The 2021 AMX MX Open preparations are well underway, with over 260 riders entered, including stacked Pro classes, and Junior classes near capacity.
The Wonthaggi track will test motocross bikes and riders, with Club President Chris Townsend excited to see racing return with such strong entries.
Chris Townsend
“It’s a stacked field in most classes. The Pro Open and Pro Lite is set to showcase Australia’s best riders. We can’t wait to watch Ferris, Clout, Webster, Metcalfe, Tanti and Mellross go head-to-head in the 450 class. The Dandenong Motorcycle Club have been busy preparing the track after one of their most challenging years. Everyone at the club is excited to see racing again and it’s been a team effort to get the track back to a international standard. We welcome the AMX MX OPEN and look forward to seeing people enjoying racing and riding again.”
The event has captured the interest from riders all over Australia and two riders who have something to prove are Factory Honda’s Brett Metcalfe and CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s Hayden Mellross. Both riders have not signed deals for 2022 and this is their last chance to show case their talent before the season ends.
Brett Metcalfe
“I want to race next year and believe I have a lot to offer. I am in discussions with my current team, and I am exploring other opportunities as well. This weekend is important as it’s an opportunity to remind everyone that I am still competitive.”
Brett Metcalfe
Mellross feels that he hasn’t had the opportunity to really prove himself in the MX1 class because of the pandemic.
Hayden Mellross
“I have raced 3 national races in two years, so it’s been near impossible to prove myself in the MX1 class. This weekend will give me that opportunity.”
Hayden Mellross
The AMX MX OPEN runs over two days, gates open at 7am tomorrow (December 11). For more information go to www.mxopen.com.au.
The biggest stars of professional motocross will compete for more than $20,000 in cash and prizes at the AMX MX Open in Wonthaggi this weekend, wrapping up the year.
The factory teams will be out in full force too, with fierce rivalry between Yamaha and Honda as riders duke it out one last time in 2021.
Factory Honda team owner Yarrive Konsky has a point to prove. Factory Honda will enter three 450 riders, Dean Ferris, Kyle Webster, and Brett Metcalfe. The three riders are all proven champions. Metcalfe has competed all over the world and has beaten the best, Ferris has proven to be best in the world on a given day and Webster has just won his first championship.
Kyle Webster
“The Motocross Championship was cut short due to the pandemic, and I don’t feel we got the opportunity to show what we were capable of in the 450 class,” said Konsky.
Webster now resides in Inverloch; the former Western Australian likes the Bass Coast and believes he has an advantage over his competition.
“I have ridden the track a lot and tested their more often than the other riders. I also get to go home to my own bed. I am in comfortable surroundings. I like Inverloch, its peaceful, the people are friendly and there are very few distractions,” said Webster.
The event has attracted riders from all over Australia. Factory Yamaha’s Luke Clout and Aaron Tanti are travelling down from New South Wales. Tanti is excited to be racing again, especially with his new team.
“With everything we have experienced this year I am excited to be back at the track racing. This will be my first race with Factory Yamaha, and I can’t wait. I am better prepared going into this race than I was at the start of the year. I feel strong and ready,” said Tanti.
Aaron Tanti
The professional women are also set to compete for equal prize money in their own race. Women from all over Australia are eager to prove themselves as they missed out on their Australian Championship.
Maddy Brown who has competed all over the world is happy to be back racing in her home state and has a point to prove.
“The past two years have been terrible; we have missed out on competing in two championships. We need this and I can’t wait for the gate to drop on racing this weekend,” said Brown.
With riders coming from QLD, NSW and SA the event is set to finish a trying season on a high and three-time Australian Champion Dean Ferris wants to take a win going into next year.
“We are all going to give it everything we have; this is our chance to finish the year on a high. I have brought my family with me, and we are also looking forward to spending a few days on the Island after the race,” said Ferris.
Dean Ferris is back with Factory Honda in 2022
The event promises to bring all the action of great racing as well as off-track displays and trade sales. It’s a great event to come and visit and find something for Christmas.
Teams will have merchandise on sale, their will be posters and some of the spectators will have the opportunity to take a tour through some of the factory transporters. Tickets are available on-line. For more information go to www.mxopen.com.au. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children.
Some of Australia’s top motocross stars will line up one last time in 2021 when they feature at the Wonthaggi MX Open over the weekend of December 11-12.
Aaron Tanti
Motocross legend and championship winning team owner Craig Dack believes riders will be racing for more than prize money at this race, they will be racing for pride.
The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing team owner has entered three riders for the race in Wonthaggi on the 11-12 December.
Craig Dack
“The pandemic disrupted our championship, and we haven’t raced a lot over the past two years because of it. This race is more about pride than prizemoney. The riders will be racing hard against each other and I am expecting some intense battles.”
Hayden Mellross
The Factory Yamaha team has entered current Australian Champion Luke Clout, Aaron Tanti and Hayden Mellross.
For decades there has been a fierce rivalry between Yamaha and Honda and the AMX MX OPEN provides the two manufacturers another chance to go head-to-head in the MX1 class. Director of Honda Racing Australia Yarrive Konsky enjoys the rivalry.
Yarrive Konsky
“Off the track we get on well but once the gate drops there are no friendships, we want to beat Yamaha and their riders as well as Kawasaki and their riders and everyone else who is racing.”
Dean Ferris is back with Factory Honda in 2022
Factory Honda is fielding a three rider MX1 team. Three-time Australian Champion Dean Ferris will be coming down from NSW, Brett Metcalfe will be travelling from South Australia and current Australian MX2 champion Kyle Webster will make his debut with the team in the MX1 class. The team has also entered Emma Milesevic in the Women’s class.
Emma Milesevic
Factory Kawasaki will be competing in this year’s AMX MX OPEN, and they hope to compete for the top step of the podium in the MX2 class with Japanese Champion Haruki Yokoyama. Haruki left Japan to take on Australia’s best this year and is looking forward to racing in Wonthaggi.
Haruki Yokoyama
“Everyone has been very welcoming, and I am enjoying my time in Australia. It’s good to be racing again and I looking forward to the race in Wonthaggi.”
Haruki Yokoyama
This will be the first-time fans will see Dean Ferris aboard the Honda take on current Australian Champion Luke Clout on the Yamaha and it will be the last race of the season before preparations for 2022 begin in earnest.
Over 200 entries are expected and trade displays will be present.
Spectators are urged to book tickets online. Go to www.mxopen.com.au for more details. Tickets will be available at the gate but to avoid queues you are encouraged to pre-purchase online. Adult tickets are $25, while children are $15.
2022 Silk Way Rally – Astrakhan to Moscow set for July
The online presentation of the 12th edition of the Silk Way Rally route has taken place, revealing to fans and competitors the main details of the upcoming event, previously kept secret.
To celebrate the 350th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Peter the Great, the rally will connect ten regions of the Russian Federation, many of which are connected with his name.
The largest cross-country rally in Eurasia will take place from July 6 to 16, starting in Astrakhan (administrative checks and scrutineering are also planned there) and finishing in Moscow’s Red Square.
The 2022 Silk Way Rally will wrap up in Moscow
The North Caucasus and Grozny – the capital of the Chechen Republic, Elista, Volgograd, Voronezh – connecting these points on the map, you can understand how interesting and diverse will be the geography of the 2022 event. The total length of this unique route will be 4,380 kilometers, including 2,800 kilometers of special stages.
The Silk Way Rally Sports Directorate is always ready to meet the competitors needs and that is why the fees for participation in the 2022 Silk Way Rally will remain the same as in 2021.
The organisers also keep another good tradition alive, crews under the age of 30, as well as all female crews will be able to take part in the rally without paying entry fees.
Competitors in all types of vehicles will be allowed to participate in the competition: motorcycles, quads, SSV, cars and trucks.
Acceptance of applications for participation in the event is scheduled to start on February 15, 2022.
Vladimir Chagin – Head of the International Project Silk Way Rally
“What makes the Silk Way Rally special? The fact that every year the competitors of the event overcome a completely new route, which is never repeated. The 2022 rally will not be an exception – its distance will open up a lot of new things for each driver. Let me warn you right away: it’s going to be interesting, but extremely difficult. Although these are the challenges that attract competitors from all over the world. Our country is proud of its centuries-old history. Coincidentally, next year marks the 350th anniversary of the birth of the person who opened a “window to Europe” for Russia, namely Peter the First. He is called “The Great”, as well as the Silk Way Rally. And our next year event will go through many cities that are connected with the name of this Russian emperor.”
The 2022 Silk Way Rally route
Luc Alphand, Silk Way Rally Sporting Director
“One of the features of the cross-country rally, besides the sports component, is the opportunity to discover new landscapes. And now we are in the Chechen Republic, in the magnificent mountains. Cross-country rallies have never been held in this part of the country before. For us, as well as for the competitors, it is very important to be here and have the opportunity to discover new, previously undiscovered routs of an unprecedented scale and range. The local authorities and population gave us the warmest welcome, demonstrating openness and sincere interest in the development of tourism and motorsport in the region. I especially would like to emphasize the high security of this region. Currently, this part of Russia is highly peaceful and stable, local people would like to show the whole world that the visit will be as safe and comfortable as possible.”
2022 Silk Way Rally Program
February 15, 2022 – Opening of Entries
June 1, 2022 – Closure of Entries
July 6-7, 2022 – Administrative checks & scrutineering (Astrakhan, Russia)
July 7, 2022 – Ceremonial start in Astrakhan
July 16, 2022 – Ceremonial finish in Moscow
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Roan Van De Moosdijk signs with Husqvarna for 2022-2023
Husqvarna Motorcycles have signed of former EMX250 champion Roan Van De Moosdijk for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, joining the Nestaan MX2 run Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team, in the MX2 World Championship alongside fellow Dutchman Kay de Wolf.
Stepping up to the MX2 World Championship for 2020, the now 21-year-old impressed with three overall podium results from the first five rounds. Two further top-three finishes followed later in the year, with the Dutchman securing a maiden race victory and claiming second overall at the MXGP of Lommel. Roan would ultimately place seventh in the final standings.
Bringing everything he learned in his rookie MX2 season into 2021, Roan enjoyed another promising campaign start, claiming three third-place moto finishes to lie fifth in the series standings after the first four rounds. Frustratingly, a broken scaphoid sustained following a crash at the MXGP of Czech Republic prevented him from delivering what was set to be his breakout season in the MX2 World Championship.
Fully healed and excited to begin riding his new FC 250, Roan, alongside new teammate Kay de Wolf, will soon begin testing in readiness for the opening round of the 2022 MX2 World Championship.
Roan Van De Moosdijk
“I’m so pleased to be joining the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team, it’s really a very special moment in my career. This season has been tough, but I’m putting that behind me and looking forward to working with the team and having Kay as my new teammate. I have a really good feeling about things, and I know that at the start of this season things were going well, and that my speed and fitness was where it needed to be to challenge for the podium. I’ll have the best bike and the best support next year, so I just want to keep working and improving through the winter and get back to where I was and then give 2022 everything I have. Finally, it looks like the season will be back to normal, and I’m really looking forward to that. I want to say thanks to everyone that has made this happen – I can’t wait to get onto my new bike and to start our winter testing and training.”
Roan Van De Moosdijk
Rasmus Jorgensen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 Team Manager
“We’re thrilled to have Roan in our team and can’t wait to get him settled in, and then start working in preparation for 2022. Overall, this year was a very positive season for our team – we want to keep that momentum rolling into 2022 and with Roan racing alongside Kay we believe we have a very strong line-up. At the start of this year Roan was riding so well, he put in some really impressive motos, and really showed what he is capable of. We really believe he’ll be a great fit for our team and at 21 has the right mix of age and experience to excel in MX2. On our bike, with the full technical support we can offer him, he’ll have all that he needs to develop further as a racer. After a short break to rechange the batteries a little after the long season we’ve had, we’ll soon start building towards 2022. We can’t wait to get started.”
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2021 MXGP of Mantova wraps up season
The 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship wrapped up in Mantova overnight where a big crown witnessed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings clinch the MXGP World Title, and become a five-time FIM Motocross World Champion.
Jeffrey Herlings wins the 2021 MXGP Championship
It has been a season of highs and lows for all of the title contenders as they have struggled with injuries and bad luck but have managed to power through and provide us with some incredible racing.
In the second half of the season, the title chase between Herlings, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre and Team HRC’s Tim Gajser could not have been any closer, as the race for the championship went down to the final chequered flag of the 2021 season, but it was Herlings who came out on top as Febvre was forced to settle for second, just five points adrift, while Gajser finished his year with a silver medal.
The Aussies
For Jed Beaton, it was a frustrating final round. With high hopes of ending his MX2 career on the overall podium, the Australian didn’t quite secure the starts needed in either moto to challenge for the top three. In placing seventh overall, Beaton secured fifth in the final championship standings.
Jed Beaton – P7 (P5 MX2 Championship)
“It’s been a pretty emotional day to say the least. As I’ve now aged out of MX2 it was my last race for the team which, after three great years, is really tough. It’s safe to say that the season didn’t end how I’d have liked due to a few issues and a crash in race one. That ruled me out of a chance of finishing on the podium but I really tried hard in moto two but it just wasn’t meant to be. I’ve had an incredible three seasons with Rasmus and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team and they’ve taken me under their wing and really shaped who I am today. I’m disappointed to not end our time together with a podium result but I gave it my best shot and finishing fifth in the series is a pretty decent result.”
Jed Beaton
Bike It MTX Kawasaki’s Wilson Todd rounded out his final season in MX2 with a solid first-moto rides to tenth after qualifying twelfth in the morning. The Australian ended the championship twelfth, just twenty points short of a top-ten series ranking.
Wilson Todd – P17 (P12 Championship)
“It’s been a long season with some ups-and-downs and some rough patches so it was nice to go out with a good result before I get home to Australia for the first time in a while. Racing the GPs has been a great experience you can’t buy, coming to Europe to race bikes against the best in the world.“
Heartbreak for Daniel Sanders in Abu Dhabi final stage
Stage five of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was the shortest of the event at 216.92 kilometres but offered little in the way of an easy ride to the finish.
Daniel Sanders
Coming into the final day of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Daniel Sanders was lying second in the standings, and enjoyed an advantageous start position to make up time on the leader. Pushing hard, the Aussie star immediately put himself in control of the stage, topping each of the split times on his way through the special.
With all riders having to manage their fuel due to the special not including a refueling zone, Sanders’ pace was such that he ran out first while fighting for the stage, and rally win, like the true warrior he is, the Aussie then pushed his RC 450F to the finish for a 14th place result.
It’s an unfortunate way to finish the event, but Daniel can look back over his FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship season and take many positives, including several stage wins, three at the Silk Way Rally, plus others in Morocco and Abu Dhabi.
Despite the set-back at the final event, Sanders finished a respectable third overall in the final championship standings, not bad for his first full year. Taking positives from the event, Sanders has demonstrated incredible speed and skill throughout the rally, and will look to carry that form onto the Dakar in January.
Daniel Sanders – P14 Stage 5/P12 Overall
“The last day has obviously been a huge disappointment for me and the team, but that’s racing – I guess you have to take the smooth with the rough. I started really well and was making good time through the dunes at the beginning of the stage. I realized about halfway through that with no refueling in the stage, and the type of terrain we were racing through, fuel was going to be a problem. So I tried to ease my pace as much as I could. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, and I eventually ran out. Obviously, it’s not the best way to end the rally, especially after such a strong year but I’m pleased with how I’ve ridden, not just in Abu Dhabi, but over the whole season. My pace here has been really strong, I won a stage and did a good job of leading out after that. Again, it’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but as it’s just my first full year in the championship, I’m definitely pleased with how I’ve progressed and raised my level. Although the result here has knocked me back a little, I’ll just take the positives and look ahead to the Dakar in January. I’ve really gelled with the bike – my navigation is always improving, and my pace is definitely there. We’ve got less than two months till Dakar, and I’m going to be ready!”
Daniel Sanders
As the second rider into the stage, and with a near four-minute advantage over the next best competitor, Matthias Walkner set about chasing down the rider ahead of him, while concentrating on his navigation during the soft sand dunes in the opening part of the special.
Maintaining his place within the top two for the entire stage, the Austrian delivered another calculated and consistent ride to ultimately complete the special as runner-up, just over one minute behind the eventual winner.
In what has been an impressive display of skill, endurance, and speed by the world champion throughout this final event of the year, Walkner secured the win by over four and a half minutes to truly confirm his place at the very top of the world championship standings.
Matthias Walkner – Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Champion
“It was really close today! The stage was really long without a refueling point and so towards the end I had to slow down a lot to conserve fuel. It’s part of our sport that you can have four good days and then nearly be caught out in the last few kilometers. Thankfully, I made it to the finish line and am really happy to win the last race before Dakar. The team did a really good job all week and the bike has been perfect. The whole year has been fantastic for me – with the help of the team, we have all worked really closely to bring the success we’ve had. I have ridden well and not made any big mistakes, or suffered any injuries. I’ve learned a lot, even from this week riding in the sand, which is normally not my best terrain to race in. My riding has improved, and we’ve found some good set-ups for the bike, too. Overall, it’s been an incredible season and to top it off by winning the last race really helps my confidence. The big goal is of course now Dakar, it’s not far away, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Matthias Walkner
Bringing to an end a highly rewarding season of racing, Adrien Van Beveren secured second overall at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Winning three of five stages, the Frenchman underlined his impressive form and after almost 18 hours of racing, finished the rally just over four and a half minutes behind the winner, Matthias Walkner.
With Adrien claiming an impressive result at the final round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship he advanced to second in the final series standings.
Adrien Van Beveren – Stage Five Winner
“Winning the last stage after opening, and finishing second in this rally, is a huge moment for me. The final stage was really tricky to begin with, made even more challenging by leading out so I rode a little cautious, but it paid off. No mistakes and knowing I had a nice gap in the overall classification meant that I could ride without risks and to win the stage, it’s just amazing. All year I’ve been consistent and focused on finishing each and every stage and this rally was no different. This result has come just at the right time ahead of Dakar, so from now until January I will maintain my level and aim to fight for the win there.”
Adrien Van Beveren
The ever-positive Ross Branch placed a strong third overall on the fifth and final stage. Opening the rally with a win on stage one showed his impressive speed and he remained in contention for the win until a crash and broken navigational tower during the event’s marathon stage ruled him out of the running. Ultimately, Ross enjoyed a positive debut season in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, which was undoubtedly headlined by his overall win at Rally Kazakhstan.
Ross Branch – P3 Stage 5
“It’s great to finish the final stage here in third place. It’s a shame about my crash on day two, that really messed things up but being able to ride the last two stages and put more time on the bike and continue learning was really positive. It’s awesome for me to have completed my first full season in the world championship and I can’t thank the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team enough for the opportunity. The focus is now on the Dakar, which is not too far away, and it won’t be long until we head out there to get things going.”
