KTM’s Toby Price leads the Stage Five provisional results, closing in on the combined lead, with the Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of Pablo Quintanilla and Andrew short completing the top-three, 1min-12s, and 2min-31s off the leader respectively.
Toby Price
“It’s been a good day, except for my teammate Sam Sunderland taking a nasty crash, wishing him a speedy recovery. I pushed hard at the start, made some good navigational calls and by then I caught up with the Honda boys. It’s been a good stage, it’s actually the first time I’ve ridden with a big group, so it was quite enjoyable, but at the end of the day we are competitive and need to stay in front of them! We’re happy with the day and we’ll see how day six goes now… I think that’s what we’re up to… I’m starting to lose count of it all!”
Toby Price – Dakar Rally Stage 5
Pablo Quintanilla showed his skill by performing superbly throughout the 353-kilometre special. The 14th rider to set off, Pablo was fourth fastest to the first checkpoint.
Pablo Quintanilla
“Honestly, the stage was tough, but I feel really good. I immediately found a strong rhythm and was able to make good progress. It was dusty up to the refuelling because I had to pass some other riders, but apart from that it was okay. After that I was riding with Andrew and we did a really good team job and were able to really push. Yesterday didn’t go so well for me but today I was able to take advantage of the position I had and make up some time. Riding 200 kilometres in the dunes was hard – you are on the pegs the whole way and there’s no time to rest. It seems stage six will be similar so I will get some rest tonight and hopefully have another solid day tomorrow.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Following a tough start to his 2020 Dakar Rally campaign, Andrew Short enjoyed his best result of the event so far, navigating well through the faster first half of the stage, the experienced American then rode with teammate Quintanilla during the latter part of the day.
Andrew Short
“My day started off really fast today and I rode really good up to the refuelling zone. After that it turned into off-piste and dunes and while I was searching for one waypoint, Pablo caught me and from then on, we rode the rest of the stage together. It was nice to follow him and see his lines and rhythm, hopefully I can keep up the same pace myself and make up some time as the race goes on.”
Andrew Short
Stage Five saw riders travel from Al-Ula to Ha’il, with a 564 kilometre total distance, with 353 kilometre timed special, including heading into the dunes in the latter half of the stage.
Overall leader Ricky Brabec meanwhile came home in fourth, ahead of Matthias Walkner.
Ricky Brabec
“My day was good. It started out freezing cold which I don’t really agree with. It was really fast. A lot of hp and sandy tracks. I rode with Nacho. We made it to the finish which is our number one goal. First in the general is amazing. We are sitting in a good spot for tomorrow to push. We will try and catch the main group and not lose too much time. Right now we are taking it day by day. It’s too hard to have a strategy. There’s a lot of racing left to do. We are going to go day by day and hope for good results each day.”
Matthias Walkner
“All-in-all it has been a good day for me today. I suffered a little with the dust at first due to starting 27th and had lost a bit of time by the refuelling. After that on the off-piste sections I think I was a little too careful in my navigation and not just pushing the tracks like it seems some of the other riders were. The good thing is I made it to the finish safely without losing too much time. It’s never nice to see your teammate after they have had a crash, it took my focus for a little while, but it seems he is not too bad and that’s always good to hear.”
Matthias Walkner
Joan Barreda finished sixth in the provisional results, ahead of previous stage winner Ross Branch, with Luciano Benavides and Kevin Benavides in eighth and ninth, while Paulo Goncalves completed the top ten.
Joan Barreda
“Today I felt a little better. The second part of the special was quite hard physically having a lot of sand and vegetation, but we were able to hold a solid pace. I trying to get the good feelings back day after day to move up positions. This week has not been easy; we have encountered loads of rocks and different kinds of navigation. Now I hoping to get some good sensations form the stages in open desert. There is still a lot of race to run.”
Aussie Rodney Faggotter was 23rd for the day, and now sits 16th in the standings as a result.
Sam Sunderland meanwhile crashed heavily, and was forced to retire from the event, with reports that he did not lose consciousness and was quickly attended to by medical staff. The British rider was airlifted from the stage with injuries to his back and shoulder and taken for immediate medical checks. Thankfully, Sam is expected to make a full recovery.
Sam Sunderland
“The pain of a crash is nothing compared to the pain of disappointment, unfortunately my race is over after a crash today at kilometre 180. While fighting for the stage win and feeling like everything was under control, I caught a camel grass mound awkwardly putting the bike sideways into the next one and a few later I have 5 broken vertebrae and a shoulder blade but luckily no surgery is required and should be right again soon! I want to thank my team for building me the best bike I could ever wish for and for everyone around who help out during the good and the bad moments. Good luck to my team mates for the rest of the race, put an orange one on the top step! Thank you all for your words of support during the race they help a lot! Also I want to thank @johnnyaubertofficial for stopping to help me when I was crashed.”
Sam Sunderland – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Team Manager
“It’s not been the perfect day for us today, but as we often see at the Dakar we have two sides – Toby has won the stage and is second overall, but unfortunately Sam had a crash and will not continue the race. Thankfully, it seems that Sam’s injuries are not too serious, he has broken some vertebrae and his shoulder, but we are hoping he will spend some time in hospital here before flying back to Europe and starting his recovery. In terms of the rally, the change in terrain should suit us more from now on – we will see lots of fast, off-piste sand tracks and difficult to navigate dunes. We are still in the fight for the overall victory and I am confident all my riders will give their best tomorrow and for the second half of the race.”
Provisional standings after Stage Five now have Ricky Brabec leading Toby Price and Kevin Benavides, with Pablo Quintanilla and Jose Cornejo completing the top five.
After leading on the first day and dropping back to ninth, Aussie Toby Price has scored his second stage win in the Dakar Rally and moved up to second outright.
The title holder is chasing his third Dakar victory and KTM’s record 19th consecutive win.
He finished the gruelling 453km special stage of rock and sand just 1:12 minutes in front of Husqvarna rider Pablo Quintanilla (Chile) followed by his teammate Andrew Short (USA).
Fellow American and Honda factory team rider Ricky Brabec was fourth and remains in top position outright, now just 9:06 minutes in front of Toby.
Ricky Brabec (Honda, USA)
Toby’s teammate Sam Sunderland, Britain’s first Dakar winner in 2017, crashed half way through the stage and is not out of the event.
He has participated seven times and finished only twice after five crashes.
Stage win
Toby says he pushed hard on the stage, which is unusual as he usually leaves his attack until the second week.
“It’s been a good day,” he says.
“I pushed hard at the start, made some good ways and by then I caught up with the Honda boys.
“Ricky and them were in front, but, yeah, it’s been a good stage.
“It’s actually the first time I’ve ridden with a whole big group, so it was quite enjoyable, but at the end of the day they are competitive so we need to stay in front of them.
“We’re happy with the day and we’ll see how day six goes now… I think that’s what we’re up to… I’m starting to lose count of it all.”
Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) was 23rd and moves up one outright position to 16th.
Rodney Faggotter
He says he dropped a couple minutes finding a waypoint, but otherwise had a “solid and safe day”.
“Was another full-on day and up to this stage this is the fastest Dakar in overall speeds I’ve done.”
Fellow Aussie Ben Young (KTM) again finished a respectable 64th in his second Dakar and moves up 14 places to 64th.
Matthew Tisdall (KTM) finished 115th out of 124 stage finishers, yet is mysteriously listed as last outright in 113th, up from 124th.
There were 158 riders competing in this years event.
Tomorrow’s massive 477 km special stage is almost all sand which should suit Toby.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
The Honda factory team is shaping to be the biggest threat to Aussie Toby Price scoring his third Dakar Rally win and the 19th consecutive victory for KTM.
Honda has the top three outright positions after yesterday’s 453km stage four of the rally in Saudi Arabia with Toby biding his time in fourth place outright.
It was a close stage with all top 20 riders, including Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha), within 13 minutes.
Rodney Faggotter
“Crazy amounts of different terrain and dusty conditions have made for another tough day, a real reminder that we’re at the Dakar Rally, “says Toby.
“As tough as today was I’m happy to have a consistent day with only a couple of little mistakes. We’re sticking to our plan and are in a great position with plenty more racing ahead of us.
“I just need to stay focused and stick to my guns, with navigation being so damn full on my brain is fried and actually makes me feel like I do have some brains up there.”
The stage was won by Chilean rider Jose Florimo (Honda) followed by teammate Kevin Benavides with Toby sixth and less than three minutes behind.
He is now just over 12 minutes behind Honda rider Ricky Brabec who is hoping to be the first American to win the gruelling rally.
(Sorry it’s in Spanish, but the images are in English!)
Top 10 outright rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALTY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 06′ 43”
2
7
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 09′ 13”
+ 00H 02′ 30”
3
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 15′ 14”
+ 00H 08′ 31”
00H 01′ 00”
4
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 18′ 52”
+ 00H 12′ 09”
00H 02′ 00”
5
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
15H 24′ 35”
+ 00H 17′ 52”
6
3
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 25′ 54”
+ 00H 19′ 11”
00H 05′ 00”
7
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
15H 32′ 03”
+ 00H 25′ 20”
8
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 33′ 13”
+ 00H 26′ 30”
9
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
15H 33′ 46”
+ 00H 27′ 03”
10
59
KLYMCIW RACING
15H 41′ 11”
+ 00H 34′ 28”
Other Aussies
Rodney Faggotter
Rodney Faggotter finished 18th and moved back two places to 17th outright.
“It was a brutal day and plenty of potential to hurt yourself, so I just rode smooth as possible though most of the time the throttle was wedged non stop.
“Fast tracks, fast sand and a million rocks littered throughout to make it interesting.”
Other Aussie Ben Young (KTM) finished a respectable 64th and moved up 10 places to 78th while Matthew Tisdall (KTM) finished last (121st) and moves up to 124th.
Tomorrow’s 353km special stage is mainly sand with large boulders as navigation markers.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
KTM’s Sam Sunderland has led home the Monster Energy Honda duo of Jose Ignacio and Kevin Benavides in Stage Four of the 2020 Dakar Rally, with Stage 2 winner Ross Branch fourth, and Paulo Goncalves completing the top five.
Sam Sunderland – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
Previous stage winner Ricky Brabec had to settle for seventh, 11-seconds faster than defending champion Toby Price, but it was enough for Brabec to retain his overall lead, while Price moved up the standings into fourth – 12min-9s off the combined lead.
Stage Four of the Dakar Rally offered a long day in the saddle for riders, who needed to complete a total of 672 kilomtres, including a 453-kilometre timed special, offering a mix of sandy pistes and travel tracks, traveling from Neom through to Al-Ula.
Following the GPS and waypoint issues of the previous stage, Stage Four also saw the the Top-10 separated by just five-minutes, however the combined leaderboard continues to stretch out.
Aussie Rodney Faggotter finished Stage Four in 18th position on his Yamaha Motor Australia mount, 13min-4s off the leader, moving into 17th in the standings.
Toby Price – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
The overall standings now see Ricky Brabec leading Kevin Benavides by 2min-30s, while a more distant Jose Ignacio is third making a Monster Energy Honda Team 1-2-3. Toby Price and Sam Sunderland complete the top five, as the leading KTM riders, while Pablo Quintanilla is top Husqvarna pilot in sixth.
An error in the roadbook has forced officials in the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia to amend the finishing results after a controversial day three and the second stage of the super marathon.
Aussie two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price was running in the top four when he and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait veered 900m off the track because of the error late in the stage.
Toby spent time lost in the Saudi desert
The error was only in the roadbook for the motorcycle category. It showed a waypoint wasn’t where it was indicated.
Rally officials wisely decided to record the stage times only up to that point, which meant Toby went from finishing 11th to fifth.
Toby now moves up from ninth overall to sixth and less than 12 minutes off the lead. That gives him plenty of time for an attack in the second week of the gruelling event as he did when he won last year.
He described it as a “difficult day”.
“In the early parts of the stage we were getting on pretty damn good but unfortunately, I made a few mistakes which really cost me,” he said before the officials changed the finishing times.
“One of those mistakes was towards the end of the stage, where I had a hard time tracking down a specific WPC which was marked in a really tricky position; not sure what the go is here.”
Honda looks set to challenge KTM which is pressing for its 19th consecutive victory with the factory team taking four of the top six slots for the 427km stage led by American Ricky Brabec (top photo).
The two-day super marathon stage is a field leveller as riders have to do their own work on bikes and even teammates can’t help.
Toby works on his bike
Top 10 outright rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALITY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 39′ 04”
2
7
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 43′ 47”
+ 00H 04′ 43”
3
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 45′ 06”
+ 00H 06′ 02”
4
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 50′ 06”
+ 00H 11′ 02”
5
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
10H 50′ 23”
+ 00H 11′ 19”
00H 01′ 00”
6
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 51′ 02”
+ 00H 11′ 58”
00H 02′ 00”
7
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
10H 51′ 41”
+ 00H 12′ 37”
8
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 53′ 24”
+ 00H 14′ 20”
9
3
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
10H 56′ 14”
+ 00H 17′ 10”
10
10
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
10H 58′ 59”
+ 00H 19′ 55”
Other Aussies
Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) finished 14th on the revised times, moving up two places to 15th outright.
“Had a good solid ride and feeling good,” he says.
“Bit of chaos late in the stage with a missing waypoint that wasn’t set up in the motos GPSs but was in the quads and cars.
“Fortunately commonsense prevailed and they took the stage times up to that point. Was funny for a while and even had a chat and trail ride around in circles with my old mate Toby.
“Was funny until we were still searching for that bastard waypoint a half hour later.”
Other Aussie Ben Young (KTM) finished 90th and moved up four places to 88th and Matthew Tisdall (Duust) finished 124th, with only two riders behind him. He was 131nd outright but is now 124th after riders dropped out.
Tomorrow’s 453km special stage is equal parts stony and sandy.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Ricky Brabec has won Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally, taking the lead over runner-up and team-mate Jose Florimo, while fellow Monster Energy Honda Team 2020 rider Joan Barreda took out third for the stage in the provisional results.
Updated results have since been released, marking a noticeable reshuffling of the stage results, general standings and times posted, as well as gaps, with Kevin Benavides since listed as third fastest overall.
Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone
The result catapults Brabec into the lead of the standings after Stage 3, marking the third rider to claim the lead and a stage win in as many stages, after Toby Price and Sam Sunderland took the lead in stages one and two respectively.
Ricky Brabec now holds the general standings lead by 15-minutes
Updated results have Matthias Walkner fourth, ahead of defending champion Toby price, while Joan Barreda placed sixth ahead of Luciano Benavides.
Toby Price led the Australian contingent, originally being posted as taking 12th for the stage in the provisional results and sitting 35-minutes off the leading pace for the day, but retaining his ninth place overall in the standings. Updates results have since placed him at fifth for the stage, and sixth overall, with further clarification expected, with a statement from Price on social media reflecting the original results listed.
Toby Price
“Today was a difficult day, in the early parts of the stage we were getting on pretty damn good but unfortunately, I made a few mistakes which really cost me. One of those mistakes was towards the end of the stage, where I had a hard time tracking down a specific WPC which was marked in a really tricky position. Not sure what the go is here? But all in all, it was a rough day and I’m glad to have Stage 3 behind me. Time to recharge and press on to Stage 4!”
Toby Price
Early results reported Rodney Faggotter completed the stage in 35th, leaving him ranked 21st overall, however updated results have him running 13th.
Adrien Van Beveren, who was running 14th after Stage 2, had to withdraw after an early crash during Stage 3, and was quickly attended to by the medical team.
Honda has stamped its authority on the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia by dominating the top four overall positions after day three and the second day of the super marathon.
Meanwhile, Aussie two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price was running in the top four when he and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait veered 900m off the track.
Toby spent time lost in the Saudi desert
He lost valuable time trying to navigate his way back on track. There was also controversy when a waypoint wasn’t where it was indicated on the road book.
Toby remains in ninth place, biding his time for an attack in the second week of the gruelling event.
The Monster Energy Team took five of the top five slots for the 504km stage led by American Ricky Brabec (top photo), while Tony came in 35 minutes later in 11th.
He is 38 minutes from Brabec in overall timing in his fight to defend his title and pick up a 19th consecutive Dakar win for KTM.
The two-day super marathon stage is a field leveller as riders have to do their own work on bikes and even teammates can’t help.
Toby works on his bike
Top 10 outright rankings
POS.
N°
EXP.
DRIVE-TEAM
MARK-MODEL
TIME
VARIATION
PENALTY
1
9
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 17′ 56”
2
17
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 32′ 58”
+ 00H 15′ 02”
00H 01′ 00”
3
12
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 33′ 10”
+ 00H 15′ 14”
4
7
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
11H 34′ 08”
+ 00H 16′ 12”
5
2
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 35′ 52”
+ 00H 17′ 56”
6
16
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 37′ 40”
+ 00H 19′ 44”
7
5
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
11H 39′ 21”
+ 00H 21′ 25”
8
3
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 52′ 34”
+ 00H 34′ 38”
9
1
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
11H 56′ 19”
+ 00H 38′ 23”
00H 02′ 00”
10
10
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
12H 11′ 56”
+ 00H 54′ 00”
Other Aussies
The three other Aussies in the motorcycle category have not yet finished.
Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.
He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Justin Barcia claims opening 450SX win at Anaheim 1
Justin Cooper tops 250SX – Jett Lawrence ninth
Riders talk Dakar Rally Stage 2
Woffinden swinging in WA – Speedway with Graeme Sidden
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 Championship
2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
2020 Australian Track Championship
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
2020 King of MX
2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar
Justin Barcia claims opening 450SX win at Anaheim 1
Justin Barcia proved unstoppable at Ahaneim 1, taking a clear win from Adam Cianciarulo, with a 5.646s lead, while Cooper Webb laid claim to the final podium position seven-seconds in arrears. Aussie Chad Reed came home in 18th.
Vince Friese scored the holeshot from Justin Barcia and Justin Brayton while Adam Cianciarulo was in fourth. Barcia took the lead from Friese halfway through that opening lap. Justin Hill was fifth at the end of lap one, ahead of Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen.
Justin Barcia & Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld
Barcia was getting away while Brayton was hanging on to second place while being chased by Cianciarulo, while Friese, Roczen and Webb tripped each other up in their desperate quests to work their way forward in what was a busy pack. Barcia though had clear air up front and a 2.7-second advantage with 16-minutes remaining. Jason Anderson was eighth and Tomac was in ninth place.
Cianciarulo then got the better of Brayton to move up to second place and immediately pulled away from the Honda man. Cooper Webb was in fourth and despite battling the flu was clear of Ken Roczen and Blake Baggett.
Barcia looked safe up front but then a mistake with 12-minutes remaining saw the Yamaha man throw it all away! A 2.5-second lead turned into a 1.5-second deficit to Cianciarulo after Barcia’s clash with the tough blocks lost him his advantage.
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb started to pile the pressure on third placed Brayton and with eight-minutes remaining the defending champ made his move to take that third spot. Brayton then had his hands full fending off the advances of Roczen and Baggett.
Barcia then got the better of Cianciarulo after the Kawasaki man made a big mistake that could have ended very badly but he managed to recover and rejoin the track 1.4-seconds behind Barcia.
Brayton then went from fourth to seventh in one corner after he was gazumped by Roczen and Baggett before then being used as a berm by Jason Anderson which put Brayton momentarily on the floor. Tomac then relegated Brayton further down to eighth place just ahead of Malcolm Stewart and Vince Friese.
Justin Brayton & Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Jason Anderson got the better of Roczen with two-minutes left to run to move up to fifth place. Up front Barica had a handy buffer over Cianciarulo who in turn had an even larger buffer over Cooper Webb. And that was how they finished, Barcia the winner of the A1 season opener, 450 debutante Cianciaurlo in second, while defending champ Cooper Webb rounded out the podium.
250SX Main Event Podium – Cianciarulo – Barcia – Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Blake Baggett clinched fourth place with a handy buffer over Jason Anderson while Ken Roczen claimed 17-points for sixth. Eli Tomac took seventh ahead of Justin Brayton and Malcolm Stewart, while Vince Friese rounded out the top ten.
In his record breaking 250th main event start Chad Reed finished in 18th place.
Justin Barcia – P1
“It doesn’t get much better, honestly. We had a really nice day. I qualified alright. The Heat race was great, I got a great start and won. And the main event, wow, just unbelievable. I got another great start, led a lot of laps, but I made a mistake and got passed. I regrouped and got into the lead again and took the win. I’m feeling over the top right now. It’s phenomenal! It’s going to be a long season though. I just want to keep having a lot of fun and keep putting that bike on the podium.”
Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld
Adam Cianciarulo – P2
“I fell in love with Supercross watching Anaheim 1back in 1999. Ever since then I’ve been dreaming about what I got to experience tonight. Everything from opening ceremonies to getting my first 450 podium. I was bummed we couldn’t capture the win, but regardless I am stoked on this result. It is a long season, I still have a lot to learn and build on from here, but I am already fired up to go racing next weekend in St. Louis.”
Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb – P4
“It’s been a struggle today with the sickness but that’s what makes this sport so gnarly, you have to be able to go out on Saturday and perform despite how you’re feeling. I’m just pumped to be on the podium, I feel like I dug deep and pushed through it tonight and it’s a good start to the season for myself and the team.”
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Jason Anderson – P5
“My weekend went pretty decent, in the Main Event, I started in the back and I had to make some passes to get into fifth-place. Once I got behind [Blake] Baggett and Cooper [Webb], that’s all she wrote.”
Jason Anderson – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen – P6
“Anaheim 1 started pretty good but the main event was definitely not the greatest. We were a little off on our bike setup, with it being way too stiff. That really showed in the main because of the way the track deteriorated so much. I didn’t feel like I was able to keep a good flow or attack the track the way I needed to. For sure this is not the position we wanted for the night, but it’s good to get the first race out of the way and leave healthy. We know what we need to work on for the upcoming race and have a plan in mind moving forward to implement those changes. Overall we’re not going to let this first race get us down, and I’m looking forward to St. Louis.”
Ken Roczen & Blake Baggett – Image by Hoppenworld
Eli Tomac – P7
“Man, the first race of the season is always an interesting one. The whole day is just chaotic. I started feeling a bit of a flow by the end of the last qualifying session today, but in both the heat race and main event tonight I got decent starts but got shuffled back in the first turn and the way the track broke down tonight it became very one-lined and difficult to make passes. The competition this year is deeper than ever, so we will regroup this week and come out swinging in St. Louis next weekend.”
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Main Event – 2020 Anaheim 1
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Justin Barcia
Yamaha YZ450F
22 Laps
2
Adam Cianciarulo
Kawasaki KX450
+05.646
3
Cooper Webb
KTM 450SX-F Factory Edi
+12.693
4
Blake Baggett
KTM 450SX-F FE
+14.216
5
Jason Anderson
Husqvarna FC450 Factory
+18.187
6
Ken Roczen
Honda CRF450R Works E
+22.127
7
Eli Tomac
Kawasaki KX450
+23.789
8
Justin Brayton
Honda CRF450R
+26.191
9
Malcolm Stewart
Honda CRF450R
+27.043
10
Vince Friese
Honda CRF450R
+32.922
450SX Standings – After Round 1
Pos
Rider
R1
Total
1
Justin Barcia
26
26
2
Adam Cianciarulo
23
23
3
Cooper Webb
21
21
4
Blake Baggett
19
19
5
Jason Anderson
18
18
6
Ken Roczen
17
17
7
Eli Tomac
16
16
8
Justin Brayton
15
15
9
Malcolm Stewart
14
14
10
Vince Friese
13
13
11
Justin Hill
12
12
12
Aaron Plessinger
11
11
13
Dean Wilson
10
10
14
Zach Osborne
9
9
15
Martin Davalos
8
8
16
Justin Bogle
7
7
17
Tyler Bowers
6
6
18
Chad Reed
5
5
19
Kyle Chisholm
4
4
20
Chris Blose
3
3
21
Fredrik Noren
2
2
22
James Decotis
1
1
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Justin Cooper tops 250SX – Jett Lawrence ninth
Justin Cooper led a Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 1-2 in the 250SX Main Event, with team mate Dylan Ferrandis runner up, and Christian Craig bringing his Honda home into the final podium position. For Aussie Jet Lawrence, Anaheim 1 also proved a strong debut, riding to ninth, 45.924-seconds off leading pace.
When the 250SX Main Event kicked off, Austin Forkner got a great run off the line but it was Justin Cooper out front ahead of Forkner, Christian Craig and Mitchell Oldenburg in the 250SX final. Luke Clout was in eighth place at the end of the opening lap while young countryman Jett Lawrence was running 11th in his first ever senior main event on American soil.
Austin Forkner & Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld
Michael Mosiman and Dylan Ferrandis pushed OIdenburg back to sixth place. Jett Lawrence got up to ninth place behind Clout but then dropped five positions after making a mistake that relegated him all the way back to 14th with ten-minutes remaining.
Forkner worked his way through to the lead after pushing Cooper back to second place, while with five-minutes remaining Dylan Ferrandis was in third place ahead of Christian Craig and Michael Mosiman. Luke Clout was now out of the race but Jett Lawrence had recovered from his stumble and was back up to ninth place.
Dylan Ferrandis & Christian Craig – Image by Hoppenworld
Forkner then made a mistake while under pressure from Cooper and ran into the tough blocks and then cut the track when he remounted. Ferrandis pushed Forkner further back to third place but it was also expected that Forkner would also be given some sort of penalty for cutting the track which would push him even further down the order…
Justin Cooper went on to take a clear victory over Dylan Ferrandis while Austin Forker finished in third place at the flag ahead of Christian Craig and Michael Mosiman. Ultimately though Forkner was relegated to fifth place for cutting the track after his crash, which promoted Christian Craig on to the podium and Mosiman to fourth.
Jett Lawrence finished his maiden AMA Supercross event with a ninth place finish, crossing the line 46-seconds behind the race winner. Countryman Jay Wilson finished 17th while Luke Clout went out early in the race.
Justin Cooper – P1
“It’s indescribable. Everyone says that about their first win, but it honestly it is. I felt like I needed to pinch myself after I went over the finish line. Looking up into the crowd and all the lights and realizing what I had just accomplished – my first win at Anaheim — it’s unreal! I can’t wait to go home and sleep on it and see how I feel tomorrow. I really don’t want this feeling to end.”
Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld
Dylan Ferrandis – P2
“The day was good as a whole, I just got a bad start in the Main. I came back pretty strong, but I’m a little bit disappointed because I think I should have finished a little bit closer than I did. I was riding a little bit tight today. It’s the first one of the year, a lot of pressure, a lot going on. Everyone wants to win the first one. But it’s good. Last year, I finished second and went on to win the championship. So no problem, we’ll move on to next weekend.”
Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld
Michael Mosiman – P4
“It was good to come out of here with a top-five result but I’m not super stoked on how I rode. It’s comforting, though, because I know I’ve got a whole lot more in the tank.”
Michael Mosiman – Image by Hoppenworld
Austin Forkner – P5
“It was a split-second decision to be as safe as possible,” said Forkner. “That’s what they always tell us to rejoin safely and with me pointed backward and slightly left, I thought that after the next rider went by I would be fine. I didn’t gain any position by doing what I did. It’s a bummer they (the officials) didn’t feel the same way. After knowing I was able to put a good pace out front, I’m more fired up than ever to get back out there next weekend.”
Austin Forkner & Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld
Cameron McAdoo – P6
“After so much preparation, it’s nice to finally get on the track and get a finish under my belt,” said McAdoo. “We took away a lot of good from this round that I’m hoping we can work on this week to go after an even better result. I would love to be challenging for the podium and proving to these guys that I am able to run up front.”
Jett Lawrence – P9
“My first A1 is in the books.I did some good things out there and learnt a lot. Look forward to St Louis where I’ll be 100% healthy so no excuses next weekend.”
Jett Lawrence – Image by Hoppenworld
Mitchell Oldenburg – P16
“It was a tough night for me so I am looking forward to being better for the next round, I know what I need to work on before St Louis. The team are great and the bike feels good so we are on track for stronger results. After the Heat I felt sore because I had a couple of crashes but mentally I’m in a really good spot so as much as I am disappointed in tonight’s result, I need to keep in mind that its only race 1 of 10, I have a bit of time for redemption.” Oldenburg added.
Mitchell Oldenburg – Image by Hoppenworld
Jay Wilson – P17
“I dreamt about being in heat one at A1 for as long as I can remember. Last night I got to make that dream a reality and sit on the start gates for the opening ceremony before going racing at the biggest race of my career so far. I’d be lying if I say the nerves didn’t get the better of me. Seventh in the heat and 17th in the main. I rode tight, I was learning and processing the whole night, and just a week earlier we weren’t sure if we would be there after practice crash, but we’ve got the first one out of the way, and now I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Jay Wilson – Image by Hoppenworld
Luke Clout – P21
“My riding was good for most of the day but I am just so bummed, I was sitting in 8th and pushing hard but I made a mistake and it cost me really big. I’m a bit banged up but there are a lot of positives to take away from the night, its been good to see where I’m at over here against some of these guys and I know I will only get better from here. I havant had too much time on the 250 and the whoops were a challenge for me tonight but I will keep grinding, I’ve only been back on the 250 for 3-4 weeks and its been about 4 years since I’ve been on one so its an adjustment. Only upwards from here.”
Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld
250SX Main Event – 2020 Anaheim 1
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Justin Cooper
Yamaha YZ250F
17 Laps
2
Dylan Ferrandis
Yamaha YZ250F
+02.450
3
Christian Craig
Honda CRF250R
+13.581
4
Michael Mosiman
Husqvarna FC250
+15.251
5
Austin Forkner
Kawasaki KX250
+15.251
6
Cameron Mcadoo
Kawasaki KX250
+21.244
7
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250SX-F Factory Edi
+35.905
8
Derek Drake
KTM 250SX-F Factory Edi
+36.589
9
Jett Lawrence
Honda CRF250R
+45.924
10
Alex Martin
Suzuki RMZ250
+55.420
250SX Standings – After Round 1
Pos
Rider
R1
Total
1
Justin Cooper
26
26
2
Dylan Ferrandis
23
23
3
Christian Craig
21
21
4
Michael Mosiman
19
19
5
Austin Forkner
18
18
6
Cameron Mcadoo
17
17
7
Brandon Hartranft
16
16
8
Derek Drake
15
15
9
Jett Lawrence
14
14
10
Alex Martin
14
13
11
Jacob Hayes
12
12
12
Michael Leib
11
11
13
Robbie Wageman
10
10
14
Killian Auberson
9
9
15
Carson Brown
8
8
16
Mitchell Oldenburg
7
7
17
Jay Wilson
6
6
18
Logan Karnow
5
5
19
Derek Kelley
4
4
20
Chris Howell
3
3
21
Luke Clout
2
2
22
Mitchell Falk
1
1
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Riders talk Dakar Rally Stage 2
Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally presented riders with several new challenges with the introduction of pre-coloured road books and limited time to work on bikes, following an opening Stage which led competitors from Jeddah up the coast to Al Wajh with a 319 km timed special seeing Toby Price taking an initial lead.
Stage 2 saw Sam Sunderland take control of the overall Dakar lead with a 367-kilometre special, but it was Botswana’s Ross Branch who took the stage win.
As the fifth rider to enter the day’s 367-kilometre special, Sam Sunderland was able to maximise his advantage and push right from the start. The 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion was able to improve his position throughout that stage to ultimately post the second-fastest time. Sam now enjoys a lead of just over one minute in the provisional overall standings.
Sam Sunderland
“It was a really tough day today and it felt very long. There was a huge mix of terrain with high speed tracks and then slower technical sections. In and out of the canyons there were a lot of lines visible and that made navigation more of a challenge. I made a couple of mistakes, but I think everyone did out there today. All-in-all though I had a good run, just trying to stick to a steady rhythm and build up my pace as the race goes on.”
Sam Sunderland
Quintanilla also excelled on the extremely challenging stage two of the 2020 Dakar Rally to finish in third place. In doing so, the Chilean rider moved himself up to second in the provisional overall standings.
Pablo Quintanilla
“I’m really pleased with my day today. Navigation was challenging all through the special but I didn’t make too many mistakes. I enjoyed the mix of terrain today, a lot of it was very similar to back home in Chile and so I felt comfortable on the bike. Toward the end of the stage I decided to play a little strategy and try to improve my position for tomorrow. I think it will work well and I’m looking forward to the stage.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Luciano Benavides in only his third Dakar, placed fifth on the day’s special to elevate himself to seventh in the overall standings. With a strong start position for stage three, Benavides is confident of another good result.
Luciano Benavides
“It’s been a good day for me – I finished inside the top five and I’m really happy with my rhythm here in Saudi. I enjoyed the stage today but came very close to crashing at one point. Luckily, I was able to stay on and from there I decided to bring the bike home safely and make sure it is good for tomorrow.”
Luciano Benavides
Kevin Benavides stood out in Stage 2’s special and replicated his fourth final place to move up into third overall position in the rally, some ninety seconds behind the leader.
Kevin Benavides
“Today was a very good stage for me, even better than yesterday’s. I started in fourth position and at kilometre 140 I reached the other riders in front and I went out in front and opened the track. For me there were good feelings, I navigated fairly easily for quite some time. Ricky finally overtook me but I think I did a very good job finishing in fourth position. Above all today we were able to take care of the motorcycle that was something important and it is in perfect shape for tomorrow’s stage.”
Kevin Benavides – Image by Rally Zone
Another fast-paced rider was Joan Barreda, who might have even won the stage had it not been for a minor fall when he was looking at the roadbook notes. The Spaniard finished sixth on the day and eighth overall in the rally.
Joan Barreda
“Today it went well during the first part of the stage; I had a good pace and was close to Quintanilla. Around kilometre 200 I fell while looking at the roadbook. I hit a rock and fell, not very hard, but enough to distract me a little. Right after, in the canyon area, I took a mistaken track and got a bit lost, but I was quickly been able to recover from it. In the end I was able to manage the stage quite well as today is the Super Marathon stage and I did not want to push too hard. Luckily the bike is perfect so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”
Joan Barreda – Image by Rally Zone
Matthias Walkner was able to navigate the technically demanding route, making the minimum of errors to complete the stage in a solid eighth place. Now lying an excellent fourth overall, the Austrian rider will enjoy an advantageous start position for the second half of the Super Marathon stage.
Matthias Walkner
“I had quite a good day today – the navigation was tough but I was able to push on from the start and at about 45 kilometres I was able to catch Toby. From there I opened the piste to the halfway point. We then rode in a group of four until the finish, which can be tricky as the dust from any riders in front makes it difficult to see stones and rocks hidden in the soft sand. Thankfully I was able to look after the bike and it’s all ready to go for tomorrow.”
Matthias Walkner
Xavier de Soultrait initially improved from his 13th place starting position, working his way up to ninth by the first waypoint he then struggled with dust and sensibly opted not to take any unnecessary risks, maintaining that position.
Xavier De Soultrait
I had a lot of dust during the first 150-160 kilometres, so it was a balance between riding safely and also trying to overtake. Finally, when I managed to get ahead I could increase my speed and things went well. My goal is to be around the top 10 for the first four days or so, so things are ok for me. It looks like tomorrow the navigation will be a little easier, we will see. Everything is good with my bike, so I just hope I can have a clear day tomorrow with not too much dust.”
American Ricky Brabec, also managed the situation skilfully and, in spite of having to start the day from second position, was able to post eleventh final place which leaves the rider in fifth position overall some four minutes shy of the overall leader.
Ricky Brabec
“The day was good. We knew coming into it that we were going to lose a bit of time. We started up front. It wasn’t too tricky. Up front you have a lot more focus. I lost the way a bit about kilometre 50. We all grouped up and tried to be smart and manage our motorcycles. We have the Super Marathon tonight. It’s not key to wreck your motorcycle as you have no mechanics and no assistance. I’m looking forward to day three. The team’s good and all the bikes are in one piece. We’ll keep pushing. The bikes are really good. Motorcycles don’t really carry any tools or parts, so the only thing we can do is either adjust the lever or zip-tie some things together. Other than that even if you wreck the motorcycles, you have to deal with it. We are very fortunate that all the riders have nice motorcycles for day three. So that’s a plus for Honda.”
Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone
Winner of the first day, Toby Price had the unenviable task of opening stage two. That, combined with the limited time to acquaint himself with the road book, made navigating the stage extremely tricky from the front of the pack. Despite the disadvantages, the reigning champion put in a good ride to 15th place and now lies ninth in the provisional overall standings.
Toby Price
“Today was always going to be tough, leading out from the start without having had much time to read the road book. The stage went ok, I lost some time to the others but the most important thing is I looked after my bike and the tyres so should be in good shape to close down on the leaders again tomorrow. There’s still a long, long way to go, but the bike is working great, things are looking good and I’m happy.”
Toby Price
Fellow Australian Rodney Faggotter proved consistent, following up his Stage 1 19th placing, with a strong 16th in Stage 2, claiming 17th overall.
Rodney Faggotter
“17th quickest today. Saw a couple crashed riders today and some other riders that had started in front of me were with them – so I will possibly slip down from 17th position depending on what time they are given nack for stopping – but all good! Solid day. Had dust for about 200klms then led out in front of my group which means a lot of navigation but no dust! The riding here is so diverse and so far.. fun!”
Other Australians included Ben Young finishing 92nd in Stage 2, Trevor Collin Wilson 111th, and Matthew Tisdall 131st.
2020 Dakar Rally – Stage 2 Provisional Results
Pos
Rider
Team
Time/Gap
1
Ross Branch
BAS DAKAR KTM RACING TEAM
03H 39′ 10
2
Sam Sunderland
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 01′ 24
3
Pablo Quintanilla
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
+ 00H 02′ 21
4
Kevin Benavides
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 03′ 40
5
Luciano Benavides
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 03′ 44
6
Joan Barreda Bort
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 04′ 57
7
Jose Ignacio C F
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 04′ 58
8
Matthias Walkner
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 05′ 59
9
Xavier De Soultrait
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
+ 00H 06′ 08
10
Andrew Short
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
+ 00H 07′ 00
11
Ricky Brabec
MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020
+ 00H 08′ 45
12
Paulo Gonçalves
HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY
+ 00H 09′ 32
13
Adrien Van Beveren
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
+ 00H 09′ 48
14
Franco Caimi
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM
+ 00H 09′ 50
15
Toby Price
RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM
+ 00H 12′ 13
16
Rodney Faggotter
YAMAHA MOTOR AUSTRALIA
+ 00H 17′ 17
17
Lorenzo Santolino
SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY
+ 00H 18′ 25
18
Adrien Metge
SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY
+ 00H 18′ 32
19
Antonio Maio
YAMAHA FINO MOTOR RACING
+ 00H 19′ 30
20
Juan Pedrero Garcia
LS2 AVENTURA TOUAREG
+ 00H 19′ 49
Dakar Overall Standings – After Stage 2
Pos.
Rider
Time/Gap
1
Sam Sunderland
07h 05′ 22”
2
Pablo Quintanilla
+ 00h 01′ 18”
3
Kevin Benavides
+ 00h 01′ 32”
4
Matthias Walkner
+ 00h 02′ 00”
5
Ricky Brabec
+ 00h 04′ 11”
6
Ross Branch
+ 00h 04′ 19”
7
Luciano Benavides
+ 00h 06′ 01”
8
Joan Barreda Bort
+ 00h 06′ 09”
9
Toby Price
+ 00h 07′ 34”
10
Andrew Short
+ 00h 09′ 24”
11
Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo
+ 00h 09′ 34”
12
Xavier De Soultrait
+ 00h 10′ 11”
13
Adrien Van Beveren
+ 00h 13′ 01”
14
Paulo Gonçalves
+ 00h 13′ 10”
15
Franco Caimi
+ 00h 19′ 14”
16
Skyler Howes
+ 00h 20′ 52”
17
Adrien Metge
+ 00h 24′ 55”
18
Stefan Svitko
+ 00h 26′ 43”
19
Rodney Faggotter
+ 00h 36′ 32”
20
Johnny Aubert
+ 00h 37′ 17”
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Woffinden swinging in WA
With Graeme Sidden
A big shout out went to Popular WA sidecar passenger, Jamie Thomson who received some unfortunate injuries when he fell from Chad Harvey’s sidecar during the preliminary heats of the Jeff Gittus Memorial Sidecar event on Saturday evening at Perth’s Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway. Jamie suffered a broken wrist and is waiting to undergo shoulder surgery after his untimely fall.
Cam Heeps being interviewed by Grant Woodhams
Another sidecar passenger in young Jesse Thomas also took a ride on the wild side with defending Champion Reece Liptrott when they backed their outfit into turn three and flipped it during a desperate attempt to go underneath the ultimate victors Darren Nash and Ash Brown. I have no official report on Jesse Thomas injuries and outcome, only to say he was very ginger walking from the venue after the meeting.
The very experienced and talented Trent Headland with Tai Woffinden on the back did a stirling job to avoid the stricken outfit and prostate riders on the track. They were rewarded for their efforts finishing up in second spot for the night.
Sidecar podium for the EUROCARS sponsored Jeff Gittus Memorial Sidecar Classic – Winners Nash & Brown, Headland & Woffinden second, and Mitchell & Cornwall third
Three times world solo Champion, Tai Woffinden looked right at home on the back of the Headland outfit and was all smiles as usual on the podium during the trophy presentations.
Racing was fast and furious all evening long in both sidecars and solos where the Darren Nash/Ash Brown combination came out on top in the prestigious Gittus event and WA’s International solo sensation Cam Heeps, fresh home from a very successful English season recorded a fine win in the solo final from another WA Champion, Dan Winchester, UK’s Leon Flint and under 19 British Champion Drew Kemp rounding out fourth place after doing it the hard way winning the B final to make the final four.
Nash and Brown with happy sidecar builder and former sidecar star Tony ShieldWeekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
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)
Tough navigation, rocky terrain and a super marathon second stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia dropped two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price down the order.
He finished 15th on the day and is now ninth overall, but still happy with his performance.
Super marathon
Toby works on his bike in parc ferme
A super marathon stage lasts two days and all riders have to work on their own vehicle without any assistance, putting team riders such as Toby from the Red Bull KTM team on the same level as the privateers.
“A very challenging day with our first Super Marathon stage complete, it is all new for everyone and doesn’t really allow us much time to work on the bikes which made things interesting,” he says.
“Navigation today was really difficult and the conditions were tricky with so many lines to choose from.
“With such heavy navigation, it leaves you feeling like you’re gambling with your decisions all day, but it makes it interesting for all competitors.”
“Starting first is always going to be a disadvantage and today was a day I knew the rest of the field would make time on me,” e says.
“I don’t plan on starting first too many more times after my efforts today.”
Toby usually reserves his efforts in the first week to attack in the second week, like his come-from-behind win last year.
He is conserving his KTM for today’s 504km second stage of the super marathon.
Stage winner
The 367km special stage of largely rock and sand was won by Bostwanan Ross Branch who finished 13th last year on his first attempt.
It was the KTM rider’s first stage win and he now sits at the top of the standings.
He was followed by Toby’s teammate and 2018 winner Sam Sunderland (ourtight 2nd) of the UK with Portuguese rider Pablo Quintanilla (Husaqvarna) third and Argentinian Kevin Benavides (Honda) fourth.
KTM is gunning for its 19th consecutive win.
Sam Sunderland (UK)
Aussie competitors
The three other Aussies in the motorcycle category performed well in stage two.
Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter finished just two spots behind Toby in 17th and is 17th outright for the stage.
Rodney Faggotter
He said the rocky terrain was difficult and said he was grateful for his Shock Treatment suspension on his Yamaha and Citi knee braces.
Ben Young (KTM) finished 93rd and is 92nd in the outright rankings while Matthew Tisdallfinished 132nd and is 131st outright.
Ben Young
For the first time the Dakar rally is being run in the one country, Saudi Arabia, after being run in 35 countries on three continents since 1978.
Toby aids firefighters
Toby (right) is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
Toby Price may have won Stage 1 even after a two-minute penalty, but it was Ross Branch who put in the fastest time on Stage 2, becoming the first rider from Botswana to take top honours with a Dakar stage win.
Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally also presented riders with several new challenges. The pre-coloured road books used for the first time this year were only given to competitors 25 minutes before the start of the 367-kilometre timed special. Also, with the day marking the first half of the event’s Super Marathon stage, riders were only allowed 10 minutes to work on their bikes at the end of the day, with no outside assistance permitted.
Starting the day from fourteenth, Branch took advantage of the tracks opened by other riders, to ride his own race, with navigation also proving a strong point.
Ross Branch
“Today was really good and I had a lot of fun on the bike. Starting fourteenth this morning helped a lot because there were some tracks that opened the road. I had a lot of fun and tried to ride my own race. I navigated well today which was really good for me and I think it helped a lot. Then I just took it easy…”
Stage 2 runner-up was Sam Sunderland, proving consistency is key and sitting 1min-24s off Branch’s winning time of 3:39’10”. That was enough to claim the overall lead, by 1min-32s from Pablo Quintanilla.
Sam Sunderland – Image by Rally Zone
Quintanilla improved on his Stage 1 result of sixth to claim the final place in the top three on day two, which also earnt him runner-up position in the combined standings.
Rounding out the top five for the day were Kevin Benavides and Luciano Benavides, just 3min-40s and 3min-44s off stage-winning pace respectively.
Luciano Benavides – Image by Rally Zone
Toby Price had to settle for 15th for the day on board his Red Bull KTM Factory Team machine after tackling the challenge of starting first, but held onto a top-ten position in the overall standings in ninth – 7min-34s off Sunderland’s leading pace.
Toby Price
“A very challenging day with our first Super Marathon stage complete, it is all new for everyone and doesn’t really allow us much time to work on the bikes which made things interesting. Navigation today was really difficult and the conditions were tricky with so many lines to choose from! With such heavy navigation, it leaves you feeling like you’re gambling with your decisions all day, but it makes it interesting for all competitors. Starting first is always going to be a disadvantage and today was a day I knew the rest of the field would make time on me, I don’t plan on starting first too many more times after my efforts today but I’m feeling good, the bike is in good shape for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to Stage 3!”
Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone
Fellow Australian Rodney Faggotter proved consistent, following up his Stage 1 19th placing, with a strong 16th in Stage 2, claiming 17th overall.
Rodney Faggotter
“17th quickest today. Saw a couple crashed riders today and some other riders that had started in front of me were with them – so I will possibly slip down from 17th position depending on what time they are given nack for stopping – but all good! Solid day. Had dust for about 200klms then led out in front of my group which means a lot of navigation but no dust! The riding here is so diverse and so far.. fun!”
Toby Price – Dakar Rally Stage 5
Pablo Quintanilla
Andrew Short
Matthias Walkner
Sam Sunderland – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage Four
Toby Price – 2020 Dakar Rally Stage 5
Ricky Brabec (Honda, USA)
Rodney Faggotter
Jack Miller’s MotoGP helmet
