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Moto Wrap | Webb & Faulkner take Minneapolis AMA SX

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Moto News Wrap for February 11, 2019 by Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Moto News Latest

  • Webb and Faulkner Take Minneapolis AMA SX
  • Taddy Wins SuperEnduro in Budapest
  • Cairoli and Prado Wrap Up Italian Motocross Championships
  • Dean Wilson to Rockstar Husqvarna
  • Hunter Lawrence Injured
  • Traralgon Hosts Successful 2 Stroke Nationals
  • FIM Speedway of Nations News
  • Applications Open for Australian WJMX Team

Webb and Faulkner take Minneapolis AMA SX

The sixth round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship was held in Minneapolis last weekend and the racing has once again held the fans of the sport on the edge of their seats as two of the brightest stars in the sport in Cooper Webb and Austin Forkner took out main event wins the 450SX and 250SX East classes respectively.

AMA SX Rnd Starts JK SX Minneapolis
AMA Supercross kicks off at Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Report

Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy scored the holeshot in the main event and for the first half of the race Webb was looking for a way around Savatgy while holding off Ken Roczen, Blake Baggett and Marvin Musquin but when Webb got around Savatgy on lap 15 the flood gates opened allowing Roczen, Baggett and eventually Musquin get around Savatgy.

AMA SX Rnd Starts JK SX Minneapolis
AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

Webb reeled off the closing laps without any mistakes to score his third win of the year ahead of Roczen who also kept himself tidy for second place ahead of Musquin who was gifted yet another podium after Baggett went over the bars on a tricky seat-bounce double-triple combination.

AMA SX Rnd Musquin JK SX Minneapolis
Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

Eli Tomac was almost dead last after his poorest start of the season but the former championship leader whittled his way to sixth place, one spot ahead of Chad Reed who encountered his own problems during the main event to not only score seventh place but also move into eight in the championship, just 14 points out of the top five.

AMA SX Rnd Tomac JK SX Minneapolis
Eli Tomac – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

The 2019 season has set a new record with the top four in the Championship standings only separated by two points after six rounds with Roczen on 125, Webb on 124 while Eli Tomac and Marvin Musquin are both tied with 123 points – even more amazingly, Roczen and Musquin are yet to win a round!

AMA SX Rnd Multiple JK SX Minneapolis
AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb

“To get three wins this year is pretty spectacular, especially bouncing back from last week – having that bad race in the mud – but I never lost belief, never lost faith and knew I was still good. I felt good all day today and to be able to apply it in the heat race, win that, and then win the main was pretty special. It’s cool, I have to pinch myself because I’ve come such a long way in a short amount of time. It’s crazy what a year or half a year will do to you. The last two years this place ended my season, so it’s pretty cool to bounce back from that and never give up, never doubt myself, make a change and stick to it. I want to keep doing well and doing what I’m doing. I definitely feel like I have a lot to improve on and a lot to learn but we’ll see if we can keep going.”

AMA SX Rnd Webb JK SX Minneapolis
Cooper Webb – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen

“I felt really good, and early on when Joey was still leading, I had a couple of good spots, and I kind of came up on Cooper a little bit. But I couldn’t pass him. After Cooper passed for the lead, I noticed that Joey was getting tired or whatever, but he was still going enough where we couldn’t pass. I had to pick my battles a little bit. The way these turns are, and the intensity that we brought, I didn’t want to do a silly, aggressive move and bump up on the inside. I just wanted to do it in a smart way, but I waited too long, for sure.”

AMA SX Rnd Roczen JK SX Minneapolis
Ken Roczen – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin

“It was definitely a tough night. I made it really hard on myself going down in the heat race while running in second – I made a little mistake that cost me big time and then again, I hit neutral and went down again. With a really bad gate pick, I knew it was going to be hard to choose either inside or outside on the gate but I chose to go very far inside and I didn’t get the start I wanted. I was tight inside and came out top-ten but on a track like that, it’s super tough to be in that position to make passes. It took me a long time to get into the top-five and I was pushing to get around [Blake] Baggett and unfortunately, he went down hard, hopefully he’s okay. Once I was in third, I tried to give a push for second but there was a gap and physically I gave a lot when I was trying to pass guys for most of the Main Event. Definitely tough, but to be third on the podium tonight is a good result considering where I came from with the heat race and the start, so I’ll definitely take it.”

AMA SX Rnd Musquin JK SX Minneapolis
Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Dean Wilson

“The night wasn’t great but not too bad, either, I’m not super pumped on it but I came out healthy. I think the past couple weeks of not getting into my normal schedule, due to the rain and resting the week after Oakland because of my knee, definitely had me feeling it and it was a tough Main Event the whole time. I think just trying to get back to my normal schedule will help a lot. It was awesome to be back with the team this weekend and we’re just going to get better from here.”

Justin Barcia

“Going into the main event I didn’t make any bike changes, or anything like that I was really comfortable. I was right on the main pack of guys in front of me, I just came into the corner pretty quick, pushed my front end and ended up going down pretty hard and rode home to ninth. For me it was a frustrating race to say the least because I felt like I was capable of being on the podium tonight and fighting for the win. It’s definitely frustrating, but I felt like I was back to myself again, comfort wise and stuff, I felt good on the bike. I was happy with my riding, just wish I could’ve done better in the main event. Moving on to next weekend I just want to have good starts and get back up front.”

AMA SX Rnd Barcia JK SX Minneapolis
Justin Barcia – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Aaron Plessinger

“It was a rough one for me. I definitely struggled on my starts. I got a break in the heat race. I got a bad jump, but shot the gap and made it. In the main event I didn’t have that gap and I got shut off; I definitely need to keep working on it. We’re going to go back to California this week, we’ll get some more testing in on the bike and try and dial it in a little more for me. I just need to keep working on it, getting used to it. I’m going to go back and do some more homework and come back ready for Dallas.”

AMA SX Rnd Plessinger JK SX Minneapolis
Aaron Plessinger – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Main Event Results

  1. Cooper Webb
  2. Ken Roczen
  3. Marvin Musquin
  4. Joey Savatgy
  5. Justin Brayton
  6. Eli Tomac
  7. Chad Reed
  8. Dean Wilson
  9. Justin Barcia
  10. Aaron Plessinger
  11. Cole Seely
  12. Vince Friese
  13. Justin Bogle
  14. Tyler Bowers
  15. Kyle Chisholm
  16. Alex Ray
  17. Ben Lamay
  18. Daniel Herrlein
  19. Cheyenne Harmon
  20. Casey Brennan
  21. Blake Baggett
  22. Aj Catanzaro
AMA SX Rnd Podium JK SX Minneapolis
450 Podium 1) Cooper Webb, 2) Ken Roczen, 3) Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Points after 6 of 17

  1. Ken Roczen – 125
  2. Cooper Webb – 124
  3. Eli Tomac – 123
  4. Marvin Musquin – 123
  5. Dean Wilson – 95
  6. Justin Barcia – 88
  7. Blake Baggett – 82
  8. Chad Reed – 81
  9. Aaron Plessinger – 79
  10. Cole Seely – 77
  11. Justin Brayton – 70
  12. Vince Friese – 65
  13. Justin Bogle – 60
  14. Joey Savatgy – 59
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

250SX East Report

Austin Forkner was fast all day and it wasn’t good news for his opposition when the Kawasaki pilot grabbed the holeshot and he never looked back to take the win but the action behind was a little more riveting with Jordon Smith surviving a flat tyre change on the start line and a small crash mid race to finish second ahead of Justin Cooper who looked smooth and untroubled on his way to third head of Chase Sexton and Alex Martin.

AMA SX Rnd Starts JK SX Minneapolis
AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Austin Forkner

“Basically, you don’t want to think about not making mistakes because that’s when you make them. I was just trying to click off laps. My starts were killer tonight in the heat and the main. I was just out there trying to maintain it, and I saw, whenever Jordon [Smith] got into to second, I might have to try to turn it up. He was maybe going a little bit faster, but then he went down. But when you get to that settle stage, sometimes that’s when mistakes happen, so I just tried to keep focused forward.”

AMA SX Rnd Forkner JK SX Minneapolis
Austin Forkner – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordon Smith

“We got a flat tire and Christian, my mechanic did an amazing job, they started the bikes before he had the nut off the rear wheel, I was afraid the gate was going to drop and we weren’t going to be ready.”

Justin Cooper

“The bike was awesome all day and the team made adjustments to fix anything I was uncomfortable with. I was able to predict exactly what the bike was going to do throughout the race, even with the track conditions getting worse. I had a terrible start, but felt great on the bike the whole main and just had to maintain the race as best I could with all the chaos around me. Everything about the day went smooth except a little first race jitters in the heat race. First podium at my second Supercross race ever… what more is there to say? It’s a great feeling!”

AMA SX Rnd Cooper JK SX Minneapolis
Justin Cooper – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Mitchell Oldenburg

“Today was decent. Practice went well for me, I felt really comfortable and the bike was working awesome. Tonight though, just wasn’t the best night for me. I didn’t feel that great. Not racing for a year was tough, and it showed tonight. I’m looking forward to building off of this and getting ready for the next few races and Dallas next weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Oldenburg JK SX Minneapolis
Mitchell Oldenburg – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Jordan Bailey

“It was a good start to my first supercross, practice went well and the track was pretty good. I got fourth in the heat race, and in the main my start wasn’t very good but we got ninth. I’m happy with it to start with but we’ve got to keep getting better.”

AMA SX Rnd Bailey JK SX Minneapolis
Jordan Bailey – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld
Thomas Covington

“It was a solid first weekend for me, I was definitely a little bit nervous and tight throughout the whole day but each session got a little bit better and I squeaked into the Main Event in the heat. In the Main Event, I just went out and had as much fun as I could out there and it turned out pretty good. I was happy with how the bike was working and everything, just have to get back to work this week and hopefully progress next weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Covington JK SX Minneapolis
Thomas Covington – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

Alex Martin held Justin Cooper at bay for nearly the whole main but he ended up getting bumped off the track by Cooper and missed the transponder line at the finish so his team had to go and request a manual rescoring of that lap for Alex to be credited with fourth place after initial results had him back in 13th.

250SX East Results

  1. Austin Forkner
  2. Jordon Smith
  3. Justin Cooper
  4. Alex Martin
  5. Chase Sexton
  6. Mitchell Oldenburg
  7. Kyle Cunningham
  8. Brandon Hartranft
  9. Jordan Bailey
  10. Kyle Peters
  11. Thomas Covington
  12. Blake Wharton
  13. Martin Davalos
  14. Christian Craig
AMA SX Rnd Podium JK SX Minneapolis
250 Podium 1) Austin Fornker, 2) Jordon Smith, 3) Justin Cooper – AMA Supercross Round 6, Minneapolis – Image by Hoppenworld

250SX East after Round 1 of 9

  1. Austin Forkner – 26
  2. Jordon Smith – 23
  3. Justin Cooper – 21
  4. Alex Martin – 19
  5. Chase Sexton – 18
  6. Mitchell Oldenburg – 17
  7. Kyle Cunningham – 16
  8. Brandon Hartranft – 15
  9. Jordan Bailey – 14
  10. Kyle Peters – 13
  11. Thomas Covington – 12
  12. Blake Wharton – 8
  13. Martin Davalos – 7
  14. Christian Craig – 3
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Taddy Wins SuperEnduro in Budapest

Budapest hosted round four of the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship last weekend and it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak who took the win ahead of teammate Cody Webb and Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker.

SuperEnduro Round Hungary Taddy Blazusiak
Taddy Blazusiak – SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019

Superpole went to Webb, with Blazusiak finishing a close second before Webb took the lead in the first of the three finals and set about opening up a good margin over the chasing riders. Although pressured early on by his teammate, Cody went on to claim a flag-to-flag victory with Blazusiak fighting off the challenges from Colton Haaker to finish second.

SuperEnduro Round Hungary Colton Haaker
Colton Haaker – SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019

In the reverse-grid race two, it was Blazusiak who got the best start of the championship contenders but Haaker took over the lead and quickly opened a gap that he would maintain to earn the win over Blazusiak and Webb.

SuperEnduro Round Hungary Colton Haaker
Colton Haaker – SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019

In the final race, it was Blazusiak who took the holeshot over Haaker with Webb close behind in third and for the first half of the race the three leading riders pushed hard, maintaining a fast pace on the demanding course but Taddy managed to hold his nerve to ultimately take the race three win over Haaker and Webb and with it the overall victory.

Taddy Blazusiak

“To take the win tonight feels great. I’ve been mostly off the bike since I hurt my knee in Madrid, so to come here and claim the overall is amazing. I didn’t quite have the out-and-out speed this evening, so I knew I would have to be clever and use my race craft. I got two second places and then in the last race I got a good start and knew it would be difficult for the others to pass. I rode clean but defensively and it paid off. Budapest has been great – the track was not too technical, but it was physically demanding and tricky to make time on. I’m really looking forward to Bilbao now in April.”

SuperEnduro Round Hungary Taddy Blazusiak
Taddy Blazusiak – SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019

Webb edged Haaker by one point in the overall standings in Budapest so going into the final round in Spain on April the 6th, Haaker holds a 12 points lead in the championship.

Cody Webb

“It’s been a good night for me overall – I’m happy with second. I got a really good start in the first race and was just able to run away with it. In the second race, I started off right on the inside from the second row but I got caught up early and had to fight my way through the whole pack back up to third. In the last race it was good fun battling with the guys up front but it was so tricky to make a good pass – we were all pushing so hard and the pace was relentless. I struggled with traffic later on and couldn’t quite close up to the two leaders. We have got a bit of a break now before the last round so I’ll keep training and work on my intensity before Bilbao and hopefully be in a good position to fight for the championship.”

SuperEnduro Round Hungary Cody Webb
Cody Webb – SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019

Results — 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Round 4
Prestige Race 1

  1. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:44.923
  2. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:50.858 +5.935
  3. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 6:51.421 +6.498
  4. Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:22.186 +37.263
  5. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:28.249 +43.326

Prestige Race 2

  1. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 6:38.691
  2. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:47.256 +8.565
  3. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 7:00.298 +21.607
  4. Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:10.778 +32.087
  5. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 6:52.969 +1 lap

Prestige Race 3

  1. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:36.278
  2. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 6:38.226 +1.948
  3. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:50.587 +14.309
  4. Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:13.035 +36.757
  5. Diogo Viera (POR), Yamaha, 6:43.492 +1 lap
SuperEnduro Round Hungary Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez proves consistent in fourth across the events races- SuperEnduro Round 4 – Hungary 2019

Prestige Class — Overall

  1. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 56 points
  2. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 53 pts
  3. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 52 pts
  4. Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 39 pts
  5. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 32 pts

Championship Standings (After round 4)

  1. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 211 points
  2. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 199 pts
  3. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 184 pts
  4. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 122 pts
  5. Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 119 pts
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Cairoli and Prado Wrap Up Italian Motocross Championships

Mantova hosted the final round of the three round Italian Motocross Championships last weekend and it was Tim Gajser who scored the MX1 win before Jorge Prado dominated the MX2 race then Antonio Cairoli managed to win a the Superfinal.

Italian MX Mantova Rnd Jorge Prado
Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova

HRC Factory rider Tim Gajser won the MXGP race at Mantova ahead of 2015 World MXGP champion Romain Febvre, Antonio Cairoli, Gautier Paulin and Max Nagl with Cairoli being crowned MX1 champion of Italy for 2019.

Tim Gajser

“It is great to win again, it is just Italian championship, but a great race. I wanted to pass Tonus quickly and I tried to gap Romain, but he was really close. We had a good pace, and I liked the track. I look forward to the second race.”

Gajser hrc hondaproracing shotbybavo
Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo
Romain Febvre

“It went good, I had a good start, not very good but good start. I was quick to second and battled with Tim, really close to him and I made some mistakes. Sometimes I was faster, sometimes he was faster. I was happy, but I got some arm pump and that is why I slowed down.”

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jorge Prado earned the Italian Championship with the MX2 race win in Mantova over early leader Moreau, Tom Vialle, Jago Geerst and Stephen Rubini while Aussie Mitch Evans ended the race in 11th of the 40 starters.

Italian MX Mantova Rnd Tom Vialle
Tom Vialle – Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova

The Superfinal saw a massive first turn pile-up but out front Cairoli managed to etch out a lead before taking a comfortable win ahead of Nagl who had to fight off a fast finishing Prado who started well outside the top ten to narrowly miss out of second place while Mitch Evans ended the race in a credible ninth place.

Italian MX Mantova Rnd Tony Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli – Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova

Cairoli and Prado ended up 1-2 in the Superfinal Championships.

Antonio Cairoli

“The Italian Championship is always a good series because we have a lot of champions on the line, this year especially, with four different world champions. We had a lot of things to test and the best way to do that was with racing. We had a perfect series, except for that first moto today: I was upset with my start. It was good in one way, and that’s to be able to make some passes and work through the pack and learn about that. This is also good training for the GPs. When we are on the line in the world championship it is a little bit different; everyone is extra motivated and doing their best to keep up with me and Jeffrey. I think since last year people have been working with us in mind. We will improve but they will improve also. We’ll see when the gate drops in MXGP but the championship there is very long and you have to be consistent and don’t make mistakes. This is the key.”

Italian MX Mantova Rnd Tony Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli – Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova
Jorge Prado

“It’s been a really good championship and great pre-season training. Mantova was a different kind of track today: big ruts and with some special demands. I won my MX2 race and then had a good jump [from the gate] against the 450s. I was battling a long time with [Max] Nagl and I couldn’t make the pass, but anyway I’m happy. The bike was working great in these races. We have some weeks of training ahead but we are in the good way and will go to Argentina in the best shape possible.”

Italian MX Mantova Rnd Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – Italian Motocross Championship 2019 – Round 3, Mantova

Final Championship Standings MX1

  1. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 320pts
  2. Romain Febvre (Yamaha) 300
  3. Tim Gajser (Honda) 280

Final Championship Standings MX2

  1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 360pts
  2. Mikkel Haarup (Husqvarna) 195
  3. Michele Cervellin (Yamaha) 180

Final Championship Standings Supercampione

  1. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 240pts
  2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 200
  3. Jorge Prado (KTM) 160

Dean Wilson to Rockstar Husqvarna

With Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team having no fit 450SX riders, Dean Wilson has been given a seat with the team for the remainder of the AMA Supercross season.

Jason Anderson and Zach Osborne are currently out with Anderson sustaining a season ending broken arm injury, while Osborne (Broken collar bone) is expected to return to the team in the coming weeks.

Wilson started with the team at Minneapolis last weekend where he finished a solid 8th place in the main event to maintain 5th in the championship standings.

Dean Wilson

“I am really excited to be back with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team. They have been a great help with my privateer effort. I am looking forward to putting in good results and making everyone proud.”

Rockstar Husqvarna Dean Wilson
Dean Wilson
Bobby Hewitt

“Dean has been a part of our program for many years. I am very excited to have him back under the truck for the remainder of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship Series.”

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Hunter Lawrence Injured

On the eve of making his AMA Supercross debut Australia’s Hunter Lawrence has crashed and aggravated a collarbone injury which he sustained some eight to nine weeks ago.

MXGP Rnd Afyon Turkey MX Lawrence action
Hunter Lawrence

A timetable for Lawrence’s return has not been set but he could be back in time to compete in some supercross rounds or the Geico Honda pilot might be out until the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship which begins in May.

MXGP Rnd Afyon Turkey Lawrence
Hunter Lawrence
Below is his Instagram post.

‘Absolutely heartbroken to say the least guys. I wont be lining up at round 1 this weekend. Some of you know a few months back I had a collarbone injury that I have now re-injured. And it isn’t in a condition where I am not able to plate it. A misfortunate crash and part of the sport. Will do everything i can like always to get back to 100%. I want to thank my amazing @fchonda team and supporting sponsors for all their great support. And a massive shoutout to all of the Aussie fans that were behind me and following along. Super bummed, but with the aussie grit and determination i’ll be back soon.’

Traralgon Hosts Successful 2 Stroke Nationals

Traralgon has hosted the opening round of the Yamaha bLU cRU 2 Stroke Nationals and it was Pro racer Joel Milesevic who won the premier YMI All Powers Cup ahead of Deakin Hellier and Ryan Kenney.

Meanwhile Blake Fox (125cc Junior Cup), James Hanson (Hallman Retro Cup), Hunter Collins (Yamaha 85cc Cup) and Ky Woods (Raceline 65cc Cup) earned the top spots in the support classes.

Coolum will host the second round of the series on March 3, before Canberra get the final round on April 27.

YMI All Powers Cup

  1. Joel Milesevic
  2. Deakin Hellier
  3. Ryan Kenney
  4. Taylor Potter
  5. Jai Walker

Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup

  1. Blake Fox
  2. Alex Larwood
  3. Blake Hollis
  4. Ricky Chalmers
  5. Ryan Alexanderson

Hallman Retro Cup

  1. James Hanson
  2. Steven Bowen
  3. Jake West
  4. Paul Grant
  5. Kade Dunscombe

Yamaha 85cc Cup

  1. Hunter Collins
  2. Cambell Williams
  3. Ryder Kingsford
  4. Jett Burgess-Stevens
  5. Seth Burchell

Raceline 65cc Cup

  1. Ky Woods
  2. Jett Williams
  3. Jack Deveson
  4. Koby Hantis
  5. Kayd Kingsford
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

FIM Speedway of Nations News

The start position draw for Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Race Offs 1 and 2 in Landshut and Manchester in May has been confirmed.

Germany host Poland, Sweden, Slovenia, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Italy at Race Off 1, which takes place in Landshut on Saturday, May 4, before the Lions come up against Australia, Denmark, USA, France, Finland and Latvia at Race Off 2 in Manchester on Saturday, May 11.

Start positions for Speedway of Nations drawn

The start position draw sees GB line up in the white and yellow starting gates against fellow 2018 finalists Australia and Denmark, with the Danish clash coming in race six and the Aussie showdown taking place in heat 15.

With gates two and four producing 14 winners compared to the nine that triumphed from gates one and three at Race Off 2 in 2018, the Lions will be hopeful the draw works in their favour at the National Speedway Stadium.

The hosts come up against neighbours France in their opener in heat three, with Australia kicking the night off against Finland in race one and Latvia taking on Denmark in heat two. The USA get their night started against the Aussies in race four.

The Landshut round sees Germany face tough finish to their heats as they come up against Sweden in heat 13, Ukraine in race 17 and Poland in heat 20 to round off the night. They will be keen to pile up the points early on, starting in their opener against Italy in race two.

Their fellow 2018 finalists Poland and Sweden collide in their opening heat – race three – a clash that could have a massive bearing on who tops the podium in Bavaria, with the Poles starting from gates one and three.

The top two teams from both Race Offs are guaranteed a spot at the Monster Energy SON Finals in Togliatti alongside hosts Russia on July 20 and 21, with the teams placed third to fifth competing in two knock-out heats to decide the final qualifier from both meetings.

Applications Open for Australian WJMX Team

Applications are now open for Australian riders who want to compete in the 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship which will take place at Russia’s cosmopolitan capital, Moscow, in July.

MX Juniors Australian team
Australia’s 2018 WJMX team

2018 was a massive year for Team Australia with the event held on home soil and Australia taking out the Team of Nations trophy, and competitors Bailey Malkiewicz and Braden Plath taking out the 125cc WJMX title and 65cc World Cup respectively!

Team Australia will be split out according to the 2019 WJMX classes:

  • FIM Junior 65cc Motocross World Cup: Age Restrictions-minimum 10 years of age and maximum 12 years of age.
  • FIM Junior 85cc Motocross World Championship: Age Restrictions-minimum 12 years of age and maximum 14 years of age.
  • FIM Junior 125cc Motocross World Championship: Age Restrictions- minimum 13 years of age and maximum 17 years of age.

The Australian squad will be supported by the 2019 Team Manager, Mark Willingham who will continue in this role for the third year running.

Applications close in less than a month so click on the link below for more information:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fIs4qLw9k3YLC4uXMIBuC2BBMp_DjRlW/view

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News | Tomac & Cianciarulo win San Diego AMA SX

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Moto News Wrap for February 4, 2019 by Darren Smart

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Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Moto News Latest

  • Great night for Kawasaki at San Diego AMA SX
  • French riders continue to dominate UK Arenacross
  • Cairoli and Prado continue top form at Ottobiano
  • Raga beats Bou at Barcelona X-Trial
  • Cooper and Harwood storm Taranaki
  • Nathan Watson claims French Beach Race title at Enduropale du Touquet
  • Suzuki Australia continues contingency program in 2019
  • Yamaha bLU cRU backs 2019 A4DE
  • Toowoomba to host opening round of AORC
  • Mountain Man just a few week’s away
  • King of MX receives manufacture’s backing
  • 2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing increases USA contingency program
  • Jeffrey Herlings injury update
  • Italy disqualified from 2018 MXoN

Great night for Kawasaki at San Diego AMA SX

Kawasaki riders Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo have won the 450SX and 250SX main events respectively in sloppy conditions at round five of the AMA Supercross Championships which was held in San Diego last weekend.

AMA SX Rnd Podium JK SX SanDiego
Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo dominated the San Diego AMA SX round – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Report

San Diego was soaked with unseasonal rain all week as well as on race night so the main event was shortened to just 15 minutes and on a completely water logged circuit Tomac survived the treacherous conditions to not only score his first win of the season, he became the fourth Red Plate holder for the 2019 season.

AMA SX Rnd Starts JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

Marvin Musquin played it safe all race to steadily climb up to second place over Ken Roczen on the very last lap and now sits just tied with Roczen in second place, just four points back from Tomac.

Eli Tomac

“Today was kind of wild with the conditions, we weren’t on the normal dirt but overall it was the direction we wanted to go, qualifying good, getting better starts to put ourselves in the right position but when the rain stopped the mud got thicker so the bike got heavy and each section was sketchy, it had to stop to make sure a track marker didn’t get sucked into my rear wheel and then had to stop to clear my goggles on the last lap so it was the hardest by far.”

AMA SX Rnd Podium JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin

“It was a tough day, in the heat race I don’t know what happened but I almost did a 180 off the start but managed to get back to third then in the main I just tried to get a decent start but I didn’t so I was pretty far back, my helmet was heavy, my goggles were full of mud so I almost pulled my goggles off on the first lap but I didn’t which is awesome because it saved me and the roll-off worked out so towards the end, I had no idea where I was (placing wise) so I just kept on passing but you couldn’t attack or you could make a mistake, I got by Bogle, then I saw Kenny and got around him then when we crossed the line I looked at the board and I was in second.”

AMA SX Rnd Musquin JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Ken Roczen

“I thought I was in third, then I got passed my Marvin with one turn to go which wasn’t that happy about, I made some changes this week and we made some improvements on the starts which really paid off because today the tarts were really important, I got a super-good holeshot (in the main) but sure enough, I threw it away and went back to fourth of fifth then ended up third, for the championship we are only four points behind and it’s super tight so for my mind the season doesn’t really start until around round 10 and to somewhere near the front is good and I am just picking my battles right now, I just want to get out of the West Coast because it has been a long time since I accomplished that.”

AMA SX Rnd Roczen JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

It was mayhem all race causing Justin Barcia’s Yamaha to fail while Justin Bogle was unlucky not to land on the podium but the fill-in KTM rider managed fourth place ahead of Chad Reed, Aaron Plessinger, Joey Savatgy, and Cooper Webb who went over the handlebars while taking evasive action when Musquin momentarily stalled between two muddy jumps.

AMA SX Rnd Reed JK SX SanDiego
Chad Reed – AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

Webb lost the red plate in San Diego but remains in contention for the championship to sit in 4th, just eight points behind Tomac.

As for Reed, the veteran finally cracked the top five and has moved into ninth in the championship, just 15 points behind fifth placed Blake Baggett.

AMA SX Rnd Bogle JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

450 Main Event Results

  1. Eli Tomac
  2. Marvin Musquin
  3. Ken Roczen
  4. Justin Bogle
  5. Chad Reed
  6. Aaron Plessinger
  7. Joey Savatgy
  8. Cooper Webb
  9. Blake Baggett
  10. Tyler Bowers
  11. Vince Friese
  12. Dean Wilson
  13. Cole Martinez
  14. Cole Seely
  15. Ben Lamay
  16. Carlen Gardner
  17. Kyle Chisholm
  18. Theodore Pauli
  19. Cade Autenrieth
  20. Alex Ray
  21. Justin Barcia
  22. Heath Harrison
AMA SX Rnd Podium JK SX SanDiego
450 Main Event podium – AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Points after Round 5 of 17

  1. Eli Tomac – 106
  2. Marvin Musquin – 102
  3. Ken Roczen – 102
  4. Cooper Webb – 98
  5. Blake Baggett – 80
  6. Dean Wilson – 80
  7. Justin Barcia – 74
  8. Aaron Plessinger – 66
  9. Chad Reed – 65
  10. Cole Seely – 65
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

250SX Report

There was only one rider on the track in the 250SX main that looked remotely comfortable in the slippery conditions and it was Cianciarulo who led from go-to-woe to not only convincingly take the win but the Kawasaki rider has moved into the championship lead after his closest rivals faltered.

AMA SX Rnd Cianciarulo JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

Cianciarulo’s teammate Garrett Marchbanks rode well to finish second ahead of Jimmy Decotis while championship contenders Shane McElrath, Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols finished 4th, 7th and 10th respectively.

Cianciarulo now holds an eight point lead in the championship over McElrath while Nichols is 10 points back and Ferrandis 12 as the 250SX West riders head into a three week break.

Adam Cianciarulo

“It is good going into the break with my mind at ease but when you have a stressful day like this with all of the unknowns and things that can happen out of your control it is tough but I felt better than usual so now happy to build on this.”

AMA SX Rnd Cianciarulo JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
Garrett Marchbanks

“It’s been a big learning curve riding with these guys and I have been working on my starts and my speed so to end up here in second is beyond where I thought we would be when the day got started. My dad and I use to flood a little turn track at our place which made me a pretty good mud rider.”

AMA SX Rnd Marchbanks JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld
James Decotis

“I didn’t know I got third, I thought I got another fourth place, I am over fourth place, then I was told I got third, I was trying to stay up, my little legs I was dabbling and struggling so I just stood up, hit my marks to end up third so I am thankful for it.”

AMA SX Rnd Decotis JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

In his final race before heading home, Australian privateer Thomas Ravenhorst did not qualify for the night program after an electrical gremlin put an end to his night in San Diego but the good news for us Aussie’s is that Hunter Lawrence will be in action when the AMA Supercross Championship heads to Minneapolis this weekend.

AMA SX Rnd McElrath JK SX SanDiego
AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

250 Main Event Results

  1. Adam Cianciarulo
  2. Garrett Marchbanks
  3. James Decotis
  4. Shane McElrath
  5. Jess Pettis
  6. Martin Castelo
  7. Dylan Ferrandis
  8. Mathias Jorgensen
  9. Cameron McAdoo
  10. Colt Nichols
  11. Chris Blose
  12. Michael Mosiman
  13. Jacob Hayes
  14. Carson Brown
  15. RJ Hampshire
  16. Scott Champion
  17. RJ Wageman
  18. Devin Harriman
  19. Enzo Lopes
  20. Deegan Vonlossberg
  21. Ludovic Macler
  22. Mitchell Harrison
AMA SX Rnd Podium JK SX SanDiego
250 Main Event podium – AMA Supercross 2019 – Round 5 – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

250 Points after 5 of 10 Rounds

  1. Adam Cianciarulo – 114
  2. Shane McElrath – 106
  3. Colt Nichols – 104
  4. Dylan Ferrandis – 102
  5. RJ Hampshire – 75
  6. James Decotis – 73
  7. Cameron McAdoo – 72
  8. Garrett Marchbanks – 71
  9. Chris Blose – 70
  10. Jess Pettis – 66
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

French riders continue to dominate UK Arenacross

The Resorts World Arena, Birmingham hosted the fourth round of the six-round UK Arenacross Tour and it was the French pairing of Cedric Soubeyras and Greg Aranda who continued to dominate the series.

Soubeyras won the Superfinal over Aranda and Valentin Teillet and then the Pro-Lites final ahead of Teillet and Julien Lebeau before Aranda won the Pro 450 final over Charles Le Francois and Adam Chatfield.

UK Arenacross Super Final Podium
UK Arenacross 2019 – Birmingham – 1) Cedric Soubeyras, 2) Greg Aranda, 3) Valentin Teillet

Aranda now has a four point lead over Soubeyras in the Pro AX class, Soubeyras already has a healthy 48 point lead in the Pro Lites class and Aranda has a 49 point lead in the Pro 450 class while it is the Team FRO Systems Suzuki who is leading the team points chase.

Main Event Super Final

  1. #1 Cedric Soubeyras FRO Systems 15 Points
  2. #20 Greg Aranda Team Green Kawasaki 13
  3. #737 Valentin Teillet SR75 Suzuki 11
  4. #3 Charles Le Francois SR75 Suzuki 9
  5. #6 Adrien Escoffier Buildbase Honda 8
  6. #9 Adam Chatfield Buildbase Honda 7

Pro AX Championship

  1. #20 Greg Aranda 56 Points
  2. #1 Cedric Soubeyras 52
  3. #737 Valentin Teillet 31
  4. #4 Fabien Izoird 30
  5. #3 Charles Le Francois 25
  6. #6 Adrien Escoffier 24

Pro Lites
Main Event Overall

  1. #1 Cedric Soubeyras FRO Systems 28 points
  2. #737 Valentin Teillet SR75 Suzuki 28
  3. #259 Julien Lebeau Wooldridge Demolition 20
  4. #1x Joe Clayton Team Green Kawasaki 17
  5. #6 Adrien Escoffier Buildbase Honda 16
  6. #744 Diogo Graca Castrol Power1 Suzuki Motobase 15
  7. #13 Nolan Cordens KTM 13
  8. #337 Glenn McCormick Unique Fitout Husqvarna 11

Pro Lites Championship

  1. #1 Cedric Soubeyras 170 Points
  2. #737 Valentin Teillet 122
  3. #6 Adrien Escoffier 106
  4. #259 Julien Lebeau 102
  5. #1x Joe Clayton 72
  6. #744 Diogo Graca 60

Pro 450
Main Event Overall

  1. #20 Greg Aranda Team Green Kawasaki 30 Points
  2. #3 Charles Le Francois SR75 Suzuki 26
  3. #9 Adam Chatfield Buildbase Honda 19
  4. #64 Nique Thury Fro Systems Honda 17
  5. #33 Ashley Greedy FRO Systems Honda 17
  6. #8 Hugo Basaula Shocktech Kawasaki 14
  7. #200 James Dunn Castrol Power1 Suzuki Motobase 13
  8. #17 Matt Bayliss Wooldridge Demolition Honda 12

Pro 450 Championship

  1. #20 Greg Aranda 174 Points
  2. #3 Charles Le Francois 125
  3. #4 Fabien Izoird 93
  4. #64 Nique Thury 89
  5. #8 Hugo Basaula 73
  6. #33 Ashley Greedy 62

Team Championship

  1. Team FRO Systems Suzuki 259 Points
  2. SR75 Suzuki Suzuki 247
  3. Team Green Kawasaki 246
  4. Shocktech Kawasaki 166
  5. Wooldridge Demolition 161
  6. Buildbase Honda 151
  7. Castrol Suzuki MBC 84

The next stop of The Arenacross Tour is in two weeks’ time The FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th of February 2019.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Cairoli and Prado continue top form at Ottobiano

The second round of the Italian Motocross Championship was held on a rain soaked Ottobiano circuit last Sunday and once again KTM riders Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado have not only won their MX1 and MX2 races respectively but they also finished 1-3 three in the MX1/MX2 combined Superfinal.

Italian Championship Ottobiano Tony Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – Image by S. Taglioni

Cairoli won the MX1 moto after a hard fought battle with Yamaha’s Romain Febvre but by moto end the Italian had etched out a three second gap to take with win over Febvre, Tim Gajser, Gautier Paulin and Tanel Leok while in the MX2 class Prado won the moto by over seven seconds from Calvin Vlaanderen, Max Renaux, Michelle Cervellin and Ben Watson.

Italian Championship Ottobiano Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – Image by S. Taglioni

The Superfinal lived up to expectations with Cairoli and Gajser battling tooth and nail for much of the race but Cairoli got the nod by a narrow margin over Gajser, Prado, Febvre and Mikkel Haarup.

Italian Championship Ottobiano Tony Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – Image by S. Taglioni

Cairoli lead the MX1 championship by 40 points over Febvre and the Superfinal class by 40 points over Gajser while in the MX2 class Prado holds a 90 point lead with one round remaining at Mantova this weekend.

Italian Championship Ottobiano Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – Image by S. Taglioni

Italian MX1 Standings

  1. Cairoli Antonio (Ita) 240
  2. Febvre Romain (Fra) 200
  3. Gajser Tim(Slo) 160
  4. Paulin Gautier (Fra) 130
  5. Leok Tanel (Est) 115

Italian MX2 Standings

  1. Prado Jorge (Spa) 240
  2. Haarup Mikkel (Den) 150
  3. Cervellin Michele (Ita) 125
  4. Watson Ben (Gbr) 125
  5. Renaux Maxime (Fra) 112

Raga beats Bou at Barcelona X-Trial

Adam Raga has taken a rare victory over Toni Bou at the second round of the FIM X-Trail World Championship held in Barcelona, Spain last weekend.

X Trial Barcelona Adam Raga scored a rare win over Toni Bou
Adam Raga – X-Trial Barcelona

It was an up and down night for all riders on a very technical circuit but when it was all said and done Raga got the win over Bou with Jaime Busto coming home in third place so after two rounds Raga and Bou are tied on 35 points with Busto tied for third place in the championship with Jeroni Fajardo on 21 points.

The third round of the seven round series will be held in Bilboa, Spain on February 16.

Cooper and Harwood storm Taranaki

The Taranaki Motorcycle Club hosted the opening round of the highly anticipated New Zealand Motocross Championship and in perfect racing weather is was Cody Cooper and Hamish Harwood who came away with first blood in the MX1, MX2 and 125cc classes respectively.

MX1 Report

On the slippery Taranaki layout Cooper dropped the opening MX1 moto to defending champion Kirk Gibbs but the veteran was in no mood to give the Aussie any more fanfare to go on and win the final two motos for the overall win and the points lead heading to the second round of the four round series.

After narrowly winning the opening moto, Gibbs led most of the second moto only to lose the lead to Cooper late in the race but in the third race Gibbs was forced to come through the pack and found speed he had missed earlier in the day to finish just behind Cooper at the line.

Kayne Lamont was right in the mix in all three motos but dropped off the pace as the motos wore on to finish with three third place finishes for third overall ahead of Brad Groombridge        (4-4-6), Cohen Chase (5-5-5), Hadleigh Knight and Blake Gillard (6-7-9) who was sizzling around Taranaki on a KTM250SX 2-stroke.

Cody Cooper

“Obviously this is not my favourite track but I am slowly getting to like it and riding it better, my bike is working way better too so we can only get better at the tracks that I like with more traction and speed.”

Kirk Gibbs

“I really enjoyed that last moto, obviously it was a shame having to come from behind but I feel like that is the best I rode all day, that first moto I rode just to protect (from Cooper) the best I could so I was lucky to get that win and obviously in that second race I didn’t flow that well which allowed Coops to get away but in the last moto I felt really good, I was hitting all my marks, I love and bike and it is onward and upwards from here.”

Kayne Lamont

“Today I just tried to get some decent seat time and do some long motos at a high intensity so that was good to get that under my belt but we have a two week break now to Rotorua and I get myself around there pretty good so I will go there pretty confident after today so we will see what we can do there.”

MX1 – Total Points Round 1

  1. Cody Cooper 2-1-1 – 72p
  2. Kirk Gibbs 1-2-2 – 69p
  3. Kayne Lamont 3-3-3 – 60p
  4. Brad Groombridge 4-4-6 – 51p
  5. Cohen Chase 5-5-5 – 48p
  6. Hadleigh Knight 12-6-4 – 41p
  7. Blake Gillard 6-7-9 – 41p
  8. Tyler Steiner 7-10-8 – 38p
  9. Mason Wilkie 10-10-7 – 34p
  10. Jacob Steel 11-8-9 – 33p
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

MX2 Report

The MX2 class saw three different moto winners with Max Purvis winning the opening moto from Harwood and Brad Groombridge after Aussie Wilson Todd crashed out of the lead but Todd bounced back to win the second moto over Harwood and Joel Meikle but in the final moto it was all Harwood who complete his sixth moto and his third back-to-back race to take the win over Todd and Purvis.

Harwood was forced to race a 4-stroke KTM this year after Motorcycling New Zealand banned the 250cc 2-srokes from the MX2 class but the three-time MX2 champion proved that it wasn’t the power of the 2-stroke that gave him the advantage in previous years.

Hamish Harwood

“The day panned exactly how I wanted it, real happy to win both classes, I am kind of lucky that even when I am tired I can hold a good pace but my main goal is to be healthy, this track can catch you out so now it is on to Rotorua.”

Wilson Todd

“The tracks here are a lot better than what we race on back home and there was plenty of good racing out there today with all of the lines and the way the track forms up but we will fly home tomorrow, do some training and get back for round two.”

MX2 – Total Points Round 1

  1. Hamish Harwood 2-2-1 – 69p
  2. Wilson Todd 8-1-2 – 60p
  3. Maximus Purvis 1-6-3 – 60p
  4. Brad Groombridge 3-6-5 – 51p
  5. Joel Meikle 9-3-7 – 46p
  6. Wyatt Chase 7-7-4 – 46p
  7. Morgan Fogarty 6-4-10 – 43p
  8. Micah McGoldrick 4-15-5 – 38p
  9. Broc Martens 10-9-11 – 30p
  10. Sam Cuthbertson 13-10-8 – 29p

125cc Report

Hamish Harwood works all week as a builder, completes his physical training after work and races on weekends with his father by his side so the three time NZ Champion decided to ride the 125cc class in 2019 and his three wins from three rides proved the decision to be sound.

Brodie Connolly came home with three second places and a name that we will be hearing from in the future is Ben Broad who at the tender age of 15 earned a podium finish in his first senior national outing.

Hamish Harwood

“Obviously the goal is to win but if I am feeling a little fatigued (because of the back-to-back races) I will settle for what I can get but if I am feeling good I am happy to take the win,

Brodie Connolly

“I am just trying to enjoy it (my racing), the track held up well today, the club did a great job, it was technical and hard which is what you want to get the technical riders on top, it was a good day overall.”

Ben Broad

“The track gets really rough compared to the junior days because they don’t groom it as much and there is more competition.”

125cc 2 STROKE – Total Points Round 1

  1. Hamish Harwood 1-1-1 – 75p
  2. Brodie Connolly 2-2-2 – 66p
  3. Benjamin Broad 3-3-3 – 60p
  4. Joshua Bourke-Palmer 4-4-5 – 52p
  5. Tommy Watts 6-7-4 – 47p
  6. Clayton Roeske 7-9-6 – 41p
  7. Jack Dunlop 11-5-8 – 38p
  8. Scott Barr-Smith 12-8-7 – 37p
  9. James Rountree 5-15-10 – 33p
  10. Charlie Richardson 10-11-12 – 33p

MX3 – Total Points Round 1

  1. Steve Craig 1-2-2 – 69p
  2. Lucas Gisler 4-1-1 – 68p
  3. Jonathan Ellison 3-4-3 – 58p
  4. Ivan Boehlen – 6-3-7 – 49p
  5. Patrick Straub 2-13-4 – 48p
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Nathan Watson claims French Beach Race title
at Enduropale du Touquet

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has claimed victory at the Enduropale du Touquet beach race, crowning the British rider champion of the Championnat de France des Sables series. Victory at the 44th edition of the iconic beach race also secured KTM’s first French Beach Race Championship title.

Le Touquet Beach Race Nathan Watson PH
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

With the world-renowned Enduropale du Touquet playing host to the sixth and final round of the Championnat de France des Sables, Nathan Watson arrived at the legendary beach race third overall in the points standings. Knowing that a race win would offer him the greatest chance of championship success, the British rider set about doing exactly that.

A slow start to the race saw Watson lose considerable time on the leaders during the opening hour. Taking things too cautiously on the fast and smooth course, he began to find his rhythm as the event moved past the halfway point. With the track deteriorating, the KTM 450 SX-F mounted rider rapidly cut his way through the field, jumping from sixth to second in just two laps.

Le Touquet Beach Race Nathan Watson PH
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

Battling hard with race leader and championship rival Milko Potisek, the duo went head-to-head during the closing stages of the race. With the final pitstop complete, Watson attacked hard for the last two laps and managed to break clear. He eventually crossed the finish line as the 2019 French Beach Race champion with a comfortable five-minute margin of victory.

Nathan Watson

“It’s an absolutely amazing feeling to not only win Le Touquet for the first time but also take the championship. We’ve worked incredibly hard this season, so to get a result like this is beyond words. During the first hour of the race I actually thought that I might not be able to do it. A lot of people overtook me early on and I was riding far too cautiously because the course was so fast and smooth. When it grew rougher that’s when I began to come into my own and really find my speed. I was just able to push hard and feel confident in the big sand holes and the slower traffic around me. When I caught Milko we battled for a while and then for the final pitstop we pitted at different times, so I didn’t know where he was after that. All I could do was give it 100 per cent during the final two laps until the finish line. This is the biggest victory of my career – it’s been my dream since I was a child to win this race and now I’ve become the first British rider to do so. I’m also the first KTM rider in over 30 years to win Le Touquet, too. Now, winning the championship as a result is perfect end to a fantastic season. Finally, I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for the support they’ve put into me – it’s amazing to get the result we’ve all worked so hard for.”

Le Touquet Beach Race Nathan Watson PH
Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

Results – Championnat de France des Sables, Round 6

  1. Nathan Watson (GBR) KTM, 15 laps 3:30:20.951
  2. Daymond Martens (BEL) Yamaha, 3:08:16.441
  3. Richard Fura (FRA) Honda, 3:10:14.311
  4. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA) Yamaha, 3:11:17.183
  5. Stephane Watel (FRA) Honda 3:14:05.210

Final Championship Standings

  1. Nathan Watson (GBR) KTM, 735 points
  2. Milko Potisek (FRA) Yamaha, 625
  3. Jeffrey Dewulf (FRA) KTM, 615
  4. Maxime Sot (FRA) Yamaha, 590
  5. Stephane Watel (FRA) Honda, 566
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Suzuki Australia continues contingency program in 2019

Suzuki Australia has announced the continuation of its Suzuki Support Rider (SSR) Contingency program for the 2019 MX Nationals, Australian Superbike Championship and recognised state motocross and road racing premier class championships.

Riders who compete on current generation Suzuki motorcycles are eligible to register as for the free SSR contingency program but the rider must register with Suzuki while only one rider can register per VIN.

Suzuki Australia Continues with Contingency Program in
Suzuki Australia continues contingency program in 2019

Suzuki will send each rider an acceptance letter, which includes a SSR Registration Number. One number will be issued per rider, even if the rider competes on more than one machine or in multiple capacity classes. This Registration Number will be used in all claims for contingency or other correspondence with Suzuki.

Only the nominated Motorcycling Australia sanctioned events will be eligible for contingency. Suzuki Support Riders registered for claiming contingency must use the Claim Form attached. Results will be verified by Suzuki against official M.A. results.

Contingency payments will only be made to riders who satisfy the following criteria:

  1. Compete on current generation RM-Z250, RM-Z450, GSX-R600 or GSX-R1000/R.
  2. Registered for SSR and have received acceptance including their Registration Number from Suzuki Australia.
  3. Lodge a claim form within 7 days of the event to Suzuki Australia including their race support number. Suzuki will verify through official race M.A results

For further information on the 2019 SSR Contingency Program, interested customers should visit http://www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au/suzuki-support-rider

Yamaha bLU cRU Backs 2019 A4DE

Motorcycling Australia has announced Yamaha bLU cRU as the official naming rights sponsor of the 2019 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) which will once again showcase the current world class talent residing in Australia.

ADE bLU cRU

Ray Howard – Yamaha Motorsports Division Manager

“2018 was a spectacular year for Yamaha bLU cRU and the A4DE and we are pleased to continue our relationship with the historic event in 2019. Last year’s Championship saw impressive developmental growth and strategic initiatives that propelled the event to more prestigious level. We are seeing these strategies and developments continue into the 2019 season, strengthening the reputation of this highly respected and much anticipated event. Yamaha bLU cRU looks forward to continue working closely with MA and the A4DE promoters to further develop the Championship, which has proven time and time again to be a fertile platform on which to produce and launch Australian riders onto a world stage.”

The 41st edition of the A4DE will be held in Moruya, NSW on May 1-4. Entries are available until the 17th April, so be sure to secure your place in the historic event here!

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Toowoomba to host opening round of AORC

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised all competitors and teams entered into the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) racing season that the location of Round 1 and 2 at Gympie, Queensland (QLD) will be relocated to Toowoomba on the 9th and 10th of March.

Daniel Milner will be heading to Toowoomba for the opening round of the AORC
AORC heads to Toowoomba for 2019 opener

To ensure the least amount of disruption to riders and teams alike, the competition has been amended to continue successfully incorporating the state of QLD into the Championship whilst also making a conscious effort to minimise the necessary distance to travel.

Moving slightly South to Toowoomba, riders will be presented with picturesque backdrops contrasted by the challenges of the Great Dividing Range and its Western slopes. Both days will still feature continuous sprints where riders will race against the clock as they race to come out on top. Further information on the round and accommodation can be found on the competitor information page of the AORC website.

Mountain Man Just a Few Week’s Away

The Toowoomba Motocross Club is excited to serve up a brand new circuit when the KTM and Motorex backed Mountain Man Motocross hit the iconic Echo Valley facility on February 23-24.

This time round the club has settled on a new track designed to increase both the fun and technical quotient, while still facilitating the vintage racers and bikes with experienced track builder and former champion in his own right Sam Kendall designing the track.

Since the 40th anniversary epic in 2015, top MX1 contenders Kade Mosig, Kirk Gibbs and Dean Ferris have all joined the Mountain Man Honour Roll, and Toowoomba Motocross Club President Ojai Maguire is hopeful of a big turnout for this year’s event.

With a date just three weeks out from the start of the MX Nationals, another part of the attraction is the event’s status as a very useful hit-out for the riders, and a shakedown for the machines, on one of the country’s few world-class motocross tracks.

Toowoombas Mountin Man is only a few weeks away
2019 Mountain Man

The other lure is Australia’s biggest prize pool. While the winner will walk away with $1500, the prizemoney pool will pay all the way down to 40th place in the title class.

With the event’s 40+ years of history the club is mindful of its strong heritage appeal and will continue the popular vintage racing during the Saturday program, while other support classes include Women’s, Junior and Sidecar racing.

With the resurgence of interest in two-stroke machines, this year the traditional 125cc Gold Cup has been renamed the Premix class and expanded to include two-stroke powered machines right up to the 500cc monsters which ruled the slopes of Echo Valley in years gone by.

The club has also moved to increase spectator value of Mountain Man, by providing access to the infield for a closer look at the action, offering a $10 weekend pass to access both days racing, and welcoming kids under 13 for free.

Tickets are available at the gate, and for more details please check out the Mountain Man Motocross Facebook page, or contact club President Ojai Maquire on (0428) 159 989.

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King of MX receives manufacture’s backing

Kawasaki, KTM, Honda, Suzuki and Husqvarna have banded together to support what is arguably Australia’s richest motocross race series, the King of MX NSW State Titles.

With six individual qualifying events spread around NSW, the King of MX series gives an unprecedented number of racers the chance to test their skills, meet more like-minded racers and their families, and earn their chance to race for their own NSW State Title.

NSW King of MX

Dave Cooke

“The King of MX is designed to give riders of all ages and abilities the chance to compete and be rewarded when they excel. We’re excited to see most major manufacturers find common ground in supporting this initiative where we actively promote the sport and reward those racers who rise to the top of their class. I can’t thank our partnering manufacturers enough for seeing the vision we have at Motorcycling NSW to support and grow the sport and keep producing, not only champions of the future, but a healthy sport that we can enjoy at all skill levels.”

With 21 classes representing riders of all age groups and skill levels, the beauty of the King of MX is that you don’t have to sacrifice any other championship to be in with a chance. Just race a qualifier that doesn’t clash with your schedule and race your way to the final, just like the 2018 Queen of MX Meghan Rutledge did.

Event Calendar

  • Qualifier 1: February 16-17, Appin
  • Qualifier 2: March 2-3, Moree
  • Qualifier 3: March 23-24, Condobolin
  • Qualifier 4: April 6-7, Leeton
  • Qualifier 5: April 20-21, Canberra
  • Qualifier 6: May 18-19, Maitland
  • King of MX Final: June 8-10, Goulburn

Racers need to enter one of the six qualifier events where the top six or seven finishers in each class earn their Golden Ticket to the final. Once a rider has qualified, they can still ride the other qualifier events, but they can’t win another Golden Ticket, giving even more riders a chance to qualify. At the final, State Title Champions will be decided over three motos for each class.

2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing increases USA contingency program

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A have increased its 2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Contingency Program to nearly $5 million for Yamaha bLU cRU riders competing in off-road motorcycle racing.

In addition to coverage of the AMA Professional Supercross and Motocross, National and Regional Amateur MX and Off-Road events, Yamaha has expanded its support of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series, with $467,350 available, almost five times as much as offered in 2018 for Yamaha bLU cRU GNCC racers. The Contingency Program also boasts increases in support to Yamaha bLU cRU riders in the American Flat Track (AFT) series, including those bLU cRU riders who will compete in the all-new AFT Production Twins class.

In addition to the professional championships, Yamaha continues to support the sport’s future stars at various national and regional amateur motocross races across the U.S., as well as the newly created “Supercross Futures” series.

Mike Guerra – Racing Department Manager for Yamaha

“Our bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Contingency Program has proven to be hugely popular, and this year, we’ve increased the program by 15%, with total funds of nearly $5 million available to Yamaha riders who excel in competition. We have made huge increases in all classes of the GNCC series, the largest off-road series in the country, by boosting the contingency for Yamaha bLU cRU riders fivefold for 2019! We also have increased our support of the American Flat Track (AFT) series, including its all-new Production Twins class and have also stepped forward to support the new Supercross Futures” series that focuses on emerging supercross talent.”

Riders who compete in supercross, motocross, flat track, or off-road aboard any qualified Yamaha motorcycles are invited to register for the 2019 bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Contingency Program.

All bLU cRU Contingency money will be paid directly to riders’ reloadable bLU cRU Debit Cards. In addition, each bLU cRU rider will receive a $45 credit on http://www.bLUcRUswag.com, as well as discounts on Yamaha GYT-R parts and accessories.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Youthsteam sold to Infront

Swiss sports marketing company Infront has announced the acquisition of Youthstream, the owner of the exclusive television, marketing and global promotional rights to the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship until the 2036 season.

Infront has purchased Youthstream the promoters of MXGP
Youthsteam sold to Infront –  Infront’s President & CEO Phillippe Blatter & Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo

The agreement covers several other events including the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, the FIM Snowcross World Championship, the European Motocross Championship and the Motocross of European Nations while the management of the Monaco-based company will remain unchanged under the direction of President Giuseppe Luongo together with David Luongo as CEO and Daniele Rizzi as COO.

Phillippe Blatter – Infront’s President & CEO

“We are very glad to welcome the Youthstream team to the Infront Group. Under the proven management and expertise, the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship has become the premier event of off-road motorsport. Following the successful ownership and management of the FIM Superbike World Championship from 2007 to 2012, this acquisition provides us once again with a long-term property ownership in international motorsport further strengthening our comprehensive portfolio. We will collaborate very closely to further optimise fan experience, content offering and ultimately grow the global community in motocross.”

Giuseppe Luongo – Youthstream President

“We have been successfully building this company over more than three decades and are now very much looking forward to continue to further develop our ambitious vision for motocross together with Infront as one of the leading players in global sports business. This agreement comes at the right moment for the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship and allows Youthstream to accelerate its international development. I am sure that the synergies we will generate will be of great benefit for all properties we represent.”

Julien Ternisien – Infront Vice President Summer Sports

“The FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship is an exciting property with a clear potential to grow even further. We are looking forward to taking the sport to the next level of commercial success by activating our extensive media and sponsorship network as well as our full suite of innovative sports solutions. This goes hand in hand with improving media sales and accelerating digital marketing activities, including further improving the MXGP-TV OTT platform for fans all over the world.”

Jorge Viegas – FIM President

“The FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship series is one of motorsports’ fastest growing and most promising properties. We are confident that Infront’s strong market position, resources and marketing capabilities combined with the strong track-record and proven expertise of Youthstream will help raise the bar even higher in terms of growth and popularity for the series.”

About Infront

Infront is a leading sports marketing company managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events, including the distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, event operation and digital solutions. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 1,000 staff working from 39 offices across more than 14 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year.

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Jeffrey Herlings injury update

Jeffrey Herlings is obviously hoping for a swift and comprehensive rehabilitation period after surgery to repair a broken right foot but it looks like the defending MXGP World Champion will miss the opening round in Argentina on March 3.

MXoN Herlings MX JK MXON
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff Kardas
Jeffrey Herlings

“I landed strangely from a jump and was at an angle when I went too close to the track ‘wall’ of dirt at Albaida. I got my foot caught between the bike and the mud. I knew we were in trouble, and we had the operation as soon as possible when we saw the foot was starting to swell. This is obviously not the best way to start 2019 but we’d been riding and preparing well and we have to work now to get back to that level. The good news is that Dr Claes and his team were really happy with how the operation went and I don’t have any more pain or swelling. In six weeks time we’ll know more and it all depends how the bone heals. Thanks for all the messages from the fans. We’ll be back strong!”

MXoN Herlings MX JK MXON
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff Kardas
Dirk Gruebel – MX2 Team Manager & Technical Co-Ordinator, Red Bull KTM

“This is obviously a disappointing situation for Jeffrey and the team and also for fans of MXGP because we all want to see the guys fit, healthy and ready to go for a new season. It is a shame the way the crash happened and if it hadn’t been for that part of the track then maybe he would have escaped without a problem.  Jeffrey had some first class treatment by Dr Claes in Belgium to fix the breaks in what is a tricky part of the body for injury. Everything went well though and there is nothing wrong with his ankle or anything else that could have made the injury more serious. Now he’ll look to recover again and come back to MXGP close to the form we saw in 2018.”

Italy disqualified from 2018 MXoN

Four months after the running of the 2018 Motocross of Nations at RedBud in America, the second placed Italian of Antonio Cairoli, Alessandro Lupino and Michele Cervellin has been disqualified after Cervellin failed the fuel test.

During the event on the 6th and 7th of October, Fuel samples were taken to be tested in accordance with the 2018-1 FIM Technical Rules Motocross (Art.63.04 and 63.05) and it was the ‘fuel tests of No. 20 Michele Crevellin (Italy) attested non conformity with the FIM fuel specifications provided for in Art. 63.01.2 of the 2018-1 FIM Technical Rules Motocross, regarding the properties for unleaded fuel’.

Team Italy was disqualified from the Motocross of Nations after Michele Crevellins machine failed a fuel test. Photo by Youthstream
2018 MXoN – Team Italy

On this basis, the FIM Race Direction has decided to impose upon Mr Crevellin’s team (Team Italy) a disqualification from the entire event, in accordance with Art. 63.05.13 of the 2018-1 Technical Rules Motocross.

No appeal against the decision of the FIM Race Direction has been lodged before the International Disciplinary Court (CDI) within the set deadline so the final results of the 2018 Motocross of Nations have been updated accordingly and it now sees the Netherlands, Great Britain, Australia and USA rounding out the top five behind the winning French team.

2018 Motocross of Nations Top 10

  1. France – 32 (Dylan Ferrandis, Gautier Paulin, Jordi Tixier)
  2. The Netherlands – 39 (Glenn Coldenhoff Jeffrey Herlings, Calvin Vlaanderen)
  3. Great Britain – 41 (Ben Watson Max Anstie Tommy Searle)
  4. Australia – 43 (Hunter Lawrence Mitchell Evans Kirk Gibbs)
  5. USA – 43 (Justin Barcia Eli Tomac Aaron Plessinger)
  6. Belgium – 47
  7. Spain – 57
  8. Estonia – 63
  9. Germany – 70
  10. Canada – 90
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News | SX | MX | SuperEnduro | EnduroGP | AORC

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Moto News Wrap for January 29, 2019 by Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Moto News Latest

  • Cooper and Cianciarulo Win in Oakland AMA SX
  • Cairoli and Prado Win in Italy
  • Haaker Wins SuperEnduro in Madrid
  • Gibbs Second at Woodville GP
  • Herlings Injured
  • Anderson Injured
  • Wil Ruprecht to EnduroGP
  • 2019 Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix Abandoned
  • 2019 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 relocated to Toowoomba

Cooper and Cianciarulo Win in Oakland AMA SX

On a rut infested layout Cooper Webb and Adam Cianciarulo have won 450SX and 250SX classes respectively at the fourth round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship which was held in Oakland last weekend.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Starts J K
AMA Supercross 2019
Round Four – Oakland Coliseum

450SX Report

KTM started the 450 main event 1-2-3 with Webb leading Marvin Musquin and Justin Bogle and after 20 minutes of action packed racing KTM ended the round with 1-2-3 finishes with Webb taking his second win over a fast finishing Musquin and the tireless Blake Baggett.

Cooper Webb

“Oakland was a great day for me. It was a perfect race – I was able to lead from start to finish. I had some pressure from Marvin at the end but I held on and was able to get a win, so I’m stoked. Two-in-a-row and the first time I’ve had the red plate in my career is pretty amazing, so hopefully we can keep it going. We’ve got a long season ahead but it’s been a great two weekends so we’ll get back to work on Monday. Thank you to the Red Bull KTM Team for believing in me and getting me back here. It was awesome to see KTM dominate tonight with 1-2-3 finishes and 1-2 for me and Marv the last two weekends.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Webb J K Cover
Cooper Webb

With Webb’s win and Roczen back in 5th, Webb jumped to the top of the points standings, with a slender two-point lead over Roczen who now sits on 81 points, followed by Tomac on 80 points and Musquin on 79.

Marvin Musquin

“It was super intense and physically it’s tough out there, I’m definitely getting better. This week I was able to ride all week so I’m getting better and better. That track was definitely difficult for everyone and especially those whoops but I figured it out in the Main and I was able to pass some guys. It’s frustrating, I rode really well, I’m really happy but it could have been mine tonight but it happens, no excuses. I went down but I was the fastest and I was able to pass those guys and be a little more consistent. I’m a little bit bummed, finishing right behind cooper is not fun but it’s good, I’m making progress. Second place is good, it’s a lot of points but I want to win for sure.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Musquin J K
Marvin Musquin

Blake Baggett didn’t get the best start but battled his way around a stack of riders including Roczen and Tomac to earn the final podium spot.

Blake Baggett

“I am wrapped to be on the podium because I was buried off the start, got a really bad start and didn’t think I was even going to get to fifth so I pulled through from that.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Blake Baggett J K
Blake Baggett

Eli Tomac charged into contention after a poor start but the Kawasaki rider struggled to get his rhythm going and had to settle for fourth.

Eli Tomac

“We’re in a good position, not only in the point standings but also for the season. I’m healthy and consistently finishing in the top five. I’ll get back to work with the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki crew and continue to improve each week. It’s all a process and I feel good about this season.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac JK
Eli Tomac

Like Tomac, Roczen was in a prime position to land on the podium but as he admits below that he struggled when the whoops became rutted which forced the Honda start to drop back to 5th and lose the red plate.

Ken Roczen

“Oakland started off pretty good. I felt super good in practice and was super-happy with the bike. I was confident going into the night show and happy to have first gate pick. We had a decent heat race, finishing in second. We had to do some little bike adjustments, just as the track changed. I didn’t have a great start at all but fought my way up to second for a bit. I was struggling in the whoops and started feeling uncomfortable and unfortunately, I went back to fifth. That’s not ideal but we’re leaving healthy. We lost the points lead but only by a couple points; it’s a long season, so if we can take this as our worst race, that’s pretty good. It’s time to regroup and hopefully get back on the podium in San Diego.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Ken Roczen J K
Ken Roczen

Justin Barcia managed a bruised tail bone to bring his Yamaha home in credible seventh place to keep himself in the championship hunt to sit just 11 points behind Webb.

Justin Barcia

“Wow. What a day. I had to be really mentally tough. I rode through a lot of pain, but made the best of it. Coming in I knew it would be difficult, but I was pretty optimistic about what I could handle. It was a crazy race for me. It was a difficult track, pretty rough, and I just had to push through the pain. It could have been a lot worse. After last weekend’s crash, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to race but I salvaged some points tonight. I feel like I just need to keep moving forward. Hopefully this week I can work on my body and keep feeling better. We’ll be back at it next weekend in San Diego.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Pits Justin Barcia JK SX Glendale
Justin Barcia

Aaron Plessinger crashed out of fifth place in the sand pit and Joey Savatgy’s KX450F simply stopped while the rookie was in a podium position and as for Australia’s Chad Reed his ninth place came on the back of the Aussie working his way through the field after yet another poor start and getting tangled in Plessinger’s downed Yamaha.

Chad Reed

“I really liked the Oakland track layout. There were nice whoops and ruts. Unfortunately, I again struggled with one-lap speed, but I felt like I would be okay for the heat race and main event. I had a decent start in the heat race and finished fourth. I was really enjoying the main event and began to find a rhythm. I was going to try and make some moves forward. Then I landed on Plessinger’s bike when he crashed in a blind spot. I fought back to ninth. I’m entering a new week with confidence. I have the pieces, but I need to start out the day better and carry that into the night show. We’re heading to one of my favourite races of the series this weekend. San Diego has always been a solid hunting ground for me.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Reed Roczen J K
Chad Reed & Ken Roczen
Aaron Plessinger

“Oakland Supercross was a pretty tough one. I was kind of struggling all day. I felt good in the last practice even though the times didn’t really show. In the main, I got a good start but then stalled it on the wall jump. I had to jump off, then someone landed on my bike and bent it all up. I had to pull in twice to straighten it out. I’m still happy with the way I rode and the progress we made on my starts, but stuff happens. We’ll move forward. Now that I know I can run with those guys, just need to keep the pace and keep working.”

Oakland 450 Main Events Results

  1. Cooper Webb
  2. Marvin Musquin
  3. Blake Baggett
  4. Eli Tomac
  5. Ken Roczen
  6. Dean Wilson
  7. Justin Barcia
  8. Justin Brayton
  9. Chad Reed
  10. Justin Bogle
  11. Cole Seely
AMA SX Rnd Oakland Podium KTM Webb Baggett Musquin J K
Oakland AMA SX 450 Podium – Webb, Baggett, Musquin

450SX Points after 4 of 17 Rounds

  1. Cooper Webb – 83
  2. Ken Roczen – 81
  3. Eli Tomac – 80
  4. Marvin Musquin – 79
  5. Justin Barcia – 72
  6. Dean Wilson – 69
  7. Blake Baggett – 66
  8. Cole Seely – 56
  9. Justin Brayton -52
  10. Aaron Plessinger – 49
  11. Chad Reed – 47
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

250SX Report

In the 250 West Class Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo became the first repeat winner of the year after he claimed a start to finish win despite getting plenty of attention championship leader Colt Nichols early in the race and Dylan Ferrandis late in the race.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Start Heat J K
Oakland AMA SX 250 Start
Adam Cianciarulo

“We got it done tonight and it feels so good. I wasn’t feeling the best throughout the day, but I was able to turn it around for the main and make it a solid night. I’m so grateful and proud of the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and we’re all looking forward to keeping this momentum going.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cianciarulo JK SX Oakland
Adam Cianciarulo

Ferrandis has proved to be one of the fastest riders on the track but the Frenchman can’t get a decent start in the finals to content for the win BUT he is only five points back from his Yamaha teammate Nichols in the championship.

Dylan Ferrandis

“The YZ250F was awesome as always this season. It was also another demanding track this weekend, but I was feeling really good, really comfortable. My speed was great, but for sure with better starts it will be easier to win. I want more than second place, and that has had me frustrated, but I had some issues this week and didn’t train a lot. So, I’m happy to be on the box here in Oakland.”

Nichols keeps the championship points lead for another week albeit a narrow one with only five points separating the top four riders.

Colt Nichols

“The track was just really rutty and really demanding. The heart rate was really high, so that’s what made it tough to do consistent laps. A solid podium though, can’t ever complain about that, but of course always want more. Once you’ve won that’s all you want to do, but I’ll take a third for tonight, that’s all I had and move on to the next weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Colt Nichols J K
Colt Nichols

Cameron McAdoo continues to impress with the Honda pilot battle throughout the final to end up in fifth position.

Cameron McAdoo

“Last night was a great step in the right direction for me, leading the heat race until the last lap, and starting and running up front in the main is exactly what I need. The track was so tough, you had to be on your toes at all times. I tightened up about lap six of the main, but with some more time up front running that pace I’m confident I can stay there!”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Pits Cameron McAdoo CRFR JK SX Glendale COVER
Cameron McAdoo

Australia’s Tomas Ravenhorst finished 10th in his heat race, missing a direct transfer by just one position then in the LCQ the Victorian was once again in contention to qualify through to the main until rear brake problems ended his night.

Oakland 250SX Main Event Results

  1. Adam Cianciarulo
  2. Dylan Ferrandis
  3. Colt Nichols
  4. Shane McElrath
  5. Jacob Hayes
  6. Cameron Mcadoo
  7. Michael Mosiman
  8. Garrett Marchbanks
  9. Chris Blose
  10. Sean Cantrell
AMA SX Rnd Oakland Podium Cianciarulo Ferrandis Nichols J K
250SX Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki 17 Laps
Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha +02.570
Colt Nichols – Yamaha +04.609

250SX Points after Round 4

  1. Colt Nichols – 91
  2. Adam Cianciarulo – 88
  3. Shane Mcelrath – 87
  4. Dylan Ferrandis – 86
  5. RJ Hampshire – 67
  6. Cameron Mcadoo – 58
  7. Chris Blose – 58
  8. Jacob Hayes – 55
  9. Michael Mosiman – 55
  10. James Decotis – 52
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Cairoli and Prado Win in Italy

Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado have kicked off their 2019 season with moto wins in the MX1 and MX2 motos respectively before finishing first and third in the Superfinal at the opening round of the Italian Motocross Championship held in Sardina last weekend.

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Romain Febvre Antonio Cairoli
Tony Cairoli – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Cairoli won the MX1 moto from Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre, Gautier Paulin and Arminas Jasikonis while Prado earned the MX2 moto win ahead of Mikkel Haarup and Mattia Guadagnin with the Aussie duo of Mitch Evans and Caleb Grothues coming home sixth and seventh.

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Prado Gajser action
Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

The Superfinal started with Jasikonis going down in the first corner but Cairoli snuck through taking the lead from Prado, Gajser, Paulin, Ivo Monticelli, Alessandro Lupino and Evans.

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Arminas Jasikonis
Arminas Jasikonis – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Cairoli edged away from the field while Gajser finally caught and passed Prado for second place in the final laps of the moto so it was victory for Cairoli well ahead of Gasjer and Prado who finished third and top 250 rider ahead of Paulin, Febvre, Monticelli and Evans who was the second MX2 rider on track. Gothues ended the moto in 36th.

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Febvre action
Romain Febvre – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Tony Cairoli

“It is always good to race in Riola. We spend a lot of time testing around here. I’m really happy with how the bike is working at the moment and my feeling with it. This is just the first race of the year and we have another two to prepare ourselves before we are ready. It also means we have three races in the sand so we cannot test too much on hard-pack but overall I think we have a good bike.”

Italian MX Rnd Riola Sardo Tony Cairoli ST
Tony Cairoli – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Jorge Prado

“A very good first race and I felt great from the timed practice. We made a great bike this winter and it worked really well for me all-day; better than we expected. In the first moto I had a decent start and took seven laps to get to the front as a struggled a bit with my rhythm. Coming into the Superfinal I knew the start was super-important. I didn’t have the best jump but I made a good pass into the first corners and was second behind Tony. He was pushing a lot and I tried to keep his rhythm. With three laps to go I made a mistake through the lappers and Tim came past me. I finished third and I’m very happy. This is all good preparation for the world championship.”

MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Jorge Prado
Jorge Prado – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo
Arminas Jasikonis

“It feels good to be behind the starting gate again. This weekend in Sardinia I had a good feeling on the bike and I’m happy I showed the speed is there. In the MX1 moto I didn’t manage to get a good start but kept my head down to finish fifth. I struggled a bit with arm pump in the closing part of the race but I tried not to let that slow me down. Going into the Supercampione final I felt ready to show my speed again. Unfortunately, I went down in the first corner and that made it all harder for me. I got up and did a few more laps but I felt some pain in my right leg and had to pull out of the race. I’ll give my body some time to heal and prepare for round two of the series next weekend in Ottobiano.”

Arminas Jasikonis Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Arminas Jasikonis – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Interestingly, in the deep sand of Riola Sardo in Sardinia, Cairoli, Febvre, Gajser and Prado were all using Pirelli Scorpion MX3 Mid Soft front and the Scorpion MX Soft rear tyres and the second round of the championships at Ottobiano next weekend will have very similar conditions.

MX1 Points after Round 1 of 3

  1. CAIROLI Antonio (ITA) p.120
  2. FEBVRE Romain (FRA) p.100
  3. GAJSER Tim (SLO) p.80
  4. PAULIN Gautier (FRA) p.65
  5. JASIKONIS Arminas (LTU) p.60

MX2 Points after Round 1 of 3

  1. PRADO Jorge (SPA) p.120
  2. HAARUP Mikkel (DEN) p.100
  3. GUADAGNINI Mattia (ITA) p.80
  4. WATSON Ben (GBR) p.65
  5. CERVELLIN Michele (ITA) p.60
  6. Evans Mitch (AUS) p. 55
  7. Grothues Caleb (AUS) p. 50
MXGP Rnd Riola Sardo Cairoli podium Supercampione
Supercampione Podium – Italian MX Championship – Round 1, Riola Sardo

Supercampione Points after Round 1 of 3

  1. CAIROLI Antonio (ITA) p.120
  2. GAJSER Tim (SLO) p.100
  3. PRADO Jorge (SPA) p.80
  4. PAULIN Gautier (FRA) p.65
  5. FEBVRE Romain (FRA) p.60
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Haaker Wins SuperEnduro in Madrid

Colton Haaker has earned the overall victory ahead of Cody Webb and Alfredo Gomez to not only win round three of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Madrid, Spain but he also moved to the top of the series standings.

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Colton Haaker
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media

Haaker dominated the first of three finals to take the win over Taddy Blazusiak and Webb but the reverse order start for the second race caused chaos after Haaker became entangled in a multi-bike collision on the opening lap leaving him in near last place.

Haaker blitzed the technical layout and moved up to second place behind Webb but he becoming stuck on the final rocky corner which resulted in a three-way fight to the finish line where Haaker and Blazusiak tangled as they approached the finish line jump ending with both riders losing control of their machines.

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez

Haaker was lucky to walk away unscathed in third behind Webb and Pol Tarres while Blazusiak was deemed a non-finisher.

Despite being bruised a battered Haaker refocused for race three and delivered arguably his best performance of the night with a win by 26-seconds over Gomez and David Leonov while a broken chain on lap four forced Webb to stop and make trackside repairs to resolve the issue and despite his best efforts to re-join the race, he wasn’t classified as a finisher but still ended his night as the overall runner-up.

Colton Haaker

“It’s feels great to come away tonight with the overall win and also become the new point’s leader in the championship. I really wanted to push for the victory tonight and race my way back into title contention and I definitely feel like I did that out there, despite what was a very eventful night on the track. We’ve Budapest in two weeks’ time and I’m looking forward to going there with the leader’s red plate.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Colton Haaker FM
Colton Haaker – Image by Future7Media

For Webb he saw his championship lead vanish on the night but still has not given up by any means and remains in second, only thirteen points off the lead.

Cody Webb

“It was a tough night for me tonight, but I’m happy to take second overall. The first race went well, I struggled to get into a good rhythm but I was pleased with third and knew what I had to do to improve for race two. I got away well in the second race and was able to control the pace from the front and take a clean win. I was probably riding my best of the whole evening in race three. Colton was in front but I was confident I could match his speed and fight for the win. Unfortunately, after a reasonably hard landing, I damaged the bike. I tried my best to fix it in time but it wasn’t quite enough. It’s upsetting but this is SuperEnduro and anything can happen. I’m looking forward to the next race and will try to win back the overall lead.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Webb J K Cover
Cooper Webb

Deciding to return to racing following an elbow injury last time out in Germany, Gomez hoped for a top-five result but thanks to feeling better than expected, the Spaniard raced his way into podium contention as the evening progressed.

Alfredo Gomez

“I can’t honestly believe that I’ve managed to finish third overall tonight, two days ago I wasn’t sure if I would ride because I’m still recovering from an elbow injury that I sustained last time out in Germany. I did some training laps and decided I should try to race. I was aiming for top five at best. But this is my home race and I guess that just makes you want to deliver the best result you can. I rode safe in race one for ninth and then did better in race two for fifth. I got into a good position in race three and with other riders having problems, suddenly I was in second. After that I tried to remain calm and focused and control the position to the finish. Third overall is an amazing result and I have to thank everyone who’s helped me during these last few weeks to get to this position – behind the scenes it’s been a real team effort.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez – Image by Future7Media

For Taddy Blazusiak, the third stop of the SuperEnduro series was challenging due to a series of crashes that ended with an injury to his knee.

Taddy Blazusiak

“I collided with Colton Haaker and went down hard, I was banged and bruised pretty good, but lucky to walk away from it relatively unscathed and able to focus on the final moto. In race three I got a great start but then stalled in the rocks and accidentally put my left foot down into a hole. As I fell over, with the bike on top of me, my foot became trapped in the hole and twisted my knee. As yet I don’t know how serious things are until I see my doctor to get it checked out but I will do my best to be ready for round four in Budapest.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Taddy Blazusiak FM
Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round four in Budapest, Hungary on February 9.

Results: Madris – Round 3
Heat 1

  1. Colton HAAKER
  2. Taddy BLAZUSIAK
  3. Cody WEBB
  4. Diogo VIEIRA
  5. Blake GUTZEIT
  6. Xavi LEON SOLE
  7. Pol TARRES
  8. Kevin GALLAS
  9. Alfredo GOMEZ
  10. Cristobal GUERRERO

Heat 2

  1. Cody WEBB
  2. Pol TARRES
  3. Colton HAAKER
  4. Diogo VIEIRA
  5. Alfredo GOMEZ
  6. Blake GUTZEIT
  7. Xavi LEON SOLE
  8. Cristobal GUERRERO
  9. Kevin GALLAS
  10. Jose Maria JUAN BERNABEU
SuperEnduro Rnd Madrid Colton Haaker FM
Colton Haaker celebrates – Image by Future7Media

Heat 3

  1. Colton HAAKER
  2. Alfredo GOMEZ
  3. David LEONOV
  4. Blake GUTZEIT
  5. Xavi LEON SOLE
  6. Pol TARRES
  7. Cristobal GUERRERO
  8. Diogo VIEIRA
  9. Jose Maria JUAN BERNABEU
  10. Kevin GALLAS

Prestige Class — Overall

  1. Colton Haaker (USA) Husqvarna – 58
  2. Cody Webb (USA) KTM – 37
  3. Alfredo Gomez (ESP) Husqvarna – 34
  4. Pol Tarres (ESP) Husqvarna – 34
  5. Blake Gutzeit (RSA) Husqvarna – 33

Provisional Standings

  1. Colton HAAKER 159pts
  2. Cody WEBB 146pts
  3. Taddy BLAZUSIAK 128pts
  4. Pol TARRES 90pts
  5. Alfredo GOMEZ 80pts
  6. Diogo VIEIRA 76pts
  7. Kevin GALLAS 76pts
  8. Blake GUTZEIT 74pts
  9. Xavi LEON SOLE 59pts
  10. Cristobal GUERRERO 55pts
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Gibbs Second at Woodville GP

The Manawatu-Orion Motorcycle Club Inc. (MOMCC) hosted the 58th annual Woodville GP which was once again recognised as an FIM Oceania event and saw 600 riders converge on the popular North Island venue.

Kirk Gibbs Woodville
Kirk Gibbs – Woodville GP 2019

The 2015 Australian MX1 motocross champion Kirk Gibbs, who joins the Altherm JCR Yamaha team for this prestigious race weekend and also to defend his title in the four-round 2019 New Zealand Motocross Championship, described it as “a very crazy day weather-wise and the worst wind I have ever ridden in.”

Kayne Lamont - Woodville GP 2019`
Kayne Lamont – Woodville GP 2019

Despite the conditions Gibbs managed to score two second place finishes behind Kiwi veteran and multi Woodville winner Cody Cooper. Gibbs says he got a great start in the first race, “which put me second around the first turn and right behind Cody Cooper. I kept him honest most of the race and got a little arm pump just from the lack of racing for me lately.”

He describes the second moto as a full mud race and although he got a great start, the conditions forced him to take it easy.

Maximus Purvis Woodville
Maximus Purvis – Woodville GP 2019
Kirk Gibbs

“I leaned back off down the straight because it was slippery and I wheeled and got sideways, so I had to back it down. I got into second behind Cody Cooper early and it was just trail riding because the track was really deep, one-lined and skatey. Sometimes in those conditions it’s better to play it smart. The aim is to win. Cody Cooper is such a great rider and knows how to win but I think I am in a good spot to do battle with him. It will be a battle every round because I know he wants that number 1 plate back over here and I don’t want to let it go. Also I know Kayne Lamont will be keen to get in the mix.”

The New Zealand Motocross Championship kicks off in Taranaki this weekend and Gibbs believes he is ready to take on Cooper and defend his 2018 crown.

2019 MNZ MX National Championship

  • Round 1 – Sunday 3rd February – Taranaki
  • Round 2 – Sunday 17th February – Rotorua
  • Round 3 – Sunday 24th February – Pukekohe
  • Round 4 – Sunday 10th March – Taupo

Herlings Injured

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings has broken his foot while testing in Spain and according to the team he immediately underwent surgery in an effort to get the injury in shape for the opening round of the 2019 World Motocross Championship in Argentina in 5 weeks’ time.

MXoN Herlings MX JK MXON
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Jeff Kardas

Below is KTM’s brief official announcement

“Waiting time now for the #mxgp champion. Jeffrey Herlings suffered a crash yesterday (Friday) while training and underwent an operation on his right foot the same evening. Apparently there is no major damage to his ankle but more details and the expected recovery time for the injury will be known in the next 1-2 days. Get well soon #84.”

Anderson Injured

During a routine practice day leading up to the fourth round of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Oakland, Jason Anderson has broken his arm in two places, as well as a fractured rib after crashing his Husqvarna.

The injury required surgery and has an expected recovery time of at least eight weeks and at the time of writing his return to racing is yet to be determined.

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Anderson JK SX Anaheim
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson

“I am really bummed to have to say that I am out for an injury, I was struggling to find my groove but had high hopes of pushing forward to the podium in all of the upcoming rounds. I will be back stronger. Thank you for the support.”

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Wil Ruprecht to EnduroGP

Australian Wil Ruprecht will join reigning World E2 Champion Eero Remes in the new look Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team that will contest the 2019 World Enduro Championship (EnduroGP).

With Yamaha Racing officially abandoning their Outsiders Yamaha Team, which had represented the company in World Enduro, the Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team will be Yamaha’s unofficial representative for the 2019 season.

Wil Ruprecht has signed with the Johansson MPE Yamaha Enduro Team for the World Enduro Championship
Wil Ruprecht

The multi-national team will be headlined by Finlands Eero Remes along with Aussie Ruprecht, Brit Alex Walton and Estonian Priit Biene in the Junior category while Swede Marcus Adielsson and Finn Hugo Svärd will make up the Youth team and Swede Patrik Andersson will be the teams World Cup Senior rider.

Joakim Johansson

“We are very happy and incredibly proud to be able to present Finnish triple and reigning world champion Eero Remes as a rider in the GP-class. We have not decided class yet, the tests of the various Yamaha models are on right now. By his side he will have Australian junior rider Wil Ruprecht who is a strong candidate in the junior-class. Wil was with us already at the last race in Germany in 2018, where he took a victory on his first day.”

The 2019 Enduro World Championship begins on 22-24 March in Germany.

2019 Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix Abandoned

BSI Speedway has announced that the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) will not be taking place in 2019 after ‘unforeseen circumstances’ forced PSE (Paul Sergeant Events) to pull out of staging the event.

The date and venue for the Australian event, which had been provisionally scheduled as the final round of the 2019 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series, was yet to be confirmed so the 2019 season will now culminate at the Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland on October 5.

BSI Speedway remains committed to bringing the event back to Australia, and is actively seeking a new local promoter to help stage the event in future years.

Torben Olsen – BSI Speedway Managing Director

“While we were eager to run an Australian SGP in 2019, we decided that we should only do so when we are confident we can deliver the quality experience expected by our SGP riders, fans and community. We were in dialogue with multiple venues for the 2019 event, and look to continue further discussions with Ipswich in particular with a view to hopefully bringing a fantastic SGP event back to Australia as soon as possible.”

2019 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 relocated to Toowoomba

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised all competitors and teams entered into the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) racing season that the location of Round 1 and 2 at Gympie, Queensland (QLD) will be relocated.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the opening rounds of the 2019 Championship have been relocated to Toowoomba, QLD and will be held March 9-10. To ensure the least amount of disruption to riders and teams alike, the competition has been amended to continue successfully incorporating the state of QLD into the Championship whilst also making a conscious effort to minimise the necessary distance to travel.

AORC Dungog Juniors start
AORC Dungog

Moving slightly South to Toowoomba, riders will be presented with picturesque backdrops contrasted by the challenges of the Great Dividing Range and its Western slopes. Both days will still feature continuous sprints where riders will race against the clock as they race to come out on top. Further information on the round and accommodation can be found on the competitor information page of the AORC website.

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News | Dakar | SX | Arenacross | X-Trial | WORCS

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Moto News Wrap for January 22, 2019 by Darren Smart

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Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Moto News Latest

  • Congrats to Toby – KTM 1-2-3 at Dakar
  • KTM sweeps Anaheim
  • French Riders win Belfast Arenacross
  • Toni Bou wins Budapest X-Trial Round
  • KTM’s Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS
  • Norton third at AMA Hare Scrambles
  • Australian Junior Solo Speedway Championships
  • Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track
  • Willowbank successfully hosts Junior Solo Titles
  • Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic
  • Yamaha backs AORC for 14th Year
  • Kirkness and Whale headline Newcastle Supertrack

Congrats to Toby – KTM 1-2-3 at Dakar

The Toby Price legendary status continues to grow after winning the 2019 Dakar Rally in the most trying of circumstances you would be hard pushed to find any off-road enthusiast who doesn’t admire the skill and tenacity of this genuinely humble Aussie.

Dakar Stage Toby Price Mattias Walkner
Toby Price with team-mate and runner-up, Matthias Walkner

Price went into Dakar 2019 under a cloud after breaking the scaphoid in his right wrist on the 12th of December and after getting it operated on by Dr. Mir in Barcelona the long-time KTM rider flew back to Australia to recuperate before the start of Dakar on January the 6th.

Once recuperated enough to start riding (well before doctor’s orders) Price got together with Stephen Gall and they went out to Queensland Moto Park, West of Brisbane to try out some wrist support via the CTi Custom Wrist Brace.

Dakar Rest Toby Price
Toby Price during the rest day midway through Dakar 2019

Toby initially rode without any support before he tried some taping which apparently helped but the breakthrough came when Gall fitted the Carbon ‘All Sport Dynamic’ OH2 Wrist Brace which really helped his confidence and this is the brace that helped Toby though to the end of the world’s most gruelling off-road motorcycle race.

Gall, himself a tough competitor who shares the distinction of multiple Finke Desert Race wins with Price, said, “I’m so happy to able to help him win this huge race.”

Dakar Stage Toby Price
Toby Price – Dakar 2019 – Job Done

The 2019 Dakar win adds to Price’s resume which includes his 2016 Dakar win, five AORC wins, two A4DE wins, six Finke Desert Race wins, five Hattah Desert Race wins, ISDE class wins, A Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix win, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge win, Rallye OiLibya du Maroc wins and the 2018 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.

Dakar Stage Toby Price
Toby Price

Coming into the final Stage 10, race leader Price was faced with a 359-kilometre trek, including a 112-kilometre special and 247-kilometre liaison around the city of Pisco and it couldn’t have gone better for Price who finished the stage in first place, two minutes and 21 seconds ahead of second place holder Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Monster Energy Honda Team 2019).

Overall, Price has finished a staggering nine minute and 13 seconds ahead of reigning title holder Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Team) while Sam Sunderland (Red Bull KTM Factory Team), clocking in 13 minutes and 34 seconds behind Price, rounded out the podium.

Dakar Stage Toby Price
Toby Price

With a podium filled to the brim with KTM bikes, the Austrian brand can now comfortably brag that the last time a KTM bike did not win the Dakar Rally was back in 2000!

Toby Price

“It feels amazing to stand here knowing I have won the Dakar, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I thought at the beginning of the event I would be lucky to even make the rest day. My Red Bull KTM bike has been amazing, I want to say a big thank you to my mechanic for that. The whole crew here do an amazing job – without them I would be no one.”

Dakar Stage KTM Toby Price
The pain was clearly visible throughout Dakar 2019

Fellow Australians Ben Young and James Ferguson finished Stage 10 in 55th and 67th place respectively while ending the 2019 Dakar Rally in 51st and 67th overall – great effort boys!

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KTM Sweeps Anaheim 2

Round three of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship at Anaheim featured the first of the ‘Triple Crown’ formats and it was KTM riders Cooper Webb and Shane McElrath who came out on top in the 450SX and 250SX classes respectively.

450 Report

If you were telling anyone before the series kicked off that the first three 450SX round winners were going to be Justin Barcia, Blake Baggett and Cooper Webb you would have been scoffed at but the fact is that you would have been dead right and as arsy as they come.

AMASX Rnd Anaheim StartJ K
2019 AMA Supercross – 450 Start

Cooper Webb got 10th place the week before at Glendale but his performance at Anaheim 2, in particular race one against Roczen backed with his second race win and a solid third in the final race for the overall has put the former 250SX champion on the map as a title contender.

Cody Webb

“Last weekend I was tenth and that wasn’t what I wanted, so I had some redemption this week. But to win is insane – to win two races and be on the podium in the last one is incredible! I really have got to give it up to the group at KTM, they took me under and they changed everything for me. It’s been a struggle the last two years, so those guys just constantly pushing me to get back to where I was and reminding me that I still got it. I can’t believe it and I’ll never forget this day. I hope to keep it going, this is an incredible feeling. Man, I’m speechless.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Cooper WebbJ K
Cody Webb

Right now Marvin Musquin is managing a knee injury and he admits that the triple crown format is not his strong point but the Frenchman managed three sold races for second overall.

Marvin Musquin

“It’s not always been my strongest point on the start but I’ve been very consistent today. This week I only rode a little bit on Monday. I stayed in California and we got a lot of rain, but obviously it helped on the knee. I tried to work on it the whole week and I felt good getting on the bike compared to last weekend, so it was important and that’s what I need – to feel good and not have any pain. It was great racing tonight, I didn’t win any motos but I got second overall, I was consistent and I was able to battle for the lead and for the podium.”

Eli Tomac had never finished outside of the top five in any of the nine Triple Crown main events he has been part of and at A2 he kept that streak alive by going 4-4-1 for third place overall.

Eli Tomac

“In the first two main events I didn’t do myself any favours off the start but I was happy that we were able to charge forward both times into fourth place. The third race was awesome because I was able to get out in clean air and just ride. The track tonight was technical and even sketchy in some parts, but I am happy to be leaving here healthy and only two points back in the championship.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Eli Tomac J K
Eli Tomac
Ken Roczen

“Overall, it was a good night of racing. We showed a lot of speed and are happy with this Triple Crown race. We got off to a great start in the first race, getting the holeshot and leading the whole race until I made a mistake in the one of the last rhythm sections, which unfortunately cost me the win. We still came in second, which was great. I didn’t get the best start in the second race but weaseled my way through and felt like I was going really fast. I found myself in third and was catching the guys up front but I made a mistake and went down in the whoops and had about five guys go by me. I didn’t let that distract me, rode strong and worked my way back up to fifth. We were just trying to get through the third race, where I finished fourth and unfortunately, just missed the podium. It was a bummer not to be on the overall podium, but we still have the points lead and red plate so that’s awesome.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Ken Roczen J K
Ken Roczen
Cole Seely

“Once again, there are a lot of positives to take away from tonight. My starts were much better in two out of the three races, and I was able to run more toward the front of the pack. Being up there and feeling the pace of the front group was huge. The Triple Crown format is definitely a challenge because the turnaround time is really short and you’re basically doing three sprint races, so you have to be on it. I’m getting back into the flow and am excited to go racing each weekend, so seventh is another step in the right direction.”

HRC Contract Extended Cole Seely
Cole Seely

Class rookie Aaron Plessinger suffered poor starts all night but he improved his position each event with 12-9-6 moto finishes for seventh outright to hold down ninth overall in the championship points.

Aaron Plessinger

“Anaheim 2 was a pretty good race for me. I kind of was struggling with bike setup all day and then after the last practice we made a shock change, and it was great. I got a few bad starts in the first two main events, which hurt my results, but I felt good all night. I rode what I thought was the best that I have ridden. I went 12, 9, 6, for seventh overall. So, I think I did pretty good for it only being my third 450 race. I’m really amped for Oakland next weekend. I’m going to go back and work on my starts, practice them all week and get it down pat so hopefully we can get up front and get a podium.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Aaron Plessinger JK SX Anaheim
Aaron Plessinger

As for Plessinger’s Yamaha team mate, Justin Barcia went 7-3 for the first two races but the A1 winner spewed over the bars in one of the rutted rhythm section and was taken to hospital with a bruised tail bone – Barcia is expected to be at the gate this weekend.

Joey Savatgy, who is known as a good starter, looked to use the Triple Crown format to his benefit to achieve the results he has been looking for and in the three main event format, Savatgy was able to surge out front in nearly all three races, which helped him score 8-13-8 results to capture eighth overall.

Joey Savatgy

“It has been a shaky past two weeks for me, so to bounce back from last weekend and land inside the top 10 tonight is something we’ll take. We set out to be consistent today and we did that for the most part, so overall I am happy with where we are. We will clean up a few things this week and come out swinging in Oakland.”

Like many, Jason Anderson suffered from poor starts but managed a pair of sixth place finishes in the opening two races but in the third race he tangled with Chad Reed early and was forced off the track leaving the defending champ to finish back in 17th for ninth on the night to now be 17 points back from championship leader Roczen.

Jason Anderson

“I was able to get a top-10 overall, it wasn’t a horrible weekend, but I’m going to keep pushing and I’ll try to be better next weekend.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Jason Anderson JK SX Anaheim
Jason Anderson

Chad Reed came home in 10th in the opening race but his bike had an issue on the start lije of race two leaving the Aussie as a spectator but Chad bounced back for a solid fifth in the final race of the night for 13th outright.

450SX Results

  1. Cooper Webb 1 – 1 – 3
  2. Marvin Musquin 3 – 2 – 2
  3. Eli Tomac 4 – 4 – 1
  4. Ken Roczen 2 – 5 – 4
  5. Dean Wilson 9 – 8 – 7
  6. Cole Seely 5 – 7 – 13
  7. Aaron Plessinger 12 – 9 – 6
  8. Joey Savatgy 8 – 13 – 8
  9. Jason Anderson 6 – 6 – 17
  10. Justin Barcia 7 – 3 – 22
  11. Justin Hill 13 – 11 – 9
  12. Vince Friese 11 – 12 – 10
  13. Chad Reed 10 – 22 – 5
AMASX Rnd Anaheim Podium Webb Musquin Tomac JK
2019 Anaheim 2 – AMA SX Round 3 – Round Points
Cooper Webb 26
Marvin Musquin 23
Eli Tomac 21

450SX Points Standings

  1. Ken Roczen – 63
  2. Eli Tomac – 61
  3. Cooper Webb – 57
  4. Marvin Musquin – 56
  5. Justin Barcia – 56
  6. Dean Wilson – 52
  7. Jason Anderson – 46
  8. Aaron Plessinger – 45
  9. Blake Baggett – 45
  10. Cole Seely – 44
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250SX Report

Despite Adam Cianciarulo being the fastest man on the track and championship leader Colt Nicolls getting blazing starts, McElrath maintained a solid pace throughout the evening, placing on the podium in the first two mains before winning the final race of the night for the overall.

250 blasts off the line at Anaheim II
250 blasts off the line at Anaheim II
Shane McElrath

“We’ve been learning a lot throughout the season so far. I mean, we had a really good off-season but you can’t really do bike setup without going to the races and that’s my comfort – that’s really what we’ve been searching for. The last two weekends have been upsetting because of the way I’ve been riding but we’ve just kept pushing – perseverance produces hope, so this is good for us.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Shane McElrath J K
Shane McElrath

The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing pairing of Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols weren’t too far apart all weekend and at the end of the three main events they were separated by just two points with Ferrandis coming home in second overall while Nicoll rounded out the podium and more importantly maintain his championship points lead, albeit only two points over McElrath.

Dylan Ferrandis

“The short amount of time between each main event made it physically demanding, but I felt good and strong all night. All the rain from the week, made for a really technical rhythm section, but the bike was awesome. My teammate and I were able to put the bike up front at every start. I’m a bit disappointed to finished second again, but me and my team are going to analyze our race and work on what we need for the win.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Dylan Ferrandis J K
Dylan Ferrandis
Colt Nichols

“The track was very difficult. It got really rutty and soft during the third main event, so made it very hard to continue to jump the rhythm sections and keep everything consistent. The bike was incredible, got off to three really great starts. I’m a little bummed with the way I rode in the last main event after getting the holeshot, but overall it was a good night. Still came out with a podium, can’t be mad at that. It was also pretty tough to bounce back in between each race, with there being a short time in between each one of the main events. Made it physically demanding, but happy with the way I rode. Just have to get a little bit better.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Colt Nichols J K
Colt Nichols

Cianciarulo once again showed flashes of speed and brilliance as he was able to be a front runner in all three main event races but the Kawasaki rider crashed in the opening two races before being run down by McElrath in the final race to finish with 4-14-2 for fifth overall and he now sits fourth in the point’s standings.

Adam Cianciarulo

“Nights like tonight are frustrating as a racer because we did everything right, but ultimately some small mistakes cost us. We qualified fastest again and in the first race we got out to an early lead but unfortunately, I tucked the front end. In Main Event 2, I had a big get off which really hurt my overall score, but I was happy I was able to bounce back in the third race and come away with a second place. Overall, we are healthy and only eight points back in the championship. We’ve got work to do, but this Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is coming for you Oakland.”

AMASX Rnd Anaheim Adam Cianciarulo J K
Adam Cianciarulo

Poor old Thomas Ravenhorst was leading the LCQ before dropping back to the final qualifying spot and was just two corners away from making it to the main event before sliding out in the right hand berm.

250SX West Results

  1. Shane McElrath 3 – 2 – 1
  2. Dylan Ferrandis 2 – 1 – 3
  3. Colt Nichols 1 – 3 – 4
  4. J. Hampshire 5 – 4 – 5
  5. Adam Cianciarulo 4 – 14 – 2
  6. Cameron McAdoo 9 – 5 – 6
  7. Jacob Hayes 6 – 7 – 9
  8. Michael Mosiman 10 – 6 – 7
  9. Chris Blose 8 – 8 – 8
  10. Mitchell Harrison 12 – 9 – 11
AMASX Rnd Anaheim Podium McElrath Ferrandis Nichols JK
AMA SX Round 3 – 250 Western Round Points
Shane McElrath 26
Dylan Ferrandis 23
Colt Nichols 21

250SX West Points Standings

  1. Colt Nichols – 70
  2. Shane McElrath – 68
  3. Dylan Ferrandis – 63
  4. Adam Cianciarulo – 62
  5. J. Hampshire – 57
  6. Jimmy Decotis – 44
  7. Chris Blose – 44
  8. Cameron McAdoo – 41
  9. Michael Mosiman – 39
  10. Jacob Hayes – 37
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French Riders Win Belfast Arenacross

The opening round of the UK Arenacross Series was held in Belfast last weekend and it was the French rides Greg Aranda and Cedric Soubeyres who drew first blood in the 450 and 250 Main events respectively.

The Pro 450s was all about Aranda with the Team Green Kawasaki rider remained unbeaten all day, from free practice right through to the Main Event Super Final but he had to work for the win as Soubeyras tore off the start line, grabbing the holeshot and leading the race right up until two-thirds race distance.

Rider celebrate on the Belfast Podium
Belfast Arenacross 2019 Podium

Back in fourth Aranda first picked off Adrien Escoffier and then Valentin Teillet before he closed on Soubeyras and then charged through to the front.

Behind him Soubeyras kept his cool to take second and with Teillet in third, placed two 250s on the podium while Brit Jack Brunell had a storming ride to finish fourth.

Northern Ireland’s Martin Barr crashed earlier in the evening and sadly, a broken hand ruled him out of continuing through to the final, he promised to be back at Birmingham and added; “Despite the injury, I really enjoyed the whole evening. The crowd were unbelievable and I’m now concentrating on getting fit in time for Birmingham.”

Pro Main Event Super Final

  1. #20 Greg Aranda, Team Green Kawasaki
  2. #1 Cedric Soubeyras, FRO Systems, Husqvarna
  3. #373 Valentin Teillet, SR75 Suzuki
  4. #10 Jack Brunell, Team Green Kawasaki
  5. #6 Adrien Escoffier, Buildbase Honda
  6. #4 Fabien Izoird, Shocktech Kawasaki
  7. #64 Nique Thury, FRO Systems
  8. #3 Charles Le Francois, SR75 Suzuki
  9. #744 Diogo Graca, Castrol Power1 Suzuki
  10. #17 Matt Bayliss, Wooldridge Demolition

Pro 450 Championship

  1. #20 Greg Aranda, 90 points
  2. #3 Charles Lefrancois, 58 points
  3. #4 Fabien Izoird, 56 points
  4. #64 Nique Thury, 49 points
  5. #10 Jack Brunell, 45 points
  6. #8 Hugo Basaula, 42 points

Pro Lites Overall

  1. #1 Cedric Soubeyras
  2. #737 Valentin Teillet
  3. #6 Adrien Escoffier
  4. #744 Diogo Graca
  5. #259 Julien Lebeau
  6. #1x Joe Clayton

Pro Lites Championship

  1. #1 Cedric Soubeyras, 82 points
  2. #6 Adrien Escoffier, 56 points
  3. #259 Julien Lebeau, 54 points
  4. #737 Valentin Teillet, 48 points
  5. #1x Joe Clayton, 35 points
  6. #744 Diogo Graca, 31 points

Arenacross now heads back to the mainland for the third and fourth round of the Tour at The Resorts World Arena, Birmingham on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of February 2019. Doors open at 6pm and the evening’s entertainment gets underway at 7.00pm. Tickets are available directly from the Arena Box Office on 028 9073 9074 or on the door.

Remaining Arenacross Tour dates

  • 1st February – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
  • 2nd February – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
  • 15th February – The Fly DSA Arena, Sheffield
  • 16th February – The Fly DSA Arena, Sheffield
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Toni Bou Wins Budapest X-Trial Round

The FIM X-Trial World Championship kicked off in Budapest last weekend and as one would expect Repsol Honda Team’s Toni Bou took the win from arch rival Adam Raga and Jeroni Fajardo.

X Trial Budapest Rnd Toni Bou mc
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1

Bou opened the season in the style with a marked difference by the end of the first round, collecting a single penalty compared to the six of Raga then in the semi-final, where only the top finisher from each group would make it through to the grand finale, Bou again proved unmatchable notching up two solitary marks.

X Trial Budapest Rnd Toni Bou mc
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1

The final showdown saw the champ face Raga, with the riders forced to take the same sections but in the reverse direction. Bou started the final losing ground to his opponent before some deft handling eventually moved the Spaniard up into first place and despite picking up a five in the penultimate hazard the defending champ secured the first victory of the 2019 FIM X-Trial championship.

X Trial Budapest Rnd Toni Bou mc
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1
Toni Bou

“I’m super happy to start off winning. It was amazing to get this victory after the rib injury, which I’m still not recovered from totally. We must continue working to improve because I believe that I am not yet where I could be. I trained a little this year and I think I’m not at my usual level. There is still quite a way to go and I want to get there as soon as possible. Yes, in 2018 we won, but I suffered a lot because of the injuries. That is why I want to thank Joaquim Terricabras and all his medical team for the help they have given me, especially for the recent treatment for the rib injury.”

X Trial Budapest Rnd Toni Bou mc
Toni Bou – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1

Results X-Trial Budapest 2019

  1. BOU Toni – 20
  2. RAGA Adam – 15
  3. FAJARDO Jeroni – 12
  4. BUSTO Jaime – 9
  5. BINCAZ Benoit – 6
  6. CASALES Jorge – 4
  7. DABILL James – 3
  8. FUJINAMI Takahisa – 2
  9. PEACE Dan – 1
X Trial Budapest Rnd Toni Bou mc
Toni Bou on the podium – Budapest X-Trial 2019 – Round 1

KTM’s Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS

The opening round of the 2019 Rocky Mountain ATV-MC WORCS Series got underway in Primm, Nevada last weekend and it was Taylor Robert (FMF/KTM) who came away with the victory over the Kawasaki pairing of Zach Bell and Blayne Thompson.

Robert, who was still sore from a big crash the day before while practicing, was dogged most of the way by Bell while Thompson made it two Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green bikes on the podium.

Dante Oliveira (RPM/KTM) and defending champ Giacomo Redondi (KTM) rounded out the top five overall.

Taylor Robert won the opening round of the WORCS Series IMGHarlenFoley
Taylor Robert wins Primm WORCS – Image by Harlen Foley

Former WORCS champ Gary Sutherlin and a tough day, and that included running out of gas. The KTM rider still managed to place sixth overall, one spot better than Husqvarna rider Andrew Short, who made it to the track just in time after having just completed the Dakar Rally in Peru.

Clayton Hengeveld (Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green) won the Pro2 class, and Mateo Oliveira (GasGas) won the Pro2 Lites division.

Pro

  1. Taylor Robert (KTM)
  2. Zach Bell (Kaw)
  3. Blayne Thompson (Kaw)
  4. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
  5. Giacomo Redondi (KTM)

Pro 2

  1. Clayton Hengeveld (Kaw)
  2. Tallon Lafountaine (Hon)
  3. Austin Serpa (KTM)
  4. Austin Walton (Hus)
  5. Chance Fullerton (Bet)

Pro 2 Lites

  1. Mateo Oliveira (GG)
  2. Brandy Richards (KTM)
  3. Tyler Nicholson (KTM)
  4. Dallas Serpa (KTM)
  5. Parker Wood (KTM)
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Norton Third at AMA Hare Scrambles

Aussie Callum Norton is over in America preparing for the 2019 Australian season and last weekend he contested the opening round of the AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship and despite the wet conditions and tough competition the KTM rider came home in third place.

Norton was actually leading the race in the early stages but Joe Wasson managed to get by and take the win over Max Gerston and Norton.

Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track

It was an action packed night of racing as the Australian Dirt Track season kicked off at Old Bar, Taree last weekend and in the end it was Jarryd Oram who came home with the win in the main event over Jamie Chapman and Thomas Donnely while pre-race favourite Michael Kirkness was forced to settle with the 450 class win after getting a flat tyre while winning the Open final.

Michael Kirkness at Old Bar last weekend
Old Bar Twilight Dirt Track – Michael Kirkness

Chapman bounced back from being pipped by Oram in the Open Final to win the 250cc class while Thomas Donnelly (Dash for Cash), Darren Saxon (Clubman), Michael Booth (Over 35s), Dale Austin (Women), Viv Muddle (65cc 7 – U/9s), Thoren Openshaw (65cc 9 – U/13s), Cody Wilby (85cc 4str Mod.7 – U/12s) and Mitchell Bisley (250cc 4str 13-U/16s) all tasted success over the weekend.

Open Final

  1. Jarryd ORAM
  2. James CHAPMAN
  3. Thomas DONNELLY
  4. Boyd Hollis
  5. Sam DAVIES
  6. Michael BOOTH
  7. Alec HURST
  8. Kye ANDREWS
  9. Jared MYER
    Michael KIRKNESS

450cc

  1. Michael Kirkness (Macleay)
  2. Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah)
  3. James Chapman (Macleay)

250cc

  1. James Chapman (Macleay
  2. Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah
  3. Blake Wilby (Taree)

Clubman

  1. Darren Saxon (Hunter)
  2. Ryan Wilson (Hunter)
  3. Nicholas Ptolemy (Macleay)

Peter Fahey Memorial Over 35s

  1. Michael Booth (Macleay)
  2. Michael Rix (Macleay)
  3. Jason Griffin (Hunter)

Women’s

  1. Dale Austin (Taree)
  2. Abbey Baker (Taree)

One Lap Dash for Cash

  1. Thomas Donnelly (Gunnedah)

65cc 7 – U/9s

  1. Viv Muddle (Gold Coast)
  2. Nate Jaeger (Gunnedah)
  3. Chayse Trappel (Macleay)

65cc 9 – U/13s

  1. Thoren Openshaw (Taree)
  2. Beau Bailey (Cowra)
  3. Will Bisley (Taree)
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85cc 4str Mod.7 – U/12s

  1. Cody Wilby (Taree)
  2. Will Bisley (Taree)
  3. Alexander Adamson (Kurri Kurri)

85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 9 – U/12s

  1. Hayden Nelson (Taree)
  2. Carter Thompson (Kurri Kurri)
  3. Will Bisley (Taree)

85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 11s

  1. Hayden Nelson (Taree)
  2. Carter Thompson (Kurri Kurri)
  3. Thoren Openshaw (Taree)

85cc 2str/ 150cc 4str 12- U/16s

  1. Mitchell Bisley (Taree)
  2. Cody Lewis (Kurri Kurri)
  3. Thomas Bullen (Kurri Kurri)

250cc 4str 13-U/16s

  1. Mitchell Bisley (Taree)
  2. Jack Joel (Central Coast)
  3. Jarred Loveday (Macleay)

Willowbank Successfully Hosts Junior Solo Titles

Willowbank Raceway’s Ipswich Switches Junior Speedway Club hosted the Australian Junior Speedway Championships last weekend and from all accounts it was an exciting three nights of racing as the resurgence of speedway in Australia continues to flourish.

In the premier Under 21 500cc class it was defending champion Jaimon Lidsey who scored a convincing win from Jordan Stewart, Matt Gilmore and Zach Cook while the under 16 250cc class was a red hot affair but in the end it was Keynan Rew who got the win over Patrick Hamilton, Harrison Ryan and Flynn Nichol.

The 2019 Australian 125cc Under 16’s Pairs Championship was won by the NSW team of Cameron Dunker and Lachlan Hayes while in the 125cc Individual Championship it was Maurice Brown who got the win over Patrick Bowes, Luke Kileen and James Person.

Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic

The Rob Woffinden Classic is a premium event celebrating the legacy that Rob left when he helped build Pinjar Park Speedway in WA from the ground up and last weekend it was his son Tai who won the event for the second time to cap off an off-season that saw the 2018 World Champion enjoy a relaxing time back in Australia while keeping his speedway skills sharp.

Tai Woffinden in action ImgWarwickHemy
Woffinden wins Rob Woffinden Solo Classic – Image by Warwick Hemy

The three-time World Champion defeated Cameron Heeps, Daniel Winchester and Blake Russell in the final before inviting all of the children on to the track to celebrate his win with a group photo on the presentation tailer.

Woffinden heads back to the UK in the coming weeks to start preparation for the defence of his World Speedway title.

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Yamaha Backs AORC for 14th Year

Running into its 14th consecutive year, Motorcycling Australia (MA) have announced the continued relationship between Yamaha Motor Australia and the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) with Yamaha Motor Australia once again the naming rights sponsor for the 2019 season!

With a relationship that has spanned over a decade, MA and Yamaha Motor Australia will continue developing and expanding upon their professional relationship to build a successful 2019 season.

AORC Yamaha naming sponsor
Yamaha becomes AORC naming rights sponsor in 2019 for 14th consecutive year
Ray Howard – Yamaha’s Motorsport Manager

“Yamaha Motor Australia are pleased to continue our substantial and positive relationships with the Australian Off-Road Championship. 2018 was a season full of impressive developments and clear progress, and we are seeing more initiatives in place for the 2019 season. We look forward to continue working closely with MA and the promoting clubs to further develop an already prestigious Championship that has proven to be a fertile ground for producing international standard riders that are successful on a world stage.”

With the likes of six-time consecutive Women’s World Trophy Champion at the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) Jessica Gardiner included in the line-up of the Women’s class, the 2019 season couldn’t get any bigger! Alongside Gardiner are Team Australia’s World Trophy ISDE Champions Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders and Lyndon Snodgrass, who each will contend for AORC Championship titles in their respective classes!

AORC has a long and prestigious history of paving the way for international legends, with the likes of 2019 Dakar Rally title holder Toby Price a former two time winner of the AORC.

The 2019 season kicks off in Gympie, Queensland for Rounds 1 and 2, from 9-10 March and entries are now open.

Yamaha continues to support the AORC
2019 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

Kirkness and Whale Headline Newcastle Supertrack

Motorcycle racing action returns to the Newcastle Showground this Friday night (January 25) where the ‘Newcastle Supertrack’ meeting will be staged at the iconic venue and it will bring Michael Kirkness and Max Whale together as they battle for glory.

There will be several classes in a race programmed where fans will see two or three rows of riders at the starting grid which is on par with the Flat Track Racing in America but not normally seen in dirt track racing in Australia.

Australian Senior Dirt Track Gunnedah Kirkness
Michael Kirkness to head to Newcastle Supertrack

The appearance of Kirkness is significant as over the past decade he has done more flat track racing in the US than any other Australian rider which may give the former Troy Bayliss Classic winner an edge as the 450cc class features 19inch wheels with no front brakes – just like the American AMA flat track racing uses.

The toughest opponent for Kirkness will be Queensland teenager Max Whale who was a runaway winner of the 2018 Rookie of the Year award in the AMA Flat Track Single class despite missing several rounds due to a shoulder injury. Whale heads back to the US next month where he has signed with a well-established team for the 2019 season.

Max Whale Taree
Max Whale at Taree

Harry Maxwell has also lodged an entry and his enthusiasm for the meeting can be judged by the fact that he will be travelling down from Proserpine in north Queensland to take part while multiple Central Coast Cup winner David Smith is also among the entries.

There will also be racing for Twin Cylinder and Supermoto classes, a Pro 250 class and Speedway and Long Track sliders.

Action will get under way with practice and one round of racing on Friday afternoon from 4pm before a tea break, then introductions at 6.30pm and then the big night session.

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Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News Wrap for January 15, 2019 by Darren Smart

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Moto News Latest

  • Baggett and Cianciarulo Take Glendale AMA SX
  • Latest on Dakar Rally after Stage 7
  • Fricke Wins Aussie Speedway Solo Championship
  • Waters Wins Coffs Harbour Stadium
  • Bowers Wins German Supercross
  • ‘Sir’ Jeffrey Herlings is a Knight
  • MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina Entry Lists
  • Watson Wins Gurp TT Beach Race
  • 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Up-Date
  • Kirkness to Star at Old Bar Dirt Track This Weekend
  • 2020 Aussie Speedway Championship hosting EoIs open

Baggett and Cianciarulo Take Glendale AMA SX

The second round of the AMA Supercross Championship was filled with great racing and drama but when it was all said and done Blake Baggett won his first 450SX main event after Adam Cianciarulo completely dominated the 250SX main.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Pits Track JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2

450SX Report – Start 1

There were two starts to the 450 main so let’s start with the original gate drop where Ken Roczen outsmarted his competitors by breaking ranks to position himself on the third farthest outside gate away from all of the contenders who were on the middle to inside gates, to earn the holeshot from Marvin Musquin, Blake Baggett, Jason Anderson, Vince Friese, Malcolm Stewart, Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia, Dean Wilson and Justin Brayton while Chad Reed continues to struggle with his starts to be back in 14th place.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Rear Starts JK COVER
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2

Anderson moved to second place and all of the places were remaining predominantly the same for the first four minutes when Stewart spewed over the bars in the tough whoop section and didn’t move off the track so the race was stopped – news on Stewart’s status below.

Start 2 – Staggered Start

With Roczen at the front, the whole field sat single file from 1st to 21st on the main straight for the remaining 16 minutes of the main event and after a confusing drop of the flag Roczen led the field from Anderson, Musquin, Baggett, Friese. Tomac and the rest of the star studded field.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Roczen JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Ken Roczen

The first couple of laps were enthralling as Roczen held Anderson at bay but then the defending champ ran out of patience and drove hard into the right hand berm at the end of the whoops and thanks to their alternate lines coming together Roczen was dropped off his Honda.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Anderson JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Jason Anderson

All bets would have been on Anderson taking off for an easy win but Baggett, who had already passed Musquin was looking mighty comfortable on the hard packed, slippery surface and it wasn’t long before Anderson and Baggett were in a battle for the lead just as Roczen and Tomac moved into third and fourth with easy passes on the struggling Musquin.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Reed JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Chad Reed

Out front Baggett was all over Anderson for the lead for several laps and it looked like a cat playing with a wounded mouse for some time before Baggett literally rode around the outside of the defending champion as they entered a right hand berm before taking off for his maiden 450SX class main event win.

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Blake Baggett

“I have had weekends where I have had to run the pace with those guys, Kenny as well, then some weekends they leave me in the dust, so it feels good to finally get my whole program together and win a round against those guys.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Baggett JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Blake Baggett

Anderson’s title defence is back on track with a solid second place.

Jason Anderson

“This was a good weekend, I was able to ride the Main better than last week. I had a section that I didn’t think I was great in, so I didn’t want to put myself in a position to go down and lose points. I took the second and I’ll go from there.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Pits Anderson JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Jason Anderson

Eli Tomac didn’t get the best start and was right in the mix when Stewart went over the bars but the Kawasaki ace battled through to fourth place.

Eli Tomac

“I was feeling confident coming into the weekend and also felt good in qualifying. The track was massive and different from most of the tracks in the series. It’s never ideal to have to go to the LCQ but we got it done and stayed focused on the Main Event. We’ll be focusing on our starts this week and look to apply that practice to the race next weekend. We’re still third in points and in a really good position so we’ll come out swinging for the second go-around in Anaheim.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Eli Tomac J K
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Eli Tomac

Last week’s winner Justin Barcia didn’t get the starts he needed to contend for another win but the Yamaha rider is just one point off the championship lead.

Justin Barcia

“It was a really difficult day for me. The track was really high speed. It had some really technical rhythm sections. For some reason, I could never get a good flow on it. It was a little bit frustrating I would say, but I felt like every time I went on the track I kind of got better and better and made some really good bike changes. I wish I could have gotten more comfortable right off the bat. I just never felt comfortable today. It was definitely a frustrating day compared to my win last weekend. But all in all, the team really worked their butts off today to get me as comfortable as I could on the bike on this tricky track. It was really hard packed, really slick. The team went above and beyond and did a good job on the bike. The track was just a difficult one for me. So I’m moving on this week. Will work on a few things and then back to Anaheim. Looking forward to that. I’m really excited for A2.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Barcia JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Justin Barcia

Rookie Aaron Plessinger struggled with the track conditions to end the night just outside the top 10 in 11th.

Aaron Plessinger

“Phoenix Supercross was a little rough for me. I was struggling with the bike all day. I had a big crash in practice and then changed a lot on the bike for the heat race. The track was really, really getting slick in the heat race. I got a pretty good start in the heat race but just made a couple little mistakes and it cost me third and ended up fifth. In the main event, I didn’t really get a great start. Then we had to do a restart, a staggered start. That didn’t really play into my favour. I went from 12th to 13th, I think. Then about halfway through I started feeling really good and started flowing with the track and made a few passes and was catching another rider and just ran out of time. I think A2 will be a lot better. It will be the first triple crown, so I’m coming in with high hopes.”

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Chad Reed was dead-set on fire in his heat race to pass the likes of Roczen and Baggett on his way to second place but the final did not go Chad’s way with a poor start and a few small mistakes leaving the multi champion back in 14th place at race end.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Reed JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Chad Reed

Joey Savatgy’s night ended with a concussion after crashing during his heat race.

Joey Savatgy

“I was feeling really comfortable on the bike all day. The team and I were prepared to redeem our results from last week, but unfortunately, I made a mistake in my heat race, which caused me to sit out the rest of the night. It’s only the second round of a long season and I’m looking forward to using the experience and improving each week.”

450 Main Event Overall Results

  1. Blake Baggett
  2. Jason Anderson
  3. Ken Roczen
  4. Eli Tomac
  5. Marvin Musquin
  6. Justin Barcia
  7. Justin Brayton
  8. Dean Wilson
  9. Cole Seely
  10. Cooper Webb
  11. Aaron Plessinger
  12. Vince Friese
  13. Justin Hill Suzuki
  14. Chad Reed Suzuki
  15. Justin Bogle
  16. Kyle Chisholm
  17. Alex Ray
  18. Carlen Gardner
  19. Ben Lamay Honda
  20. Ronnie Stewart
  21. Cheyenne Harmon
  22. Malcolm Stewart
AMASX Rnd Glendale Podium Baggett Anderson Roczen JK
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – 450 Podium – Anderson, Baggett, Roczen

450 Supercross Points (Round 2 Of 17)

  1. Ken Roczen – 44
  2. Justin Barcia – 43
  3. Eli Tomac – 40
  4. Blake Baggett – 37
  5. Dean Wilson – 34
  6. Marvin Musquin – 33
  7. Jason Anderson – 32
  8. Cooper Webb – 31
  9. Aaron Plessinger – 29
  10. Justin Brayton – 28
  11. Cole Seely – 27
  12. Chad Reed – 23
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250SX Report

The fifteen minute 250SX main saw Cianciarulo take the holeshot ahead of Shane McElrath, Jimmy Decotis, Colt Nichols and Dylan Ferrandis who was on a mission as he passed Nichols but the Frenchman high-sided on a left hand sweeper which dropped him to 16th.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Cianciarulo JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Adam Cianciarulo

As Cianciarulo pulled away, Decotis and Nichols were going toe to toe for several laps before Nichols eventually won the battle and then demoted McElrath to third place but he was 10 seconds back from Cianciarulo and never looked like catching the flying Kawasaki pilot.

R.J Hampshire was another on the move and had moved up from a bad starting position to 5th by lap eleven and then quickly demoted Decotis to take 4th.

AMASX Rnd Glendale McElrath JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Shane McElrath

Cianciarulo secured maximum points with his 7th career victory, almost 12 seconds ahead of Nichols who retained his championship points lead with a five point advantage heading into the third round while McElrath held off a charge at the flag from Hampshire who finished well ahead of Decotis and Ferrandis who came home 6th after his crash.

Adam Cianciarulo

“I got through the first corner, unlike last week. I’m really tired of being the guy that just has potential. We just went back to the drawing board this week,”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Cianciarulo JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Adam Cianciarulo

Garrett Marchbanks struggled on the hard packed surface to end the night in 9th place.

Garrett Marchbanks

“Round 2 is done and I’m proud of our ninth-place position. I’m still learning each week, working on my starts and building my confidence. I’m so grateful for all the hard work my team has put in and all the support they continue to provide me with. This track was a lot different from the others I’m used to but I’m using everything as experience and applying it to each round.”

AMASX Rnd Glendale Marchbanks JK SX Glendale
2019 AMA SX – Glendale Round 2 – Garrett Marchbanks

Tomas Ravenhorst had an up and down heat race with the Australian privateer running as high as 7th before dropping to 11th then back to the final qualifying spot only to drop back to 10th and a trip to the LCQ where he never figured to finish 15th.

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250 Main Event Overall Results

  1. Adam Cianciarulo
  2. Colt Nichols
  3. Shane McElrath
  4. RJ Hampshire
  5. James Decotis
  6. Dylan Ferrandis
  7. Chris Blose Husqvarna
  8. Sean Cantrell
  9. Garrett Marchbanks
  10. Michael Mosiman
AMASX Rnd Podium Cianciarulo Nichols McElrath
AMA Supercross 2019
250 Western Round Two Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki
Colt Nichols – Yamaha +9.557
Shane McElrath – KTM +13.919

250 West Coast Points (Round 2 Of 9)

  1. Colt Nichols – 49
  2. Adam Cianciarulo – 44
  3. Shane Mcelrath – 42
  4. Dylan Ferrandis – 40
  5. RJ Hampshire – 38
  6. James Decotis – 34
  7. Garrett Marchbanks – 31
  8. Chris Blose – 30
  9. Michael Mosiman – 24
  10. Jess Pettis – 24

Latest on Dakar Rally after Stage 7

Sam Sunderland came out on top in the loop around San Juan de Marconae and now stands less than 10 minutes behind the new overall leader, Ricky Brabec who has a six minute lead over Toby Price who moved up to second place overall after stage 7.

Dakar Stage Sam Sunderland
Sam Sunderland

Still suffering with his injury, Toby Price battles on in third overall. Of the other Aussies in the event, Rodney Faggotter dropped out with a mechanical issue early in the event while James Ferguson is down as a DNF during stage six but Ben Young sits in a more than credible 63rd outright despite suffering six-minutes’ worth of penalties.

Price Update

Toby Price was given a 1 minute and 33 second penalty for some form of misdemeanor during stage 7 which drops the Aussie to third overall and eight plus minutes behind the leader with three stages to go.

Dakar Stage Toby Price
Toby Price takes a 1m33s penalty

See the full Round 7 report here (link)

Standings after Stage 7 (Bike class, Top 10)

  1. Ricky Brabec – Honda – 24h48m02s
  2. Adrien Van Beveren – Yamaha – 7m47s
  3. Toby Price – KTM – 8m 28s
  4. Sam Sunderland – KTM – 9m58s
  5. Pablo Quintanilla – Husqvarna – 9m59s
  6. Kevin Benavides – Honda – 16m15s
  7. Matthias Walkner – KTM – 16m16s
  8. Stefan Svitko – KTM – 37m09s
  9. Xavier De Soultrait – Yamaha – 39m08s
  10. Andrew Short – Husqvarna – 39m17s

2019 Dakar Rally remaining stages

  • Stage 8 – Tuesday, January 15, 2019 –
    San Juan de Marcona > Pisco, Total 575 km | Specials 360 km
  • Stage 9: Wednesday, January 16, 2019 –
    Pisco > Pisco, Total 409 km | Specials 313 km
  • Stage 10: Thursday, January 17, 2019 –
    Pisco > Lima, Total 359 km | Specials 112 km
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Fricke Wins Aussie Speedway Solo Championship

Despite Rohan Tungate winning the final round on his home track at Kurri Kurri, Max Fricke has been crowned the 2019 Australian Speedway Solo Champion thanks to three round wins and two podium finishes over the five hard fought rounds.

Only a handful of points separated Fricke, former World Champion Chris Holder and defending champion Tungate going into the final round at Loxford Park Speedway, Kurri Kurri on Friday night but the fans didn’t need to wait for the final to see Fricke win the championship after the former World Under 21 Champion produced enough points in his heats to clinch the title.

The 22-year-old from Mansfield finished the final round with four wins and one second place finish during his heats, and a second-place finish in the A Final to end the championship with 83 points.

Max Fricke

“It’s been a really close championship between myself, Rohan and Chris right from the get-go. It’s been a great Championship and I am unbelievably happy to now be named the Champion. All the clubs have done such a great job this championship and everything has worked out really well! I hope to look to add a GP World Championship but I think that’s a long way into the future, so I just need to continue improving and hopefully a goal like that can be achievable.”

Max Fricke Australian Speedway Solo Champion
Max Fricke – 2019 Australian Speedway Solo Champion

Tungate delivered an unforgettable performance at Kurri Kurri, winning all his respective heats and was just too fast for Fricke in the A Final to end the championship on 77 points, just six points shy of repeating his 2018 title win.

Rohan Tungate

“I came out with a plan and everything went to accordingly. I did everything I could and won all my races, so I achieved my goal in the end! Max rode well all meeting and all series, and you simply can’t take that away from him. I can sleep well knowing I rode him hard, and so did Chris. It’s been a hard Championship, and Max fought hard for it, so he deserves it.”

Chris Holder ended the championship on 70 points on the back of a round win and making it to the A Final at every round and despite a couple of mechanical issues Holder fought tooth and nail throughout the Championship to take out the bronze medal despite missing out on points in the A Final at Kurri Kurri.

Sam Masters closed off the championship on 53 points for fourth overall just ahead of Jack Holder on 52 points and Brady Kurtz on 51 points while Jaimon Lidsey and Nick Morris ended the series on 45 points apiece.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Waters and Tanti Wins Coffs Harbour Stadium

Todd Waters and Aaron Tanti have added their name to the winners list when they won the Pro-Open and Pro-Lites classes respectively at the annual and highly rated Coffs Harbour Stadium Motocross last weekend.

Despite losing the opening moto to Luke Clout, Waters won the Pro-Open class over Connor Tierney and Joel Rizzo while Tanti scored the Pro-Lites class win over Mason Rowe and Rhys Budd.

Todd Waters to HRC
Todd Waters won the Pro-Open class

There were over 450 riders at the event and unfortunately Clout was forced from the final two Pro-Open motos with a mystery mechanical failure while the other class winners include:

  • Beau Price (7/u9 years 50cc),
  • Jake Cannon (10-11 years 65cc),
  • Hunter Collins (14-15 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
  • Taylor Thompson (Girls 85cc),
  • Jarrad Hardcastle (Vets Over 30),
  • Ashlea Bates (Women’s All Powers),
  • Chris Nichols (Vets Over 40),
  • Ryder Kingfsord (13 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
  • Ryder Creeke (7-9 Years 65cc),
  • Joshua Lea (C Grade Lites – Under 19),
  • Lachlan Burns (C Grade Lites – Over 19),
  • Hixson McInnes (11 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
  • Ryder Kingfsord (13 years 100-125cc 2st),
  • Charli Cannon (Girls Lites),
  • Jack Deveson (9-10 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
  • Reid Taylor (14-15 years 100-125cc 2st),
  • Connor Whitney (B Grade Lites),
  • Cody Kilpatrick (12 years 85cc/150cc 4st),
  • Connor McNamara (A Grade Lites),
  • Luke Holder (C Grade Open),
  • Harrison Reid (13-15 years 128cc2st/250cc4st),
  • Andrew Fuller (B Grade Open)
  • Jake Cobbin (A Grade Open).

Pro Open

  1. Todd Waters
  2. Connor Tierney
  3. Joel Rizzo
  4. Mason Rowe
  5. Robbie Marshall

Pro Lites – Top 5

  1. Aaron Tanti
  2. Mason Rowe
  3. Rhys Budd
  4. Jye Dickson
  5. John Bova

Bowers Wins King of Dortmund

American Tyler Bowers was in Germany last weekend contesting the final round of the ADAC Supercross Championship in Dortmund and it bore fruit with the former Arenacross Champ winning the first night on Friday before taking second on Saturday to capture the King of Dortmund crown ahead of Valentin Teillet and Cedric Soubeyras.

Gregory Aranda won the SX1 class overall thanks to his win on Saturday night while Teillet and Soubeyras finished third and fourth overall on the weekend.

Tyler Bowers won the German Supercross ImgJanBrucke
Tyler Bowers wins King Of Dortmund 2019 – Image by Jan Brucke

SX1 Overall

  1. Gregory Aranda
  2. Tyler Bowers
  3. Valentin Teillet
  4. Cedric Soubeyras
  5. Charles Le Francois
  6. Dominique Thury
  7. Fabien Izoird
  8. Adrien Escoffier
  9. Matthew Bayliss
  10. Nick Schmidt

King Of Dortmund

  1. Tyler Bowers
  2. Valentin Teillet
  3. Cedric Soubeyras
  4. Dominique Thury
  5. Charles Le Francois
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

‘Sir’ Jeffrey Herlings is a Knight

2018 MXGP FIM Motocross World Champion Jeffrey Herlings, from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, has become a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

This honour is exclusively awarded in the Netherlands to people with outstanding achievements. A requirement which Jeffrey Herlings fits perfectly, after becoming 2018 MXGP World Champion, dominating the Dutch Masters of Motocross, and taking third as a part of the Dutch team at the 2018 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

Jeffrey Herlings

“What a night… amazing. To receive this honour is something very special. One of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. I wasn’t prepared and didn’t see this coming. I’m speechless but will go home tonight with a big smile on my face.”

Jeffrey Herlings Dutch Royal Decoration ImgMarvinDuiker
Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Marvin Duiker

Herlings received the Royal decoration at the Motorsports gala of the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Federation (KNMV) from Dutch Minister of Sports Bruno Bruins who had nothing but kind words.

Bruno Bruins – Dutch Minister of Sports

“You’re a great champion and an inspiration to others. You’re an example of what it takes to be a true sportsman. Our king could not attend the Grand Prix in Assen but is well aware of your achievements. He’d like to honour you with this decoration.”

At the same event Jeffrey was also awarded the highest Dutch award in motorsports: the Hans de Beaufort trophy. KTM Motorsport’s Director Pit Beirer handed this to him saying:

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsport Director

“This is for being an outstanding rider and a fighter for your country. You deserve it for being an ambassador of the sport and turning over your knowledge to young riders.”

Sir Jeffrey Herlings enjoyed the night but he is fully focused on the upcoming 2019 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship season kicking off on the 2nd and 3rd of March in Patagonia-Argentina.

MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina Entry Lists

Youthstream have announced the official entry lists for the opening round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship taking place at the Neuquen circuit in Patagonia-Argentina this 2nd and 3rd of March.

MXGP 2018 - Round One - Patagonia
MXGP of Patagonia

The MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina has made itself one of the most liked stops on the calendar since 2015 by both riders and industry members. The 2019 entry list showcases an impressive line-up with the best riders in the world. The combination of an amazing venue, stacked competition, and it being the first round of the season will leave all eyes watching in anticipation of the amazing racing which will surely be produced.

To see all those who will be lining up in Patagonia you can find both the MXGP & MX2 Entry Lists here below:

MXGP Riders

  • Team GBO Motorsport: Simon Furlotti
  • Team HRC: Tim Gajser/Brian Bogers
  • Monster Energy Factory MXGP: Romain Febvre/Jeremy Seewer
  • Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing: Sven Van Der Mierden/Micha Boy De Waal
  • KTM Sarhotz Racing: Max Nagl/Tom Koch
  • Scandinavian Racing Sports: Jonathan Bengtsson
  • Team Gibben Van Venrooy Kawasaki Racing: Alessandro Lupino/Benoit Paturel
  • Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing: Pauls Jonass/Arminas Jasikonis
  • JD Gunnex Racing Team: Jose Butron
  • A1M Husqvarna: Tanel Leok
  • RFX KTM Racing: Shaun Simpson
  • Standing Construct KTM: Glenn Coldenhoff/Max Anstie/Ivo Montecelli
  • Team VHR KTM: Jordi Tixier
  • Hitachi KTM: Graeme Irwin
  • BOS GP: Tommy Searle/Evgeny Bobryshev
  • Monster energy Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team: Arnaud Tonus/Gautier Paulin
  • Monster energy Kawasaki: Clement Desalle/Julien Leiber
  • NR83 Team: Nathan Renkens
  • JWR Yamaha Racing: Kevin Strijbos/Vsevolod Brylyakov/Anton Gole
  • Sixtytwo Motorsport Husqvarna: Klemen Gercar
  • Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Jeffrey Herlings/Antonio Cairoli’
  • AG Racing: Guryev Artem
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MX2 Riders

  • Marchetti KTM: Iker Larranaga/Andrea Zanotti
  • Team HRC: Calvin Vlaanderen
  • Yamaha SM Action – M.C. Migliori/Michele Cervellin/Max Renaux
  • E2T – Racing Team: Enzo Toriani/Hampus Kahri
  • F&H Racing Team: Henry Jacobi/Adam Sterry
  • Team Diga-Procross Husqvarna: Davey Pootjes
  • Team Gibben Van Venrooy Kawasaki Racing: Marcel Conija
  • KTM Racestore MX2 Max Bart: Lesiardo Morgan
  • JD Gunnex Racing Team: Richard Sykina/Petr Polak
  • Bud Racing Kawasaki: Brian Moreau/Brian Hsu
  • A1M Husqvarna: Roland Edelbacher
  • Honda 114 Motorsports: Mitch Evans/Zach Pichon
  • STC Racing IXS: Loris Freidig
  • Hitachi KTM: Conrad Mewse/Bas Vaessen
  • Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha: Ben Watson/Jago Geerts
  • Team Honda Redmoto Assomotor: Brent Van Doninck/Mathys Boisrame
  • Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Jorge Prado/Tom Vialle
  • Bike It DRT Kawasaki: Darian Sanayei/Gustavo Pessoa
  • Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing: Thomas Kjer Olsen/Jed Beaton
  • GT243: Maks Mausser
  • Revo Husqvarna UK: Dylan Walsh/Alvin Ostlund
  • Vamo Racing Team: Hakan Halmi

Watson Wins Gurp TT Beach Race

500 plus riders turned up for the Gurp TT de Grayan-Et-L’Hôpital which was round five of the France based beach race series called Championnat de France des Sables and it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson who claimed a hard-fought victory on the final lap of the two-hour 30-minute beach race over Husqvarna’s Yental Martens to record his third win of the series.

French Beach Race Rnd Gurp TT Yentel Martens
Yentel Martens – Gurp TT 2019

With championship leader Martens out front in the early laps, Watson settled into things and began to push the pace as the course roughened and by lap six worked his way up to the front of the field and into the race lead.

However, Martens didn’t want to give up without a fight and for the second half of the race the duo went head-to-head for victory. Finding the extra energy needed, Watson upped his pace aboard his KTM 450 SX-F during the closing stages of the event, overtaking Martens on the final lap to clinch a memorable race win.

Nathan Watson

“I’m really happy with that, I couldn’t ask for a better race. To finish on the top step of the podium again, for the third time in the championship, is awesome. The opening lap was fast, much faster than I expected it to be. I didn’t want to make mistakes and lose more places than I could gain, so I remained calm and let things settle. Then I began building my rhythm and made some really good passes to reach the front of the field. When I passed Yentel for the lead he stepped up his pace too and we were fighting hard until the end. It was a great battle – one I enjoyed a lot – so to end up on the top step of the podium feels amazing after such a great race. With another win it means my championship hopes are growing despite having missed round two. Now, with just Enduropale Le Touquet remaining, I’m just going there chasing victory because that’s a race I really want to win. If I can do that then we’ll keep our fingers crossed to see what happens regards the championship.”

French Beach Race Rnd Gurp TT Nathan Watson Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Nathan Watson – Gurp TT – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens

“That was a really nice race. Although I didn’t manage to get the victory, as a racer it’s hard to be disappointed in a performance like that. Nathan and myself were battling all the time and we were pushing the pace a lot. He just had that little bit extra on me during the final lap, but I can’t complain because I gave it everything I had. I must give a big thank you to my team, they were awesome too. The bike was wonderful and our pitstops were very slick and fast. With two weeks to go until le Touquet the race is now beginning to build on our minds. Today I showed that I can go there and be a contender for the top step of the podium. Everything is working so well and there is a good feeling inside the team that we can deliver something special there.”

French Beach Race Rnd Gurp TT Yentel Martens
Yentel Martens – Gurp TT 2019

Martens takes a 15 point lead into the sixth and final round of the Championnat de France des Sables at Enduropale Le Touquet on February 3.

Results – Championnat de France des Sables, Round 5

  1. Nathan Watson, KTM, 12 laps 2:30:07.650
  2. Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 2:30:51.180
  3. Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 2:32:38.110
  4. Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:34:25.190
  5. Jeremy Van Horebeek, Honda, 2:34:55.910

Championnat de France des Sables Points after Round 5

  1. Martens – 150
  2. Watson – 135
  3. Potisek – 125
  4. Dewulf – 115
  5. Ramon Steve – 110
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2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Up-Date

MX Sports Pro Racing has announced the return of Fox Raceway in Pala, California, for the second round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, May 25.

Pala previously served as the season finale of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship for back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011, which signified the return of the sport to the San Diego area following an absence that spanned multiple decades after the closure of famed Carlsbad Raceway. During those two seasons, Ryan Dungey and Dean Wilson claimed back-to-back victories in the 450 Class and 250 Class, respectively, with Wilson amassing an undefeated record by winning all four motos.

AMAMX RNd Ironman Tomac Starts MX JK Ironman
AMA Motocross returns in 2019
Roy Janson – MX Sports Managing Director

“We are excited to keep the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in Southern California, and it’s fitting that it comes with a return to Pala considering the overwhelming popularity of that event during our initial partnership. This region provides the pulse for the entire sport, so it is important that we provide our teams, riders, and fans with the best possible venue to showcase this championship. The Pala Band of Mission Indians has remained committed to enhancing their facility, and they have put their trust into a group of industry veterans to ensure the track’s presence continues to grow.”

“When MX Sports Pro Racing contacted us with the opportunity to bring the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship back to Pala we jumped at the chance,” said Myron Short, Founder and VP of Operations for 2X Promotions. “This is the most storied motocross championship in the world and Fox Raceway has grown to become what is arguably California’s premier motocross track. It’s fitting that these two entities are back together and we hope this is the beginning of a long and historic partnership.”

AMAMX RNd Ironman Pits MX JK Ironman
AMA Motocross returns in 2019

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has served as the preeminent motocross competition since 1972 and the 2019 season will kick off on Saturday, May 18, with the Hangtown Motocross Classic, where reigning back-to-back 450 Class Champion Eli Tomac will look to join elite company in his quest to win the Edison Dye Cup for the third straight season while in the 250 Class, the advancement of titleholder Aaron Plessinger into the 450 division means the Gary Jones Cup will be up for grabs, opening the door for the sport’s next star of the future to emerge.

2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Schedule

  • Rd1: May 18, Hangtown Motocross Classic, Prairie City SVRA, California
  • Rd2: May 25, Pala National, Fox Raceway, Pala, California
  • Rd3: June 1, Lakewood, Colorado
  • Rd4: June 15, High Point National, High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania
  • Rd5: June 22, Florida National, WW Ranch Motocross Park, Jacksonville, Florida
  • Rd6: June 29, Soutwick National, Southwick, Massachusetts
  • Rd7: July 6, RedBud National, RedBud MX, Buchanan, Michigan
  • Rd8: July 20, Spring Creek National, Spring Creek MX Park, Millville, Minnesota
  • Rd9: July 27, Washougal National. Washougal MX Park, Washougal, Washington
  • Rd10: Aug 10, Unadilla National, Unadilla MX, New Berlin, New York
  • Rd11: Aug 17, Budds Creek National, Budds Creek MX Park, Maryland
  • Rd12: Aug 24, Ironman National, Ironman Raceway, Crawfordsville, Indiana

Malcolm Stewart Injured at Glendale

Malcolm Stewart broke his femur after crashing in the whoops during the 450 main event at the second round of the AMA Supercross at Glendale last weekend and was immediately taken to hospital where they operated on him on Sunday morning. This is what Malcom had to say on his Instagram account.

Malcolm Stewart

“Such a bummer on what happened last night. Surgery this A.M on femur! We will be back better than ever. Sorry I let you guys down! I appreciate all the prayers you guys sent me! I’ll give you guys a update soon.”

Malcolm Stewart broke his femur at Glendale
Malcolm Stewart

Interestingly, Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda team owner Mike Genova released a heartfelt statement regarding Malcolm’s injury – you can read it in full below:

Mike Genova – Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda Team Owner

“As most of you know, Saturday night in Glendale, while going Mach speed through the whoops pushing to catch the front runners, Malcolm had a big get off. While I am super bummed and disappointed for Malcolm, his family and our group, I am equally grateful and happy that Malcolm’s injury is limited to strictly a broken femur of which the doctors performed surgery on Sunday morning. My gratitude and happiness stems from the experience of having one of my guys lying virtually motionless for some twenty minutes, thirty feet away from me (I was in the managers tower) having no idea the extent of the injury, thinking the worst and having no way to be by Malcolm’s side to support and comfort him. Followed up by Tony [Alessi, team manager] and I going to the hospital after the race, only to find Malcolm alert and upbeat, (pain meds may have been working) preparing to eat an In and Out burger, insisting on how he will be back in no time, stronger and better than ever.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Malcolm Stewart J K
Malcolm Stewart before injury

“Unfortunately for Malcolm, his family, MCR, the fans and the whole race community, we are all going to have to patiently wait for Malcolm to recover from his injury and further pursue the excellence he displayed during the first two races of the 2019 season. I wanted to publicly acknowledge how proud I am of Malcolm for the level of commitment and work ethic he has invested into this years SX series. When looking for a ride this past September he gave Tony and I his word that he was ready to do whatever was required to be prepared to compete at the highest level in the 2019 SX series, all of which he has done to perfection — both on and off the track. To improve his overall fitness and endurance levels, Malcom hired a personal trainer, never missing a training session and constantly pushed himself to reach new fitness levels. Alongside focusing on improved fitness, Malcolm modified his diet and quickly dropped 25 pounds that improved his results on the bike. When it came to testing and riding days, Malcolm was often the first one to the track and handled the rigorous demands the team put on him with a positive and cooperative attitude. Malcolm has been very respectful to work with and brought a lift in our team.

AMASX Rnd Glendale Seely Malcolm Stewart J K
Malcolm Stewart before injury

“So Malcolm won’t get the chance to show the world how hard he worked and the results of his efforts, but I feel it’s only fair to Malcolm to let the world know how proud I am of him on how he chose to become a better racer, role model and man.”

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Kirkness to Star at Old Bar Dirt Track This Weekend

What was for many years a tradition will continue this Saturday (January 19) when the dirt track racing season opens with a twilight Dirt Track meeting at the Old Bar track near Taree and the star attraction will be former Troy Bayliss Classic winner and multi Australian Champion Michael Kirkness who will be the favourite to take the major class wins.

Reigning triple Australian Dirt Track champion Kirkness will take on another former champion in Marty McNamara while there is a strong contingent heading down the highway from the Macleay Club with the seasoned campaigners Jarryd Oram and Michael Booth joined by young guns Sam Davies, James Chapman and Alex Hurst.

Former Taree member Jared Myer has entered along with talented Queenslander Ben Montgomery and former junior stand-out Bayley James from the Hunter club.

Much interest will centre on two of the youngest senior entries in Taree rider Kye Andrews, a triple Australian champion in his last season in juniors, and Gunnedah rider Thomas Donnelly. Both have made a good impression in their limited senior outings to date.

The Over 35s class will take on added significance with the family of the late Peter Fahey sponsoring the class in his memory while Kempsey youngster Jayden Holder steps up to an older age bracket this year with Queenslander John Lytras and diminutive Beau Bailey from Forbes also among the best credentialed visitors coming to take on the strong entry of local riders in the junior classes.

All the juniors racing this weekend will be able to use the experience as a preparation for the New South Wales Junior Dirt Track Championship meeting which is to be held at the Old Bar track on the weekend of July 13 and 14.

This Saturday will see practice start at 12 noon followed by the first round of racing at 1pm and continue through to around 5.30pm.

Following a tea-break, the night-time session will finalise the program which will enable fans who cannot be there in the afternoon to still take in the action.

2020 Aussie Speedway Championship hosting EoI open

After the finish to the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship with a star-studded line-up, Motorcycling Australia has announce that opening of applications for qualified clubs and/or promoters to host Speedway Championships in 2020!
The relevant Australian Speedway Championships now accepting applications includes:

  • Australian Senior Solo Championship (One Round of Championship)
  • Australian U21 Championship, Australian U16 250cc, Australian U16 125cc Solo and Teams Championships.
  • Australian Senior and Junior Sidecar Championships

To apply for the opportunity to host a Championship in 2020, please click here (link).

Please note that all applications must be submitted before Friday 8th February 2019 in order to be reviewed with the opportunity of being accepted. All applications must be completed in full on the downloadable application form (link above), with a copy of the club’s track attached, and emailed to MA’s Track Event Manager, Sam Redfern, via [email protected].

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto Wrap – 2019 MX Nationals Calendar announced

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Moto News Weekly Wrap

January 8, 2019

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

What Went Down Last Weekend?

  • 2019 MX Nationals calendar confirmed
  • Yamaha Dominates Anaheim 1
  • Fricke Leads Aussie Solo Championships after Three Rounds
  • Woffinden Wins WA Speedway Solo Titles
  • Zach Osborne Injured
  • KTM Dominates German SuperEnduro Round
  • HRC Confirms MX2 GP Line-Up
  • Mewse and Vaessen for Hitachi KTM
  • Stefan Everts Out of ICU

2019 MX Nationals calendar confirmed

TM x

The 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals (MXN) calendar has been confirmed by Williams Event Management, with a 10-round championship including double rounds in South Australia and Queensland.

mx nationals coolum rnd saturday amateur cup line up ImageScottya
MX Nationals return in 2019 – Image by ScottYa
  • Round 1 Appin NSW – March 17th
  • Round 2 Wonthaggi VIC – March 31st
  • Round 3 Broadford VIC – April 14th
  • Round 4 & 5 Murray Bridge SA – May 4th & 5th
  • Round 6 Gympie QLD- June 23rd
  • Round 7 Maitland NSW – July 14th
  • Round 8 Moree NSW – July 28th
  • Round 9 & 10 Coolum QLD – August 3rd & 4th

For all Class and Round information go to the MX Nationals Website at https://www.mxnationals.com.au/spectator-info/

Yamaha Dominates Anaheim 1

Yamaha riders Justin Barcia and Colt Nichols have won the 450SX and 250SX classes respectively when the opening round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship kicked off in an uncharacteristically wet Angel Stadium in Anaheim last Saturday night.

AMASX Rnd Podium Barcia Roczen Tomac
AMA Supercross 2019
450 Round One Main Event Results
Justin Barcia – Yamaha
Ken Roczen – Honda +3.053
Eli Tomac – Kawasaki +4.890

450 Class Report

It was always going to be a tough event with rain coming down as the gate dropped for the 20 lap main events and it was Dean Wilson who scored the holeshot from Malcolm Stewart, Jason Anderson, Barcia and Ken Roczen while Cooper Webb went down and caused a first corner pile-up which included Chad Reed.

Wilson led for 14 laps but all the while you could see Justin Barcia taking his time to find his rhythm and you can thank the many lapped riders for Wilson losing so much ground on laps 12, 13 and even 14 where Barcia made his way up the inside of Wilson for the lead.

AMASX Rnd Starts
2019 AMA Supercross – Anaheim 1 – 450 Start

Wilson lost some mojo over the next six laps to lose second place to Ken Roczen then third place to Eli Tomac but valiantly held on to finish ahead of a very hard charging Webb who put down the fastest lap time on the night.

Aaron Plessinger’s rookie season kicked off with a solid sixth place ahead of Stewart who had his customary small crash while Marvin Musquin, Reed and Cole Seely rounded out the top ten.

Reed and Anderson had main event of complete contrasts with Anderson losing ten positions to end the race in a disappointing 14th place while Chad passed ten riders to go from 19th to ninth by race end – only Webb passed more riders after going from 20th to fifth.

Justin Barcia

“Anaheim 1 was an awesome day. I had a lot of fun in practice, then going into the heat race it started to sprinkling a little. I didn’t get the best start but made some good passes and got into the lead and won my heat race which was awesome, and it felt really good to get that first one out of the way at the first race. The main event it was really pouring down. It was looking tricky watching the 250 start so I definitely got a little excited and nervous and all those feelings you get at the first race. I got off to a pretty decent start and worked my way up to third by a little over half the race. I played it smart and tried to make no mistakes. One of the guys went down in front of me and then I was able to charge harder and catch the leader, make the pass and ride a smooth race to the win. For me this is incredible, I haven’t won a 450 race in over six years so it’s a pretty awesome feeling. I couldn’t be much happier, I’m really excited to go to Phoenix. I just want to stay, smart, smooth, fast, consistent and focus on the championship plate.”

AMASX Rnd Justin Barcia
Justin Barcia
Ken Roczen on FB

“I couldn’t have asked for a better night. A heat race win and a 2nd in the main event at the first round. Conditions were tough! Anyway… stoked!”

Eli Tomac

“There were tricky track conditions due to the unusual amount of rain for Anaheim, but I managed to stay in good enough condition to keep jumping most of the lanes and pushing forward. I remained patient and controlled my pace throughout the Main Event, and although we’re always shooting for the top spot, I’m happy to kick off the season on the podium. The team and I are already looking forward to Glendale, let’s get this season rolling!”

AMASX Rnd Eli Tomac
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb

“Anaheim I is in the books and overall it was a really good day. We started with free practice just getting the hang of the track and I was able to qualify seventh. In the heat race, I didn’t get off to the greatest of starts and I didn’t ride to my potential, so I had a bad gate pick in the Main Event. I had a pretty outside gate but I nailed the start and I was first in the first turn but unfortunately, I fell over. It was slicker than I thought but I was able to get up and really put my head down and charge really hard to come back to fifth. I guess I had the fastest lap of the race, so that was really cool and I’m feeling confident and good with that result, so I’m ready to go to Phoenix next weekend!”

AMASX Rnd Cooper Webb
Cooper Webb
Aaron Plessinger

“Anaheim 1 went pretty well. I got better and better every time I went out on the track. The heat race went awesome. I started out about fifth or sixth, got past some guys and finished third. I was pretty amped on that and I went into the main event pretty happy with myself. I got a great start and just maintained it. There were sometimes where I felt a little winded, but I couldn’t back down and pushed on to the finish and got sixth. I’d say Anaheim I, my first 450 race, was pretty good in my eyes. We’ll keep making improvements and head into Phoenix hot on the ball.”

AMASX Rnd Aaron Plessinger
Aaron Plessinger
Marvin Musquin

“The riding was not too bad but physically it was not an easy day as I didn’t have much time on the bike this off-season. But we knew it coming in, so the goal was to score some points and I ended up eighth in the Main Event. I had a great start and Cooper did too, but we almost got into each other and he went down. I avoided him but I lost a lot of ground. It would have been a little bit easier on me to get out front – I was right there in second place behind Cooper, it was pretty cool – but almost both of us crashing. My goal, once again, was to be consistent and score points and that’s what I did. Eighth is not too bad considering and now we can move on and get better from there.”

AMASX Rnd Marvin Musquin
Marvin Musquin
Chad Reed

“With the weather, it was an interesting weekend. I had the feeling that no matter what I was going through, it was going to drastically change by the night program. I tried to get the most out of the daytime practices and qualifying to have good data for the next round in Glendale. Once the weather came I just dealt with it. I didn’t get the best of starts in my heat race. The conditions were tough and challenging, so I had to go to the LCQ. In some ways, it rained quite a lot in the LCQ, so I had a feel for what the track was going to be like in the main event. The downside was that I was on the far outside gate for the main. I was dead last on the start and came up to ninth, which is respectable. I feel like I have the pace. There are just a few things I need to work on to allow me to feel more comfortable when I’m out of my comfort zone. I have to adapt to the pace, but fortunately that’s one of my strengths. Sometimes that pace comes naturally, and other times it’s forced. I need to be more comfortable in that area. That’s something I will work on this week.”

AMASX Rnd Chad Reed
Chad Reed
Jason Anderson (via social media)

“Man yesterday did not go well… kinda overwhelmed with everything going on and wasn’t myself at all. Looking forward to bringing it back around in the next rounds and really want to thank my crew for all the support no matter how I do. Sorry guys but still looking forward and ready to give 110% the rest of the season! Also shoutout to my good friend @deanwilson15 for absolutely crushing it!”

AMA Supercross Rnd Anaheim Jason Anderson Img Simon Cudby
Jason Anderson – Image by Simon Cudby
Joey Savatgy

“I’ve been working so hard this off-season and feel really comfortable on the bike, but the weather made quite the challenge for us. I had a tip over on the bike and some issues with my goggles in the rain, but I remained focused on finishing the race to my best ability. We have a long season ahead of us, I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike and continuing to grow and improve.”

2019 AMA Supercross Championship Points after A1

  1. Justin Barcia – Yamaha 26
  2. Ken Roczen – Honda 23
  3. Eli Tomac – Kawasaki 21
  4. Dean Wilson – Husqvarna 19
  5. Cooper Webb – KTM 18
  6. Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha 17
  7. Malcolm Stewart – Honda 16
  8. Marvin Musquin – KTM 15
  9. Chad Reed – Suzuki 14
  10. Cole Seely – Honda 13
  11. Justin Brayton – Honda 12
  12. Blake Baggett – KTM 11
  13. Vince Friese – Honda 10
  14. Jason Anderson – Husqvarna 9
  15. Justin Hill – Suzuki 8
  16. Joey Savatgy – Kawasaki 7
  17. Carlen Gardner – Honda 6
  18. Ben Lamay – Honda 5
  19. Justin Bogle – KTM 4
  20. Ryan Breece – Yamaha 3
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

250SX Report

The 15-lap main event started with pre-race favourite Adam Cianciarulo spewing through the first corner and having to dodge the outside barriers before re-joining the race in 15th place while out front it didn’t take long before Colt Nichols got around Shane McElrath who had RJ Hampshire and Dylan Ferrandis hot on his heels.

AMASX Rnd Track
2019 AMA Supercross – Anaheim 1

Nichols simply gapped the field every laps so all eyes were on the rest of the field and in particular the progress of Cianciarulo who blitzed his way to fourth on the back of an aggressive pass on Hampshire who apparently took exception and knocked Adam to the ground on the next corner but when it was all said and done Nichols took a very convincing win ahead of his French teammate Ferrandis while McElrath made it to the final podium spot ahead of Hampshire and Cianciarulo.

Colt Nichols

“It’s really an indescribable feeling to win at A1. The conditions were far from perfect but I was able to stay focused, ride my laps to take the win. That was the longest race of my life, it felt like. My mechanic gave me five to go, four to go, three to go… You’re kind of talking to yourself a little bit to get through it. I just tried to stay consistent. I really didn’t know how big of a lead I had and who was in second at the time, so just tried to keep the focus forward. I knew if I tried to relax a little too much I’d probably make a big mistake and crashed. So I just kind of tried to keep it moving and it ended up working out for me. The off-season was great this year. I was really, really pumped on how everything went. This is really what it was for. You can’t describe the feeling I had jumping that finish line in first. That’s why we all do this. For me to cross that off my list was a really, really big deal. That made all the suffering, all the pain of the past two years completely worth it.”

AMASX Rnd Colt Nichols
Colt Nichols

RJ Hampshire

“Glad to get back to racing, we had a really good offseason. Practice went well and then the rain came. The heat race was a little sloppy but I was able to get a good start and get out front. I won my first heat race in a while, which I was pretty pumped on. Main event came around and it was still raining pretty heavy. Got a decent start and was just kind of riding around in third for a few laps. I made a dumb mistake and went for the quad-quad in the rhythm before the whoops and came up way short and went down pretty hard. Then once I got up I was in fifth and had a couple more close calls throughout the race. Happy to get out of round 1 healthy and ready to go racing next weekend!”

Adam Cianciarulo

“I’m pretty disappointed I wasn’t able to contend for the win tonight, but with the conditions and going down, we’ll take what we can get. It makes me want to win that much more when we get to Phoenix. I want to win, but we also have to think long term. There are a lot of positives to take away from today’s race. The day started out great as we were able to secure the fastest qualifying time in practice, which gave us first gate pick to start the evening races. In my heat race, I got a little squirrelly off the start but I was able to save it and charge to the front and get my first heat race win of the year, which was awesome. The main event is a tough one to swallow because I know I should have been on the podium. It is unfortunate that I came together with another rider, however, I am happy I was able to remount and safely walk away from Anaheim 1 with some decent points. I am already looking forward to next weekend in Glendale.”

AMASX Rnd CrowdGarrett Marchbanks

“Being able to be a part of this team and lining up for my first supercross race has been a dream come true. With the conditions, I was focused on staying up and keeping it on two wheels. It’s nice to get a race under my belt, and we’ll see how it goes in dry conditions next weekend.”

Jimmy Decotis

“The first round of the year with the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing crew was a blast. I was excited to debut the new Suzuki RM-Z250. I felt very comfortable all day. Unfortunately, I had a crash on the start of the heat race that put me in a tough spot for the main event. The conditions were tough due to the rain. Overall, I’ll take a seventh given the circumstances. We have lots of racing to come, and I’m excited to grab some more starts. I want to show the industry what the new RM-Z250 can do. Thanks to the whole team for supplying me with the best equipment. I’m looking forward to Glendale!”

AMASX Rnd Fireworks
2019 AMA Supercross underway! Image Hoppenworld

Thomas Revenhorst qualified to the night program and after coming 12th in his heat race was unfortunately taken out by another rider from behind in the LCQ but nothing is surer than the young Aussie will have learned a lot over the weekend and will come out swinging next weekend at Glendale, Arizona.

2019 AMA Supercross 250 Western Championship Points after A1

  1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 26
  2. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 23
  3. Shane McElrath (KTM), 21
  4. RJ Hampshire (Honda), 19
  5. Adam Cianciarulo (Kawasaki), 18
  6. Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki), 17
  7. Jimmy Decotis (Suzuki), 16
  8. Jacob Hayes (Yamaha), 15
  9. Chris Blose (Husqvarna), 14
  10. Jess Pettis (KTM), 13
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Fricke Leads Aussie Solo Championships after Three Rounds

Gillman Speedway, Olympic Park, Mildura and Undera Speedway have hosted the opening three rounds of the 2019 Australian Speedway Solo Championships and after 45 plus heats, six semi finals and three finals, Max Fricke holds a three point lead over Chris Holder who in turn has a four point break on Rohan Tungate with two rounds remaining.

Round 1

Former World Under 21 Champion, Fricke won the opening round at Gillman Speedway on the back of three heat wins and the final win for 17 points ahead of defending champion Tungate and former World Speedway Champion Holder who had some mechanical issues throughout the night.

Max Fricke

“The field this year was really tough so it’s nice to start this year off with a win. I dropped a couple of points along the way, but it was great to come away with the win, I’m very happy! There were some new faces this year which is fantastic to see. They’re all doing really well so I definitely need to watch my tail and try to keep them at bay! I’m feeling really good on the bike as we head into Mildura for Round 2. I haven’t ridden much since the end of last season back in September, so I had a couple of rides last week to shake off the cobwebs. Overall though, it’s just really nice to come away tonight with the win!”

Round 2

Clinching top position at Mildura was Chris Holder who scored a total of 18 points after winning four of his five heats, and taking out first place in the A Final ahead of Tungate and Fricke.

Holder reflected on his efforts in the past two rounds.

Chris Holder

“The competition in the past two rounds has definitely been tight so it was important tonight to get a good score and make up for Gillman. My memories of Undera aren’t entirely positive especially considering that I broke my wrist last time we were there, but I have won a round there previously! Undera is a small track and it’s tough racing, so starts are really important! But my starts today have been really good so I’m looking forward to it! I definitely am working to get myself into the Grand Prix, but coming back into racing you do a lot of miles. You want to win something but top three would also be good. But, I’m not looking too far ahead, instead I’d just like to enjoy myself and get back into racing! More than half of the riders out on the field are contenders for the Championship and any of them have the ability to upset the competition and take out a few vital wins. You can’t count anybody out so instead you just have to concentrate on getting into the finals!”

Round 3

On a tight and dusty Undera Speedway track Fricke stormed into a three-point lead in the championship after scoring 14 points in the heats before seeing off Chris Holder in the final on Monday night.

Holder scored 12 points during the heats and while 2018 Aussie Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey, Tungate and Nick Morris all scored 11 points, one ahead of Jack Holder.

Fricke went into the meeting tied on 30 points with Holder and Tungate, who had to battle his way into the A Final the hard way but disaster struck when he came to grief and crashed on turn three, denying him even a consolation point as he was excluded.

Despite a strong early challenge in the A final re-run, Holder couldn’t overhaul Fricke for the victory in his home state, as Max picked up his second win in three rounds.

Max Fricke

“It’s exciting to be a leader again! After the first round it was a little bit daunting, but I had a good run in Mildura so I’m just trying to remain consistent. I think that consistency is key right now because that will be what wins the Championship. Right now I’m just handling it race by race and getting as many points as I can. The Grand Prix qualifying spot is the main motivator for me but we’re also here in the Championship and I want to win! Hopefully I can keep up the momentum and secure a spot in the top three! It’s close right now between me, Chris and Rohan, but there’s a little bit of a gap so hopefully we can try and secure that gap and get the best possible position in the lead up to the final rounds. Albury is a much bigger track, so there are a lot of changes in comparison to Undera, Mildura and Gillman. It’s going to be a great round, and no doubt a lot of the younger riders in the competition will do quite well as well! I just need to keep making good starts and get as many points as I can in the lead up to Kurri Kurri.”

Albury hosts round four on Wednesday with the championship concluding in Tungate’s home town Kurri Kurri on Saturday and both will be shown live on NRGTV.

Undera Heat Scores

  1. Max Fricke 14
  2. Chris Holder 12
  3. Jaimon Lidsey 11
  4. Rohan Tungate 11
  5. Nick Morris 11
  6. Jack Holder 10
  7. Justin Sedgmen 9
  8. Brady Kurtz 9
  9. Sam Masters 9
  10. Jordan Stewart 6
  11. Todd Kurtz 5
  12. Zane Keleher 5
  13. Ryan Douglas 3
  14. Kye Thompson 2
  15. Zach Cook 2
  16. Ben Cook 1.

B Final

  1. Tungate
  2. J Holder
  3. Morris

A Final

  1. Fricke
  2. C Holder
  3. Lidsey
  4. Tungate (f.exc).

Australian Championship Standings after Round 3

  1. Max Fricke 48
  2. Chris Holder 45
  3. Rohan Tungate 41
  4. Jack Holder 32
  5. Sam Masters 29
  6. Brady Kurtz 29
  7. Jaimon Lidsey 28
  8. Nick Morris 26
  9. Jordan Stewart 23
  10. Ryan Douglas 19

Woffinden Wins WA Speedway Solo Titles

2018 World Speedway Solo Champion Tai Woffinden has emulated his father Rob when he won the WA Speedway Solo Champion last week at the new Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway complex.

On a track that copped some criticism over the two nights of racing, Woffinden predictably dominated proceedings and easily won the final from Cameron Heeps, Kane Lawrence and Daniel Winchester.

Tai Woffinden

“Obviously I grew up here and my dad won the state title here so for me and him to both win is a very special achievement that not many people would be able to do. The track was really tricky for solo riders tonight. If it was a grand prix, it would have been off 100 per cent; they would have cancelled it. But I got the boys revved up as much I could and said ‘we’ve got to put on a show, there are people who have come to watch us’ and I think we did a good job.”

2019 WA Speedway Solo Championships Final

  1. 1st: Tai Woffinden
  2. 2nd: Cameron Heeps
  3. 3rd: Kane Lawrence
  4. 4th: Daniel Winchester
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Zach Osborne Injured

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna announced before the opening round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship that Zach Osborne sustained a collarbone injury in a practice crash and will miss the next four to six weeks.

Zach Osborne

“I am extremely bummed at the timing of this injury. I feel that I have reached a level of riding that I never had in my career, on a bike that I’m so very comfortable with. I know that everything happens for a reason and I’ll be back as soon as possible!”

Zach Osborne Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Zach Osborne

Osborne, a two-time 250SX East Region Champion, was scheduled to make his 450 debut with three other high-profile rookies in Joey Savatgy, Aaron Plessinger and Justin Hill who made their debuts at Angel Stadium with differing success.

KTM Dominates German SuperEnduro Round

After two wins and a second place over the three finals, Cody Webb has claimed victory at round two of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Germany to take the series lead ahead of his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Taddy Blazusiak who placed second overall to ensure a KTM 1-2 result.

Despite a mid-pack start in race one, KTM 350 EXC-F mounted Webb was quick to carve his way through the field and work his way up to the wheel tracks of leader Blazusiak. Making a break for the lead, he put his KTM out front and claimed a well-deserved win.

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Colton Haaker
Colton Haaker

Making the best of the reversed start order in race two, Webb wasted no time in reaching the front. Building a comfortable advantage, he claimed a commanding 19-second victory. Aiming for a hat trick of race wins, the American’s hopes of a clean sweep unfortunately didn’t materialise in race three.

A couple of early mistakes left Webb playing catch up, finishing an eventual third. But with enough in hand thanks to his two earlier race wins, Webb topped the overall podium and with it becomes the new leader of the 2019 SuperEnduro series.

Cody Webb

“It feels awesome to come away with the victory here in Germany, as well as the points lead in the championship. I think this is my third win here in Riesa, so I seem to have a good feeling with this place. Overall, it’s been a good night. I got off to a good start with a win in the first race. My start wasn’t the best but I had some good lines and was able to close the gap to Taddy and then take the win. Race two is always a little tricky with the reversed start order but I managed to find a bit of space and find a way through. I had a few mistakes in the final race and just lost my momentum a little. But third was enough to take the top step of the overall podium. With round three in Madrid just a couple of weeks away it feels good to have the series lead.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Germany Cody Webb FM
Cody Webb – Image by Future7Media

Following his winning performance at the opening round of the championship in Poland, Taddy Blazusiak entered Riesa aiming to keep that momentum rolling. Feeling confident in practice, he lined up for the opening race eager to put his KTM out front. However, following a crash from Alfredo Gomez, which resulted in a restart, he became unnerved by the incident and lost his rhythm and feeling with the track.

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Alfredo Gomez
Alfredo Gomez

Nevertheless a 2-3 scorecard in the first two races kept him in the hunt for the overall podium entering race three. Feeling more settled, Blazusiak regrouped in style to secure an almost start-to-finish win, ultimately ending his night as runner-up to Webb.

Taddy Blazusiak

“It was a bit of tough night for me but we managed to turn things around for second overall. I felt great in practice and gelled very quickly with the track. However, when Alfredo Gomez crashed during the start of race one it unnerved me a little, I didn’t feel how I felt in practice. I was making mistakes in the restart and couldn’t shake them off. Race two was a similar story, too. I felt more myself in the final race and rode like I should have done all night there to win the moto. Unfortunately, we lost the series lead tonight but only by a few points. We’ve got round three in just a couple of weeks and I’m looking forward to making amends there. Finally, I’d just like to wish Alfredo a speedy recovery.”

SuperEnduro Rnd Germany Taddy Blazusiak FM
Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round three in Madrid, Spain on January 26.

Prestige Race 1

  1. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:46.552
  2. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 6:50.994 +4.442
  3. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 7:23.168 +36.616
  4. Kevin Gallas (GER), Husqvarna, 7:05.780 +1 lap
  5. Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 7:10.590 +1 lap

Prestige Race 2

  1. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 6:50.910
  2. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 7:10.051 +19.141
  3. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 7:13.609 +22.699
  4. Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 6:51.752 +1 lap
  5. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 7:13.480 +1 lap

Prestige Race 3

  1. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 7:35.335
  2. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 7:58.051 +22.716
  3. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 8:04.231 +28.896
  4. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 8:22.017 +1 lap
  5. Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 7:39.342 +2 laps

Prestige Class — Overall

  1. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 57 points
  2. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 53 pts
  3. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 52 pts
  4. Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 35 pts
  5. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 33 pts

Championship Standings (After round 2)

  1. Cody Webb (USA), KTM, 109 points
  2. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 107 pts
  3. Colton Haaker (USA), Husqvarna, 101 pts
  4. Kevin Gallas (GER), Husqvarna, 58 pts
  5. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 56 pts
Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

HRC Confirms MX2 GP Line-Up

Honda’s assault on the MX2 category in the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship will see Assomotor Redmoto Honda and Team Honda 114 Motorsports running two riders each on the factory backed Honda CRF250R.

Spearheading the charge for the Assomotor Redmoto Honda team is 2018 EMX250 champion Mathys Boisrame who lines up alongside Brent van Doninck who joins Honda for the 2019 season for the first time aboard the CRF250R.

Honda are providing a further two CRF250Rs for Team Honda 114 Motorsports, who for 2019 are fielding a new pair of riders in Mitch Evans and Zachary Pichon.

After a winter of testing, the teams will be ready for the first Grand Prix of 2019 which is scheduled to be held in Argentina on 1-3 March.

Mathys Boisrame – Assomotor Redmoto Honda Team

“It’s been my dream to ride in MX2, and after winning the EMX250 title in 2018 I’m really looking forward to the new challenge. I have a really good feeling with the team and the CRF250R so I’m very happy to stay with Honda next season, and I think we have a very good chance of being competitive from the start of the season.”

MXGP Bulgaria Rnd EMX Boisrame
Boisrame celebrates his 2018 EMX Championship win – He will compete in MX2 for Assomotor Redmoto Honda Team in 2019
Brent van Doninck – Assomotor Redmoto Honda Team

 “I am really looking forward to riding for Honda in 2019 and joining the Assomotor Redmoto team. I felt really good on the CRF250R as soon as I tested it – it just feels really comfortable to ride and the engine is strong. I’m already riding a Honda a lot in the off-season, and I can’t wait to get to the gate next year.”

Mitchell Evans – Team Honda 114 Motorsports

“I am grateful for the opportunity that Honda 114 Motorsports has presented me. Racing in the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a goal of mine since I competed in the World Junior Championship in 2010. There is a lot for me to learn and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. I am excited to be racing with the best in the world.”

Mitchell Evans
Mitchell Evans joins Team Honda 114 Motorsports in 2019
Zachary Pichon – Team Honda 114 Motorsports

“I am really excited to join Team 114 Motorsports and enter my first full Grand Prix season with them. I am already working hard physically to be ready and I am looking forward to working with Livia and the team. I had a great feeling when I rode the CRF250R for the first time; the suspension is just perfect. The engine suits my riding style too. We will start testing the bike soon and are all fully focussed on 2019. Being part of an official team will help me to make a step forward, as this season we missed some experience in our family-run team and could not do all of the rounds. Next year will be different and my father will have more time to work with me as well! I want to thank Honda and Team 114 for offering me this great opportunity.”

Mewse and Vaessen for Hitachi KTM

Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee have announced their rider line-up for 2019 with current Maxxis ACU British MX2 Motocross Champion Conrad Mewse teaming up with Dutchman Bas Vaessen to compete in the MX2 category of the 2019 F.I.M. Motocross World Championship and Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship.

Conrad Mewse
Conrad Mewse races for Hitachi KTM in 2019
Roger Magee – Team Principal

“We were very happy to re-sign Conrad at Imola and then clinch his first British championship. We’ve been watching Bas for a couple of years and thought it was the right time to bring him into the KTM family. Bas has already adapted to the KTM really well and will be travelling to Redsand with Conrad and the rest of the team next week for pre-season testing with WP Suspension.”

Both riders will use the potent KTM 250 SX-F equipped with semi-factory engines. “Conrad and Bas have so much potential and we’re looking forward to seeing them push each other to the next level,” said Roger.

Graeme Irwin will compete in the MXGP category of the F.I.M. Motocross World Championship and Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship. Graeme endured a number of injuries in 2018 that cost him the chance to defend his 2017 British championship so will be looking for redemption aboard the KTM 450 SX-F.

Graeme Irwin
Graeme Irwin will compete in MXGP and the British MX Championship after an injury filled 2018 season

“We know Graeme has the speed to win, we just need to avoid some of the bad luck that bit him. We’re confident that Graeme will be much stronger at home and in the MXGPs this year, once he has fully recovered from the injuries sustained at Imola,” said Roger.

Troy Lee helmets and apparel, Alpinestars boots and Oakley goggles will once again provide state-of-the-art clothing and equipment for Graeme, Conrad and Bas.

Hitachi Construction Machinery and Milwaukee Power Tools will be joint title sponsors for 2019 and beyond. The new-look Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee Team will make their debut at the Hawkstone Park International on 17February 2019.

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Stefan Everts Out of ICU

More positive news regarding Stefan Everts’ battle with malaria has been released by his family. Below is the full update from the family:

Stefan Everts has been left out in the cold by Suzuki's change in policy
Stefan Everts’ family have released a further update

“Again, good news from Stefan Everts. The ten-time world champion, who was hit by malaria at the beginning of December, has traded the intensive care at the University Hospital of Leuven yesterday for the rehabilitation. The legend will stay in that department for six weeks to continue working on his recovery.

“For Everts, this is another big step forward. At the beginning of December, malaria broke out with him after taking part in Congo in the middle of November. He fought for a while for his life and was kept artificially asleep for a while. Everts fought back and defeated his biggest competitor ever. A few weeks ago, testing has already shown that he has not sustained permanent damage to organs and brain.

TM x

“In the last few days, Everts has once again made major steps forward, after which the professors decided to move him to rehabilitation. There he will be working hard on his recovery over the next few weeks.”

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Moto News Wrap for December 25, 2018 by Darren Smart

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What Went Down Last Week?

  • 2019 AORC Support Classes and SA Location Announced
  • Yamaha backs New 2 Stroke Nationals Series For 2019
  • Taree Kicks Off 2019 Dirt Track Season
  • McAdoo Slots in for Injured Sexton at Geico Honda
  • Kawasaki’s Off-Road Programs Expands in USA
  • Kyle Chisholm Signs with H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki for 2019
  • Stefan Everts Up-Date
2019 AORC Support Classes and SA Location Announced
AORC Omeo Luke Styke
Luke Styke – AORC Omeo 2018

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has confirmed Coonalpyn, South Australia as the location for rounds 8 & 9, running from August 30th to September 1st.

Expanding from two to three weekends running across Rounds 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and 10 & 11, the new and improved 2-Stroke Cup will cater to bikes ranging from 125cc up to 250cc. 2019 will also see the return of the Pony Express (All Powers) supporting class which will run at Round 7 of the 2019 AORC season at Broken Hill.

The Vintage (Evo Pre 86) supporting class will run to the same format as seen in 2018. Featuring at Round 3 and 4 in Dungog, New South Wales (NSW) as an Enduro, the Vintage class will run as a precursor to the Vintage Enduro at the Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE), held the following month.

All other classes from the 2018 season will remain unchanged for 2019 and Supplementary Regulations will be released in early 2019.

2019 AUSTRALIAN OFF-ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
  • Round 1 & 2: Gympie, QLD – 9 – 10 March 2019
  • Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW – 6 – 7 April 2019
  • Round 5 & 6: Kyogle, NSW – 20 – 21 July 2019
  • Round 7: Broken Hill, NSW – 10 – 11 August 2019
  • Round 8 & 9: Coonalpyn, SA – 31 August – 1 September 2019
  • Round 10 & 11: Penshurst, VIC – 14 –15 September 2019

Support Classes (*only at selected rounds)
2-Stroke Cup (125cc and 250cc) (*Round 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 10 & 11)
Pony Express: All Powers (*Round 7)
Vintage: Evo Pre 86 (*Round 3 & 4)

Yamaha backs New 2 Stroke Nationals Series For 2019

Blu Cru stroke NationalsYamaha Motor Australia is proud to announce a new partnership with Williams Event Management (WEM), as the naming rights sponsor of the 2019 Australian 2-Stroke national series which will be known as the Yamaha bLU cRU 2-Stroke Amateur Nationals, the series is open to all makes of two-stroke machines, with classes available for junior and senior amateur racers of all skill levels.

Announcing YMA’s involvement in the three-round championship through its bLU cRU sponsorship strategy, Matthew Ferry, National Sales and Marketing Manager Yamaha Australia said the series would provide an opportunity for junior racers to compete at a national level on three different circuits.

“During the 2018 MX Nationals, we had the opportunity to run the YZ65 Cup and found people were seriously enthusiastic about two-stroke junior racing, so when Kevin Williams from WEM spoke with us about the series, we were very excited. This will be an excellent opportunity for juniors to race nationally and develop their skills in this great sport.”

Five classes will contest the 2019 season, with the three-round series visiting Victoria, ACT and Queensland between February and April. The season kicks off at Traralgon in Victoria on 10 February, before heading north to Coolum, QLD, for round two on 3 March. The season finale will take place at Canberra, ACT, on 27 April.

Classes contesting the series are

  • Junior – 65cc; 85cc and 125cc
  • Senior – Two-Stroke All powers;
    Retro All Powers for motocross bikes aged 20 years or more
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Taree Kicks Off 2019 Dirt Track Season

For many years the Old Bar track near Taree had the honour of opening, and closing, the dirt track racing calendar in New South Wales and that tradition will continue in 2019 with the scheduling of the Twilight Open meeting for Saturday, January 19.

From 2014 to 2017 the Troy Bayliss Classic meeting opened the calendar and despite that event closing down the Taree Motorcycle Club is determined to put on a race meeting that will kick off the 2019 season with a bang.

The dirt track scene of course continues to produce exciting action for fans at the same time as producing exciting young talent progressing through the junior ranks in to other disciplines of the sport like speedway and road racing.

The twilight meeting will give riders the chance to blow away the cobwebs after a break from competition over the Christmas – New Year period.

As well as senior and junior 2-wheel action there will also be sidecar and ATV racing with entries closing on January 11, but Race Secretary Lyndel Butler has encouraged riders to get their entries in early as there will be a cap on entries for some classes to ensure a streamlined program for riders and fans alike.

Max Whale Taree
Max Whale at Taree
McAdoo Slots in for Injured Sexton at Geico Honda

The dramas continue at Geico Honda with the news that Chase Sexton is inured hot on the back of the news that Jeremy Martin will not compete in the 2019 season.

Sexton hurt his collarbone in a mountain bike crash and will now switch from 250SX West Region to 250SX East Region, giving him time to recover so Cameron McAdoo will join RJ Hampshire on a GEICO Honda CRF250R in the West while GEICO Honda will have Sexton, Christian Craig, and Hunter Lawrence racing 250SX East.

Cameron McAdoo seen on the grid here in Dallas 2018 – Hoppenworld Image
Kyle Chisholm Signs with H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki for 2019

After missing the 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross due to a knee injury sustained at round four at High Point, Kyle Chisholm will join Alex Ray and Adam Enticknap in the H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki team in 2019.

Chisholm moved back down to the 250 class in 2018 with 51Fifty Energy Drink Yamaha and finished eighth in the 250SX West Region while scoring five top ten finishes in the 450 class at a few East Coast race.

Chisholm underwent surgery in June to fix a torn meniscus and ACL and is looking forward to the new season – he posted this on social media:

‘Even though it’s no secret I haven’t officially posted about it, but I’m happy to be working with the @hepmotorsports@suzukicycles team for the 2019 @supercrosslive season. Thanks to all of the team’s sponsors. Looking forward to a good and fun season with the team.’

Stefan Everts Up-Date

Stefan Everts was hospitalized in Belgium early in December after he contracted malaria while participating in a charity event in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the family requested privacy during this difficult time so the news on Stefan’s condition have been scant but thankfully the family released some good news to Belgian media just before Xmas.

Below is part of the statement the family released (translated by Google)

‘The situation of Stefan Everts, who has been affected by malaria, is developing favourably and his condition is no longer critical, which is why the ten-time world champion in motocross no longer needs a sedative. Everts is still in intensive care at the University Hospital of Leuven, where he is closely monitored and only his family members are admitted. About the effects of malaria or about the duration of the recovery, nothing can be said at the moment. The Everts family wants to thank everyone for the many statements of support and the encouraging words, we cannot possibly answer them all personally, that is why she (his wife) does it through this way: ‘A big thank you all to give us a heart in this difficult period.’

The family also asks, just like the past weeks, to give them the necessary rest so that she can concentrate fully on Stefan. In the case of new developments, communication will again take place via a press release.’

Stefan Everts has been left out in the cold by Suzuki's change in policy
Stefan Everts
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Moto News | SuperEnduro | Beach Racing | 2019 calendars

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Moto News Weekly Wrap

December 11, 2018

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

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What Went Down Last Weekend?

  • Brook and Koppe win North Brisbane Cup
  • FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
  • French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
  • Wade Young wins Roof of Africa
  • Faggotter ready for Dakar 2019
  • 2019 WESS calendar announced
  • 2019 AFT calendar announced
  • 2019 GNCC calendar announced
  • 2019 Sunshine State Series calendar announced
  • 2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
  • Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
  • WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
  • Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
  • Stefan Everts in hospital

Brook and Koppe Win North Brisbane Cup

MotoGP racer Jack Miller added some extra prestige into the annual North Brisbane Cup last Saturday afternoon and evening but it was the talented pairing of Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win after winning both feature races.

North Brisbane Cup Koppe Brook victory lap
Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win

Some of our best speedway, dirt track, road race and enduro riders were on hand but the real pace setters were Damien Koppe, Jarred Brook, Max Whale, Jake Allen, Kayden Downing and Jack Miller – in fact, Miller has lost none of his dirt track speed after going down in turn one of the Pro Open teams event, before remounting and carving back to third place in time for the changeover to fellow Townsville terror Kayden Downing.

Despite the relatively tight confines of Mick Doohan Raceway – for a long track slider designed for a mile track – speedway pro Josh Grajczonek proved himself competitive throughout the event.

North Brisbane Cup Results

  1. Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:21.380
  2. Max Whale, Jake Allen 1.791
  3. Jack Miller, Kayden Downing 13.700
  4. Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 25.592
  5. Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 26.068
  6. Briony Hendrickson, Andy McLeisch 1 lap
  7. Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
  8. Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
  9. Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps
  10. 1Ryan Douglas, Joshua Grajczonek 3 laps
  11. Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 11 laps
North Brisbane Cup Jack Miller
Jack Miller made an appearance at the North Brisbane Cup
  1. Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:22.703
  2. Max Whale, Jake Allen 6.763
  3. Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 1 lap
  4. Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 1 lap
  5. Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
  6. Benjamin Mclaughlin, Adam Bevan 1 lap
  7. Andrew McLiesh, Grace Hudson 1 lap
  8. Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
  9. Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 2 laps
  10. Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps
    DNF Jack Miller, Kayden Downing Lap 19

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship
Round 1 – Krakow, Poland

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak has won the opening round of the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held in Krakow, Poland while Cody Webb and Colton Haaker rounded out the podium

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Manuel Lettenbichler
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Image by Future7Media

On a dry and fast track at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Blazusiak delighted his home fans by taking the overall win at round one of the championship. It wasn’t plain sailing for the six-time champion however as an early fall in the third and final heat left him playing catch-up to the riders ahead.

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM cody webb
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Cody Webb – Image by Future7Media

With his KTM 350 EXC-F blasting off the line, Blazusiak secured the holeshot in heat one. The Polish rider was never challenged for the remainder of the race and after riding eight smooth and consistent laps crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of teammate Webb. Putting in a similar performance in the reverse-grid heat two, Taddy fought his way through the pack early on to win by over five seconds from the second-placed finisher Haaker.

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Taddy Blazusiak
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

Aiming to take the hat-trick, Taddy fell early in the third heat and was placed dead-last at the beginning of the opening lap. Charging hard, he got his head down and proceeded to pick off the riders ahead of him, ultimately battling his way through to fourth at the line – enough to claim the overall event win and with it the championship lead heading into round two in Germany.

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Taddy Blazusiak Podium
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Overall Podium – Image by Future7Media
Taddy Blazusiak

“The whole event has been amazing. Race one went perfectly, I was able to get out in front and set my own pace to take the win. Race two was pretty much the same, I had quite a lot of pressure from the guys behind and made a couple of mistakes, but I was able to put in some fast lap times and break the challenge. In the last moto, I got a pretty good start but I got tangled up with some other riders over the first jumps and went down. I picked myself and the bike up and saw I was in last place so I took a couple of seconds to make sure everything was ok and set off again. I was pushing hard and able to overtake the guys in front quite well. I did make a mistake in one rut and washed the front again, luckily I didn’t lose too much time and was happy enough to take fourth. Championship-wise, I’m a little disappointed to lose a few points but I think we’ll all have challenging races over the season. To be leading going into round two feels great.”

SuperEnduro Krakow Rnd FM Taddy Blazusiak
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Taddy Blazusiak – Image by Future7Media

The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round two in Riesa, Germany on January 5, 2019.

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French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has secured his second consecutive victory in the Championnat de France des Sables. Putting in a strong performance throughout the two-hour 30-minute beach race, Watson initially crossed the finish line in second, but was later awarded the overall win.

Yentel Martens - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

After his confidence-boosting victory at last weekend’s round three, Nathan Watson headed to round four with hopes of making it two wins in a row and after starting strongly, he battled with teammate Camille Chapeliere for the lead during the first half of the race before taking control.

Camille Chapeliere - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Camille Chapeliere – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

However, despite pulling a sizeable advantage, Watson was unable to maintain his lead as the race conditions changed. With organisers cutting the event short due to an incoming tide, the Brit slipped back to second place at just the wrong moment in the race. Unable to regroup in time, Watson shadowed provisional winner Milko Potisek across the finish line for what he thought was a runner-up result. Later confirmed as the winner, Watson claimed his second consecutive beach race win.

Nathan Watson

“I’m disappointed to have physically just missed out on that race win but naturally pleased to be awarded the overall win. The race to the chequered flag itself was close and I was right behind him crossing the finish line. I had a good race and was leading with about a one-minute advantage. Then suddenly he came past me and I was shocked because I didn’t realise he was catching me so quick. I must have been riding too relaxed in traffic. He passed me on the last lap and I tried to regroup, but it was too late. With two tough rounds back-to-back and my victory at Red Bull Knock Out, I’ll take a bit of time to recover over the Christmas break and then work hard to prepare for the next round.”

Nathan Watson - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Nathan Watson – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

Claiming the holeshot on his KTM 450 SX-F, Watson’s teammate Camille Chapeliere put in a series of blisteringly fast laps to hold firm at the front of the results and maintain the race lead during the first hour of racing. With lapped traffic hampering his vision, the Frenchman was forced to pit earlier than scheduled for a fresh pair of goggles. Despite his strong pace during the latter half of the race, Chapeliere was unable to catch the leaders and had to settle for third overall, but was later awarded second.

Camille Chapeliere

“After last weekend’s disappointment I was determined to return strong here. I worked a lot to be ready and I wanted to show my speed on the track. My first hour was good. I took the holeshot and lead for quite a while. I had a little issue with my goggles and was unable to hold that position as I needed to pit early for a fresh set. But overall it’s been a good race and now I will continue to work and be ready for the next round as we build towards Enduropale le Touquet.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Yentel Martens delivered a strong ride at round four of the French Beach Race series in Ronde des Sables, Hossegor-Capbreton to claim a confidence-boosting fourth-place result.

Yentel Martens - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens

“Today was a positive step forward for me. After some bad luck last weekend and then picking up a small foot injury I was nervous about how things would go. Unfortunately, my start wasn’t the best and I was outside the top 20, so had a bit of work to do there. But my speed was good and I was able to make up the positions quite quickly. I caught up to Jeffrey Dewulf near the end but crashed and lost some time to him that I wasn’t able to recover. However, I’m happy with the progress. I know my speed is good enough to win now and as a team we are all working hard to make it happen.”

The Championnat de France des Sables continues with round five in Grayan on January 13, 2019.

Yentel Martens - 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor - Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

Results – French Beach Race Series, Round 4

  1. Nathan Watson, KTM, 25 laps 2:23:11.880
  2. Camille Chapeliere, KTM, 2:26:59.150 +3:47.270
  3. Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:28:59.550 +5:47.670
  4. Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 2:23:59.550 +1 lap
  5. Daymond Martens, Honda, 2:24:01.590 +1 lap

Championship Standings (After Round 4)

  1. Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 500 points
  2. Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 500 pts
  3. Nathan Watson, KTM, 435 pts
  4. Maxime Sot, Yamaha, 397 pts
  5. Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 390 pts

Wade Young Wins Roof of Africa

Wade Young has topped off an incredible 2018 hard enduro racing season by winning the infamous Motul Roof of Africa in a total time of 14-hours and 47-minutes, a clear 23-minutes ahead of the second placed rider, Travis Teasdale.

It has been widely reported that the 2018 version of the Roof of Africa was one if the toughest with legendary racer and former Roof winner Alfie Cox reporting, “It was tough. It was not a walk in the park and people had to dig deep. Some blokes were on the bike for ten to eleven hours a day. But that is what the Roof of Africa is all about.”

Wade Young Roof of Africa Win
Wade Young wins the 2018 Roof Of Africa – Image by www.trompievanderberg.co.za / www.zcmc.co.za

While the mountains of Lesotho proved unforgiving, Wade Young made short work of the competition with a 40-minute lead after a strenuous 8-hours and 28-minutes on the bike after the first day of racing. Young played it safe on day-two, relinquishing some of his lead but ensuring his fourth Roof of Africa title.

The Sherco Factory rider claimed a number of high-profile hard enduro events in 2018 with victory in the Sea to Sky, Romaniacs, Megawatt and Australia’s own Wildwood Rock Extreme.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Faggotter Ready for Dakar 2019

Yamalube Yamaha Rally team riders Adrien Van Beveren, Xavier de Soultrait and Aussie Rodney Faggotter will be aboard the newest edition of the WR450F Rally works machine as they take on the 41st Dakar which will be for the first time contested exclusively in Peru.

Rod Faggotter
Rod Faggotter

Playing a crucial role for the Yamalube Yamaha Rally team during the last two Dakar Rallies, Rodney Faggotter remains with the squad going into the 2019 edition of the event after an extremely consistent run that saw him finish 16th overall and the highest placed Yamaha rider at the 2018 Dakar Rally.

Rodney Faggotter

“I’m looking forward to the 2019 Dakar. I’ve been racing some Bajas and training hard back home in Australia these last few months. I feel strong physically and also mentally. In the beginning of December, we’ve spent a full week testing and training with the team in Morocco and that was a good morale booster for me. We have a great spirit within the team and I want to be there for my teammates if they need me. I want to have a good clean run and do my own race. This Dakar might seem shorter, but we all know it’s still going to be a long and demanding race. If it all goes well, I’m confident I can improve my overall result from last year and fight for a spot inside the top-10.”

Rodney Faggotter
Rodney Faggotter – Dakar 2018

Race Schedule – Dakar Rally 2019

  • Stage 1 | Jan 7 | Lima to Pisco | SS: 84km | Total: 331km
  • Stage 2 | Jan 8 | Pisco to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 342km | Total: 554km
  • Stage 3 | Jan 9 | San Juan de Marcona to Arequipa | SS: 331km | Total: 779km
  • Stage 4 | Jan 10 | Arequipa to Moquegua | SS: 352km | Total: 511km
  • Stage 5 | Jan 11 | Moquegua to Arequipa | SS: 345km | Total: 776km
  • Rest Day | Jan 12 | Arequipa
  • Stage 6 | Jan 13 | Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 317km | Total: 839km
  • Stage 7 | Jan 14 | San Juan de Marcona, return| SS: 323km | Total: 387km
  • Stage 8 | Jan 15 | San Juan de Marcona to Pisco | SS: 361km | Total: 576km
  • Stage 9 | Jan 16 | Pisco to Pisco | SS: 313km | Total: 410km
  • Stage 10 | Jan 17 | Pisco to Lima | SS: 112km | Total: 358km

2019 WESS Calendar Announced

The World Enduro Super Series will be an eight-round championship for the 2019 season with two additional Classic Enduro events scheduled for the coming season, combined with established Hard Enduro favourites, plus the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country.

WESS Gotland Rnd Atmos
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

The Extreme XL Lagares will once again open the season in Portugal, on May 10-12 before moving to France and the Classic Enduro at the Trèfle Lozérien AMV, then the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, Red Bull Romaniacs, Hawkstone Park Cross-Country in the United Kingdom, the Solsona Enduro in Spain et and finally GetzenRodeo in Germany on November 2-3.

Winfried Kerschhaggl – WESS Series Manager

“Further broadening the mix of events in the championship, while sharpening the focus on true Enduro competitions has been our goal. Traditional Enduro is always close to our hearts, fuelling our passion for racing, and for that reason it has led to the addition of two Classic Enduro events being added to the calendar. Combined with some of our much-loved events from 2018, plus the welcomed addition of the GetzenRodeo, we are very much looking forward to the start of the new series and the battle to find the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion.”

WESS Red Bull Knock Out Rnd josep garcia FM
WESS 2018 – Round 8 Red Bull Knock Out – Image by Future7Media

World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Schedule

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
  • Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
  • Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
  • Round 4: Classic Enduro (Italy) TBA
  • Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 4
  • Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
  • Round 7: Solsona Enduro (Spain) October 5-6
  • Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2-3
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

2019 AFT Calendar Announced

American Flat Track has finalized its 2019 schedule and prepares to launch ticket sales in time for the holidays.

The 2019 running of the New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, NY has been moved back one week to July 13, 2019. Race fans can plan on an entire weekend of excitement, as AFT Events will once again throw a pre-race kickoff party with food, live music, entertainment and rider meet & greet session.

AFT Meadowland Mile Jared Mees leads ERV
American Flat Track 2019 calendar announced

AFT’s season finale returns to the Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment at the famed MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ for a second running of the Meadowlands Mile. The race is set for September 28, 2019 – one week earlier than its 2018 date. This venue provided showstopping race action in 2018 and has already become one of the most highly-anticipated events of the upcoming season.

Cameron Gray, COO of AFT Events

“Now that we have finalized our 2019 schedule, we can hit the ground running. We’ve got new venues, freshly-built and redesigned racetracks and are planning some major improvements to overall fan experience for the coming season. AFT fans can look forward to the most exciting season of American Flat Track to date.”

AFT Minnesota Mile Rnd Bryan Smith FA
AFT returns in 2019

American Flat Track will kick off its 2019 season with its bar-banging Daytona TT in appropriate fashion – during the wild Bike Week festivities in Daytona Beach. The 2019 Daytona TT happens Thursday, March 14 once again under the lights of the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Tickets will be available soon at https://www.americanflattrack.com.

2019 American Flat Track Schedule

  • March 14: Daytona TT – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
  • March 23: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
  • April 20: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
  • April 27: Wild Horse TT – Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
  • May 11: Perris Half-Mile – Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, CA
  • May 18: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
  • May 26: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
    • (AFT Singles Springfield TT same weekend)
  • June 1: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
  • June 15: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Motor Sp., Loudon, New Hampshire
  • June 29: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
  • July 13: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
  • August 4: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
  • August 6: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
  • August 17: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
  • September 1: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
    • (AFT Singles Springfield Short Track same weekend)
  • September 7: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Sp., Mechanicsburg, PA
  • September 21: Minnesota Mile – Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
  • September 28: Meadowlands Mile – Meadowlands R & E, East Rutherford, NJ

2019 GNCC Calendar Announced

Racer Productions, producer of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, is pleased to announce the 2019 series schedule.

New for the 2019 season will be the expanded Micro (50cc) Racing program, while the eMTB racing will take place at eight rounds including an eMTB only race held on July 27 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

GNCC Ben Kelly Hole Shot ImgKenHill
2019 GNCC calendar announced – Image by Ken Hill
Jeff Russell – GNCC Trail Boss

“We’re excited to get the 2019 season rolling. With a great schedule of events on some of the best off-road courses the country has to offer, the upcoming season is shaping up to be one of the best yet. We have several facilities to consider for the fall TBA event. A lot of factors go into finding a venue to host a GNCC event and we hope to have an announcement on that round as soon as possible.”

The 2019 schedule welcomes back many of its most seasoned venues, including Camp Coker Bullet in Society Hill, South Carolina; X-Factor in Peru, Indiana; The John Penton in Millfield, Ohio; Tomahawk in Alpine, New York; West Virginia’s popular Snowshoe GNCC in Snowshoe, West Virginia; and the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

GNCC 2018 - Image by Ken Hill
GNCC 2018 – Image by Ken Hill

2019 GNCC Calendar

  • Rnd 1: Feb. 23/24 – Big Buck, Union, SC – Micro, SETRA
  • Rnd 2: Mar. 9/10 – Wild Boar, Palatka, FL – Micro
  • Rnd 3: Mar. 16/17 – The General, Washington, GA – Micro / eMTB, SETRA
  • Rnd 4: Mar. 30/31 – Steele Creek, Morganton, NC – Micro / eMTB, SETRA
  • Rnd 5: April 13/14 – Camp Coker Bullet, Society Hill, SC – Micro, SETRA
  • Rnd 6: May 5/6 – X-Factor, Peru, IN – Micro IXCR
  • Rnd 7: May 18/19 – The John Penton, Millfield, OH – Micro / eMTB, WEXCR
  • Rnd 8: June 1/2 – Tomahawk, Alpine, NY – Micro / eMTB
  • Rnd 9: June 22/23 – Snowshoe, Snowshoe, WV – eMTB
  • Rnd 10: Sept. 14/15 – Black Sky, Harpursville, NY – Micro
  • Rnd 11: Sept. 28/29 – Mason-Dixon, Mt. Morris, PA – Micro / eMTB
  • Rnd 12: Oct. 12/13 – TBA, TBA – Micro
  • Rnd 13: Oct. 26/27 – Ironman, Crawfordsville, IN – Micro / eMTB, IXCR

2019 Sunshine State Series Calendar Announced

The Queensland Motocross subcommittee is pleased to announce details of a freshly revamped 2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series, with four exciting venue additions from last year’s Airoh series.

Jack Kukas
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced

Since its inception as a B & C Grade series more than 25 years ago, the ‘Sunny States’ have made a consistent contribution to the development of Queensland’s racing stocks, and established a tradition as a proving ground for up-and-coming riders.

Averaging around 330 riders per round, the series contributes significantly to the ‘dirt bike economy’ that fuels small towns in South-East Queensland, while offering competitors the best prizemoney of any comparable series.

Next year’s incarnation will see a mix of trusted and true venues and exciting new locations, with the respected Suncoast Junior Motorcycle Club both raising and lowering the curtain on the series, boasting two rounds at its iconic Coolum track.

Levi Rogers
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced

In between though, riders will take a thrill ride of fresh racing challenges to grow their skills, re-visiting old favourites like a recently-updated Roma, Mundubbera, Kilcoy and Goondiwindi.

New series coordinator Rachelle Houterman is anything but a new face on the scene, and in taking over the reins from Jason Watson, will look to maintain what’s great about the series, but improve what she can.

She’ll again assume the role of Race Secretary for the series and will steer the ship overall with help from the Motocross Subcommittee, as well as the promoting clubs and series officials.

Rachelle Houterman – Race Secretary

“It’ll be a busy year for me and my helpers, but we have a lot of experience with all aspects of the series and we’re looking to continue to grow Queensland’s premier motocross series as well as trying to increase the payback to the clubs and open up more contingencies for juniors. Some riders may not have previously experienced a few of these tracks, but are sure to be in for a great time at venues that older riders still speak very highly of. Roma has had some exciting new changes as well, so there’ll be lots of opportunity for riders to learn new tracks and gain new skills. Kilcoy has also been missing from the series lately, but the Kilcoy Motorcycle Club has gained a huge following in recent years, so we’re happy to return this track to the calendar.”

The Motocross Subcommittee wishes to thank Jason Watson for all of his hard work over the past two years and wishes him all the best for his new endeavours. Jason remains a valued member of the MX Subcommittee.

Levi Rogers
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced

The series sponsor is expected to be announced very soon, and a host of sponsorship opportunities now exist with the Sunshine State MX Series. Please contact Rachelle direct on 0409 174 273 or email [email protected].

2019 Sunshine State Series Venues and Dates

  1. Coolum 16/17 February
  2. Roma 23/24 March
  3. Mundubbera 6/7 April
  4. Kilcoy 11/12 May
  5. Goondiwindi 1/ 2 June
  6. Coolum 15/16 June

Further information, Rachelle Houterman, Series Coordinator. Ph: 3281 2255 E: [email protected]

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2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced

The 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship kicks off bright and early on January 3rd 2019 at Gillman Speedway, South Australia, and the seeded and qualifying line-up is locked and loaded!

For the first time in three years, the Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship will run a Qualifier the day before Round 1, where 16 selected riders will battle it out for the remaining eight spots in the Championship.

Australian Speedway Championship
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced

Gillman Speedway will play host to the first round of the Championship, setting the bar higher than the South Australian Summer temperature! Round 1 will commence with the Qualifier on Wednesday night, January 2nd, where each rider will vie for their spot in the available eight places remaining on Thursday night.

With no brakes, gears or fear, Thursday 3rd January is anticipated to be an absolute scorcher, as tensions continue to run high after a tough Qualifier the day prior. Speedway Commission Chair, Ivan Golding, reflected on the draw of seeded and qualifying riders for the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship.

Ivan Golding  – Speedway Commission Chair

“This has been one of the strongest qualifiers we have experienced in quite some time! Yesterday’s draw was extremely tough, making our job even harder than in previous years. The depth of nominations received for the 2019 Championship are some of the best we have received, which has made the draw super tough. The quality of riders to pick from was very impressive, and we are no doubt locked in for a thrilling 2019 Championship!”

The field includes eight seeded riders, including the 2018 reigning Champion, Rohan Tungate, alongside the likes of Max Fricke, Chris Holder, Jack Holder and Jaimon Lidsey.

The full list of seeded riders in the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship are as follows:

The 16 riders selected for the Qualifier on January 2nd are as follows

Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw

At the close of Round 1, riders will move North to Mildura, Victoria for Round 2 on 5th January, followed by Round 3 on 7th January at Undera, Victoria. The penultimate round will be held on 9th January at Albury Wodonga, Victoria, with a close to the Championship at Kurri-Kurri, New South Wales on 12th January.

Tanti joins Crawford at Serco

Serco Yamaha will again be a force to be reckoned with next season after enlisting Nathan Crawford and Aaron Tanti to steer their YZ250F’s in the 2019 MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championships.

Nathan Crawford

“I hate being off the bike and not riding and its driving me crazy but my motivation is as good as it’s ever been and I’m excited to be locked in with Serco and the opportunity to race the YZ250F again. I haven’t even ridden the 2019 bike, but it looks and sounds amazing and I know Serco Yamaha will give me the best bike in the class. I’m able to bare weight on my leg and start physio this week with a view to start riding again by late January. That still leaves me enough time to get myself bike fit and ready to go for the MX Nationals and I’m already looking forward to racing again.”

Australian SX Nathan Crawford YZF
Nathan Crawford
Aaron Tanti

“Up until last year, I was juggling work with racing but for 2018 I was able to get myself in a position where I could ride and train full time and it instantly showed improvement in my results. The reward of the hard work and sacrifice came when Gavin approached me about racing for Serco in 2019. Now to have the support and structure of the Serco Yamaha team behind me and entering the new year feeling fit and refreshed, I am confident 2019 will be my best season yet as I feel there is still a lot of room for improvement in my riding and racing.

MX Nationals Rnd Conondale Aaron Tanti MX Race ndplace ImageByScottya
Aaron Tanti joins Crawford at Serco in 2019

“I spent a day on the bike earlier this week and I’m impressed with everything about it. We just ran through some basic things like bar bends to get me comfortable, stiffened up the fork a little and I was good to go. The Yamaha YZ250F feels awesome and that is just the production bike, I can’t wait to ride the full- blown race bike Serco will build for me. I’m proud to have achieved this ride with Serco Yamaha but I know the real work is about to come. But I will give it my all and aim to win as many races and championships as I can.”

Aaron Tanti
Aaron Tanti

Round one of the MX Nationals takes place at Appin, west of Sydney on March 17.

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WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD

WBR Yamaha team will be out to match their 2018 success that saw them claim the top two spots in the MXD class at the MX Nationals, with Max Purvis and Jack Kukas lining up for 2019.

Max Purvis

“I have done two seasons in Australia now and I feel comfortable racing here now as I know the riders and how the events work. But, it’s also the first time I have had major support over here and its cool to be a part of the WBR Yamaha. I had to race against them in 2018 and I know how well prepared and organised they were so it’s exciting to now be on the same side as them. I won plenty of rounds last year, but I just wasn’t consistent enough in the rounds that I didn’t win so that’s an area I need to address this year. Championships are won on your bad days, so I need to find a way grind out a good result when things aren’t going my way and be consistent across all 10 rounds. I love racing in Australia and the MX Nationals is a great series. Doing the NZ Nationals, the MX Nationals and the Australian Supercross Championship will be a huge year for me, but I can’t wait to get started.”

Maximus Purvis MX Fest
Maximus Purvis with WBR Yamaha in 2019
Jack Kukas

“It’s awesome to be back here in Australia and on the WBR Yamaha team for the 2019 season. I have been a Yamaha rider all my life to so get the opportunity to ride for the official Yamaha MXD team is a bit of a dream come true. I have already spent a week down with the team in Echuca just getting settled on the bike and meeting everyone. Travis and Nathan are awesome to deal with and are so helpful in getting me comfortable on and off the bike. I can’t thank them enough for giving me this chance and I hope to repay them with some good results. The 2019 YZ250F is such a good bike and we have a great group of sponsors on board for next year so I’m going to give it my all and try and get another championship for Yamaha and the WBR team.”

Jack Kukas
Jack Kukas to 2019 WBR Yamaha team

The first time both riders will be on track together will be the opening round of the MX Nationals at Appin, west of Sydney, on March 17.

Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season

Youthstream has revealed that the first round of the 2019 MXGP and MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship season will take place at the Patagonia-Argentina circuit of Neuquen on Sunday the 10th of March with bikes racing for the first time of the new season in Qualifying on Saturday.

MXGP 2019 kicks off in Argentina
MXGP 2019 kicks off in Argentina

MXGP’s return to Patagonia Argentina’s beautiful Neuquen circuit is exciting for the riders, fans, and industry members as amazing GPs have taken place at the venue since first hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2015. Serving as the second round of 2017 and then the opening round of 2018 the previous years have resulted in stunning racing amongst the hillsides lined by thousands of South American motocross fans.

David Luongo – Vice President of Youthstream

“It is great news to be back in Argentina for the opening Grand Prix of the season. The circuit of Neuquen is for most of the riders, the most beautiful track of the championship and its location in the middle of Patagonia is breathtaking. We really want to thank David Eli from Mas Eventos along with the local and national authorities making this Grand Prix possible, we are sure that it will be a great success and will bring a lot of attention and exposure Argentina.”

Stefan Everts in hospital

Ten times World Champion Stefan Everts was hospitalized last week and remains at the University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium in an induced coma.

Stefan Everts has been left out in the cold by Suzuki's change in policy
Stefan Everts

Everts participated in a charity event three weeks ago in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo to raise funds for the construction of schools in the area and contracted malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.

During his legendary career, Everts won the record numbers of 101 Motocross Grands Prix and ten FIM world titles. After his career, he worked at KTM and then ran the Suzuki World MXGP team before Suzuki suspended its support for the FIM Motocross World Championships last year.

The moto world holds its combined breath waiting for Stefan to pull through and our hearts go out to the family.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News | Geneva & Chemnitz SX | 2019 Teams | Peick Update

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Moto News Weekly Wrap

December 4, 2018

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What Went Down Last Weekend?

  • Brayton Wins King of Geneva
  • Bowers is King of Chemnitz
  • Watson wins in France
  • Price Ready for Challenging Dakar 19
  • Yamaha Signs Green, Driscoll and Style for 2019
  • Three More Yamaha Riders Set for 2019 MXGP
  • Kirk Gibbs Signs for CDR Yamaha for 2019
  • 2019 Mountain Man Motocross News
  • Metcalfe Heads Honda Campaign in 2019
  • King of MX 2019 Dates Announced
  • Weston Peick Update – Good News

Brayton Wins King of Geneva

Three-time Australian Supercross Champion Justin Brayton capped off a stellar ‘off-season’ by winning the King of Geneva last weekend with a win and a second place over the two nights of racing in front of a quality field and a huge crowd.

Justin Brayton King of Geneva trophy
Justin Brayton – King of Geneva 2018

Brayton was forced to come from outside the top five to pass Christian Craig for second place during Friday nights final and was looking like he was going to have to settle for second behind Zach Osborne when on the very last lap Osborne hit the rear tyre of a lapped rider only to crash leaving Brayton alone for the win ahead of Craig, Osborne, Vince Friese, Jordi Tixier, Cole Seely and Justin Barcia.

Barcia scored the holeshot in Saturday night’s final ahead of Craig and Brayton but it didn’t take long before Brayton got around Craig and started putting pressure on Barcia but after 20 gruelling laps Barcia got the win ahead of Brayton, Craig, Friese, Tixier, Valentin Teillet and Cole Seely.

Brayton earned a well-deserved King of Geneva over Craig and Barcia. “I don’t what happened to my starts but I knew what I had to do to win the King of Geneva, this is awesome to win my fifth King of Geneva supercross, that’s crazy, who would have thought when you see the list of names who have won this before but I am happy to be part of it and happy to have the record solo (for most wins), I’m stoked.”

SX Final Night One

  1. Justin Brayton
  2. Christian Craig
  3. Zach Osborne
  4. Vince Friese
  5. Jordi Tixier
  6. Cole Seely
  7. Justin Barcia
  8. Cedric Soubeyras
  9. Gregory Aranda
  10. Malcolm Stewart
  11. Valentin Teillet
  12. Fabien Izoird
  13. Nicolas Aubin
  14. Gaetan Le Hir
  15. Xavier Boog

SX Final Night Two

  1. Justin Barcia
  2. Justin Brayton
  3. Christian Craig
  4. Vince Friese
  5. Jordi Tixier
  6. Valentin Teillet
  7. Cole Seely
  8. Gregory Aranda
  9. Fabien Izoird
  10. Khousith Vongsana
  11. Xavier Boog
  12. Nicolas Dercourt
  13. Gaetan Le Hir
  14. Kevin Ballanger
  15. Joen Cros
  16. Nicolas Aubin
  17. Cedric Soubeyras
  18. Zach Osborne

King of Geneva

  1. Justin Brayton (20-17)
  2. Christian Craig (17-15)
  3. Justin Barcia (9-20)
  4. Vince Friese (13-13)
  5. Jordi Tixier (11-11)
  6. Cole Seely (10-9)
  7. Valentin Teillet (5-10)
  8. Gregory Aranda (7-8)
  9. Zach Osborne (15-0)
  10. Fabien Izoird (4-7)

Cameron McAdoo won the Prince of Geneva from Adrien Escoffier and Julien Roussaly.

Prince of Geneva

  1. Cameron McAdoo 17-20
  2. Adrien Escoffier 20-17
  3. Julien Roussaly 13-15

Bowers is King of Chemnitz

American Tyler Bowers was in Germany last weekend and was rewarded by claiming the King of Chemnitz honours after winning Friday night’s final ahead of Cole Martinez before backing that up with another win on Saturday night this time ahead of Charles Lefrancois.

Friday SX1 Final

  1. Tyler Bowers
  2. Cole Martinez
  3. Charles Lefrancois
  4. Dominique Thury
  5. Justin Starling

Saturday – SX1 Final

  1. Tyler Bowers
  2. Charles Lefrancois
  3. Dominique Thury
  4. Cole Martinez
  5. Justin Starling
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Watson wins in France

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has secured a dominant victory at round three of the Championnat de France des Sables Beach Race Series in St. Léger de Balson after charging his way to a commanding two-minute win.

camille chapeliere St Leger de Balson Beach Race
Championnat de France des Sables Beach Race Series in St. Léger de Balson

Offering a change from the traditional seaside beach race, round three of the Championnat de France des Sables made its way inland to the vast, deep sandy forest region of St. Léger de Balson for the third stop of the championship. Wet and changeable weather for the two-hour-30-minute race ensured conditions would be anything but predictable for the 300 riders competing.

After missing round two due to his World Enduro Super Series commitments, Nathan Watson returned to competitive action in the championship highly motivated following his recent victory at the Red Bull Knock Out beach race in The Netherlands.

Starting strongly, Watson rounded the opening lap inside the top five. However, with conditions proving wet and muddy, he knew it would be a race of attrition for many. Taking his time to settle into things, he steadily worked his way into the lead during the first 45 minutes.

Opting to pit early for a fresh pair of goggles and gloves saw him drop back to second place behind new race leader Milko Potisek. Feeling strong and comfortable in the deteriorating conditions, Nathan quickly worked his way back in front. Continuing his unrelenting pace, the KTM 450 SX-F rider ended the race with a two-minute-20-second margin of victory.

Nathan Watson

“I’m delighted and a little bit surprised with how well my race has gone. I felt in control the whole way through and despite some horrendously tough conditions I was able to manage the pace of the race to my advantage. With a lot of rain I knew conditions would be tricky. My start was ok and I was fourth after lap one. A few riders made some mistakes and then suddenly I was in the lead. However, I needed to pit early for fresh goggles and gloves and that dropped me back into second behind Milko. When I got going again I managed to pull him back in quite quickly and once ahead I continued that strong pace until the chequered flag. It feels great to get this win, especially off the back of my Red Bull Knock Out victory and I’m looking forward to keeping that momentum rolling into round four next weekend.”

nathan.watson St Leger de Balson Beach Race
Nathan Watson

The Championnat de France des Sables continues with round four on December 9, 2018.

Results – French Beach Race Series, Round 3

  1. Nathan Watson, KTM, 17 laps 2:39:26.670
  2. Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 2:41:47.330
  3. Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:45:24.490;
  4. Petar Petrov, KTM, 16 laps 2:40:52.881
  5. Maxime Sot, Yamaha, 2:41:22.540

Championship Standings (After round 3)

  1. Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 410pts
  2. Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 375pts
  3. Petar Petrov , KTM, 308pts
  4. Maxime Sot, Yamaha, 292pts
  5. Nathan Watson, KTM, 285pts

Price Ready for Challenging Dakar 19

Former Dakar Champion Toby Price is now in the final stages of preparations ahead of the 2019 Dakar Rally. One final test in Abu Dhabi is now all that stands between the current FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion and the 10-day event being held exclusively in Peru beginning on January 6th 2019.

Toby Price

“It’s going to be a bit of a strange Dakar, the route looks like about 70 percent is in the dunes and it’s going to be a real challenge, certainly no time to relax. In the past there have been days where you can pace yourself and still get a good result by concentrating on navigation and riding smooth – on this one I think it’s going to be flat-out from the very beginning.”

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Josh Strang Signs with Kawasaki

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has announced that Team Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green will field two XC1 class riders in the 2019 GNCC and Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series with former GNCC XC1 Champion and current Full Gas Sprint Enduro Champion Josh Strang being the first to sign for the team.

Josh Strang

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to ride the all-new KX450. It’s exciting to join a team like Kawasaki, who believe in the potential of my riding and my results. I rode Kawasaki’s in Australia for many years before moving to the U.S. to race, so it’s really gone full circle for me. I can’t wait to get back on a brand that helped start my career and continues to provide support, which is a big part of succeeding.”

Kawasaki Team Green Babbitts Online Motorsports
Josh Strang

In addition to the Team Babbitt’s Online racing effort, Kawasaki Team Green will have a lot to offer off-road racers, including a $1.7 million racer rewards program with $427,700 dedicated to the GNCC series.

The Team Green trackside support crew, featuring technical assistance and parts sales for customers will attend seven rounds of the 2019 GNCC series as well as other off-road race events across the country. For GNCC events where the Team Green trackside support crew is not present, the Team Babbitt’s Online semi will have a supply of OEM parts to assist KX customers in need.

To further support our customer, racers can visit their Kawasaki Team Green dealer to earn up to a $1,500 rebate for the purchase of a new 2019 KX model. Kawasaki Team Green dealers have until February 15, 2019 to submit Racer Support applications.

Team Green Manager Ryan Holliday

 “We have been working hard to put these programs together and re-establish our presence in the off-road segment. Having the opportunity to continue our successful relationship with Team Babbitt’s Online and be involved with the GNCC series was an easy decision for us. The combination of having a great new KX450 model, experienced riders and the knowledge of our team staff gives us the potential for success right away.”

 Team Babbitt’s/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green along with the Team Green trackside support crew will take on the treacherous terrain of the Big Buck GNCC season opener in Union, South Carolina on February 24, 2019.

Yamaha Signs Green, Driscoll and Style for 2019

Josh Green, Luke Styke and Michael Driscoll will remain with the Yamaha Active8 Yamalube team for the 2019 Australian Off-Road Championships as well as other major events around Australia.

After winning the Under 19 division for two years running, Michael Driscoll will now make the big step up to the E1 class for 2019.

Michael Driscoll

“I feel like I have a good foundation to enter the professional classes now and confident I can mix it up with the best in the class right from the get go. Having watched closely how someone like Josh prepares himself and seeing the professionalism he approaches his racing enables me to learn that being successful is more than just hanging off the throttle. Being back with AJ (Roberts) and the team is great and we have a really good thing going. The bikes are awesome and we have an awesome group of people around us so hopefully Luke, Josh and myself can all push each other to have an even better season that last.”

Yamaha Active Yamalube Racing AORC Michael
Michael Driscoll

Motocross convert, Luke Styke, proved a revelation in 2018 as he dominated proceedings in the E1 category taking the win in the AORC as well as the A4DE and landing well inside the top five Outright at the majority of the events.

Luke Styke

“Off road was completely new to me this time last year and almost every event I went to I had to learn not just about the bike, the rules or the riding, but also the formats and the fitness required to succeed at the highest level, so it was a lot to take in all at once but I was happy with how the year turned out. But for 2019, I now have that experience, so my time and focus can be on fine tuning my program to get the most from myself and being better again. Last year the goal was to win my class, in 2019, the next step is outright and although Daniel Milner is riding exceptionally well and one of the best riders in the world, there is no point racing if we don’t have him as the bench mark and try and beat him. It will take a lot of work and preparation but the team and I’m already hard at work and looking to make the next step in our performance.”

Yamaha Active Yamalube Racing AORC Luke
Luke Styke

Entering into his eighth season with the Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Team, Josh Green is back and determined to lead the way for the team in 2019.

Josh Green

“I still want to win as much as I did in my first season with AJ and the team. Having Styke and Driscoll in the team benefits me as much as I assist them in that I can use their energy and youthful exuberance to keep me going. Yamaha have been great to work with over the years and I’m 100% a Yamaha guy. I’m proud to represent not only this team but also Yamaha and still believe I’m more than capable of mixing it with anyone in Australian Off Road.”

Yamaha Active Yamalube Racing AORC Josh
Josh Green
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Three More Yamaha Riders Set for 2019 MXGP

JWR Yamaha Racing has confirmed a three-rider team for the 2019 MXGP season with six-time Grand Prix winner, Kevin Strijbos leading the team which will also feature Vsevolod Brylyakov and Anton Gole.

Kevin Strijbos

“I’m really happy to join the JWR Yamaha Racing team. It is a young dynamic team and I will try to help them with my experience if needed. I’m also looking forward to riding the Yamaha 450F, as I have heard a lot of positive things about the bike. I cannot wait to ride it! It seems the circle will close; I started my first MXGP season on a Yamaha 125 in 2001 and it looks like I will also close it on a Yamaha. Of course, I will do my best next year to get the best results possible.”

Kevin Strijbos
Kevin Strijbos to JWR Yamaha Racing in 2019
Vsevolod Brylyakov

“Finally! I am pumped to announce my new deal with JWR Yamaha Racing for the 2019 MXGP season! It is going to be my first year in the MXGP class and to be honest I do feel very excited. After the past two difficult years, with two big injuries, it is not going to be easy to go and race with the strongest and fastest guys in the world, but I am not scared of work and I believe in myself. I am happy to say that I have people who are giving me the same feeling and that is giving me some extra motivation and the will to succeed. Now it is time make some plans, pack my bags and start my trip back to Europe! My knee feels better and stronger day by day. I cannot wait to go and ride this YZ450F!”

Anton Gole

“I am so happy to finally announce my deal with JWR Yamaha Racing. I have known Johan for a couple of years now and I think he is a very driven guy with big dreams and high goals, so I am really excited to join his team. I’m also going to step up to the MXGP class for next year, so to have Vsevolod Brylyakov and Kevin Strijbos as teammates will be awesome. I hope to learn a lot from them. It is going to be a tough challenge to ride in the big-boy class, but I feel really good on the YZ450F and I am really looking forward to it.”

Kirk Gibbs Signs for CDR Yamaha for 2019

The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team unveiled Kirk Gibbs as one of their new rider signings for the 2019 season at the bLU cRU King of the Valley event at Oakdale, NSW, on the weekend.

mx nationals ranch mx saturday practice mx gibbs waiting ImageByScottya
Kirk Gibbs – Image by Scottya

Gibbs has been drafted to the powerful CDR Yamaha team for the 2019 motocross season and his first assignment was to spin some laps at the Oakdale event and was alongside team boss Craig Dack as the club hosted its final event of the year and raised money for injured riders Daniel McCoy and Tyler Darby.

With Dean Ferris deciding to look overseas and Dylan Long’s contract not renewed, Craig Dack has been on the lookout for two new riders to spearhead the teams’ 2019 campaign and he is pleased to reveal the signature of Kirk Gibbs for next season and is excited about what he brings to the team.

Craig Dack

“Kirk comes to us as an experienced racer with the qualities we look for in a professional rider. He is hard-working, dedicated and determined in character as well and talented and focused on racing. We believe surrounding him with the CDR Yamaha staff and on Yamaha machinery, we can elevate Kirk even further and look forward to a strong season from him.”

mx nationals coolum round mx cdr dacka ImageScottYa
CDR Yamaha’s Craig Dack

Gibbs has been a championship contender in the MX Nationals since the 2013 season and highlighted with his championship win in 2015.

Kirk Gibbs

“I think every rider in the pits look at CDR Yamaha as the best in the business as their on-track success and off -track knowledge is unmatched in Australia. So now to be a part of that environment and have such an experienced team to lean on for advice is a big confidence booster and one that I think can push my results even higher. I have only had some initial set up testing on the Yamaha YZ450F and already I feel I have a bike that I can ride well and suited to my style of riding. The power is smooth yet strong and the chassis feels really stable, so I feel we are well-placed already and really look forward to working closely with Craig and his team in 2019.”

mx nationals ranch mx saturday practice mx gibbs ktm ImageByScottya
Kirk Gibbs – Image by Scottya

The first assignment for Gibbs on his new Yamaha YZ450F is to tackle the New Zealand Motocross Championships beginning at the end of January before embarking on his MX nationals campaign starting on March 17.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

2019 Mountain Man Motocross News

Since celebrating the 40th anniversary back in 2016, Toowoomba’s Mountain Man of Motocross has once again cemented itself as one of the most prestigious meetings on the calendar with Kade Mosig, Kirk Gibbs and Dean Ferris all being crowned ‘Mountain Man’ over the last three years.

2019 sees the event run over two days later in February (23/24) after the Toowoomba Motocross Club worked hard to minimize any clashes with both modern and vintage mx events while preparing an all new Echo Valley track which will host modern, vintage, post classic, veteran, female and sidecar racing once again.

Echo Valley was a round of the MX Nationals for many years and was voted as the best round of the 2017 series and the Toowoomba Motocross Club prepares the track as good as it ever has for Mountain Man so this is as good an opportunity you will have to kick your 2019 season off on a positive note – stay tuned for the supp regs.

Metcalfe Heads Honda Campaign in 2019

After a solid 2018 season which saw the veteran score second overall in the Australian Supercross Championship, Honda Australia has confirmed they will continue its partnership with Brett Metcalfe into 2019 motocross and supercross seasons.

Brett Metcalfe

“This year has been rewarding for many reasons, winning a round of supercross was important for me and the team. I am building a trusting home at Penrite Honda, my family is settling in at home in Mannum and I am back in the motherland after 18 years oversees. The bonus was finishing 2nd in the Australian Supercross Championship with a new team and on a new bike. We proved this year we could be competitive in Motocross. We were in the top three several times in races and we scored some podium finishes. As a team we were lacking consistency but we worked on that in the second half of Motocross season and in Supercross we turned a lot of things around which will better prepare us for next year.”

Australian SX Port Adelaide TBG Brett Metcalfe TBG
Brett Metcalfe – Image by TBG

The Penrite Honda team are pleased to have Metcalfe locked in for another year, feeling he is a great fit for their program and hope that he remains with them for the remainder of his career and beyond.

Yarrive Konsky – Penrite Honda Racing Team Director

“Brett and I have formed a trusting an open friendship and this certainly makes it easy to work together. It is astonishing to think he accomplished everything he did when you really know what he has gone through this year, moving his life back to Australia and spending a lot of time apart from his wife. He has such a resilience, something only great athletes have. He has a home at Honda and we believe in his talents, he is a proven asset on and off the track. We want to do this properly and our focus is on Brett. We may have a second rider to do selected rounds of Motocross but this is yet to be decided,”

Said Penrite Honda Racing Team director Yarrive Konsky who is equally excited about the documentary on Brett Metcalfe he has been working on. The documentary titled “Born to Race” is a compelling story.

Australian SX Port Adelaide TBG Brett Metcalfe TBG
Brett Metcalfe claims victory at the Australian Supercross Round 4

At this stage, the team has signed Metcalfe to be their sole Motocross rider and are yet to decide if they will sign a second rider.

Metcalfe left Australia in 2000 to take on the world, he returned full time this year to begin all over again. He and his family have faced real battles and stayed together through love, acceptance and forgiveness. The documentary will be released before the end of the year and shows the making of one of Australia’s true Moto Champions.

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

King of MX 2019 Dates Announced

Motorcycling NSW has confirmed the dates and venues for the 2019 King of MX NSW State Motocross Championship where racers need to enter one of the 6 qualifier events (see schedule below) where the top 6 or 7 finishers in each class earn their Golden Ticket to the final.

Dave Cooke – MNSW CEO

“We really wanted to rebuild the NSW State Motocross Championship into a prestigious event, and I think most will agree that the 2018 King of MX was exactly that. We’re proud of the number of riders that raced at the final in Port Macquarie, as well as the enormous prize purse that we were able to distribute to riders on behalf of our event partners. 2019 is looking to be another strong step forward and we’re excited to announce the dates today and look forward to seeing who enters the chase for the golden ticket.”

NSW King of MX

Once a rider has qualified, they can still ride the other qualifier events but they can’t win another Golden Ticket, so that gives even more riders a chance to qualify. At the final, State Title Champions will be decided over three motos for each class, and some will also earn a spot in the King, Queen, Prince or Princess of MX feature races.

More information will be announced in the coming weeks, including when entries open and supplementary regulations.

King of MX 2019 Dates

  • Qualifier 1 February 16-17 Sydney Region (Appin)
  • Qualifier 2 March 2-3 Northern Region (Moree)
  • Qualifier 3 March 23-24 Central West (Condobolin)
  • Qualifier 4 April 6-7 Riverina (Leeton)
  • Qualifier 5 April 20-21 Southern Region (Canberra)
  • Qualifier 6 May 18-19 Hunter Region (Maitland)
  • FINAL June Long Weekend 8-9-10 Goulburn

Weston Peick Up-Date – Good News

The first images of Weston Peick after his crash in France were released this week via his instagram page with this update on his progress:

Weston Peick

“Well this has been one hell of an injury I can’t explain how much suffering has gone on over the last two weeks. I had well over 10 fractures throughout my face requiring three surgeries. But it’s finally turning for the better I’m walking around slowly and getting my body moving again, I’ll be flying back home to the states Tuesday. Huge shout out to Road To Recovery and everyone that has made donations to help this long positive journey to get back on my bike. I can’t thank my family and friends enough for their prayers and positive thoughts. Big thanks to all the people here in France that have made my stay easier and more suitable for my family.”

Peick hospita
Weston Peick
Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News | NZ SX-Open | Winter Olympics | Peick Update

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Moto News Weekly Wrap

November 27, 2018

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

What Went Down Last Weekend?

  • New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland
  • Winter Olympics (Mini Os) – Gatorback Cycle Park – Alachua, FL
  • Weston Peick In Bad Shape
  • Husqvarna Announces AMA Team
  • Max Whale Set for AFT
  • A4DE Heads to Moruya in 2019
  • What Racing is Left for 2018?

New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland

Chad Reed and Dakota Alix have won the SX1 and SX2 classes respectively at the inaugural New Zealand SX-Open which was held in front of a heathy Auckland crowd at Mt Smart Stadium last Saturday night.

AUS X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship SX Start
New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland

Reed managed three holeshots and three race wins to earn the overall win ahead of Hayden Mellross and Dean Wilson who had the inaugural FIM Oceania Championship in the bag until a fried clutch cost the Scot serious points in the final moto.

It was classic Reed who rode with a steely determination to win all three feature races to eventually win the FIM Oceania Championship.

Chad Reed

“Oh man, I’m so stoked to become the first ever FIM Oceania Supercross Champion! Coming back to NZ is always awesome, this crowd was amazing and for me, I’d love to be back and defend my title and supporting this championship. We had some epic battles in Sydney and tonight in Auckland and with that bit of rain in the morning I just rubbed my hands together and everything just came together today.”

AUS X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship SX Podium Reed
New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland – SX1 Podium

Mellross scored a solid second overall ahead of the luckless Wilson who in end got the nod over Christian Craig, Justin Brayton, Luke Clout, Jackson Richardson. Jay Wilson. Lawson Bopping and Dylan Long.

After a solid third place at the AUS-X Open in Sydney Dan Reardon was also in the hunt for the championship until the Yamaha rider injured his ankle during qualifying before Brett Metcalfe hurt his wrist after crashing in the first moto.

AUS X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship SX Dakota Alix
New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland

In the SX2 class, it was American ace Dakota Alix who took the spoils form long retired but still fast Aussie Ryan Marmont with local Kiwi Josiah Natzke claiming the final podium spot.

With no Supercross series in New Zealand, it was a huge challenge for Natzke on the world-class track but the youngster was up to the challenge to finish as the fastest Kiwi for the event.

AUS X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship SX Ryan Marmont
New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland – Ryan Marmont
Josiah Natzke

“Us Kiwi’s don’t have Supercross so this event means a lot really, I think there were lots of people here tonight who don’t have anything to do with moto so it’s just good for the whole thing, it’s good for the riders, the young people coming here, there are heaps of young kids out here tonight, so it’s just mint for everyone.”

AUS X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship SX Josiah Natzke
New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland

Kiwi ace Ben Townley put on a show for his home crowd, going bar-to-bar with rival Ronnie Mac to win the Boost Mobile International Showdown.

Ben Townley

“The showdown went to plan, Ronnie jumped the gun as I expected so I had to trail him all the way to the last corner, and was able to sneak up the inside and just pile drive him into the dirt and yeah that was it, he was on the floor and I was able to get the victory for the ANZACs. This event just goes to show that motorsport as a whole, there’s appeal for events of this calibre and I know there were Kiwi kids in the stands tonight dreaming of being the next Chad Reed in the future so the sport is bright for us, we just need to capitalise on the success of this event.”

AUS X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship SX Start
New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland

SX1 Overall

  1. Chad Reed – 75
  2. Hayden Mellross – 58
  3. Dean Wilson – 58
  4. Christian Craig – 51
  5. Justin Brayton – 50
  6. Luke Clout – 50
  7. Jackson Richardson – 41
  8. Jay Wilson – 40
  9. Lawson Bopping – 36
  10. Dylan Long – 34
  11. Rickie Girdwood – 25
  12. Dylan Wills – 23
  13. Joshua Kilvington – 23
  14. Chris Camlleri – 14
  15. Josh Hansen – 12
  16. Blake Lilly – 9
AUS X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship SX Dakota Alix Ryan Marmont Podium
New Zealand Supercross – SX-Open – Auckland – SX2 Podium

SX2 Overall

  1. Dakota Alix
  2. Ryan Marmont
  3. Josiah Natzke
  4. Ethan Martens
  5. Logan Blackburn

Winter Olympics (Mini Os) – Gatorback Cycle Park – Alachua, FL

The annual Winter Olympics/Mini Os at Garorback Cycle Park in Florida has been run over five days last week with some of the hottest young riders in America competing including Aussie Jett Lawrence who had his first hit out on American soil for the Amsoil Honda team. Below are the top three from all of the classes for the Supercross and Motocross events.

Mini Os Winter Olympics
2018 Winter Olympics Poster

Supercross

250 A

  1. Pierce Brown KTM
  2. Hardy Munoz Husq
  3. Jalek Swoll Husq

250 PRO Sport

  1. Jalek Swoll Husq
  2. Jo Shimoda Hon
  3. Hardy Munoz Husq

250 B

  1. Ty Masterpool Yam
  2. Stilez Robertson Kaw
  3. Dilan Schwartz Suz

250 B Limited

  1. Colton Eigenmann Yam
  2. Jace Kessler Husq
  3. Jeremy Ryan KTM

450 A

  1. Hardy Munoz Husq
  2. Pierce Brown KTM
  3. Jalek Swoll Husq

450 PRO Sport

  1. Pierce Brown KTM
  2. Carter Halpain Yam
  3. Jalek Swoll Husq

450 B

  1. Jarrett Frye Suz
  2. Ty Masterpool Yam
  3. Devin Simonson Yam

450 B Limited

  1. Colton Eigenmann Yam
  2. Devin Simonson Yam
  3. Joshua Strickland Hon

Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C

  1. Gage Linville KTM
  2. Jeremy Ryan KTM
  3. TJ Uselman Yam

Schoolboy 2 (13-17) B/C

  1. Jarrett Frye Suz
  2. Ty Masterpool Yam
  3. Dilan Schwartz Suz

Supermini 1 (12-15)

  1. Gavin Thomas KTM
  2. Evan Ferry Husq
  3. Nicholas Romano Kaw

Supermini 2 (13-16)

  1. Crockett Myers Husq
  2. Bryce Shelley Husq
  3. Larry Reyes TM

Motocross

250 A

  1. Carter Halpain 2-1 Yam
  2. Jalek Swoll 1-3 Husq
  3. Jett Lawrence 4-2 Hon

250 PRO Sport

  1. Jalek Swoll 1-3 Husq
  2. Carter Halpain 6-1 Yam
  3. Zane Merrett 7-2 KTM

250 B

  1. Jarrett Frye 1-1 Suz
  2. Stilez Robertson 2-3 Kaw
  3. Dylan Schwartz 1-4 Suz

250 B Limited

  1. Kaeden Kniffing 1-1 KTM
  2. Seth Brown 4-3 KTM
  3. Chandler Baker 3-4 Yam

450 A

  1. Jalek Swoll 3-1 Husq
  2. Zane Merrett 2-3 KTM
  3. Parker Mashburn 1-6 KTM

450 PRO SPORT

  1. Carter Halpain 3-2 Yam
  2. Jalek Swoll 2-3 Husq
  3. Jo Shimoda 5-1 Hon

450 B

  1. Jarrett Frye 2-1 Suz
  2. Ty Masterpool 1-2 Yam
  3. Devin Simonson 2-4 Yam

450 B Limited

  1. Dirco VD Westhui 1-3 Yam
  2. Devin Simonson 5-1 Yam
  3. Tristan Lewis 6-2 Suz

Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C

  1. Nathanel Thrasher 1-1 KTM
  2. Gage Linville 2-3 KTM
  3. Slade Smith 4-2 KTM

Schoolboy 2 (13-17) B/C

  1. Jarrett Frye 1-2 Suz
  2. Ty Masterpool 3-1 Yam
  3. Stilez Robertson 1-4 Kaw

Supermini 1 (12-15)

  1. Nicholas Romano 1-1 Kaw
  2. Evan Ferry 2-3 Husq
  3. Bryce Shelly 7-2 Husq

Supermini 2 (13-16)

  1. Hunter Yoder 2-2 Hon
  2. Jackson Craig 3-3 KTM
  3. Nicholas Romano 6-1 Kaw

Weston Peick in Bad Shape

Road 2 Recovery has released further details regarding Weston Peick’s injuries sustained at the Paris Supercross over the weekend, which you can read in full below.

Encinitas, Calif. – AutoTrader/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider Weston Peick underwent an extensive first surgery late last night at the hospital he was transported to after is collision with another rider during opening night of the 2018 Paris Supercross.

Peick was heavily sedated to help relieve the extreme pain from his injuries and post-op surgeries. His first successful surgery was to fix the multiple nose, eye and other facial fractures including two breaks in his jaw and dual dislocation of the jaw bone from his skull. His injuries are extensive and very serious but the doctors have confirmed no brain or spinal damage has occurred, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Peick is now awake and under minor sedation to help offset the tremendous pain he is in.

Peick Paris
Weston Peick before injury in Paris

His physicians are assessing his status and starting phase two of his treatment to determine the timeline for his second surgery.

Peick, his father Louie, fiancée Kelly, and mechanic Travis are with him as he recovers from his first surgery. Being so far away from home, the medical care they are accustom to, and the language barrier is making the recovery process a bit more difficult on everyone.

Staying in France for the second surgery will be a long and expensive process. It is the only option for him, as air transfer is not a safe option yet, due to the trauma he sustained to his face. Peick is expected to undergo his second surgery within seven days from now with a hopeful US transfer date of ten days post-opt making that an expected home arrival around early December. Once he is medically released, both his Paris doctors and US surgeons are expecting him to require medical assisted air transport to safely fly. The total cost to transport him back home to the states is projected around $104,000.00, this is not including the bills from his projected three weeks in the hospital.

The extended international hospital stay, two surgeries, and medically necessary assisted air transfer are accumulating towering medical bills that Peick’s international and US insurance policies will not cover 100% of. Longtime supporter of Road 2 Recovery, Peick is now in need of our support. Road 2 Recovery’s board members have approved a grant to contribute to the funds needed to get Weston back home. The medical bills are projected to be far greater than his insurance and the R2R grant can cover. A R2R-Fund has been set up to get him back home. You can help support Weston by making a tax deductible donation to this link https://road2recovery.com/cause-view/weston-peick/. All funds raised will go towards his substantial medical bills and the medical air transport.

The Peick family’s main goal is to get Weston back home to the States as safely as possible so he can get back to doing what he loves most, racing. Weston’s road back to racing will be a long and difficult one; but one that will be achievable with the support from family, friends, and fans. Any contribution towards Peick’s R2R-Fund is greatly apricated and will go a long way. He and his family are very grateful for all the love, prayer and positive thoughts everyone has sent his way.

Weston Peick Suzuki
Weston Peick

[UPDATE: NOVEMBER 25]

Weston Peick is recovering nicely at Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière after a seven hour surgery to address his multiple facial fractures that concluded late yesterday evening. This surgery went longer than expected due to the extensive trauma to and around his eyes and nose. According to Peick’s doctors his second surgery was a success. They were able to repair all the damage he sustained and expect to remove his tracheostomy tube as early as Tuesday, November 27th. With a possible release date as early as Friday, November 30th if he meets all release requirements.

Due to the successfully second surgery that had no complications and the proficient surgically staff, once the tracheostomy tube is removed Peick will be cleared for non-medical assisted air transport. He will be required to have non-assisted commercial air transport but that will be a fraction of the expected cost.

Peick will have a long road to a full recovery once he’s back in California. According to his Paris surgeons, the damage he sustained to his right eye will require treatment from a specialist and he will need another less invasive nose surgery once the swelling has gone down.

Peick has had some of the best care possible during this trying time mainly due to the fast response of Eric Peronnard and everyone involved with the Paris Supercross. Louie Peick, Weston’s father and fiancé Kelly would like to thank everyone that has donated to his cause and have sent positive messages and prayers. With this support for Weston, its one less thing that they will have to focus on.

Husqvarna Announces AMA Team

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna has announced its 2019 off-road racing factory team and it includes GNCC contender Thad DuVall, EnduroCross Champion Colton Haaker and GNCC rising star Trevor Bollinger.

The surprise is seeing the familiar name of Andrew Short on the list. Short, the long-time veteran of AMA Supercross and Motocross, now has a career in international rally racing. This year, he’ll continue doing those rally races but also compete domestically in the WORCS (World Off-Road Championship Series).

Andrew Short

“I am really excited to join the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team and to race the WORCS series. I think it’s something that has become a big passion of mine. The off-road community is unique and how they approach racing is really cool. With my motocross background and continuing to race rally, I feel like off-road is a great combination of the two and I am hoping to find a lot of success doing it!”

Andrew Short Rally racing
Andrew Short

Haaker recently won his second career AMA EnduroCross Championship and will return to defend that title next year, as well as try to take another FIM SuperEnduro Championship in Europe.

Colton Haaker

“I am looking forward to 2019 and continuing to win races as well as championships,” says Haaker. “In the later part of 2018, I had a comeback season and was able to regain the Endurocross championship, that was lost the year prior. My goal is to continue the success and put my Rockstar Energy Husqvarna FX 350 up front where it belongs!”

AMA EnduroCross Boise Colton Haaker TY A
Colton Haaker – Image by Tanner Yeager

DuVall won four races in GNCC this year and has finished second in points to Kailub Russell the last two seasons.

Thad DuVall

“I am super pumped to get the 2019 season started and am looking forward to another awesome ride on my FX 350. I have had a great two years running up front, but it is time for a championship.”

Thad Duvall - Image by Simon Cudby
Thad Duvall – Image by Simon Cudby

Bollinger won the GNCC XC2 Championship two years ago and finished fourth in XC1 points this season.

Trevor Bollinger

“I am excited to be riding for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team. It is a real honor to be working with such a professional group and I look forward to a great 2019 season.”

Max Whale Set for AFT

17-year-old Max Whale from Coondoo QLD, has secured a ride with Weirbach Racing for the 2019 AFT Singles Championship on the all new Kawasaki KX450.

Max Whale

“I am really excited to join Weirbach Racing for the 2019 season, I’m looking forward to working with a great group of guys with plenty of experience. My goals for 2019 are to run in the top 5 consistently and to reach the top step of the podium at a national race. I’m thrilled to be riding the 2019 Kawasaki KX450; this is the best KX I’ve ever ridden. With a year underneath my belt in the AFT series I’m ready to build on that experience and keep progressing.”

Max Whale
Max Whale

The team is busy building, preparing and testing motorcycles over the winter months, with its sights aimed at a successful 2019 season.

Weirbach Racing is run by Ted Weirbach and his father Dick Weirbach. Dick is a veteran of the flat track scene for better than 35 years. He ran as a novice in the late 60’s and owned a Bultaco motorcycle shop for eight years. Weirbach racing was founded in 2000 and is committed to the success and development of up and coming professional riders.

In 2009, the inaugural year of the AMA Pro Singles Championship, Weirbach Racing’s James “the Rocket” Rispoli took second place overall and in 2011 Mikey Martin won the Pro Singles Championship. Other notables to ride for Dick & Ted are Briar Bauman, Bronson Bauman, Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, Aaron King, Jesse Janisch, and Davey Durelle and Rob Pearson.

A4DE Heads to Moruya in 2019

Rolling into 2019 after an outstanding 2018 ISDE, Motorcycling Australia has revealed that the 41st edition of the Australian Four Day Enduro will return to the far South Coast of New South Wales, in Moruya from the 1st to the 4th of May and will be hosted by the MNSW Enduro Committee and Far South Coast Motorcycle Club.

It’s not since 2006 that the A4DE has been held in the Bateman’s Bay area, where Mogo played host to an action packed four days that was hailed as one of the best editions of A4DE in years. Following on from an emotional 40th anniversary earlier in 2018, next year’s edition is set to be bigger and better than ever, as reflected in Australia’s success over in Chile for the 2018 ISDE.

The top Masters riders about to head off on Day 3
A4DE 2018

Bringing the World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy back “down under” was no small feat, and included the likes of Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders, Lyndon Snodgrass and Jessica Gardiner who will all feature as competitors at Moruya. The 2019 edition of the A4DE will showcase the current world class talent residing in Australia, whilst also providing the perfect platform on which new contenders can experience the second largest off-road sanctioned event internationally.

Conceived in 1978, the A4DE is renowned for its fierce competition nationwide, and the Moruya location will provide a picturesque backdrop for the highly anticipated event! Parc ferme will be located at the Moruya Showgrounds. The event will include excellent spectator vantage points, plus easy access from the township.

What Racing is Left for 2018?

So, Chad wraps up another title while the annual Mini Os is done and dusted for another year BUT there is still a couple of races to go for 2018 – see the list of the remaining events for 2018 below:

  • Australasia
    • New Zealand Supercross Championships:
      • Dec 1 – South Waikato
      • Dec 15 – Southland
  • America
    • 2018 Day in the Dirt – Nov. 24-26 – Glen Helen, CA
  • Europe
    • Geneva Supercross – Nov. 30/Dec. 1 – Switzerland
    • French Sand Championship
      • Dec 2 – Rd3 – Saint Leger de Balson
      • Dec 9 – Rd4 – Hossegor
      • Jan 6 – Rd5 – Grayan-et-L’Hopital
      • Jan 27 – Rd6 – Le Touquet
Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au