceremony will take place on July 1st, 2021.

At the end of the 10 days of this adventure through spectacular landscapes; forests, steppes, deserts, sandy tracks and wadi crossings, the caravan will reach UlaanBaatar, the capital of the country of the blue sky.

The finish and the podium ceremony of this 11th Edition will take place on July 11 in the Mongolian capital, on their National Day that marks the beginning of the famous Nadaam festivities.

The route of this Silk Way Rally 2021, which promises to be particularly demanding, will cover some 5,500 kilometres, including more than 3,500 kilometres of selective section. And while the first stages in Russia will serve essentially as a warm-up, with a total of 329 timed kilometres, the arrival on Mongolian soil will signal the start of hostilities with stages featuring between 340 and 540 kilometres of daily selective sections.

Another novelty of this new route is a radical shortening of liaisons (untimed sections). In 2021, the aggregate length of liaisons will make up only 37% of the total race distance which represents a record figure in the history of the transcontinental Silk Way Rally.

The rally schedule still includes the most demanding stage of the race – the marathon. On this stage participants will have to repair their cars and bikes on their own, with it being strictly forbidden for any other team members to approach the vehicles. The day of the marathon stage will be a kind of a day-off for the tech support teams – they will be based at another bivouac and stay off the race on that day.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News Wrap | Ruprecht tops Italian Enduro | Andalucia & Sonora Rally

May 18, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Wil Ruprecht wins Italian Enduro Round 6 in Marche

Australian Wil Ruprecht has topped the sixth round of the Italian Enduro championship (Campionato Assoluti d’Italia Enduro) held in Marche and in doing so extended his championship lead in the Absolute standings.

235 riders turned up for the Fabriano event from all over the world, including a boom in international representation with 13 nations represented.

The 54 km course was repeated four times, featuring three special stages, kicking off with the Scott Enduro Test, before the AIroh Cross Test and finally the Extreme Test.

The overall victory went to Wil Ruprecht, boasting a number of first place finishes across the day’s stages to finish 11.84s ahead of runner up Steve Holcombe.

Steve Holcombe

“I’m happy to be back racing in Italy, I’ve missed races during this recovery period. My performance is undoubtedly satisfactory and above all expectations.”

Brad Freeman completed the top three, 20.92s off leading pace, as the second Beta on the podium, alongside Holcombe, with Ruprecht’s TM claiming top honours.

Brad Freeman

“A fluctuating race in concerning timing, but I am happy with the race pace. Now maximum concentration for the next round of the Assoluti and then we’ll go right into the EnduroGP.”

Theophile Espinasse finished fourth, ahead of Matteo Cavallo, Andrea Verona and Hamish McDonald.

Ruprecht now leads the standings on 100-points, while Brad Freeman is second overall on 84. Third is Matthew Horse on 81.

Absolute Absolutes of Italy Round 6 Results

Pos	Rider	Bike	Total
1	RUPRECHT Wil Paul	TM 300 4T	1:04’01.65
2	HOLCOMBE Steve	BETA 350 4T	1:04’13.49
3	FREEMAN Brad	BETA 300 2T	1:04’22.57
4	ESPINASSE Theophile	BBM RACING	1:04’35.89
5	CAVALLO Matteo	TM 250 4T	1:04’36.01
6	VERONA Andrea	GAS GAS 250 4T	1:04’41.94
7	MACDONALD Hamish	SHERCO 300 4T	1:04’44.63
8	MCCANNEY Daniel	SHERCO 300 2T	1:04’54.59
9	MACORITTO Lorenzo	TM 250 2T	1:05’01.40
10	PAVONI Matteo	TM 300 2T	1:05’32.72

Absolute Ranking of Italy

Pos	Rider	Class	Bike	Total
1	RUPRECHT Will Paul	ST	TM 250 4T	100
2	FREEMAN Brad	ST	BETA 300 2T	84
3	HORSE Matthew	D.	TM 250 4T	81
4	MAGAIN Antoine	ST	SHERCO 250 2T	62
5	VERONA Andrea	D.	GAS GAS 250 4T	59
6	MCCANNEY Daniel	ST	SHERCO 300 2T	57
7	OLDRATI Thomas	IS	HONDA 450 4T	52
8	MACORITTO Lorenzo	B.	TM 250 2T	46
9	HOLCOMBE Steve	ST	BETA 350 4T	37
9	PAVONI Matteo	JU	TM 300 2T	37

Joan Barreda wins the 2021 Andalucía Rally

After 1086 km of special stage, over the hills and plains of Andalusia, victory in the bike class for the 2021 Andalucía Rally went to Joan Barreda (Monster Energy Honda) 03’28 ahead of compatriot Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco Factory) with Honda Monster Energy’s new recruit the Chilean Pablo Quintanilla third at 10’29.

Joan Barreda (Monster Energy Honda) put in a blistering performance to protect his slim overall lead. Opening the road and despite being chased down by Lorenzo Santolino he actually increased his lead over the Sherco rider by 36 seconds to win the Andalucía Rally 2021, his first victory since the Merzouga in 2018, in fine style. It’s an important milestone for Barreda who has struggled for two years with a troublesome wrist injury.

Joan Barreda – P1

“It was a difficult final stage, opening the track from the beginning. It has not been easy at all: we went over the same stretches of very broken tracks that we had already been over in the last few days. I had to keep calm and hold a fast pace because I knew they were chasing me down, pushing hard behind me. In the end, I felt pretty good and I was able to keep up the pace through to the final finish-line. Having such a very good stage has allowed me to win the rally.”

Lorenzo Santolino – P2

“Really happy for me and the team who are improving the bike every race. I learned a lot here and got more confidence with the navigation. Congratulations to Barreda for the win.”

Pablo Quintanilla turned out to be the winner of the final total 185-kilometre special. The new Monster Energy Honda Team signing couldn’t have got his maiden rally off to a better start. Furthermore, the Chilean rider was able to consolidate a brilliant third final position, more than satisfactory after his first kilometres astride the Honda CRF450 RALLY.

Pablo Quintanilla – P3

“We have finished the first race with the team and all I can say is that I am very pleased about it. It was a very hard week, super intense, but very important to be able to get to know the whole team, find some good sensations and get to know the way that the team works. I felt comfortable with the team, on the bike, and I think I have gradually progressed, finishing with a very good stage win. I have to thank all these people who have worked alongside me all this week. Now, we are going to rest a bit and plan the immediate future. I am very happy and motivated about all the things that lie ahead.”

Joaquim Rodrigues and Franco Caimi completed the top five, with 15-seconds separating the two riders, who were 13’50 and 14’05 off the winning overall time.

Joaquim Rodrigues – P4

“Today was difficult day for me as I had a couple of crashes and hurt my hand and knee a little bit. So, I decided to slow down and focus on getting the bike to the finish safely. In the second part I got into a better rhythm and pushed through to the finish line. I am setting a good pace on the bike and the bike is also performing really well so I am happy with the results. I want to thank my team, entire Hero family and all our fans for their support.”

Franco Caimi – P5

“I focused today on improving my feeling and confidence on the bike so I am happy to be at the end and with the way things have gone in my first rally with my new team. I really enjoyed it and want to thank my entire crew for doing a fantastic job through the rally and also our supporters and my new Hero family. Now we will start our work for the upcoming Kazakhstan Rally.”

Andalucia Rally 2021 Final Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat	Gap
1	BARREDA Joan	SPA	10:47’32
2	SANTOLINO Lorenzo	SPA	+3’28
3	QUINTANILLA Pablo	CHI	+10’29
4	RODRIGUES Joaquim	POR	+13’50
5	CAIMI Franco	ARG	+14’05
6	CERUTTI Jacopo	ITA	+22’05
7	PEDRERO Joan	SPA	+23’29
8	BÜHLER Sebastian	POR	+26’04
9	DOVEZE Mathieu	FRA	+38’44
10	GONÇALVES Rui	POR	+40’39

Ricky Brabec dominates 2021 Sonora Rally

The seventh edition of the Sonora Rally once again had Ricky Brabec as the key protagonist. This year’s victory means that Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider has now won more than half of the editions of the Mexican race held to date. Team-mate José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo also finished on the podium behind runner up Skyler Howes.

The 2021 Sonora Rally overall podium – 1) Ricky Brabec, 2) Skyler Howes, 3) Ignacio Cornejo

The five-stage rally, held in the Altar desert in the state of Sonora in northern Mexico, included over 900 kilometres of timed special stages on a total 1,500-kilometre route.

Ricky Brabec not only scooped the final triumph, with wins in two out of five stages, but kept a firm grip on the race throughout, on an error-free ride that included some scorching pace, even in some of the most difficult sections of the course. Brabec, who lined up against some of the factory riders set to participate in the forthcoming Dakar Rally, romped home to a win with a 13-minute gap over the nearest second-placed rival, claiming a third consecutive win in the race, the fourth in total in the rally.

Ricky Brabec – P1

“Sonora rally was great. I year ago we had Covid, so it’s really great to be back here. It was a difficult five days and we made it happen. We are happy to come away with the overall win. Three times in a row is pretty nice. Looking forward to the next rally event and possibly coming back for training later this year. It’s great to have a few factory riders down here including Nacho. Hopefully we did a good job for you guys. See you soon.”

Skyler Howes took runner up, despite some issues with his nav equipment and finished the Sonora Rally just under 13-minutes behind Brabec, but still leading Cornejo by 10-minutes.

Skyler Howes – P2

“Super grateful to be here at my first rally as an official Factory racer for @rockstarhusky. A lot had to come together in a short time, thank you so much to the team for making it happen. Had some bugs with the nav equipment this week but otherwise had a clean rally. Great training and seat time on the new machine and great times with good people. Thank you to my crew Gary, Kelly, Tristan and Gee for coming down and spending a week in the heat with me making sure I was dialled in. Time to head home and gear up for the next one! Next up: Rally Kazakhstan.”

Young Chilean rider Ricky Brabec, made his debut in the rally, improving by the day, adapting well to a somewhat different race format and would eventually snatch a win in the final stage, earning himself third place on the rally’s final podium.

José Ignacio Cornejo – P3

“It was good to get back to racing after the Dakar and there was a feeling of unfinished business after the crash that prevented me from continuing. Here in Sonora I was able to get back up to race pace. In the beginning it was a bit tough, but as the days went by I felt better on the Honda and I was able to win on the last day. I am happy to be able to finish the race, to have done so with a podium finish and to be able to continue improving day by day. It was a great first race of the season. Now, to keep working and try to regain the level I had a few months ago. I have to thank Monster Energy Honda Team, HRC, and also JCR Honda for everything they have done during the race. I am very motivated to continue working and achieving better results.”

2021 Sonora Rally

Pos	Rider	Nat	Cat	Overall
1	Ricky Brabec	USA	Pro	10:32:13
2	Skyler Howes	USA	Pro	10:45:05
3	Ignacio Cornejo	Chile	Pro	10:55:21
4	Kendall Norman	USA	Pro	10:57:44
5	Mason Klein	USA	Pro	11:16:27
6	Justin Morgan	USA	Pro	11:24:26
7	Wes VanNieuwenhuise	USA	Pro	12:47:08
8	Scott Bright	USA	Pro	13:43:08
9	Mike Johnson	USA	Pro	13:58:47
10	Nathan Rafferty	USA	Pro	15:05:32

Manjimup Trail Bike Hub approved in Western Australia

The Trail Bike Hub Manjimup Facebook page has just revealed the project’s approval, with the Commonwealth Government and Manjimup Shire committing to funding the initiative after seven-years.

Manjimup would be a familiar name to many riders due to the Manjimup 15000 Motocross event, which at the Cosy Creek MX circuit has hosted some of the worlds best over the years.

The move marks step one of the Manjimup Trail Bike Hub road plan, with the next step being to develop the Manjimup Adventure Bike Rider Experience, followed by the Trail Bike Tourer Experience, then private property family use facilities. The final stages of the project will be to develop the Single Track Explorer Experience, then the Family Explorer Experience and finally the ATV explorer Experience.

The Manjimup Trail Bike Hub concept is described as aiming to offer a trails focused experience that also caters to all aspects of trail bike riding, from the trails themselves, through to accommodation and related services.

Manjimup Trail Bike Hub – Image courtesy of www.manjimup.wa.gov.au

The Hub will be the first of its kind in Australia, with suggested benefits including high levels of tourism, both interstate and internationally, while using a management system capable of driving demand.

Also mentioned is the inclusion of specialty shops catering to trail bike sales, repair and maintenance, which could make the Manjimup Trail Bike Hub a one-stop-shop for trail riders in the state.

The project is an exciting landmark for Australia, with trail riders around the country increasingly complaining about the lacking availability of riding locations and trails being closed, with many in the community feeling they are being squeezed out by government, councils and local land management services.

Here’s what the Trail Bike Hub Manjimup Facebook page had to share:

“Woohoo, we’ve done it! It’s time to crack a tinnie, charge your champagne glasses and toast the official pending birth of Australia’s first and only Trail Bike Hub. Last Thursday the Manjimup Shire received an announcement by the Commonwealth Government that the funding for this project has been granted. To all of you that have stuck by this seven year dream of mine, I applaud you for your patience. I now trust this news will resonate amongst this great trail bike keen community and within the next year we will have some trails ready to go. To our committee I take my hat off to you all, your diligence and hard work has now been rewarded!

“The Trail Bike Hub Centre can now officially start its planning and design process, the demolition of the existing building can now take place to make way for a new purpose built facility. I will be posting a little down the track for anybody who will be able to lend a hand for a day. This will be part of the fundraising condition as required and our contribution to the grant fund. The proposed date may be the Saturday of the motocross weekend in June.
Watch this space for more to come!”

Manjimup Shire’s Media Release – Funding for Manjimup Trail Bike Hub

The Manjimup Trail Bike Hub is about to kick up a gear with the announcement of $980,000 funding through the Commonwealth Regional Recovery Partnerships program matched to a $576,500 contribution from the Shire of Manjimup. The Hub aims to position Manjimup as the centre for trail bike riding in Western Australia (and Australia), creating a significant new point of difference catalyst for visitation to the Shire district, and the region.

The funding will set the wheels in motion for the trail planning processes, implementation and commercialisation of the funded project primarily for licenced trail and enduro motorbikes on publicly managed roads. An additional stage may be funded by the private commercial sector and subject to future funding, further stages incorporating unlicensed trail bikes may be introduced based on the outcome of trail planning processes, approvals and the success of the existing project.

The completion of funded stages is anticipated to take two and a half years, during which routes on existing trails will be mapped, new trails will be designed and a Trail Bike Centre is built in Manjimup. The project will include extensive consultation with riders and the wider community. An initial Feasibility Report for the Hub, prepared in 2017, outlined that the Manjimup region is the prime location for Western Australia’s first sustainable trail bike hub.

Paul Omodei – Shire President

“We are very confident that this initiative will be hugely beneficial to our region, both socially and economically. This is why the Shire of Manjimup had already allocated funding and resources to undertake the pre-phase project that included a funding contribution from the South West Development Commission to produce a business case that was used in the successful funding application. I would like to thank the Commonwealth Government and the elected representatives Mr Rick Wilson MP and Hon. Nola Marino MP for backing the Shire by funding this project and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to deliver what will be a fantastic regional project.”

The Manjimup Trail Bike Hub Inc. will be the driving force behind the implementation of the Hub. Now that funding has been secured, a call will be put out soon by the Manjimup Trail Bike Hub Inc. for interested trail bike riders and the local community to become a member of the association’s executive committee, which will be the driving force behind implementing the first three stages of the hub.

Jorge Prado talks his second crack in the MXGP class with KTM

Still only 20 years of age Jorge Prado has already tasted victory with the KTM 250 SX-F in MX2 – where he dominated the class to 2018 and 2019 world championships – and the KTM 450 SX-F in what was a typically fast and impactful debut term in MXGP in 2020.

Already Spain’s most decorated motocrosser, Prado set out his stall last year with three wins and eight podium finishes, the second biggest collection of silverware in the class, despite coming into the campaign with limited preparation due to a winter leg injury. Now fit, confident and ready to re-establish his world-renowned starting prowess in MXGP #61 is one of the pre-season favourites.

2020 was your first in MXGP. It’s fair to say there were some ups-and-downs…

Jorge Prado: “2020 was quite a hard season for me because getting injured just before the start of my first year in the premier class didn’t help! It meant I started racing without much training or testing. Despite that, I had some very good moments, especially towards the end when I was getting fit and winning races. At one point I even had some possibilities for the title, so I was quite happy. Overall, I would say that 2020 was good season but I could have done without the two injuries. The best moments were the first podium, the first win on the 450 in Italy and the victory in Spain.”

What was the biggest lesson?

Prado: “Coming into a season from injury is never easy because you need a certain amount of track time to get back to your level. I pushed myself to the limit in that ‘recovery’ phase where I was actually racing to get to 100% as fast as I could and make some good results. So, the lesson was about how I could reach my limits physically.”

Did you feel like you had mastered the KTM 450 SX-F by the later phase of the season?

Prado: “It’s a hard question because I missed that training period. I didn’t get a pre-season. Then we had to stop because of Covid-19 and two weeks before the restart I was injured again with my collarbone! I raced in Latvia for round three with just two weeks on the bike. By the end of 2020 I was finally getting there, and you could see that in my results because I was fighting more and more for first position. I think I learned so much from that period and where I needed to improve. Now I feel like I am getting into my first real off-season of 450 preparation.”

You always seem like a confident guy but did the 12 months of 2020 – from the broken femur to the COVID-19 diagnosis that prematurely ended the season – represent the hardest spell of your career?

Prado: “Yeah, 2020 was one of the hardest of my career. I moved to the 450 class as the 250 champion and with high expectations, at least for myself. I was expecting good results and the injury threw me a bit. The 450 is a very nice bike to ride but if you need to push it for the whole 30 minute plus two laps moto then it is not very easy. You have to be really ready for that. It’s not easy to ride those bikes fast for a long time; you really need good physical condition.”

Who will surprise you in 2021?

Prado: “Hmm, I don’t know. I think Jeffrey [Herlings]! For sure Tony [Cairoli] will be good, also [Tim] Gajser and [Romain] Febvre. Surprises? It’s hard to say but if you look at every year there are always questions about who will be good but, in the end, it is always the same guys at the front. I feel like I am also in the group. Not because other people are saying it but when I see the results. I’m not a guy that really builds myself up but if I look at the results of last year then I have to be honest and say: ‘this year I can fight for those positions again and I need to be ready’. My goal is to fight for the title and that’s it.”

Supercross: it was a career direction for you at one stage. You are still only 20, so how do you feel about it now?

Prado: “Honestly, I am really focused on doing very well and getting the title in MXGP and, watching supercross right now, I feel that it would be something very fun to try. It would be very different. It would not be easy at all to go and get to a position to fight for a title. You not only need to get used to riding supercross at that level but also racing it. I’ve never raced supercross in my life. It would be very hard! I think if I did have the possibility to get there and race then I will want to go, and I would want results. Right now, I’m looking only at MXGP.”

Tom Vialle on MX2 2021 with KTM

In November 2020, and at the culmination of just his second season as an MX2 Grand Prix rider, Tom Vialle became Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s ninth different FIM MX2 World Champion and delivered the 13th gold number plate for the KTM 250 SX-F. For 2021 the Frenchman is hoping to be the brand’s fourth double-champ since 2009!

Still just 20 years old, Vialle is now the de facto team leader in MX2 and will be looking to expand his collection of eight Grand Prix wins, all taken in Red Bull KTM colours.

Even though society was very much in the grip of the pandemic, how was the winter as World Champion?

Tom Vialle: “To become world champion felt like the best thing ever and it really sunk in during a month of holidays where I just stayed in France to be with family and friends; which was really nice. I didn’t do so many interviews or much travelling because of COVID-19. There were a few things we missed like the traditional FIM Awards and the KTM Christmas party in Austria. It was a shame but at the same time it was a very easy and relaxed time before starting to train and think about 2021.”

You must have welcomed the break because 2020 was an intense season of many races in a short space of time and a close duel with Jago Geerts…

Vialle: “Yeah, for sure. The last part of the season was really difficult because it felt like a lot of races, but there was extra pressure because of the COVID situation around the championship. We were doing a lot of testing and I was trying to do things as safely as possible but mentally it was extra weight. It was a good battle with Jago and when he made a couple of mistakes in the middle of the season I kept really focused and did my best.”

2020 must have shown how every mistake and every point counts: it was a close-run contest between the both of you up until the last few motos…

Vialle: “Yes, very much so. The goal was to be world champion and not to win every GP. I knew I had to learn to accept 2nd or 3rd on the podium, lose a couple of points but then focus to win or gain them back the next weekend. It was not easy! It was my first year fighting for the title and it was important not to over-think things. When we came to Lommel [the penultimate triple header] I was already thinking about the championship at this point and being careful to ride a bit more safely.”

So, will you carry #28 or #1 in 2021? And are you ready for a different challenge of defending the crown?

Vialle: “I want to keep #28 so that’s what it will be! For sure 2021 is a bit different, but then again I spent most of 2020 with the red plate so that kind of pressure is the same. Don’t forget that when you are riding you don’t see the red plate! Everybody wants to beat you, but I think I had some of that last year as well: I kinda like being in that position. In 2020 it was mainly me and Jago so it was difficult to take points from him and to feel a bit safe with the lead. It only happened when he started to make a few mistakes. I think in 2021 there will be a few other riders even if [Thomas Kjer] Olsen and [Ben] Watson moved to the 450s. We’ll see. It’ll be an interesting year but I believe Jago will be the first guy to beat.”

You are leading the team again but with 2021 being your third year in MX2 is there even more work to do with development now?

Vialle: “Yeah, we have been working a lot with the KTM 250 SX-F and developing the race bike. I’ve actually been riding with our new engine recently, which will help us a lot in 2021. I feel good on the bike. With Rene [Hofer] we’ve been working through set-ups and made good progress.”

Do you have one eye on the MXGP class? If you win again in 2021 then you’ll have to move up for 2022 regardless…

Vialle: “Sure, we’ve been thinking about this a little bit because, like you said, if I win again this year then I’ll be on the 450. We have seen with Jorge, who was a double MX2 champion – even if he had a hard 2019 winter with his broken leg – that he was able to be quite fast and at the front in MXGP. Olsen looked good as well in his first pre-season races with the bigger bike. When you change the motorcycle then it is like a ‘reset’: it’s a new machine, new year, new category, new rivals so it brings new motivation, let’s say. I’m really focused to win this year and we’ll see for the next.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto Wrap | Erzbergrodeo cancelled due to Covid | Rally | MXGP | NZ MX

May 10, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2021 latest victim of Covid

The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo has become the latest victim of the Covid pandemic and has been cancelled for 2021, leaving a disappointing hole in the WESS calendar as a result. The Extreme XL Lagares, marking round one had already been effected by Covid restrictions, with a reformated schedule and no points rewarded.

WESS Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble Rnd Start — Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble in 2019

Due to the complexities of organising an event of this magnitude under such tight Covid restrictions, it’s not possible to deliver a race to the same high standard of what has gone before.

Organisers had worked on several formats and scenarios to make the race happen, but new COVID-19 regulations and guidelines published by the Austrian federal government, left them no alternative but to cancel for 2021.

WESS GmbH thanked the event organisers for every effort made in trying to make Red Bull Erzbergrodeo a reality this year and look forward to bigger and better times at the Iron Giant in 2022.

As part of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo COVID-19 guarantee, all registered participants will be reimbursed their full entry fee without any deductions. The same applies to all visitors who have already purchased an entry ticket or a VIP ticket for the 2021 event. More information will be published shortly on redbullerzbergrodeo.com.

Plans are already in place for the 2022 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo to take place on June 16-19. The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round three, the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy on July 10-11.

Winfried Kerschhaggl – FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Series Manager

“Naturally it’s disappointing to see Red Bull Erzbergrodeo cancelled for another year, but having spoken closely with the organisers, it’s understandable. It goes without saying that this race is a favourite among riders and Hard Enduro fans, and will be truly missed for 2021. Nobody expected to see the Iron Giant lie quiet for two years. But all willing, we will be back in 2022. Looking ahead to the championship we have a lot of exciting racing still to take place, especially round three at the all-new Abestone Hard Enduro in July, which is quickly followed by the iconic Red Bull Romaniacs.”

Bolt wins Extreme XL Lagares 2021 but no championship points awarded

Billy Bolt has won the opening round of the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship over the weekend, outpacing Manuel Lettenbichler and Graham Jarvis to claim victory in an event disrupted by Covid.

A Covid hotspot in one of the areas the Extreme XL Lagares would travel through caused the cancellation of the initially planned Saturday prologue and Main Race, with an alternative schedule created. This was made possible due to the event’s paddock and Endurocross track being located within a closed military area, alongside rigorous Covid testing of all involved in the event.

Further complicating things was the decision, following heavy overnight rain, that championship points would not be awarded at round one, but that racing would continue regardless.

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When the XL Lagares kicked off, fast out of the gate for Final 1, Husqvarna rider Bolt charged his way to victory, which he convincingly backed up in race two with another winning ride. Aiming for a hat trick of wins, an early crash in Final 3 derailed the Brit’s ambitions. But with the overall win still for the taking, he powered his way back to second to earn the top step of the podium.

Billy Bolt – P1

“It’s been an eventful start to the season, but to get a win here in Portugal is still a good feeling. I felt ready for the original format of Extreme XL Lagares – I’d put in the ground work and wanted a good result. But after the news late on Thursday that the format was changing, I just wanted to make the best of the situation we were all in. Anytime you get on track you want to be the fastest and I managed that almost all weekend. I topped the Saturday qualification and got two wins from three starts today. Overall, I’m feeling good on the bike and looking forward to getting this championship started properly now.”

Billy Bolt claims victory at the 2021 Extreme XL Lagares

Behind Bolt, the battle for the remainder of the podium was tight. Despite a bad opening final and a subsequent eighth-place finish, Lettenbichler began to find his rhythm as the day progressed. Second in Final 2, he then delivered his best with victory in Final 3, finishing as overall runner-up to Bolt.

Manuel Lettenbichler – P2

“I’m super-stoked to take second place, especially in these conditions. It was still really tough out there, but I’m pleased we were able to get some racing out of the weekend. I think the organizers and the promotor made a good decision to scrap the points because this kind of racing is not what the championship is about – hard enduro is a different sport. Everyone did a good job to keep the ball rolling with all the restrictions and changes that had to take place and it was still a nice event, but super muddy. I’m pleased to have come away as runner-up. It was quite good fun, all-in-all it has been a good day.”

Despite an uneasy qualification on Saturday, it was Graham Jarvis who produced one of the surprise performances of the day despite initially not favouring the Endurocross format. Proving himself a model of consistency, a trio of fourth place results earned him third overall behind Bolt and Lettenbichler.

Graham Jarvis – P3

“I think I surprised myself and a few others with third overall today – not bad for an old guy! To be honest I wasn’t expecting too much with the change to Endurocross only but wanted to test my fitness during those long races. My winter prep seems to be good and I felt strong all day. I’d love to have got into the mountains here, but it is what it is – hats off to the organisers for making something happen.”

Jonny Walker made the call not to ride and risk injury in the conditions with no Championship to be gained, a tough decision but ultimately as a professional rider he needed to do what is right for his team when the main goal is to win the Championship.

Jonny Walker

“Its a shame the way the weekend has gone after all the work that has been put in but I can come away happy knowing that we are in a good position to win. It was a very difficult decision not to race but as I have had a slight knee injury over the last 4 weeks I just didn’t want to risk anything. I’d like to thank all my sponsors for help and support, we look forward the upcoming events.”

2021 Extreme XL Lagares Results – Top 10

Pos	Rider	Total	R1	R2	R3
1	BOLT William Joshua	57	20	20	17
2	LETTENBICHLER Manuel	45	8	17	20
3	JARVIS Graham Peter	39	13	13	13
4	YOUNG Wade	37	15	11	11
5	GOMEZ Alfredo	35	10	10	15
6	OLSZOWY Dominik	31	7	15	9
7	KABAKCHIEV Teodor	28	9	9	10
8	ROMAN Mario	26	11	8	7
9	BLAZUSIAK Tadeusz	17	17	–	–
10	GALLAS Kevin	15	–	7	8

Pablo Quintanilla named as new Monster Energy Honda Team rally rider

Chilean rider, two-time FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion and runner-up in the 2020 Dakar Rally, Pablo Quintanilla, has been named as a Monster Energy Honda Team rider for the 2021 season and 2022 Dakar Rally.

Pablo Quintanilla has joined forces with Monster Energy Honda Team with immediate effect. Quintanilla, 34, arrives with a fine track record in his Cross-Country Rallies racing career, which began with Honda back in 2013. He went on to claim numerous triumphs, the most outstanding of which include two FIM World Championship titles in 2016 and 2017, runner-up spot in the 2020 Dakar Rally and third place in 2016.

Pablo Quintanilla

“I am very happy and motivated to join the Monster Energy Honda Team. For me it is a great honour to be part of this tremendous team that has shown such great development and enormous professionalism over recent years. My intention is to be able to convey my knowledge and my experience to the team and I hope to get great results. I wish to thank everyone for the opportunity and I am sure that together we will do a great job.”

The Chilean rider will make his Monster Energy Honda Team debut astride the Honda CRF450 Rally for the Andalucía Rally, which will take place on Spanish terrain in the regions of Cádiz and Seville from May 11-15.

Ruben Faria – General Manager

“In recent years we have had a great team, with riders able to win races. They have shown it: Ricky won in 2020 and Kevin in 2021, but Nacho was a good leader and Joan was also in front. Benavides left the team after winning the Dakar and we were left with one rider less, so we had to look for a top rider to maintain the high level of Monster Energy Honda Team. This is what we have done, and that is why I am very pleased to have Pablo Quintanilla aboard. I’ve known Pablo since I was a rider and, as well as being a great person, I’m sure that he will be a very strong element who will reinforce the great atmosphere in the team.”

KTM’s Cairoli and Herlings talk MXGP 2021

The 2021 FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship is drawing near so Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herling – both competing on the KTM 450 SX-F – have answered six key questions as the clock ticks down to the Grand Prix of Russia on June 13th.

Tony Cairoli

One of the greatest riders of the modern era of the FIM Motocross World Championship enters his twelfth season with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team in 2021.

From thirteen years in the MXGP class, Tony Cairoli has only dropped out of the top three in a final championship standing on two occasions; 2015 (7th) and 2019 (10th), both primarily caused by injury. In ’21, armed again with the KTM 450 SX-F he will be chasing his tenth FIM title and will hopefully extend his total of 92 Grand Prix wins; the second highest amount in the history of the sport.

Tony, you had minor knee surgery at the end of 2020 and started riding at the end of February. How is your fitness?

Tony Cairoli: “The knee is OK, and I started training with the bike by taking it very easy. I was giving priority to physical work in the first part of the recovery – not so much on the bike – and also because there was some instability about the start date for the season. So, there was no need to rush. But, I’m OK, I’m feeling good.”

So, the big question for 2021: when will you decide if this is the last year of racing for you?

TC: “It’s a matter of results, of course, and how competitive I am: this is clearly my goal at the moment. I want to see if I can still improve but I know the level of performance is unlikely to go up. A lot depends on my condition and the knee. That’s why I don’t know where I am [with speed and feeling] because I still cannot really push because of this injury following me around. Last year was very difficult for me but I think if my knee can be in a bit better shape for 2021 then I should be able to fight for the championship. This is my goal and then the next season depends on how I feel.”

You were a mentor to Jorge Prado when he came to the team and now Mattia Guadagnini is the junior rider. How has it been working with him and knowing Italy now have a big prospect?

TC: “Of course Mattia has quite a bit of pressure at the moment. He has come from the European Championship directly into MX2 and with the potential to be a top-three guy, he has a lot of expectation. It won’t be easy for him. I have been in his shoes before, but it has been going well for him and he has been working a lot. I think the first races will tricky but once he gets the flow I think the results will come.”

You haven’t had much riding time yet but is there anything you wanted to fix or address on your KTM 450 SX-F for this season?

TC: “No, so far we have tested a few things but because I don’t have a lot of bike time we are not pushing 100% with technical parts. For me it is important to feel better with the knee and then test something when I am at a decent level.”

What about rivals for 2021?

TC: “I think we’ll see the same sort of names going for the championship as we did in the last couple of years but for race wins I think there is a bigger group and even new people like [Thomas Kjer] Olsen and [Ben] Watson are among them. I think it is time for Jorge [Prado] to show his skills in going for the title and then you have Tim [Gajser], Jeffrey [Herlings] and myself. [Jeremy] Seewer will be very competitive, [Glenn] Coldenhoff also. There are many guys that can go for the championship and even more for the single race win.”

Your skill at building a championship is unmatched for the last 15 years at least but do you feel like you still have the raw speed for multiple race victories?

TC: “I think it depends on the knee again. Last year I started the season and I wasn’t ready with my shoulder and when that was better the knee got worse! So, in 2020 I could not really ride like my best. If I’m in good shape I know I can still go for wins, even if the championship is my main goal and what I’m working towards.”

Jeffrey Herlings

A Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider since his Grand Prix debut in 2010, Jeffrey Herlings has been one of the team’s best and most emphatic racers with four FIM Motocross World Championships and 90 victories to his name; the third highest total in history.

After his near-perfect third season in MXGP with the KTM 450 SX-F in 2018 – in which he claimed 17 from 19 GPs and finished as runner-up in the other two – the Dutchman suffered two years of injury frustration. Now, at the age of 26, #84 is again looking to establish his superiority at the peak of MXGP.

Jeffrey, are you finally healthy? No more metalwork in the body or difficulties for fitness?

Jeffrey Herlings: “I don’t have any material left in my body anymore, luckily! My foot is definitely better than it was but it’s not fully healed or as good as my other one. It bothers me a little but not when I’m riding. I sometimes have pain afterwards, that’s all. Physically I am not super-conditioned but, at this time, I don’t want to be anyway because we are still not 100% sure when racing will start again due to the pandemic. Hopefully we are set for mid-June but it is mentally and physically tough to know when you might or might not start. Right now, I’m just riding three-to-four times a week and every day do one – or maybe a maximum of two – training sessions to stay in shape and keep the body weight under control. When we’re absolutely sure of the first race then we’ll go hardcore again.”

You have an insatiable appetite for victory but after the injury problems of 2019 and 2020 is part of your motivation just to reach the end of a season?

JC: “Obviously the last couple of years I didn’t succeed in completing most of the races, so that has to be a big goal for me. I have to be [present] everywhere and I don’t know if that means I’ll be close to the front each time, as has been proven in the past, but if I can try to be consistent every time I’m in the gate then I’ll hopefully be around the podium spots at the end of the year.”

The Dutch GP is supposed to take place in Oss, Holland. What’s your opinion?

JC: “Before we talk about that I think it’s a shame we’re not going to Valkenswaard anymore. It was a tradition on the calendar. I raced there since 2010, I won there nine times and was on the podium ten times, so it has a place in my heart. Oss is a nice track. It’s close to my house! It’s not a typical ‘Dutch’ track in that it’s not super-sandy but it’s a cool place and good for the fans with a nice overview for watching.”

Who will cause a surprise among your rivals for 2021?

JC: “I think it will be the same group of main riders, it’s just a different year. I think Jorge Prado has joined the party now but basically the same guys like Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre, Tony [Cairoli].”

You could get a bit closer to the all-time win record of 101 this year. Will that be another small objective?

JC: “Definitely. If I have a season like 2018 then I’ll pass it this time! That was a dream season. It’s certainly a goal to reach that 101. I’m on 90 now and I’m 26 years old so I think it’s realistic. I’ll have to go for it.”

You are the best sand rider in the world: is it possible to get even better in the terrain?

JC: “No matter how old you are, you keep on learning and you find little ways to improve – but – I don’t think I can get better in the sand. 26 is not old but also not young and I can’t see myself increasing my level. I’m either at my peak now or I passed it! In 2018 I was not at my best-level but I was super-good in the sand and pretty-much won everything. So, I don’t know if it’s possible to be better…but if I can stay at the same level then I’m already happy.”

Eli Tomac and Monster Energy Kawasaki to part ways

Monster Energy Kawasaki and Eli Tomac will part ways following the conclusion of the upcoming AMA Pro Motocross Championship, after six successful seasons together, mutually deciding not to pursue a contract extension.

Dan Fahie – Kawasaki Senior Manager, Racing

“We are extremely proud of the success that Eli and the Monster Energy Kawasaki team achieved over the last six years. We have built a great relationship with Eli and his family and we are proud that Kawasaki played a strong role in Tomac’s racing legacy.”

The Monster Energy Kawasaki team and Tomac have enjoyed plenty of success during their six-year campaign with the Colorado-born rider earning four AMA championships on the Kawasaki KX450. During his six years with the team Tomac lined up on the starting gate 165 times and earned 60 wins while only missing one scheduled main event. The 60 wins is the most by any rider during that time frame.

Monster Energy Kawasaki is primed to continue its AMA racing success in 2022 with a two-rider program that includes Adam Cianciarulo who propelled himself through the amateur ranks with Kawasaki Team Green.

Cianciarulo earned the 2019 250cc AMA Pro Motocross championship and finished second in the 2020 450cc AMA Pro Motocross standings as a rookie and will be aiming for the top of the podium this summer.

Toni Bou fibula surgery update

Repsol Honda Team Trial rider, Toni Bou, underwent surgery on Wednesday afternoon at the Barcelona’s Mi Tres Torres Clinic after suffering a fall during training.

The twenty-eight time Trial world champion, fell while training and needed an urgent operation in order to guarantee a short period of convalescence. The operation, undergone at the Mi Tres Torres Clinic, consisted of osteosynthesis with a fibula plate in the left leg, performed by Dr. Josep Torrent and Dr. Maurise Saur from iMove Traumatology under the supervision of team doctor Joaquim Terricabras who, after one hour of surgery, stated that the operation has been carried out with success and that the rider was now in the post-operative phase.

Toni Bou undergoes surgery following a training injury

The estimated period of convalescence ordered by the doctor should be around ten days. Toni Bou is expected to be back on the bike within three weeks to re-commence preparations for the Trial World Championship season opener. The TrialGP World Championship campaign gets underway on June 12 and 13 in Tolmezzo, Italy and Toni Bou is expected to be able to participate in this opening round at full fitness.

Fraser Higlett and Beta Australia team up for AORC 2021-2022

Beta Australia are teaming up with young gun enduro racer Fraser Higlett for the remainder of 2021 with a view to a full season in AORC competition in 2022.
Fraser will ride a Beta RR 430 Racing in the competitive E2 class.

Fraser Higlett

“I’m really excited to be on board with Beta, the bike is awesome and I’m really keen to get back out there and see what we can do. I’d like to thank everyone that has put this deal together for me and I’m looking forward to the remainder of the season.”

Patrick Lowry

“We always had in our plans to get more serious about a factory effort in Enduro and the AORC Championship for the 2022 season. When the opportunity came up to secure a rider of Fraser’s calibre we went ahead as it gives us a great chance to get some time under our belt before next season.”

The Teams first AORC appearance on the RR 430 RACING is planned for Rounds 3 & 4 to be held in Kyogle NSW on July 17-18.

Courtney Duncan dominant at King of Central MX event in New Zealand

Cromwell’s King of Central motocross event was a chance to witness Courtney Duncan at her best over the weekend, with a fight-from-the-back masterclass by the two-time Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) winner, in the second MX2 race.

There were definite comparisons to be drawn with her penultimate 2020 race in Italy, where she went down right off the start line, before riding the race of her life, carving through the WMX field to win.

Courtney Duncan – Image by Sophie Pennicott Photography Motocross

Heading out as the sole female in the pack of 25 MX2 riders, she made it through the first corner before a rider went down in front leaving her nowhere to go.

Her Kawasaki KX250 ploughed into the muddy Central Otago Motorcycle Club track and picking it back up, she displayed that never give up attitude, for which she has become renowned. Picking her way past the other competitors from dead last, Duncan thrilled all those watching from the track’s embankment.

Setting the race’s fastest lap, just under four-seconds quicker than any of her rivals, she had the race leader Dunedin’s Ezra Holmes firmly in her sights. They sailed over the final jump virtually neck and neck, with Holmes just edging ahead over the finish line to win by 1.03s

Having won the first MX2 race by just over five seconds, Duncan saved her best for last and tore around the rutted, sandy, technical circuit like a whirlwind, taking the chequered flag 38.1s ahead of Invercargill rider Jack Symon.

She wrapped up the MX2 class, 13 points ahead of Symon, with Trent Garland third overall. Duncan also clean-swept the three Ladies races, winning from Charlotte Clark and Indy Barrett.

In the MX1 class Sam Cuthbertson swept through with three race wins, winning from Matt Sutherland and Liam Dewhurst. The MX3 class saw Ryan Adlam dominate, winning from Jaydon Hunter and Curtis Martelli.

While Duncan goes up against the quickest girls in the world in Europe, there was nothing like trading lap times with the Kiwi boys to help her improve.

Courtney Duncan

“I had a good battle going on in the first MX2 race which was cool. Jack definitely kept me on my toes. He put me under pressure and that’s what I need to get better. The men are generally more competitive. A lot more aggressive. They don’t want to get beaten by a girl – that’s the last thing they want. They don’t make it easy on me and it forces me to ride harder. It’s been a while since I’ve been behind the gate, so it’s good to get the feet wet again.”

After competing in several North Island events, including the inaugural KawiGirls Kings and Queens Motocross event in December, the King of Central was Duncan’s first South Island hit out since competing at the Central Otago Motorcycle Club’s event last year.

After a minor injury break in January, she has been back training on her Kawasaki for a couple of months but there was ‘nothing like gate time,’ she says.

The first WMX round of five is scheduled for July 25 on the Czech Republic’s Loket circuit and Duncan plans to head back to England to rejoin her Kawasaki Dixon Racing team at the end of June. The season has been condensed from its usual March to September timeframe, to wrapping up in three months, with the final round on October 31 in Italy. As always, Duncan’s goal is to recapture the world championship – making it three from three.

Courtney Duncan

“That’s what we are working towards. At the same time it’s not too much on my mind. I want to nail my prep and make sure I’m in the best shape I can be leaving in June. I’m making sure I’m doing the work and ticking all the boxes. Giving it my all each day.”

Duncan has made bike time the priority and goes riding four days a week – changing up the tracks. On top of that she hits the gym and does her cardio and recovery sessions to ensure she’s got the speed, as she builds a strong fitness base.

2021 King of Central MX results

Source: MCNews.com.au

News

SX has been run and won but AMA MX now just weeks away

May 4, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

AMA Pro Motocross is just around the corner

After a highly competitive and exciting trio of title fights, racers now shift focus towards the upcoming Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship which will kick off in a matter of weeks, on May 29, with the Fox Raceway I National in Pala, California.

Cooper Webb emphatically captured his second 450SX Class title in three years by earning his eighth main event win of the season.

At the final round of the season this past Saturday from Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb wrapped up his second 450SX Class title in three years. The 2019 champion clinched World Championship number two on a high note with his eighth main event win of the season.

Cooper Webb, Justin Cooper, and Colt Nichols Carry Momentum into the MX season

In the two 250SX Class regional championships, a pair of first-time titleholders emerged from the Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing effort. In the East Region, Colt Nichols overcame years of hardship to earn his first championship in his seventh season of competition, while Justin Cooper finally prevailed in the West Region after back-to-back runner-up finishes. The sweep by Star Yamaha signified the first time since 2012 that a team won both 250SX Class titles.

Justin Cooper (left) and Colt Nichols (right) secured the 250SX Class regional titles, giving Star Yamaha the first sweep of the regional championships since the 2012 season.

With their attention now directed towards the summer, Webb, Cooper, and Nichols will each look to carry their championship momentum into Pro Motocross and build upon their previous successes at the Nationals.

Although he was forced to sit out the majority of last season with a back injury, Webb is a former 250 Class Champion and has a 450 Class win to his credit in Pro Motocross. Moreover, his trademark tenacity could pay big dividends over the course of the summer’s 24 motos.

Entering his fourth season in the 250 Class, Cooper has become a perennial title contender, finishing no worse than third in the final standings. As a two-time winner with 14 podium finishes, Cooper is undoubtedly one of the championship favorites this summer and has now proven he has what it takes to break through.

For Nichols, a career resurgence looks poised to continue this summer. Health has arguably been Nichols’ biggest obstacle to success and although he’s completed just one 12-round season of Pro Motocross since 2016, Nichols is a two-time podium finisher and is currently riding at the highest level of his career.

Lawrence brothers that both finished on the podium at last weekend’s Supercross finale.

And then there are of course the two young Aussie brothers that both finished on the podium at last weekend’s Supercross finale. The Lawrence brothers headed back to Florida after SX wrapped up where team members joined them for CRF250R testing this week.

Jett Lawrence won the final round of the 2021 AMA Supercross season

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will once again consist of a 12-round schedule, beginning on American Memorial Day Weekend with the season-opening Fox Raceway I National. The summer season will bring the world’s best riders to 10 different states, including returns to many of American motocross’ most iconic venues, concluding on September 11 with the sport’s oldest event, the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, California.

2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

Round	Date	Raceway	Location
Round 1	May 29	Fox Raceway National	Pala, CA
Round 2	June 5	Thunder Valley National	Lakewood, CO
Round 3	June 19	High Point National	Mt Morris, PA
Round 4	June 26	Southwick National	Southwick, MA
Round 5	July 3	Redbud National	Buchanan, MI
Round 6	July 17	Spring Creek National	Millville, MN
Round 7	July 24	Washougal National	Washougal, WA
Round 8	August 14	Unadilla National	New Berlin, MY
Round 9	August 21	Budds Creek National	Mechanicsville, MD
Round 10	August 28	Ironman National	Crawfordsville, IN
Round 11	September 4	Pala National	Pala, CA
Round 12	September 11	Hangtown National	Sacremento, CA

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 Pro Motocross ChampionshipRound 3 – High Point

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