Tag Archives: American Flat Track

JD Beach wins Arizona Super TT | Max Whale P3 in Singles

2023 Progressive American Flat Track
Arizona Super TT


Progressive American Flat Track TT master JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) added another chapter to his legend by reigning supreme at Saturday’s ZO CBD Arizona Super TT presented by RideNow Powersports at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

SuperTwins start

Beach, who has now claimed victories in seven of the most recent eight Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle TT Main Events, ultimately proved worthy of his status as the heavy favorite coming into the weekend. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have to work for this one.

That work started in the race’s opening corner after initially getting displaced to third behind reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) and points leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT).

Jared Mees

The biggest danger moment for Beach came when Daniels took control of the lead two minutes into the Main. The on-form Daniels – who actually out-qualified Beach earlier in the day – looked to rip open an advantage while his teammate was stuck behind Mees on a track that presented few opportunities to pass and plenty of opportunities to mess up.

Almost exactly a minute later, Beach (literally) flew by Mees over the start-finish jump to slot into second. And almost exactly one minute after that he pulled a carbon-copy of the high-flying move on Daniels to take the lead for himself.

JD Beach leading the SuperTwins

Daniels did well to keep Beach honest as they left the remainder of the field in their wake. However, he ultimately gave up the chase with a couple minutes remaining on the clock, content to cruise to second.

JD Beach – P1

“Growing up, I was told you either had to be smart or dumb, and I chose dumb. I was going for it. No, it was a great race. I knew Dallas had my number all day long. He’s been riding so good. All season, he’s been hauling the mail. It’s been frustrating for me because we’re on the same bike, and he’s been whupping my butt. Today, I’ve got to thank my crew. They worked so hard all day long. We were kind of on the back foot, but they didn’t give up. They kept working, and that’s what I did in the Main Event too.”

SuperTwins at Arizona Super TT

Behind the Estenson Racing 1-2, Mees ran in third with Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 890 Duke) in determined pursuit. That is until Mees’ machine became unsettled over the bumps and then lost the rear. While Mees did an admirable job to pick up and remount his factory Indian as quickly as was humanly possible, he still lost a few positions in the aftermath of the mishap.

That elevated Bauman to his second podium in four starts on the Rick Ware Racing KTM. It also rewarded Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) and Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) with fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively.

Mees salvaged sixth and was joined by Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 890 Duke), Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), and Ryan Wells (No. 94 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) in the bottom half of the top ten.

Title hopeful Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) was a Main Event scratch after suffering a fall during practice at the start of the day.

Following four of 18 races, Daniels leads with 92 points, followed by Beach (73), Mees (71), and Bauman (62).

Mission SuperTwins Results

Pos Rider Man Gap Points
1 JD Beach Yamaha MT-07 23 Laps 25
2 Dallas Daniels Yamaha MT-07 +4.14 21
3 Briar Bauman KTM 890 Duke +15.011 18
4 Ben Lowe Indian FTR750 +21.709 16
5 Johnny Lewis Royal Enfield 650 +23.201 15
6 Jared Mees Indian FTR750 +27.103 14
7 Davis Fisher Indian FTR750 +28.777 13
8 Bronson Bauman KTM 790 Duke +22 Laps 12
9 Kolby Carlile Yamaha MT-07 +6.185 11
10 Ryan Wells Royal Enfield 650 +8.838 10
11 Jarod Vanderkooi Indian FTR750 +16.725 9
12 Andrew DiBrino KTM 790 Duke 21 Laps 8
13 Shelby Miller KTM 790 Duke +1.605 7
14 Kasey Sciscoe HD XG750R +15.128 6
15 Jimmy McAllister Husq Norden 901 2 Laps 5

Mission SuperTwins Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 Dallas Daniels 92
2 JD Beach 73
3 Jared Mees 71
4 Briar Bauman 62
5 Davis Fisher 57
6 Brandon Robinson 51
7 Jarod Vanderkooi 47
8 Johnny Lewis 45
9 Ben Lowe 42
10 Bronson Bauman 41
11 Kolby Carlile 34
12 Sammy Halbert 26
13 Dan Bromley 20
14 Kayl Kolkman 19
15 Billy Ross 15
16 Ryan Wells 14
17 Cameron Smith 12
18 Jesse Janisch 11
19 Andrew DiBrino 8
20 Shelby Miller 7
21 Kasey Sciscoe 7
22 Jeffery Lowery 7
23 Mitch Harvat 7
24 Michael Rush 6
25 Michael Hill 6
26 Jimmy McAllister 5
27 Jordan Harris 4
28 Brandon Newman 1

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

2019 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) closed to within one point of the ‘23 points lead with a precise and patient ride to victory at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

AFT Singles Start

Gauthier established himself as the favorite going in with his strong pre-race performance but ended up corralled behind Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) in the early going after Cose dove down from the outside of Row 1 to claim the lead coming out of the race’s opening corner.

Chad Cose, Trevor Brunner, Tom Drane

Gauthier sat close on Cose’s rear wheel as they circulated the slick, one-line track, hoping to either find or force a mistake from the leader. All the while, Gauthier faced similar heat from behind, with a long string of riders jammed up behind them, spearheaded by Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), who himself was flanked by Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F).

AFT Singles

Just as the race approached mid-distance, Gauthier made his move, landing along- and inside of Cose as they completed a jump and slid into the subsequent left-hander.

Kopp attempted to slip underneath Cose at the same time but was denied. While Kopp and co. regrouped to map out another assault, Gauthier opened a two second lead at the front. The reigning champ did finally push his way up the inside of Cose a couple minutes later and was joined in the overtake by Whale and Brunner.

Tom Drane

A late red flag added the potential for some unexpected drama to a race that appeared all but settled when Andrew Luker (No. 11 Rackley Racing/Keeran Racing Yamaha YZ450F) crashed with just 10 seconds remaining on the clock.

That set the stage for a staggered restart and three-lap shootout. However, Gauthier successfully survived the second launch and cleared off to grab his first checkered flag of the season. The win was his third career TT victory and sees him remain the only rider in the field to have finished on the podium in every race this season.

Dalton Gauthier

Kopp held for second to retain his points lead over Gauthier (86-85) despite third-placed Whale and fourth-placed Brunner applying maximum pressure over the final laps.

Kody Kopp – P2

“We definitely rode our heart out, left it all out on the track! I qualified eighth, which was my second-worst of the year, and we had to dig ourselves out of a hole. I had the first pick on the second row for the Main, and that was probably one of the better starts of my career. That helped me so much, because I had the speed, but just couldn’t get a start earlier on. I ran third for the first four minutes of the race, made a really risky pass on Chad Cose going into turn one, and made it stick – that was all I had! You’ve gotta sometimes just take what you can get, can’t push it too much on a sketchy track, so hats off to my team for this P2, we still have a one-point championship lead and still have the red plate.”

Gauthier, Kopp and Whale on the Singles podium
Max Whale – P3

“I qualified second, was second in my Heat race and I felt like the track was really one-lined today. The start was very different from one side to the other, so I had tough starts all day and had to work my way through… We were fourth in the Dash and finished third in the Main, just ran out of room to pass and it was just difficult out there in this one.”

Max Whale leads Kody Kopp

Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) completed the top five, followed by Hayden Gillim (No. Comstock Energy/Vance & Hines KTM 450 SX-F), who made his way from a crash in his heat to the LCQ to an eventual sixth-place ride.

Cose was the biggest loser in the red-flag reshuffle, winding up ninth after leading the opening half of the race and running in the top-two for the bulk of the contest.

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Results

Pos Rider Man Gap Points
1 Dalton Gauthier KTM 450 SX-F 19 Laps 25
2 Kody Kopp KTM 450 SX-F +1.276 21
3 Max Whale KTM 450 SX-F +1.472 18
4 Trevor Brunner Yamaha YZ450F +1.486 16
5 Chase Saathoff Honda CRF450R +2.199 15
6 Hayden Gillim KTM 450 SX-F +2.505 14
7 Jared Lowe Honda CRF450R +3.35 13
8 Justin Jones KTM 450 SX-F +4.124 12
9 Chad Cose Husqvarna FC450 +4.409 11
10 Cole Frederickson Honda CRF450R +4.925 10
11 Tom Drane Yamaha YZ450F +5.385 9
12 Scooter Vernon Honda CRF450R +5.527 8
13 Tarren Santero Honda CRF450R +5.987 7
14 Bronson Pearce Honda CRF450R +6.531 6
15 Morgen Mischler Honda CRF450R +6.66 5
16 Olin Kissler KTM 450 SX-F +7.334 4
17 Trent Lowe Honda CRF450R +8.413 3
18 James Ott Husqvarna FC450 17 Laps 2
19 Andrew Luker Yamaha YZ450F 15 Laps 1

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 Kody Kopp 86
2 Dalton Gauthier 85
3 Max Whale 71
4 Trevor Brunner 64
5 Chase Saathoff 55
6 James Ott 49
7 Tom Drane 39
8 Morgen Mischler 38
9 Justin Jones 36
10 Trent Lowe 32
11 Chad Cose 32
12 Andrew Luker 27
13 Logan Eisenhard 22
14 Dan Bromley 16
15 Hayden Gillim 14
16 Cole Zabala 14
17 Jared Lowe 13
18 Travis Petton IV 12
19 Shayna Texter-Bauman 11
20 Hunter Bauer 11
21 Cole Frederickson 10
22 Tanner Dean 9
23 Kevin Stollings 8
24 Scooter Vernon 8
25 Tarren Santero 7
26 Bronson Pearce 6
27 Jordan Jean 6
28 Aidan RoosEvans 5
29 Clarke Morian V 5
30 Olin Kissler 4
31 Tyler Raggio 2
32 Gerard Bailo 2

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto Wrap | Rallye du Maroc | AFT | GNCC | MXGP | Enduro | SoN

Rallye du Maroc Update Stages 1-3

Round four of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – 2021 the Rallye du Maroc – opened with a short 10-kilometre Prologue to determine the start order for Saturday’s stage one. With riders opting for strategy rather than all-out speed, easing off to ensure a mid-pack result so as not to open the first full stage.

At 441 kilometres, the shortest of the event, stage one included a timed special of 288 kilometres, raced against the clock. Opening with a fast section of tracks, the route challenged competitors with 30 kilometres of dunes before returning to the sandy and stony pistes on the way to the finish.

Joan Barreda won Stage 1
Joan Barreda won Stage 1 – Image by Rallyzone

Stage 1 proved a great one for the Monster Energy Honda Team, with Joan Barreda claiming the early lead, then Ricky Brabec and Pablo Quintanilla completing the podium in a Honda 1-2-3. Top KTM rider was Matthias Walkner in fourth, followed by Australia’s Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) in fifth.

Toby Price was second fastest in the prologue and soon took the lead, but a sandstorm causing Price and many other riders to lose time, with almost no visibility Price lost around 40 minutes to finish the stage 25th.

At a total of 609 kilometres, stage two was the longest of the race and included a challenging timed special of 334 kilometres. KTM’s Matthias Walkner hit his rhythm in the sand dunes to claim the stage win from Jose Cornejo and Pablo Quintanilla while Daniel Sanders moved up to fourth.

Matthias Walkner took the Stage 2 victory
Matthias Walkner took the Stage 2 victory

Toby Price had to start the day from 29th, he was proving dast but had to deal with the dust of all the slower riders in front of him. TP brought his KTM 450 Rally home in 13th, moving up through the standings.

Stage three in contrast featured the longest timed special of the event, the 604-kilometre stage proving a real challenge for all competitors. With the section raced against the clock and covering over 341 kilometres, the test was made up of fast, stony tracks to the northeast of the bivouac town of Zagora, it delivered incredibly tricky navigation that caught out many of those riding near the front.

American Ricky Brabec was the leading protagonist of the day with some excellent navigation and a pace that no other rider was able to match. Brabec not only won the stage but also snatched the overall Rally du Maroc lead. Hero Motorsports’ Sebastian Buhler finished second for the stage, Yamaha’s Andrew Short third.

Toby Price
Toby Price

Finishing just over one minute ahead of team-mate Walkner who opened the stage, Toby Price showed strong pace throughout the day’s special. Falling foul of the same note that caught out many riders, Toby eventually got back on track relatively quickly to complete the stage 11th fastest.

Toby Price

“Day three has gone well, we’re not trying to do anything too crazy, just get some good race time on the bike. Yeah, we all had a little issue there later on after the refueling, the drawing on the road book just didn’t seem quite right and it caught a lot of the guys out. But on a positive note, we’re making good progress on the new bike, getting really comfortable on it, and definitely going in the right direction. The plan is to stay healthy and keep doing what we’re doing.”

A couple of minor navigational errors by Daniel Sanders on stage three resulted in a lowly – by his standards – 15th place finish. Nevertheless, after beginning the rally with two impressive stage times, the Australian only loses one spot in the provisional rally classification with an overall podium result still very much on the cards.

Daniel Sanders

“It’s been a really tough day today. Early on, about 30 kilometres in, I made a mistake with my navigation, so I then had to ride at my limit for the rest of the stage to make up for lost time. I think I lost around nine minutes there which was quite frustrating. After the refueling station at 220 kilometres I was then into a pretty difficult navigation area and the lines from the guys in front were all over the place. There were some tricky notes in the roadbook, and it just caught me out. It was a learning day for sure today and in a way, it’s good to experience something like this to make me a better rider in the future and I definitely learned from it. Two days to go now and I’m looking forward to getting back up the sharp end tomorrow.”

Daniel Sanders
Daniel Sanders

Sanders now holds sixth overall, while Price sits 16th overall, with two stages left to compete.

2021 Rallye du Maroc Standings after Stage 3

Pos Rider Nat Man Gap
1 BRABEC Ricky USA Honda 10:43’43
2 QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Honda +10’27
3 WALKNER Matthias AUT KTM +12’09
4 VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamaha +17’33
5 SANDERS Daniel AUS Gas Gas +18’31
6 CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Honda +18’43
7 BENAVIDES Luciano ARG Husqvarna +26’21
8 SUNDERLAND Sam GBR KTM +30’42
9 SHORT Andrew USA Yamaha +32’06
10 BARREDA Joan SPA Honda +54’42
16 Toby Price AUS KTM +1:01:37
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Tom Vialle extends KTM contract for four more years

Tom Vialle has extended his contract with KTM for a further four years and will defend his MX2 title on the 250 SX-F in 2022, before stepping up to the premiere class in 2023.

20-year-old Vialle claimed the 2020 MX2 title and has already won four Grands Prix in the current campaign. The Frenchman is rapidly climbing the standings after suffering a broken right hand earlier in the season and has risen from 11th to 4th position with seven rounds still to go.

After entering the Red Bull KTM squad as an MX2 rookie in 2019, Vialle has made incredible progress and mixed his blossoming technique, fitness, racecraft and intelligence with outstanding results. He has now committed his future to the factory effort to bring his association with KTM up to more than half a decade.

As well as aiming for another MX2 crown in 2022 – where Vialle will also help develop the latest generation of the KTM 250 SX-F – #28 is also lined-up to make his debut with the KTM 450 SX-F in MXGP in 2023 where he will be given time and scope to learn the intricacies of the division in a deal that will stretch to the end of 2025.

Tom Vialle

“I’m so happy to continue with KTM. I want to give special thanks to Robert and Pit because they understand me and my wish to make another year in MX2 because I had some bad luck this season. I want another title. I feel so good with the team – Dirk, Joel, Valentina, Harry, the whole crew – and I wanted to carry on with them. It was an easy decision. KTM is my first team! They were the first people who believed in me, so I am very grateful.”

Vialle thanked Robert Jonas and Pit Beirer

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Sammy Halbert injured at Charlotte Half-Mile

Sammy Halbert was injured at the weekend’s Charlotte Half-Mile, ending up in hospital, receiving stitches to his eye. He was caught up in Bauman’s crash and with nowhere to go ended up being launched, ending his race.

He did however make it to the Awards Banquet regardless, appearing in good spirits.

Sammy Halbert

“Not ded, plastic surgeon sewed up my eyelid and just like that I’m all ready for Halloween. Not one to miss a party, [I] broke out of the ER last night and still made the American Flat Track awards banquet with my babe.”

Sammy Halbert – Image Facebook

Jonny Walker reinstated into Hixpania results

British rider Jonny Walker has been reinstated into the results of round seven of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship – the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro, being allocated fifth overall in the race as a result.

During round seven of the series in Spain, Walker was excluded from the results of The Lost Way race due to a course violation. Walker later received incorrect information from the FIM Jury Secretary regarding his right to appeal the decision.

Winfried Kerschhaggl – FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Series Manager

“While there is no doubt that that the decision of the Clerk of the Course to disqualify Jonny was correct, based on the fact that he left the track to return to the paddock and repair his motorcycle, which was not permitted, the decision has to be reversed due to a procedural error. Simply, Jonny was given the wrong information by the FIM Jury Secretary regarding what he needed to do about protesting against his disqualification. Therefore, his fifth place result is reinstated.”

2021 FIM Hard Enduro Championship Standings (Revised)

Pos Rider Man Points
1 Billy Bolt Husqvarna 87
2 Manuel Lettenbichler KTM 84
3 Wade Young Sherco 70
4 Mario Roman Sherco 61
5 Jonny Walker Beta 55
6 Alfredo Gomez Husqvarna 53
7 Michael Walkner GASGAS 37
8 Teodor Kabakchiev Husqvarna 28
9 Taddy Blazusiak GASGAS 26
10 Dominik Olszowy Husqvarna 23

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A4DE returns in 2022 at Victoria’s Dandenong Motorcycle Club in Erica

The Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) is back on the calendar for 2022 where it will be hosted by Victoria’s Dandenong Motorcycle Club at Erica. Scheduled to be held May 4-7, 2022 the Championship returns to Victoria – where it was last hosted in Mansfield back in 2016.

Conceived in 1978, the A4DE is renowned nationally for its fierce competition, as the riders tackle all elements of the off-road terrain over three days of traditional enduro battling against the clock and finishing off on day four with a spectacular final Motocross.

The A4DE returns in 2022
The A4DE returns in 2022

The Erica location will provide the perfect landscape for the highly anticipated event as it did back in 1987 when it was first hosted in the town. The event will include excellent spectator vantage points, plus easy access from the township.

Frank Gogol – Dandenong Motorcycle Club

“Many older Enduro enthusiasts will have fond memories of the 1987 A4DE at Erica with the Park Ferme on the edge of the State Forest that contains epic enduro trails in typical Victorian heavily treed gum forests. With the event scheduled for May, the trail conditions should be prime. With the assistance of DELWP (Forests Vic) and Parks Victoria the trails have been approved for use and are vast within the surrounding State Forests. Long trail loops planned with the Park Ferme at the hub of the expansive trail network. This event will create a significant economic benefit to the surrounding towns, bringing hundreds of competitors, officials and supporters to the region during the four-day event.”

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Haiden Deegan joins Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing will team up with Haiden Deegan in a multi-year deal to join the team’s amateur motocross program. At the young age of 15, Deegan is already one of the most popular riders in the sport with his on-track success and engaging personality.

Haiden Deegan

“I’m excited to ride with champions and learn from them at Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing. I feel good on the bike and have a lot of work to do, and I am looking forward to it!”

Haiden Deegan
Haiden Deegan

The son of motocross icon Brian Deegan, racing is in his blood and he shares his father’s work ethic and passion for the sport. He has won championships at every level that he has raced, including winning four in a single day. In addition to his impressive number of titles, at 10 years old, Deegan became the youngest rider in the world to land a backflip on a motorcycle.

Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team Manager

“We’re really happy to have a rider of Haiden’s caliber join our team. He has a great presence on and off the track and is a proven championship contender. We look forward to the upcoming season and look to bring home some more number-one plates!”

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Speedway of Nations Final line-ups revealed

The starting line-ups for the 2021 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final in Manchester on Saturday and Sunday have been confirmed. Hosts Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Latvia and France battle it out over two days in the ultimate test of team riding, staged at Britain’s iconic National Speedway Stadium.

Each country must select two senior riders and one under-21 from their five-man squad as they compete to become FIM world champions. The Brits track their two FIM Speedway Grand Prix stars, triple world champion Tai Woffinden and 2020 European champion Robert Lambert.

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations scoring changes
FIM Speedway of Nations

British Under-21 champion Tom Brennan is named as their under-21 rider on his SGB Premiership home track in Manchester, but his Belle Vue team mate Dan Bewley is overlooked by joint team managers Simon Stead and Oliver Allen, with Woffinden and Lambert ending SGP 2021 in strong form.

Last year’s Monster Energy SON runners-up Poland draft in Maciej Janowski for his first appearance in the competition since 2019. He replaces Dominik Kubera, who partnered double world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik to victory at Semi-Final 1 in Daugavpils, Latvia on September 17.

New FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion Jakub Miskowiak teams up with Zmarzlik and Janowski to complete a stellar side in team manager Rafal Dobrucki’s first Final as Polish boss.

Semi-Final 2 winners Australia are led by 2017 world champion Jason Doyle and former Belle Vue star Max Fricke, who returns to his former British home track. Keynan Rew is their under-21 star.

Denmark list an unchanged side from Semi-Final 1, with double European champion Mikkel Michelsen, former world No.2 Leon Madsen and FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship runner-up Mads Hansen bidding for the country’s first world team title since 2014.

The Swedes are without their SGP icon Fredrik Lindgren, who has ended his season early due to an ongoing battle with long Covid and a hand injury.

His place is taken by double Swedish champion Jacob Thorssell, who partners stand-in skipper Pontus Aspgren, while promising young gun Philip Hellstrom-Bangs is their under-21.

Making historic first-ever final appearances, both Latvia and France name unchanged sides from Semi-Final 2.

Former European champion Andzejs Lebedevs leads Latvia into action, alongside 2020 FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship bronze medallist Olegs Mihailovs. European Under-19 champion Francis Gusts is named as their under-21.

The French side features David Bellego and Dimitri Berge, who teamed up to help Swedish side Masarna win the Bauhaus Elitserien in 2020. FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship rider Steven Goret is their junior man.

The seven sides battle it out over 21 heats on Saturday, followed by another 21 heats on Sunday as each of the countries face each other once on each day.

The highest scoring nation over two days earns automatic qualification for the Grand Final, with the second and third-placed sides meeting in the Grand Final Qualifier. The winning team in that race faces the top-scoring country in the Grand Final for the Monster Energy SON world title.

Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final Line-Ups

  • GREAT BRITAIN: 1 Tai Woffinden ©, 2 Robert Lambert, 3 Tom Brennan (U21). Team Managers: Simon Stead and Oliver Allen.
  • POLAND: 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik ©, 2 Maciej Janowski, 3 Jakub Miskowiak (U21). Team Manager: Rafal Dobrucki.
  • SWEDEN: 1 Pontus Aspgren ©, 2 Jacob Thorssell, 3 Philip Hellstrom-Bangs (U21). Team Manager: Morgan Andersson.
  • DENMARK: 1 Leon Madsen ©, 2 Mikkel Michelsen, 3 Mads Hansen (U21). Team Manager: Hans Nielsen.
  • AUSTRALIA: 1 Jason Doyle ©, 2 Max Fricke, 3 Keynan Rew (U21). Team Manager: Mark Lemon.
  • LATVIA: 1 Andzejs Lebedevs ©, 2 Olegs Mihailovs, 3 Francis Gusts (U21). Team Manager: Vladimirs Ribnikovs.
  • FRANCE: 1 David Bellego ©, 2 Dimitri Berge, 3 Steven Goret (U21). Team Manager: Laurent Sambarrey.

Monster Energy FIM SON Final Day 1 (Saturday) Draw

  • A – GREAT BRITAIN
  • B – LATVIA
  • C – POLAND
  • D – AUSTRALIA
  • E – SWEDEN
  • F – FRANCE
  • G – DENMARK

Monster Energy FIM SON Final Day 2 (Sunday) Draw

  • A – LATVIA
  • B – SWEDEN
  • C – AUSTRALIA
  • D – FRANCE
  • E – GREAT BRITAIN
  • F – POLAND
  • G – DENMARK
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Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News | AMA Seat Swaps | Qatar Baja | Enduro | SGP | MXGP

2021 Australian Speedway Champs officially cancelled

Motorcycling Australia, in conjunction with the MA Track Commission and key stakeholders, have now advised the 2021 Australian Speedway Senior Solo, Australian U21’s and Australian U16’s 250cc Championships have been cancelled, along with postponing the 2022 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship.

Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship

With so much uncertainty around the State border restrictions, as well as lockdowns and the lack of availability of international flights and with a significant number of riders currently overseas a decision as early as possible as important.

Motorcycling Australia (MA) and the Australian Track Commission have been in consultation with riders and clubs and are now concentrating on delivering a successful condensed 2022 Championship calendar pending Government restrictions around Covid-19.

  • April 1–3 – Australian U16’s 125cc Individual & Teams Speedway Championships – Sidewinders SA
  • November 26 – Australian U16’s 250cc Speedway Championship – Gillman Speedway SA
  • November 26 – Australian U21’s Speedway Championship– Gillman Speedway SA
  • December 2-3 – Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship – TBA

Eli Tomac joins Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing for 2022

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing will welcome Eli Tomac to the team for the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season, joining the newly crowned 2021 Pro Motocross Champion Dylan Ferrandis, while Christian Craig will join the duo for the outdoor season stepping up to the Yamaha YZ450F.

Tomac brings with him a wealth of experience and is a proven championship contender. In addition to his three consecutive Pro Motocross 450MX titles from 2017-2019, he added the coveted 450SX Championship to his resume in 2020. The Coloradan has amassed an impressive number of victories and is the winningest rider currently active in both premier class championships.

Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“I’m really excited about this next chapter of my racing career with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team. With the recent success of the team, motorcycle, and crew members in place, I know we will be ready for the challenge of winning races. January can’t come soon enough!”

Eli Tomac joins Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing
Eli Tomac joins Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team is fresh off of a great debut in the premier class. After a solid start in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship with all three riders earning their first 450SX podium and finishing comfortably inside the top-10 in the standings, the team had a stellar Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season.

In addition to Ferrandis securing the title a weekend early, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. earned Manufacturer of the Year honors, and the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing Team was named Team of the Year. The series also awarded Jeremy Coker Team Manager of the Year and the 450 Mechanic of the Year went to Ferrandis’ mechanic, Alex Campbell.

Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 Team Manager

“We’re really happy to have Eli on board next season. He is a proven championship contender and an incredible athlete. Together with Dylan and then Christian joining us for the outdoor season, we have a great line-up and look to be fighting up front for the number-one plate in both championships. This year was a great first year in the premier class for the team and an absolutely incredible Pro Motocross season. We look to build on that and are really excited for the 2022 season.”

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Husqvarna and Jason Anderson part ways after seven years

Husqvarna Motorcycles thanked Jason Anderson for his hard work, commitment, and racing achievements during the last seven years, as following a highly successful relationship with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, the American’s time with the team has now drawn to a close.

Jason Anderson - 2021 AMA SX Round 17 - Image by Jeff Kardas
Jason Anderson – 2021 AMA SX Round 17 – Image by Jeff Kardas

Since joining Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in 2015 to compete on FC 450 machinery in the 450 class, Jason Anderson has entered each AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross season as a genuine title contender.

The highlight of Anderson’s time with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna came in 2018 when he was crowned 450SX champion. The victory marked the first 450 supercross title for Husqvarna Motorcycles with Jason’s performances and championship result also making a notable contribution to the brand’s international standing, as well as adding to their now 106 World Championship wins. During his time with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Jason won seven 450SX Main Events and claimed 27 podium finishes.

Jason Anderson - 2021 AMA SX Round 2 - Image by Jeff Kardas
Jason Anderson – 2021 AMA SX Round 2 – Image by Jeff Kardas

Further success was achieved outdoors in the 450 Pro Motocross series, with Anderson claiming 16 overall podium results and a career-best championship finish of fourth in 2019. Outside of racing in America, Anderson won multiple Australian Supercross Championship races and represented Team USA at the FIM Motocross of Nations on two occasions.

Stephen Westfall – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager

“It’s been an honour to have worked with such a talented and committed racer like Jason. His dedication and talent, together with his willingness to always put the work in, ensured he was always the best rider he could be. It’s unfortunate that his time with the team coincides with him being injured as he was showing some great speed early on in the Pro Motocross season. On behalf of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, I wish Jason well and look forward to seeing him at the races in the future.”

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Monster Energy Kawasaki welcome Anderson to the team

Jason Anderson will join Adam Cianciarulo with the Monster Energy Kawasaki race team for 2022, alongside testing and development rider Broc Tickle.

Monster Energy Kawasaki to run Anderson and Cianciarulo in 2022
Monster Energy Kawasaki to run Anderson and Cianciarulo in 2022

Anderson closed out his amateur racing career with Kawasaki Team Green, winning the AMA Horizon Award aboard a KX250 before moving on to become a 250 Supercross West Champion, now reunited with Kawasaki, Anderson is prepared to repeat his former success and fight for premier class supremacy in both the AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross Championships.

Jason Anderson – Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team

“It’s great to join the Monster Energy Kawasaki race team for 2022. I’m ready to start working with the team to have a successful run right out of the gate when we go racing in January. The bike is proven, and the many accolades of the team speak volumes to what we can achieve together. I’m looking forward to the good times ahead.”

Meanwhile, Cianciarulo hopes to see his record-setting amateur years with the Kawasaki Team Green race team and success underneath the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team awning reach a culmination in 2022 with his goal of championship contention in the upcoming year of premier class racing.

Building from his AMA Pro Motocross Rookie of the Year honors that came along with second place in the 2020 450MX Pro Motocross standings, Cianciarulo led 51 laps during the 2021 season and secured three overall podiums. Cianciarulo now looks to capitalize on a full off-season of development with the team to claim the top step of the podium in 2022.

Adam Cianciarulo – Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team

“I’m ready for the 2022 season. I’ve had a lot of great experiences in my first two seasons with the team. We have made major strides together and are positioned to perform at our very best in this upcoming year of racing. I look forward to continuing to improve and reaching our goals together.”

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2022 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team roster breaks cover

With the 2022 racing season marking nearly three decades of success, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team has revealed five-rider lineup for the upcoming season. The team will field the established Austin Forkner, Cameron McAdoo, Jo Shimoda and 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Rookie of the Year, Seth Hammaker. Kawasaki also welcomes long-time Team Green amateur rising star Jett Reynolds to the fold as he graduates into the pro ranks.

Austin Forkner
Austin Forkner

As one of the most successful teams in the paddock, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki boasts an resume that includes the most combined supercross and motocross wins in the 250 class and 29 total championships.

Mitch Payton – Pro Circuit Owner

“We have a skilled group of riders on the team for the 2022 season. With seasoned riders like Austin, Cameron, and Jo returning, last year’s rookie sensation Seth ready to begin his sophomore season and Jett making his pro debut; we are in a good spot to compete for both 250 West and East Supercross titles. Everyone on the team including riders, staff and personnel, are preparing for the new season to begin and we expect to finish on top of the podium.”

Returning for a seventh season with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki squad in 2022 is Austin Forkner. The 12-time 250 Class race winner has high hopes to return to his winning ways this season after his promising 2021 supercross title campaign was cut short due to injury.

Cameron McAdoo
Cameron McAdoo

McAdoo is also back under the Kawasaki tent for the upcoming season. Coming off a career-best season in 2021 that saw McAdoo collect his first AMA 250 Supercross win, the Iowa native is keen on improving his third-place finish in the Supercross 250 West Championship point standings.

Back for his second year with the Kawasaki team is Shimoda. Building on a stand-out 2021 season, the Japanese-born rider secured a career-first 250SX Class win along with six podiums last season and appears ready to use his experience running up front to mount a championship fight.

Jo Shimoda
Jo Shimoda

Entering his sophomore season, Hammaker returns to the Kawasaki squad with his first career 250SX Class win and three AMA Supercross podiums under his belt. Last year’s rookie stand out heads into the new season with expectations to battle for race wins and podiums.

Seth Hammaker
Seth Hammaker

Making his professional debut with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is Reynolds. Carrying nine AMA Amateur National titles and the 2017 Monster Energy Cup Supermini Class championship, Reynolds is set to make an immediate impact for the team in both series at the beginning of the 2022 season.

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Rallye du Maroc returns in 2021!

With the 2020 edition cancelled due to the global pandemic, it has been two years since the Rallye du Maroc has been held in the Kingdom of His Majesty Mohammed VI. From 7 to 13 October, housed in a bivouac outside Zagora, the race returns to the desert. Hand in hand, the Moroccan authorities, ODC Events and their local partners have put all their energy into making the running of the rally possible.

David Castera

“Each year, the Rallye du Maroc takes on ever more importance in the country. It is no longer simply a case of us organising an event on our own, with permission from the Moroccan authorities. The Rallye du Maroc is now the fruit of a common enterprise, the will and help of the authorities, partners such as Maroc Telecom, Afriquia or OCP, and the tourism industry, right down to the small businesses and service providers who are close to us on the ground, happy and proud to be working again. A strong relationship between us has been forged in this very special context. This edition will be one of resilience for us all.”

Rallye du Maroc Toby Price
Rallye du Maroc 2019 – Toby Price

As a reward for the efforts made over the last few weeks by all involved in resurrecting the Rallye du Maroc, the number of entrants expected at administrative and technical scrutineering on Thursday 7 October will break all records. 160 bikes and 100 cars are expected to arrive at the bivouac in Zagora next week eclipsing previous figures.

All the official teams are present and 27 riders are registered in RallyGP, while there are no less than 99 in Rally2.

In RallyGP, we see the best drivers in the cross-country discipline. KTM’s Matthias Walkner leads the provisional classification of the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and is joined in Morocco by the current FIM World Champion Sam Sunderland, Toby Price and Kevin Benavides.

Yamaha has entered Rally Kazakhstan winner Ross Branch, Adrien Van Beveren and Andrew Short.

Husqvarna, meanwhile, will run machines for Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes, while Daniel Sanders rides for Gas-Gas.

Honda will participate in its first rally of the season with Pablo Quintanilla, Ricky Brabec, Nacho Cornejo and Joan Barreda. Hero will also be present with Franco Caimi, Sebastian Bühler and Joachim Rodrigues, while Sherco lines up with Lorenzo Santolino, Rui Gonçalves and Harith Noah.

Two Juniors will also be in the starting blocks in RallyGP: Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) and Tomas de Gavardo (KTM).

Between the competitors, their entourage and the organisation, the 2021 Rallye du Maroc caravan will number 850 people, housed for almost ten days in the ephemeral bivouac of Zagora.

David Castera

“If I had asked for such a bivouac in France or anywhere else in the world, people would have thought I was insane,. The know-how of the nomads and their capacity to adapt is phenomenal. Nothing is impossible, the answer to every question is always ‘machi moushkil’, literally ‘no problem’. And they always manage to pull it off, sometimes really incredible feats. The Rallye du Maroc no longer simply bears the name of a country, but that of its people, who share with us the values of solidarity and pushing one’s limits that have always been intrinsic to rally-raid.”

2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship Standings

Pos Rider Man. Points
1 Mathias Walkner KTM 58
2 Gregorio Caselani Honda 38
3 Skyler Howes Husqvarna 36
4 Daniel Sanders Gas Gas 33
5 Franco Caimi Hero 32
6 Adrien Van Beveren Yamaha 31
7 Ross Branch Yamaha 25
8 Sebastian Bühler Hero 24
9 Luciano Benavides Husqvarna 24
10 Andrew Short Yamaha 23
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Charlotte Half-Mile set for AFT finale

Following 15 fiercely fought Progressive American Flat Track rounds, the season-ending Honda Charlotte Half-Mile will determine the 2021 Grand National Championship under the lights at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, October 8.

Briar Bauman
Briar Bauman

As they arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina, reigning two-time Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and living legend Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) are separated by just four points. That means both factory Indian stars are in position to secure the 2021 crown from the top step of the podium, simple as that.

It gets a bit more complicated should another rider play the spoiler and steal away the victory. Should that happen, Mees’ slight lead earned on the strength of an active four-race win streak provides him an advantage in that he could still take the title by finishing close behind Bauman on track.

Considering their combined ability, winning percentage, and motivation, it may seem unlikely that another rider is able to elbow ahead with so much on the line, but Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) managed to do just that (twice) in last year’s similarly tight DAYTONA finale.

Jared Mees
Jared Mees

The scenario of a title-shifting upset just became that much more realistic with the news that Jeffrey Carver, Jr. (No. 23 Happy Trails Racing/DPC/KullyCo/Bigelow Indian FTR750) has been added to the entry list. As a reminder, in last year’s late-season battle in Charlotte, Bauman and Mees traded the lead back and forth until privateer Carver shot past them both en route to a huge win. A repeat effort could literally decide which bike the #1 plate is brandished upon in 2022.

The field is stocked with potential spoilers, including Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT).

AFT Singles

The 2021 AFT Singles championship will be determined in Charlotte as well. While there doesn’t appear to be much room for drama as in the premier class, if second-ranked Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) manages to dethrone defending class champ Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), you can bet some serious drama went down.

Max Whale - 2021 AFT Sacramento Mile II
Max Whale – 2021 AFT Sacramento Mile II

With 20 points and the tiebreaker working in his favor, Daniels merely needs to finish 13th or better in the Main even if Australian Whale wins. And if Whale doesn’t win, Daniels doesn’t need to do anything but collect his trophy.

Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) is nearly as safe in third with Daniels’ teammate, Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), 18 points back in fourth.

Last year’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was a classic, with Daniels clinching the title thanks to a last-lap pass for victory over Mischler. Whale finished fourth, just 0.201 seconds back of the win, which sets the table nicely for another spectacular scrap on Friday night.

AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Last season, Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) scored a holeshot-to-checkered flag win in Charlotte. The situation was considerably different, as Texter was desperate just to keep his slim 2020 AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines title hopes alive at the time.

Cory Texter - 2021 AFT Sacramento Mile I
Cory Texter – 2021 AFT Sacramento Mile I

Now he comes into the finale having already locked down a second-career AFT Production Twins championship. That said, Texter is a racer’s racer and one making up for lost time spent as a long-time journeyman pilot. He’s unlikely to lack for motivation even with the title already taken care of.

Meanwhile, AFT Production Twins championship runner-up honors are still up for grabs with Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) nine points up on Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) with one race to go.

The evening also presents one final chance for the likes of Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) and Jesse Janisch (No. 96 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) to get a win before the year is out.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Charlotte Half-Mile will also feature the season finale of Royal Enfield’s hugely popular BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. program and the penultimate round of the innovative Super Hooligan National Championship. BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. showcases the talent, versatility, competitiveness, and enthusiasm of female motorcyclists in its own action-packed style, while the outlaw-minded Super Hooligan series features customized heavy street bikes competing at a road race circuit, a Short Track, a Half-Mile and an asphalt oval to determine the nation’s most all-around skill heavy street bike racer.

The Honda Charlotte HM will also feature all the pomp and circumstance befitting a season finale off the track as well. NASCAR superstar Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will serve as the evening’s Grand Marshal ahead of the weekend’s NASCAR doubleheader at Charlotte Motor Speedway.


Al-Balooshi wins 2021 Qatar International Baja

The UAE’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi sealed outright victory in the motorcycle category of the Qatar International Baja after the third desert selective section that was held in punishing heat on Saturday.

Mohammed Al-Balooshi
Mohammed Al-Balooshi

MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi delivered a polished performance over the closing 249.68km selective section that started at Al-Kharsaah and included a tricky final passage through the sand dunes near the Inland Sea, south of Doha, where temperatures rose into the low forties Centigrade.

He completed the gruelling stage in just under nine minutes shy of five hours to seal a 10min 57sec victory over British youngster Robert Wallace in the motorcycle section. The latter’s consolation was sealing top spot in the FIM Juniors category.

Mohammed Al-Balooshi

“It was a very tough two stages but I am happy that we managed to bring the bike home and win this round of the FIM Bajas World Cup and extend our championship lead. I am a little bit disappointed that Abdullah Abuaisheh could not start because it is good to have your main rival competing. I thank him for letting me use his front wheel. I damaged mine. Now I will go to Portugal for the last round, which is double points. I started off with third in Dubai, a win in Jordan and a win here. But I have a torn ligament in my shoulder. I was nursing it home and managed to win. I probably only rode at 60 or 70%.”

The UK’s Andrew Newland rounded off the podium places and Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Shatti overcame a fall to finish fourth. Richard Dors and Makis Rees-Stavros rode strongly on the final day to snatch fifth and sixth.

Unfortunately, x-rays confirmed Martin Chalmers’s worst fears and the Qatar-based Australian was forced to withdraw from the motorcycle event with two broken ankle bones and ligament damage. It was testament to his determination that he had completed the second stage in first position and managed to put his bike into Parc Ferme to restart, albeit with eight minutes of penalties later added to his time.

2021 Qatar International Baja Results

Pos Rider Nat. Man. Time
1 Mohammed Al-Balooshi ARE KTM 450 RR 9hr 25min 12sec
2 Robert Wallace GBR KTM 450 RR 9hr 36min 09sec
3 Andrew Newland GBR KTM EXC F 10hr 00min 49sec
4 Abdullah Al-Shatti KWT KTM 450 10hr 06min 52sec
5 Richard Dors GBR KTM 450 RR 10hr 41min 19sec
6 Makis Rees-Stavros GBR KTM 450 EXC-F 11hr 03min 04sec
7 Gennadii Korolenko RUS KTM EXC 450 11hr 34min 02sec
8 Edward Lines NZL KTM 450 RFR 11hr 36min 19sec
9 Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani QAT Honda CRF 450 Rally R5 14hr 10min 54sec
10 Kurt Burroughs GBR KTM 450 Rally 14hr 42min 37sec

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News | Vegas to Reno | Short Track | Speedway | Enduro | MX

All ProMX events officially on hold due to national restrictions

The ProMX Management Team has today stated that all remaining ProMX events scheduled are currently on hold due to the current national landscape around COVID-19 State Border Restrictions.

The ProMX Management has added they will continue to work tirelessly on plans to ensure that the remaining rounds of the Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores are run as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. More information will be released to competitors, teams and fans in the coming weeks outlining the remaining rounds of the Championship.

ProMX Management acknowledged how difficult this period is for teams, competitors, and host clubs, thanking them for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.

2021 ProMX Championship on hold due to Covid – Image by RBMotoLens

2021 Penrite ProMX Championship Calendar

Round Date Location Status
Round 5 25-Jul Wodonga, VIC Postponed/On Hold
Round 6 8-Aug QMP, QLD Postponed/On Hold
Round 7 & 8 14-15 August Coolum, QLD Postponed/On Hold
Round 9 & 10 4-5 September Gillman, SA Postponed/On Hold

Vegas to Reno

Ricky Brabec has finished runner up at the 2021 running of the Vegas to Reno event, with the Dalton Shirey and Jacob Argubright duo taking top honours as a team in the longest one-day off-road race held in the United States.

Ricky Brabec – 2021 Vegas to Reno

The 800-kilometre race, which kicked off near bustling Las Vegas, covered part of Nevada’s wild west, passing through mining towns such as Goldfield, Tonopah and Mina before crossing the finish line in Carson City. The race served as a fine day for training and preparation in the build-up to the forthcoming 2022 Dakar Rally.

Ricky Brabec – 2021 Vegas to Reno

Although Ricky had previously won the Vegas to Reno on three occasions, this edition of the arduous race proved to be a hazard-filled slog, as Johnny Campbell – organiser of the team’s logistics – accurately pointed out.

Ricky, who completed the course in less than eight hours, kept up a swift pace in spite of a minor crash early in the competition, with no serious physical consequences, but enough to merit two unplanned stops for the Monster Energy Honda Team rider.

Ricky Brabec – 2021 Vegas to Reno

This effectively ruled out any chances for Brabec – riding the entire race aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY alone – of challenging for the top spot.

Ricky Brabec – P2

“It was a tough race this year in the Las Vegas to Reno. I got away from a good second-placed starting position, but I hit a rock early on and it caused a lot of pain in my foot throughout the rally. I pushed hard the whole race, but I crashed once and had to change the wheel towards the end. I kept my team busy, who supported me through the unexpected setbacks. Congratulations to Dalton and Jake, who rode well. Thanks to the JCR team, Honda, HRC and Monster Energy for their support – I’ll be back next year to reclaim the number 1!”

Ricky Brabec – 2021 Vegas to Reno

2021 Vegas to Reno Rally Results

Pos Rider Man Time
1 Shirey/Argubright Husqvarna 7:44’10
2 Ricky Brabec Honda 7:53’53
3 Hintz/Hunter KTM 8:03’26
4 Zane Roberts Beta 8:07’45
5 Jeff Trulove KTM 8:12’31
6 Joseph Wasson Beta 8:19’35
7 Gregory Pheasant Honda 8:36’17
8 Jim Herrero Yamaha 8:45’13
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2021 AJMX latest victim of Covid with postponement

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club in consultation with Motorcycling Australia, have made the tough decision to postpone the 2021 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships (AJMX) due to COVID-19 pandemic impacting Australia.

KTM AJMX U
2019 KTM AJMX – Image by Aaryn Minerds

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club have put in significant work in recent months to ensure the Championship could go ahead, however with current State Government border restrictions and lockdowns across the nation it is not currently possible to hold the Championships which were to be held at Rockhampton, September 28-October 2.

The event sees the best junior racers from across the country attend the five-day Championships, but the safety of competitors, families, teams, and officials are paramount. The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club thanked riders, families, and event sponsors for their understanding.

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club is monitoring and evaluating the evolving State border restrictions in an attempt to reschedule the Championship with an announcement to follow in the coming weeks.

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Higlett set for AORC return on Beta 430

ISDE Winner and former Australian Off-Road Championship Champion Fraser Higlett will return to AORC aboard his new red beast, the Beta 430 when racing gets back on track.

The 21-year-old Queenslander, who finished third in the E3 class last year is chomping at the bit to get back racing in the national Championship.

Fraser Higlett with his Beta 430

The dream team of Beta and Higlett came together after John Hafey, who previously worked at Husqvarna moved to Beta Motors Australia as the National Sales and Marketing Manager.

Fraser Higlett

“We’ve been together since I started racing and he moved to Beta and the opportunity came up to start a racing team with Beta in Australia, and we made it happen. The bike is awesome I honestly can’t fault anything about it. The thing is unreal. Dead set, I hopped on it with full stock suspension, and I felt comfortable straight away. I’ve never been able to do that straight away on a new bike.”

Higlett has spent the past few months training hard and competing in his state off road series, but it is the AORC where he wants to rumble. He missed the first two rounds of the Championship earlier this year, but is determined to make an impact when the Championship resumes.

Fraser Higlett racing in the QORC

“This year I will be competing in the E2 class on the 430 Beta. I’ve just always sort of liked the 430 in the class which seems to be the obvious choice. The E2 class is a really competitive class in the AORC and we will see where we end up. It’s the first year on a Beta so we are not expecting massive things, but I personally feel there is a lot of potential this year and hopefully we can get on the podium in the AORC E2 class. That would be the ideal goal. Top three in E2 would be an awesome thing for me in the first year on the Beta, that’s what I’m aiming for. We just need this COVID to go away… I’d like to compete in the ISDE again. Beta is a really close-knit supportive family environment and I hope there is an opportunity to go overseas. But first I want to see how I go in Australia and then see what opportunities are available.”

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36 champs crowned at AMA Amateur National MX Championship

The Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship held Aug. 2-7, saw hundreds of the USA’s top motocross racers descend on the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., and when the dust cleared, 33 riders claimed AMA No. 1 plates in 36 classes.

Levi Kitchen

Among them was Yamaha rider Levi Kitchen, who earned AMA championships in 250 Pro Sport and Open Pro Sport, one of the most competitive classes at this year’s event, as well as winning the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award, which is presented annually to the amateur motocross racer with the most promising professional career.

Here’s the full list of winners and their score-cards.

  • Open Pro Sport: Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-1-1)
  • 250 Pro Sport: Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-1-2)
  • 450 B: Chase Prince, Petersburg, Tenn., Honda (3-1-1)
  • 450 B Limited: Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu, Ariz., Husqvarna (1-3-2)
  • 450 C: Brennan Schofield, Canada, Yamaha (3-2-5)
  • 250 B: Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Yamaha (1-1-1)
  • 250 B Limited: Matti Jorgensen Jr., Pompano, Fla., KTM (2-3-1)
  • 250 C: Brandon Bollino, Essex, Ill., Yamaha (2-2-1)
  • 250 C Limited: Nico Long, Scottsdale, Ariz., KTM (1-1-2)
  • 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited: Gabe Holland, Winterville, Ga., KTM (1-1-2)
  • Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C: Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna (1-2-2)
  • Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C: Caden Braswell, Shalimar, Fla., KTM (5-2-1)
  • 125 C: Keegan Rowley, Channahon, Ill., KTM (3-1-1)
  • Women: Sophia Phelps, St. George, Utah, Kawasaki (2-1-1)
  • Supermini 1 (12-15): Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., KTM (1-1-1)
  • Supermini 2 (13-16): Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill., Kawasaki (4-2-2)
  • 65cc (7-9): Elliott Bowsher, Cornelius, Ohio, GASGAS (2-1-1)
  • 65cc (10-11): Vincent Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna (3-1-1)
  • 85cc (10-12): Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (1-1-1)
  • Girls (11-16): Kyleigh Stallings, Austin, Texas, Husqvarna (1-1-1)
  • 125cc (12-17) B/C: Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna (2-1-1)
  • College (18-24): Justin Cokinos, Hanover, Mass., GASGAS (1-2-2)
  • Junior (25+): Heath Harrison, Salisbury, N.C., Honda (1-2-2)
  • Vet (30+): Broc Peterson, Delta, Ohio, (1-1-2)
  • Senior (40+): Edward Walston, Pinetops, N.C., KTM (2-3-1)
  • Senior (45+): Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., Husqvarna (1-1-1)
  • Masters (50+): Keith Johnson, Carver, Mass., Kawasaki (2-1-1)
  • Mini-E (4-6) Jr.: Talon Hinson, Clovis, Calif., KTM (1-2-2)
  • 51cc (4-6) Shaft Dr. LTD: Carter Schutte, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (1-1-1)
  • 51cc (4-6) Limited: Kannon Zabojnik, Rowlett, Texas, Cobra (1-1-3)
  • 51cc (7-8) Limited: Sawyer Gieck, Alpine, Wyo., Cobra (2-1-1)
  • 65cc (7-9) Limited: Tayce Morgan, Lehi, Utah, GASGAS (1-2-5)
  • 65cc (10-11) Limited: Carson Wood, Zephyrhills, Fla., GASGAS (2-1-1)
  • 85cc (10-12) Limited: Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, KTM (2-2-1)
  • Mini Sr. 1 (12-14): Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (3-2-2)
  • Mini Sr. 2 (13-15): Thomas Wood, Cairo, Ga., KTM (1-2-1)
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Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing re-signs Jeremy Martin

Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. has confirmed that Jeremy Martin will return with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team for the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season.

Jeremy Martin winning in Washougal

The two-time 250MX Champion returned to the team this season and has shown strength as a title contender and a lot of perseverance coming back from injuries. He boasts back-to-back overall victories in the 250 class and looks to keep building on his success with the team.

Jeremy Martin – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“I’m really excited to be back with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing for 2022. I haven’t had the year I was hoping for, so I’m very grateful to do what I love and have another opportunity to race my butt off for some championships next year. The team and I have had a lot of success together over the years, and we look to build on that.”


2021 Australian Senior Track championship moved to Queensland, October 2-3

Due to COVID-19 State border restrictions the 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships have been moved to the weekend of October 2 and 3, at Mick Doohan Raceway, Banyo, Queensland.

Mildura Solar Australian Senior Track Championships
2019 Australian Senior Track Championships

The Championship were scheduled for September 4 and 5, however due to extended State lockdowns and border restrictions the event has now been moved. The North Brisbane Junior MCC will host the Championships with a full fields of 10 Championship classes expected following the success of the Track Championships held at Tamworth, NSW earlier this year.

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 earlier this year 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 swept the competition in the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes.

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2021 Australian Junior Track joins Covid postponements

The Gunnedah Motorcycle Club have been forced to postpone the 2021 Australian Junior Track Championship due to COVID-19 border closures and restrictions.

Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship Somersby
Australian Junior Track Championship

The championship was slated to be held September 17 and 18, however with current border restrictions and their impact on riders and family’s ability to attend the Championship, the tough decision has been made to postpone the two-day championship. The Gunnedah Motorcycle Club and Motorcycling Australia are currently working together to find an alternative date to allow the Championship to run, with further information to follow in the next week.


2021 Australian Trial Championship postponed

Due to the COVID-19 border restrictions and State lockdowns the 2021 Australian Trial Championship, which were to be held in Queensland, October 2-3 at the Western District Trials Club, have been postponed.

Australian Trial Championship
Australian Trial Championship

With nation-wide State border restrictions and lockdowns continuing the Western District Trials Club, for the health and safety of competitors and officials, have decided to postpone the Championship. An alternative date is being sought.

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Barcia and Mosiman miss Unadilla due to injuries

GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia did not line up at the Unadilla MX National laast weekend after suffering a big practice crash during the recent break from racing. His 250MX teammate, Michael Mosiman, also endured a practice crash during the time off and will joined Barcia on the sidelines.

Barcia, Round 6 overall winner in the 450MX class, suffered a pretty big crash last week during a routine practice session. After consulting with his doctor, the New York native took the rest of this week off and will be re-assessing for future races.

Justin Barcia

“I’m definitely disappointed to say I won’t be heading to Unadilla this weekend – I’m a New York guy and it’s one of my favorite races – but I want to make sure I’m going there to win and if I’m not able to do that, I need to take my time and get back to 100%. I’m definitely going to miss the whole team there, all the supportive fans and of course being on the gate and racing for those wins but I’ll see everyone very soon.”

Barcia celebrating winning Round 6 prior to his injury

As for Mosiman, the 250MX class front-runner experienced a separate practice crash while preparing for the Unadilla National. Despite being pretty banged up, Mosiman hopes to return to racing at Budds Creek for Round 9.

Michael Mosiman

“I am super bummed that I’m not going to be able to race Unadilla, I was looking forward to it and felt really good. I feel like I’ve got a lot of momentum at my back right now but I’m going to take the time to heal up 100% and be right so I can race at the front of the pack. I’ve already missed a race and I’m out for the championship so it’s better for me to race at 100% than to go and try to salvage at less than that. We’ll come back stronger hopefully very soon.”

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Zmarzlik makes the Swedish SGP win number four in 2021

World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik overcome his early setup struggles to claim his fourth FIM Speedway Grand Prix win of 2021 at the Swedish SGP in Malilla on Saturday. The Pole collected five race points in his opening four heats to leave himself at risk of a disastrous exit before the semi-finals.

But Zmarzlik won his final heat, his semi and then the final, which saw him defeat Artem Laguta and home hero Fredrik Lindgren to top the podium and extend his SGP World Championship advantage over Laguta to three-points.

Riders were forced to get to grips with changing track conditions following heavy rain in the afternoon. Zmarzlik admits he and his team worked hard in the pits to perfect their bike setup, and he was delighted to get it right when it mattered most to follow up his Malilla triumph in 2017.

Bartosz Zmarzlik

“I am very happy because it was the second time I have won in Malilla. For me it is unbelievable. I love racing here. The start of the meeting was not so easy for me. It was very hard to find the setups. In every ride, I changed something – the ignition, jets and sprockets; every time it was different. I feel for my fifth race it was a little bit better. I changed it for the semi-final and had good speed. Before the final, I changed it again, but only a little bit. Then it was good. But I am very happy with today’s result – I won and I did everything I could. Again it was a good night, but now I am focused on the next round. Keep your fingers crossed for Togliatti and I will see you soon.”

Bartosz Zmarzlik tops the Swedish SGP podium from Artem Laguta and Fredrik Lindgren
Bartosz Zmarzlik tops the Swedish SGP podium from Artem Laguta and Fredrik Lindgren

Zmarzlik will be keen to continue his incredible form at the Togliatti SGP on August 28, but his nearest rival Laguta will also have his sights set on a big night in his home country.

The Russian-born rider topped the heat score chart with 14 race points tonight, but Zmarzlik got the better of him when it mattered most in the final to take 20 championship points, leaving Laguta with 18. Zmarzlik leads the standings on 121, with Laguta close behind on 118. The world #7 was still pleased with his night in Sweden, though.

Artem Laguta

“It’s an absolutely great feeling to be in the top three and drinking the champagne – it’s something special. I am very happy about that. It was a tough competition and I knew it was going to be very tough in Malilla. After the first race, we swapped the bike and that was a good choice. We worked hard to get the best speed from the bike. The whole team put a lot of effort in and the bike was working very well. Bartek and I are so very close and we know it’s going to be a fight until the end. There is no room for mistakes. I will be focused with the whole team to score as many points as we can, to get the best speed from the bikes and to get to finals. That’s the major thing. Thank you to my team and my sponsors. I am very happy and I will see you in Togliatti!”

Third-placed Lindgren was content with his night, but admits top two Zmarzlik and Laguta have too much speed for the competition currently.

Fredrik Lindgren – P3

“I feel pretty good. I think I executed this meeting really well. I was feeling fast all night. It was just a shame I couldn’t make it happen in the final. Again, Zmarzlik and Artem Laguta were too strong. Congratulations to both of them. They are one step ahead of the rest of us at the moment. I finished in third place, but overall I am very happy. I wish I could have won. It didn’t happen this time. But I thought I rode really well in pretty tough conditions early on after the rain.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News | MXGP | Lima Half Mile | Snowshoe GNCC | ProMX | EnduroGP

Webster to move up to MX1 with Honda Racing Australia in 2022

Kyle Webster has signed a long-term contract with Honda Racing Australia, which will see the current MX2 points leader move up to the MX1 class from 2022.

Kyle Webster

“It’s a dream to race for Factory Honda and I am proud to extend my relationship with them long-term. Honda continues to prove they have race and championship winning bikes, the new CRF450R has already won a World Championship so I am pumped to move into the MX1. We have come close, but I haven’t won it. This is my first full season of racing with Factory Honda and so far, things are going to plan. We will keep our heads down and maintain our focus for the rest of the season. We have a great program this year, we are winning races and I am working hard to keep that momentum going. There are 10 moto’s to go so I am focusing on each race as it comes, as moto two on the weekend was certainly a reminder of the unpredictability of the sport.”

Kyle Webster – Image by RBMotoLens

Webster has endured his fair share of ups and downs throughout his career, where an overall National MX2 Championship has eluded him thus far. With a 34 point lead in the current MX2 Championship after three rounds, Webster isn’t ready to let his guard down just yet.

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Capricorn X-Treme takes over as AHEC Round 3

Grassroots Enduro Australia has replaced the postponed Tasmanian Insane Ride Event with the Capricorn X-Treme as Round 3 of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship, after Covid restrictions prevented almost half of the 220-rider line-up from attending the event.

The Capricorn X-Treme is located in Mount Morgan, just 30 kms from the city of Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia and will be held this weekend, July 3-4.

Day One will feature an eight-kilometre track for the prologue for all classes, with the Juniors racing a two and a half hour hard enduro to complete the day. Day Two will feature a 45 km track, where the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ladies classes will battle the terrain and elements during a four-hour hard enduro event. A pony express format means riders can do as many laps as they like with the allocated time, with completing a third lap seen as a pretty big challenge.

Victorian-based Wade Ibraham and Chris Perry are travelling 3800 km to defend their first and third places respectively, while Queensland’s Ruben Chadwick will be defending his second place in the championship.


Australian National Classic & Post Classic MX Championships postponed

The Heaven VMX hosted 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships, set for July has been postponed due to concerns around COVID-19 in NSW and the ensuing lockdown.

Pre 1995 Class to be recognised in Post Classic Motocross and Dirt Track Racing for 2018
Post Classic Motocross

New Championship dates will be announced shortly. All current entries will carry forward to the new dates. If once the new dates are announced, if any entrant is unable to attend, a full refund will be provided.


Gillman to host ProMX Final in September

The ProMX Round 3 at Gillman which was postponed from May 30 due to the SA Government border restrictions will not be possible on the tentative rescheduled date due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Sydney.

ProMX in consultation with host club – Motocross Riders Association (MRA), have revealed a new date of Sunday September 5, for this  round of ProMX in South Australia. Further communication to advise teams and riders about Gillman round entries will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Silk Way Rally 2021 at a glance

After the opening round in Kazakhstan, the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship moves east with the second round starting in the Siberian city of Omsk. The route crosses Mongolia from west to east over a course of 5,000km, including more than 3,000km in special stages through Siberian forests, across mountainous plateaux, steppes and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, before reaching Ulan Bator on July 11.

Silk Way Rally Stage barreda
Silk Way Rally

This is the first day of the traditional Mongolian festival of Naadam and a national holiday in the ‘Land of the Blue Sky’. Twenty-four riders, including 10 in RallyGP are scheduled to attend administration and technical checks in Omsk on June 30 and July 1.

Amongst them is the Yamaha team of recent Kazakhstan Rally winner Ross Branch, from Botswana, and his team-mates Adrien van Beveren and Andrew Short.

Sam Sunderland (KTM) was injured after a violent crash on the last day in Kazakhstan and he misses out on this occasion, with KTM fielding only one motorcycle for the Austrian rider Matthias Walkner.

Team Husqvarna has entered both Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes, while Daniel Sanders will ride in the colours of the GasGas team.

Sanders will be jumping in at the deep end of rally competition, the Silk Way represents just his fourth competitive rally outing. Signing for GASGAS Factory Racing earlier this year following a stand-out ride at the Dakar, the 26-year-old will be looking to continue gaining more experience, and work on his speed and navigation skills as he takes on the grueling 10-day event.

Daniel Sanders

“I’m really looking forward to the Silk Way Rally, it’s definitely looking like it’s going to be hard, both physically and mentally. I’ve been getting in the miles since Kazakhstan, so I’m really happy with how the bike feels and I think we’re in a good place with the settings heading into this second round of the championship. Looking at the terrain it really does look like a real mixture, and the stages are long – even when the specials aren’t too bad, there is often some lengthy liaisons to cover, and that can really prove tiring. My strength is definitely racing in sand, so I hope we see plenty of that when we hit Mongolia. Up to then, my plan is to get through the first week safely and then push on towards the end. With the added points awarded at this race, it’s important to get a good safe finish, so that’s my number one goal.”

Daniel Sanders

Hero continues with the three-rider line-up of Franco Caimi, Joachim Rodrigues and the young Sebastian Bühler.

Among the 14 Rally2 riders are Carlo Cabini (Honda) and the returning Aldo Wrinkler (KTM), who has been absent from the rally scene for many years and will accompany his son Andrea on the Silk Way Rally adventure.


Cairoli bounces back to MXGP of Great Britain win

The MXGP of Great Britain saw rain forecasted for the entire day, but this did not stop a healthy crowd of British fans from making the trip to Matterley Basin to enjoy some of the most exciting racing of the season so far.

In MXGP all eyes were on Antonio Cairoli who bounced back in incredible fashion, following an unlucky GP in Orlyonok, going 1-3 in the races to secure his sixth GP win in Matterley Basin. Joining him on the podium was Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings who put together another solid day to get himself on the podium.

Antonio Cairoli

MXGP

In the opening heat it was Jorge Prado who grabbed the Fox Holeshot with Jeremy Seewer and Cairoli closely behind. Though Cairoli wasted no time as he jumped into the lead, while Gajser was fighting further down the order.

Jorge Prado

On the opening lap it was Cairoli, Prado, Glenn Coldenhoff of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing and Herlings, with Seewer, Gajser and Pauls Jonass just behind.

A few laps later, Gajser had managed to get around Seewer and was closing in on the back of Herlings, while Seewer was coming under more pressure from Jonass. And so was his teammate Coldenhoff, who lost two positions in one lap to Herlings and Gajser as the pair went after Cairoli and Prado.

Arminas Jasikonis

On his return to MXGP racing, Arminas Jasikonis had a tough opening heat, as he eventually pulled into the pits to retire from the race.

With 2 laps to go Cairoli stretched out his lead to 8.731 seconds over Prado, with Herlings, Gajser and Coldenhoff completing the top 5, as Romain Febvre from Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team chased down Jonass.

Romain Febvre

In the end it was Cairoli who secured his first race win of 2021, with Prado second and Herlings third.

In race two it was Febvre who grabbed the second Fox Holeshot, though much like in the opening heat, Cairoli was quick to get out in front.

The opening lap was exciting, with Prado taking the lead from Cairoli and then Febvre doing the same as Gajser got himself up into third.

Antonio Cairoli

Seewer then lost a position to Herlings who took 5th from the Swiss. Prado also lost another position, this time to Gajser as he got up into second and then it was game on as the Slovenian rode patiently behind Febvre for most of the race.

Gajser worked away at the gap lap by lap and towards the end of the race he was right on Febvre’s tail. Cairoli kept up with the leaders and at one point it looked like both Gajser and Cairoli were in for the chance of stealing the race win from Febvre.

Romain Febvre

The last two laps of the heat were intense, as Gajser and Febvre traded positions, with Gajser eventually able to make a pass on the Frenchman stick, on the final lap, and edge out slightly to take the chequered flag.

Cairoli topped the podium, with Gajser second and Herlings third. Febvre ended up fourth overall just 2 points off the podium.

Jeffrey Herlings

Heading into the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Tim Gajser continues to lead with 93 points, as Jeffrey Herlings sits second in the championship standings just 15 points behind and Romain Febvre is third a further 5 points back.

Antonio Cairoli – P1

“Actually, I enjoyed race two more because it was nice with all the passing, and it was nice to be back battling. In the first race I had a really good start and immediately after a few corners I made my way into first place and then pushed as fast as I can. Of course, I was disappointed with last week. I was really not happy about this mistake; we lost a lot of points but of course today was very good and I really enjoyed the track. I ran short of breath during the second race in the last 4 laps, the guys were pushing hard. It was easy to make a mistake, so I thought let’s bring it home and make this 93rd GP victory happen.”

Antonio Cairoli

Tim Gajser – P2

“I always enjoy coming to England and racing here at Matterley Basin. The weather meant that they didn’t rip the track so much, so in the first moto there weren’t many lines and it wasn’t easy to pass on so I just had to settle for a fourth place. I felt I could have challenged for the lead but I didn’t want to push too hard and I thought that in race two it would be easier. I got a better start in second race and although there was a lot of passing and action going on, I stayed calm and focused on finding good lines and working my way to the front. When I was in second place, I couldn’t stay too close to the leader for a long time because the roost was hard and I wanted to make sure I had clear vision for near the end of the race. When I saw the two-lap board come out, I knew a couple of places where I could make my move and on the last lap I used a really good outside line and took the lead. I’m really happy with how I’m riding and how everyone in the team is working together to improve each weekend. I can’t wait for Maggiora and I hope to continue this run of results. A big thank you to everyone!”

Jeffrey Herlings – P3

“It’s our goal this year. We used to go out and try to win but I just want to be on the podium, and it has shown in the past that when you are on the podium almost every weekend you can keep close to the championship. First race was alright, the second race same, nothing impressive, I just don’t have the speed yet, I can do a good lap, but I still struggle with race speed. I’m not far off but I don’t want to throw it away in the beginning. I just want to keep racing and get better and improve week by week.”

Jeffrey Herlings

Romain Febvre – P4

“A lot of guys were fast today and with a bad start in the first race it was not so easy to come back through the pack; my jump out of the gate was good but I was maybe too far inside and after the first corner I was outside the top ten. I came back strongly to seventh, but then the speed was similar with my rivals and it wasn’t possible to make the difference. I changed my gate pick for the second race and my start was much better as I got the holeshot and for sure that made life much easier! There was one section on the track where I didn’t find the best line; that is where Tim passed me as I didn’t know which one he would choose. We exchanged the lead several times during the last two laps and in the end he won; it’s always frustrating to lead all the race apart from the last two laps but that’s it; we’ll continue to work before Maggiora next weekend.”

Jorge Prado – P5

“Today was good in some ways but a bit negative with that second moto. I was struggling with the track from the morning and how flat it was. I knew the start would be important for me. I had the holeshot but made a small mistake and Tony came past. That was actually pretty good because he was riding really well: I could stay behind him and he pulled me along. Physically I felt strong in the second moto, which is positive for the next few races, but I didn’t have the feeling with the bike or the set-up. It was too difficult for me to turn, open the gas and go with the others when they were full-on. I was too slow, even taking some risks. So, we need to look at that. We will keep working. It will come. I’m in the right place.”

Jorge Prado

MXGP of Great Britain Overall Results

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 25 20 45
2 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 18 25 43
3 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KTM 20 18 38
4 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 14 22 36
5 Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 22 14 36
6 Jonass, Pauls LAT GAS 15 15 30
7 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 13 16 29
8 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED YAM 16 12 28
9 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 10 11 21
10 Lupino, Alessandro ITA KTM 12 8 20
11 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL BET 6 13 19
12 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN HUS 7 9 16
13 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED YAM 4 10 14
14 Strijbos, Kevin BEL YAM 9 5 14
15 Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM 11 2 13
16 Bogers, Brian NED GAS 8 4 12
17 Sterry, Adam GBR KTM 3 6 9
18 Jacobi, Henry GER HON 0 7 7
19 Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 5 0 5
20 Van doninck, Brent BEL YAM 0 3 3
21 Östlund, Alvin SWE YAM 2 0 2
22 Locurcio, Lorenzo VEN KTM 0 1 1
23 Guillod, Valentin SUI YAM 1 0 1

MXGP Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 93
2 Herlings, J. NED KTM 78
3 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 73
4 Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 65
5 Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 61
6 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 60
7 Lupino, A. ITA KTM 54
8 Jonass, Pauls LAT GAS 50
9 Olsen, T. DEN HUS 43
10 Coldenhoff, G. NED YAM 42
11 Van Horebeek, J. BEL BET 39
12 Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM 31
13 Vlaanderen, C. NED YAM 29
14 Strijbos, K. BEL YAM 28
15 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 22
16 Van doninck, B. BEL YAM 21
17 Tixier, Jordi FRA KTM 19
18 Sterry, Adam GBR KTM 17
19 Östlund, Alvin SWE YAM 16
20 Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 14
21 Bogers, Brian NED GAS 12
22 Jacobi, Henry GER HON 7
23 Watson, Nathan GBR HON 4
24 Locurcio, L. VEN KTM 3
25 Brylyakov, V. MFR HON 2
26 Guillod, V. SUI YAM 1

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Todd Wilson eighth in British MXGP – Beaton 12th

In MX2, Maxime Renaux was determined to make up for lost ground in Orlyonok and he did just that with a win and a second to secure his career second overall victory.

Mattia Guadagnini placed second overall during what was his second Grand Prix as a factory KTM rider and Ruben Fernandez continued his podium streak to finish third.

MX2

In race one, it was Renaux who took the Fox Holeshot as he edged out ahead of Isak Gifting and Mathys Boisrame. Thibault Benistant was keen to move forward as he got himself into third, with Jed Beaton getting off to a fantastic start in fourth as he pushed Benistant.

Maxime Renaux

Meanwhile Geerts struggled down the order as he was 12th, though he managed to get back up into 7th by the end of the race.

Benistant remained one of the fastest riders out on track as he was pushing to catch Boisrame and Renaux, while also fending off Beaton. Beaton then crashed out of 4th and eventually came into pitlane before retiring from the heat.

Mattia Guadagnini

Benistant then crashed also, dropping from 3rd to 5th. At that point Renaux had pretty much controlled the race but things got interesting behind him as Fernandez and Guadagnini were having a strong fight for third.

Guadagnini was applying the pressure as he clocked fast laps, lap after lap, though Fernandez was able to respond and that’s when the pair caught up with Boisrame who was second. Fernandez went after Boisrame and was able to make a pass on the corner before the finish line, for the perfect photo finish.

Mathys Boisrame

Renaux was the race winner, with Fernandez and Boisrame 2nd and 3rd.

In race 2, it was Simon Laengenfelder who secured the Fox Holeshot. Though he didn’t hold the lead for long as Guadagnini and Rene Hofer were quick to jump into P1 and P2. Fernandez didn’t have the best start as he began the race in 11th.

Mattia Guadagnini

Guadagnini then edged out from the rest of the field as Boisrame went after Hofer with the pair having a close battle. Hofer did a great job of fending off the Frenchman, though some laps later Boisrame was able to find a way through into P2, before making a mistake and crashing. He re-joined to eventually finish in 7th.

Jago Geerts was another rider to crash and had to restart from the back.

Race 1 winner, Renaux was keen on getting back in the action and chase a podium spot as he worked his way up the order as he caught up with Roan Van De Moosdijk and then Hofer.

Roan van de Moosdijk

5.929 seconds separated Renaux from Guadagnini, as Geerts finally found his way up into the points. And as Renaux was looking like he was working away at the gap to the race leader, Guadagnini responded quickly to keep the gap healthy.

In the end it was the #101 of Guadagnini who won his first ever MX2 race, while Renaux was second and Hofer third.

Maxime Renaux

A 1-2 result gave Renaux the overall win, while Guadagnini got his first taste of a World Championship Podium and Fernandez made it two in a row with a 3rd overall.

With Tom Vialle not lining up for today’s races due to injury sustained during the week, Ruben Fernandez has taken the championship lead, five-points ahead of Maxime Renaux who is second and Mathys Boisrame who sits third on the same points (74).

Maxime Renaux – P1

“I had really good races, we worked with the team to make progress on the starts, and I actually took the Fox Holeshot in race one so I’m happy about that. I had some consistent races, so I’m very happy about the weekend.”

Maxime Renaux

Mattia Guadagnini – P2

“It’s amazing. I just felt really good and really enjoyed racing here, really like the track and also good feeling on the bike, didn’t’ get the best time this morning but I did a good start and first race. I know the start is important and I took a good start, I was second and passed for the lead in the first lap. I just enjoyed the racing, I made my race, and I got the win, so I’m really happy about that. It was an amazing weekend.”

Mattia Guadagnini

Ruben Fernandez – P3

“I’m happy. To get the red plate is just awesome. I didn’t expect it so just to have it is unbelievable. The day started well with pole position, but I made my races really difficult with two bad starts. In the first race I was able to get second place after a last corner pass on Mathys Boisrame and also, I had a good battle with Mattia Guadagnini and I felt the pressure from behind so I knew I had to push. In race two, was difficult with the start and then I made a mistake on the first lap. I got sixth in the second race, and I was expecting more. It was a tough day but I am on the podium and with the red plate so just have to keep working.”

Mathys Boisrame – P4

“I took a great start in the first moto and rode a strong race but at the end I lost a position in the last corner. I had a good start in the second race too but I made a small mistake which cost me several positions and a podium result. I tried to pass Hofer for many laps but there were not so many ruts as usual so it was difficult to pass him quickly and then I made that mistake after passing him. My riding was good but I am still making little mistakes; I learnt that again today but the final result is not so bad. I got good starts and the bike is really strong so now I must avoid those mistakes and continue to work.”

Mathys Boisrame

Roan van de Moosdijk – P5

“My reaction at the gate was not good in the first race so I got closed down and I didn’t really find my rhythm all moto. I went a bit more outside on the gate for race two, got a better start and could turn better at the first corner. I could follow the leaders but it’s never easy to pass here so I’m satisfied with my result in the end. I was involved in a crash with another rider during the week but luckily I only had a little muscle pain from it and the physio confirmed everything is OK. I never raced Maggiora where we race next weekend but of course I know my home GP track at Oss where we go two weeks later; I raced many times there in the Dutch championship and I did some tests there earlier this year so I’m really excited about that GP.”

Wilson Todd – P8

“Eighth overall for the British GP, slowly getting back up to speed and fitness. Hopefully start a little further up the field in coming weeks!

Wilson Todd

Jed Beaton – P12

“As soon as I went out for the first lap in practice I felt great on my bike. I loved the track and then in race one things were going really good. I got into fourth and was just biding my time, finding some good lines and letting the track dry out before making a charge. Unfortunately, I caught a bump wrong and had a pretty big crash. I hit my head and my bike was too bent up to continue. It’s a real shame as up until that point I felt awesome out there. In race two I lined up to give it a good go and finished eighth. Not where we want to be but it’s early in the season and there’s a long way to go. My starts were good so despite the crash there are some positives to take away from this weekend.”

Jed Beaton

MX2 of Great Britain Overall Results

Pos Rider Nat. Bike R1 R2 Total
1 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 25 22 47
2 Guadagnini, Mattia ITA KTM 18 25 43
3 Fernandez, Ruben ESP HON 22 15 37
4 Boisrame, Mathys FRA KAW 20 14 34
5 Van De Moosdijk, Roan NED KAW 13 18 31
6 Laengenfelder, Simon GER GAS 15 16 31
7 Benistant, Thibault FRA YAM 16 12 28
8 Todd, Wilson AUS KAW 11 10 21
9 Hofer, Rene AUT KTM 0 20 20
10 Boegh Damm, Bastian DEN KTM 10 5 15
11 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 14 0 14
12 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 0 13 13
13 de Wolf, Kay NED HUS 6 6 12
14 Haarup, Mikkel DEN KAW 12 0 12
15 Gifting, Isak SWE GAS 0 11 11
16 Adamo, Andrea ITA GAS 3 8 11
17 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 4 7 11
18 Hammal, Taylor GBR KAW 9 1 10
19 Rubini, Stephen FRA HON 0 9 9
20 Dickinson, Ashton GBR KTM 7 2 9
21 Sandner, Michael AUT KTM 8 0 8
22 Florian, Lion GER KTM 5 0 5
23 Facchetti, Gianluca ITA HON 0 4 4
24 Pancar, Jan SLO KTM 1 3 4
25 Polak, Petr CZE YAM 2 0 2

MX2 Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Fernandez, R. ESP HON 79
2 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 74
3 Boisrame, M. FRA KAW 74
4 Van De Moosdijk, R. NED KAW 67
5 Guadagnini, M. ITA KTM 66
6 Hofer, Rene AUT KTM 54
7 Laengenfelder, S. GER GAS 53
8 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 50
9 Benistant, T. FRA YAM 48
10 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 37
11 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 33
12 Todd, Wilson AUS KAW 33
13 Pancar, Jan SLO KTM 26
14 Adamo, Andrea ITA GAS 26
15 Haarup, Mikkel DEN KAW 24
16 de Wolf, Kay NED HUS 23
17 Boegh Damm, B. DEN KTM 20
18 Rubini, S. FRA HON 19
19 Florian, Lion GER KTM 13
20 Gifting, Isak SWE GAS 12
21 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 11
22 Hammal, Taylor GBR KAW 10
23 Dickinson, A. GBR KTM 9
24 Sandner, M. AUT KTM 8
25 Teresak, Jakub CZE KTM 5
26 Facchetti, G. ITA HON 4
27 Brumann, Kevin SUI YAM 3
28 Polak, Petr CZE YAM 2
29 Petrashin, T. MFR KTM 1
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Moto News | Ruprecht tops EnduroGP D2 | Whale wins OKC Mile II

Team Australia now taking MXoN applications

In 2021 Montova, Italy will play host to the year’s edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN). Commencing on 26th September, Motorcycling Australia (MA) has called for all interested competitors to submit their applications to join Team Australia.

MXoN Multiple Kyle Webster JB MXON
Kyle Webster – Team Australia – 2019 MXoN

There are three classes available for riders to nominate for: MX1, MX2 and Open. Riders are advised that they can nominate for more than one class. Applications must be submitted by no later than COB Friday 16th July.

If you’re interested in being selected as part of the team grab the application form here (link).

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Zach Osborne out till 2022 for extended recovery

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team have confirmed that reigning 450MX Champion Zach Osborne will miss the remainder of the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in order to fully recover from an ongoing back injury.

Zach Osborne will now be out of action until 2022

Osborne, who sustained the back injury mid-way through the 2021 AMA Supercross Championship, worked hard to get himself ready for the opening round of the outdoor season but he unfortunately re-injured himself at the second round in Colorado. Upon further review with the team, Osborne made the tough decision to sit out the rest of the season to fully recover for 2022.

Zach Osborne

“I’m bummed to say the least. This injury has been a big setback with no clear path to 100% but I feel I’m on a good path now and I just need to give my body the time to heal itself. Myself, along with the team, made the decision to pull the plug and be ready for 2022. It was a tough decision in an already-trying year but I believe I can be back to 2020 form with this time away to heal up. Thanks to my team and fans for the support through this!”

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team will return to racing this Saturday, June 19 in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.


Jonte Reynders dominates Bakers Beach Tasmanian Enduro

Sherco hotshot Jonte Reynders has completed an ideal build-up for the 2021 Hattah Desert Race by dominating the latest round of the Tasmanian enduro series at Bakers Beach, north-east of Launceston, on July 19.

The 24-year-old was a class above on his Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team 300 SE Factory two-stroke, easily winning the three-hour event ahead of great rivals Kyron Bacon and Seton Broomhall – even after an extra fuel stop!

Jonte Reynders

“I’m rapt with the result on a circuit that was quite difficult, but I made it a little hard for myself – just when I had a decent lead I made a silly mistake of refuelling when I didn’t need to. So I topped up the 300 Factory three times instead of two, which obviously cost me a fair bit of time. But I was able to regroup and take a strong win to extend my lead in the series.”

Jonte Reynders

Five rounds remain in the state title, but Reynders’ focus will now switch to the mainland for the Hattah Desert from July 2-4 where he will be one of the favourites in the open two-stroke class.

He’ll have some exalted guest company in the Pirelli Motul Sherco Racing Team: Ben Grabham – fresh from his two-stroke-winning heroics at the 2021 Finke Desert Race – on a 450 SEF Factory and Justin Carafa on a 500 SEF Factory.

Nathan Trigg, who lives just up the road from the Hattah epicentre at Ouyen, will also be looking to bounce back from his knee-twisting prologue crash at Finke, which put him out of the main game. Trigg rides a Mallee Motorcycles-backed 450 SEF Factory.

The circuit is 37km long, with the senior riders to complete eight laps.

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Daniel Sanders and GasGas ready for Silk Way Rally 2021

The 11th edition of the Silk Way Rally will get underway in less than one month. Setting off from Omsk (Russia), the second town of the Urals, on 1 July, the race will feature 10 varied and technical stages. Crossing Siberia before traversing Mongolia from West to East, the event passes through the famous Gobi Desert before reaching Ulaanbaatar on 11 July.

Silk Way Rally Stage barreda
Silk Way Rally 2019

A total of 5250 km, of which more than 2850 are against the clock, offering the perfect mix of technical difficulty, variety and scenic beauty. From the Altai Mountains to the capital of Mongolia via the Gobi Desert and the endless Mongolian steppes, the 2021 edition of the Silk Way Rally will be quite simply exceptional.

Two years after Sam Sunderland (KTM) in the bikes, who will be the new white tigers to go down in the Silk Way Rally history books at the end of this incredible journey in the land of Genghis Khan?

For its second edition with a bike category, the Silk Way Rally 2021 has once again attracted the major factory teams on what is one of the highlights of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. This second round will benefit from a 1.5 coefficient thanks to its status as a marathon event with over six days of racing.

Silk Way Rally Stage Sam Sunderland
Sam Sunderland – Silk Way Rally 2019

The titleholder, the British rider Sam Sunderland, Dakar winner in 2017, will defend the colours of Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing alongside his Austrian teammate Matthias Walkner.

Their sister team Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing will enter the Argentinian Luciano Benavides and their latest recruit, the American Skyler Howes, one of the revelations of the last Dakar.

Another rider to make a splash in Saudi Arabia with his fourth place, the Australian Daniel Sanders will have the honour of flying the flag for GasGas Factory Racing.

Daniel Sanders

Over at the Monster Yamaha Rallye Team, the Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren will be accompanied by another recent revelation, the Botswanan Ross Branch and ex-Supercross Champion, the American Andrew Short.

The Hero Motorsports team will be pinning their hopes on an eclectic trio of Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodriguez, the Argentinian Franco Caimi and the young German Sebastian Bühler.

The quad category is also back on this 11th Silk Way Rally and promises us a splendid duel between the ever young, five times world champion and ex-Dakar winner, the Pole Rafal Sonic and the Russian Alexander Maksimov, both riding Yamaha Raptor 700s.

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Herlings on form at Arnhem International

Jeffrey Herlings took the two moto wins over the weekend at the Arnhem International in Holland to claim the overall from Brian Bogers and Max Nagle, with Cyril Genot finishing fourth overall, just over the podium.

The event served as training for Herlings, between GP events, who admits he’s still working on his starts, with an aim to do better than in Russia.

Jeffrey Herlings

“I really enjoyed myself and it was a good training for the GP. Starts have to be better, but I can get a podium, and I will try and do better than I did in Russia.”

Herlings brought home 40-championship points in the MXGP opener last weekend, after finishing 4-2, and sits second overall in the standings, behind Tim Gajser, who won both races.


Dylan Ferrandis tops High Point ProMX

Images by Jeff Kardas

Following its first break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship 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.

High Point 2021

In the 450 Class a hard-fought, consistent afternoon was enough to put Dylan Ferrandis atop the podium for the second time this season. In the 250 Class, 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.

450 Moto1

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

450 Start

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.

Ferrandis and Roczen

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.

Adam Cianciarulo

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 Aaron Plessinger completed the top five.

450 Moto 2

The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off as 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 Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo followed through.

450 Start

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 teammates 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.

Ken Roczen

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.

Dylan Ferrandis

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.

Dylan Ferrandis – P1

What a race. I don’t know (what to say), 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.”

Dylan Ferrandis

Adam Cianciarulo – P2

“It sure feels good to get that first moto win under my belt. I thought I had a decent sized gap in the second moto, but Eli was flying and caught me a bit off-guard. Fair play to him and the others, they rode amazing. I’m stoked with how awesome my bike has been feeling lately. I honestly believe with a little more endurance, I can be a regular winner this season. Thanks to everyone at Monster Energy Kawasaki for giving me a great bike to ride and always supporting me. We have another break coming up, but I’m ready to build off of this and get back to racing.”

Adam Cianciarulo

Eli Tomac – P3

“This was a big one for us. I’ve been in a bit of slump these last two races, so to get a win and feel like myself on the bike again is huge. After I got off the gate in Moto 2 and saw I had a good jump, I knew it was going to be a good moto. I was able to catch Adam rather quickly and once I was in the clean air, I rode my own race and started pulling away. This was an exciting race, and I can’t wait to keep this momentum rolling into RedBud. Thanks again to the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki squad for all the hard work this weekend.”

Eli Tomac

Ken Roczen – P4

“Today started off really good. I felt comfortable on the track, but we had a slightly different bike setup so in the first moto it really beat me up. I wasn’t that comfortable out there so I really couldn’t do that much. I still rode okay, but it wasn’t the best and I ended up third. In the second moto I was pinched off and had a really bad start. We did some adjustments to the bike that helped me out and I charged forward hard in the first half of the race and ended up having a good battle with Dylan [Ferrandis]. I ended up with another third place for fourth overall, which is kind of weird, but in the end, I’m okay with it because we rode really well and charged hard. That’s all we can do.”

Aaron Plessinger – P6

“This weekend had some ups and downs. I was really happy with my riding in the first moto. I got a really bad start but had a really good flow going and came back to fifth place. I went into the second moto really confident and got an awesome start, but I couldn’t really find that flow that I had in the first moto, and I dropped back to eighth. The track was really tough. There were some spots that were dry and some spots that were soft. So it was definitely weird, but we have a weekend off and will get back to work and get ready for RedBud!”

Justin Barcia – P7

“It was a little bit of a tough day. I just didn’t jive with the track that much and I never felt super comfortable. I think we’ll go back to California and work on a few things and try to be a lot better for RedBud in two weeks. All we can do is keep level-headed and be better for the next race.”

Justin Barcia

Marvin Musquin – P8

“In the first moto, the start was decent but the riding was not good enough and the feeling was not good enough so we decided to go back to some old settings on the shock and it shows, it was definitely better in the second moto. I didn’t get a good start but I was able to fight back, attack and race hard to come back to seventh place, so that was a lot better. Overall, I’m obviously not happy because we’ve been working hard and it didn’t pay off for this weekend, so we need to keep going.”

Cooper Webb – P10

“It was a bit of a struggle today. I felt like I put up a good fight in the first moto and ended up seventh. In the second moto, I got tangled on the start and I ended up crashing three times coming through the pack, so that was pretty unfortunate. Now we’ve got a weekend off and all we can do is try to improve.”

Cooper Webb

Christian Craig – P11

“I didn’t have the best day at High Point. I seemed to struggle to find good lines and had a couple of crashes, but I was able to get through with some points. We’re going to go back to work and look forward to a better RedBud.”

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.

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450 Results & Championship Standings

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Moto Wrap | Flat Track | GNCC | MX & SX | Hard Enduro


Over $8 million in contingency committed to 2021 Lucas Oil Pro MX

With a month remaining until the start of the 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, MX Sports Pro Racing has announced a record sum of manufacturer contingency support for the upcoming season. With the addition of American motocross’ seventh competing manufacturer, GASGAS, more than $8.3 million will be up for grabs for competitors over the course of the 12-round season.

2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

Davey Coombs – Vice President of MX Sports Pro Racing

“With a record amount of contingency support and the expansion of our field of competing manufacturers, it’s an exciting time in American motocross as we prepare for a new season. In the face of an extremely challenging past year our manufacturers have doubled down on their commitment to the sport, which will only serve to benefit the hundreds of competitors that will line up on the gate this summer. Manufacturers play arguably the most important role in elevating the global impact of not only our championship, but off-road motorcycling as a whole, and they continue to serve as invaluable partners in the ongoing legacy of American motocross.”

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is anchored by the factory supported efforts of GASGAS, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha.

For GASGAS, the Spanish manufacturer that became an icon in motorcycle trials competition, its historic series debut will be spearheaded by the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS lineup of Justin Barcia in the 450 Class, along with Pierce Brown and Michael Mosiman in the 250 Class. GASGAS will become the 27th different manufacturer to contest the off-road motorcycle racing series.

2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will once again consist of a 12-round schedule, beginning on Memorial Day Weekend with the season-opening Fox Raceway I National on May 29 from Southern California’s Fox Raceway.


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2021 AORC to broadcast on SBS on May 9

The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore, (AORC) will make its historical TV debut with broadcast partner – SBS Australia – May 9, from 1.30-2.30pm.

The hour-long feature brings the racing action from the opening rounds of the 2021 AORC, held at Golden Beach, Victoria, straight into the lounge rooms of race fans around the country for the first time ever, showcasing the gruelling nature, triumphs, and challenges of the championship. Hosted by Kate Peck, renowned motorsport journalist and self-confessed ‘motorbike addict’, Peck joined the Golden Beach paddock to capture the ups and downs of the season’s opening races firsthand.

2021 AORC to broadcast on SBS on May 9

Dive into the behind-the-scenes stories of the AORC athletes with never-before-seen access, and watch the marquee rivalries of the championship unfold, pitting machine against machine and rider against rider in the fierce race for glory.

After the premiere, the AORC TV show will be available to view via the SBS on Demand Channel. Tune in on SBS from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, May 9, to be amongst the first to witness AORC in all its glory .


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Hard Enduro heads to Portugal for the Extreme XL Lagares

The wait is almost over, with just one week to go all roads lead to the inaugural round of the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal.

Overcoming the restrictions of the ongoing Covid pandemic, the world’s best Hard Enduro athletes, together with a wealth of amateur and hobby riders, will compete for pride and glory across three demanding days of competition.

In a change to previous editions of Extreme XL Lagares due to public restrictions, the FIM World Championship category will compete in three events over two days with an Endurocross race and mountain time-trial Prologue on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s Main Race.

Non-championship riders will take to the Endurocross track on Friday, followed by the Saturday Prologue and join the World Championship competitors on the start line for Sunday’s action.

As the 2019 WESS Champion and 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs winner, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manual Lettenbichler naturally starts as one of the favourites for the top step of the podium. But despite previous podium results in Portugal, Lettenbichler has yet to truly master the rigorous rocks the region is famed for, so will 2021 be his year to triumph?

Sherco Factory Racing will be a formidable force this season, their sights very much set on success. In 2019 Mario Roman stole the show with a phenomenal ride to victory. Demonstrating a perfect mix of speed and technical ability, the Spaniard turned up the heat in the closing stages to win and will be aiming high again this year. Teammate Wade Young is a past winner of the race, in 2017, and finished as runner-up in 2019. A fan of the terrain, he’ll also be pushing for nothing less than victory too.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing boast a trio of Hard Enduro talent. Billy Bolt, Alfredo Gomez and Hard Enduro legend Graham Jarvis have all won in Portugal before, with Jarvis holding the all-time win record over Gomez. The potential for a podium-sweep can’t be ruled out with these guys.

Jonny Walker will make one of the most anticipated team debuts in Portugal with Vision Track Beta. After a decade on KTM machinery, Walker made a jump to Beta Motorcycles during the winter and Extreme XL Lagares will be his first serious outing in new colours. Vastly experienced and hungry to impress, Walker is an obvious threat for podium honours.

GASGAS Factory Racing debut their two-rider outfit of Taddy Blazusiak and Michael Walkner. A true mix of experience and youth, Blazusiak will come out swinging while Walkner is keen to demonstrate that he is a young talent to watch out for.

Trece Racing Society will be a new crew to keep an eye on as Pol Tarres rolls out on Yamaha machinery for the first time in Hard Enduro. The Spaniard’s ability on a bike knows no bounds and he’s excited to show what his Yamaha is capable of when the going gets tough.

Changing colours for 2021, TTR Squadra Corse field a three-rider team of Travis Teasdale, Kevin Gallas and Azzalini Alessandro on GASGAS machinery and will be a privateer force to be reckoned with among the factory outfits.

Jarvis Husqvarna Racing – managed by Graham Jarvis – is also a new team to watch for in 2021. The team’s five riders include Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev and Britain’s Will Hoare, Jonathan Richardson, Sam Winterburn and Grant Churchward. Featuring a real mix of raw, young talent under the guidance of Graham, expect fireworks!

Add in a wealth of youngsters like Israel’s Suff Sella, Russia’s David Leonov, Germany’s Tim Apolle and Leon Hentschel plus South Africa’s Matt Green who have all signed up, and the countdown is firmly on to round one in Portugal.

In keeping with strict government Covid guidelines, coronavirus testing facilities will be available on site. Competitors will also be able to take a test before returning home. Spectator attendance is not permitted.

The opening round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship takes place at Extreme XL Lagares, Portugal on May 7-9.

FIM World Championship schedule

  • 6 May
    • 09:00 – 24:00: Technical and documental verifications. Covid Testing
    • 12:00 – 24:00 – Bikes in Parc Ferme
  • 8 May
    • 08.00 – 12.00: Endurocross
    • 16.00 – 18.00: Prologue
  • 9 May
    • 10.00: Main Race Start
    • 17.30: Podium

Amateur Class schedule

  • 6 May
    • 09:00 – 24:00: Technical and documental verifications. Covid Testing
    • 12:00 – 24:00 – Bikes in Parc Ferme
  • 7 May
    • 09.00 – 17.00: Endurocross
  • 8 May
    • 14.00 – 16.00: Prologue
  • 9 May
    • 10.00: Main Race Start
    • 17.00: Podium

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Jonny Walker talks to switch to Beta for Hard Enduro

The biggest off-season rider team switch unquestionably came from Jonny Walker. After almost a decade with KTM, he shocked the Hard Enduro world with his change to Beta machinery.

Putting together his own team during the winter months, Vision Track Beta came to life. In what is sure to be the biggest test of his career, Jonny’s performance at round one – next week’s Extreme XL Lagares – will tell Jonny, his competitors, and the wider audience if the move was a successful one.

Jonny Walker

But, if one thing is certain, it’s clear that when Jonny’s got a spring back in his step, he’s a ferociously fast and competitive Hard Enduro racer…

With the opening round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship nearly here, have all the pieces of the puzzle, the building of Vision Track Beta, come together?

Jonny Walker: “I think we’re there now with everything. As ready as we can be for round one. All the brands and partners I’ve spoken with have come onboard to support me. We’ve put a lot of testing in and plenty of track laps. I’d like to have done a couple more races, but it’s not been possible. I’m just looking forward to getting started now.”

Has building your own team been a challenging and enjoyable process?

“Yes! I’ve always raced for a factory team, so as a professional rider I’ve never really seen it from the other side. The factory life is an ‘arrive and race’ sort of thing, but now I’m more hands on. I’ve total say in what I’m doing and the products I’m using on my bike. I’ve enjoyed the process of speaking with companies and brands directly too. There’s been lots of phone calls, lots of emailing, but it’s come together really well.”

You won the Endurocross race at Extreme XL Lagares in 2019. It would be pretty cool if you could win it again, first time out on the Beta!

“Yeah, that would be cool, but being successful in the main event is the priority. I do enjoy the multi-race format aspect of Extreme XL Lagares though. If you can win an individual event, it gives good exposure. It would be awesome to put Beta on the top step of the podium and a great way to start off the weekend!”

Jonny Walker

Unfortunately, there is no city prologue in Porto this year. That must be a bit of a relief after taking a swim there in 2019! But in all seriousness, will you miss that part of race?

“Yes, it is a shame not to have the prologue in Porto this year, but understandable too. It’s super cool and not just a highlight of Extreme XL Lagares, but of our sport because it’s so unique. I think my mechanic is the most relieved about it not taking place this year. He can stop googling ‘how to waterproof a 2-stroke!’. Like everyone, I hope the city prologue will be back for 2022.”

Looking ahead to the entire season, what races will play to your strengths?

“There’s been a lot of changes this offseason and so naturally Extreme XL Lagares is the biggest test to see how things have come together. Once those round one nerves and jitters are out of the way and we’re up and racing, I’ll settle into it better. Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs are big favourites for me. I’m looking forward to them.”

Is it good to finally have an FIM Hard Enduro World Championship to race for, a series that brings all the iconic races together?

“It’s cool to be under the FIM umbrella. Hard Enduro is such a big scene now, so it’s good to be properly recognised with every other motorcycle championship out there. But Hard Enduro is different too. It’s special, unique and successful because amateur and hobby riders are such a big part of what we do. We’re all in it together, if you know what I mean. That’s why it’s become so popular. So as long as that element remains unchanged – it doesn’t become too elite, the tracks stay as they are, and the atmosphere stays cool – then who knows how much bigger things will get!”

Jonny Walker

Past form shows you know how to race for a championship title – leading WESS in 2018 and third in 2019. What is the key to maintaining that sort of consistency across a full season?

“Trying to be at the sharp end of the results every time you race is key for sure. As a rider I feel like I’ve got a strong all-round skill set. My speed is good and I’ve been trying to improve on the technical side of my riding as this championship is 100 per cent Hard Enduro focused. The goal is to win the title and become world champion. That’s what I’d love to do and what I’m aiming for. I feel like we can do it too if everything goes well and we get a little bit of luck along the way.”


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Skyler Howes joins Husqvarna Factory Racing from 2021

Skyler Howes has signed to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team for a three-year contract. The 29-year-old will first compete on Husqvarna machinery at the Sonora Rally in Mexico in early May, before lining up at round one of the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – the Rally Kazakhstan – in June.

Skyler Howes joins Husqvarna Factory Racing

Born in California, Howes grew up competing off-road, specifically desert racing, before turning his hand to rally in 2018. Contesting the Dakar Rally for the first time in 2019, the American admits he underestimated the iconic event, and despite showing great pace on the tough terrain he was forced to retire after dislocating his shoulder. Exceptional rides in both the 2020 and 2021 races saw the Utah resident finish inside the top 10 and as leading privateer – the highlight being an impressive fifth overall at this year’s event.

Now, looking ahead to the 2021 season, Howes will compete in a number of local North American races before focusing on the full FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. Although he has some experience racing world championship events having previously competed in Morocco, Skyler plans on using the 2021 season to build his pace and experience on the varied terrain he’ll experience at each of the six championship races, while getting up to speed on his FR 450 Rally machine.

Skyler Howes

Howes and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team’s first FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship outing will be the Rally Kazakhstan on June 7-13.

Skyler Howes

“I am so excited to have signed for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team – it is something I have worked hard my whole life for. I started riding when I was just three years old and have raced offroad my entire life. I have only been racing rally for the past three years, and in order to be able to compete in the Dakar this year I had to sell everything I owned. I raced the Dakar for the first time in 2019, in Peru, and I have to be honest, it was a huge wake-up call. In 2020, I was able to sort a ride and, despite losing some time through the event, I was able to finish inside the top-10 and as top privateer. For this year it was a struggle financially to get to the start, but I knew I was capable of a really good result – I finished fifth, and as top privateer once again. Thankfully, my result got the attention of the factory teams and now it’s a dream come true to sign for Husqvarna Motorcycles – they have one of the best structures and set-ups in the paddock. One of the biggest things for me is the fact that I can now concentrate on my training 100 percent and hopefully take my riding and results to the next level. The goal for this year is to take in the world championship rounds and get as much experience as possible before January next year where the aim is to go on to challenge for the Dakar podium.”

Skyler Howes

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Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 teams break cover

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 teams are looking fast and motivated as they set their sights on the first FIM Motocross World Championship gate-drop of the new season.

The team will line up with three popular names inside the premier class, MXGP. Jeremy Seewer will remain on the team for a third consecutive season (fourth with Yamaha) and will be joined under the awning by hot new recruits, Glenn Coldenhoff and Ben Watson.

Spearheading the outfit in 2021, five times silver medallist Seewer hopes to steer his YZ450FM to the top step of the podium.

Jeremy Seewer

“I’ve finished second in the world five times, two times in MX2, two times in MXGP and one time at the Junior World Championships and these are not bad stats, you know, but of course I want to win, and yes, I think I can! Usually, we race in 19 different countries and on different tracks, sand, hardpack, hot, cold, winter, summer, you know, so it’s such an open book. It just takes a lot, a lot, a lot and at the base, I think it’s hard work from everybody.”

Glenn Coldenhoff

“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of hard work, not only for myself, but I also think from the whole team. I think I was ready for a big change this year, which I actually did, and I really feel good already within the team. I feel like I have really good people around me, and the goal will always be to get the world title.”

While his teammates strive for more race and Grand Prix wins, 23-year-old rookie Ben Watson hopes to soak up their knowledge and experience as he gets set to get his feet wet.

Ben Watson

“For me it’s a really big opportunity, to join the Yamaha Factory MXGP team, and something I’m really grateful for because obviously the beginning of the season in MX2 last year, it wasn’t going really the way I wanted and the opportunities to show myself were coming less and less. Fortunately, at the end of the season I found myself and started to ride how I know I can, so it was definitely my time to take this step to the 450.”

Yamaha has a strong strategy to develop the next generation of MXGP champions from within its own ranks, and as Watson progresses up the Yamaha Racing pyramid, so too will young Yamaha stars Maxime Renaux and Thibault Benistant as they join title favourite Jago Geerts inside the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team for 2021.

Maxime Renaux

“It means a lot to me to become a Yamaha Factory Rider for the MX2 team. For sure, it was a goal. It’s the highest team in the MX2 class that we can have in Yamaha.”

It’s no secret that Yamaha is on the hunt for FIM Motocross World Championship glory as the riders aim to secure the MX2 Championship gold plate while defending Yamaha’s title as the MX2 Manufacturer of the Year.

Jago Geerts

“I will try to fight again for the world title. The benefits of staying in the same team for a couple years is you get to know the people very good and we made really some improvements with the bike this year, for sure suspension wise and setup of the bike… this year I really want to to get back on the top step of the podium. I want more moto wins, more GP wins, and to do better let’s say.”

Meanwhile, Benistant is enjoying the move from the GYTR kitted YZ250F to the fully-fledged Factory YZ250FM. The 18-year-old sets his sights on a promising rookie season.

Thibault Benistant

“Of course everything is a little bit different, the engine, suspension, everything is a little bit more strong and to be a rookie, I think I have a little bit less experience than the more older, but it’s similar because we have almost the same hours on the bike, just not in the same championship, in MX2 I won’t have pressure. I know what I need to do and I’m working for.”

The 2021 FIM Motocross MXGP and MX2 World Championships are expected to kick-off on the 13th of June in Orlyonok, Russia.


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Australian ProMX visits Canberra for Round 2

The 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores swept into Canberra over the weekend, marking Round Two of the series, with the Thor MX1, Pirelli MX2 and Maxxis MX3 joined by the bLU cRU YZ65 Cup for the first time in 2021.

Luke Clout tops the Australian ProMX Round 2

The Thor MX1 class saw Luke Clout reign victorious, but Regan Duffy retains the red plate after a consistent performance for third overall, tied on 40-points with Hayden Mellross.

Regan Duffy now leads the Thor MX1 standings on 85-points, to Todd Waters on 78, with Hayden Mellross completing the top-three, a further five-points in arrears. Luke Clout and Kirk Gibbs sit fourth and fifth, with sixth placed Brett Metcalfe tied on points with Gibbs.

Regan Duffy retains the MX1 lead

Todd Waters

“It was an interesting day out there. I qualified well and had a good first race, but the track baked out before the back-to-back races and I struggled with that hard-pack. It was an easy track to throw it away on and, with everyone being so close, I didn’t want that to happen. I rode within my capabilities and I’m happy to walk away with the points today – it’s certainly a lot better than crashing and getting 10ths. We might have lost a few points in the championship, but we’ll go back, regroup and look forward to Gillman.”

Todd Waters

Kirk Gibbs

“I am not there yet; I need to improve in some areas, and we have a plan. We proved today that we can win which is an important positive.”

Brett Metcalfe

“If this is my worst round its ok but I cannot afford another repeat of this weekend. I crashed last week, and I did not have the strength I needed to ride at my best. It was frustrating but we will bounce back for Gilman.”

Brett Metcalfe

Jayden Rykers

“Today was definitely a step forward in comparison to the first round and we took a lot out of this one. We’ve made some changes with the bike to suit me more and they’ve worked, although I’d still like to be up toward the front further! All in all, we had a consistent day and it’s more to build from.”

Pirelli MX2

Kyle Webster was untouchable in the Pirelli MX2 class, adding another two wins to his tally and continuing his winning streak – now four from four for the season. Noah Ferguson was second overall, ahead of Jay Wilson.

Kyle Webster

As a result Webster now sits on 100-points, with Rhys Budd second on 69, and Jesse Dobson is third overall on 67-points, one-point ahead of Jay Wilson.

Kyle Webster

“Being from Western Australia, I am considered more of a sand specialist so in the off-season I focused on improving my hard-pack skills. The team has really been putting in, we have been to Gilman twice in the past few months and I like the track. Whilst I have a decent point’s lead I can’t afford to let up. Gilman will be really important for the team and I am focused on getting maximum points there.”

Jay Wilson

“Today was a step in the right direction for me but there is still a lot of work to be done. At least this weekend I was in the battle and competitive unlike Wonthaggi where I just stunk. There is still more speed to come and some fitness at the end of the motos but things are heading in the right direction and with a four weeks until round three in Adelaide, hopefully I can make another step forward. Thanks to the team for a big effort in the lead up to the round and I’m looking forward to get more work under my belt before Adelaide and getting back to where I belong.”

Rhys Budd

“Overall, I’m pretty happy with how I rode today and race at a speed that would put me inside the top five. On the hand other, I need to put two motos together at each round and get as many points as I can in every race. The sixth place was good and I felt had I been able to get passed the rider in front of me quicker, I may have been able to move further forward. Race two was ugly as I was ran over a few times and ended up with a bike on me in that first turn crash. But I raced all the way to the end and was able to salvage as many points as I can.”

Rhys Budd

Maxxis MX3

Blake Fox went two for two in the Maxxis MX3 class, retaining the standings lead, with Ben Novak second overall and Ryder Kingsford third.

The standings are a similar story but saw a slightly different order, with Fox on 97-points, with Kingsford second and Novak third.

Ben Novak

“Second overall for the day is awesome and it’s a positive step forward. I came into round 1 injured so we have been following a plan which is working. We have spent time at Gilman training and testing. Our bike is working great, and I believe another 4 weeks on the bike will prove invaluable.”

Ben Novak

bLU cRU YZ65 Cup

The early bLU cRU YZ65 Cup leader is Heath Davy, who took the win, but is tied on 47-points with Peter Wolfe.

bLU cRU YZ65 Cup – Heath Davy

Paddy Lewis was third overall and currently sits on 38-points, two ahead of Dejan Sankovic. The overall standings are the same as this was Round 1 of the YZ65 Cup.

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Indian Motorcycle Racing Takes Back-To-Back AFT Victories

In an announcement released by Indian Motorcycles yesterday, the American motorcycle company was proud to share of the back-to-back victories taken by Indian Motorcycle Racing.

MINNEAPOLIS (March 16, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, jumped out to an early lead in the 2021 American Flat Track (AFT) SuperTwins standings, as Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson and Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees secure back-to-back wins at the Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader.

Robinson’s season-opener win at Volusia Half-Mile I marked his third straight victory, dating back to the 2020 season finale doubleheader in Daytona. After winning his semi and getting a start on the front row in the Main, Robinson jumped out to an early lead but was battling with the second-place rider throughout the race. In his third season as an Indian Motorcycle privateer, the win marks Robinson’s fifth victory aboard the Indian FTR750.                                                                          

Jared Mees

“Despite being injured for the bulk of the 2020 season, Brandon finished the year with incredible momentum, so it was truly exciting to see him pick up right where he left off and reach the top of the box,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle. “Having swept the Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader last year, Jared entered round two with fierce determination to secure the win and garner the all-important points at a track he’s exceptionally comfortable and confident on.”                                                                                                                                 

On Saturday, Mees won his semi and was able to return to the front row for the Main. Though, it was Wrecking Crew teammate and defending SuperTwins Champion Briar Bauman who captured the holeshot. After leading eight laps, Bauman was unable to hold on, as Mees made his pass and gained separation with every lap – ultimately cruising comfortably to his 54th career win. The victory also marked his 34th career win aboard the Indian FTR750, a race bike he won two Grand National Championships within 2017 and 2018.

Jared Mees

Following the doubleheader at Volusia Speedway Park, Mees sits atop the leaderboard with 42 points. Robinson is closely behind with 39 points, while Bauman’s fourth and second-place finishes keep him within striking distance with 35 total points.

Motorcycle paramedics

The 2021 AFT season continues on May 1 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Atlanta Super TT. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing and the Indian Wrecking Crew, visit IndianMotorcycle.com or follow along on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®

Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess, and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion are reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.

indian-motorcycle-racing-logo



Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Moto News Weekly | AFT | MXGP | EMX | EnduroGP | GNCC

Moto News Weekly Wrap
September 29, 2020

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2020 Dallas Half-Mile I & II

Images by Scott Hunter

AFT SuperTwins – Dallas Half-Mile I

Reigning American Flat Track Grand National Champion Briar Bauman obliterated the world’s best dirt trackers for the third consecutive race, putting on yet another masterclass at Friday night’s Dallas Half-Mile I in Mesquite, Texas.

Briar Bauman
Briar Bauman

Bauman was in control of the AFT SuperTwins Main Event from green light to checkered flag, looking remarkably smooth throughout an unfamiliar circuit that caught many of his rivals out. In some ways, the victory celebration started with more than four minutes remaining when the blue flags started flying in earnest. By the time the race was complete, Bauman had lapped his way all the way up to seventh position.

Sammy Halbert was the only rider that looked to be in Bauman’s league on this evening. The Springfield Mile winner maintained a gap of right around two seconds back deep into the Main before the run through packs of slower riders eventually dropped him to a final margin of 3.445 seconds.

Jared Mees seemed destined to limit the championship damage he would absorb by rounding out the podium. However, he took another hit when he was victimised by an on-form Robert Pearson, who returned to action in Dallas following a couple rounds away with a new team and plenty of motivation.

Briar Bauman
Briar Bauman topped the podium from Sammy Halbert and Robert Pearson

Pearson powered his way forward from outside the top five to reel in Mees late. He then executed the decisive maneuver after the clocks showed 0:00 to notch up his first podium of the 2020 season.

Dan Bromley – who earlier exploited the high line to win his Semi – ran fourth over the race’s opening half. Unfortunately, his bike was damaged in an incident, and he was forced to retire after losing his seat. Brandon Price completed the top five.

POS RIDER BIKE INTERVAL
1 Briar Bauman Indian FTR750 36 Laps
2 Sammy Halbert Indian FTR750 +3.445
3 Robert Pearson Indian FTR750 +5.212
4 Jared Mees Indian FTR750 +6.485
5 Brandon Price Indian FTR750 +14.101
6 Bronson Bauman Indian FTR750 +16.942
7 Jarod Vanderkooi Harley-Davidson XG750R +19.343
8 Jeffrey Carver Jr. Indian FTR750 +35 Laps
9 Dalton Gauthier Harley-Davidson XG750R +0.783
10 Jake Johnson Indian FTR750 +0.95

AFT SuperTwins – Dallas Half-Mile II

Briar Bauman delivered another devastating performance to up his run of dominance to four in Saturday evening’s Roof Systems Dallas Half-Mile II at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. Bauman was again untouchable, streaking out to the lead when the lights went green for the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event and piling it on from there.

Briar Bauman
Briar Bauman

Friday’s runner-up, Sammy Halbert, got caught up behind Jeffrey Carver Jr. while Bauman escaped at the front during the race’s opening stages. Halbert managed to slip into second with just over nine minutes remaining, providing him plenty of time to track down the leader if he had the pace to do so. And while Halbert did immediately open up some space behind him once through, Bauman in turn just kept running away from him en route to an eventual 4.393-second margin of victory.

Bauman’s monster weekend has the potential to be a turning point in this year’s Grand National Championship fight. Prior to the Dallas doubleheader, Bauman and rival Jared Mees had traded the title lead back and forth at each successive event. Bauman brought that trend to an end in a major way in Texas, turning what was a narrow five-point advantage into a protective 25-point lead.

Briar Bauman
Briar Bauman

Mees, meanwhile, got away in fifth and started looking for a way past Friday podium man Robert Pearson in earnest with seven and a half minutes remaining. Mees attempted to go low and then high – and then low and high again – but the most he could ever do was pull alongside the scrappy Pearson. Their battle caught and overhauled Carver, the two storming through into third and fourth, respectively, in one fell swoop with four minutes to go.

Mees threw in several more attempts at the podium but was unable to make a move stick; for the second night in a row, Pearson beat him to the line for third, this time by 0.257 seconds. Carver held on to round out the top five.

Briar Bauman topped the podium from
Briar Bauman topped the podium from Halbert and Pearson
POS RIDER BIKE INTERVAL
1 Briar Bauman Indian FTR750 36 Laps
2 Sammy Halbert Indian FTR750 +4.393
3 Robert Pearson Indian FTR750 +5.183
4 Jared Mees Indian FTR750 +5.44
5 Jeffrey Carver Jr. Indian FTR750 +11.033
6 Bronson Bauman Indian FTR750 +13.5
7 Dan Bromley Indian FTR750 +14.777
8 Brandon Price Indian FTR750 +15.098
9 Jake Johnson Indian FTR750 +16.327
10 JD Beach Yamaha MT-07 +17.587

AFT SuperTwins Standings

Pos. Rider Points
1 Briar Bauman 219
2 Jared Mees 194
3 Sammy Halbert 163
4 Bronson Bauman 127
5 Brandon Robinson 117
6 Brandon Price 114
7 Jeffrey Carver Jr. 112
8 Davis Fisher 104
9 Jarod Vanderkooi 85
10 Dan Bromley 84

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AFT Singles – Dallas Half-Mile I

It was only natural that the AFT Singles rider to shine the brightest in Dallas was one Dallas Daniels. Of course, Daniels hasn’t required any type of luck to separate himself from the pack in 2020.

Dallas Daniels
Dallas Daniels

The rising star seized control of the race by the end of lap one and never saw an opponent’s wheel from that point forward. In a class where no other rider has more than one win on the year, Daniels already boasts four as he has firmly established himself as the championship favourite with the season heading down the stretch.

Daniels’ primary challenger this season — the hugely experienced and decorated Henry Wiles – chased him as deep into the Main as he could manage. However, by mid-distance he was forced to turn his attention to charging teammate Michael Inderbitzin.

Inderbitzin was the one rider who may have had the pace to beat Daniels. However, the polesitter dropped outside the top five off the line and was forced to use that speed just to put himself on Wiles’ rear wheel as they took the halfway flags. Not surprisingly, Wiles proved a hard target, fending Inderbitzin off until the very final lap.

After being displaced to third, Wiles attempted to square his teammate back up in the short sprint to the flag, but Inderbitzin narrowly held on to earn his first podium of the season by 0.089 seconds.

AFT Singles
AFT Singles

A couple seconds further back, Williams Grove runner-up Trent Lowe edged Morgen Mischler for fourth by just over a tenth of a second. Daniels’ teammate, Mikey Rush, ran in the lead group early but ultimately crossed the stripe down in eighth. As a result, Daniels now leads the points by 22 over Wiles and 37 over Rush ahead of tomorrow’s rematch.

POS RIDER BIKE INTERVAL
1 Dallas Daniels Yamaha YZ450F 24 Laps
2 Michael Inderbitzin Honda CRF450R +2.421
3 Henry Wiles Honda CRF450R +2.511
4 Trent Lowe Honda CRF450R +4.409
5 Morgen Mischler KTM 450 SX-F +4.547
6 Tanner Dean Honda CRF450R +6.579
7 Chad Cose Suzuki RMZ 450 +8.127
8 Michael Rush Yamaha YZ450F +8.835
9 Jesse Janisch Husqvarna FC450 +10.565
10 Andrew Luker Yamaha YZ450F +11.347

AFT Singles – Dallas Half-Mile II

Ten races into the 2020 AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys season, five riders have one win, and one rider has five wins. The five-win rider, Dallas Daniels, doubled up at his namesake event on Saturday night with a Dallas HM performance that accurately represented the superiority he’s demonstrated as of late.

Henry Wiles and Dallas Daniels
Henry Wiles and Dallas Daniels

Despite claiming the first pick on the front row, Daniels slipped off the line, allowing Henry Wiles, Mikey Rush, and Morgen Mischler through at the start.

In response, Daniels went to work. He dropped Mischler within a lap. Not long after, Daniels ducked under Rush to move into second, nearly acing Wiles in the same maneuver. Less than a minute later, Daniels drove up alongside Wiles mid-corner and then powered by him on exit in the exact same manner.

With clear air in front of him, Daniels opened up several bike lengths in just a half lap and ultimately sprinted away to a five-plus second margin of victory.

Dallas Daniels

“It’s definitely not easy, especially when you get a terrible start like I did. Me and my crew chief were talking about getting a good start, and I guess I wanted to do the exact opposite. I had a move going out of Turn 2; there was a little bit of a rut those guys were hitting and going wide, and I was able to go underneath them. I was able to do it to Mikey and then Henry too. To be honest, I didn’t know what was going on behind me. I just charged, charged, charged. When I looked back after the checkers, I had a really big gap.”

Dallas Daniels
Dallas Daniels won from Michael Rush and Tanner Dean

While Daniels erased all drama in the fight for victory, there was plenty of action behind. Rush and Wiles went at it for second for the majority of the race. However, second-ranked Wiles lost the groove as the clock hit 0:00, and over the race’s final two laps, he’d drop from a potential runner-up to an eventual sixth.

With Wiles out of contention, Rush gave Estenson Racing the 1-2. Less than a half-second back, Tanner Dean just beat Michael Inderbitzin to the line to finish third. Mischler finished a further 1.3 seconds back to complete the top five.

Even after missing the Main in the season opener, Daniels now boasts more than a full race’s advantage in the standings, leading Wiles by 34 points (183-149). Rush is in third at 141.

Max Whale

Hard week at the office, drove 24 hours solo in the RV to race Dallas Texas. Struggled big time with setup and made a few mistakes. On Friday and ran P12, my worst result this year. Regrouped and ran P7 on Saturday. Gone back to 4th in the championship. A little disappointed but more than ready to Hit the last 3 double headers. Specials thanks this week to Don, from Dons Kawasaki  for freshening up the bikes. Also to my helpers on the day Matty, Keith and Barry. Your legends would be lost without you.”

POS RIDER BIKE INTERVAL
1 Dallas Daniels Yamaha YZ450F 25 Laps
2 Michael Rush Yamaha YZ450F +5.029
3 Tanner Dean Honda CRF450R +5.436
4 Michael Inderbitzin Honda CRF450R +5.529
5 Morgen Mischler KTM 450 SX-F +6.859
6 Henry Wiles Honda CRF450R +7.168
7 Max Whale Kawasaki KX450F +7.552
8 Brandon Kitchen KTM 450 SX-F +8.043
9 Trent Lowe Honda CRF450R +8.174
10 Andrew Luker Yamaha YZ450F +12.398

AFT Singles Standings

Pos. Rider Points
1 Dallas Daniels 183
2 Henry Wiles 149
3 Michael Rush 141
4 Max Whale 133
5 Trent Lowe 112
6 Brandon Kitchen 106
7 Tanner Dean 104
8 Morgen Mischler 99
9 Chad Cose 89
10 Michael Inderbitzin 88

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AFT Production Twins – Dallas Half-Mile I

James Rispoli continued to operate in another orbit compared to the rest of the AFT Production Twins field, streaking to his fifth win in six races with relative ease. Defending class champion Cory Texter shot into the lead off the light, followed by Chad Cose.

James Rispoli
James Rispoli

Polesitter Rispoli dropped to third at the start but was already in the lead and shaking free by the end of the opening lap. Cose did all he could to give the title leader a fight, holding onto his draft for about three minutes before Rispoli put an end to his challenge and blasted off to yet another blowout victory.

Title contender Ryan Varnes suffered a huge moment early, dropping from third to seventh in the process. He spent the next half race clawing his way forward. Varnes did well to battle his way back into third and even closed in on runner-up Cose for a spell, but was forced to accept the final spot on the box in the end.

Ben Lowe held down fourth for much of the contest but became embroiled in a scrap for the position with Jeremiah Duffy. Duffy managed to find a way through to take fourth at the flag while Lowe rounded out the top five less than a second back. After getting such a strong start, Texter’s race ended down in seventh, 0.154 seconds back of Danny Eslick. Rispoli now holds a title lead equal to his competition number, up a full 43 points on second-ranked Texter.

POS RIDER BIKE INTERVAL
1 James Rispoli Harley-Davidson XG750R 24 Laps
2 Chad Cose Harley-Davidson XG750R +3.137
3 Ryan Varnes Kawasaki Ninja 650 +3.527
4 Jeremiah Duffy Kawasaki Ninja 650 +7.124
5 Ben Lowe Yamaha MT-07 +8.067
6 Danny Eslick Kawasaki Ninja 650 +9.929
7 Cory Texter Yamaha MT-07 +10.083
8 Nick Armstrong Yamaha MT-07 +14.152
9 Brock Schwarzenbacher Kawasaki Ninja 650 +18.687
10 Dylan Bell Harley-Davidson XG750R +19.435

AFT Production Twins – Dallas Half-Mile II

James Rispoli continued his march toward the 2020 AFT Production Twins title, locking down his sixth win in the season’s last seven races. This victory was not as easily earned as it sounds, however.

James Rispoli chases Corey Texter
James Rispoli chases Corey Texter

Cory Texter rode like a reigning class champ and executed a perfect launch from the inside starting position, successfully translating the holeshot into an extended run at the front. Texter continually fended off a stalking Rispoli, who repeatedly looked for a way up the inside of his rival as the two ripped away from the rest of the pack.

Texter managed to keep the fleet Rispoli corralled behind him until just after the half distance flags flew. At that point, the champ ran slightly wide and that was all the invitation the current title leader required. Rispoli put his XG750R into first and immediately went into super cruise mode, blasting away at the front.

Behind, Ryan Varnes and Chad Cose applied heavy pressure to third-placed Jeremiah Duffy as the three tussled over the final podium position. That pressure transformed into chaos when Varnes’ front wheel contacted Duffy’s rear wheel, sending Varnes over the bars. The incident brought out the red flag with just over two minutes remaining, giving the field another shot at ending Rispoli’s win streak.

James Rispoli
James Rispoli

Unfortunately for them, Rispoli held on to the lead as they left the staggered start and immediately started throwing in the Main’s fastest laps. Texter did well to keep him honest, but ultimately, it added up to a fifth consecutive AFT Production Twins victory for the two-time AMA Pro SuperSport champion.

James Rispoli

“I’m stoked that Cory was able to put up a massive, massive challenge tonight. He rode really well. This wasn’t easy at all. The track was hard and technical. I’ve got to take my hat off to my team. We weren’t the fastest guy, and we had to come a little bit from behind, and they were able to get it done. Five in a row… This is a dream season.”

James Rispoli
James Rispoli won from Texter and Cose

Cose beat Duffy off the line at the restart to collect third. Duffy was dropped a couple more positions before it was over, as Rispoli’s fellow former road racing national champion, Danny Eslick slid past claim fourth while Dylan Bell got by as well to round out the top five. Despite his heavy fall, Varnes not only made the restart, he raced his way up from the back of the field to finish seventh.

Rispoli now leads Texter by 48 points with six races remaining, 224 to 176.

POS RIDER BIKE INTERVAL
1 James Rispoli Harley-Davidson XG750R 23 Laps
2 Cory Texter Yamaha MT-07 +0.663
3 Chad Cose Harley-Davidson XG750R +1.842
4 Danny Eslick Kawasaki Ninja 650 +3.824
5 Dylan Bell Harley-Davidson XG750R +4.379
6 Jeremiah Duffy Kawasaki Ninja 650 +5.202
7 Ryan Varnes Kawasaki Ninja 650 +5.553
8 Ben Lowe Yamaha MT-07 +5.722
9 Michael Inderbitzin Kawasaki Ninja 650 +5.933
10 Nick Armstrong Yamaha MT-07 +6.618

AFT Production Twins Standings

Pos. Rider Points
1 James Rispoli 224
2 Cory Texter 176
3 Ryan Varnes 163
4 Ben Lowe 160
5 Danny Eslick 135
6 Chad Cose 124
7 Jeremiah Duffy 114
8 Nick Armstrong 95
9 Cody Johncox 74
10 Dylan Bell 53

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2020 EnduroGP of Italy – Spoleto

Day 1 – Saturday

The first day of the Italian Grand Prix was contested under bright and warm sunshine. Although heavy rain and thunderstorms late on Friday made slippery special tests seem likely, conditions were actually much drier and more straight forward than expected. The FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship competitors attacked all three tests with gusto and a passionate crowd, all respecting Covid-19 restrictions, cheered them through every twist and turn.

Reigning World Champion Brad Freeman delivered a perfect performance on this opening day of the Italian Grand Prix. From the start of the day onwards, the Factory Beta rider took the lead and never relinquished it. Consistent and quick all day, the Brit always kept his opponents at least 30 seconds behind him. He won all 3 special tests on the first lap and remained in the top 3 for all the rest.

Freeman therefore won the day by more than 45 seconds ahead of team-mate and rival Steve Holcombe. Holcombe intelligently built up his day with patience, chipping away on each test. Realising that catching up to his team-mate was hard task, the Englishman chose to settle for a safe second place. This move could pay off come the end of the season.

Steve Holcombe
Steve Holcombe

The fight for 3rd place on the podium was absolutely superb. Three riders fought it out to take a coveted rostrum. Andrea Verona, Thomas Oldrati and Loïc Larrieu, each took it in turns to occupy the spot. In the end it was Italy’s Oldrati to take the honours at his home race. Verona and Larrieu completed the Top 5.

Jaume Betriu confirmed the strong performances he managed in France by taking an impressive 6th place overall. He was ahead of Christophe Charlier, Danny McCanney and Antoine Basset. The disappointment of the day goes to Matteo Cavallo who made too many mistakes and finished 12th. Alex Salvini still suffering with his shoulder did not finish the day.

In E1 it was therefore Thomas Oldrati who won ahead of Andrea Verona and Christophe Charlier.

Andrea Verona
Andrea Verona

In E2 Steve Holcombe completes a third success in as many starts, he was in front of Loïc Larrieu and Danny McCanney.

E3 went the way of Brad Freeman who beat Jaume Betriu and a combative Antoine Basset.

In Junior, Theo Espinasse perfectly controlled the assaults of Hamish Macdonald. Macdonald was the initial leader of the day and was looking strong but he lost 40 seconds in a crash on the second lap of the tricky Xtreme. He picked himself up and began to claw back the time he lost, but the victory was out of reach. Matteo Pavoni put his Beta Boano on the podium at home with third.

Finland’s Roni Kytonen finished fourth, while Pau Tomas completed the Top 5. Ruy Barbosa finished 6th. Talented Aussie Wil Rruprecht had a hell of a day, he was vying for the podium but he heavily damaged his Beta in the first Xtreme Test of the day, eventually finishing 16th in the category.

Roni Kytonen
Roni Kytonen

In Youth Cup Jed Etchells kept everyone in suspense until in the last special test. He won the category against an impressive Sergio Navarro, the Fantic rider crucially beat his Spanish rival by 4 seconds. Claudio Spanu accompanied them on the podium.

In the Champion Enduro Open World Cup, Belgian Mathias Van Hoof won in the 4-Stroke class ahead of his compatriot Damiaens Dietger and Jorge Rodriguez Paradelo. In the 2-Stroke category the Portuguese rider Goncalo Reis took another victory ahead of his compatriot Goncalo Sobrosa. Robert Friedrich was third. In Senior, Italian enduro legend Alessio Paoli marked his comeback by winning in front of Duccio Graziani and David Martinez Corbalan.


Day 2 – Sunday

The dreaded heavy rain and chilly weather hit the FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship for the entirety of Sunday. As could be expected, the organisers and stewards of the Italian Grand Prix made changes to the course in order to ensure the safety of all competitors, and the cream rose to the top as Steve Holcombe perfectly dominated this day, despite many pitfalls.

The Beta Factory rider felt completely at home with the weather conditions on day two of the Italian GP. Even in the middle of the deluge, Steve Holcombe remained master of his discipline. His bike problems of the day before were forgotten, and the Brit was able to relax into a strong rhythm. He nevertheless had to keep a close eye on his teammate at Beta Factory: Brad Freeman.

Steve Holcombe

“It’s been a weekend of two halves, for the result and how I rode. I’ll hold my hand up and say I rode too smooth on Saturday and any chance of fighting for the win got away from me. When we sorted things, Brad was too far gone to challenge him. On Sunday we turned it around a lot. I attacked from the word go and was able to step my pace up when I needed to throughout the day. I had a strong opening lap and pulled a gap on third. From then on it was down to Brad and me for the win. I really wanted it and seemed to step it up again on the final lap and bring the result home. Conditions were tricky today with the rain, so proving the 350F in the mud with a victory is awesome.”

Steve Holcombe
Steve Holcombe

The 2019 EnduroGP World Champion was very threatening during the first lap, the gap even dropping below half a second at times. But Freeman was forced to let victory slip through his fingers, losing a few seconds in each of the tests on the last laps. However, Freeman and Holcombe can leave Italy satisfied with their domination of the World Enduro field. Third on the day was Loïc Larrieu, more than a minute behind the British duo.

Brad Freeman

“I can’t say I’m happy with my day. I just didn’t know how to get into the right rhythm. I got through the day and I have to take my hat off to Steve who was absolutely on fire. The fight continues, there are 4 days of racing left, anything can happen and I will be ready to battle.”

Larrieu can be happy with this result as he had to push hard to take the coveted final podium spot. 6th at the end of the first lap, Loïc went on the offensive and was extremely impressive as the day went on, even beating local favourites. He held on to the podium from the end of the second lap onwards, setting test times close to the Beta riders.

Loïc Larrieu
Loïc Larrieu

Thomas Oldrati fell short of third place by just six seconds but his general performance over the weekend satisfied the Honda rider. Andrea Verona never quite managed to get into the groove. However, he still put in a superb performance as a Senior ranks rookie, finishing in the Top 5.

Similarly, Belgian rookie Antoine Magain was the great revelation of the day. He was contesting the top positions throughout day but a fall in the last Enduro test forced him to cool down. However, he will certainly be one to watch in the coming races.

Andrea Verona
Andrea Verona

Very disappointed after missing out on victory due to a crash on Day 1, New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald his revenge on his Sherco team-mate Théo Espinasse on Day 2. The rider from the southern hemisphere played all his cards right in the tricky conditions, winning by more than a minute in only his second race in the Junior class. Last year’s Youth 125cc Cup winner was thrilled with this strong result which keeps him in contention.

Wil Ruprecht made amends for his Day 1 difficulties by taking a fine podium with 2nd place in the category. The Australian was ahead of Théo Espinasse by just under 2 seconds. The Frenchman who was so strong at his home race in Requista is still at the top of the standings however.

Ruy Barbosa  upped his game on Saturday. The Chilean still struggled a bit under the downpours, but today’s 4th place should give him the confidence to aim higher next time out.

In Youth Cup, Jed Etchells was completely unfazed by the mud and took victory by more than a minute over Spain’s Sergio Navarro. Etchell’s team-mate Harry Edmondson completed the podium. Fantic will certainly be satisfied as their third rider, Hugo Svard made it three Fantics in the Top 5 with fourth place.

Jed Etchells
Jed Etchells

In the Champion Enduro Open World Cup, the 4-Stroke category was again dominated by Mathias Van Hoof ahead of his compatriot Damiaens Dietger. They were once again accompanied on the podium by Jorge Rodriguez Paradelo. In the 2-Stroke category the podium is a copy-paste of the day before, namely Goncalo Reis won ahead of Goncalo Sobrosa and Robert Friedrich. In Senior, Alessio Paoli took another impressive victory in front of Duccio Graziani and David Martinez Corbalan third.

The Italian Grand Prix brought a little bit of everything to the party; enthusiastic fans, unpredictable weather, challenging tests, and great racing! The FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship will reconvene in November for two back-to-back in Northern Portugal.

EnduroGP Standings – Top 10

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 HOLCOMBE Steve GBR Beta 77
2 FREEMAN Bradley GBR Beta 71
3 LARRIEU Loic FRA TM 52
4 VERONA Andrea ITA TM 52
5 OLDRATI Thomas ITA Honda 46
6 BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume ESP KTM 37
7 McCANNEY Daniel GBR Honda 30
8 MAGAIN Antoine BEL Sherco 26
9 CHARLIER Christophe FRA Beta 22
10 CAVALLO Matteo ITA Sherco 21

E1 Standings – Top 10

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 VERONA Andrea ITA TM 74
2 OLDRATI Thomas ITA Honda 72
3 MAGAIN Antoine BEL Sherco 52
4 CHARLIER Christophe FRA Beta 41
5 REMES Eero FIN Yamaha 41
6 SNOW Alexander GBR Honda 37
7 TARROUX Jeremy FRA Sherco 30
8 SORECA Davide ITA Beta 28
9 BURUD Kevin NOR Yamaha 27
10 ALUN Richard SWE Sherco 27

E2 Standings – Top 10

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 HOLCOMBE Steve GBR Beta 80
2 LARRIEU Loic FRA TM 68
3 McCANNEY Daniel GBR Honda 56
4 CAVALLO Matteo ITA Sherco 50
5 GESLIN Anthony FRA Beta 37
6 WOOTTON Joe GBR Husqvarna 34
7 VIAL Max FRA Husqvarna 33
8 BLANJOUE Hugo FRA Honda 28
9 HUEBNER Edward DEU KTM 26
10 SALVINI Alex ITA Honda 22

E3 Standings – Top 10

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 FREEMAN Bradley GBR Beta 80
2 BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume ESP KTM 66
3 BASSET Antoine FRA Beta 50
4 GUARNERI Davide ITA TM 46
5 FRANCISCO Enric ESP Sherco 40
6 ABGRALL David FRA Beta 39
7 GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal ESP Beta 34
8 PASSET Thibaut FRA Beta 30
9 SANS SORIA Marc ESP KTM  26
10 RECCHIA Nicola ITA Beta 24

Junior Standings – Top 10

Rank Rider Nat Bike Total
1 ESPINASSE Theophile FRA Sherco 75
2 MACDONALD Hamish NZL Sherco 71
3 KYTONEN Roni FIN Honda 48
4 PAVONI Matteo ITA Beta 47
5 RUPRECHT Wil AUS Beta 40
6 BARBOSA Ruy CHL Husqvarna 39
7 MACORITTO Lorenzo ITA Beta 30
8 CRIVILIN Bruno BRA Honda 28
9 VAN OEVELEN Matthew BEL Husqvarna 26
10 CRIQ Antoine FRA Sherco 20

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2020 Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC

The 2020 Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC saw the world’s fastest off-road motorcycle racers taking to the woods of Ohio. The tenth round of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, took place in Millfield, Ohio at Sunday Creek Raceway, also home to The John Penton GNCC.

Getting the jump off the line first to earn the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot award was Ben Kelley. However, after overshooting the first turn Kelley would lose a couple of positions. Steward Baylor Jr. would capitalise, moving into the early lead as the group of XC1 Open Pro riders made their way into the woods.

As the leaders made their way through the finish line on the opening lap it was Baylor Jr. holding a 7 second lead over Kailub Russell, with Kelley running third just eight-seconds behind him. Russell looked like he was making a charge for the lead, but on the second lap he would find himself on the ground after a mistake in the John Penton section of the track. Russell was able to ride his machine back to his pit area but was unable to return to racing due to a knee injury. Russell will have his knee evaluated this week.

Steward Baylor Jr - Image by Ken Hill
Steward Baylor Jr – Image by Ken Hill

Baylor Jr. would continue to push at the front of the pack with Kelley trying to reel him in as he moved into second overall. Kelley would close the gap to just about nine-seconds, but as the white flag came out Kelley would make a mistake costing him valuable time. Baylor Jr. would come through to take his second-straight win of the season after a grueling three-hour race. Kelley would hold onto second overall, coming through 58 seconds behind the leader.

Grant Baylor got off to a great start coming through timing and scoring in fourth overall on lap one. Baylor would continue to push and would find himself third overall after the second lap. Baylor would try to close the gap between himself and the leaders, but he would be unable to make any passes on the lead duo before the checkered flag came out. Baylor expressed what a great feeling it was to be on the podium, and that it was cool to share the overall podium with his older brother.

Grant Baylor - Image by Ken Hill
Grant Baylor – Image by Ken Hill

Getting off to a top five start was Jordan Ashburn. Ashburn would then make the move up to fourth on lap two, as he tried to gain momentum to challenge for a three position. Ashburn would continue to ride a consistent race, but he would be unable to challenge the top three riders. Ashburn would finish out the day fourth in XC1 and fifth overall.

Andrew Delong had his second best race of the season on Sunday afternoon. Delong came through running sixth in the XC1 class for the first two laps of racing, and as the race wore on, he then found himself making the move up to fifth in his class. Delong finished out the three-hour race with a fifth place finish in class, and eighth overall.

Returning after a small injury sidelined him for the previous round of racing was  Josh Strang. As the pack of racers came through on the opening lap Strang made his way around in the eighth place position. Strang would then stop to help his fellow competitor, Russell, out of the track and back to his motorcycle. Even after stopping to help, Strang would make the move up to seventh in the XC1 class. On the last lap of racing Strang would make a late charge and take over sixth in the class, with a 13th overall finishing position on the day.

Layne Michael found himself in a continuous battle throughout the day in Ohio. Michael would swap back-and-forth from sixth to seventh place multiple times throughout the race. As Michael was running in sixth on the final lap of racing, he would be unable to hold off a charging Strang. Michael would check in seventh in class, 18th overall at round 10. Evan Earl would come through to earn eighth in the XC1 Open Pro class after missing round nine of racing.

Jonathan Girroir - Image by Ken Hill
Jonathan Girroir – Image by Ken Hill

In the XC2 class it was Jonathan Girroir making his way to the lead on the opening lap. Girroir would maintain his lead for the duration of the race, placing a 22 second gap between himself and second place by the time the checkered flag flew. Girroir earned his fifth win of the season, and now takes over the points lead in the XC2 class by nine.

AmPro Yamaha/St. Lawrence Radiology’s Mike Witkowski had a consistent race as he made his way into second and never looked back. Witkowski was looking to make a charge for the lead, but he would be unable to close the gap between them. Witkowski remains third in the points standings, 20 points behind the leader.

Craig Delong had some work cut out for him as he came through timing and scoring sixth on lap one. Delong would steadily work his way through the pack, making his way into fourth by the second lap and then third by the next. Delong would finish out the day third in his class, and seventh overall.

Zack Hayes - Image by Ken Hill
Zack Hayes – Image by Ken Hill

As the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am competitors came through it was Zack Hayes taking the class win and extending his points lead by 35. Jason Lipscomb would battle from third to second in the class, making his way to the podium for the second time. Michael Delosa rounded out the top three in the FMF XC3 class.

As the 10 a.m. race got underway it was Rachel Gutish grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot award. However, Rachael Archer made her way to the lead early on in the race. Archer checked in 18 seconds ahead of Gutish on the opening lap with current points lead Becca Sheets right behind her.

Archer continued to hold her lead position throughout the two-hour race, crossing the finish line with over a minute gap back to second. Sheets made the pass on Gutish for the second, but she was ultimately unable to catch Archer to battle for the lead. Sheets earnt second in the WXC class and remains in control of the points standings. Gutish held onto third in the class, and she currently sits fourth in the WXC class points standings with three more rounds of racing to go.

Rachael Archer - Image by Ken Hill
Rachael Archer – Image by Ken Hill

Racing got underway at 8 a.m. Sunday morning with the youth motorcycle racers taking to the woods first. It would be a three-way battle between the Team Green Kawasaki due of Jack Joy and Grant Davis, and Coastal Racing Husqvarna’s Lane Whitmer. Davis jumped out to the early lead with Whitmer and Joy just seconds behind him.

Joy made a pass on Whitmer for second and set his sights on Davis as the race worse on. As the trio came through after four laps of racing it was Joy out front with Whitmer and Davis running second and third. Joy would hold on and take the youth overall win as well as the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Davis made the pass on Whitmer stick as they round out the top three youth overall finishers and top three in the YXC1 class.

In the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class it was Nicholas Defeo taking the class win, with Andrew Segars and Chase Landers rounding out the top three. Colton Shields would earn the 85cc (12-13) class win, and seventh overall. Ryan Amancio came through to take another 85cc (7-11) class win.

XC1 Pro Event Results

  1. Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
  2. Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
  3. Grant Baylor (SHR)
  4. Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
  5. Andrew Delong (HON)
  6. Josh Strang (KAW)
  7. Layne Michael (YAM)
  8. Evan Earl (KAW)
  9. Kailub Russell (KTM)

*Overall National Championship Standings

  1. Kailub Russell (256)
  2. Josh Strang (201)
  3. Jordan Ashburn (159)
  4. Craig DeLong (147)
  5. Jonathan Girroir (139)
  6. Michael Witkowski (138)
  7. Grant Baylor (124)
  8. Benjamin Kelley (107)
  9. Steward Baylor Jr. (103)
  10. Cody Barnes (102)

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

  1. Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
  2. Michael Witkowski (YAM)
  3. Craig Delong (HQV)
  4. Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
  5. Cody Barnes (BET)
  6. Liam Draper (KTM)
  7. Thorn Devlin (BET)
  8. Jesse Ansley (KTM)
  9. Jonathan Johnson (YAM)
  10. Benjamin Nelko (HQV)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

  1. Jonathan Girroir (254)
  2. Craig Delong (245)
  3. Michael Witkowski (234)
  4. Cody Barnes (170)
  5. Liam Draper (158)
  6. Thorn Devlin (135)
  7. Jonathan Johnson (113)
  8. Ryder Lafferty (111)
  9. Benjamin Nelko (93)
  10. Simon Johnson (79)
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2020 Sea to Sky Extreme Enduro

Graham Jarvis (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) has secured yet another extreme enduro victory, this time topping the 2020 Sea to Sky. Delivering a winning performance on the final day’s Mountain Race, Graham notched up his sixth victory at the Turkish event. Graham’s teammate Billy Bolt dominated the event’s first three races, but a navigational error on the final day relegated him to third overall.

Billy Bolt
Billy Bolt

As always at Sea to Sky, Jarvis made a solid, but cautious start to the event. Claiming an impressive fifth in the hectic Beach Race, the 45-year-old then began to put on the pressure in the Forest Race, taking third and staying within touch of race leader Bolt. Despite a heavy impact with a rock damaging his bike, Graham was able to skilfully bring his Husqvarna TE 300i home in fourth on the technically demanding Sky Race.

Going into Saturday’s Mountain Race, Graham was lying third overall, a minute down on second place and close to four minutes down on his teammate Bolt in first. In typical Jarvis style, the Brit kept his nerve and maintained a strong pace throughout the 55-kilometre course. Making no mistakes, the extreme enduro expert crested the final hill in first place and with enough of an advantage over his rivals to claim the overall win.

Billy Bolt had looked on form throughout the 2020 edition of Sea to Sky. Winning the opening Beach Race, Billy went on to top the proceedings in both the subsequent Forest and Sky Races. Leading much of Saturday’s Mountain Race, the young British rider was first to reach many of the more challenging sections with other riders playing catch up behind.

Unfortunately, in following track marking tape left from a previous running of the event, Bolt was forced to double back on himself, losing a considerable amount of time. Pushing hard for the remainder of the enduro, the reigning FIM SuperEnduro World Champion was able to salvage fourth, earning himself a place on the overall podium, in third.

2020 Sea to Sky Podium
2020 Sea to Sky Podium – 1) Graham Jarvis, 2) Wade Young, 3) Billy Bolt
Graham Jarvis – P1

“It was a great race today and I was lucky if I’m honest, especially after damaging the bike earlier in the event. I went into the Mountain Race about four minutes down on Billy and as all the top guys ended up riding together, I thought there was no chance for me today. Billy took a wrong turn and I managed to get out in front and for that last 20 minutes I just pushed as hard as I could to the finish. It feels nice to get another win here in Turkey, it really is an amazing event.”

Billy Bolt – P3

“Overall, it’s been a really good week here in Turkey. I’m really happy with my riding and know I had the pace to win every day. I had led 80 or 90 percent of the Mountain Race today and was first to reach this tricky hill – it seems they had left some route marking tape up from last year and so I followed it. As it turns out, it wasn’t the right way to go, and by the time I had realised and turned back I had lost too much time to catch up with the leader. Finishing on the podium is good, but I’m disappointed not to have taken the win.”

Billy Bolt - P3
Billy Bolt

Overall Results – 2020 Sea to Sky, Kemer, Turkey

Pos Rider Man. Time
1 Graham Jarvis Husqvarna 4:48:37
2 Wade Young Sherco 4:51:12
3 Billy Bolt Husqvarna 4:52:12
4 Mario Roman Sherco 4:56:23
5 Teodor Kabakchiev KTM 5:14:59

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Speedway of Nations Final moved to mainland Europe

In light of an increase in cases of COVID-19 in the UK, the subsequent tighter restrictions being put in place and ongoing travel and quarantine restrictions, BSI Speedway has announced that the 2020 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final, scheduled to take place at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium on October 24 and 25, will be moved to a new venue in mainland Europe.

Paul Bellamy – Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG

“We’re committed to delivering the thrilling, action-packed final that our speedway community is looking forward to. And to do this, we need to make sure the top riders from all seven competing nations are able to race, which is unfortunately no longer possible in the UK due to changing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. We’re looking forward to revealing our new venue as soon as possible, and in the meantime, we thank our fans, riders, partners, staff and everyone involved for their ongoing support.”

SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS
2020 Speedway of Nations update

BSI Speedway is in the process of finalising the new venue for the final in October which will be announced along with additional details in the coming weeks.

The 2021 final will return to Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium over a weekend in October 2021 – date to be confirmed. Fans who have purchased tickets for the event will receive an email with further details.


Jack Holder secures FIM Speedway GP wildcard entry

In-form Australian racer Jack Holder has been handed a dream opportunity on the FIM Speedway Grand Prix stage after being named as wild card for FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP rounds seven and eight. The Torun rider dons the famous No.16 race jacket at his Polish home track on October 2 and 3.

Holder made his one and only previous World Championship appearance as a track reserve at the 2016 Australian SGP in Melbourne, scoring two points from as many rides on the night older brother Chris topped the podium in his homeland. Jack was watching from the sidelines on the night Chris clinched the 2012 SGP world title at Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena.

Jack Holder

But the 24-year-old is now very much making his own mark on the sport. After finishing second in this season’s Australian Championship, he has enjoyed a sublime season for Torun in the Polish First Division, topping the average charts comfortably on 2.600 points per race.

He was signed by PGE Ekstraliga side Gorzow as a guest rider and has played a key role in their charge from the bottom of the table to second place inside a month. He’s ninth in the top-flight average charts on 2.091 points per race.

This will be Holder’s first SGP opportunity over five rides, and he will be keen to carry this scintillating form into the final SGP weekend of 2020, where the world champion will be crowned, next year’s qualifiers will be confirmed and riders will have one last chance to impress the SGP Commission before permanent wild cards for 2021 are selected.

The Appin-born racer is joined in the FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP rounds by track reserves Wiktor Trofymov and Norbert Krakowiak, with the Polish pair lining up in the No.17 and No.18 race jackets respectively.


Changes to MXD For 2021

Motorcycling Australia (MA) have announced changes to the current MXD class and junior pathway that will support development of motocross in Australia and will assist riders to gain the vital skills to be able to progress to MX2 and MX1 classes through the new MX3 class which replaces MXD.

Currently there is very little overlap in the class structure, and riders must move even if not willing or ready to, or don’t have the skills to do so. In addition, where a Junior rider is ready to move up a class, they can be held back by age group limitations.

By creating a new pathway with an overlap in age group classes, riders will have some flexibility to remain in a class or move up a class if they are ready and eligible to do so. The MX3 class also brings Australian motocross more in line with the FIM age groupings.

Peter Doyle – MA CEO

“This change will provide a clear pathway for Australia’s talented young riders into the senior classes of MX2 and MX1. It also provides talented young riders ready to step up to senior competition a clear pathway through the junior ranks and into the premier categories.”

MX Nationals Coolum Ikap Brodie Ellis MXD
MXD Coolum 2019

Currently at 13 years of age a junior can be endorsed to ride a full-sized MX machine of 122cc to 150cc 2-Stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-Stroke capacity, this has not changed. At 14 years of age competitors with this endorsement can elect to compete in the MX3 class. This will not prevent competitors under the age of 16 competing in any other junior event.

The MX3 class is for 14 to under 18-years-old competitors (as of the January 1 of the year of competition) and allows for less experienced competitors to compete with their peers until the age of 18, and the more accomplished competitors to move into the MX2 class early as the entry age has been lowered to 15 years under strict endorsement procedures. You can enter MX1 or MX2 at 16-years-old.

Once a competitor has chosen to move up to Senior classes MX1 or MX2, they can no longer compete in Junior or MX3 classes. The current endorsement “Off Road 122cc to 150cc 2-Stroke / up to 250cc 4-Stroke” for 13 to Under 16-year-old junior competitors will apply to a 14-year-old junior wishing to compete in MX3.

However, a new endorsement is required for a competitor who at the age of 15 years wishes to compete in the MX2 class. There are no changes to the current Junior categories allowing Juniors between the age of 13 to Under 16 years to compete at National Championship events in their chosen classes.


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2020 MXGP of Lombardia, Mantova

Round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship concluded with the MX2 and MXGP action for the MXGP of Lombardi, with Jeremy Seewer reaching an incredible career milestone as he claimed his first MXGP overall victory and stood on the top step of the MXGP podium

Jeremy Seewer took the overall victory, with Glenn Coldenhoff taking second and Jorge Prado on the third step of the podium. Jeremy Seewer’s last GP win is back in 2017 when he stood at the top step on the podium at the MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla in MX2 class.

Jeremy Seewer

“I just won my first MXGP. Amazing. It’s in the books and it’s a big milestone in my career. Everybody dreams of winning an MXGP round, especially at the level we are racing right now, so it’s amazing. Especially the first race, I won the start then led every lap to the finish. The second race it didn’t go as planned but still I was lucky today, I was at the right place at the right time and now celebrating an overall.”

Jeremy Seewer
Jeremy Seewer

With an eighth and a race win, Gajser now leads the MXGP Championship by five-points over Antonio Cairoli and Jeremy Seewer is just a further 11 points behind.

Tim Gajser

“The first race didn’t start very well as I was back in the pack and it was tough to come through the field and pass the riders as everyone is very fast. I managed to come back to eighth but I was a little disappointed because I know that the start makes all the difference. For the second race, I put a lot of focus on the start and I managed to come out of the first corner around fifth and then I made a couple of quick passes which put me into third. I was following Romain and Jorge for around 15 minutes, before I was able to make two passes to get myself into the lead. I pulled a good gap, controlled the race to take the win and I’m super happy with how it turned out. Obviously getting the red plate is a big bonus and I will try my best to hold onto it until the end of the season.”

Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser

Australian Mitch Evans had a rough weekend in the MXGP class, with a crash in Race 1 leaving him unable to finish the race, while Race 2 saw him return to claim ninth. He leaves Lombardia in 11th overall in the standings.

Mitch Evans

“It wasn‘t the greatest day, although qualifying went quite well. I wasn’t feeling overly comfortable on the bike as I hadn’t ridden since Tuesday as I’ve been unwell but I was happy with qualifying. Unfortunately in race one I crashed in the first turn and then crashed a couple of laps later and was fighting all moto long to score some points. In moto two I didn’t get the best start either but didn’t crash, so I was still in a position to get a top 10 finish. I fought through to ninth and felt a lot better but I need to work on my starts and then I’ll be able to battle with the guys at the front of the races.”

Mitch Evans
Mitch Evans

MXGP Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Race 1 Race 2 Total
1 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 25 20 45
2 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED GAS 18 22 40
3 Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 22 18 40
4 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 13 25 38
5 Desalle, Clement BEL KAW 14 14 28
6 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 11 16 27
7 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED YAM 16 10 26
8 Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 20 6 26
9 Paulin, Gautier FRA YAM 8 15 23
10 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL HON 12 11 23
11 Jacobi, Henry GER YAM 7 13 20
12 Bogers, Brian NED KTM 9 8 17
13 Evans, Mitchell AUS HON 3 12 15
14 Tixier, Jordi FRA KTM 6 9 15
15 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU HUS 15 0 15

2020 MXGP Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 316
2 Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 311
3 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 300
4 Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 277
5 Coldenhoff, G. NED GAS 273
6 Herlings, J. NED KTM 263
7 Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 248
8 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 230
9 Paulin, G. FRA YAM 224
10 Desalle, C. BEL KAW 222
11 Evans, M. AUS HON 168
12 Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 164
13 Vlaanderen, C. NED YAM 106
14 Tixier, Jordi FRA KTM 106
15 Jacobi, Henry GER YAM

84

MX2

In MX2, Thomas Kjer Olsen made an epic return to the podium with his first overall victory of the season, with teammate Jed Beaton only a single point off the round overall. Ben Watson was also having a good day, standing on the third step of the box.

Thomas Kjer Olsen

“I’m pretty surprised. I went into the race not really knowing that I was on the podium, it was just a crazy battle out there and I’m really happy about my riding. I wanted to be up there in the front and that’s what we will work on for the next race. I had a rough few races and the confidence was not really there but I felt this week just went better and better. I got my confidence back on the bike that I had last year and the confidence that I should have had from the beginning. I’m just super happy to get this overall as it’s been a long time since I’ve been up there and it’s an amazing feeling.”

Thomas Kjer Olsen
Thomas Kjer Olsen

Despite missing out on the podium, Tom Vialle continues to lead the championship now by 30-points over Geerts and Renaux, while Beaton sits in fourth, just nine-points off Renaux.

Jed Beaton

“I can’t explain how happy I am to have won the second moto today. I had a great start in race two and got into the lead early on lap three. I then had a clear track and just focussed on my lines. As the race wore on I got a little nervous but kept it together. I did make a few mistakes but held on for the win. It’s been a tough year until this point and it’s all coming together now. The team have been great and I’m so happy and pleased for them, too. I’m looking forward to Wednesday now.”

Jed Beaton and Thomas Kjer Olsen celebrate a successful MXGP of Lombardia
Jed Beaton and Thomas Kjer Olsen celebrate a successful MXGP of Lombardia

Bailey Malkiewicz went 10-23 in the weekends races, while Nathan Crawford went 30-16, with the two Aussie riders now 15th and 21st in the standings respectively.

MX2 Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Race 1 Race 2 Total
1 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN HUS 22 18 40
2 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 14 25 39
3 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 15 22 37
4 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 20 16 36
5 Van De Moosdijk, Roan NED KAW 18 15 33
6 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 25 7 32
7 Rubini, Stephen FRA HON 13 12 25
8 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 3 20 23
9 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 10 13 23
10 Gifting, Isak SWE GAS 12 11 23
11 Forato, Alberto ITA HUS 9 10 19
12 Boisrame, Mathys FRA KAW 16 0 16
13 Östlund, Alvin SWE HON 1 14 15
14 Haarup, Mikkel DEN KAW 4 9 13
15 Malkiewicz, Bailey AUS HON 11 0 11
16 Renkens, Nathan BEL KTM 7 2 9
17 Horgmo, Kevin NOR KTM 0 8 8
18 Fernandez, Ruben ESP YAM 8 0 8
19 Vaessen, Bas NED KTM 0 6 6
20 Sandner, Michael AUT GAS 6 0 6
21 Crawford, Nathan AUS HON 0 5 5

2020 MX2 Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 386
2 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 356
3 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 295
4 Beaton, Jed AUS HUS 286
5 Van De Moosdijk, R. NED KAW 243
6 Olsen, T. DEN HUS 228
7 Watson, Ben GBR YAM 228
8 Boisrame, M. FRA KAW 198
9 Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 185
10 Fernandez, R. ESP YAM 164
11 Rubini, S. FRA HON 143
12 Östlund, Alvin SWE HON 127
13 Haarup, Mikkel DEN KAW 118
14 Crawford, N. AUS HON 91
15 Forato, A. ITA HUS 85
16 Hofer, Rene AUT KTM 73
17 Gilbert, Josh GBR HUS 72
18 Guadagnini, M. ITA HUS 62
19 Pancar, Jan SLO KTM 62
20 Laengenfelder, S. GER GAS 59
21 Malkiewicz, B. AUS HON 54

WMX

In the WMX Courtney Duncan had a mixed weekend, claiming the first race win, before a massive crash in Race 2 snapped her ‘bars, ending what seemed like a dominant performance, that would have handed her another overall win and extended the championship lead.

Courtney Duncan

“It was an up and down day for me, which started off really well as I won the first race and felt pretty good. I had a comfortable lead and maintained it. I’d made some passes on the opening laps and made my way into second. I wasn’t too far off the lead when I had a massive crash. I ran back to the bike but the handlebars were snapped so there was no way of finishing, which resulted in a DNF. “That’s the way life goes sometimes it doesn’t always go to plan. I can dwell on it, or I can go back to work on Tuesday and continue to fight. That’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to show up on Tuesday and give it everything I’ve got.”

Instead Larissa Papenmeier took the overall with consistent second places, while Nancy Van De Ven took the Race 2 win. Papenmeier now leads the standings from Van De Ven by 10-points, with Fontanesi in third, a further three points behind. Duncan is now fourth, with only four-points separating second through fourth, and 14-points to first.

Larissa Papenmeier

“For sure it’s a nice feeling. When I’m riding, I’m not really thinking about the championship and what could happen. I knew that second place was enough to win but I actually didn’t think about the red plate, so I tried to keep it smooth, tried to make no mistakes and it was really good. I had a good feeling and I liked the track, it’s a bit bumpy so I’m looking forward to Tuesday.”

WMX Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Race 1 Race 2 Total
1 Papenmeier, Larissa GER YAM 22 22 44
2 Van De Ven, Nancy NED YAM 16 25 41
3 Fontanesi, Kiara ITA KTM 20 16 36
4 Andersen, Sara DEN KTM 15 20 35
5 Dam, Line DEN YAM 18 15 33
6 Valk, Lynn NED YAM 14 18 32
7 van der Vlist, Shana NED KTM 11 14 25
8 Duncan, Courtney NZL KAW 25 0 25
9 Borchers, Anne GER SUZ 9 12 21
10 O’Hare, Tahlia Jade AUS KTM 5 13 18
11 Berry, Avrie USA KTM 8 10 18
12 Jakobsen, Malou DEN KTM 13 4 17
13 Astudillo, Jamie USA KTM 12 0 12
14 Keller, Sandra SUI KTM 0 11 11
15 Kapsamer , Elena AUT KTM 3 8 11

2020 WMX Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Papenmeier, L. GER YAM 129
2 Van De Ven, N. NED YAM 119
3 Fontanesi, K. ITA KTM 116
4 Duncan, C. NZL KAW 115
5 Valk, Lynn NED YAM 98
6 Dam, Line DEN YAM 87
7 van der Vlist, S. NED KTM 75
8 Andersen, Sara DEN KTM 60
9 Borchers, Anne GER SUZ 60
10 O’Hare, T. AUS KTM 54
11 Martinez, M. FRA KTM 39
12 Jans-Beken, B. NED KTM 35
13 Dahl, Emelie SWE YAM 32
14 Van Der Werff, B. NED SUZ 31
15 Astudillo, J. USA KTM 30

EMX250

The first races of the weekend in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia, were by the EMX250 riders, andt saw Thibault Benistant have a successful end to his day as he took a fourth consecutive overall victory in the category.

As the gate dropped for the opening EMX250 race of the day, it was Meico Vettik who got off to a flying start and was the early race leader. He was followed by Emilio Scuteri and Tom Guyon.

Bastian Boegh-Damm didn’t have such a good start to the race as he crashed out and seemed to be in discomfort as he hopped towards his bike. He did re-join for a couple of laps though eventually retired from the race.

Meanwhile Mattia Guadagnini and Thibault Benistant didn’t get off to the best start in the race, as both were down the field, with Guadagnini 10th and Benistant 14th. Another rider struggling in the beginning of the race was Kay De Wolf who was further down the order in P17.

Back with the leaders it was Vettik who had already pulled a 5.654 second gap over Guyon, as Scuteri, Oriol Oliver and Hakon Fredriksen, were locked in a battle for third position. Gianluca Facchetti was meanwhile having a great ride in fourth place.

Meanwhile Vettik could not afford to relax as his five-second gap was being cut short rapidly as the group caught up. And things then went downhill for the Estonian who crashed out of the lead, though was able to pick himself up pretty quickly and re-join in fourth position. Guyon then moved into the lead, though this didn’t last long as the KTM rider crashed out and was dropping down the race order fast.

Hakon Fredriksen
Hakon Fredriksen

This then allowed Fredriksen to inherit the lead, all while Guadagnini was making good progress and was already up into fifth on lap 5 of the race. Fredriksen  continued to lead the race as he opened up a seven-second gap over Facchetti and Vettik, while Guadagnini was catching the pair as he searched for higher positions. The Italian eventually was able to find a way through into third pushing Vettik to fourth in the race.

As the race progressed, Guadagnini then started to go after Facchetti and after several attempts was able to jump into second. At the same time the Husqvarna rider also set the fastest lap time of the race with a 1:56.878 with just 3 laps to go.

Facchetti then was being caught by Vettik for P3, though was able to retain his position as Fredriksen crossed the line to win race 1. Guadagnini finished second.

In the second EMX250 race, it was Guadagnini and Guyon who led the way, though things changed quickly as Guadagnini went down. Guyon then came under fire from Benistant who was eager to get into the lead and finish the day with a solid result. As Guyon tried to hold off Benistant, this allowed Tim Edberg to get closer.

EMX250 Start
EMX250 Start

Meanwhile further down the order, Vettik was not having the best start to the race as he was down in 18th on the opening few laps of the race.

Guadagnini then continued to cruise around the circuit, passing pitlane and giving the crew a signal at the bike, which must’ve taken an impact from his crash a lap earlier. He continued to ride around for a few more laps before going out of the race.

By lap 3, Benistant was the new race leader as he led Guyon, Edberg and De Wolf. Though Guyon looks to have made a mistake as he lost two positions and dropped to fourth in the race. Benistant then went on to set a fast lap of the race, with 12 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock.

Just five seconds separated the top three riders, as De Wolf was searching for a way into second place and after several attempts was able to do just that as he moved up a position past Edberg.

As the race progressed, Benistant continued to edge away from the rest of the field as he pulled a 10.441 second gap over De Wolf and Edberg who remained second and third. In the end not much changed in the top 10, as Benistant claimed his first race win of the day, with De Wolf and Edberg crossing the line to finish in the top three.

A fifth and a win was enough to give Thibault Benistant the overall as Hakon Fredriksen claimed his first podium of the season to finish second and Tim Edberg also getting the third spot on the box.

As it stands Benistant now leads the EMX250 Championship by 57 points, with Guadagnini and De Wolf tied on points in second and third.

Thibault Benistant

“The day started not so easy as I finished a little bit far on the lap time. In the first race I tried to start a little bit far from the outside and I needed to push hard for a comeback, but I did quite a good race and finished fifth. In the second race I started better, I was third and there was a crash at the front. I waited for a mistake from Tom and then I was leading. I kept the gap and win the race. I feel good, I like the track when it becomes a little bit bumpy, so I hope to do the same.”

Thibault Benistant
Thibault Benistant

EMX250 Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Race 1 Race 2 Total
1 Benistant, Thibault FRA YAM 16 25 41
2 Fredriksen, Hakon NOR YAM 25 13 38
3 Edberg, Tim SWE YAM 15 20 35
4 Facchetti, Gianluca ITA YAM 20 14 34
5 de Wolf, Kay NED HUS 9 22 31
6 Vettik, Meico EST KTM 18 12 30
7 Locurcio, Lorenzo VEN KAW 12 16 28
8 Talviku, Jorgen-Matthias EST HUS 13 10 23
9 Guadagnini, Mattia ITA HUS 22 0 22
10 Spies, Maximilian GER HUS 4 15 19
11 Florian, Lion GER KTM 10 9 19
12 Guyon, Tom FRA KTM 0 18 18
13 Oliver, Oriol ESP KTM 14 3 17
14 Cenerelli, Gianmarco ITA HUS 0 11 11
15 Scuteri, Emilio ITA KTM 11 0 11

EMX250 Standings

Pos Rider Nat. Bike Total
1 Benistant, T. FRA YAM 215
2 Guadagnini, M. ITA HUS 158
3 de Wolf, Kay NED HUS 158
4 Gifting, Isak SWE KTM 128
5 Edberg, Tim SWE YAM 126
6 Vettik, Meico EST KTM 114
7 Talviku, J. EST HUS 112
8 Fredriksen, H. NOR YAM 110
9 Florian, Lion GER KTM 87
10 Everts, Liam BEL KTM 87
11 Boegh Damm, B. DEN KTM 79
12 Locurcio, L. VEN KAW 78
13 Guyon, Tom FRA KTM 76
14 Facchetti, G. ITA YAM 74
15 Spies, M. GER HUS 73

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Arminas Jasikonis in induced coma

Following Arminas Jasikonis’ admittance to hospital on Sunday afternoon, September 27, during the second MXGP race at the MXGP of Lombardia, Mantova, Italy, Husqvarna Motorcycles issued the following update on AJ’s condition:

Taken to hospital in Cremona, Italy, Arminas was diagnosed as having a traumatic brain injury and, as is routine procedure with injuries of this type, placed in a medically induced coma in order to stabilise his situation. Due to the serious nature of injuries of this kind, AJ remains in a coma and is receiving ongoing specialist care. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing would like to thank all medical staff that have assisted Arminas as well as the numerous well-wishers both from within the MXGP paddock and the wider motorcycle community.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Arminas Jasikonis
Arminas Jasikonis is in an induced coma, as a routine procedure, following a traumatic brain injury suffered at the MXGP of Lombardia
Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager

“This is a very serious situation for Arminas and a very difficult time for his family and all involved in the team. After AJ was flown to hospital on Sunday night, he was placed in a medically induced coma because of the trauma he suffered to his brain. Really, there is not much else to say at this time – this is the situation, a situation that is very serious and difficult for everyone, and now we have to wait and stay positive. He has the best medical care around him, and we are in close contact with both the specialists at the hospital here in Italy but also in Innsbruck, Austria. Thank you to everyone who has expressed their concerns and wishes AJ all the best.”


2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Round Seven – GEICO Motorcycle WW Ranch National, Florida
September 26, 2020

Images Jeff Kardas

The seventh round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured an action-packed afternoon of racing in both the 450 Class and 250 Class. The sandy conditions of WW Ranch Motocross Park and Florida’s heat provided riders with one of the most challenging rounds of the season.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne showed why he’s the man to beat in the 450 Class this summer, sweeping both motos to capture a class-leading fourth victory of the season and extend his championship point lead to 29-points. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin logged two consistent motos to finish second overall, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac gave Osborne a run late in the second moto and ended the day third.

In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis won in dominant fashion by going 1-1 for the second consecutive week and extended his championship lead to 13. Ferrandis’s Star Racing Yamaha teammate Justin Cooper secured a season-best second overall, just edging out GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin.

Jett Lawrence went 2-5 for fourth overall, just missing out on the overall podium but strengthening his seventh place in the 250 Championship standings with 200-points to his name.

Hunter Lawrence started well with a sixth in the opening Moto but failed to finish the second bout after encountering a mechanical gremlin.

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next weekend on Saturday, October 3 for the penultimate round of the 2020 season in Lakewood, Colorado.

Video Highlights


450MX Moto 1

As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class Moto, Osborne grabbed the Motosport.com Holeshot, closely followed by Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton. The premier class rookie duo of Cianciarulo and Sexton quickly sprinted around Osborne on the opening lap, shuffling the championship point leader to third. Following a hard crash in the final qualifying session, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin started just behind the leaders in fourth.

While Cianciarulo and Sexton paced one another at the head of the field, Osborne trailed by just over three seconds, keeping the leaders within sight. At the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Sexton saw an opening and struck by pulling alongside Cianciarulo and taking second. Cianciarulo instantly retaliated with a move of his own to reclaim the lead.

Entering the final stages of the moto, Osborne inched his way closer to the lead duo and used his aggressive riding style to pass Sexton around the outside of a corner. Just one lap later Osborner dove to the inside of his closest championship rival Cianciarulo and took control of the race lead.

Osborne’s late race charge helped him secure his fifth moto win of the season by 2.7 seconds over Cianciarulo. Musquin took advantage of a late race mistake by Sexton to complete the podium in third, followed by Sexton in fourth.

450MX Moto 1 Results

Pos Rider Bike Laps/Interval
1 Zachary Osborne HQV FC450 RE 16 Laps
2 Adam Cianciarulo KAW KX450 +02.733
3 Marvin Musquin KTM 450 SX-F FE +14.333
4 Chase Sexton HON CRF450R WE +19.188
5 Justin Barcia YAM YZ 450F +22.263
6 Eli Tomac KAW KX450 +40.597
7 Blake Baggett KTM 450 SX-F FE +48.758
8 Joseph Savatgy SUZ RMZ 450 +1:03.459
9 Fredrik Noren SUZ RMZ 450 +1:21.711
10 Christian Craig HON CRF450R +1:27.313
11 Justin Bogle KTM 450 SX-F FE +2:00.818
12 Isaac Teasdale SUZ RMZ 450 +2:11.164
13 Max Anstie SUZ RMZ 450 +2:16.874
14 Justin  Rodbell KAW KX 450F 15 Laps
15 Kyle Chisholm YAM YZ 450F +29.684
16 Tyler Bowers KAW KX450 +37.410
17 Alex Ray KAW KX450 +46.322
18 McClellan Hile KTM 450 SX-F FE +50.440
19 Bryce Backaus YAM YZ 450F +1:10.787
20 Tristan Lane KTM 450 SX-F +1:30.248
21 Jared Lesher KTM 450 SX-F +1:35.361
22 Matthew Hubert KAW KX450 +1:37.238
23 Christopher Prebula KTM 450 SX-F +2:14.502
24 Vann Martin KTM 450 SX-F +2:23.439
25 Tristan Lewis YAM YZ 450F 14 Laps
26 Adam Enticknap SUZ RMZ 450 +1:17.896
27 Scott Meshey HQV FC450 RE +1:20.278
28 Nicolas Rolando KTM 450 SX-F +1:31.986
29 Joshua Berchem KTM 450 SX-F +1:37.277
30 Jerry Lorenz III YAM YZ 450F +1:49.156
31 Nick Fratz-Orr KTM 450 SX-F FE +2:46.853
32 Bryton Carroll YAM YZ 450F +3:20.771
33 Nathen LaPorte HON CRF450R 13 Laps
34 Carter Stephenson YAM YZ 450F 10 Laps
35 Richard Taylor YAM YZ 450F 9 Laps
36 Ben LaMay KTM 450 SX-F 7 Laps
37 Jeffrey Walker KTM 450 SX-F FE +12.858
38 Carson Tickle HON CRF450R 5 Laps
39 Benny Bloss HQV FC450 3 Laps
40 Jake Masterpool HQV FC450 +24.431

450MX Moto 2

The final 450 Class moto of the afternoon saw Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia launch out of the gate to grab the Motosport.com Holeshot, followed by Musquin and Cianciarulo. Exiting the first turn, Cianciarulo grabbed a handful of throttle to blitz his way around Musquin and Barcia to take the race lead. Prior to the completion of the opening lap, Barcia would lose the front end entering a corner, allowing Anstie to take over third, just ahead of Osborne in fourth.

Cianciarulo continued his strong early moto form out front, while Musquin looked to keep the Kawasaki rider in his sight in second. A mistake by Anstie allowed Osborne to sneak by and into third. With just under 20-minutes to go, Musquin saw an opportunity to make the pass for the lead, which saw the two riders collide entering a corner and Cianciarulo hitting the ground. Musquin was able to stay up and take the lead, while Osborne and Sexton moved into second and third. Cianciarulo would remount in seventh.

Osborne made an attack on the Frenchman Musquin and took over the race lead at the halfway point of the moto. Shortly after, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac latched onto the rear fender of Sexton to pass him for third. Tomac continued his charge forward, working his way up to and around Musquin for second.

Entering the final lap, Osborne and Tomac were wheel-to-wheel in the battle for the moto win. Osborne fended off the multi-time reigning champion to take his sixth moto win of the season. Tomac crossed the checkered flag to finish second, followed by Musquin in third.

450MX Moto 2 Results

Pos Rider Bike Lapt/Interval
1 Zachary Osborne HQV FC450 RE 16 Laps
2 Eli Tomac KAW KX450 +04.201
3 Marvin Musquin KTM 450 SX-F FE +23.839
4 Max Anstie SUZ RMZ 450 +29.490
5 Chase Sexton HON CRF450R WE +37.275
6 Blake Baggett KTM 450 SX-F FE +49.082
7 Adam Cianciarulo KAW KX450 +1:10.201
8 Fredrik Noren SUZ RMZ 450 +1:19.318
9 Joseph Savatgy SUZ RMZ 450 +1:24.249
10 Christian Craig HON CRF450R +1:33.139
11 Jake Masterpool HQV FC450 +2:11.411
12 Kyle Chisholm YAM YZ 450F 15 Laps
13 Justin Barcia YAM YZ 450F +01.612
14 Isaac Teasdale SUZ RMZ 450 +09.289
15 Justin Bogle KTM 450 SX-F FE +35.423
16 Tyler Bowers KAW KX450 +39.649
17 Tristan Lane KTM 450 SX-F +41.688
18 Alex Ray KAW KX450 +45.985
19 Justin  Rodbell KAW KX 450F +52.703
20 Matthew Hubert KAW KX450 +55.548
21 Jared Lesher KTM 450 SX-F +1:17.841
22 McClellan Hile KTM 450 SX-F FE +1:26.179
23 Carson Tickle HON CRF450R +1:35.195
24 Bryce Backaus YAM YZ 450F +1:57.211
25 Vann Martin KTM 450 SX-F +2:33.092
26 Cory Carsten SUZ RMZ 450 14 Laps
27 Nicolas Rolando KTM 450 SX-F +04.721
28 Nick Fratz-Orr KTM 450 SX-F FE +1:02.905
29 Adam Enticknap SUZ RMZ 450 +1:05.948
30 Joshua Berchem KTM 450 SX-F +1:45.940
31 Brandon Pederson HQV FC450 FE +2:07.653
32 Christopher Prebula KTM 450 SX-F 13 Laps
33 Carter Stephenson YAM YZ 450F 12 Laps
34 Ben LaMay KTM 450 SX-F 8 Laps
35 Nathen LaPorte HON CRF450R 7 Laps
36 Jerry Lorenz III YAM YZ 450F 5 Laps
37 Bryton Carroll YAM YZ 450F +1:36.693
38 Scott Meshey HQV FC450 RE 3 Laps
39 Benny Bloss HQV FC450 2 Laps
40 Richard Taylor YAM YZ 450F DNF

450MX Overall

Osborne went 1-1 for the second time this season, capturing his fourth overall victory of the season in the premier class. Musquin’s consistency rewarded him with second overall (3-3), edging out Tomac who made his return to the podium in third (6-2).

“It’s an unreal feeling to get back on top” explained Osborne. “A week ago we were faced with some adversity, but we responded with two moto wins today. This is what makes all of the hard work and tough times we face during the week worth it. I had to fight for that second moto win, Eli was on it, but we dug deep and managed to get the job done.”

The overall win helped Osborne extend his championship lead to 29-points over Cianciarulo who finished fourth overall (2-7). Musquin maintains his third position in the standings, just a single point behind Cianciarulo.

450MX Overall

Pos Rider M1 M2 Points
1 Zachary Osborne 1 1 50
2 Marvin Musquin 3 3 40
3 Eli Tomac 6 2 37
4 Adam Cianciarulo 2 7 36
5 Chase Sexton 4 5 34
6 Blake Baggett 7 6 29
7 Max Anstie 13 4 26
8 Fredrik Noren 9 8 25
9 Joseph Savatgy 8 9 25
10 Justin Barcia 5 13 24
11 Christian Craig 10 10 22
12 Isaac Teasdale 12 14 16
13 Justin Bogle 11 15 16
14 Kyle Chisholm 15 12 15
15 Jake Masterpool 40 11 10
16 Tyler Bowers 16 16 10
17 Justin  Rodbell 14 19 9
18 Alex Ray 17 18 7
19 Tristan Lane 20 17 5
20 McClellan Hile 18 22 3
21 Bryce Backaus 19 24 2
22 Matthew Hubert 22 20 1
23 Jared Lesher 21 21 0
24 Vann Martin 24 25 0
25 Nicolas Rolando 28 27 0
26 Adam Enticknap 26 29 0
27 Christopher Prebula 23 32 0
28 Nick Fratz-Orr 31 28 0
29 Joshua Berchem 29 30 0
30 Carson Tickle 38 23 0
31 Scott Meshey 27 38 0
32 Jerry Lorenz III 30 36 0
33 Carter Stephenson 34 33 0
34 Nathen LaPorte 33 35 0
35 Bryton Carroll 32 37 0
36 Ben LaMay 36 34 0
37 Richard Taylor 35 40 0
38 Benny Bloss 39 39 0
39 Tristan Lewis 25 0
40 Cory Carsten 26 0
41 Brandon Pederson 31 0
42 Jeffrey Walker 37 0

450MX Championship Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 Zachary Osborne 285
2 Adam Cianciarulo 256
3 Marvin Musquin 255
4 Eli Tomac 233
5 Blake Baggett 219
6 Justin Barcia 218
7 Chase Sexton 207
8 Christian Craig 163
9 Joseph Savatgy 147
10 Max Anstie 139
11 Broc Tickle 134
12 Fredrik Noren 107
13 Dean Wilson 97
14 Justin Bogle 72
15 Jake Masterpool 63
16 Henry Miller 59
17 Jason Anderson 58
18 Justin  Rodbell 58
19 Benny Bloss 47
20 Coty Schock 31
21 Cooper Webb 29
22 Tyler Bowers 23
23 John Short 21
24 Ben LaMay 21
25 Isaac Teasdale 19
26 Grant Harlan 18
27 Jeremy Smith 18
28 Justin Hoeft 17
29 Kyle Chisholm 15
30 Luke Renzland 11
31 Matthew Hubert 10
32 Chase Felong 8
33 Alex Ray 7
34 Tristan Lane 5
35 Felix Lopez 5
36 Robbie Wageman 4
37 Jeffrey Walker 4
38 McClellan Hile 3
39 Cory Carsten 3
40 Jared Lesher 3
41 Bryce Backaus 2

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250MX Moto 1

The first 250 Class moto saw Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Shane McElrath emerge with the Motosport.com Holeshot, just edging out his teammate Dylan Ferrandis and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ hampshire. The opening lap saw Hampshire quickly go to work to steal second from Ferrandis, while Ferrandis’ championship rival Jeremy Martin started in fourth on his GEICO Honda.

As McElrath led the 40-rider field around the sandy circuit, Ferrandis managed to regroup and close the gap on Hampshire, reclaiming the second position. Just moments later, Ferrandis would continue his push towards the front as he overtook his teammate McElrath to become the new race leader. The podium battle behind Ferrandis began to heat up as GEICO Honda’s rookie Jett Lawrence found his way by both Hampshire and McElrath to move into second.

With Ferrandis dropping the hammer and looking to breakaway from Lawrence out front, Hampshire put in another charge that allowed him to muscle his way by McElrath for third. With five minutes remaining, the final podium positions tightened up as Lawrence, Hampshire, and Jeremy Martin were separated by just seconds. A huge mistake by Hampshire saw him eject from his motorcycle off of one of the large infield jumps, moving Jeremy Martin into third.

Ferrandis would go on to take a dominating fifth moto win of the season by 9.6 seconds over Lawrence who earned a career-best second. Jeremy Martin crossed the finish line a distant third.

250MX Moto 1 Results

Pos Rider Bike Laps/Interval
1 Dylan Ferrandis YAM YZ 250F 16 Laps
2 Jett Lawrence HON CRF250R +09.655
3 Jeremy Martin HON CRF250R +21.486
4 Justin Cooper YAM YZ 250F +30.898
5 Alex Martin SUZ RMZ 250 +37.359
6 Hunter Lawrence HON CRF250R +41.083
7 Shane McElrath YAM YZ 250F +44.221
8 Jo Shimoda HON CRF250R +1:00.325
9 Cameron Mcadoo KAW KX 250 +1:12.527
10 Carson Mumford HON CRF250R +1:14.966
11 Mitchell Harrison KAW KX 250 +1:19.400
12 Jarrett Frye YAM YZ 250F +1:27.097
13 Brandon Hartranft KTM 250 SX-F FE +1:36.295
14 Hardy Munoz HQV FC250 +1:41.303
15 Nick Gaines YAM YZ 250F +1:55.578
16 Joseph Crown YAM YZ 250F +2:03.052
17 Jalek  Swoll HQV FC250 +2:07.172
18 Derek Kelley HQV FC250 +2:07.903
19 Mason Gonzales YAM YZ 250F 15 Laps
20 Jerry Robin HQV FC250 +52.972
21 Kevin Moranz KTM 250 SX-F +56.026
22 Mathias Jorgensen KAW KX 250 +57.541
23 Austin Root HQV FC250 +1:05.074
24 Colton Eigenmann SUZ RMZ 250 +1:06.246
25 Curren Thurman KTM 250 SX-F +1:12.052
26 Jesse Flock HQV FC250 +1:30.282
27 Joshua Varize KTM 250 SX-F +1:55.081
28 Ezra Hastings HQV FC250 +2:00.185
29 Maxwell Sanford YAM YZ 250F +2:26.755
30 Jake Pinhancos KTM 250 SX-F +2:43.562
31 Gared Steinke KAW KX 250 +2:43.562
32 Brett Greenley YAM YZ 250F 14 Laps
33 Lane Shaw KTM 250 SX-F +14.605
34 Matthew Klann HON CRF250R +1:05.405
35 RJ Hampshire HQV FC250 13 Laps
36 Kyle Greeson KTM 250 SX-F 11 Laps
37 Derek  Drake KTM 250 SX-F FE 10 Laps
38 Conner Burger KTM 250 SX-F +2:13.018
39 Gage Schehr HQV FC250 4 Laps
40 Gabe Gutierres KTM 250 SX-F 3 Laps

250MX Moto 2

As the gate dropped for 250 Class Moto 2 it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing’s Alex Martin and Ferrandis. The red plate holder Ferrandis quickly went to the front to lead the opening lap over Cooper, and McElrath. Jeremy Martin started the moto in seventh.

Like we’ve seen many times this season, Ferrandis used the clear track to his advantage by putting in fast laps to open a comfortable lead over his fellow competitors. Behind Ferrandis, Star Racing Yamaha teammates Cooper and McElrath remained steady in second and third. With just under 10-minutes remaining in the moto, Jeremy Martin engaged in a battle with McElrath for the final podium spot.

Ferrandis remained unchallenged en route to his six moto win of the season by 15.3 seconds. Cooper held on to take a season-best second, while Jeremy Martin made a pass on McElrath in the final laps to finish third.

250MX Moto 2 Results

Pos Rider Bike Laps/Interval
1 Dylan Ferrandis YAM YZ 250F 16 Laps
2 Justin Cooper YAM YZ 250F +15.304
3 Jeremy Martin HON CRF250R +23.706
4 Shane McElrath YAM YZ 250F +29.004
5 Jett Lawrence HON CRF250R +37.013
6 RJ Hampshire HQV FC250 +40.888
7 Alex Martin SUZ RMZ 250 +59.176
8 Cameron Mcadoo KAW KX 250 +1:23.120
9 Brandon Hartranft KTM 250 SX-F FE +1:27.457
10 Jo Shimoda HON CRF250R +1:27.925
11 Carson Mumford HON CRF250R +2:04.883
12 Jarrett Frye YAM YZ 250F +2:15.554
13 Nick Gaines YAM YZ 250F +2:19.882
14 Kevin Moranz KTM 250 SX-F +2:24.692
15 Joseph Crown YAM YZ 250F 15 Laps
16 Mitchell Harrison KAW KX 250 +04.765
17 Jerry Robin HQV FC250 +07.224
18 Hardy Munoz HQV FC250 +13.923
19 Curren Thurman KTM 250 SX-F +41.068
20 Jesse Flock HQV FC250 +42.498
21 Colton Eigenmann SUZ RMZ 250 +50.288
22 Ezra Hastings HQV FC250 +1:00.193
23 Derek Kelley HQV FC250 +2:06.176
24 Maxwell Sanford YAM YZ 250F +2:33.265
25 Lane Shaw KTM 250 SX-F +2:45.694
26 Kyle Greeson KTM 250 SX-F 14 Laps
27 Austin Root HQV FC250 +11.352
28 Brett Greenley YAM YZ 250F +39.795
29 Jake Pinhancos KTM 250 SX-F +44.709
30 Matthew Klann HON CRF250R +59.439
31 Joshua Varize KTM 250 SX-F +1:07.071
32 Jordan Jarvis KAW KX 250 +1:11.685
33 Michael Lacore KTM 250 SX-F 13 Laps
34 Austin Cozadd YAM YZ 250F +26.226
35 Hayden Hefner YAM YZ 250F +1:35.861
36 Gared Steinke KAW KX 250 9 Laps
37 Mathias Jorgensen KAW KX 250 6 Laps
38 Gage Schehr HQV FC250 4 Laps
39 Hunter Lawrence HON CRF250R 3 Laps
40 Chad  Stonier YAM YZ 250F 2 Laps

250MX Overall

For the third time this season, Ferrandis swept both motos (1-1) for the overall victory. Cooper landed on the overall podium for the first time this season in second (4-2), edging out Jeremy Martin in third (3-3).

“It’s a great feeling to get another win,” said Ferrandis. “Every race and moto is really important. To go 1-1 today is huge and it’s great to show how strong I am when the conditions are tough. My starts were much better overall, so it’s quite a nice feeling to have it pay off with a good overall result. There are two races left and it’s going to be important to keep this momentum rolling for the championship.”

The win helped Ferrandis extend his championship point lead to 13-points over Jeremy Martin. Jeremy’s brother, Alex Martin, finished sixth overall (5-7) on the day and moved to third in the standings.

250MX Overall Results

Pos Rider M1 M2 Points
1 Dylan Ferrandis 1 1 50
2 Justin Cooper 4 2 40
3 Jeremy Martin 3 3 40
4 Jett Lawrence 2 5 38
5 Shane McElrath 7 4 32
6 Alex Martin 5 7 30
7 Cameron Mcadoo 9 8 25
8 Jo Shimoda 8 10 24
9 Carson Mumford 10 11 21
10 Brandon Hartranft 13 9 20
11 Jarrett Frye 12 12 18
12 RJ Hampshire 35 6 15
13 Mitchell Harrison 11 16 15
14 Hunter Lawrence 6 39 15
15 Nick Gaines 15 13 14
16 Joseph Crown 16 15 11
17 Hardy Munoz 14 18 10
18 Kevin Moranz 21 14 7
19 Jerry Robin 20 17 5
20 Jalek  Swoll 17 4
21 Derek Kelley 18 23 3
22 Mason Gonzales 19 2
23 Colton Eigenmann 24 21 0
24 Curren Thurman 25 19 2
25 Jesse Flock 26 20 1
26 Ezra Hastings 28 22 0
27 Austin Root 23 27 0
28 Maxwell Sanford 29 24 0
29 Lane Shaw 33 25 0
30 Joshua Varize 27 31 0
31 Jake Pinhancos 30 29 0
32 Mathias Jorgensen 22 37 0
33 Brett Greenley 32 28 0
34 Kyle Greeson 36 26 0
35 Matthew Klann 34 30 0
36 Gared Steinke 31 36 0
37 Gage Schehr 39 38 0
38 Jordan Jarvis 32 0
39 Michael Lacore 33 0
40 Austin Cozadd 34 0
41 Hayden Hefner 35 0
42 Derek  Drake 37 0
43 Conner Burger 38 0
44 Gabe Gutierres 40 0
45 Chad  Stonier 40 0

250MX Championship Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 Dylan Ferrandis 307
2 Jeremy Martin 294
3 Alex Martin 224
4 Shane McElrath 218
5 RJ Hampshire 217
6 Justin Cooper 204
7 Jett Lawrence 200
8 Cameron Mcadoo 165
9 Mitchell Harrison 138
10 Brandon Hartranft 134
11 Carson Mumford 116
12 Jo Shimoda 114
13 Derek  Drake 106
14 Hunter Lawrence 88
15 Mason Gonzales 75
16 Stilez Robertson 70
17 Nick Gaines 58
18 Ty Masterpool 54
19 Pierce Brown 36
20 Hardy Munoz 33
21 Jarrett Frye 32
22 Jerry Robin 28
23 Darian Sanayei 24
24 Joseph Crown 24
25 Jalek  Swoll 19
26 Lance Kobusch 18
27 Derek Kelley 15
28 Ezra Hastings 14
29 Gared Steinke 11
30 Austin Root 9
31 Jesse Flock 8
32 Kevin Moranz 7
33 Joshua Varize 7
34 Zack Williams 6
35 Jordan Bailey 6
36 Dilan Schwartz 5
37 Maxwell Sanford 4
38 Mathias Jorgensen 4
39 Curren Thurman 2
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Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News Weekly | Jett Lawrence to AUS-X | X-Trial | Enduro

Moto News Weekly for November 26, 2019

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What happened this week

  • Jett Lawrence set for his professional SX debut
  • Toni Bou claims French X-Trial Round 2 victory
  • Jack Holder crowned 2019 Oceania Speedway Champion at Gillman
  • Wade Young wins 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro in South Borneo
  • Harley announce massive 2020 AFT contingency program
  • 2020 Championship Calendars
    • 2020 AMA Motocross
    • 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
    • 2020 MXGP
    • 2020 American Flat Track
    • 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
    • 2020 FIM Speedway GP
    • 2020 Australian Dirt Track
    • 2020 Australian Track

Jett Lawrence set for his professional SX debut

Australian sensation Jett Lawrence will make his professional supercross debut with Honda Racing Australia at the Monster Energy AUS-X Open event this coming weekend at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

Monster Energy Cup Lawrence Jett Futures JK MEC CoverA
Jett Lawrence – Monster Energy Cup 2019 – Image by Hoppenworld

The Queensland native currently lives in the USA, but is heading back to Melbourne to race his first-ever professional career and international Supercross race onboard a Honda CRF250R.

Since landing in the United States in early 2018, Lawrence has been unstoppable, racking up a multitude of prestigious amateur championships, which have subsequently made him the hottest property on the market. The 16-year-old recently signed a long-term contract to ride under the powerhouse Geico Honda squad in the 2020 World 250cc SX2 Supercross (West Coast AMA) Championship.

Jett Lawrence

“I’m really excited to be making my pro debut in Melbourne. I’ve had my eye on these events for a while now and they’ve progressively grown into something that’s world-class. Being a proud Australian makes it pretty cool that I’ll debut there, in front of friends, family and a lot of riders I grew up with too. Winning Monster Cup was a real confidence booster for me, especially on a Supercross track. I definitely think more gate drops and just being in that race environment will help me heaps as I get ready for 2020.”

AMA MX Jett Lawrence Pits JK MX BuddsCreek
Jett Lawrence – Image by Hoppenworld

Lawrence will ride under the awning of the ‘Ride Red’ Honda Racing program, backed by Honda Genuine. General Manager of Honda Motorcycles, Tony Hinton is looking forward to seeing Lawrence in action sharing, “We are really pleased to have Jett under our wing for this final round. He has certainly made a name for himself overseas, so it will be fantastic for local fans to see him race on home soil. We hope for strong results and know he will do the CRF250R proud!”

The addition of Lawrence will add to an already stacked international SX2 division, with existing riders involved in a ferocious title fight that’ll come down to the wire at the Australian Supercross Championship finale.

Monster Energy Cup Futures Jett Lawrence JK MEC
Jett Lawerence – Image by Hoppenworld

During New Zealand’s press conference, two-time World Champion Chad Reed indicated that this could very likely be his final race as a professional athlete in Australia, which makes Melbourne a landmark event for Australian Supercross fans, with one legend potentially retiring and a future star being born.

Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium will also feature the Monster Energy Best-Trick Freestyle Motocross contest set to feature some of the world’s most insane stunts, with the legendary Josh Sheehan as the headliner. Best Whip will be back again, along with the Yamaha Celebrity challenge as some of Australia’s highest profiled stars do battle on track, including Jack Riewoldt, Jordan De Goey, Scott McLaughlin and many more celebrities.

Aus-X Open
Aus-X Open

Tickets can be secured from www.ticketmaster.com.au (link) with new tickets released from just $39.95! The Monster Energy AUS-X Open doubles as the fifth and final round of the Australian Supercross Championship, and Grand Final of the FIM Oceania Supercross Championship.

SX1 Standings

Pos Name R1 R3 R3 R4 PTS
1 Luke CLOUT 20 22 25 22 89
2 Justin BRAYTON 25 25 20 18 88
3 Daniel REARDON 22 20 22 16 80
4 Brett METCALFE 18 18 16 20 72
5 Dylan LONG 16 11 15 13 55
6 Richie EVANS 13 16 10 8 47
7 Todd WATERS 15 13 12 7 47
8 Joel WIGHTMAN 10 15 9 9 43
9 Lawson BOPPING 14 13 11 38
10 Jayden RYKERS 12 10 8 5 35
11 Josh HILL 18 15 33
12 Cody DYCE 5 5 14 4 28
13 Jesse DOBSON 7 14 7 28
14 Jackson RICHARDSON 12 1 14 27
15 Jason ANDERSON 25 25
16 Henry MILLER 11 12 23
17 Dylan WOOD 8 6 6 3 23
18 Gradie FEATHERSTONE 11 7 2 20
19 Caleb WARD 9 8 17
20 Justin CARAFA 9 4 13
21 Joey SAVATGY 10 10
22 Lochie LATIMER 6 4 10
23 Cody COOPER 6 6
24 Jesse MADDEN 5 5
25 Blake COBBIN 4 4
26 Jamie HARVEY 3 3
27 Joel CIGLIANO 3 3
28 Chad REED 2 2

SX2 Standings

Pos Name R1 R2 R3 R4 PTS
1 Joshua OSBY 18 22 22 25 87
2 Chris BLOSE 20 16 25 22 83
3 Aaron TANTI 22 20 18 20 80
4 Mitchell OLDENBURG 13 25 20 16 74
5 Jay WILSON 16 18 15 18 67
6 Dylan WILLS 12 10 16 12 50
7 Bradley TAFT 15 12 13 5 45
8 Connor TIERNEY 14 14 15 43
9 Regan DUFFY 15 12 14 41
10 Ricky LATIMER 8 8 9 10 35
11 Geran STAPLETON 9 7 11 27
12 Rhys BUDD 11 8 8 27
13 Jayce COSFORD 10 6 4 6 26
14 Kyle WEBSTER 11 11 3 25
15 Jacob HAYES 25 25
16 Tomas RAVENHORST 13 10 23
17 Morgan FOGARTY 9 3 9 21
18 Kaleb BARHAM 7 7 5 19
19 Wilson TODD 14 14
20 Darian SANAYEI 13 13
21 Hugh McKAY 6 7 13
22 Jack KUKAS 5 4 9
23 Jaxson HADLOW 6 6
24 Chandler BURNS 5 5
25 Madison LATTA 4 4
26 McKenzie O’BREE 2 2
27 Caleb GOULLET 1 1

Toni Bou claims French X-Trial Round 2 victory

The second round of the X-Trial World Championship got underway at the brand new Glaz Arena in Rennes, France, with Repsol Honda Team ace Toni Bou dominating throughout to claim a second 2020 indoor season victory.

X Trial France Rnd Toni Bou ps
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France

Toni Bou did not disappoint the French crowd, turning out a fine display of riding prowess in front of the Rennes spectators in Brittany. The Repsol Honda Team rider made it through the first five sections of the heats as the superior rider, picking up just four marks.

In the second round, with the top rider from each group qualifying directly for the final, Bou has once again gave a masterful showing, collecting 7 marks in the process.

X Trial France Rnd Toni Bou ps
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France

The grand finale saw Toni Bou overcome the six sections with a total of 15 points ahead of the 27 accrued by arch-rival Adam Raga, to seal a second season victory.

X Trial France Rnd Toni Bou ps
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France

Repsol Honda Team will now enjoy a almost two-month break ahead of the third X-Trial World Championship season date which will not be held until January 19, 2020 in Budapest. Bou will arrive as clear leader in the contest on 40 points, 10 more than the nearest second-place rival.

X Trial France Rnd Toni Bou ps
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
Toni Bou

“Today I did not start the first round very well; the points were fine, but I didn’t feel right with the riding sensations. I didn’t feel comfortable and it took me a while to get into the sections. We will have to work so that in the coming trials we won’t experience these feelings, since it is very easy to get knocked out in the eliminations. In the end, I was able to enjoy myself more in the second round and the final to take the victory. I want to congratulate the organizer of the event, who set up a very tough trial, where I think the spectators really enjoyed it. Now there will be a break before the third trial in Budapest so it is very important to take the leadership here.”

X Trial France Rnd Toni Bou Podium ps
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France

X-Trial Rennes Round 2 Results

Pos. Rider Nat. Team Con. P.
1 BOU Toni SPA Repsol Honda Team Montesa 20
2 RAGA Adam SPA TRRS Factory Team TRRS 15
3 FAJARDO Jeroni SPA Sherco Factory Team Sherco 12
4 GELABERT Miquel SPA Vertigo Factory Team Vertigo 9
5 BUSTO Jaime SPA Vertigo Factory Team Vertigo 6
6 BINCAZ Benoit FRA Beta Factory Racing Beta 4
7 MARCELLI Gabriel SPA RG Team Montesa 2
8 MARTIN Toby GBR Beta Factory Racing Beta 1

2020 X-Trial Rider Standings

Pos. Rider Nat. Points
1 BOU Toni SPA 40
2 RAGA Adam SPA 30
3 GELABERT Miquel SPA 18
4 BUSTO Jaime SPA 18
5 FAJARDO Jeroni SPA 12
6 CASALES Jorge SPA 6
7 BINCAZ Benoit FRA 6
8 MARCELLI Gabriel SPA 6
9 MARTIN Toby GBR 1
10 TOULY Kieran FRA 1

Holder crowned 2019 Oceania Speedway Champion at Gillman

New South Welshman Jack Holder has taken out the inaugural FIM Oceania Speedway Championship at Gillman in South Australia, dominating the seven-race event, only dropping one point finishing ahead of under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey, British rider Dan Bewley and Australian junior international Jordan Stewart.

Holder scored 14 points, and recorded the fastest time of the night, in the heats, passed his biggest challenger, Jaimon Lidsey, to win his semi-final, and then won the final relatively comfortably in a dominating performance.

Holder’s only loss on the night was to Lidsey in their fourth heat, but by that time Holder had already qualified for the semi-finals, and therefore did not need to take any risks to try to pass Lidsey, highlighting one of the obvious flaws with the FIM format used for the meeting, where there is no reward, apart from choice of gate positions, for finishing on, or near, the top of the scorecard.

Second and third, in both the heat points and the final were Lidsey and English rider Dan Bewley, with the other finalist, Jordan Stewart, a non-finisher after he fell on the first lap.

Holder was ecstatic finishing on the top step and believes the new event formula has the support of riders. Holder said he believed European riders currently going through their winter break could see the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship as an opportunity to race.

Jack Holder

“The format and event was great, and similar to events in Europe. Hopefully it (FIM Oceania Speedway Championship) will help us push to gain GP qualifiers. It’s cold over there at the moment with no racing so they may want to come and enjoy the Australian summer and sunshine but to also remain competitive before returning to the European season.”

FIM Oceania Speedway Solo Championship podium Gillman
a

FIM Oceania Vice President, Peter Doyle, said the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship showcased the international talent that Australia produces each year.

Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania Vice President

“We have a wealth of speedway talent and this inaugural FIM Oceania Speedway Championship will hopefully open up other avenues for upcoming Australian speedway stars to make their mark on the international stage. With the establishment of this championship we are continuing to support the growth of speedway here in Australia and promoting our international riders.”

2019 Oceania Speedway Championship results

  • SF1 – Holder (B), Lidsey (R), Cook (W), Wright (Y), 55.357 (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th highest scorers)
  • SF2 – Bewley (R), Stewart (B), Sedgmen (Y), Medson (W), 57.301 (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th highest scorers)
  • Final – Holder (R), Lidsey (W), Bewley (B), Stewart (Y-fell), 56.254 (1st and 2nd from the two semi-finals)

Wade Young wins 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro in South Borneo

The 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro held in South Borneo, Indonesia has presented an incredibly tough challenge that ultimately saw just two riders complete the race over the weekend, with Sherco’s Wade Young on blistering form to take the win in front of Graham Jarvis.

Wade Young

“It was a tough day out at the Uncle Hard Enduro. There was only two finishers as there was a big downpour of rain just before the start which made things interesting.”

Uncle Hard Enduro South Borneo
Wade Young – 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro

Young’s victory at the Uncle Hard Enduro follows his dominant performance at Wildwood Rock Extreme in Australia just a few weeks ago. Young will now head home to South Africa where he will finalise his preparations for the 2019 Roof of Africa.

Young is the defending Roof of Africa champion and is gunning for his fifth Roof of Africa win. Held in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Roof as it is commonly called, is an event steeped in history dating back to 1967 with legendary winners such as Graham Jarvis, Alfie Cox, Chris Birch and of, course, Wade Young. Labelled, the Mother of Hard Enduro, the 2019 Motul Roof of Africa begins on December 4, 2019.

2019 Uncle Hard Enduro results

  1. Wade Young – ZAF – 1:58.04
  2. Graham Jarvis – GBR – 2:13:25

Harley announce massive 2020 AFT contingency program

Harley-Davidson have announced a major increase in their support of American Flat Track’s AFT Production Twins class. For the first time ever, authorised Harley-Davidson dealerships will now have the race-proven XG750R available for purchase, ensuring that more competitors will field these race-winning machines during the 2020 American Flat Track season.

AFT Springfield Mile II Prod Gauthier ERV
Dalton Gauthier – 2019 AFT Twins, Springfield Mile – Image by Scott Hunter

To support the racing efforts of Harley-Davidson-mounted riders in the class, the Milwaukee-based marque has also posted a $250,000 contingency package.

Jon Bekefy – GM of Brand Marketing for Harley-Davidson

“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Harley-Davidson XR750 next season, this expanded pledge of support shows our lasting commitment to the sport of flat track. Harley-Davidson dealerships fielding the XG750R will provide an opportunity for our community to rally behind this great American sport.”

Harley-Davidson has been synonymous with flat track racing since the inception of the sport. Throughout the golden era of pro flat track, powerhouse Harley-Davidson dealerships from around the country scored hundreds of wins aboard the legendary XR750.

James Rispoli AFT Production Twins Lima Half Mile
James Rispoli – Lima Half Mile 2019 – Image by Scott Hunter

Moments of brilliance during the 2019 AFT Production Twins season hearkened back to that golden era, as Dalton Gauthier and James Rispoli made consistent podium appearances and scored two wins aboard a privateer XG750R backed by Black Hills Harley-Davidson.

With $7,500 awarded to XG750R riders for each AFT Production Twins race win plus a $25,000 championship bonus on the line, the contingency package offered by Harley-Davidson is sure to heat up the on-track action next season.

A total of $15,000 will be up for grabs to XG750R riders at each AFT Production Twins round in 2020, broken down as follows, by place:

First: $7,500; Second: $3,000; Third: $1,000; Fourth: $800; Fifth: $700; Sixth: $600; Seventh: $500; Eighth: $400; Ninth: $300; Tenth: $200.

AFT Meadowlands Mile Prod Twins James Rispoli Ryan Varnes ERV
James Rispoli & Ryan Varnes – 2019 AFT – Meadowlands Mile – Image by Scott Hunter

The XG750R is available for purchase for $35,999 and deliveries will begin immediately. Supply is limited and priority will be given to dealerships, with the availability of the XG750R and Harley-Davidson’s contingency setting the stage for a renaissance movement of dealer-backed privateers contesting for AFT championships in 2020.

American Flat Track will kick off its highly-anticipated 2020 season with the first-ever Saturday of Speed featuring the DAYTONA 200 and DAYTONA TT Doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. It all kicks off at the peak of Daytona Bike Week on Saturday, March 14, 2020. You can check out the full calendar below:


2020 Championship Calendars

2020 AMA Motocross race schedule

  • May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
  • May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
  • May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
  • June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
  • June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
  • June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
  • July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
  • July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
  • July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
  • August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
  • August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
  • August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN

2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar

  • Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
  • Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
  • Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
  • Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
  • Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
  • March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
  • March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
  • March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
  • March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
  • April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
  • April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
  • April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

2020 MXGP Calendar

  • March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
  • March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
  • March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
  • April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
  • April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
  • May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 7 – Russia, Orlyonok – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 14 – Latvia, Kegums – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 28 – Indonesia, Jakarta
  • July 5 – Indonesia, Palembang
  • July 26 – Czech Republic, Loket – (EMX65, EMX85, EMX 2t)
  • August 2 – Belgium, Lommel – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 16 – Sweden, Uddevalla – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 23 – Finland, Litti-KymiRing – (EMX125, EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • September 6 – Turkey, Afyonkarahisar – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • September 13 – China, (TBA) –
  • September 20 – Emilia Romagna, Imola – (EMX125, WMX)
  • September 27 – Motocross of Nations, France, Ernee

2020 American Flat Track

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

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

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

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

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

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

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

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

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

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

  • May 16-17 Australian Senior Track Championships
    • Qurindi, Tamworth, NSW, Tamworth Motorcycle Club
  • September 26-27 Australian Junior Track Championships
    • Gunnedah, NSW Gunnedah Motorcycle Club
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