After many months of enforced inactivity, competitors finally got the chance to turn a wheel in anger over a nine-kilometre super special to decide the start order for tomorrow’s first stage, with Australia’s Toby Price and Daniel Sanders taking Red Bull KTM Factory Racing to a strong start for Stage 1.
As informed observers of the super special won’t have failed to notice, not only are all the factory teams – Monster Energy Honda, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, GasGas Factory Racing, Sherco TVS Rally, Hero Motorsports Rally, Monster Yamaha Rally – present, many of them have been busy recruiting new talent.
Run right next to the rally’s hacienda bivouac, the prologue super special victory went to Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with rookie teammate Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), while Yamaha’s new recruit Ross Branch (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally) was third.
Matthias Walkner was fourth, marking another KTM Rally Factory Team rider in the top five, with Andrew Short fifth and Luciano Benavides sixth, as top Husqvarna Factory Racing rider. Jamie McCanney, Franco Caimi and Adrien Van Beveren were seventh, eighth and ninth respectively, with Sebastian Buehler the final rider in the top 10 for Hero Motorsports Team Rally.
Australian Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders, astonished the off-road world by heading over to Europe last year and winning the ISDE aboard a 500 and since then has been on a number of team manager’s shopping lists.
Daniel Sanders
“I’ve been training with the team for the last three weeks and already its been a massive learning curve. The terrain around here looks awesome and I’m really excited to race my first rally. Obviously I’ve got a lot to learn but if I can pick things up as quickly as Toby (Price) I’ll be well happy. I’m really stoked to have finished equal first with him on the super special. Just hope I don’t have to open tomorrow!”
Adding, “What a cool way to start Rally #2 prologue. Finished on the same second as fellow mulleteer Toby Price – The lowest number gets to start first, a 3 min gap behind him for the start tomorrow. I am planning to try and not get lost and to focus on my navigation skill. At the end of the day I’m here just to learn and to finish to qualify for Dakar.”
The bike team with the biggest change of personnel is undoubtedly the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team with the winner of the last Rallye du Maroc, Andrew Short moving over to the French based team. He has been joined by another recent promising arrival on the rally scene, Ross Branch. If factory contracts are nothing new to ‘Shorty’ they are an unexpected pleasure for his Botswanan teammate.
Ross Branch
“I’m really excited to be on the race and super happy to be with the team. It is a dream come true for me. On Dakar 2020 I was thinking it was probably my last rally. It was getting really complicated for me as a privateer to keep raising the money, but now that stress has been taken off me and I can just concentrate on the racing. Finishing third on the super special is a good way of starting my ‘professional’ career.”
It isn’t just the factory teams who’ve been busy recruiting, with top privateer outfit HT Rally also upping their game by bringing aboard none other than experienced rally rider Xavier de Soultrait and three times enduro world champion David Knight.
For the Monster Energy Honda Team, Ricky Brabec set off from first place, without references ahead, to tackle the opening kilometres of the Andalucia Rally prologue, eventually going on to post eleventh place, just twelve seconds adrift of the day’s fastest time. Very narrow gaps separated the frontrunners with several riders finishing within the same second. Joan Barreda finished just one second behind his American team-mate.
Argentine Kevin Benavides rode at a pace similar to his Monster Energy Honda Team squad-mates and took fourteenth position, one second off Barreda. José Ignacio Cornejo conceded some 35 seconds to the leader of the general standings, finishing in 21st position.
2020 Andalucia Rally – Super Special Stage Results
Pos.
Rider
Nation
Team
Time/Gap
1
PRICE, Toby
AUS
Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team
6’29
2
SANDERS, Daniel
AUS
Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team
+0’0
3
EVAN BRANCH, Ross
BWA
Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team
+0’03
4
WALKNER, Matthias
AUT
Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team
+0’04
5
SHORT, Andrew
USA
Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team
+0’06
6
BENAVIDES, Luciano
ARG
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
+0’06
7
MCCANNEY, Jamie
GBR
Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team
+0’06
8
CAIMI, Franco
ARG
Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team
+0’09
9
VAN BEVEREN, Adrien
FRA
Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team
+0’10
10
BUEHLER, Sebastian
POR
Hero Motorsports Team Rally
+0’11
11
BRABEC, Ricky
USA
Monster Energy Honda Team
+0’12
12
BARREDA, Joan
SPA
Monster Energy Honda Team
+0’13
13
SANTOLINO, Lorenzo
SPA
Sherco TVS Rally Factory
+0’13
14
BENAVIDES, Kevin
ARG
Monster Energy Honda Team
+0’14
15
DE SOULTRAIT, Xavier
FRA
HT Husqvarna Rally Team
+0’14
Air bag testing underway at 2020 Andalucia Rally
Away from the musical chairs, the big talking point in the bike class is the introduction of air bags. Adapted from those used in MotoGP, they won’t actually be compulsory on this event but will be on the next Dakar. To let the competitors try them out, no less than five different models are available for competitors to test. Ever since airbags first appeared in road racing, engineers have been looking at ways of adapting them to rally-raid, but the particularities of off-road riding hasn’t made the process straight forward. The man in charge of bring it all together is ASO’s vastly experienced technical expert Thierry Viadot:
Thierry Viadot
“Here in Andalusia all the competitors have the possibility to test airbags that have been approved by the FIM for the next Dakar. These have been adapted for off-road use by incorporating passive security to protect the rider’s chest and back, which will inevitably increase body temperature. That however isn’t the principle hurdle to overcome. For me the major problem is defining the parameters for when the airbag deploys, as a function of the degree of shock and speed. The only way to accumulate the necessary data is to start using them now and in a few months the algorithms will have made considerable progress. Until that data has been collected and processed it is possible that airbags may deploy when not desired. But we just have to accept that if we want to progress.”
Next Up: Stage 1
The bikes go directly into the Stage 1 with David Castera explaining, “We will show the competitors pretty much all the types of terrain they will encounter on this rally. There will be some technical going at the start, a bit of sand over 30-40 kms, some more open tracks, alternating with more narrowing piste. Then in the last property crossed, on the final 40 kilometres, it’ll be more technical again, with some vegetation.”
Wednesday, sees the first full stage of the Andalucia Rally which will feature a total of 240 kilometres of timed special (two specials made up of 130 and 110 kilometres respectively) and a liaison of about 70 kilometres connecting the start and finish in Villamartín.
Jaimon Lidsey FIM Speedway Under-21 World Champion 2020 Torun SGP Round Seven
Almost four years to the day after he won the Under 21 Speedway World Championship, Mansfield’s Max Fricke admits he has realised “a childhood dream” after roaring to his first-ever FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory at FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round seven on Friday.
Another Aussie also achieved a childhood dream overnight with Jaimon Lidsey being crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Champion.
Lidsey, 21-years-old from Red Cliffs, has had a sensational European season and was calculated in his heat races during the Under 21 World Championship event last night scoring 3,3,3,2,3,3,3 on his run to the final.
While expectations were high for other riders to take the title, the young Victorian with plenty of Aussie grit held the best for last dominating the Final from the drop of the gate to now join a long list of Australian World Speedway Champions.
In Poland Fricke topped the FIM Speedway GP podium ahead of title-chasing trio Maciej Janowski, Tai Woffinden and series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik. With the victory Fricke, 24, became the seventh Australian who can boast winning the elite SGP joining Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, Jason Doyle, Chris Holder, Ryan Sullivan and Darcy Ward.
Zmarzlik overcame a crash in heat five to reach the semi-finals. He now just needs to reach the final of the title-deciding round eight on Saturday night to become Poland’s first double world champion after registering 14 points, giving him an eight-point cushion over nearest rival Woffinden in second spot.
But the night belonged to Fricke, who raced to 10 points in his heats, before delivering one of the rides on the season to pass Janowski and Fredrik Lindgren in semi-final one. He then made a world-class start in the final to leave three of the sport’s finest trailing and crown the greatest victory of his career so far.
The Wroclaw racer says he realised a boyhood dream as he enjoyed the Australian national anthem atop the Torun podium.
Max Fricke
“It’s unbelievable. I think it will take a while for it to sink in. I have been to Torun before and watched GPs. To win a GP has been a childhood dream for almost as long as I can remember – since I started racing. To actually be here and get a Grand Prix win is great. I have had a tough start to this year, so to have a win is unbelievable. I was doing everything I could to stay in front. I could hear Magic behind me. I just picked up a little too much right at the end. But I managed to bring it across the line. It was great to be on the podium with Tai and Magic. They are both great friends and we obviously ride together in Wroclaw. It was a really cool podium and great to be up there with some good friends.”
Fricke nearly threw victory away when he lifted dramatically on the run to the line. He was delighted to lead a Wroclaw one-two-three on the rostrum.
Fricke wasn’t the only Aussie star to claim a huge international victory tonight. His former Belle Vue team mate Jaimon Lidsey was crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner at Czech track Pardubice.
Runner-up Janowski was delighted to be back on the SGP rostrum for the third time this season. Third-placed Woffinden raced to his third podium finish on the bounce.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Torun – Round 7 Results
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Max Fricke
20
2
Maciej Janowski
18
3
Tai Woffinden
16
4
Bartosz Zmarzlik
14
5
Emil Sayfutdinov
12
6
Fredrik Lindgren
11
7
Martin Vaculik
10
8
Leon Madsen
9
9
Artem Laguta
8
10
Jason Doyle
7
11
Matej Zagar
6
12
Jack Holder
5
13
Patryk Dudek
4
14
Mikkel Michelsen
3
15
Antonio Lindback
2
16
Niels-Kristian Iversen
1
2020 Torun SGP Round Eight
Polish hero Bartosz Zmarzlik was elated to join the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series’ elite club of back-to-back world champions after winning the FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round eight on Saturday.
Zmarzlik was crowned Poland’s first-ever double world champion when he finished second in semi-final one – reaching the final he needed to put the sport’s biggest prize beyond Great Britain icon Tai Woffinden and Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren.
Woffinden won a run-off with Lindgren for the silver medal after the pair tied on 117-points, but the season belongs to Zmarzlik, who topped the standings on 133, winning four of this year’s eight rounds along the way.
He crowned an epic season with victory in Torun, seeing off fellow countryman Maciej Janowski, Artem Laguta and Lindgren in the final. Zmarzlik is only the third rider to retain the world title in the SGP era, following in the footsteps of SGP greats.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“Now I have followed some big heroes in speedway in winning back-to-back titles – Tony Rickardsson and Nicki Pedersen. It’s a great feeling and I don’t know what to say now. I don’t believe it at this moment. Wow! For me it is an unbelievable night. For the second year, I am number one in the world, and that’s really nice. It was a really hard day for me mentally. After yesterday and the crash in my second race, I wasn’t feeling so good in my body. But what an amazing race I had in the semi-final! I am happy I am a two-time world champion. Last season I could not have dreamed of this result. But again I am number one and for me it is unbelievable. Wow! What a night for me and the Polish fans! It’s unbelievable. I won the final again and that’s so nice. I don’t know what to say now. I can’t believe it at this moment, but maybe soon I will take in what I have done today.”
World Championship runner-up Woffinden admitted 2020 has not been his year, but he was heartened to reach the SGP rostrum for the sixth time in eight seasons since he rejoined the series in 2013.
Tai Woffinden
“I am not on form. I have not been on form all year. It’s super frustrating. But on the flip side, when Tai Woffinden is out of form, I am still in the top three in the world. You have seen that over the years. When I am on form, I am world champion. I want to say a massive thanks to everyone at home for watching and supporting me. The fire is burning for next year – massively. You learn more by losing. When you win, you win. You don’t know how you did it. Many world champions can say the same thing. I have learned a lot – physically, mentally, nutritionally and with stuff on my bikes.”
Lindgren would have sealed the silver medal with a top-three finish on the night, but he suffered a mechanical failure at the start line in the final, forcing him into a run-off with Woffinden, which the Brit won.
The Orebro-born ace revealed a curburettor issue halted him at the cruellest of moments. But he takes heart from matching the bronze medal he achieved in 2018 and was pleased to mount a strong title challenge throughout 2020.
2020 Speedway of Nations heads to Lublin
While SGP 2020 has concluded, world championship racing returns in less than two weeks when the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final takes place in Lublin on October 16 and 17. Hosts Poland face world champions Russia, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain and the Czech Republic in the ultimate test of team riding.
The Final was switched from Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium due to increased Covid-19 control measures across the UK, with the venue now staging the 2021 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final.
This year’s title-decider is set to take place at one of the sport’s fastest-growing clubs. Motor Lublin staged Polish Second Division action as recently as 2017, before back-to-back promotions saw them join the PGE Ekstraliga for the first time in 2019.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Torun – Round 8 Results
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Maciej Janowski
18
3
Artem Laguta
16
4
Fredrik Lindgren
14
5
Tai Woffinden
12
6
Jason Doyle
11
7
Leon Madsen
10
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
9
9
Antonio Lindback
8
10
Jack Holder
7
11
Patryk Dudek
6
12
Martin Vaculik
5
13
Max Fricke
4
14
Matej Zagar
3
15
Mikkel Michelsen
2
16
Niels-Kristian Iversen
1
17
Viktor Trofymov
0
18
Igor Kopec-Sobczynski
DNR.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
133
2
Tai Woffinden
117+3
3
Fredrik Lindgren
117+2
4
Maciej Janowski
107
5
Leon Madsen
89
6
Jason Doyle
87
7
Artem Laguta
84
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
81
9
Martin Vaculik
78
10
Max Fricke
64
11
Matej Zagar
46
12
Patryk Dudek
39
13
Niels-Kristian Iversen
32
14
Mikkel Michelsen
32
15
Antonio Lindback
22
16
Gleb Chugunov
16
17
Jack Holder
12
18
Anders Thomsen
10
19
Vaclav Milik
1
20
Eduard Krcmar
1
2020 Speedway GP Wild Cards Announced
FIM Speedway Grand Prix quartet Artem Laguta, Emil Sayfutdinov, Martin Vaculik and Max Fricke all return for SGP 2021, while Denmark’s Anders Thomsen joins the sport’s elite after next season’s permanent wild cards were revealed.
Thomsen takes his place in the full World Championship field for the first time after enjoying a stellar 2020 campaign, which culminated in him winning his first Danish Championship at Vojens last Wednesday.
Russia’s double Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations winner Laguta has also enjoyed a season to remember after topping the podium at the SGP opener in Wroclaw, before finishing third in last night’s FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round eight to claim seventh spot in the final standings.
His international team mate Sayfutdinov finished eighth in this year’s championship, as well as topping the PGE Ekstraliga averages in Poland on 2.557 points per race – just ahead of Laguta in second, who recorded 2.479.
Slovakian star Vaculik secures a return after claiming ninth spot overall, reaching six out of eight semi-finals as well as enjoying a strong season for Zielona Gora.
Double Australian champion Fricke returns for his second full SGP season on the back of a sensational victory in Friday’s FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP round seven – the first win of his World Championship career in only his second final. He finished 10th in this season’s standings.
The wild-card selections are joined by this year’s top six – Poland’s first double world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, Great Britain’s triple world champion Tai Woffinden, Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren, Polish ace Maciej Janowski, Danish racer Leon Madsen and Australia’s 2017 world champion Jason Doyle.
Great Britain shooting star Robert Lambert also earned automatic qualification after winning this year’s Speedway European Championship.
The line-up is completed by the top three from this year’s GP Challenge in Gorican – five-time SGP winner Matej Zagar, Swedish debutant Oliver Berntzon and former world No.2 Krzysztof Kasprzak. The list of SGP 2021 substitute riders will be revealed soon.
2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix Line-Up (in FIM ranking order – rider numbers to be confirmed):
Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
Maciej Janowski (Poland)
Leon Madsen (Denmark)
Jason Doyle (Australia)
Artem Laguta (Russia)
Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia)
Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
Max Fricke (Australia)
Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
Anders Thomsen (Denmark)
Oliver Berntzon (Sweden)
Krzysztof Kasprzak (Poland)
Robert Lambert (Great Britain)
Jaimon Lidsey nabs 2021 SGP reserve spot
Aleksandr Loktaev could become the first Ukrainian to appear in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series as he heads the list of SGP 2021 substitute stars.
The Lodz rider, currently seventh in the Polish First Division average charts on 2.111 points per race, stormed agonisingly close to SGP qualification at the GP Challenge in Gorican, Croatia on August 22.
Australian shooting star Jaimon Lidsey is next in line as the second substitute rider. He was crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner in Pardubice on Friday night.
Polish young gun Dominik Kubera finished second in that meeting and is named as third substitute, while Latvia’s Olegs Mihailovs took third place and is named as fourth SGP reserve.
Great Britain racer Dan Bewley is named as SGP fifth substitute, with World Longtrack champion Lukas Fienhage of Germany sixth reserve and the Czech Republic’s Jan Kvech rounding off the list at No.7.
2020 SGP Substitutes
S1. Aleksandr Loktaev (Ukraine)
S2. Jaimon Lidsey (Australia)
S3. Dominik Kubera (Poland)
S4. Olegs Mihailovs (Latvia)
S5. Dan Bewley (Great Britain)
S6. Lukas Fienhage (Germany)
S7. Jan Kvech (Czech Republic)
Toby Price & Daniel Sanders all set for 2020 Andalucia Rally
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team of Toby Price, Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner are ready to take on the 2020 Andalucia Rally. In their first competitive rally since the Dakar back in January, the team will be joined in Spain by KTM Factory Racing’s newest signing Daniel Sanders, who will be making his debut rally appearance.
Held in the south of Spain from October 6 to 10, the Andalucia Rally will challenge riders over five demanding days of racing. A short Super Special Stage will decide the start order for the first full day of rallying, with the four main legs made up of looped stages based around the bivouac town of Villamartin. With the event covering a total of over 1,300 kilometers, competitors will face 1,030 km of timed specials, the longest of which being on stage three – a demanding 300-kilometre route covering the dry, rocky tracks to the east of Sevilla.
Following his podium result at the 2020 Dakar Rally, Toby Price returned home to Australia where he kept himself busy riding and working on bikes whenever possible. Now with racing starting up again with the Andalucia Rally, Price is keen to make the best use of the time on his KTM 450 RALLY and prepare for the 2021 Dakar Rally.
Toby Price
“It’s certainly been a tough time for everyone since January – the whole world has been turned upside down, but we’re doing the best we can considering. I’m really thankful that the organizers have managed to arrange this rally in Spain, and we get to go racing again. After all, it’s what we love to do! It’s been good to get back out on the bike with the team and now we just need to do our best in Andalucia and learn what we can before the big one next January.”
Making his first rally appearance for the KTM Factory Racing team, enduro star and outright ISDE winner Daniel Sanders is confident, yet fully aware of the challenge ahead of him. Undoubtedly fast offroad, as seen in his Australian desert racing successes, the 26-year-old will use the event to gain invaluable experience with the navigation required for top-level rally competition. Sanders travelled to Europe in September to spend time with KTM Rally Team Manager Jordi Viladoms and get up to speed with both his KTM 450 RALLY and essential road book techniques – he now has a chance to put that newly-found knowledge into practice.
Daniel Sanders
“I’m only a few weeks into my rally career and it’s a really different experience. It’s exciting though, I’m learning every day and I’ve been working on my road book skills a lot. Learning the bike is new for me as well, and I have to thank my team manager Jordi Viladoms for helping me fast-track my skills. It’s a new discipline and I’m taking it step-by-step and learning as safely as possible. We have a few days to go before the Andalucia Rally and I’m excited for it. Prior to that it’ll be some more roadbook work, and then race time! Hopefully it will go well, and I’ll qualify for the 2021 Dakar.”
2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Sam Sunderland was forced to abandon his 2020 Dakar Rally campaign following a crash on stage five. After a short period of rehabilitation at his home in France, Sunderland quickly returned to full fitness and restarted his training. Now, with a couple of recent weeks testing under his belt, the 2017 Dakar winner is fully motivated to get back to competition.
Following his excellent fifth-place performance at the 2020 Dakar Rally, Matthias Walkner returned to Austria for the Covid-19 lockdown period. Maintaining a solid fitness regime, the 34-year-old was also able to get some invaluable riding time in the woods near his home. Now fully fit and eager to get racing again, the former motocross star is hoping for a strong race in Andalucia.
The Monster Energy Honda Team is back in action is also back in action, with current Dakar champion Ricky Brabec lining up alongside the current holder of the most Dakar stage wins, Joan Barreda. Both have reinforced their relationship with Honda this year and will join Kevin Benavides and Nacho Cornejo, the team that displayed such strength in the previous season.
Ricky Brabec
“It feels really good to be back and hanging out with the team and also to be with the rest of the rally racers. I’ve actually done a couple of races this year since the Dakar but it is really nice to be back riding a road book that will be Dakar spec against Dakar competitors to see where we line up. I don’t think anyone knows how it is going to be here but we’re just excited to be back together.”
The full Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team is also set for the Andalucia Rally 2020, with two new riders – American Andrew Short and Botswana’s Ross Branch, joining Adrien Van Beveren, Franco Caimi and Jamie McCanney.
The Andalucia Rally commences with the Super Special Stage on Tuesday October 6, followed by four days of racing with the stages covering a total of 1,354 kilometers, 1,030 of which are timed specials.
2020 Atlanta Short Track
Images by Scott Hunter
AFT SuperTwins
Jared Mees stood triumphant at the conclusion of the Atlanta Short Track in Woodstock, Georgia. The AFT SuperTwins Main Event got off to an appropriately hot start with Jeffrey Carver Jr. somehow storming into the lead from the second row. Carver’s turn at the front lasted just over a lap before he relinquished the position to Sammy Halbert.
After a few hectic laps, Halbert was joined at the front by Mees, and the two promptly teased a repeat of their epic 2017 shootout at the venue. At one point, Halbert’s line pushed Mees up into the hay bales as they traded haymakers for first and set the stage for more fireworks to come.
However, before the two could reserve the spotlight for themselves exclusively, reigning champion Briar Bauman inched his way up to join the party in third.
With seven minutes remaining, Mees sailed past Halbert to grab the lead, only to see Bauman dive under them both in the very next corner. Bauman then threatened to clear off for a fifth consecutive race as Mees and Halbert continued their melee for second.
With five minutes to go, Mees finally shook free of Halbert and chased his championship rival back down at the front. The two then engaged in a bar-to-bar war for the win, crossing lines and pulling off slidejobs with abandon.
The race came down to the final corner; Mees held on to the high line while Bauman attempted to square him up at the line. Mees won out by 0.308 seconds to snap Bauman’s four-race win streak.
Even after losing touch with the leaders, Halbert remained in fight mode, attempting to defend third from up-and-comers Brandon Price and Bronson Bauman.
In the end, the younger Bauman handed the Indian Wrecking Crew its first podium sweep of the season, finishing in third by 0.193 seconds over Halbert. Price rounded out the top five another second back.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
34 Laps
2
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+0.308
3
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+5.141
4
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+5.334
5
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+6.357
6
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+8.663
7
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
+9.772
8
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+9.875
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
HD XG750R
+9.931
10
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+10.346
11
Dalton Gauthier
HD XG750R
+11.489
12
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+12.035
13
Bryan Smith
HD XG750R
+12.381
14
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
+14.038
15
JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07
+14.496
16
Kolby Carlile
Yamaha MT-07
+14.63
17
Jay Maloney
Indian FTR750
+33 Laps
18
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+6.44
2020 Atlanta Short Track – AFT Singles
The rolling Dallas Daniels racked up his fourth consecutive AFT Singles victory following an extremely entertaining duel with polesitter Morgen Mischler. Mischler ripped into the lead at the green light with only Daniels able to match his pace. Early in their showdown, Mischler took to his preferred high line, while Daniels went low, and the two practically rode side-by-side for several laps.
Their battle escalated from there, with several more laps of high-low maneuvers that saw them trade the lead back and forth repeatedly.
The third and final stage of their showdown saw Daniels at last grasp control. Mischler sought out a variety of lines in hopes of tracking Daniels back down but came up 0.482 short at the checkered flag.
Second-ranked Henry Wiles ran alone in third deep into the Main. However, he saw even more (increasingly crucial) points slip away when eventual third-place finisher Brandon Kitchen overhauled him with a minute remaining, and fourth-place finisher Trent Lowedid the same on the race’s final lap. Aussie Max Whale was just outside the top five in sixth.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
21 Laps
2
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+0.482
3
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
+3.679
4
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+4.705
5
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+4.966
6
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+5.717
7
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+5.876
8
James Ott
KTM 450 SX-F
+6.06
9
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
+6.454
10
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+6.464
11
Cameron Smith
Honda CRF450R
+7.422
12
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+7.77
13
Aidan RoosEvans
KTM 450 SX-F
+7.91
14
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
+9.305
15
Cole Zabala
Honda CRF450R
+9.855
16
Tyler Raggio
Honda CRF450R
+11.566
17
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
+12.586
2020 Atlanta Short Track – AFT Production Twins
At long last, defending AFT Production Twins champion Cory Texter brought the win streak of runaway title leader James Rispoli to a halt at five. Texter, who hadn’t won a race since the season’s opening weekend and had subsequently finished as runner-up to Rispoli on four occasions, was justifiably starving to return to the top of the box. It showed. Brilliant from the start, Texter accelerated into the lead from pole and pulled several bike lengths on the opening lap.
Once a second free out front, he switched his focus to simply maintaining that advantage. On rails and incredibly precise, Texter appeared comfortable weathering a late-race charge from Rispoli when a monkey wrench was thrown into his plans of cruising to a relatively easy victory.
Despite the potential setback of a late-race red flag, Texter simply powered off the line (again) and stretched out a one-second-plus advantage (again) to claim the checkered flag.
Rispoli, meanwhile, continued his march to the 2020 crown with his tenth top-two finish in eleven starts. Ryan Varnes and Ben Lowe finished third and fourth after running locked in that order for the entire affair. Danny Eslick rounded out the top five.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
21 Laps
2
James Rispoli
HD XG750R
+1.571
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+2.343
4
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+3.482
5
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+4.035
6
Chad Cose
HD XG750R
+4.767
7
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
+4.781
8
Mitch Harvat
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.8
9
Michael Inderbitzin
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6.193
10
Brock Schwarzenbacher
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6.922
11
Garret Wilson
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+8.666
12
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+14 Laps
13
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
DNS
14
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
DNS
15
Jimmy McAllister
Kawasaki Ninja 650
DNS
2020 Atlanta Short Track II – Super Twins
Jared Mees doubled up at Dixie Speedway with a second barn-burning American Flat Track victory in Saturday night’s Atlanta Short Track. While Mees was forced to overcome his great rival, defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman, to win on Friday night in Woodstock, Georgia, Saturday’s challenge came from a more unexpected source: young rising star Brandon Price.
Despite their contrasting résumé, that test proved no less stiff; the up-and-comer gave the masterful Mees all he could handle.
Price actually led the bulk of the race, deftly corralling a racey Mees behind him despite the multi-time series king’s repeated attempts to fight his way through. At one point, Mees’ overtaking maneuver sent him up into the wall, jamming the factory Indian rider’s footpeg into his own brake.
At that moment, it seemed like Price might power away to an easy win, but Mees regrouped, adjusted and mounted another assault. Their vast difference in experience didn’t factor in until after the countdown clocks hit zero, at which point Mees executed a tough-but-fair pass to lead the final two laps and win by 0.339 seconds.
Jared Mees
“Early on, I thought I could just settle in and get by, but I don’t know…(Price) was probably getting a little tense at the end because I was throwing everything I could at him. I threw him some bait in Turn 1 where I was acting like I was coming real high and just sliced across the middle and threw in a little block pass. It was a great race. I can’t say enough for my team. We’re going to just keep plugging one race at a time. We’re not out of this yet. We’re going to fight back as best we can and what the points are at the end is what they are.”
Meanwhile, title leader Bauman slashed his way forward from an early seventh to finish a lonely third some two-and-a-half seconds back. Sammy Halbert finished in fourth another second in arrears, with an injured Brandon Robinson registering a gritty ride to round out the top five.
Mees’ Atlanta double provided his title hopes a major boost; he now trails Bauman by just 12 points (256-244) with four races remaining to decide the 2020 AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Championship.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
35 Laps
2
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+0.339
3
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+2.774
4
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+3.727
5
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
+4.473
6
Jarod Vanderkooi
HD XG750R
+6.775
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+8.564
8
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+9.39
9
Bryan Smith
HD XG750R
+10.186
10
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+10.271
11
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+11.123
12
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+11.208
13
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+13.077
14
Dalton Gauthier
HD XG750R
+15.655
15
JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07
+16.435
16
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
+17.375
17
Jay Maloney
Indian FTR750
+18.349
18
Kolby Carlile
Yamaha MT-07
34 Laps
2020 AFT SuperTwins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
256
2
Jared Mees
244
3
Sammy Halbert
193
4
Bronson Bauman
153
5
Brandon Price
148
6
Brandon Robinson
143
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
131
8
Davis Fisher
119
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
108
10
Bryan Smith
94
11
Dan Bromley
93
12
Robert Pearson
91
13
Dalton Gauthier
90
14
JD Beach
68
15
Jake Johnson
62
16
Kolby Carlile
50
17
Larry Pegram
48
18
Jay Maloney
43
19
Andrew Luker
22
20
Ryan Varnes
16
21
Morgen Mischler
6
2020 Atlanta Short Track II – AFT Singles
AFT Singles title favorite Dallas Daniels out-dueled Morgen Mischler in an Atlanta Short Track rematch that may have been even more spectacular than their Friday epic.
Mischler and Daniels shook free from the pack in the early stages of the race and then set about resuming last night’s dogfight. In contrast to the previous round, however, Mischler maintained a slight advantage for almost the entire race, with Daniels trying out his lines and (apparently) biding his time just behind.
He finally struck with only a half lap remaining. The two actually made contact on the back straight with Daniels then forcing his way underneath as they dove into Turn 3 for the final time. Mischler attempted to square the corner back up and take advantage of a small slip on Daniels’ part, but came up just 0.090 seconds short at the flag.
Dallas Daniels
“I wasn’t holding back, I wasn’t trying to not show him what I was doing. That was literally all I had. It was kind of making me nervous; I was pretty much tapped out and I needed a mistake from him, which is what happened. Coming off of (Turn) 2, he spun up a little bit and we got together. I took that thing off into 3 harder than I did all day, just hoping it would stick and it did. It’s awesome.”
Aussie Max Whale won out in a similar shootout with super sophomore Brandon Kitchen to earn the final spot on the podium. Class legend Shayna Texter bounced back from a disappointing outing on Friday to complete the top five.
As a result of Daniels’ seventh win of the season, the 17-year-old prodigy now leads the championship by 70 points (233-163) over Wiles and Whale, while Rush has dropped to fourth with 151 points. Should Daniels up his current win streak to six next Friday night, he’ll be crowned the 2020 AFT Singles champion three races early.
Max Whale
“Stocked to be back on the podium again. Had a solid weekend at Atlanta double header. Friday ran P6 and Saturday P3. Had some great battles and pumped to. Come out equal second in the Championship. Once again I can’t thank my weekend worriers enough. I would be lost with out them @mattguenther61 , Keith Singleton and @bjbcrewdad. And a shout out to all my awesome sponsors.”
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
21 Laps
2
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+0.09
3
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+1.962
4
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
+1.99
5
Shayna Texter
KTM 450 SX-F
+4.177
6
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
+4.656
7
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+5.065
8
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
+6.012
9
Aidan RoosEvans
KTM 450 SX-F
+6.229
10
Cole Zabala
Honda CRF450R
+7.111
11
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+7.444
12
Cameron Smith
Honda CRF450R
+8.301
13
James Ott
KTM 450 SX-F
+8.437
14
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
+8.849
15
Tyler Raggio
Honda CRF450R
+9.634
16
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+10.806
17
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+10.985
2020 AFT Singles Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dallas Daniels
233
2
Henry Wiles
163
3
Max Whale
163
4
Michael Rush
151
5
Morgen Mischler
139
6
Trent Lowe
139
7
Brandon Kitchen
138
8
Tanner Dean
124
9
Chad Cose
104
10
Trevor Brunner
103
11
Michael Inderbitzin
97
12
Shayna Texter
89
13
Cameron Smith
73
14
Kevin Stollings
71
15
Cole Zabala
65
16
Ryan Wells
58
17
James Ott
57
18
Andrew Luker
52
19
Aidan RoosEvans
48
20
Jesse Janisch
39
2020 Atlanta Short Track II – AFT Production Twins
Saturday’s AFT Production Twins Main saw 2020 championship leader James Rispoli outlast defending class champion Cory Texter in a race-long straight fight.
The two quickly separated from the field and raced side-by-side for virtually the entire six-minute plus two lap affair. Rispoli ran the high line while Texter controlled the low line, and rarely did either rider demonstrate a clear advantage in their battle.
Rispoli turned it on late, sliding just out in front as the clock showed 0:00, and that’s where he’d remain to the checkered flag.
The victory placed Rispoli right back up on top of the box just one day after Texter brought his five-race win streak to a conclusion.
James Rispoli
“Cory has been riding out of his shoes this weekend – just so well. I don’t know how you can’t love that racing, me and Cory just going back and forth the entire race. He committed to the low and I committed to the high every lap. He’d just give me a skosh of space. At the end of the day, we got just a little bit of breathing room and I hit the low line and brought it home.”
Once Ryan Varnes dropped from third due to a mechanical, Chad Cose assumed the position and spent the remainder of the race with his head down in pursuit of the Rispoli-Texter duel.
Clawing his way back from approximately two seconds back, Cose arrived right on their rear wheels just in time to see the two cross the stripe a few tenths ahead of him.
Danny Eslick won out in a multi-rider scrap for fourth, taking the checkered flag just ahead of Michael Inderbitzin and Ben Lowe.
Rispoli now leads by 48 points (269-221). That means if he gains just two more points on Texter next weekend, he’ll accomplish his stated goal of locking up the class championship ahead of the DAYTONA finale.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
James Rispoli
HD XG750R
21 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+0.412
3
Chad Cose
HD XG750R
+0.612
4
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+4.803
5
Michael Inderbitzin
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.001
6
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+5.789
7
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6.958
8
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+11.945
9
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
+13.153
10
Brock Schwarzenbacher
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+13.734
11
Mitch Harvat
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+15.608
12
Garret Wilson
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+19.819
13
Jimmy McAllister
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+12 Laps
14
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+6 Laps
2020 AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
269
2
Cory Texter
221
3
Ben Lowe
188
4
Ryan Varnes
185
5
Danny Eslick
164
6
Chad Cose
154
7
Jeremiah Duffy
129
8
Nick Armstrong
101
9
Cody Johncox
96
10
Jimmy McAllister
59
11
Michael Inderbitzin
58
12
Dylan Bell
53
13
Brock Schwarzenbacher
52
14
Mitch Harvat
51
15
Patrick Buchanan
50
16
Hayden Gillim
45
17
Garret Wilson
40
18
Johnny Lewis
29
19
Morgen Mischler
26
20
Scott Barrett
26
21
Jacob Lehmann
25
22
Ryan Wells
22
23
Gary Ketchum
13
24
Jeremiah Alexander
12
25
Kevin Stollings
9
26
Max Whale
9
2020 AFT Next Stop: Charlotte Half-Mile I & II
All three Progressive American Flat Track classes approach a critical juncture in their evolving championship battles as the series arrives at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for this weekend’s Progressive Charlotte Half-Mile I & II on October 9-10.
The atmosphere for the season’s penultimate doubleheader is destined to be electric as Progressive AFT shares the spotlight with the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, which will continue its playoff run at the venue in Charlotte, North Carolina, the following day.
Even if third-ranked Sammy Halbert retains a mathematical shot at the 2020 AFT SuperTwins crown, the season has proven to be a heavyweight title fight featuring reigning champ Briar Bauman and the record-breaking Jared Mees.
A mid-season string of wins put Bauman in the driver’s seat to retain the #1 plate, but Mees’ clutch double this past weekend in Atlanta has provided the former class king a clear path to reclaiming the throne. 12 points now separate the two at the top of the order, which means Mees would need to sweep the final four races to guarantee himself this year’s Grand National Championship.
Of course, if any riders in a field full of potential spoilers were able to get between Mees and Bauman, that could provide considerably more wiggle room. Among those most likely to do so are the aforementioned Halbert, who’s been fast all year long, Bryan Smith, who’s won two of the last three races in Charlotte, and Brandon Price, who narrowly missed out on claiming his maiden premier-class victory on a similar clay surface in the season’s most recent Main Event.
Meanwhile on the undercard, the dominant Dallas Daniels and James Rispoli are poised to lock up their respective AFT Singles and AFT Production Twins championships as early as this weekend.
Daniels has been unstoppable in a class that typically features a wide variety of winners and unpredictable outcomes. While the results from race to race have shuffled around behind him, the 17-year-old superstar has proven his superiority with seven wins in 12 races, including the last five in succession.
As a result, he’s assembled a massive 70-point margin over his nearest challengers, Henry Wiles and Max Whale. A win on Friday night would increase that margin to at least 75 points with three races remaining, clinching him the ‘20 AFT Singles championship.
Rispoli’s position is not quite that commanding, but he’s still well positioned to end the AFT Productions Twins championship ahead of the season finale. With a 48-point lead on defending class champion Cory Texter, Rispoli simply needs to outscore his rival by two points in Charlotte to bring their title fight to an early conclusion.
Considering that Rispoli has ripped off seven wins, four runner-ups, and one fifth-place in the season’s 12 races, it’s not too difficult to imagine that scenario playing out.
As always, spectator safety has been placed at a premium and Progressive AFT has worked closely with local health and government officials toward those ends. For more on the specific precautions being undertaken, please consult the Progressive AFT Events Health & Safety FAQ. Just 980 tickets have been made available for each night and are selling quickly as fans are eager to witness the final rounds of this knockout Progressive AFT Championship season.
2020 MXGP Round 11 – MXGP of Europe – Mantova
The MXGP of Europe concludes the 11th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, marking the second of the three Italian triple-headers this season, as three rounds have been held at Mantova across a 10-day period.
The MXGP of Europe saw Team HRC’s Tim Gajser make his return to the top step of the podium, as he took the overall win in MXGP for the first time this season.
Gajsers 1-2 result was enough to finish the round six-points ahead of Tony Cairoli, who went 5-1, with Glenn Coldenhoff third for the GP with a 2-5 result. Aussie Mitch Evans had a strong weekend, with a fourth place finish in the first race, with eighth in race 2, leaving him fifth overall.
The MXGP standings see Gajser in the lead from Cairoli, 399 to 388, with Jeremy Seewer third overall on 369-points. Mitchell Evans sits just outside the top 10, in eleventh, 14-points off Desalle.
Mitch Evans
“Today was a good day and a bit of a disappointing day too. In the first moto I got a good start, made a few passes and was in third for most of the race. I ended up fourth but it was still a good moto and I enjoyed running with the top guys. In moto two I didn’t get the best jump which made things difficult because it was still hard to pass, but I got back to eighth for fifth overall. This was the same as in Matterley Basin at the first GP of the year, so I’m pleased with that. I did really want that podium today but it didn’t quite happen but there are still seven more rounds to get it done and that’s what I’m focusing on when we head to Spain.”
2020 MXGP of Europe Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
25
22
47
2
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
16
25
41
3
Coldenhoff, Glenn
NED
GAS
22
16
38
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
15
20
35
5
Evans, Mitchell
AUS
HON
18
13
31
6
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
11
18
29
7
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
14
14
28
8
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
9
15
24
9
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
20
4
24
10
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
12
11
23
11
Monticelli, Ivo
ITA
GAS
13
10
23
12
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
10
12
22
13
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
8
9
17
14
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
4
8
12
15
Butron, Jose
ESP
KTM
3
7
10
16
Lapucci, Nicholas
ITA
KTM
6
3
9
17
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
2
5
7
18
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
7
0
7
19
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
0
6
6
20
Guillod, Valentin
SUI
HON
5
1
6
21
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
1
2
3
22
Guryev, Artem
RUS
HON
0
0
0
23
Bernardini, Samuele
ITA
YAM
0
0
0
MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
399
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
388
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
369
4
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
341
5
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
341
6
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
304
7
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
285
8
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
9
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
262
10
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
11
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
228
12
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
197
13
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
137
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
127
15
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
118
16
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
116
17
Monticelli, I.
ITA
GAS
105
18
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
82
19
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
73
20
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
71
21
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
45
22
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
41
23
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
41
24
Bobryshev, E.
RUS
HUS
33
25
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
31
MX2
Meanwhile in MX2, Jago Geerts also made a comeback to the top, as a second and a race win was enough to put him first on the podium, marking his fourth overall victory of the season.
Tom Vialle narrowly missed the round overall, also finishing the round on 47-points, which each rider taking a win and a second place each. Thomas Kjer Olsen was third overall, with Australian Jed Beaton sixth overall after two consistent fifth place finishes.
Vialle retains a sizeable lead in the MX2 standings, with Jago Geerts 46-points in arrears, while Beaton is third overall, with a seven-point lead over Maxime Renaux, while Olsen is a more distant fifth.
Jed Beaton
“Today wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I know I had the speed but just wasn’t able to get among the top guys. It certainly wasn’t the worst day but wasn’t the best either. I’m now back in third in the standings so I just need to work on starts, get up front early and try to get some more wins to finish the season off strong.”
2020 MXGP of Europe MX2 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
22
25
47
2
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
25
22
47
3
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
18
18
36
4
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
15
20
35
5
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
20
15
35
6
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
16
16
32
7
Forato, Alberto
ITA
HUS
13
11
24
8
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
12
10
22
9
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
7
13
20
10
Boisrame, Mathys
FRA
KAW
10
9
19
11
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
9
7
16
12
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
0
14
14
13
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
14
0
14
14
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
0
12
12
15
Sandner, Michael
AUT
GAS
6
6
12
16
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
11
0
11
17
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
0
8
8
18
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
KTM
8
0
8
19
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
2
5
7
20
Toriani, Enzo
FRA
HUS
3
4
7
21
Sikyna, Richard
SVK
KTM
4
2
6
22
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
5
0
5
23
Zonta, Filippo
ITA
KTM
0
3
3
24
Dickinson, Ashton
GBR
KTM
1
1
2
MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
478
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
432
3
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
348
4
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
341
5
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
311
6
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
293
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
287
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
252
9
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
234
10
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
208
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
150
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
141
13
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
119
14
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
15
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
16
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
86
17
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
74
18
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
19
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
73
20
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
70
21
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
65
22
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
23
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
61
24
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
60
25
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
EMX250
In the opening EMX250 race, it was Marcel Conijn who led the way, with Guadagnini second and Tom Guyon of Team VRT Nordpesca Holland in third.
Guadagnini wasted no time to get around Conijn, as he passed him on the second lap of the race. It then didn’t take long for Guadagnini to get ahead and lead the race by 5.642 seconds. Meanwhile Hakon Fredriksen of Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing was looking to pass Guyon for fourth in the race.
Championship leader Thibault Benistant of the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing squad had a tough start to the race as he was forced to make his way back up from the back of the pack. He managed to get up to 14th and still had plenty of time to keep climbing up the field.
On lap 5 of the race, Pierre Goupillon of BUD Racing Kawasaki caught and passed Emil Weckman, the rider of Honda Racing Assomotor for 6th in the race.
Meanwhile Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf crashed out twice in the first half of the race, eventually dropping down to 15th.
On lap 6, after several attempts, Fredriksen was finally able to pass Guyon and get up into 4th. While Talviku was battling with Conijn for 2nd place.
With 5 minutes and 2 laps to go the top 10 was comfortably led by Guadagnini, who was followed by Conijn, Talviku, Fredriksen, Guyon, Goupillon, Weckman, Tomass Sileika, Lorenzo Corti and Tim Edberg.
Talviku then moved into P2 past Conijn, though not long after crashed which allowed Conijn and Fredriksen back through. Fredriksen than crashed himself, though only losing one position to Talviku.
In the end it was Mattia Guadagnini who won the race by an impressive 17.882 margin, with Marcel Conijn and Hakon Fredriksen behind in P2 and P3.
In EMX250 race two, it was Talviku and BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Lorenzo Locurcio who led the way, meanwhile Guadagnini and Benistant were down in 4th and 5th.
Talviku was then getting caught by Locurcio, while Gianluca Facchetti of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing was sitting in 3rd place.
Guadagnini then made a mistake, which allowed Benistant through. Benistant was then the fastest rider on track as he went after his teammate to move into the top 3. Locurcio and Facchetti then crashed out of 2nd and 3rd, as Guadagnini forced his way past the championship leader, Benistant, to move into 2nd.
Keen to get another win, Guadagnini then went on to set the fastest lap of the race – a 1:59.301, which was immediately bettered by Benistant as he clocked a 1:58.597 as he put the hammer down to catch the Italian and go for the lead.
Guadagnini then became the new race leader, pushing Talviku to 2nd, with Benistant pushing the Estonian another position as he went through as well.
As the race progressed Guadagnini continued to lead the way with Benistant 2nd. Though the rider in P3, Talviku, started to come under pressure from Locurcio, with the BUD Racing Kawasaki rider eventually passing him for 3rd.
In the end it was Mattia Guadagnini who won the race, with Thibault Benistant in P2 and Locurcio in P3. On the podium it was Guadagnini who occupied the top step of the podium for the second time in a row, with Talviku 2nd overall and Fredriksen 3rd.
With three rounds left, Thibault Benistant leads the championship with 286 points, with Guadagnini 28 points down in second and De Wolf third.
EMX250 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Guadagnini, Mattia
ITA
HUS
25
25
50
2
Talviku, Jorgen-Matthias
EST
HUS
18
18
36
3
Fredriksen, Hakon
NOR
YAM
20
16
36
4
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
YAM
13
22
35
5
Conijn, Marcel
NED
KTM
22
11
33
6
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
16
15
31
7
Locurcio, Lorenzo
VEN
KAW
7
20
27
8
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
12
10
22
9
Corti, Lorenzo
ITA
KTM
11
9
20
10
Boegh Damm, Bastian
DEN
KTM
6
13
19
11
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
5
12
17
12
Goupillon, Pierre
FRA
KAW
15
0
15
13
Facchetti, Gianluca
ITA
YAM
0
14
14
14
Weckman, Emil
FIN
HON
14
0
14
15
Mc Lellan, Camden
RSA
HUS
9
2
11
16
Sileika, Tomass
LAT
KTM
10
0
10
17
Tuani, Federico
ITA
HUS
0
8
8
18
Lugana, Paolo
ITA
KTM
8
0
8
19
Gerhardsson, Albin
SWE
HUS
0
7
7
20
Lucas, Mario
ESP
KTM
0
6
6
21
Oliver, Oriol
ESP
KTM
0
5
5
22
Del Coco, Matteo
ITA
KTM
1
4
5
23
Van Essen, Twan
NED
KTM
2
3
5
24
Vesterinen, Matias
FIN
KTM
4
0
4
25
Louis, Axel
FRA
HON
3
0
3
26
Martinez, Yago
ESP
YAM
0
1
1
EMX250 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Benistant, T.
FRA
YAM
286
2
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
258
3
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
198
4
Fredriksen, H.
NOR
YAM
188
5
Talviku, J.
EST
HUS
180
6
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
174
7
Locurcio, L.
VEN
KAW
141
8
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
137
9
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
137
10
Gifting, Isak
SWE
KTM
128
11
Boegh Damm, B.
DEN
KTM
110
12
Facchetti, G.
ITA
YAM
98
13
Conijn, Marcel
NED
KTM
94
14
Florian, Lion
GER
KTM
93
15
Everts, Liam
BEL
KTM
87
16
Spies, M.
GER
HUS
84
17
Sileika, T.
LAT
KTM
81
18
Mc Lellan, C.
RSA
HUS
72
19
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
54
20
Oliver, Oriol
ESP
KTM
49
EMX125
The first race of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class, saw Raul Sanchez of Team Yamaha Ausio, who grabbed the holeshot. Meanwhile series leader, Andrea Bonacorsi of Fantic Racing was caught out in the first corner and have to fight through from the very back of the field.
Early on in the race, Pietro Razzini passed Karlis Alberts Reisulis for second, with Valerio Lata from Marchetti Racing Team KTM and ASA United Husqvarna Team’s Bobby Bruce, closely behind in fourth and fifth.
Razzini then got caught out by Reisulis, who fought back to move back into second, while also going after the race leader, Sanchez, straight away.
Bonacorsi then charged through from the back of the field as he got into the top 20. With 15 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock, Bonacorsi was up in 15th, though still with a long way to go.
There was drama at the front of the field, which Sanchez and Reisulis down, which allowed Bruce into the lead, as he was followed by Lata, Meico Vettik, Razzini and Cas Valk of TBS Conversions Racing Team.
Bruce then extended his lead to 4.576 seconds, as Vettik passed Lata for second. At the same time, Reisulis set the fastest lap of the race and was down in 7th.
It looked like Vettik stepped it up a gear, as the gap between him and the race leader, Bruce, came down to 2.7 seconds. Vettik then continued to charge after Bruce for the race win as less than a second separated the two.
Bruce then managed to pull the gap back to 1.777 seconds. Though that didn’t stop Vettik, who with 2 laps to go moved into the lead. Bruce then crashed out of P2, to eventually finish the race in 6th.
Meico Vettik was the race 1 winner, with Valerio Lata second and Max Palsson of WZ Racing having a strong ride to finish third.
In the second EMX125 race it was Valk with the holeshot, while Bonacorsi had another unlucky start to the race and was down in 35th.
Valk then led Lata, Palsson and Andrea Roncoli, though Lata was able to find a way through into the lead, and Palsson followed the Marchetti Racing KTM rider too, pushing Valk down to 3rd within a few corners.
Valk then lost another spot to Palsson and was down in P4. At the same time, Bonacorsi was making his way through the field to move into 25th, as Bruce fell out of 10th.
With 10 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock, Lata continued to lead, though Roncoli was the rider in 2nd place, 5.621 seconds down. Meanwhile Vettik was pushing to pass David Braceras of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team for 6th in the race.
Valk then rode into the pits with a bike issue, which forced the Dutch rider out of race two.
Further down the field Bonacorsi got himself back into points in 19th and he picked up a few more positions towards the end of the race to eventually finish in 10th.
With just a few laps to go, Palsson and Roncoli were locked in a battle for 2nd, with Roncoli going through into P2 towards the end.
Valerio Lata went on to take his first race win of the season, with Roncoli crossing the line 2nd and Palsson 3rd.
In terms of the overall, Lata took to the top step of the podium, with Vettik finishing 2nd and Palsson occupying the 3rd step of the podium. As it stands, Bonacrosi leads the championship by 33 points, with Razzini second and Vettik third. There are still four rounds of the championship left to go.
EMX125 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Lata, Valerio
ITA
KTM
22
25
47
2
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
25
18
43
3
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
20
20
40
4
Roncoli, Andrea
ITA
HUS
12
22
34
5
Razzini, Pietro
ITA
HUS
16
13
29
6
Braceras, David
ESP
GAS
13
15
28
7
Reisulis, Karlis Alberts
LAT
KTM
14
14
28
8
Prugnieres, Quentin Marc
FRA
KTM
11
12
23
9
Bruce, Bobby
GBR
HUS
15
8
23
10
Bonacorsi, Andrea
ITA
FAN
9
11
20
11
Valk, Cas
NED
KTM
18
0
18
12
Soulimani, Saad
FRA
HUS
0
16
16
13
Brumann, Kevin
SUI
YAM
8
7
15
14
Viano, Andrea
ITA
HUS
3
10
13
15
Osterhagen, Haakon
NOR
KTM
6
5
11
16
Sanchez, Raul
ESP
YAM
10
0
10
17
Zampino, Davide
ITA
KTM
0
9
9
18
Kucherov, Nikita
RUS
KTM
2
6
8
19
Smulders, Scott
NED
HUS
5
2
7
20
Cazal, Xavier
FRA
KTM
7
0
7
21
Rossi, Andrea
ITA
KTM
0
4
4
22
Sella, Suff
ISR
KTM
1
3
4
23
Congost, Gerard
ESP
GAS
4
0
4
24
Zanchi, Ferruccio
ITA
HUS
0
1
1
EMX125 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Bonacorsi, A.
ITA
FAN
186
2
Razzini, P.
ITA
HUS
153
3
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
147
4
Braceras, D.
ESP
GAS
137
5
Farres, G.
ESP
GAS
132
6
Lata, Valerio
ITA
KTM
120
7
Brumann, Kevin
SUI
YAM
117
8
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
116
9
Roncoli, A.
ITA
HUS
109
10
Prugnieres, Q.
FRA
KTM
95
11
Soulimani, S.
FRA
HUS
90
12
Everts, Liam
BEL
KTM
66
13
Piller, C.
GER
KTM
64
14
Congost, G.
ESP
GAS
62
15
Rossi, Andrea
ITA
KTM
51
16
Miot, Florian
FRA
KTM
44
17
Osterhagen, H.
NOR
KTM
43
18
Smulders, S.
NED
HUS
42
19
Cazal, Xavier
FRA
KTM
36
20
Russi, M.
ITA
KTM
34
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Round Eight – Thunder Valley National Lakewood, CO, October 3rd, 2020
Images Jeff Kardas
As expected, the eighth and penultimate round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship was brimming with intensity as the title fights in both the 450 Class and 250 Class move one step closer to completion. Perfect conditions and the high altitude of Thunder Valley Motocross Park made for an action-packed afternoon of racing at the WPS/FLY Racing Thunder Valley National.
While his quest for a fourth consecutive 450 Class title has been filled with challenges, reigning three-time champion Eli Tomac always brings his best whenever he has the chance to race in front of the home Colorado crowd. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider entered the day on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from title contention, but he kept his hopes alive with a motivated performance that saw Tomac break a tie for the overall win with team-mate Adam Cianciarulo by capturing a second-moto victory that put him atop the results sheet.
In the 250 Class it was a long overdue triumph for Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper, who outlasted both championship contenders, teammate Dylan Ferrandis and GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin, to prevail with his first win of the season and the second win of his career. Aussie siblings Hunter and Jett Lawrence finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Thunder Valley Video Highlights
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will close out the 2020 season with its ninth and final round next weekend from Southern California’s Fox Raceway in Pala, just outside of San Diego.
450MX Moto 1
As the gate dropped on the first 450 Class moto of the afternoon it was Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo who emerged with his fifth MotoSport.com Holeshot with Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton right behind him as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne slotted into third. With a clear track Cianciarulo was able to quickly build a multi-second advantage that he then managed through the middle portion of the moto. Meanwhile, Sexton shed himself of Osborne to assert his hold of second.
As the second half of the moto wore on, Sexton was able to gain some ground on Cianciarulo and got to within less than two seconds of the lead. However, Cianciarulo responded and was able to restabilize the lead. With less than five minutes remaining Cianciarulo narrowly avoided a crash when he briefly lost control of his Kawasaki, which allowed Sexton to close within just a second-and-a-half. Once again Cianciarulo dug deep in response and was able to rebuild his lead to its largest margin. Behind the see-saw battle up front Tomac, who started sixth, was able to track down Osborne and make the pass for third.
Cianciarulo went wire-to-wire for his fourth moto win of the season, crossing the finish line 2.6 seconds ahead of Sexton with a hard-charging Tomac in third. Osborne followed in fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia completing the top five.
450MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
16 Laps
2
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+02.620
3
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
+11.332
4
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
+38.499
5
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
+42.680
6
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+58.919
7
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+1:00.293
8
Blake Baggett
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:02.708
9
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:06.140
10
Broc Tickle
YAM YZ 450F
+1:17.397
11
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:19.575
12
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:20.829
13
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+1:55.328
14
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
+2:10.110
15
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
15 Laps
16
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
+11.521
17
John Short
HON CRF450R
+12.262
18
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+26.397
19
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX 450F
+27.999
20
Grant Harlan
HON CRF450R WE
+30.647
21
Jeremy Smith
KAW KX450
+55.674
22
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
+56.973
23
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
+1:00.280
24
William Clason
KAW KX 450F
+1:16.872
25
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:24.526
26
Dalton Dyer
KAW KX 450F
+1:37.285
27
Connor Olson
HQV FC450 RE
+1:42.079
28
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+1:43.211
29
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:52.256
30
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
+2:03.949
31
Cole Shondeck
HON CRF450R
+2:05.759
32
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:09.240
33
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
+2:10.498
34
Austin Root
HQV FC450
+2:29.080
35
Matthew Toth
HON CRF450R
14 Laps
36
Nick Schmidt
HQV FC450
+45.492
37
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
13 Laps
38
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ RMZ 450
11 Laps
39
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
8 Laps
40
Felix Lopez
KTM 450 SX-F
DNS
450MX Moto 2
The 450 Class field made uphill charge once more to begin the final moto of the day and as the riders exited the first turn it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin who secured the MotoSport.com Holeshot over Cianciarulo, who quickly applied pressure and jumped into the lead, followed by Osborne into second.
Musquin continued to lose ground as Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Suzuki’s Max Anstie took over third and left Musquin to deal with Tomac in a battle for fourth. Tomac pounced and stormed past both Musquin and Anstie to go from fifth to third.
After a busy opening lap Cianciarulo was able to sprint away to a second-and-a-half advantage over Osborne, while Tomac gave chase from third. The top three ran within a couple seconds of one another and after several laps of trading momentum Tomac began to apply pressure on Osborne, successfully taking control of second a little more than 10 minutes into the moto. From there Tomac kept looking ahead and started to make the move on his teammate for the lead. With the home crowd cheering him on, Tomac made the pass happen and took control of the moto.
Once out front Tomac dropped the hammer and quickly gapped the rest of the field. Together, the Kawasaki tandem then pulled away from Osborne. The pace of the top three was so impressive that the leaders enjoyed more than a 10-second advantage over fourth halfway through the moto. With a handful of time left on the clock it appeared as though Tomac had the win in hand, but his place slowed as he appeared to deal with something on his motorcycle, which allowed Cianciarulo to close back in. Tomac’s slowing was brief and he regrouped to rebuild his advantage.
With Tomac back up to speed, managing a lead of about five seconds, Cianciarulo was forced to deal with some pressure from a late charge by Osborne from third. The championship rivals were within a few bike lengths of one another when Cianciarulo nearly crashed after his bike took off awkwardly on a jump. He kept his Kawasaki on two wheels, but it allowed Osborne to assume second. Just a few laps later Cianciarulo put in one final charge to catch and pass Osborne. Cianciarulo came to the inside on one of the track’s downhill sections but couldn’t get the bike slowed enough, causing slight contact between the two that sent Cianciarulo off the track momentarily. Out front Tomac finished strong to take his second moto win of the season by 8.9 seconds over Osborne, with Cianciarulo in third.
450MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
16 Laps
2
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
+08.983
3
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
+11.557
4
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+41.064
5
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+48.632
6
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+56.261
7
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
+1:27.126
8
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:30.932
9
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:41.325
10
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+1:55.970
11
Grant Harlan
HON CRF450R WE
+2:11.417
12
John Short
HON CRF450R
15 Laps
13
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+23.154
14
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+32.247
15
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
+42.187
16
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
+46.487
17
Jeremy Smith
KAW KX450
+53.472
18
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX 450F
+57.712
19
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
+1:06.907
20
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+1:15.476
21
Austin Root
HQV FC450
+1:27.968
22
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:33.929
23
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:36.545
24
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:43.775
25
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
+1:51.747
26
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
+2:00.632
27
William Clason
KAW KX 450F
+2:12.927
28
Dalton Dyer
KAW KX 450F
+2:16.459
29
Connor Olson
HQV FC450 RE
+2:22.668
30
Jorge Rubalcava
HQV FC450 FE
+2:23.642
31
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
+2:39.957
32
Jeffrey Walker
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+2:44.658
33
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
14 Laps
34
Dominic DeSimone
HON CRF450R
+10.538
35
Matthew Toth
HON CRF450R
+1:28.345
36
Cole Shondeck
HON CRF450R
+1:43.258
37
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
10 Laps
38
Nick Schmidt
HQV FC450
9 Laps
39
Broc Tickle
YAM YZ 450F
2 Laps
40
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
+18.206
450MX Overall
Tomac (3-1) and Cianciarulo (1-3) finished with identical moto scores, leaving them tied atop the overall classification. However, by virtue of his win in the final moto Tomac earned the tiebreaker to give him his second victory of the season and the 25th win of his career. It also signified the first 1-2 sweep for the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo. Osborne rounded out the overall podium in third (4-2).
“Such a cool day here in Colorado. So glad we were able to get back here this season,” expressed Tomac. “I finally had a race where I felt like myself. In the first moto I was out of touch (from the leaders) early on, but in the second moto I was much closer to the front. I had a bit of a clutch hang up, but it fixed itself. We really needed this. I’ve kind of been searching lately, so it feels good to have a day like this and get back on top.”
Osborne lost five points to Cianciarulo in the championship and will now enter the final round with a 24-point lead in the standings, looking to secure his first premier class title.
“In the first moto I got slammed by another rider in the second turn and my foot got jammed really bad. The more I went the more I could feel it,” explained Osborne. “I got it massaged before the second moto and then adrenaline carried me from there. I had a mid-race lull there in the second moto, but was able to finish strong and get a good result. I wasn’t in my comfort zone today so I did a little bit of point racing. We’ll look forward to next week.”
450MX Overall Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Points
1
Eli Tomac
3
1
45
2
Adam Cianciarulo
1
3
45
3
Zachary Osborne
4
2
40
4
Chase Sexton
2
5
38
5
Christian Craig
7
4
32
6
Marvin Musquin
6
8
28
7
Max Anstie
9
6
27
8
Benny Bloss
14
7
21
9
Justin Bogle
12
9
21
10
Jake Masterpool
13
10
19
11
Fredrik Noren
11
13
18
12
Justin Barcia
5
37
16
13
Blake Baggett
8
13
14
John Short
17
12
13
15
Grant Harlan
20
11
11
16
Justin Rodbell
16
15
11
17
Ben LaMay
15
16
11
18
Broc Tickle
10
39
11
19
Isaac Teasdale
18
14
10
20
Tyler Bowers
19
18
5
21
Jeremy Smith
21
17
4
22
Richard Taylor
23
19
2
23
Matthew Hubert
28
20
1
24
McClellan Hile
25
22
0
25
Scott Meshey
22
26
0
26
William Clason
24
27
0
27
Adam Enticknap
29
24
0
28
Dalton Dyer
26
28
0
29
Austin Root
34
21
0
30
Tristan Lane
32
23
0
31
Jerry Lorenz III
30
25
0
32
Connor Olson
27
29
0
33
Nathen LaPorte
33
31
0
34
Cole Shondeck
31
36
0
35
Carter Stephenson
37
33
0
36
Matthew Toth
35
35
0
37
Nick Schmidt
36
38
0
38
Alex Ray
39
40
0
39
Jorge Rubalcava
30
0
40
Jeffrey Walker
32
0
41
Dominic DeSimone
34
0
42
Joseph Savatgy
38
0
43
Felix Lopez
40
0
450MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
325
2
Adam Cianciarulo
301
3
Marvin Musquin
283
4
Eli Tomac
278
5
Chase Sexton
245
6
Justin Barcia
234
7
Blake Baggett
232
8
Christian Craig
195
9
Max Anstie
166
10
Joseph Savatgy
147
11
Broc Tickle
145
12
Fredrik Noren
125
13
Dean Wilson
97
14
Justin Bogle
93
15
Jake Masterpool
82
16
Justin Rodbell
69
17
Benny Bloss
68
18
Henry Miller
59
19
Jason Anderson
58
20
John Short
34
21
Ben LaMay
32
22
Coty Schock
31
23
Cooper Webb
29
24
Grant Harlan
29
25
Isaac Teasdale
29
26
Tyler Bowers
28
27
Jeremy Smith
22
28
Justin Hoeft
17
29
Kyle Chisholm
15
30
Luke Renzland
11
31
Matthew Hubert
11
32
Chase Felong
8
33
Alex Ray
7
34
Tristan Lane
5
35
Felix Lopez
5
36
Robbie Wageman
4
37
Jeffrey Walker
4
38
McClellan Hile
3
39
Cory Carsten
3
40
Jared Lesher
3
41
Bryce Backaus
2
42
Richard Taylor
2
43
Dalton Dyer
0
44
Austin Root
0
45
Scott Meshey
0
46
Christopher Prebula
0
47
Tristan Lewis
0
48
Jerry Lorenz III
0
49
Carson Tickle
0
50
Bryce Hansen
0
51
Adam Enticknap
0
52
Vann Martin
0
250MX Moto 1
The opening moto of the 250 Class began with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Mitchell Harrison prevailing with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, but he quickly gave way to the Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing teammates of Shane McElrath and Dylan Ferrandis. As the lead duo quickly built a gap over the field, the race soon turned into a breakaway for the Star Yamaha squad as Cooper moved into third.
With Cooper closing in, Ferrandis picked up the pace and put the pressure on McElrath for the lead, successfully making the pass about 10 minutes into the moto. Once out front the Frenchman was able to sprint away to a multi-second advantage. As Ferrandis continued to build on his lead the battle for second intensified between McElrath and Cooper just past the halfway point of the moto. Cooper soon made his way around his teammate and looked to chip away at the deficit to Ferrandis.
Out front Ferrandis was able to maintain a comfortable margin over Cooper the rest of the way to secure his eighth moto win of the season and his fifth consecutive checkered flag by 5.3 seconds over Cooper, with McElrath securing a 1-2-3 sweep for Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing. GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin followed in fourth, while his team-mate Hunter Lawrence rounded out the top five ahead of younger sibling Jett.
250MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
+05.390
3
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+11.527
4
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+14.150
5
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+20.856
6
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+31.921
7
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+32.542
8
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+41.938
9
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+41.985
10
Dilan Schwartz
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:07.589
11
Nathanael Thrasher
YAM YZ 250F
+1:14.023
12
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:15.346
13
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+1:15.500
14
Mitchell Falk
YAM YZ 250F
+1:27.657
15
Preston Kilroy
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:29.160
16
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
+1:29.845
17
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
+1:34.515
18
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+1:46.972
19
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:49.725
20
Derek Drake
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+1:53.364
21
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+1:56.676
22
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+2:00.813
23
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
15 Laps
24
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
+02.423
25
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
+20.266
26
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+24.403
27
Zack Williams
KTM 250 SX-F
+40.008
28
Kai Aiello
HQV FC250
+49.110
29
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+1:03.781
30
Blake Ashley
YAM YZ 250F
+1:04.517
31
Gerhard Matamoros
YAM YZ 250F
+1:08.912
32
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+1:17.157
33
Wade Brommel
KAW KX 250
+2:04.870
34
Robert Fitch, Jr.
YAM YZ 250
+2:09.237
35
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW KX 250
14 Laps
36
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
+3:46.806
37
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ RMZ 250
13 Laps
38
RJ Hampshire
HQV FC250
12 Laps
39
Mason Gonzales
YAM YZ 250F
8 Laps
40
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
+00.697
250MX Moto 2
As the field roared out the gate to start Moto 2 it was Cooper who came away with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by his teammates Jarrett Frye and McElrath, with McElrath getting by Frye for second. Ferrandis started outside the top 10 while his primary championship rival, Martin, got by Frye for third. Martin didn’t stop there. He kept his push to the front going and made the pass on McElrath for second before attacking Cooper for the lead. As the battle for first took shape Ferrandis had worked his way to just outside the top five.
Cooper responded to the pressure and maintained his hold of the lead. Behind them Ferrandis encountered some misfortune when two riders ahead of him came together and forced the Yamaha off track and onto the ground. The point leader got back on his bike and reentered quickly, but had to make up a few lost positions from 10th place. Back up front, Martin closed back in on Cooper just past the halfway point of the moto. The lead duo again engaged in a spirited fight, where Cooper fended off virtually every one of Martin’s moves and successfully rebuilt his advantage after several laps of tight racing.
As time ran out on the moto the focus shifted to the battle for third, which turned into a three-rider fight between McElrath, Hunter Lawrence and Ferrandis, who successfully battled back from his early incident. Hunter Lawrence was aggressive in trying to keep Ferrandis at bay and it carried him by McElrath for third. Ferrandis followed through into fourth and then made an impressive pass on Hunter Lawrence to take control of third. Out front Cooper pulled out to a margin of more than five seconds and carried on to his first moto win of the season, followed by Martin in second and Ferrandis in third after a resilient ride.
Jett Lawrence finished the second moto in sixth place which gave him sixth for the round while older brother Hunter was fifth for the round.
250MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+03.166
3
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
+12.795
4
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+14.978
5
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+17.331
6
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+39.731
7
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+51.384
8
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+54.471
9
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+57.325
10
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+1:00.384
11
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+1:00.944
12
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:25.882
13
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
+1:34.994
14
Mitchell Falk
YAM YZ 250F
+1:43.012
15
Dilan Schwartz
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:45.414
16
Nathanael Thrasher
YAM YZ 250F
+1:48.808
17
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+2:03.602
18
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:10.642
19
Preston Kilroy
SUZ RMZ 250
15 Laps
20
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+11.434
21
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
+23.324
22
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
+27.007
23
Zack Williams
KTM 250 SX-F
+27.728
24
Kai Aiello
HQV FC250
+41.802
25
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+45.667
26
Wade Brommel
KAW KX 250
+48.222
27
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+54.630
28
Robert Fitch, Jr.
YAM YZ 250
+1:12.177
29
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+1:27.879
30
Gerhard Matamoros
YAM YZ 250F
+1:36.260
31
Jake Pinhancos
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:55.462
32
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
14 Laps
33
Otto Berton
KTM 250 SX-F
+17.809
34
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
8 Laps
35
Kyle Greeson
KTM 250 SX-F
7 Laps
36
Tyler Lowe
KTM 250 SX-F
+24.453
37
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
5 Laps
38
Jacob Bork
YAM YZ 250F
2 Laps
39
Blake Ashley
YAM YZ 250F
DNF
40
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
DNS
250MX Overall
The second moto win was enough to put Cooper atop the overall classification (2-1) for his second career victory, where he became the fourth different 250 Class winner this season. Ferrandis’ spirited effort in Moto 2 allowed him to secure the runner-up spot (1-3), while Martin ended up third (4-2).
“A lot of pressure was on my shoulders, but I’m glad it’s off,” exclaimed Cooper. “There were only two rounds left (entering today) so it’s a good time to do it. Now I can go into next weekend feeling a lot more confident and look to finish out the season strong. I really enjoy this place. I get good vibes here. It just feels good to pull off a win.”
The come-from-behind effort by Ferrandis paid dividends in the 250 Class standings where he gained five points on Martin to carry a 18-point lead into the final round.
“I was in a bad position (in the second moto). I wanted to get as many points as possible, so I rode as hard as I could,” said Ferrandis. “I got a bad start and then I got caught up in an incident. There was nothing I could do. I just put my head down and gave it my all. We still were able to get on the podium so that’s good for the championship.”
250MX Overall Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Points
1
Justin Cooper
2
1
47
2
Dylan Ferrandis
1
3
45
3
Jeremy Martin
4
2
40
4
Shane McElrath
3
5
36
5
Hunter Lawrence
5
4
34
6
Jett Lawrence
6
6
30
7
Jo Shimoda
7
8
27
8
Mitchell Harrison
8
9
25
9
Jarrett Frye
9
10
23
10
Carson Mumford
13
11
18
11
Alex Martin
12
12
18
12
Dilan Schwartz
10
15
17
13
Nathanael Thrasher
11
16
15
14
Brandon Hartranft
22
7
14
15
Mitchell Falk
14
14
14
16
Joseph Crown
40
13
8
17
Preston Kilroy
15
19
8
18
Joshua Varize
19
18
5
19
Jerry Robin
16
37
5
20
Jesse Flock
21
17
4
21
Derek Kelley
18
20
4
22
Nick Gaines
17
40
4
23
Gared Steinke
23
21
0
24
Derek Drake
20
1
25
Gage Schehr
25
22
0
26
Zack Williams
27
23
0
27
Curren Thurman
26
25
0
28
Kai Aiello
28
24
0
29
Ezra Hastings
29
27
0
30
Kevin Moranz
24
34
0
31
Wade Brommel
33
26
0
32
Maxwell Sanford
32
29
0
33
Gerhard Matamoros
31
30
0
34
Robert Fitch, Jr.
34
28
0
35
Lane Shaw
36
32
0
36
Blake Ashley
30
39
0
37
Jake Pinhancos
31
0
38
Otto Berton
33
0
39
Cameron Mcadoo
35
0
40
Kyle Greeson
35
0
41
Tyler Lowe
36
0
42
Colton Eigenmann
37
0
43
RJ Hampshire
38
0
44
Jacob Bork
38
0
45
Mason Gonzales
39
0
250MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dylan Ferrandis
352
2
Jeremy Martin
334
3
Shane McElrath
254
4
Justin Cooper
251
5
Alex Martin
242
6
Jett Lawrence
230
7
RJ Hampshire
217
8
Cameron Mcadoo
165
9
Mitchell Harrison
163
10
Brandon Hartranft
148
11
Jo Shimoda
141
12
Carson Mumford
134
13
Hunter Lawrence
122
14
Derek Drake
107
15
Mason Gonzales
75
16
Stilez Robertson
70
17
Nick Gaines
62
18
Jarrett Frye
55
19
Ty Masterpool
54
20
Pierce Brown
36
21
Hardy Munoz
33
22
Jerry Robin
33
23
Joseph Crown
32
24
Darian Sanayei
24
25
Dilan Schwartz
22
26
Jalek Swoll
19
27
Derek Kelley
19
28
Lance Kobusch
18
29
Nathanael Thrasher
15
30
Ezra Hastings
14
31
Mitchell Falk
14
32
Joshua Varize
12
33
Jesse Flock
12
34
Gared Steinke
11
35
Austin Root
9
36
Preston Kilroy
8
37
Kevin Moranz
7
38
Zack Williams
6
39
Jordan Bailey
6
40
Maxwell Sanford
4
41
Mathias Jorgensen
4
42
Curren Thurman
2
43
Ryder Floyd
0
44
Colton Eigenmann
0
45
Chase Lorenz
0
46
Jace Kessler
0
47
Vincent Luhovey
0
48
Gage Schehr
0
49
Gerhard Matamoros
0
50
Carson Brown
0
51
Lane Shaw
0
52
Christopher Williams
0
Australian Motocross Championship
Motorcycling Australia have officially announced that the 2020 Australian Motocross Championship will not run, as continuing border restrictions related to COVID-19 create ongoing uncertainty, with the decision reached after consultations with teams, riders, clubs and stakeholders. See the full statement below:
Due to the ongoing uncertainty around State Government COVID-19 border restrictions, Motorcycling Australia (MA) after consultation with key stakeholders, have been forced to make the difficult decision to abandon any further attempts to conduct the 2020 Australian Motocross Championship.
MA reviewed the championship operations including the format and potential event dates, in consultation with industry, teams, riders and clubs to see if it was possible to run the championship during this COVID-19 period.
Despite significant work by MA over recent months in exploring all possible options to hold the Championship, the uncertainly around State Government COVID-19 border restrictions, has meant it is not possible to run the Championship in 2020.
MA sincerely thank all stakeholders, clubs, teams and riders for their support and patience, but this late in the year has proven too difficult to start the Championship without clear plans from State Government’s around State borders being reopened.
MA is now focusing all its efforts on delivering a successful 2021 Australian Motocross Championship.
Peter Doyle – MA CEO
“While the cancellation is disappointing for riders, teams, industry and fans, MA is already working hard to ensure that we have the best possible championship in 2021. The Australian Motocross Championship is the breeding ground of future superstars and will continue to showcase the best motocross action in the country.”
Mitchell Evans & Tim Gajser renew with HRC
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) have announced that it has renewed its contracts with Tim Gajser (24-years-old, Slovenia) and Mitchell Evans (21-years-old, Australia), for multiple years. Both riders are currently competing for Team HRC in the FIM Motocross World Championship Premier MXGP Class.
After becoming the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 world champion in 2015, Tim Gajser joined Honda’s Team HRC factory team to compete in, and win the premier MXGP class. He won his second MXGP title in 2019, and is currently leading the 2020 championship, aiming for his second consecutive, and third total, title in the premier class.
Tim Gajser
“I’m super happy to extend my contract with Honda and Team HRC. I’ve been here for the past seven years and to me this team feels like a family so I’m really happy to stay. We will keep giving our best and we are all excited and ready to fight for the title every year and I believe this is the best place for me to be, especially on board the Honda CRF450RW. It is great to confirm this and continue our partnership that has already seen us become multi-time world champions.”
Mitchell Evans entered the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 class in 2019, to finish an impressive 11th in his debut year. In 2020 he joined Team HRC to race in the MXGP class, and is currently ranked 11th.
Mitchell Evans
“I’m very happy to have the deal done and in place. It now allows me to focus on the rest of the season and putting in the best results possible. It also gives me a platform to build upon for the future, and I feel like we’ve built a good relationship already and I’m excited for that to continue. I want to keep improving and working with this team and riding the Honda CRF450RW and I feel Team HRC has proven itself as the best team for me to achieve my dreams of challenging for a world title.”
FIM & Eurosport Events partner to promote Speedway globally
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Eurosport Events has agreed a long-term partnership which will see the Discovery-owned event management company promote FIM Speedway events including FIM Speedway Grand Prix, Speedway of Nations, Speedway U21 and Speedway Youth World Championships globally for the next 10 years. The new agreement will begin in 2022 and builds on the existing partnership between the organisations for the promotion of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) since 2015.
In an expanded role following a competitive tender to select the new global promoter of the sport, Eurosport Events will leverage its long-standing motorsport promotion expertise and the international scale of Discovery to develop the sport and grow Speedway around the world.
The partnership will seek to expand Speedway GP’s international calendar, extend the distribution of the sport on TV and digital platforms, launch Speedway into new territories and increase its audiences around the world.
Eurosport Events will oversee the full operational and commercial aspects of the sport including multi-platform rights management and distribution, broadcast production, sponsorship rights strategy and the full suite of marketing, brand and promotional activity. It will also work with local organisers on local promotion and maximising ticketing, hospitality and fan engagement activities.
Jorge Viegas – FIM President
“The FIM launched the tender process back in 2019 for the promotion of the FIM Speedway World Championships 2022-2031. Discovery and Eurosport Events has won the vote of the Board of Directors for its innovative proposal in terms of sport promotion and television coverage. The FIM is delighted to expand its collaboration with Discovery and Eurosport Events, who has been the promoter of the FIM Endurance World Championship since 2015. This new collaboration will provide increased media visibility of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship through Eurosport platforms and key third-party broadcasters. The FIM would like to thank BSI and OneSport who have made a significant contribution to the development of the Speedway over the past twenty years and to wish them every success in 2021 and for the remainder of this season.”
YME confirm Jago Geerts & Maxime Renaux till 2022
Yamaha Motor Europe has confirmed that Jago Geerts will remain with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team through 2022, and that the young Belgian will be joined on the gate of the 2021 and 2022 MX2 World Championships by young Frenchman Maxime Renaux.
Geerts made his MX2 debut with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team back in 2018. The combination of the young Belgian and the Yamaha YZ250F has been fruitful with the ‘193’ scoring his first-ever Grand Prix podium on his way to eighth overall in his rookie season. After one-year of learning and improvement at an elite level, Geerts was able secure the MX2 bronze medal with six more podium finishes in his second season.
Starting 2020 strong, the 19-year-old won his first ever Grand Prix at the opening round of the MX2 series in Matterley Basin, Great Britain. He has since turned 20-years-old and has gone on to win two more rounds, in Kegums, Latvia, and has extended his career podium count to 13.
As a long-time Yamaha rider, Renaux has already raced on the Hans Corvers led ‘Kemea Yamaha’ team in the past. It was back in 2015 where he celebrated three EMX125 wins onboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 and was crowned Junior 125cc World Champion in that same year. Since then, the team has taken on Factory status as the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Team and is solely focused on the FIM MX2 World Championship.
Renaux, now 20-years-old, has shown great promise since his MX2 debut in 2018 where he raced five rounds of the FIM MX2 World Championship as a wildcard rider. He completed his first full-term in MX2 in 2019 where he managed to steer his YZ250F to a maiden podium finish on his way to seventh overall in the final classification.
Nine rounds into the 2020 series, the ‘959’ has quickly established himself as a title threat. He is currently third in the MX2 World Championship standings and has already celebrated his first ever Grand Prix race and overall win, at the MXGP of Italy in Faenza one month ago.
Producing many notable performances since his MX2 debut, which includes four podium celebrations and eight top-three race finishes, Renaux shows signs of great promise and will be a strong challenger for the 2021 and 2022 MX2 crowns.
Jago Geerts – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Rider
“I’m really happy to sign with Yamaha for another two years. The last three years were really nice, and it’s really cool I have extended my contract. Everything works nicely within our team and we have had some really good races this year. I’m really happy with my bike, the Yamaha YZ250FM, so it’s good for me to stay with Yamaha for another two-years.”
Maxime Renaux – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Rider
“I’m really looking forward to moving up to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team for 2021 and 2022. It will be a new beginning for me and I’m ready to fight for the title during those next years. The team looks really motivated and so am I. I am already really looking forward to starting our winter program and to start testing and training ahead of 2021.”
Holcombe moves into Italian Enduro Championship lead
Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has fought his way through an incredibly wet and wild penultimate stop of the Italian Enduro Championship to take control of the series’ overall points lead.
After two busy weekends of Enduro World Championship racing, Steve returned to Italian Enduro Championship duty in Darfo Boario for rounds five and six. Blighted by exceptionally heavy rain, riders faced a wet and wild opening day of competition before conditions thankfully dried a little for day two.
Opting not to take any unnecessary risks in the conditions, Steve maintained a comfortable pace on his Beta RR Racing 4T 350, finishing a strong second overall on day one. Greeted with drier weather on day two he opened his account with the fastest time in the day’s first special test. Losing some ground on the enduro test, he fought back in the latter stages of the day to secure third overall.
With a double podium result, Steve now moves into the overall championship lead with just the final two days of competition remaining, in Arma di Taggia at the end of October.
Steve Holcombe
“That was a tough weekend on the bike for sure. The weather was crazy on Saturday and I think that was the wettest I’ve ever been. Honestly, all credit to the organisers for keeping the racing going. The rain made it so challenging and it was very easy to make a mistake out there. I tried to play it a little safe and took second, then in drier conditions for Sunday I finished third. Beating Thomas Oldrati both times has helped me take the championship lead, which was always the end goal here. After three hectic weekends in a row I’m going to take a little bit of time to recover and then regroup for the final rounds of the Italian Championships and EnduroGP.”
Results – Italian Enduro Championship – Round 5
Brad Freeman (Beta) 35:50.37
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 36:31.48
Joe Wootton (Husqvarna) 36:36.63
Thomas Oldrati (Honda) 36:49.11
Matteo Cavallo (Sherco) 37:08.83
Results – Italian Enduro Championship – Round 6
Brad Freeman (Beta) 36:51.61
Andrea Verona (TM) 37:15.68
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 37:23.88
Joe Wootton (Husqvarna) 37:25.42
Thomas Oldrati (Honda) 37:35.79
Championship Standings (After Round 6)
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 94
Thomas Oldrati (Honda) 87
Brad Freeman (Beta) 75
Andrea Verona (TM) 69
Matteo Cavallo (Sherco) 61
Arminas Jasikonis wakes from medically induced coma
Husqvarna Motorcycles have reported positive news regarding Arminas Jasikonis’ condition following his crash at the MXGP of Lombardia.
Admitted to hospital in Cremona, Italy, on Sunday, September 27, Arminas woke from his medically induced coma on Wednesday, September 30 and was quickly able to recognise and talk with his family and the exceptional medical staff around him, both in Lithuanian and English. AJ can also move his body unaided, is in no pain and despite being understandably tired is thankfully over the worst of his injury and can soon start his rehabilitation.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing extended their thanks to all of the medical staff that have cared for AJ, and to those from around the world that expressed overwhelming support for him during the last few days.
Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager
“Honestly, I have never been so happy to comment on one of my riders. To be able to say that AJ is ok, that he is going to be ok, it’s a kind of miracle. These last few days since his accident have been so, so emotionally draining for everyone close to AJ, and just the worst of times. When he woke, when we realised that he could talk, that he could move all of his arms and legs, that he was in no pain and had no other injuries, it’s still almost impossible to put into words how incredible that feeling was. Of course, AJ still has some way to go before he is fully recovered, and understandably he is still very tired, but the worst is now behind him and he can soon start his recovery. Again, I want to say a sincere thank you to every single person who had AJ in their thoughts during the last few days, to the overwhelming support and positivity we received from the MXGP paddock and the global motocross community. But especially I want to thank everyone at Husqvarna Motorcycles in Austria and the entire motorsports family there, to Robert Jonas and Heinz Kinigadner and also to our team owner Kimi, who immediately started organising many things behind the scenes. Everyone in the team is hugely thankful for this positive outcome and so, so relieved that AJ will be ok.”
Waters Wins Inaugural King of Capricorn
Todd Waters has been crowned the 2020 King of Capricorn after an impressive display of racing at the Six Mile circuit at Rockhampton. Waters, the current Australian Motocross champion, claimed the crown and the hefty prize money to go along with it, after a full weekend of on track action that saw Waters not only win the King of Capricorn feature event but also the MX1 (450cc) and MX2 (250cc) pro divisions as well.
The feature race saw the top 40 riders from the MX1 and MX2 classes race their way through a series of sprint races that saw the last seven riders from each race eliminated until the final 15 lined up and ready to unleash in a three lap frenzy.
The star studded field included Yamaha’s Kirk Gibbs, Aaron Tanti and Jay Wilson as well as young guns Jai Walker and Noah Ferguson, with all riders already under plenty of physical duress from racing all weekend.
From the drop of the gate, it was Walker who led the field and built a small gap on the stars behind him but he made a mistake at the half way point and that was all Waters needed to get to the front and take a popular victory in front of an enthusiastic crowded gathered at the Rockhampton track.
Todd Waters
“What an awesome event. Its so good to see so many riders turn up for a race like this and for me its special because it was a track I raced a lot as a kid growing up and to come back here now as a pro and not just win but also get to talk to the younger riders and spend time with them is something I hope they remember, just like I did as a kid. This is something our sport has not seen for a long time and I’m glad it proved to be so successful at the first attempt. I’m extremely proud to have won here and hopefully this is the start of plenty more events like this in the future. Thank you to the event organisers and sponsors for putting on such a cool race and hopefully events like this can continue as racing a dirt bike is fun and this weekend was awesome fun.”
Taking the Prince of Capricorn in the junior division was Mackay’s, Jackson Camilleri. Camilleri was on fire all weekend and like Waters, took victory in his 125 and 250cc classes over the weekend before going on to cap of a huge weekend for the teenager who celebrated his 16th birthday on Sunday, with an emphatic win in the junior feature event.
Jackson Camilleri
“It was good to get the win here and finish the season on a good note. I had an injury that saw me miss a few events earlier in the year and then I wasn’t prepared as I wanted to be for the state titles but it’s good to be back up front and winning again.”
Despite the 20K on offer across the weekend, the vibe of the event was fun and light-hearted with all the pro races taking time to work with the young riders. Each rider was assigned a class to mentor and encouragement prize packs were handed out to young riders by their heroes.
Jay Wilson
“With our national events cancelled due to COVID, to have this event was awesome for everyone in Queensland. All the riders got behind it with over 300 turning up and supporting the weekend and the prizemoney on offer made it the biggest for the 2020 season. The racing was serious but also a bit more relaxed than a national title and the club did a great job of running the event. The pro riders all got a kick out of working with the young guys and hopefully they now feel we are approachable and can talk to us about their riding any time. Hopefully it’s the first of this style event and we can do more like this in the future.”
With the dust now settled on a successful event, race secretary Debbie Dark can now reflect on the weekend.
Debbie Dark
“The event came about because plenty of enthusiastic people wanted to continue racing in Queensland. We were due to have the Australian Junior Motocross Championships the past week, but when they was cancelled, the club got together with supporters and we put the event on. It was great to see so many sponsors support it and not only raise money to host it, but also boast $20,000 in prizemoney. I also must thank the dedication of the people in our club who put in so much hard work as well those that helped me behind the scenes. The smile on the riders and their thanks at the end of the weekend made it all worth it.”
Round 2 of the 2020 WA MX Senior State Championship had wrapped up with Regan Duffy sweeping the MX1 and MX2 classes, while Chris Errey went 2-1-1 in Veterans for the round win. The Amateur Cup saw Jay White take the win, going 1-2-2, with Callum Bayliss second with a 2-1-3 result.
MX1 Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
REGAN DUFFY
105
35
35
35
2
JOHN DARROCH
94
32
30
32
3
CHARLIE CREECH
86
30
28
28
4
JOSH ADAMS
84
28
26
30
5
CONNOR TIERNEY
83
25
32
26
6
STUEY WILMOT
74
24
25
25
7
LUKE FEW
67
20
24
23
8
ASH ROGERS
66
21
23
22
9
STEVEN POCOCK
61
19
21
21
10
ANTHONY HICKS
59
17
22
20
11
BRYNN CUTTS
53
16
19
18
12
DYLAN HEARD
51
23
11
17
13
BLAIR OUTRAM
47
14
17
16
14
CORBEN WEINERT
46
22
–
24
15
DANE CUTTS
43
13
16
14
16
MITCHELL WILHELM
42
12
15
15
17
JOE DI GIULIO
38
18
20
–
18
CHRISTIAN SILVESTRO
33
15
18
–
19
JACOB WHATELY
26
–
13
13
20
LUKE DAVIS
26
26
–
–
21
TAINE KINGS
23
11
12
–
22
BRENDON BAYLISS
19
–
–
19
23
SAM CLARKE
14
–
14
–
MX2 Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
REGAN DUFFY
105
35
35
35
2
DANIEL PAJEWSKI
96
32
32
32
3
JOSH ADAMS
90
30
30
30
4
CONAN FORRESTER
82
26
28
28
5
CODY CHITTICK
74
25
23
26
6
SETH MANUEL
73
28
26
19
7
BRENDON BAYLISS
70
23
22
25
8
CHRISTIAN SILVESTRO
65
20
21
24
9
EVAN BROWNE
65
24
25
16
10
CHRISTOPHER WHEELER
57
18
18
21
11
TOM LILLY
57
19
20
18
12
SHAUN SNOW
52
16
19
17
13
JAYDEN MCFERRAN
50
14
16
20
14
REVONN NIEUWOUDT
47
–
24
23
15
HARRISON SMITH
45
15
15
15
16
BRAYDON BAYNES
44
13
17
14
17
BEN COOK
43
21
–
22
18
MATTHEW MARSON
36
11
12
13
19
SHANE MURRAY
36
22
14
–
20
MITCHELL KILLEEN
30
17
13
–
21
KARA CATS
12
12
–
–
22
ZAC SAFFIOTI
10
10
–
–
Veterans Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
CHRIS ERREY
102
32
35
35
2
BEN SHINGLER
97
35
30
32
3
AARON CHIRCOP
90
28
32
30
4
TREVOR UNSTEAD
82
30
24
28
5
STEVE BARRINGTON
78
26
28
24
6
STUART MCFERRAN
74
23
26
25
7
AARON MAZZA
73
25
22
26
8
SCOTT KOSTIN
71
24
25
22
9
DIARMUID FITZPATRICK
66
20
23
23
10
MARC PAYNE
64
22
21
21
11
NATHAN WILLCOCKS
59
19
20
20
12
BRETT NEWBOULT
59
21
19
19
13
BEN MARTIN
53
17
18
18
14
CHRIS HALLETT
50
18
17
15
15
TIMOTHY WARR
46
15
14
17
16
JOHN GAILES
45
16
13
16
17
BENJI DAWSON
43
14
16
13
18
PETER FREIGHT
42
13
15
14
Amateur Cup Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
JAY WHITE
99
35
32
32
2
CALLUM BAYLISS
97
32
35
30
3
FLETCHER STUBBS
89
28
26
35
4
DANIEL WRIGHT
74
25
28
21
5
DECLAN O’LEARY
74
24
30
20
6
CALLUM THOMSON
73
30
20
23
7
KACEY KINGS
69
22
22
25
8
CAMPBELL LEE
67
26
15
26
9
BEN TRELOAR
65
20
21
24
10
JACOB JONES
65
23
23
19
11
JOSHUA RASMUSSEN
62
21
19
22
12
KIRK SHIER
59
18
24
17
13
MASON COOPER
55
19
18
18
14
SCOTT BROWN
50
17
17
16
15
RICKY LADISZLAI
50
10
25
15
16
CLAYTON CLUNIE
42
14
–
28
17
RUBEN PLANT
40
16
12
12
18
WILLIAM JONES
39
12
14
13
19
HANNAH STEWART
30
–
16
14
20
SAM DAVIES
29
8
13
8
21
JEREMY RODGER
26
15
–
11
22
TAHLIA LANG
24
6
11
7
23
REECE LAWRENCE
22
13
–
9
24
JUDD THOMAS
22
7
9
6
25
RILEY LITTLEFAIR
19
9
–
10
26
ADAM PLANT
11
11
–
–
27
MAKALA EDWARDS
10
–
10
–
2020 Queensland Dirt Track Titles – Ayr MCC
The 2020 Queensland Dirt Track Titles saw Ayr MCC host the event over October 3 & 4, with Jarred Brook dominating the MX Open and Pro 450 classes across both days.
Jarred Brook
“That’s a wrap for the 2020 QLD Long Track and Dirt Track Titles. Thank you to Ayr Motorcycle Club Inc for running a great event. Thank you to my little team and sponsors for helping me come away with a win in the MX Open, second place in the Pro 450 for Long Track, then the double win for Dirt Track!”
Reigning American Flat Track Grand National Champion Briar Bauman obliterated the world’s best dirt trackers for the third consecutive race, putting on yet another masterclass at Friday night’s Dallas Half-Mile I in Mesquite, Texas.
Bauman was in control of the AFT SuperTwins Main Event from green light to checkered flag, looking remarkably smooth throughout an unfamiliar circuit that caught many of his rivals out. In some ways, the victory celebration started with more than four minutes remaining when the blue flags started flying in earnest. By the time the race was complete, Bauman had lapped his way all the way up to seventh position.
Sammy Halbert was the only rider that looked to be in Bauman’s league on this evening. The Springfield Mile winner maintained a gap of right around two seconds back deep into the Main before the run through packs of slower riders eventually dropped him to a final margin of 3.445 seconds.
Jared Mees seemed destined to limit the championship damage he would absorb by rounding out the podium. However, he took another hit when he was victimised by an on-form Robert Pearson, who returned to action in Dallas following a couple rounds away with a new team and plenty of motivation.
Pearson powered his way forward from outside the top five to reel in Mees late. He then executed the decisive maneuver after the clocks showed 0:00 to notch up his first podium of the 2020 season.
Dan Bromley – who earlier exploited the high line to win his Semi – ran fourth over the race’s opening half. Unfortunately, his bike was damaged in an incident, and he was forced to retire after losing his seat. Brandon Price completed the top five.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
36 Laps
2
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+3.445
3
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+5.212
4
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+6.485
5
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+14.101
6
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+16.942
7
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+19.343
8
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+35 Laps
9
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+0.783
10
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+0.95
AFT SuperTwins – Dallas Half-Mile II
Briar Bauman delivered another devastating performance to up his run of dominance to four in Saturday evening’s Roof Systems Dallas Half-Mile II at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. Bauman was again untouchable, streaking out to the lead when the lights went green for the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event and piling it on from there.
Friday’s runner-up, Sammy Halbert, got caught up behind Jeffrey Carver Jr. while Bauman escaped at the front during the race’s opening stages. Halbert managed to slip into second with just over nine minutes remaining, providing him plenty of time to track down the leader if he had the pace to do so. And while Halbert did immediately open up some space behind him once through, Bauman in turn just kept running away from him en route to an eventual 4.393-second margin of victory.
Bauman’s monster weekend has the potential to be a turning point in this year’s Grand National Championship fight. Prior to the Dallas doubleheader, Bauman and rival Jared Mees had traded the title lead back and forth at each successive event. Bauman brought that trend to an end in a major way in Texas, turning what was a narrow five-point advantage into a protective 25-point lead.
Mees, meanwhile, got away in fifth and started looking for a way past Friday podium man Robert Pearson in earnest with seven and a half minutes remaining. Mees attempted to go low and then high – and then low and high again – but the most he could ever do was pull alongside the scrappy Pearson. Their battle caught and overhauled Carver, the two storming through into third and fourth, respectively, in one fell swoop with four minutes to go.
Mees threw in several more attempts at the podium but was unable to make a move stick; for the second night in a row, Pearson beat him to the line for third, this time by 0.257 seconds. Carver held on to round out the top five.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
36 Laps
2
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+4.393
3
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+5.183
4
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+5.44
5
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+11.033
6
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+13.5
7
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+14.777
8
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+15.098
9
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
+16.327
10
JD Beach
Yamaha MT-07
+17.587
AFT SuperTwins Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
219
2
Jared Mees
194
3
Sammy Halbert
163
4
Bronson Bauman
127
5
Brandon Robinson
117
6
Brandon Price
114
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
112
8
Davis Fisher
104
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
85
10
Dan Bromley
84
AFT Singles – Dallas Half-Mile I
It was only natural that the AFT Singles rider to shine the brightest in Dallas was one Dallas Daniels. Of course, Daniels hasn’t required any type of luck to separate himself from the pack in 2020.
The rising star seized control of the race by the end of lap one and never saw an opponent’s wheel from that point forward. In a class where no other rider has more than one win on the year, Daniels already boasts four as he has firmly established himself as the championship favourite with the season heading down the stretch.
Daniels’ primary challenger this season — the hugely experienced and decorated Henry Wiles – chased him as deep into the Main as he could manage. However, by mid-distance he was forced to turn his attention to charging teammate Michael Inderbitzin.
Inderbitzin was the one rider who may have had the pace to beat Daniels. However, the polesitter dropped outside the top five off the line and was forced to use that speed just to put himself on Wiles’ rear wheel as they took the halfway flags. Not surprisingly, Wiles proved a hard target, fending Inderbitzin off until the very final lap.
After being displaced to third, Wiles attempted to square his teammate back up in the short sprint to the flag, but Inderbitzin narrowly held on to earn his first podium of the season by 0.089 seconds.
A couple seconds further back, Williams Grove runner-up Trent Lowe edged Morgen Mischler for fourth by just over a tenth of a second. Daniels’ teammate, Mikey Rush, ran in the lead group early but ultimately crossed the stripe down in eighth. As a result, Daniels now leads the points by 22 over Wiles and 37 over Rush ahead of tomorrow’s rematch.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
24 Laps
2
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+2.421
3
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+2.511
4
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+4.409
5
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+4.547
6
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+6.579
7
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
+8.127
8
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+8.835
9
Jesse Janisch
Husqvarna FC450
+10.565
10
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+11.347
AFT Singles – Dallas Half-Mile II
Ten races into the 2020 AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys season, five riders have one win, and one rider has five wins. The five-win rider, Dallas Daniels, doubled up at his namesake event on Saturday night with a Dallas HM performance that accurately represented the superiority he’s demonstrated as of late.
Despite claiming the first pick on the front row, Daniels slipped off the line, allowing Henry Wiles, Mikey Rush, and Morgen Mischler through at the start.
In response, Daniels went to work. He dropped Mischler within a lap. Not long after, Daniels ducked under Rush to move into second, nearly acing Wiles in the same maneuver. Less than a minute later, Daniels drove up alongside Wiles mid-corner and then powered by him on exit in the exact same manner.
With clear air in front of him, Daniels opened up several bike lengths in just a half lap and ultimately sprinted away to a five-plus second margin of victory.
Dallas Daniels
“It’s definitely not easy, especially when you get a terrible start like I did. Me and my crew chief were talking about getting a good start, and I guess I wanted to do the exact opposite. I had a move going out of Turn 2; there was a little bit of a rut those guys were hitting and going wide, and I was able to go underneath them. I was able to do it to Mikey and then Henry too. To be honest, I didn’t know what was going on behind me. I just charged, charged, charged. When I looked back after the checkers, I had a really big gap.”
While Daniels erased all drama in the fight for victory, there was plenty of action behind. Rush and Wiles went at it for second for the majority of the race. However, second-ranked Wiles lost the groove as the clock hit 0:00, and over the race’s final two laps, he’d drop from a potential runner-up to an eventual sixth.
With Wiles out of contention, Rush gave Estenson Racing the 1-2. Less than a half-second back, Tanner Dean just beat Michael Inderbitzin to the line to finish third. Mischler finished a further 1.3 seconds back to complete the top five.
Even after missing the Main in the season opener, Daniels now boasts more than a full race’s advantage in the standings, leading Wiles by 34 points (183-149). Rush is in third at 141.
Max Whale
“Hard week at the office, drove 24 hours solo in the RV to race Dallas Texas. Struggled big time with setup and made a few mistakes. On Friday and ran P12, my worst result this year. Regrouped and ran P7 on Saturday. Gone back to 4th in the championship. A little disappointed but more than ready to Hit the last 3 double headers. Specials thanks this week to Don, from Dons Kawasaki for freshening up the bikes. Also to my helpers on the day Matty, Keith and Barry. Your legends would be lost without you.”
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
25 Laps
2
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+5.029
3
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
+5.436
4
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+5.529
5
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+6.859
6
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+7.168
7
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+7.552
8
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
+8.043
9
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+8.174
10
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+12.398
AFT Singles Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Dallas Daniels
183
2
Henry Wiles
149
3
Michael Rush
141
4
Max Whale
133
5
Trent Lowe
112
6
Brandon Kitchen
106
7
Tanner Dean
104
8
Morgen Mischler
99
9
Chad Cose
89
10
Michael Inderbitzin
88
AFT Production Twins – Dallas Half-Mile I
James Rispoli continued to operate in another orbit compared to the rest of the AFT Production Twins field, streaking to his fifth win in six races with relative ease. Defending class champion Cory Texter shot into the lead off the light, followed by Chad Cose.
Polesitter Rispoli dropped to third at the start but was already in the lead and shaking free by the end of the opening lap. Cose did all he could to give the title leader a fight, holding onto his draft for about three minutes before Rispoli put an end to his challenge and blasted off to yet another blowout victory.
Title contender Ryan Varnes suffered a huge moment early, dropping from third to seventh in the process. He spent the next half race clawing his way forward. Varnes did well to battle his way back into third and even closed in on runner-up Cose for a spell, but was forced to accept the final spot on the box in the end.
Ben Lowe held down fourth for much of the contest but became embroiled in a scrap for the position with Jeremiah Duffy. Duffy managed to find a way through to take fourth at the flag while Lowe rounded out the top five less than a second back. After getting such a strong start, Texter’s race ended down in seventh, 0.154 seconds back of Danny Eslick. Rispoli now holds a title lead equal to his competition number, up a full 43 points on second-ranked Texter.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
24 Laps
2
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+3.137
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+3.527
4
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+7.124
5
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+8.067
6
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+9.929
7
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+10.083
8
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
+14.152
9
Brock Schwarzenbacher
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+18.687
10
Dylan Bell
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+19.435
AFT Production Twins – Dallas Half-Mile II
James Rispoli continued his march toward the 2020 AFT Production Twins title, locking down his sixth win in the season’s last seven races. This victory was not as easily earned as it sounds, however.
Cory Texter rode like a reigning class champ and executed a perfect launch from the inside starting position, successfully translating the holeshot into an extended run at the front. Texter continually fended off a stalking Rispoli, who repeatedly looked for a way up the inside of his rival as the two ripped away from the rest of the pack.
Texter managed to keep the fleet Rispoli corralled behind him until just after the half distance flags flew. At that point, the champ ran slightly wide and that was all the invitation the current title leader required. Rispoli put his XG750R into first and immediately went into super cruise mode, blasting away at the front.
Behind, Ryan Varnes and Chad Cose applied heavy pressure to third-placed Jeremiah Duffy as the three tussled over the final podium position. That pressure transformed into chaos when Varnes’ front wheel contacted Duffy’s rear wheel, sending Varnes over the bars. The incident brought out the red flag with just over two minutes remaining, giving the field another shot at ending Rispoli’s win streak.
Unfortunately for them, Rispoli held on to the lead as they left the staggered start and immediately started throwing in the Main’s fastest laps. Texter did well to keep him honest, but ultimately, it added up to a fifth consecutive AFT Production Twins victory for the two-time AMA Pro SuperSport champion.
James Rispoli
“I’m stoked that Cory was able to put up a massive, massive challenge tonight. He rode really well. This wasn’t easy at all. The track was hard and technical. I’ve got to take my hat off to my team. We weren’t the fastest guy, and we had to come a little bit from behind, and they were able to get it done. Five in a row… This is a dream season.”
Cose beat Duffy off the line at the restart to collect third. Duffy was dropped a couple more positions before it was over, as Rispoli’s fellow former road racing national champion, Danny Eslick slid past claim fourth while Dylan Bell got by as well to round out the top five. Despite his heavy fall, Varnes not only made the restart, he raced his way up from the back of the field to finish seventh.
Rispoli now leads Texter by 48 points with six races remaining, 224 to 176.
POS
RIDER
BIKE
INTERVAL
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
23 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+0.663
3
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+1.842
4
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+3.824
5
Dylan Bell
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+4.379
6
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.202
7
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.553
8
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+5.722
9
Michael Inderbitzin
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+5.933
10
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
+6.618
AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
224
2
Cory Texter
176
3
Ryan Varnes
163
4
Ben Lowe
160
5
Danny Eslick
135
6
Chad Cose
124
7
Jeremiah Duffy
114
8
Nick Armstrong
95
9
Cody Johncox
74
10
Dylan Bell
53
2020 EnduroGP of Italy – Spoleto
Day 1 – Saturday
The first day of the Italian Grand Prix was contested under bright and warm sunshine. Although heavy rain and thunderstorms late on Friday made slippery special tests seem likely, conditions were actually much drier and more straight forward than expected. The FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship competitors attacked all three tests with gusto and a passionate crowd, all respecting Covid-19 restrictions, cheered them through every twist and turn.
Reigning World Champion Brad Freeman delivered a perfect performance on this opening day of the Italian Grand Prix. From the start of the day onwards, the Factory Beta rider took the lead and never relinquished it. Consistent and quick all day, the Brit always kept his opponents at least 30 seconds behind him. He won all 3 special tests on the first lap and remained in the top 3 for all the rest.
Freeman therefore won the day by more than 45 seconds ahead of team-mate and rival Steve Holcombe. Holcombe intelligently built up his day with patience, chipping away on each test. Realising that catching up to his team-mate was hard task, the Englishman chose to settle for a safe second place. This move could pay off come the end of the season.
The fight for 3rd place on the podium was absolutely superb. Three riders fought it out to take a coveted rostrum. Andrea Verona, Thomas Oldrati and Loïc Larrieu, each took it in turns to occupy the spot. In the end it was Italy’s Oldrati to take the honours at his home race. Verona and Larrieu completed the Top 5.
Jaume Betriu confirmed the strong performances he managed in France by taking an impressive 6th place overall. He was ahead of Christophe Charlier, Danny McCanney and Antoine Basset. The disappointment of the day goes to Matteo Cavallo who made too many mistakes and finished 12th. Alex Salvini still suffering with his shoulder did not finish the day.
In E1 it was therefore Thomas Oldrati who won ahead of Andrea Verona and Christophe Charlier.
In E2 Steve Holcombe completes a third success in as many starts, he was in front of Loïc Larrieu and Danny McCanney.
E3 went the way of Brad Freeman who beat Jaume Betriu and a combative Antoine Basset.
In Junior, Theo Espinasse perfectly controlled the assaults of Hamish Macdonald. Macdonald was the initial leader of the day and was looking strong but he lost 40 seconds in a crash on the second lap of the tricky Xtreme. He picked himself up and began to claw back the time he lost, but the victory was out of reach. Matteo Pavoni put his Beta Boano on the podium at home with third.
Finland’s Roni Kytonen finished fourth, while Pau Tomas completed the Top 5. Ruy Barbosa finished 6th. Talented Aussie Wil Rruprecht had a hell of a day, he was vying for the podium but he heavily damaged his Beta in the first Xtreme Test of the day, eventually finishing 16th in the category.
In Youth Cup Jed Etchells kept everyone in suspense until in the last special test. He won the category against an impressive Sergio Navarro, the Fantic rider crucially beat his Spanish rival by 4 seconds. Claudio Spanu accompanied them on the podium.
In the Champion Enduro Open World Cup, Belgian Mathias Van Hoof won in the 4-Stroke class ahead of his compatriot Damiaens Dietger and Jorge Rodriguez Paradelo. In the 2-Stroke category the Portuguese rider Goncalo Reis took another victory ahead of his compatriot Goncalo Sobrosa. Robert Friedrich was third. In Senior, Italian enduro legend Alessio Paoli marked his comeback by winning in front of Duccio Graziani and David Martinez Corbalan.
Day 2 – Sunday
The dreaded heavy rain and chilly weather hit the FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship for the entirety of Sunday. As could be expected, the organisers and stewards of the Italian Grand Prix made changes to the course in order to ensure the safety of all competitors, and the cream rose to the top as Steve Holcombe perfectly dominated this day, despite many pitfalls.
The Beta Factory rider felt completely at home with the weather conditions on day two of the Italian GP. Even in the middle of the deluge, Steve Holcombe remained master of his discipline. His bike problems of the day before were forgotten, and the Brit was able to relax into a strong rhythm. He nevertheless had to keep a close eye on his teammate at Beta Factory: Brad Freeman.
Steve Holcombe
“It’s been a weekend of two halves, for the result and how I rode. I’ll hold my hand up and say I rode too smooth on Saturday and any chance of fighting for the win got away from me. When we sorted things, Brad was too far gone to challenge him. On Sunday we turned it around a lot. I attacked from the word go and was able to step my pace up when I needed to throughout the day. I had a strong opening lap and pulled a gap on third. From then on it was down to Brad and me for the win. I really wanted it and seemed to step it up again on the final lap and bring the result home. Conditions were tricky today with the rain, so proving the 350F in the mud with a victory is awesome.”
The 2019 EnduroGP World Champion was very threatening during the first lap, the gap even dropping below half a second at times. But Freeman was forced to let victory slip through his fingers, losing a few seconds in each of the tests on the last laps. However, Freeman and Holcombe can leave Italy satisfied with their domination of the World Enduro field. Third on the day was Loïc Larrieu, more than a minute behind the British duo.
Brad Freeman
“I can’t say I’m happy with my day. I just didn’t know how to get into the right rhythm. I got through the day and I have to take my hat off to Steve who was absolutely on fire. The fight continues, there are 4 days of racing left, anything can happen and I will be ready to battle.”
Larrieu can be happy with this result as he had to push hard to take the coveted final podium spot. 6th at the end of the first lap, Loïc went on the offensive and was extremely impressive as the day went on, even beating local favourites. He held on to the podium from the end of the second lap onwards, setting test times close to the Beta riders.
Thomas Oldrati fell short of third place by just six seconds but his general performance over the weekend satisfied the Honda rider. Andrea Verona never quite managed to get into the groove. However, he still put in a superb performance as a Senior ranks rookie, finishing in the Top 5.
Similarly, Belgian rookie Antoine Magain was the great revelation of the day. He was contesting the top positions throughout day but a fall in the last Enduro test forced him to cool down. However, he will certainly be one to watch in the coming races.
Very disappointed after missing out on victory due to a crash on Day 1, New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald his revenge on his Sherco team-mate Théo Espinasse on Day 2. The rider from the southern hemisphere played all his cards right in the tricky conditions, winning by more than a minute in only his second race in the Junior class. Last year’s Youth 125cc Cup winner was thrilled with this strong result which keeps him in contention.
Wil Ruprecht made amends for his Day 1 difficulties by taking a fine podium with 2nd place in the category. The Australian was ahead of Théo Espinasse by just under 2 seconds. The Frenchman who was so strong at his home race in Requista is still at the top of the standings however.
Ruy Barbosa upped his game on Saturday. The Chilean still struggled a bit under the downpours, but today’s 4th place should give him the confidence to aim higher next time out.
In Youth Cup, Jed Etchells was completely unfazed by the mud and took victory by more than a minute over Spain’s Sergio Navarro. Etchell’s team-mate Harry Edmondson completed the podium. Fantic will certainly be satisfied as their third rider, Hugo Svard made it three Fantics in the Top 5 with fourth place.
In the Champion Enduro Open World Cup, the 4-Stroke category was again dominated by Mathias Van Hoof ahead of his compatriot Damiaens Dietger. They were once again accompanied on the podium by Jorge Rodriguez Paradelo. In the 2-Stroke category the podium is a copy-paste of the day before, namely Goncalo Reis won ahead of Goncalo Sobrosa and Robert Friedrich. In Senior, Alessio Paoli took another impressive victory in front of Duccio Graziani and David Martinez Corbalan third.
The Italian Grand Prix brought a little bit of everything to the party; enthusiastic fans, unpredictable weather, challenging tests, and great racing! The FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship will reconvene in November for two back-to-back in Northern Portugal.
EnduroGP Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
77
2
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
71
3
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
52
4
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
52
5
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
46
6
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
37
7
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
30
8
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
26
9
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
22
10
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
21
E1 Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
74
2
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
72
3
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
52
4
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
41
5
REMES Eero
FIN
Yamaha
41
6
SNOW Alexander
GBR
Honda
37
7
TARROUX Jeremy
FRA
Sherco
30
8
SORECA Davide
ITA
Beta
28
9
BURUD Kevin
NOR
Yamaha
27
10
ALUN Richard
SWE
Sherco
27
E2 Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
80
2
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
68
3
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
56
4
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
50
5
GESLIN Anthony
FRA
Beta
37
6
WOOTTON Joe
GBR
Husqvarna
34
7
VIAL Max
FRA
Husqvarna
33
8
BLANJOUE Hugo
FRA
Honda
28
9
HUEBNER Edward
DEU
KTM
26
10
SALVINI Alex
ITA
Honda
22
E3 Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
80
2
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
66
3
BASSET Antoine
FRA
Beta
50
4
GUARNERI Davide
ITA
TM
46
5
FRANCISCO Enric
ESP
Sherco
40
6
ABGRALL David
FRA
Beta
39
7
GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal
ESP
Beta
34
8
PASSET Thibaut
FRA
Beta
30
9
SANS SORIA Marc
ESP
KTM
26
10
RECCHIA Nicola
ITA
Beta
24
Junior Standings – Top 10
Rank
Rider
Nat
Bike
Total
1
ESPINASSE Theophile
FRA
Sherco
75
2
MACDONALD Hamish
NZL
Sherco
71
3
KYTONEN Roni
FIN
Honda
48
4
PAVONI Matteo
ITA
Beta
47
5
RUPRECHT Wil
AUS
Beta
40
6
BARBOSA Ruy
CHL
Husqvarna
39
7
MACORITTO Lorenzo
ITA
Beta
30
8
CRIVILIN Bruno
BRA
Honda
28
9
VAN OEVELEN Matthew
BEL
Husqvarna
26
10
CRIQ Antoine
FRA
Sherco
20
2020 Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC
The 2020 Yamaha Burr Oak GNCC saw the world’s fastest off-road motorcycle racers taking to the woods of Ohio. The tenth round of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, took place in Millfield, Ohio at Sunday Creek Raceway, also home to The John Penton GNCC.
Getting the jump off the line first to earn the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot award was Ben Kelley. However, after overshooting the first turn Kelley would lose a couple of positions. Steward Baylor Jr. would capitalise, moving into the early lead as the group of XC1 Open Pro riders made their way into the woods.
As the leaders made their way through the finish line on the opening lap it was Baylor Jr. holding a 7 second lead over Kailub Russell, with Kelley running third just eight-seconds behind him. Russell looked like he was making a charge for the lead, but on the second lap he would find himself on the ground after a mistake in the John Penton section of the track. Russell was able to ride his machine back to his pit area but was unable to return to racing due to a knee injury. Russell will have his knee evaluated this week.
Baylor Jr. would continue to push at the front of the pack with Kelley trying to reel him in as he moved into second overall. Kelley would close the gap to just about nine-seconds, but as the white flag came out Kelley would make a mistake costing him valuable time. Baylor Jr. would come through to take his second-straight win of the season after a grueling three-hour race. Kelley would hold onto second overall, coming through 58 seconds behind the leader.
Grant Baylor got off to a great start coming through timing and scoring in fourth overall on lap one. Baylor would continue to push and would find himself third overall after the second lap. Baylor would try to close the gap between himself and the leaders, but he would be unable to make any passes on the lead duo before the checkered flag came out. Baylor expressed what a great feeling it was to be on the podium, and that it was cool to share the overall podium with his older brother.
Getting off to a top five start was Jordan Ashburn. Ashburn would then make the move up to fourth on lap two, as he tried to gain momentum to challenge for a three position. Ashburn would continue to ride a consistent race, but he would be unable to challenge the top three riders. Ashburn would finish out the day fourth in XC1 and fifth overall.
Andrew Delong had his second best race of the season on Sunday afternoon. Delong came through running sixth in the XC1 class for the first two laps of racing, and as the race wore on, he then found himself making the move up to fifth in his class. Delong finished out the three-hour race with a fifth place finish in class, and eighth overall.
Returning after a small injury sidelined him for the previous round of racing was Josh Strang. As the pack of racers came through on the opening lap Strang made his way around in the eighth place position. Strang would then stop to help his fellow competitor, Russell, out of the track and back to his motorcycle. Even after stopping to help, Strang would make the move up to seventh in the XC1 class. On the last lap of racing Strang would make a late charge and take over sixth in the class, with a 13th overall finishing position on the day.
Layne Michael found himself in a continuous battle throughout the day in Ohio. Michael would swap back-and-forth from sixth to seventh place multiple times throughout the race. As Michael was running in sixth on the final lap of racing, he would be unable to hold off a charging Strang. Michael would check in seventh in class, 18th overall at round 10. Evan Earl would come through to earn eighth in the XC1 Open Pro class after missing round nine of racing.
In the XC2 class it was Jonathan Girroir making his way to the lead on the opening lap. Girroir would maintain his lead for the duration of the race, placing a 22 second gap between himself and second place by the time the checkered flag flew. Girroir earned his fifth win of the season, and now takes over the points lead in the XC2 class by nine.
AmPro Yamaha/St. Lawrence Radiology’s Mike Witkowski had a consistent race as he made his way into second and never looked back. Witkowski was looking to make a charge for the lead, but he would be unable to close the gap between them. Witkowski remains third in the points standings, 20 points behind the leader.
Craig Delong had some work cut out for him as he came through timing and scoring sixth on lap one. Delong would steadily work his way through the pack, making his way into fourth by the second lap and then third by the next. Delong would finish out the day third in his class, and seventh overall.
As the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am competitors came through it was Zack Hayes taking the class win and extending his points lead by 35. Jason Lipscomb would battle from third to second in the class, making his way to the podium for the second time. Michael Delosa rounded out the top three in the FMF XC3 class.
As the 10 a.m. race got underway it was Rachel Gutish grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot award. However, Rachael Archer made her way to the lead early on in the race. Archer checked in 18 seconds ahead of Gutish on the opening lap with current points lead Becca Sheets right behind her.
Archer continued to hold her lead position throughout the two-hour race, crossing the finish line with over a minute gap back to second. Sheets made the pass on Gutish for the second, but she was ultimately unable to catch Archer to battle for the lead. Sheets earnt second in the WXC class and remains in control of the points standings. Gutish held onto third in the class, and she currently sits fourth in the WXC class points standings with three more rounds of racing to go.
Racing got underway at 8 a.m. Sunday morning with the youth motorcycle racers taking to the woods first. It would be a three-way battle between the Team Green Kawasaki due of Jack Joy and Grant Davis, and Coastal Racing Husqvarna’s Lane Whitmer. Davis jumped out to the early lead with Whitmer and Joy just seconds behind him.
Joy made a pass on Whitmer for second and set his sights on Davis as the race worse on. As the trio came through after four laps of racing it was Joy out front with Whitmer and Davis running second and third. Joy would hold on and take the youth overall win as well as the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Davis made the pass on Whitmer stick as they round out the top three youth overall finishers and top three in the YXC1 class.
In the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class it was Nicholas Defeo taking the class win, with Andrew Segars and Chase Landers rounding out the top three. Colton Shields would earn the 85cc (12-13) class win, and seventh overall. Ryan Amancio came through to take another 85cc (7-11) class win.
XC1 Pro Event Results
Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Grant Baylor (SHR)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Andrew Delong (HON)
Josh Strang (KAW)
Layne Michael (YAM)
Evan Earl (KAW)
Kailub Russell (KTM)
*Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (256)
Josh Strang (201)
Jordan Ashburn (159)
Craig DeLong (147)
Jonathan Girroir (139)
Michael Witkowski (138)
Grant Baylor (124)
Benjamin Kelley (107)
Steward Baylor Jr. (103)
Cody Barnes (102)
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
Michael Witkowski (YAM)
Craig Delong (HQV)
Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
Cody Barnes (BET)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Thorn Devlin (BET)
Jesse Ansley (KTM)
Jonathan Johnson (YAM)
Benjamin Nelko (HQV)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Jonathan Girroir (254)
Craig Delong (245)
Michael Witkowski (234)
Cody Barnes (170)
Liam Draper (158)
Thorn Devlin (135)
Jonathan Johnson (113)
Ryder Lafferty (111)
Benjamin Nelko (93)
Simon Johnson (79)
2020 Sea to Sky Extreme Enduro
Graham Jarvis (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) has secured yet another extreme enduro victory, this time topping the 2020 Sea to Sky. Delivering a winning performance on the final day’s Mountain Race, Graham notched up his sixth victory at the Turkish event. Graham’s teammate Billy Bolt dominated the event’s first three races, but a navigational error on the final day relegated him to third overall.
As always at Sea to Sky, Jarvis made a solid, but cautious start to the event. Claiming an impressive fifth in the hectic Beach Race, the 45-year-old then began to put on the pressure in the Forest Race, taking third and staying within touch of race leader Bolt. Despite a heavy impact with a rock damaging his bike, Graham was able to skilfully bring his Husqvarna TE 300i home in fourth on the technically demanding Sky Race.
Going into Saturday’s Mountain Race, Graham was lying third overall, a minute down on second place and close to four minutes down on his teammate Bolt in first. In typical Jarvis style, the Brit kept his nerve and maintained a strong pace throughout the 55-kilometre course. Making no mistakes, the extreme enduro expert crested the final hill in first place and with enough of an advantage over his rivals to claim the overall win.
Billy Bolt had looked on form throughout the 2020 edition of Sea to Sky. Winning the opening Beach Race, Billy went on to top the proceedings in both the subsequent Forest and Sky Races. Leading much of Saturday’s Mountain Race, the young British rider was first to reach many of the more challenging sections with other riders playing catch up behind.
Unfortunately, in following track marking tape left from a previous running of the event, Bolt was forced to double back on himself, losing a considerable amount of time. Pushing hard for the remainder of the enduro, the reigning FIM SuperEnduro World Champion was able to salvage fourth, earning himself a place on the overall podium, in third.
Graham Jarvis – P1
“It was a great race today and I was lucky if I’m honest, especially after damaging the bike earlier in the event. I went into the Mountain Race about four minutes down on Billy and as all the top guys ended up riding together, I thought there was no chance for me today. Billy took a wrong turn and I managed to get out in front and for that last 20 minutes I just pushed as hard as I could to the finish. It feels nice to get another win here in Turkey, it really is an amazing event.”
Billy Bolt – P3
“Overall, it’s been a really good week here in Turkey. I’m really happy with my riding and know I had the pace to win every day. I had led 80 or 90 percent of the Mountain Race today and was first to reach this tricky hill – it seems they had left some route marking tape up from last year and so I followed it. As it turns out, it wasn’t the right way to go, and by the time I had realised and turned back I had lost too much time to catch up with the leader. Finishing on the podium is good, but I’m disappointed not to have taken the win.”
Overall Results – 2020 Sea to Sky, Kemer, Turkey
Pos
Rider
Man.
Time
1
Graham Jarvis
Husqvarna
4:48:37
2
Wade Young
Sherco
4:51:12
3
Billy Bolt
Husqvarna
4:52:12
4
Mario Roman
Sherco
4:56:23
5
Teodor Kabakchiev
KTM
5:14:59
Speedway of Nations Final moved to mainland Europe
In light of an increase in cases of COVID-19 in the UK, the subsequent tighter restrictions being put in place and ongoing travel and quarantine restrictions, BSI Speedway has announced that the 2020 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final, scheduled to take place at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium on October 24 and 25, will be moved to a new venue in mainland Europe.
Paul Bellamy – Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG
“We’re committed to delivering the thrilling, action-packed final that our speedway community is looking forward to. And to do this, we need to make sure the top riders from all seven competing nations are able to race, which is unfortunately no longer possible in the UK due to changing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. We’re looking forward to revealing our new venue as soon as possible, and in the meantime, we thank our fans, riders, partners, staff and everyone involved for their ongoing support.”
BSI Speedway is in the process of finalising the new venue for the final in October which will be announced along with additional details in the coming weeks.
The 2021 final will return to Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium over a weekend in October 2021 – date to be confirmed. Fans who have purchased tickets for the event will receive an email with further details.
Jack Holder secures FIM Speedway GP wildcard entry
In-form Australian racer Jack Holder has been handed a dream opportunity on the FIM Speedway Grand Prix stage after being named as wild card for FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP rounds seven and eight. The Torun rider dons the famous No.16 race jacket at his Polish home track on October 2 and 3.
Holder made his one and only previous World Championship appearance as a track reserve at the 2016 Australian SGP in Melbourne, scoring two points from as many rides on the night older brother Chris topped the podium in his homeland. Jack was watching from the sidelines on the night Chris clinched the 2012 SGP world title at Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena.
But the 24-year-old is now very much making his own mark on the sport. After finishing second in this season’s Australian Championship, he has enjoyed a sublime season for Torun in the Polish First Division, topping the average charts comfortably on 2.600 points per race.
He was signed by PGE Ekstraliga side Gorzow as a guest rider and has played a key role in their charge from the bottom of the table to second place inside a month. He’s ninth in the top-flight average charts on 2.091 points per race.
This will be Holder’s first SGP opportunity over five rides, and he will be keen to carry this scintillating form into the final SGP weekend of 2020, where the world champion will be crowned, next year’s qualifiers will be confirmed and riders will have one last chance to impress the SGP Commission before permanent wild cards for 2021 are selected.
The Appin-born racer is joined in the FST Grupa Brokerska Torun SGP rounds by track reserves Wiktor Trofymov and Norbert Krakowiak, with the Polish pair lining up in the No.17 and No.18 race jackets respectively.
Changes to MXD For 2021
Motorcycling Australia (MA) have announced changes to the current MXD class and junior pathway that will support development of motocross in Australia and will assist riders to gain the vital skills to be able to progress to MX2 and MX1 classes through the new MX3 class which replaces MXD.
Currently there is very little overlap in the class structure, and riders must move even if not willing or ready to, or don’t have the skills to do so. In addition, where a Junior rider is ready to move up a class, they can be held back by age group limitations.
By creating a new pathway with an overlap in age group classes, riders will have some flexibility to remain in a class or move up a class if they are ready and eligible to do so. The MX3 class also brings Australian motocross more in line with the FIM age groupings.
Peter Doyle – MA CEO
“This change will provide a clear pathway for Australia’s talented young riders into the senior classes of MX2 and MX1. It also provides talented young riders ready to step up to senior competition a clear pathway through the junior ranks and into the premier categories.”
Currently at 13 years of age a junior can be endorsed to ride a full-sized MX machine of 122cc to 150cc 2-Stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-Stroke capacity, this has not changed. At 14 years of age competitors with this endorsement can elect to compete in the MX3 class. This will not prevent competitors under the age of 16 competing in any other junior event.
The MX3 class is for 14 to under 18-years-old competitors (as of the January 1 of the year of competition) and allows for less experienced competitors to compete with their peers until the age of 18, and the more accomplished competitors to move into the MX2 class early as the entry age has been lowered to 15 years under strict endorsement procedures. You can enter MX1 or MX2 at 16-years-old.
Once a competitor has chosen to move up to Senior classes MX1 or MX2, they can no longer compete in Junior or MX3 classes. The current endorsement “Off Road 122cc to 150cc 2-Stroke / up to 250cc 4-Stroke” for 13 to Under 16-year-old junior competitors will apply to a 14-year-old junior wishing to compete in MX3.
However, a new endorsement is required for a competitor who at the age of 15 years wishes to compete in the MX2 class. There are no changes to the current Junior categories allowing Juniors between the age of 13 to Under 16 years to compete at National Championship events in their chosen classes.
2020 MXGP of Lombardia, Mantova
Round nine of the FIM Motocross World Championship concluded with the MX2 and MXGP action for the MXGP of Lombardi, with Jeremy Seewer reaching an incredible career milestone as he claimed his first MXGP overall victory and stood on the top step of the MXGP podium
Jeremy Seewer took the overall victory, with Glenn Coldenhoff taking second and Jorge Prado on the third step of the podium. Jeremy Seewer’s last GP win is back in 2017 when he stood at the top step on the podium at the MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla in MX2 class.
Jeremy Seewer
“I just won my first MXGP. Amazing. It’s in the books and it’s a big milestone in my career. Everybody dreams of winning an MXGP round, especially at the level we are racing right now, so it’s amazing. Especially the first race, I won the start then led every lap to the finish. The second race it didn’t go as planned but still I was lucky today, I was at the right place at the right time and now celebrating an overall.”
With an eighth and a race win, Gajser now leads the MXGP Championship by five-points over Antonio Cairoli and Jeremy Seewer is just a further 11 points behind.
Tim Gajser
“The first race didn’t start very well as I was back in the pack and it was tough to come through the field and pass the riders as everyone is very fast. I managed to come back to eighth but I was a little disappointed because I know that the start makes all the difference. For the second race, I put a lot of focus on the start and I managed to come out of the first corner around fifth and then I made a couple of quick passes which put me into third. I was following Romain and Jorge for around 15 minutes, before I was able to make two passes to get myself into the lead. I pulled a good gap, controlled the race to take the win and I’m super happy with how it turned out. Obviously getting the red plate is a big bonus and I will try my best to hold onto it until the end of the season.”
Australian Mitch Evans had a rough weekend in the MXGP class, with a crash in Race 1 leaving him unable to finish the race, while Race 2 saw him return to claim ninth. He leaves Lombardia in 11th overall in the standings.
Mitch Evans
“It wasn‘t the greatest day, although qualifying went quite well. I wasn’t feeling overly comfortable on the bike as I hadn’t ridden since Tuesday as I’ve been unwell but I was happy with qualifying. Unfortunately in race one I crashed in the first turn and then crashed a couple of laps later and was fighting all moto long to score some points. In moto two I didn’t get the best start either but didn’t crash, so I was still in a position to get a top 10 finish. I fought through to ninth and felt a lot better but I need to work on my starts and then I’ll be able to battle with the guys at the front of the races.”
MXGP Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
25
20
45
2
Coldenhoff, Glenn
NED
GAS
18
22
40
3
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
22
18
40
4
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
13
25
38
5
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
14
14
28
6
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
11
16
27
7
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
16
10
26
8
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
20
6
26
9
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
8
15
23
10
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
12
11
23
11
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
7
13
20
12
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
9
8
17
13
Evans, Mitchell
AUS
HON
3
12
15
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
6
9
15
15
Jasikonis, Arminas
LTU
HUS
15
0
15
2020 MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
316
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
311
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
300
4
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
277
5
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
273
6
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
7
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
8
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
230
9
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
224
10
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
222
11
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
168
12
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
164
13
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
106
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
106
15
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
84
MX2
In MX2, Thomas Kjer Olsen made an epic return to the podium with his first overall victory of the season, with teammate Jed Beaton only a single point off the round overall. Ben Watson was also having a good day, standing on the third step of the box.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I’m pretty surprised. I went into the race not really knowing that I was on the podium, it was just a crazy battle out there and I’m really happy about my riding. I wanted to be up there in the front and that’s what we will work on for the next race. I had a rough few races and the confidence was not really there but I felt this week just went better and better. I got my confidence back on the bike that I had last year and the confidence that I should have had from the beginning. I’m just super happy to get this overall as it’s been a long time since I’ve been up there and it’s an amazing feeling.”
Despite missing out on the podium, Tom Vialle continues to lead the championship now by 30-points over Geerts and Renaux, while Beaton sits in fourth, just nine-points off Renaux.
Jed Beaton
“I can’t explain how happy I am to have won the second moto today. I had a great start in race two and got into the lead early on lap three. I then had a clear track and just focussed on my lines. As the race wore on I got a little nervous but kept it together. I did make a few mistakes but held on for the win. It’s been a tough year until this point and it’s all coming together now. The team have been great and I’m so happy and pleased for them, too. I’m looking forward to Wednesday now.”
Bailey Malkiewicz went 10-23 in the weekends races, while Nathan Crawford went 30-16, with the two Aussie riders now 15th and 21st in the standings respectively.
MX2 Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
22
18
40
2
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
14
25
39
3
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
15
22
37
4
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
20
16
36
5
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
18
15
33
6
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
25
7
32
7
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
13
12
25
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
3
20
23
9
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
10
13
23
10
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
12
11
23
11
Forato, Alberto
ITA
HUS
9
10
19
12
Boisrame, Mathys
FRA
KAW
16
0
16
13
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
1
14
15
14
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
4
9
13
15
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
11
0
11
16
Renkens, Nathan
BEL
KTM
7
2
9
17
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
0
8
8
18
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
8
0
8
19
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
0
6
6
20
Sandner, Michael
AUT
GAS
6
0
6
21
Crawford, Nathan
AUS
HON
0
5
5
2020 MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
386
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
356
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
295
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
286
5
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
243
6
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
228
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
228
8
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
198
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
185
10
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
164
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
143
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
127
13
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
15
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
85
16
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
17
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
72
18
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
19
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
62
20
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
21
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
54
WMX
In the WMX Courtney Duncan had a mixed weekend, claiming the first race win, before a massive crash in Race 2 snapped her ‘bars, ending what seemed like a dominant performance, that would have handed her another overall win and extended the championship lead.
Courtney Duncan
“It was an up and down day for me, which started off really well as I won the first race and felt pretty good. I had a comfortable lead and maintained it. I’d made some passes on the opening laps and made my way into second. I wasn’t too far off the lead when I had a massive crash. I ran back to the bike but the handlebars were snapped so there was no way of finishing, which resulted in a DNF. “That’s the way life goes sometimes it doesn’t always go to plan. I can dwell on it, or I can go back to work on Tuesday and continue to fight. That’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to show up on Tuesday and give it everything I’ve got.”
Instead Larissa Papenmeier took the overall with consistent second places, while Nancy Van De Ven took the Race 2 win. Papenmeier now leads the standings from Van De Ven by 10-points, with Fontanesi in third, a further three points behind. Duncan is now fourth, with only four-points separating second through fourth, and 14-points to first.
Larissa Papenmeier
“For sure it’s a nice feeling. When I’m riding, I’m not really thinking about the championship and what could happen. I knew that second place was enough to win but I actually didn’t think about the red plate, so I tried to keep it smooth, tried to make no mistakes and it was really good. I had a good feeling and I liked the track, it’s a bit bumpy so I’m looking forward to Tuesday.”
WMX Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Papenmeier, Larissa
GER
YAM
22
22
44
2
Van De Ven, Nancy
NED
YAM
16
25
41
3
Fontanesi, Kiara
ITA
KTM
20
16
36
4
Andersen, Sara
DEN
KTM
15
20
35
5
Dam, Line
DEN
YAM
18
15
33
6
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
14
18
32
7
van der Vlist, Shana
NED
KTM
11
14
25
8
Duncan, Courtney
NZL
KAW
25
0
25
9
Borchers, Anne
GER
SUZ
9
12
21
10
O’Hare, Tahlia Jade
AUS
KTM
5
13
18
11
Berry, Avrie
USA
KTM
8
10
18
12
Jakobsen, Malou
DEN
KTM
13
4
17
13
Astudillo, Jamie
USA
KTM
12
0
12
14
Keller, Sandra
SUI
KTM
0
11
11
15
Kapsamer , Elena
AUT
KTM
3
8
11
2020 WMX Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Papenmeier, L.
GER
YAM
129
2
Van De Ven, N.
NED
YAM
119
3
Fontanesi, K.
ITA
KTM
116
4
Duncan, C.
NZL
KAW
115
5
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
98
6
Dam, Line
DEN
YAM
87
7
van der Vlist, S.
NED
KTM
75
8
Andersen, Sara
DEN
KTM
60
9
Borchers, Anne
GER
SUZ
60
10
O’Hare, T.
AUS
KTM
54
11
Martinez, M.
FRA
KTM
39
12
Jans-Beken, B.
NED
KTM
35
13
Dahl, Emelie
SWE
YAM
32
14
Van Der Werff, B.
NED
SUZ
31
15
Astudillo, J.
USA
KTM
30
EMX250
The first races of the weekend in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia, were by the EMX250 riders, andt saw Thibault Benistant have a successful end to his day as he took a fourth consecutive overall victory in the category.
As the gate dropped for the opening EMX250 race of the day, it was Meico Vettik who got off to a flying start and was the early race leader. He was followed by Emilio Scuteri and Tom Guyon.
Bastian Boegh-Damm didn’t have such a good start to the race as he crashed out and seemed to be in discomfort as he hopped towards his bike. He did re-join for a couple of laps though eventually retired from the race.
Meanwhile Mattia Guadagnini and Thibault Benistant didn’t get off to the best start in the race, as both were down the field, with Guadagnini 10th and Benistant 14th. Another rider struggling in the beginning of the race was Kay De Wolf who was further down the order in P17.
Back with the leaders it was Vettik who had already pulled a 5.654 second gap over Guyon, as Scuteri, Oriol Oliver and Hakon Fredriksen, were locked in a battle for third position. Gianluca Facchetti was meanwhile having a great ride in fourth place.
Meanwhile Vettik could not afford to relax as his five-second gap was being cut short rapidly as the group caught up. And things then went downhill for the Estonian who crashed out of the lead, though was able to pick himself up pretty quickly and re-join in fourth position. Guyon then moved into the lead, though this didn’t last long as the KTM rider crashed out and was dropping down the race order fast.
This then allowed Fredriksen to inherit the lead, all while Guadagnini was making good progress and was already up into fifth on lap 5 of the race. Fredriksen continued to lead the race as he opened up a seven-second gap over Facchetti and Vettik, while Guadagnini was catching the pair as he searched for higher positions. The Italian eventually was able to find a way through into third pushing Vettik to fourth in the race.
As the race progressed, Guadagnini then started to go after Facchetti and after several attempts was able to jump into second. At the same time the Husqvarna rider also set the fastest lap time of the race with a 1:56.878 with just 3 laps to go.
Facchetti then was being caught by Vettik for P3, though was able to retain his position as Fredriksen crossed the line to win race 1. Guadagnini finished second.
In the second EMX250 race, it was Guadagnini and Guyon who led the way, though things changed quickly as Guadagnini went down. Guyon then came under fire from Benistant who was eager to get into the lead and finish the day with a solid result. As Guyon tried to hold off Benistant, this allowed Tim Edberg to get closer.
Meanwhile further down the order, Vettik was not having the best start to the race as he was down in 18th on the opening few laps of the race.
Guadagnini then continued to cruise around the circuit, passing pitlane and giving the crew a signal at the bike, which must’ve taken an impact from his crash a lap earlier. He continued to ride around for a few more laps before going out of the race.
By lap 3, Benistant was the new race leader as he led Guyon, Edberg and De Wolf. Though Guyon looks to have made a mistake as he lost two positions and dropped to fourth in the race. Benistant then went on to set a fast lap of the race, with 12 minutes plus 2 laps on the clock.
Just five seconds separated the top three riders, as De Wolf was searching for a way into second place and after several attempts was able to do just that as he moved up a position past Edberg.
As the race progressed, Benistant continued to edge away from the rest of the field as he pulled a 10.441 second gap over De Wolf and Edberg who remained second and third. In the end not much changed in the top 10, as Benistant claimed his first race win of the day, with De Wolf and Edberg crossing the line to finish in the top three.
A fifth and a win was enough to give Thibault Benistant the overall as Hakon Fredriksen claimed his first podium of the season to finish second and Tim Edberg also getting the third spot on the box.
As it stands Benistant now leads the EMX250 Championship by 57 points, with Guadagnini and De Wolf tied on points in second and third.
Thibault Benistant
“The day started not so easy as I finished a little bit far on the lap time. In the first race I tried to start a little bit far from the outside and I needed to push hard for a comeback, but I did quite a good race and finished fifth. In the second race I started better, I was third and there was a crash at the front. I waited for a mistake from Tom and then I was leading. I kept the gap and win the race. I feel good, I like the track when it becomes a little bit bumpy, so I hope to do the same.”
EMX250 Results – 2020 MXGP of Lombardia
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
YAM
16
25
41
2
Fredriksen, Hakon
NOR
YAM
25
13
38
3
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
15
20
35
4
Facchetti, Gianluca
ITA
YAM
20
14
34
5
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
9
22
31
6
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
18
12
30
7
Locurcio, Lorenzo
VEN
KAW
12
16
28
8
Talviku, Jorgen-Matthias
EST
HUS
13
10
23
9
Guadagnini, Mattia
ITA
HUS
22
0
22
10
Spies, Maximilian
GER
HUS
4
15
19
11
Florian, Lion
GER
KTM
10
9
19
12
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
0
18
18
13
Oliver, Oriol
ESP
KTM
14
3
17
14
Cenerelli, Gianmarco
ITA
HUS
0
11
11
15
Scuteri, Emilio
ITA
KTM
11
0
11
EMX250 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Benistant, T.
FRA
YAM
215
2
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
158
3
de Wolf, Kay
NED
HUS
158
4
Gifting, Isak
SWE
KTM
128
5
Edberg, Tim
SWE
YAM
126
6
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
114
7
Talviku, J.
EST
HUS
112
8
Fredriksen, H.
NOR
YAM
110
9
Florian, Lion
GER
KTM
87
10
Everts, Liam
BEL
KTM
87
11
Boegh Damm, B.
DEN
KTM
79
12
Locurcio, L.
VEN
KAW
78
13
Guyon, Tom
FRA
KTM
76
14
Facchetti, G.
ITA
YAM
74
15
Spies, M.
GER
HUS
73
Arminas Jasikonis in induced coma
Following Arminas Jasikonis’ admittance to hospital on Sunday afternoon, September 27, during the second MXGP race at the MXGP of Lombardia, Mantova, Italy, Husqvarna Motorcycles issued the following update on AJ’s condition:
Taken to hospital in Cremona, Italy, Arminas was diagnosed as having a traumatic brain injury and, as is routine procedure with injuries of this type, placed in a medically induced coma in order to stabilise his situation. Due to the serious nature of injuries of this kind, AJ remains in a coma and is receiving ongoing specialist care. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing would like to thank all medical staff that have assisted Arminas as well as the numerous well-wishers both from within the MXGP paddock and the wider motorcycle community.
Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager
“This is a very serious situation for Arminas and a very difficult time for his family and all involved in the team. After AJ was flown to hospital on Sunday night, he was placed in a medically induced coma because of the trauma he suffered to his brain. Really, there is not much else to say at this time – this is the situation, a situation that is very serious and difficult for everyone, and now we have to wait and stay positive. He has the best medical care around him, and we are in close contact with both the specialists at the hospital here in Italy but also in Innsbruck, Austria. Thank you to everyone who has expressed their concerns and wishes AJ all the best.”
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Round Seven – GEICO Motorcycle WW Ranch National, Florida September 26, 2020
Images Jeff Kardas
The seventh round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured an action-packed afternoon of racing in both the 450 Class and 250 Class. The sandy conditions of WW Ranch Motocross Park and Florida’s heat provided riders with one of the most challenging rounds of the season.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne showed why he’s the man to beat in the 450 Class this summer, sweeping both motos to capture a class-leading fourth victory of the season and extend his championship point lead to 29-points. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin logged two consistent motos to finish second overall, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac gave Osborne a run late in the second moto and ended the day third.
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis won in dominant fashion by going 1-1 for the second consecutive week and extended his championship lead to 13. Ferrandis’s Star Racing Yamaha teammate Justin Cooper secured a season-best second overall, just edging out GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin.
Jett Lawrence went 2-5 for fourth overall, just missing out on the overall podium but strengthening his seventh place in the 250 Championship standings with 200-points to his name.
Hunter Lawrence started well with a sixth in the opening Moto but failed to finish the second bout after encountering a mechanical gremlin.
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next weekend on Saturday, October 3 for the penultimate round of the 2020 season in Lakewood, Colorado.
Video Highlights
450MX Moto 1
As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class Moto, Osborne grabbed the Motosport.com Holeshot, closely followed by Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton. The premier class rookie duo of Cianciarulo and Sexton quickly sprinted around Osborne on the opening lap, shuffling the championship point leader to third. Following a hard crash in the final qualifying session, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin started just behind the leaders in fourth.
While Cianciarulo and Sexton paced one another at the head of the field, Osborne trailed by just over three seconds, keeping the leaders within sight. At the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Sexton saw an opening and struck by pulling alongside Cianciarulo and taking second. Cianciarulo instantly retaliated with a move of his own to reclaim the lead.
Entering the final stages of the moto, Osborne inched his way closer to the lead duo and used his aggressive riding style to pass Sexton around the outside of a corner. Just one lap later Osborner dove to the inside of his closest championship rival Cianciarulo and took control of the race lead.
Osborne’s late race charge helped him secure his fifth moto win of the season by 2.7 seconds over Cianciarulo. Musquin took advantage of a late race mistake by Sexton to complete the podium in third, followed by Sexton in fourth.
450MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
16 Laps
2
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
+02.733
3
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+14.333
4
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+19.188
5
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
+22.263
6
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
+40.597
7
Blake Baggett
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+48.758
8
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:03.459
9
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:21.711
10
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+1:27.313
11
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+2:00.818
12
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+2:11.164
13
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+2:16.874
14
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
15 Laps
15
Kyle Chisholm
YAM YZ 450F
+29.684
16
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX450
+37.410
17
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
+46.322
18
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+50.440
19
Bryce Backaus
YAM YZ 450F
+1:10.787
20
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:30.248
21
Jared Lesher
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:35.361
22
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+1:37.238
23
Christopher Prebula
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:14.502
24
Vann Martin
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:23.439
25
Tristan Lewis
YAM YZ 450F
14 Laps
26
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:17.896
27
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
+1:20.278
28
Nicolas Rolando
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:31.986
29
Joshua Berchem
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:37.277
30
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
+1:49.156
31
Nick Fratz-Orr
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+2:46.853
32
Bryton Carroll
YAM YZ 450F
+3:20.771
33
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
13 Laps
34
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
10 Laps
35
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
9 Laps
36
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
7 Laps
37
Jeffrey Walker
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+12.858
38
Carson Tickle
HON CRF450R
5 Laps
39
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
3 Laps
40
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+24.431
450MX Moto 2
The final 450 Class moto of the afternoon saw Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia launch out of the gate to grab the Motosport.com Holeshot, followed by Musquin and Cianciarulo. Exiting the first turn, Cianciarulo grabbed a handful of throttle to blitz his way around Musquin and Barcia to take the race lead. Prior to the completion of the opening lap, Barcia would lose the front end entering a corner, allowing Anstie to take over third, just ahead of Osborne in fourth.
Cianciarulo continued his strong early moto form out front, while Musquin looked to keep the Kawasaki rider in his sight in second. A mistake by Anstie allowed Osborne to sneak by and into third. With just under 20-minutes to go, Musquin saw an opportunity to make the pass for the lead, which saw the two riders collide entering a corner and Cianciarulo hitting the ground. Musquin was able to stay up and take the lead, while Osborne and Sexton moved into second and third. Cianciarulo would remount in seventh.
Osborne made an attack on the Frenchman Musquin and took over the race lead at the halfway point of the moto. Shortly after, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac latched onto the rear fender of Sexton to pass him for third. Tomac continued his charge forward, working his way up to and around Musquin for second.
Entering the final lap, Osborne and Tomac were wheel-to-wheel in the battle for the moto win. Osborne fended off the multi-time reigning champion to take his sixth moto win of the season. Tomac crossed the checkered flag to finish second, followed by Musquin in third.
450MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Lapt/Interval
1
Zachary Osborne
HQV FC450 RE
16 Laps
2
Eli Tomac
KAW KX450
+04.201
3
Marvin Musquin
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+23.839
4
Max Anstie
SUZ RMZ 450
+29.490
5
Chase Sexton
HON CRF450R WE
+37.275
6
Blake Baggett
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+49.082
7
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW KX450
+1:10.201
8
Fredrik Noren
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:19.318
9
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:24.249
10
Christian Craig
HON CRF450R
+1:33.139
11
Jake Masterpool
HQV FC450
+2:11.411
12
Kyle Chisholm
YAM YZ 450F
15 Laps
13
Justin Barcia
YAM YZ 450F
+01.612
14
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ RMZ 450
+09.289
15
Justin Bogle
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+35.423
16
Tyler Bowers
KAW KX450
+39.649
17
Tristan Lane
KTM 450 SX-F
+41.688
18
Alex Ray
KAW KX450
+45.985
19
Justin Rodbell
KAW KX 450F
+52.703
20
Matthew Hubert
KAW KX450
+55.548
21
Jared Lesher
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:17.841
22
McClellan Hile
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:26.179
23
Carson Tickle
HON CRF450R
+1:35.195
24
Bryce Backaus
YAM YZ 450F
+1:57.211
25
Vann Martin
KTM 450 SX-F
+2:33.092
26
Cory Carsten
SUZ RMZ 450
14 Laps
27
Nicolas Rolando
KTM 450 SX-F
+04.721
28
Nick Fratz-Orr
KTM 450 SX-F FE
+1:02.905
29
Adam Enticknap
SUZ RMZ 450
+1:05.948
30
Joshua Berchem
KTM 450 SX-F
+1:45.940
31
Brandon Pederson
HQV FC450 FE
+2:07.653
32
Christopher Prebula
KTM 450 SX-F
13 Laps
33
Carter Stephenson
YAM YZ 450F
12 Laps
34
Ben LaMay
KTM 450 SX-F
8 Laps
35
Nathen LaPorte
HON CRF450R
7 Laps
36
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM YZ 450F
5 Laps
37
Bryton Carroll
YAM YZ 450F
+1:36.693
38
Scott Meshey
HQV FC450 RE
3 Laps
39
Benny Bloss
HQV FC450
2 Laps
40
Richard Taylor
YAM YZ 450F
DNF
450MX Overall
Osborne went 1-1 for the second time this season, capturing his fourth overall victory of the season in the premier class. Musquin’s consistency rewarded him with second overall (3-3), edging out Tomac who made his return to the podium in third (6-2).
“It’s an unreal feeling to get back on top” explained Osborne. “A week ago we were faced with some adversity, but we responded with two moto wins today. This is what makes all of the hard work and tough times we face during the week worth it. I had to fight for that second moto win, Eli was on it, but we dug deep and managed to get the job done.”
The overall win helped Osborne extend his championship lead to 29-points over Cianciarulo who finished fourth overall (2-7). Musquin maintains his third position in the standings, just a single point behind Cianciarulo.
450MX Overall
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
1
1
50
2
Marvin Musquin
3
3
40
3
Eli Tomac
6
2
37
4
Adam Cianciarulo
2
7
36
5
Chase Sexton
4
5
34
6
Blake Baggett
7
6
29
7
Max Anstie
13
4
26
8
Fredrik Noren
9
8
25
9
Joseph Savatgy
8
9
25
10
Justin Barcia
5
13
24
11
Christian Craig
10
10
22
12
Isaac Teasdale
12
14
16
13
Justin Bogle
11
15
16
14
Kyle Chisholm
15
12
15
15
Jake Masterpool
40
11
10
16
Tyler Bowers
16
16
10
17
Justin Rodbell
14
19
9
18
Alex Ray
17
18
7
19
Tristan Lane
20
17
5
20
McClellan Hile
18
22
3
21
Bryce Backaus
19
24
2
22
Matthew Hubert
22
20
1
23
Jared Lesher
21
21
0
24
Vann Martin
24
25
0
25
Nicolas Rolando
28
27
0
26
Adam Enticknap
26
29
0
27
Christopher Prebula
23
32
0
28
Nick Fratz-Orr
31
28
0
29
Joshua Berchem
29
30
0
30
Carson Tickle
38
23
0
31
Scott Meshey
27
38
0
32
Jerry Lorenz III
30
36
0
33
Carter Stephenson
34
33
0
34
Nathen LaPorte
33
35
0
35
Bryton Carroll
32
37
0
36
Ben LaMay
36
34
0
37
Richard Taylor
35
40
0
38
Benny Bloss
39
39
0
39
Tristan Lewis
25
0
40
Cory Carsten
26
0
41
Brandon Pederson
31
0
42
Jeffrey Walker
37
0
450MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
285
2
Adam Cianciarulo
256
3
Marvin Musquin
255
4
Eli Tomac
233
5
Blake Baggett
219
6
Justin Barcia
218
7
Chase Sexton
207
8
Christian Craig
163
9
Joseph Savatgy
147
10
Max Anstie
139
11
Broc Tickle
134
12
Fredrik Noren
107
13
Dean Wilson
97
14
Justin Bogle
72
15
Jake Masterpool
63
16
Henry Miller
59
17
Jason Anderson
58
18
Justin Rodbell
58
19
Benny Bloss
47
20
Coty Schock
31
21
Cooper Webb
29
22
Tyler Bowers
23
23
John Short
21
24
Ben LaMay
21
25
Isaac Teasdale
19
26
Grant Harlan
18
27
Jeremy Smith
18
28
Justin Hoeft
17
29
Kyle Chisholm
15
30
Luke Renzland
11
31
Matthew Hubert
10
32
Chase Felong
8
33
Alex Ray
7
34
Tristan Lane
5
35
Felix Lopez
5
36
Robbie Wageman
4
37
Jeffrey Walker
4
38
McClellan Hile
3
39
Cory Carsten
3
40
Jared Lesher
3
41
Bryce Backaus
2
250MX Moto 1
The first 250 Class moto saw Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Shane McElrath emerge with the Motosport.com Holeshot, just edging out his teammate Dylan Ferrandis and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ hampshire. The opening lap saw Hampshire quickly go to work to steal second from Ferrandis, while Ferrandis’ championship rival Jeremy Martin started in fourth on his GEICO Honda.
As McElrath led the 40-rider field around the sandy circuit, Ferrandis managed to regroup and close the gap on Hampshire, reclaiming the second position. Just moments later, Ferrandis would continue his push towards the front as he overtook his teammate McElrath to become the new race leader. The podium battle behind Ferrandis began to heat up as GEICO Honda’s rookie Jett Lawrence found his way by both Hampshire and McElrath to move into second.
With Ferrandis dropping the hammer and looking to breakaway from Lawrence out front, Hampshire put in another charge that allowed him to muscle his way by McElrath for third. With five minutes remaining, the final podium positions tightened up as Lawrence, Hampshire, and Jeremy Martin were separated by just seconds. A huge mistake by Hampshire saw him eject from his motorcycle off of one of the large infield jumps, moving Jeremy Martin into third.
Ferrandis would go on to take a dominating fifth moto win of the season by 9.6 seconds over Lawrence who earned a career-best second. Jeremy Martin crossed the finish line a distant third.
250MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+09.655
3
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+21.486
4
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
+30.898
5
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+37.359
6
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+41.083
7
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+44.221
8
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+1:00.325
9
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW KX 250
+1:12.527
10
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+1:14.966
11
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+1:19.400
12
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+1:27.097
13
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+1:36.295
14
Hardy Munoz
HQV FC250
+1:41.303
15
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
+1:55.578
16
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
+2:03.052
17
Jalek Swoll
HQV FC250
+2:07.172
18
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+2:07.903
19
Mason Gonzales
YAM YZ 250F
15 Laps
20
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
+52.972
21
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
+56.026
22
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW KX 250
+57.541
23
Austin Root
HQV FC250
+1:05.074
24
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ RMZ 250
+1:06.246
25
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:12.052
26
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+1:30.282
27
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:55.081
28
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+2:00.185
29
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+2:26.755
30
Jake Pinhancos
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:43.562
31
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
+2:43.562
32
Brett Greenley
YAM YZ 250F
14 Laps
33
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
+14.605
34
Matthew Klann
HON CRF250R
+1:05.405
35
RJ Hampshire
HQV FC250
13 Laps
36
Kyle Greeson
KTM 250 SX-F
11 Laps
37
Derek Drake
KTM 250 SX-F FE
10 Laps
38
Conner Burger
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:13.018
39
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
4 Laps
40
Gabe Gutierres
KTM 250 SX-F
3 Laps
250MX Moto 2
As the gate dropped for 250 Class Moto 2 it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing’s Alex Martin and Ferrandis. The red plate holder Ferrandis quickly went to the front to lead the opening lap over Cooper, and McElrath. Jeremy Martin started the moto in seventh.
Like we’ve seen many times this season, Ferrandis used the clear track to his advantage by putting in fast laps to open a comfortable lead over his fellow competitors. Behind Ferrandis, Star Racing Yamaha teammates Cooper and McElrath remained steady in second and third. With just under 10-minutes remaining in the moto, Jeremy Martin engaged in a battle with McElrath for the final podium spot.
Ferrandis remained unchallenged en route to his six moto win of the season by 15.3 seconds. Cooper held on to take a season-best second, while Jeremy Martin made a pass on McElrath in the final laps to finish third.
250MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM YZ 250F
16 Laps
2
Justin Cooper
YAM YZ 250F
+15.304
3
Jeremy Martin
HON CRF250R
+23.706
4
Shane McElrath
YAM YZ 250F
+29.004
5
Jett Lawrence
HON CRF250R
+37.013
6
RJ Hampshire
HQV FC250
+40.888
7
Alex Martin
SUZ RMZ 250
+59.176
8
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW KX 250
+1:23.120
9
Brandon Hartranft
KTM 250 SX-F FE
+1:27.457
10
Jo Shimoda
HON CRF250R
+1:27.925
11
Carson Mumford
HON CRF250R
+2:04.883
12
Jarrett Frye
YAM YZ 250F
+2:15.554
13
Nick Gaines
YAM YZ 250F
+2:19.882
14
Kevin Moranz
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:24.692
15
Joseph Crown
YAM YZ 250F
15 Laps
16
Mitchell Harrison
KAW KX 250
+04.765
17
Jerry Robin
HQV FC250
+07.224
18
Hardy Munoz
HQV FC250
+13.923
19
Curren Thurman
KTM 250 SX-F
+41.068
20
Jesse Flock
HQV FC250
+42.498
21
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ RMZ 250
+50.288
22
Ezra Hastings
HQV FC250
+1:00.193
23
Derek Kelley
HQV FC250
+2:06.176
24
Maxwell Sanford
YAM YZ 250F
+2:33.265
25
Lane Shaw
KTM 250 SX-F
+2:45.694
26
Kyle Greeson
KTM 250 SX-F
14 Laps
27
Austin Root
HQV FC250
+11.352
28
Brett Greenley
YAM YZ 250F
+39.795
29
Jake Pinhancos
KTM 250 SX-F
+44.709
30
Matthew Klann
HON CRF250R
+59.439
31
Joshua Varize
KTM 250 SX-F
+1:07.071
32
Jordan Jarvis
KAW KX 250
+1:11.685
33
Michael Lacore
KTM 250 SX-F
13 Laps
34
Austin Cozadd
YAM YZ 250F
+26.226
35
Hayden Hefner
YAM YZ 250F
+1:35.861
36
Gared Steinke
KAW KX 250
9 Laps
37
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW KX 250
6 Laps
38
Gage Schehr
HQV FC250
4 Laps
39
Hunter Lawrence
HON CRF250R
3 Laps
40
Chad Stonier
YAM YZ 250F
2 Laps
250MX Overall
For the third time this season, Ferrandis swept both motos (1-1) for the overall victory. Cooper landed on the overall podium for the first time this season in second (4-2), edging out Jeremy Martin in third (3-3).
“It’s a great feeling to get another win,” said Ferrandis. “Every race and moto is really important. To go 1-1 today is huge and it’s great to show how strong I am when the conditions are tough. My starts were much better overall, so it’s quite a nice feeling to have it pay off with a good overall result. There are two races left and it’s going to be important to keep this momentum rolling for the championship.”
The win helped Ferrandis extend his championship point lead to 13-points over Jeremy Martin. Jeremy’s brother, Alex Martin, finished sixth overall (5-7) on the day and moved to third in the standings.
KTM Factory Racing have announced the signing of Daniel Sanders, who joins the rally team with immediate effect. The 26-year-old Australian will make his first competitive outing aboard a KTM 450 RALLY machine at the upcoming Andalucia Rally in Spain.
A former KTM Factory Racing rider in EnduroGP, Daniel Sanders has shown impressive speed in enduro both in the world championship and at home in Australia. Outright ISDE winner in 2019, Sanders also claimed the AORC (Australian Off Road Championship) E3 title in the same year. No stranger to high-speed sand racing, Daniel took the win at the demanding Hattah Desert Race in 2018 – an event previously won by compatriot and fellow KTM rally racer Toby Price.
Currently in Europe, Sanders is spending time under the watchful eye of KTM Rally Team Manager Jordi Viladoms, in Spain. Familiarizing himself with the KTM 450 RALLY bike as well as developing his road book and navigational skills, Daniel is also getting to know the tight-knit rally team as he learns from Dakar winners, Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland.
Sanders will make his first competitive appearance for KTM Factory Racing at the Andalucia Rally, which runs from October 6 to 10, with the goal of qualifying for the 2021 Dakar Rally to be held in Saudi Arabia next January.
Daniel Sanders
“I’m really excited to join the KTM Factory Racing team and start my rally career. I have to admit it’s something I have always wanted to do but was perhaps planning to get into it a little later. As it stands, with the current worldwide pandemic, there’s not that much racing going on, so when this opportunity came up to join the rally team, I grabbed it with both hands! I’ve had a few days on the bike so far and some time getting to grips with the road book and I think it’s gone pretty well. The bike is great and handles so well, it’s really stable at speed. I know I have a lot of knowledge to gain but Jordi and the rest of the team have been great. I feel like I’ve fitted in really easily and it’s obvious that everyone works really hard for a common goal. I’m looking forward to getting some more time on the bike and then my first race here in Spain next month.”
Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Team Manager
“It’s great to have a rider of Daniel’s skill join the team. Already he has shown he’s got really good pace on the bike but is also a very fast learner in terms of the road book and navigation. It’s been invaluable to have him here in Spain to get him up to speed with everything and meet the whole KTM rally family. The plan is to take Daniel through the same teaching procedure we have been through with all of the riders that have previously come into the team from another discipline. He will ride for the KTM Factory Racing team in a junior capacity to minimize the pressure on him and allow him to develop his skills on the bike. Hopefully, he will contest the Dakar next January and then follow our full FIM Cross-Country Rallies program for the rest of the year. We’re really pleased to have Daniel with us and can’t wait to see what he can achieve with the team.”
Robert Jonas – Vice President Motorsports Offroad
“We’re really happy that Daniel is joining our rally program. I am confident that with the team’s experience in developing riders that are new to the sport we will enjoy a highly successful relationship in the next chapter of Daniel’s career. Daniel has raced within our family for many years now and we know that he will be a positive asset to our rally team with his attitude and talent. Our main priority for him, like previously with Toby and Matthias, is to take it step by step whilst learning from all of the knowledgeable people around him. He is already testing with the team and we’re looking forward to supporting him on his journey to racing at events such as the Dakar Rally.”
World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik was elated to break his Prague jinx after storming top of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship with victory in round five on Friday. Zmarzlik arrived at Marketa Stadium having reached just one semi-final in four appearances at the Czech capital track.
But after battling to a strong 11 points in the heats, he won a semi-final showdown with Tai Woffinden after Jason Doyle and Leon Madsen were both excluded for moving at the start. He then topped the podium after beating three-time Prague winner Woffinden, Slovak star Martin Vaculik and Russian racer Emil Sayfutdinov in the final.
Zmarzlik’s victory and 20 championship points saw him overhaul Fredrik Lindgren for top spot in the SGP standings on 79, with the Swedish ace in hot pursuit on 78 after scoring 12 points for finishing fifth in the meeting.
Then on Saturday Zmarzlik raced to his second straight FIM Speedway Grand Prix win in Prague, and admitted the thrill of the chase made it even sweeter.
The Polish icon topped the Aztorin SGP round-six podium at Marketa Stadium on Saturday night – his second win at the venue in 24 hours and his third SGP victory of 2020.
He heads into the final SGP double-header of the season in Torun, Poland on October 2 and 3 with a seven-point lead over nearest rival Fredrik Lindgren at the top of the World Championship standings.
Zmarzlik chased down Great Britain star Tai Woffinden in an epic final, blazing under the triple world champion with a breathtaking burst down the back straight to complete a maximum haul of 40 championship points this weekend.
The Gorzow favourite also won Friday’s meeting ahead of Woffinden with a sublime start in the final. But he was even happier to top Saturday’s podium after being forced to fight for the win. Zmarzlik claimed his first victory of 2020 in round three at home track Gorzow on Friday, September 11, but fell short of the final on the Saturday night. So he was delighted to follow up a fast Friday with another first place in Prague.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“I am very happy because I won on both days. This is unbelievable for me and my team. This was a better win than yesterday because all the time I was fighting in the final, and that’s a much better feeling. I always had a good feeling in the race with Tai. I said to my bike ‘come on, come on!’ I was feeling fast and felt I could do it. I am really happy. I didn’t win the starts and win the heats. I was always fighting with the guys and it’s nice to do that rather than just make the start and win the heats. Before the meeting I was a little bit nervous because my second day in Gorzow was not so nice. Friday was the same story. I won the first meeting and was wondering what would happen the next day. What a night it was for me! This is my second win here and I am really happy. But this is history and I must look at what’s before me in the last two rounds. Please keep your fingers crossed for me and I’ll see you soon.”
Czech Republic SGP Round Five Points
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Tai Woffinden
18
3
Martin Vaculik
16
4
Emil Sayfutdinov
14
5
Fredrik Lindgren
12
6
Jason Doyle
11
7
Artem Laguta
10
8
Leon Madsen
9
9
Max Fricke
8
10
Patryk Dudek
7
11
Mikkel Michelsen
6
12
Maciej Janowski
5
13
Niels-Kristian Iversen
4
14
Matej Zagar
3
15
Antonio Lindback
2
16
Eduard Krcmar
1
17
Vaclav Milik
0
18
Jan Kvech
0
Aztorin SGP Round Six Points
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Tai Woffinden
18
3
Jason Doyle
16
4
Fredrik Lindgren
14
5
Martin Vaculik
12
6
Leon Madsen
11
7
Emil Sayfutdinov
10
8
Maciej Janowski 9
9
9
Max Fricke
8
10
Matej Zagar
7
11
Patryk Dudek
6
12
Artem Laguta
5
13
Antonio Lindback
4
14
Mikkel Michelsen
3
15
Niels-Kristian Iversen
2
16
Vaclav Milik
1
17
Eduard Krcmar
0
18
Jan Kvech
DNR.
SGP World Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
99
2
Fredrik Lindgren
92
3
Tai Woffinden
89
4
Maciej Janowski
71
5
Leon Madsen
70
6
Jason Doyle
69
7
Martin Vaculik
63
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
60
9
Artem Laguta
60
10
Max Fricke
40
11
Matej Zagar
37
12
Niels-Kristian Iversen
30
13
Patryk Dudek
29
14
Mikkel Michelsen
27
15
Gleb Chugunov
16
16
Antonio Lindback
12
17
Anders Thomsen
10
18
Vaclav Milik
1
19
Eduard Krcmar
1
West Coast Speedway Solo Championship
By Graeme Sinden
A unique Speedway Solo Championship series is planned for the 2020/21 speedway season which will be run at Western Australia’s Perth Motorplex, 35 minutes south of Perth. Ten of the state’s top solo riders will be contracted to race over a series of five rounds to decide an eventual winner. With plenty of prize money on offer the series is expected to be hard fought and become an annual event on the Western Australian Motorcycle Speedway calendar.
The series will commence on 31st October and finish on 27th March 2021. The second round of the five round Championship series on the 5th December coincides with the running of the traditional ‘John Day Classic’ Speedcar division meeting, which attracts one of the largest crowds of any speedway meetings around the country.
Brad Muller from ‘West Coast Promotions’
“We wanted to select and contract some of the best riders in Western Australia to contest a Championship Series over five rounds at The Perth Motorplex complex to showcase motorcycle speedway racing in front of large crowds of bipartisan 4 wheel fans.” “Not only does our Invitational Series provide another Championship for the guys to chase, we hope it will encourage some 4-wheel fans to get up to WA’s dedicated Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway circuit in Perth’s northern suburbs. While we are still putting the finishing touches on some fine details, we are well underway with obtaining expressions of interest from potential sponsors for the event. We are also trying to arrange a solo ‘Stars of the Future’ support class to the Invitational ‘Championship Series’. While it is not finalised, we are looking to provide an opportunity for these guys to race in some handicap races with a chance of breaking into the Top Stars event should there be any opportunities. We are thrilled to have the support of the Speedway Motorcycle Club, the Perth Motorplex, and Motorcycling WA, the peak body for motorcycling in Western Australia. Despite Covid issues, West Coast Promotions are committed to ensuring speedway solo racing is alive and well in Western Australia. We will release more news on this exciting event as it comes to hand.”
The invitational five round Championship series at the Perth Motorplex is being planned to showcase solo racing in WA and provide another metropolitan circuit for top WA riders to compete at.
The Speedway Motorcycle Club of WA had previously arranged their racing calendar to allow solos to compete at the Perth Motorplex venue to avoid clashing with their own dedicated Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway meetings.
WA Speedway Motorcycle Club President, Steve Marson
“We are delighted to have senior solo riders competing in this fabulous event at the Perth Motorplex. We have had to reschedule our calendar for this year due to Covid restrictions. The Australian Sidecar Championship which was due to be held in Perth during Easter 2021, has been rescheduled and Pinjar Park will now hold this event in 2021/22. We have lots to rearrange and plan and we are encouraged that ‘West Coast Promotions’ have stepped in and taken some of the workload to develop and promote speedway motorcycle racing in WA. West Coast Promotions are providing great support to our club and from what I hear, they appear to be planning a very professional event for local speedway solo riders” which will be good for Motorcycle Speedway in general.”
Ironically, Steve Marson’s son, Matt, who rides for Mildenhall in the British league will be selected in the top ten riders for the Invitational Championship Series. New Club Vice President, former Kiwi rider, Bryan Miller, should also make the cut. The field will also include several former international stars.
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Round Six – Spring Creek National, Millville September 19, 2020
Images Jeff Kardas
The sixth round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured a thrilling afternoon of racing in both the 450 Class and 250 Class. The legendary Spring Creek MX Park provided perfect weather and close racing throughout the day.
450 Class rookie Adam Cianciarulo proved that his victory at the RedBud II National was no fluke as he took his Monster Energy Kawasaki to a second consecutive victory in the premier class. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Blake Baggett was a close second both motos, while Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Just Barcia occupied the final step of the podium. Championship point leader Zach Osborne ended the day tenth overall (4-16) and watched his championship lead shrink to just 15-points over Cianciarulo.
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis collected a pair of moto wins for his second overall victory of the season, retaking the red plate and championship point lead from GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin who finished the day runner-up. JGR/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing’s Alex Martin landed on the podium in front of his home crowd to finish third overall.
450MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
17 Laps
2
Blake Baggett
KTM
+01.758
3
Marvin Musquin
KTM
+20.489
4
Zachary Osborne
HQV
+30.672
5
Justin Barcia
YAM
+37.337
6
Eli Tomac
KAW
+41.879
7
Christian Craig
HON
+43.856
8
Chase Sexton
HON
+47.919
9
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ
+56.566
10
Max Anstie
SUZ
+1:09.827
11
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
+1:15.407
12
Broc Tickle
YAM
+1:30.878
13
Benny Bloss
HQV
+1:59.268
14
Justin Rodbell
KAW
+2m00.728
15
Jake Masterpool
HQV
+2m03.908
16
Justin Bogle
KTM
+2m09.699
17
Robbie Wageman
YAM
+2m12.895
18
Coty Schock
HON
16 Laps
19
Ben LaMay
KTM
+10.153
20
Justin Hoeft
HQV
+18.192
21
Alex Ray
KAW
+33.218
22
Felix Lopez
KTM
+39.334
23
Grant Harlan
HON
+43.371
24
Tyler Bowers
KAW
+1m06.051
25
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ
+1m25.799
26
Bryce Backaus
YAM
+1m26.654
27
Adam Enticknap
SUZ
+1m7.979
28
McClellan Hile
KTM
+1m37.559
29
Jeffrey Walker
KTM
+1m44.635
30
Bryton Carroll
YAM
+1m48.948
31
Tristan Lane
KTM
+1m51.033
32
Jared Lesher
KTM
15 Laps
33
Nicolas Rolando
KTM
+17.589
34
Joseph Perron
KAW
+1m05.025
35
Hunter Braun
HON
+1m10.061
36
Richard Taylor
SUZ
14 Laps
37
Blake Hansen
KAW
+3m33.170
38
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM
9 Laps
39
Matthew Hubert
KAW
4 Laps
40
Jeremy Smith
KAW
DNF
450MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Adam Cianciarulo
KAW
17 Laps
2
Blake Baggett
KTM
+02.760
3
Chase Sexton
HON
+20.439
4
Justin Barcia
YAM
+41.815
5
Eli Tomac
KAW
+44.044
6
Christian Craig
HON
+45.236
7
Joseph Savatgy
SUZ
+1m09.500
8
Max Anstie
SUZ
+1m10.166
9
Fredrik Noren
SUZ
+1m50.492
10
Marvin Musquin
KTM
+1m59.718
11
Benny Bloss
HQV
+2m01.893
12
Justin Bogle
KTM
+2m11.171
13
Grant Harlan
HON
+2m11.184
14
Justin Rodbell
KAW
+2m5.826
15
Jake Masterpool
HQV
16 Laps
16
Zachary Osborne
HQV
+06.936
17
Justin Hoeft
HQV
+28.329
18
Isaac Teasdale
SUZ
+34.873
19
Ben LaMay
KTM
+38.273
20
Tyler Bowers
KAW
+53.176
21
Robbie Wageman
YAM
+1m01.402
22
Bryce Backaus
YAM
+1m05.280
23
Richard Taylor
SUZ
+1m14.606
24
Felix Lopez
KTM
+1m22.623
25
McClellan Hile
KTM
+1m25.946
26
Alex Ray
KAW
+1m27.952
27
Jared Lesher
KTM
+1m38.974
28
Tristan Lane
KTM
+1m43.068
29
Adam Enticknap
SUZ
+2m10.500
30
Jeffrey Walker
KTM
+2m12.435
31
Carter Stephenson
YAM
+2m6.010
32
Nicolas Rolando
KTM
15 Laps
33
Joseph Perron
KAW
+28.254
34
Bryton Carroll
YAM
+1m56.198
35
Jerry Lorenz III
YAM
14 Laps
36
Blake Hansen
KAW
5 Laps
37
Broc Tickle
YAM
4 Laps
38
Hunter Braun
HON
+50.652
39
Jeremy Smith
KAW
2 Laps
40
Matthew Hubert
KAW
DNS
450MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zachary Osborne
235
2
Adam Cianciarulo
220
3
Marvin Musquin
215
4
Eli Tomac
196
5
Justin Barcia
194
6
Blake Baggett
190
7
Chase Sexton
173
8
Christian Craig
141
9
Broc Tickle
134
10
Joseph Savatgy
122
11
Max Anstie
113
12
Dean Wilson
97
13
Fredrik Noren
82
14
Henry Miller
59
15
Jason Anderson
58
16
Justin Bogle
56
17
Jake Masterpool
53
18
Justin Rodbell
49
19
Benny Bloss
47
20
Coty Schock
31
21
Cooper Webb
29
22
John Short
21
23
Ben LaMay
21
24
Grant Harlan
18
25
Jeremy Smith
18
26
Justin Hoeft
17
27
Tyler Bowers
13
28
Luke Renzland
11
29
Matthew Hubert
9
30
Chase Felong
8
31
Felix Lopez
5
32
Robbie Wageman
4
33
Jeffrey Walker
4
34
Cory Carsten
3
35
Isaac Teasdale
3
36
Jared Lesher
3
250
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis swept both motos to capture the eighth overall victory of his career.
Jett Lawrence was on the podium in the opening 250 Moto then backed that up with a sixth in the second Moto, just missing out on the overall podium by a single point.
Older brother Hunter will be pumped after having carded some great results at Spring Creek, 7-5 placings earning him seventh overall for the round.
250MX Moto 1 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
17 Laps
2
RJ Hampshire
HQV
+04.160
3
Jett Lawrence
HON
+05.989
4
Alex Martin
SUZ
+07.504
5
Jeremy Martin
HON
+09.807
6
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW
+23.993
7
Hunter Lawrence
HON
+25.267
8
Derek Drake
KTM
+33.786
9
Justin Cooper
YAM
+37.436
10
Brandon Hartranft
KTM
+40.276
11
Mitchell Harrison
KAW
+44.921
12
Jo Shimoda
HON
+46.339
13
Carson Mumford
HON
+58.717
14
Jarrett Frye
YAM
+1m06.182
15
Shane McElrath
YAM
+1:08.763
16
Jerry Robin
HQV
+1m42.347
17
Derek Kelley
HQV
+1m54.705
18
Jesse Flock
HQV
+2m00.406
19
Joshua Varize
KTM
+2m01.592
20
Joseph Crown
YAM
+2m07.733
21
Curren Thurman
KTM
+2m16.761
22
Mason Gonzales
YAM
16 Laps
23
Ryder Floyd
HON
+16.625
24
Austin Root
HQV
+17.495
25
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW
+24.696
26
Kevin Moranz
KTM
+27.210
27
Gared Steinke
KAW
+27.730
28
Cody Williams
HQV
+31.306
29
Ezra Hastings
HQV
+44.607
30
Josh Boaz
KTM
+44.921
31
Vincent Luhovey
KTM
+49.306
32
Chase Lorenz
HON
+1m01.469
33
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ
+1m48.201
34
Lane Shaw
KTM
+2m03.970
35
Josiah Hempen
KTM
14 Laps
36
Nick Gaines
YAM
11 Laps
37
TJ Uselman
YAM
7 Laps
38
Max Miller
KTM
6 Laps
39
Jalek Swoll
HQV
2 Laps
40
Gage Schehr
HQV
+33.006
250MX Moto 2 Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Laps/Interval
1
Dylan Ferrandis
YAM
17 Laps
2
Jeremy Martin
HON
+00.411
3
Justin Cooper
YAM
+31.518
4
Alex Martin
SUZ
+34.101
5
Hunter Lawrence
HON
+35.075
6
Jett Lawrence
HON
+40.712
7
Shane McElrath
YAM
+41.902
8
Jo Shimoda
HON
+57.037
9
Mitchell Harrison
KAW
+57.661
10
Carson Mumford
HON
+1m25.915
11
RJ Hampshire
HQV
+1m31.181
12
Derek Drake
KTM
+1m34.866
13
Brandon Hartranft
KTM
+1m36.685
14
Jarrett Frye
YAM
+1m57.639
15
Mason Gonzales
YAM
+2m08.734
16
Derek Kelley
HQV
+2m11.648
17
Jesse Flock
HQV
+2m22.850
18
Jalek Swoll
HQV
16 Laps
19
Jerry Robin
HQV
+05.571
20
Mathias Jorgensen
KAW
+08.512
21
Curren Thurman
KTM
+09.895
22
Gared Steinke
KAW
+43.046
23
Ezra Hastings
HQV
+46.325
24
Zack Williams
KTM
+48.901
25
Joshua Varize
KTM
+49.678
26
Vincent Luhovey
KTM
+1m09.927
27
Colton Eigenmann
SUZ
+1m13.846
28
Kevin Moranz
KTM
+1m15.543
29
Chase Lorenz
HON
+1m19.738
30
Ryder Floyd
HON
+1m36.349
31
Lane Shaw
KTM
15 Laps
32
Josiah Hempen
KTM
+1m37.441
33
Austin Root
HQV
11 Laps
34
Josh Boaz
KTM
9 Laps
35
Joseph Crown
YAM
7 Laps
36
Gage Schehr
HQV
3 Laps
37
Cody Williams
HQV
+1m25.918
38
Cameron Mcadoo
KAW
2 Laps
39
TJ Uselman
YAM
DNF
40
Nick Gaines
YAM
DNS
250MX Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dylan Ferrandis
257
2
Jeremy Martin
254
3
RJ Hampshire
202
4
Alex Martin
194
5
Shane McElrath
186
6
Justin Cooper
164
7
Jett Lawrence
162
8
Cameron Mcadoo
140
9
Mitchell Harrison
123
10
Brandon Hartranft
114
11
Derek Drake
106
12
Carson Mumford
95
13
Jo Shimoda
90
14
Hunter Lawrence
73
15
Mason Gonzales
73
16
Stilez Robertson
70
17
Ty Masterpool
54
18
Nick Gaines
44
19
Pierce Brown
36
20
Darian Sanayei
24
21
Hardy Munoz
23
22
Jerry Robin
23
23
Lance Kobusch
18
24
Jalek Swoll
15
25
Ezra Hastings
14
26
Jarrett Frye
14
27
Joseph Crown
13
28
Derek Kelley
12
29
Gared Steinke
11
30
Austin Root
9
31
Joshua Varize
7
32
Jesse Flock
7
33
Zack Williams
6
34
Jordan Bailey
6
35
Dilan Schwartz
5
36
Maxwell Sanford
4
37
Mathias Jorgensen
4
2020 French EnduroGP – Réquista
The Acerbis French Grand Prix in Réquista has been much anticipated by all enduro fans after a long delay to the season start due to Covid-19 crisis, and well and truly delivered, keeping everyone in suspense on a dusty first day. The riders enjoyed themselves and put on a show over all three of the tests created by the Réquista Moto Sport club. The ranks of EnduroGP continue to lack many of the world’s best enduro racers due to the decision by KTM and Husqvarna to instead back the rival World Enduro Super Series.
We were close to witnessing ‘the comeback of the year’ with reigning EnduroGP World Champion, Brad Freeman who had a somewhat sluggish start to the day, put together a crazy last lap to put the pressure on his teammate Steve Holcombe. But the number 12 rider missed out by the tiniest margin, with the first EnduroGP class victory going to Holcombe by an incredible two tenths of a second! Despite many mistakes on the last lap, Holcombe impressed throughout the day, even going as far as 18 seconds ahead of Freeman at one point!
Another great protagonist on this first day of the 2020 season was the 2019 Junior World Champion, Andrea Verona. The rookie in the Senior classes was seriously quick and leading proceedings at the end of the first lap. He admitted at the end of the day that he is still a little ”green”, and the Factory TM rider made a few too many mistakes under pressure.
Nevertheless, he secured a brilliant fourth place in the top class. In fact, Verona was just one and a half seconds from third place, which was occupied by a very solid Loïc Larrieu. The Frenchman woke up this morning with a painful shoulder but that did not prevent him from being strong and consistent throughout the day.
Last minute entry to the 2020 season, Davide Guarneri shone on his first day back in the FIM Borilli World Enduro Championship and he pulled off an excellent Top 5! Two Betas and three TMs in the ‘Top Five’ meant unchallenged Italian domination in terms of manufacturers. Also good performances were the returning Jérémy Tarroux and Jaume Betriu who joined the 10 fastest riders on the day.
EGP winner Steve Holcombe also pocketed the victory in Enduro 2 ahead of Loïc Larrieu and Italy’s Matteo Cavallo – also a newcomer in the category. Danny McCanney and Alex Salvini completed the top five.
In Enduro 1, Andrea Verona made an emphatic start to his campaign with a brilliant victory. He outclassed much more experienced riders such as Thomas Oldrati, second, and Christophe Charlier third. The final two places in the Top 5 were occupied by Jérémy Tarroux and the promising Antoine Magain.
Over in E3, Brad Freeman claimed his first victory in the category ahead of Davide Guarneri and Jaume Betriu. Antoine Basset and Marc Sans Soria were next up.
The Junior classes are traditionally some of the hardest fought of the FIM Borilli World Enduro Championship, and the opening round hasn’t disappointed so far!
The crowd in Requista were treated to a magnificent battle between Ruy Barbosa, home rider Théo Espinasse, Roni Kytonen, Hamish Macdonald, Lorenzo Macoritto and Wil Ruprecht! In the lead from the get-go, Barbosa eventually cracked under the combined pressure of Espinasse, Macdonald and Kytonen.
At the end of the 10 specials of the day it was the Frenchman, just recovering from a rupture of the cruciate ligaments, who won on Saturday in front of his Sherco team-mate, Macdonald, and Finland’s Kytonen. The Chilean had to be satisfied with fourth position while Marcoritto stepped up his game at the end of the day to get into the top five, demoting his Beta Boano team-mate to sixth.
At the same time, Espinasse won J2 ahead of Macdonald and Ruprecht while Kytonen won J1 ahead of Barbosa and Macoritto.
In Youth 125cc we believed that the day was going to be a 100% Fantic duel between Jed Etchells and Harry Edmondson! The impressive Brits dominated head and shoulders above the rest of the field at the start of the day, but their charge came to an end against Claudio Spanu and Sergio Navarro. While the Spaniard believed he could take the victory until the last stage, he was pipped to the post by the Italian! The son of legend Paul Edmondson, Harry, takes his very first world podium while Etchells and Hugo Svard finished fourth and fifth. Three Fantics in the first five riders, not a bad return to the World Championship for the Italian brand!
Finally, in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, Gonçalo Reis started 2020 as he finished 2019, on the top step of the 2-Stroke class podium, ahead of Trials rider Loris Gubian and the Czech Republic’s Robert Friedrich.
In Open 4-Stroke, there were two Belgians in the top two places in the form of Damiaens Dietger and Mathias Van Hoof. Benet Gomez completed the podium. In the Senior class, David Martinez Corbalan won this first day after a great battle with the Frenchman Arnaud Adam and the Italian Duccio Graziana.
Day 2
After a dusty first day, torrential rains over night on Saturday gave a whole different flavour to Sunday’s proceedings. Despite not being muddy, the three tests had nevertheless changed… although that didn’t change anything for the top riders, who continued their quest for the top.
Once again, Steve Holcombe had to watch his back at the end of the day when both Andrea Verona and Brad Freeman closed to within 16 seconds of him. Holcombe almost lost all his hard work on the last test when his two pursuers were very hot on his heels. But the Factory Beta rider managed to take another slim victory, just 3 seconds ahead of Brad Freeman!
Just like Day 1, the 2019 EGP World Champion took a while to get into the groove and once again narrowly missed out on a win. This is something he will have to sort out before next weekend in Italy. However, despite being out of the Top 3 for the majority of the day Freeman was still able to grab second place, proof of his strength of character.
Brad Freeman
“Once again, I’m angry! When I see the last lap that I put together, it drives me crazy that I didn’t find the rhythm at the start of the day! But in the provisional Championship standings, Steve is not too far away and it’s only the start of the season. Anyway, I’m very happy with my double win in E3 but I have to look for more in EnduroGP!”
As yesterday, Andrea Verona took third place on the EGP podium. The Italian Senior class rookie could have taken advantage of Holcombe’s drop in power to get his first victory in the premier class but a fall in the very last Champion Enduro Test of the weekend deprived him a win and even second place!
Behind the leading trio, Jaume Betriu had a very good race. In the overall lead at the end of the first lap, the Catalan has been out of Enduro for a while to focus on the Dakar Rally, but he clearly hasn’t lost any of his speed during his time off, taking a great fourth place. Fourth on Day 1, France’s Loïc Larrieu took another top five to the detriment of Danny McCanney.
A special mention again goes to Jérémy Tarroux, who managed seventh place, and for Belgium’s Senior class rookie, Antoine Magain as well as Marc Sans Soria.
In Enduro 2 Holcombe took another victory over Loïc Larrieu and Danny McCanney. Matteo Cavallo and Alex Salvini completed the top five.
Steve Holcombe
“After what’s been the longest off-season, it’s been a dream weekend to be able to kick things off with a double victory in EnduroGP and take an early lead in the championship. Adding to that, being the first person to put a four-stroke Beta on the top step of a world championship enduro podium is special. I was the first rider to win for Beta on a two- stroke, so it’s great to be able to do the double as it were and deliver their first four-stroke win as well. The weekend itself went pretty good from the start. I wanted to push the pace and managed that by winning the super test on Friday. There were mistakes throughout Saturday, especially on the final extreme test, but I kept it together and got the win. After getting that first race day out of the way I felt Sunday was more controlled. Overnight rain made lap one tricky, but I came back strong and won again. Overall, we’ve certainly proved this weekend that we’re on the right track with the 350 – now it’s a matter of building on today in what’s set to be a short, sharp and intense championship.”
In Enduro 1, we also find the same winner from the day before in the form of the 2019 Junior World Champion, Andrea Verona. Tarroux was next up with Thomas Oldrati third. The last two places in the Top 5 went to Antoine Magain and Christophe Charlier.
Andrea Verona
“I am much more satisfied with today than yesterday! I fought all day with HOLCOMBE for the victory, but unfortunately my fall in the very last special of the day cost me a potential victory and also second place. But after all, I was not really expecting to achieve the double in E1 and also get so close in EnduroGP, so I’m really pleased!”
On the E3 side, the same story goes with Freeman beating Jaume Betriu. After a great day of racing, Marc Sans Soria snatched the last step of the podium from Davide Guarneri while Cristobal Guerrero finished fifth…
Over in the closely contested Junior class, Théo Espinasse once again made life difficult for all his competitors with another win. He will head to Italy next weekend with the Junior leader’s plate! He finished more than 27 seconds ahead of his Sherco Factory team-mate, Hamish Macdonald and Matteo Pavoni.
Théo Espinasse
“Yesterday I won by 15 seconds, today by almost 30 … not bad at all for an injury comeback! I am very happy with myself and with all the work done by the CH Racing team, which has been exceptional all weekend.”
In difficulty at the start of the day, the Australian Wil Ruprecht made an explosive comeback on the last lap but he was far too far from the leading trio to see a podium! A third Beta Boano rider brought up the rear of the Top 5 in the form of Lorenzo Macoritto. Recognised as two of the best teams for bringing on young talent, Sherco Factory and Beta Boano took the lion’s share in the under 23 years classes…
Espinasse therefore also took the double in J2 ahead of Hamish Macdonald and Matteo Pavoni while Lorenzo Macoritto won Junior 1 against Roni Kytonen and the Brazilian Bruno Crivilin.
This time around, Jed Etchells did not falter like the day before and therefore took his very first Youth 125cc victory at the end of a well-rounded day. The rookie Brit has already given a first victory to Fantic and the D’Arpa Sicilia Racing Team who make their World Championship debut this year! Etchells kept Sergio Navarro at bay by more than 26 seconds. Third place was occupied by Claudio Spanu. On the podium the day before, Harry Edmondson took a nice fourth position while Hugo Svard placed a third Fantic in the top five!
Finally, in Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, Gonçalo Reis continues to dominate the Open 2-Stroke category ahead of Robert Friedrich. While Loris Gubian secures a second podium.
In Open 4-Stroke, things were unchanged with Damiaens Dietger as the winner, with Mathias Van Hoof second, and Benet Gomez third.
In the Seniors category, we saw a shake up as Italy’s Duccio Graziani took his first victory of the season ahead of the France’s Arnaud Adam (Honda) and Spain’s David Martinez Corbalan.
Another fantastic day of battles and brilliant riding means this Acerbis Grand Prix of France hosted by the Réquista Moto Sport club has been a successful season opener for the Borilli EnduroGP World Championship! We’ll be back next week for Round 2, in Spoleto in Italy.
EnduroGP standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
40
2
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
34
3
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
28
4
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
26
5
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
19
6
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
18
7
GUARNERI Davide
ITA
TM
16
8
TARROUX Jeremy
FRA
Sherco
16
9
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
15
10
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
13
11
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
11
12
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
10
13
SANS SORIA Marc
ESP
KTM
6
14
SALVINI Alex
ITA
Honda
4
15
GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal
ESP
Beta 2 2
16
BASSET Antoine
FRA
Beta
2
17
ABGRALL David
FRA
Beta
1
18
VIAL Max
FRA
Husqvarna
1
E1 Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
VERONA Andrea
ITA
TM
40
2
OLDRATI Thomas
ITA
Honda
32
3
TARROUX Jeremy
FRA
Sherco
30
4
CHARLIER Christophe
FRA
Beta
26
5
MAGAIN Antoine
BEL
Sherco
24
6
REMES Eero
FIN
Yamaha
20
7
SORECA Davide
ITA
Beta
18
8
SNOW Alexander
GBR
Honda
16
9
ALUN Richard
SWE
Sherco
13
10
BURUD Kevin
NOR
Yamaha
13
E2 Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
HOLCOMBE Steve
GBR
Beta
40
2
LARRIEU Loic
FRA
TM
34
3
McCANNEY Daniel
GBR
Honda
28
4
CAVALLO Matteo
ITA
Sherco
28
5
SALVINI Alex
ITA
Honda
22
6
GESLIN Anthony
FRA
Beta
18
7
BLANJOUE Hugo
FRA
Honda
18
8
VIAL Max
FRA
Husqvarna
16
9
MIROIR Jeremy
FRA
Husqvarna
12
10
BARNES Mika
FRA
KTM
11
11
HUEBNER Edward
DEU
KTM
11
12
WOOTTON Joe
GBR
Husqvarna
6
13
GAUTIE Vincent
FRA
Beta
5
14
PICHAUD Alex
FRA
Beta
5
15
MARKVART Patrik
CZE
Husqvarna
2
E3 Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
FREEMAN Bradley
GBR
Beta
40
2
BETRIU AMENGOL Jaume
ESP
KTM
32
3
GUARNERI Davide
ITA
TM
30
4
SANS SORIA Marc
ESP
KTM
26
5
BASSET Antoine
FRA
Beta
22
6
GUERRERO RUIZ Cristobal
ESP
Beta
21
7
ABGRALL David
FRA
Beta
18
8
FRANCISCO Enric
ESP
Sherco
16
9
PASSET Thibaut
FRA
Beta
14
10
MORONI Rudy
ITA
KTM
13
11
RECCHIA Nicola
ITA
Beta
10
12
RAQUIDEL Julien
FRA
Beta
8
13
WICKSELL Jimmy
SWE
Beta
5
14
HADEK Jiri
CZE
KTM
4
15
BRECHETEAU Jean-Baptiste
FRA
Beta
3
Junior Class standings
Pos
Rider
Nat
Man.
Points
1
ESPINASSE Theophile
FRA
Sherco
40
2
MACDONALD Hamish
NZL
Sherco
34
3
KYTONEN Roni
FIN
Honda
24
4
PAVONI Matteo
ITA
Beta
23
5
RUPRECHT Wil
AUS
Beta
23
6
MACORITTO Lorenzo
ITA
Beta
22
7
VAN OEVELEN Matthew
BEL
Husqvarna
17
8
BARBOSA Ruy
CHL
Husqvarna
16
9
ALIX Antoine
FRA
Husqvarna
14
10
DE CLERCQ Till
FRA
Husqvarna
13
11
CRIVILIN Bruno
BRA
Honda
9
12
DEVOULX Isaac
FRA
Yamaha
9
13
CRIQ Antoine
FRA
Sherco
6
14
FARGIER Luc
FRA
Husqvarna
5
15
WILLEMS Erik
BEL
Husqvarna
4
16
AHLIN Max
SWE
Husqvarna
2
17
PAU Tomas
ESP
Beta
1
2020 Andorran TrialGP
Toni Bou finished second in the first of the twin TrialGP World Championship trials held this weekend in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra. The first day of competition at the TrialGP Andorra was a seriously tough affair. Rain made an appearance in the morning leaving the terrain extremely slippery and arduous for all the riders. In addition, the officials were fairly severe in their application of the non-stop rule, resulting in a very closely-fought trial.
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou battled neck and neck for the win against eternal rival Adam Raga throughout the three-lap Andorran course. Bou led the day until halfway through the final lap where he picked up several points, eventually having to settle for second spot on the podium. Despite the result, Toni Bou continues to lead the championship, now with a seven-point lead in the overall standings.
Casales lap one was a mixture of performances. Scoring six maximum scores of five marks lost, he ended lap one with a total score of 33 yet focused on improving. Delivering notably better second and third laps, Casales ended the day in third to claim his first podium of the 2020 series.
Sunday however, saw Bou triumphant in the sixth round of the world championship, re-establishing a ten-point lead at the head of the competition standings.
Trial two of the Andorra TrialGP did not turn out to be such a wash-out as Saturday’s event, but the terrain was, nevertheless, slippery and muddy, especially over the course of the ten-section first lap around the Sant Julià de Lòria route.
A more aggressive and confident Toni Bou produced a high-level showing on the day, particularly in the sections likely to elicit most mistakes and went on to finish the trial with a twenty-point margin over his main rival, Adam Raga. The Repsol Honda Team rider takes the season victory tally to four and now holds a ten-point advantage over his pursuer with one GP – made up of two trials – still to run before the world championship season wraps up.
With drier conditions for day two, Casales again rode well and again finished third overall. Performing consistently on each of the three laps the Spaniard came out on top of a day-long battle with Takahisa Fujinami to join Toni Bou and Adam Raga on the podium and move up to fourth in the 2020 TrialGP championship standings.
After three consecutive events, there will now be a well-deserved fortnight’s rest before the end of this atypical TrialGP World Championship. The forthcoming final round of the world championship is scheduled for the weekend of October 9-11 in Lazzate, Italy.
Toni Bou
“Today was a similar day to yesterday: I was a little better on the first and second lap. The sections were difficult, so I was able to gain an advantage. On the final lap I took things more to the limit, perhaps, so I am very happy with this victory. I think the key was section five, where I was able to clean, while Adam Raga ‘fived’ it on each lap. I was much more aggressive today than yesterday and this showed in the result. Overall it has been a very positive weekend.”
Jorge Casales
“This has been a very important result for me. Finally, I rode like I know I can in world championship competition. In the Spanish championship, which has a similar level, I have been finishing on the podium, but I wasn’t able to find my rhythm in the world championship. I can say I needed to bounce back, which I did. The first day was hard and the scores were really high, but we kept doing our best despite the wet conditions. The first lap was really hard, it was really important to keep fighting to the end of the day. To be able to finish on the podium again feels great. I really focused on the first lap and felt like I rode well. Holding second during lap two was really good, but I was maybe a little bit too confident in the drier conditions on lap three and made some mistakes. I’m pleased that I stayed ahead of Fujinami, because he was pushing me really hard. So, it’s been a good weekend. Now I need to rest a little and start to prepare for the final round of the series in two weeks.”
TrialGP Andorra Day 1
Pos.
Rider
Nation
L1
L2
L3
T3
Champ
Team
Points
1
RAGA Adam
SPA
19
17
13
1
20
TRRS Factory Team
50
2
BOU Toni
SPA
18
13
24
1
17
Repsol Honda Team
56
3
CASALES Jorge
SPA
33
21
19
6
15
Gas Gas Factory Team
73
4
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
28
25
25
1
13
RG Team
79
5
DABILL James
GBR
29
27
26
0
11
Beta Factory Racing
82
6
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
31
27
25
0
10
Vertigo Factory Team
83
7
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
45
20
28
0
9
Repsol Honda Team
93
8
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
34
35
28
1
8
Beta Factory Racing
98
9
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
37
29
32
0
7
Sherco Factory Team
98
10
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
39
30
31
1
6
Gas Gas
101
11
PEACE Dan
GBR
33
39
33
0
5
Sherco Factory Team
105
12
PRICE Jack
GBR
38
37
30
0
4
Vertigo Factory Team
105
TrialGP Andorra Day 2
Pos.
Rider
Nation
L1
L2
L3
T3
Champ
Team
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
12
9
7
0
20
Repsol Honda Team
28
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
20
18
10
0
17
TRRS Factory Team
48
3
CASALES Jorge
SPA
22
25
23
0
15
Gas Gas Factory Team
70
4
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
26
27
19
0
13
Repsol Honda Team
72
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
27
25
22
0
11
Gas Gas
74
6
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
28
23
26
0
10
Vertigo Factory Team
77
7
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
30
29
20
0
9
Sherco Factory Team
79
8
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
31
27
21
0
8
RG Team
80
9
DABILL James
GBR
36
33
25
0
7
Beta Factory Racing
94
10
PEACE Dan
GBR
38
31
27
0
6
Sherco Factory Team
96
11
PRICE Jack
GBR
40
30
29
0
5
Vertigo Factory Team
99
TrialGP Standings
Pos.
Rider
Team
Nation
Points
1
BOU Toni
Repsol Honda Team
SPA
112
2
RAGA Adam
TRRS Factory Team
SPA
102
3
BUSTO Jaime
Vertigo Factory Team
SPA
81
4
CASALES Jorge
Gas Gas Factory Team
SPA
66
5
MARCELLI Gabriel
RG Team
SPA
59
6
FUJINAMI Takahisa
Repsol Honda Team
JPN
57
7
GELABERT Miquel
Gas Gas
SPA
56
8
FAJARDO Jeroni
Sherco Factory Team
SPA
54
9
DABILL James
Beta Factory Racing
GBR
48
10
BINCAZ Benoit
Beta Factory Racing
FRA
42
11
PEACE Dan
Sherco Factory Team
GBR
33
12
PRICE Jack
Vertigo Factory Team
GBR
32
Sebastian Bühler wins 2020 Baja TT do Pinhal
From the very first special, Sebastian Bühler (Hero) claimed an advantage over his opponents and never relinquished that lead to eventually take the laurels in 4hr 15min 04sec with a 3min 02sec advantage over Polish rider Adam Tomiczek (Husqvarna). Maciek Giemza (Husqvarna) was third, 5min 46sec adrift.
Sebastian Bühler
“Everything went very well for me, in the afternoon,the terrain was completely different from the morning and had dried up. I was even making dust, while in the morning, we drove in the rain. It’s good to train on all kinds of terrain in one race.”
Of the 13 riders entered in the FIM motorcycle and quad categories, three women fought for the Trophy and it was the Portuguese Janaina Souza (Honda) who crossed the finish line 5min 14sec ahead of of Spain’s Sara Garcia (Yamaha).
Official Bike Results after SS3
S. Buhler (Hero) in 4h15’05
A. Tomiczek (Huqvarna) +3’02
M. Giemza (Huqvarna) +5’46
M. Simao (KTM) +14’01
T. De Gavardo (KTM) +30’05
Thomas Kjer Olsen signs two-year contract with Husqvarna
Husqvarna Motorcycles has confirmed the signing of Thomas Kjer Olsen to a two-year contract that will see the 2019 MX2 World Championship runner-up move into the MXGP division in 2021 onboard FC 450 machinery. Thomas will compete for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in the IceOne Racing team managed by Finn Antti Pyrhönen.
A well-established MX2 World Championship competitor, 23-year-old Kjer Olsen will continue what is now a four-year association with Husqvarna Motorcycles as he takes his first step into MXGP class competition. Producing numerous stand out performances over recent years including three MX2 GP wins, the Dane has unquestionably proven himself as one of the World Championship’s leading MX2 class riders. Finishing as runner-up in the 2019 MX2 World Championship, Thomas previously finished third in both 2017 and 2018.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I’m really happy to continue with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, to be staying with the Husqvarna family and moving to the MXGP class with IceOne Racing. I really admire the team, I know they do a great job and I believe that it’s the best team in the MXGP class. I’ve been with Husqvarna for my whole MX2 career and we’ve shared a lot of success and I have a lot to be thankful for. But I’m excited about this new chapter of my career and to be moving to MXGP. I’ve tried the IceOne FC 450 bike and it’s unbelievable. So light and powerful and as I’m a bigger guy I think it’ll really suit to my riding style. The MXGP class is so competitive and an exciting prospect. It’s full of established racers, many that have moved up from MX2 in recent years. I hope to quickly find my feet and settle into the class. I’m really looking forward to it all. For now, I am fully focussed on the MX2 World Championship. We still have a lot of races to go and then I can look forward to moving over to the new team and begin testing with the FC 450 over the winter months. I’m really excited for 2021 and racing in the MXGP class.”
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge cancelled – Dubai Baja rescheduled
Despite the best efforts of all parties involved and due to ongoing health concerns and associated restrictions in light of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the FIM, the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) and the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) have announced the cancellation of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge rescheduled to take place from 20-26 November.
The FIM has announced it is working to have an event in the 2020 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and will communicate further information as soon as possible.
On a positive note the FIM, the Emirates Motorsport Organisation (EMSO) and the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) confirm that the Dubai Intl. Baja will take place from 26-28 November after being rescheduled.
Updated Schedule:
19-20 September FMP Baja do Pinhal Serta Portugal
5-7 November FMP Baja Portalegre Portalegre Portugal
26-28 November EMSO Dubai Intl. Baja Dubai United Arab Emirates
Briar Bauman showed just what an American Flat Track Grand National Championship at the peak of his powers is capable of in Friday evening’s Williams Grove Half-Mile I. Bauman flat-out crushed the opposition in a AFT SuperTwins Main Event, which the race’s runner-up accurately described as “demoralizing” while accepting his second-place trophy. The result did not come as much of a shock – it was the third year running Bauman proved his superiority at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Championship rival Jared Mees stole the holeshot and led for about two corners before giving way to Bauman at the front. The race for the win was effectively over at that point; Bauman was more than a second out in front with 11 minutes remaining on the clock and worked that advantage up to more than six seconds before cruising to an easy 4.347-second margin of victory.
The aforementioned runner-up was not Mees, however. It was Brandon Robinson, who picked up his second-consecutive second place. Robinson swapped positions early with Mees, Jake Johnson, and Bronson Bauman before breaking free from that fight with a good nine minutes to go. Bronson put in a late charge, first dispatching of Johnson and then overhauling Mees to earn his first podium result of 2020.
The slowing Mees managed to outlast a charging Dan Bromley, who registered an inspired ride to sixth in front of his home fans. After running in podium contention early, the out-from-retirement Johnson ultimately lost out to Sammy Halbert late but still managed to pick up a strong seventh place in his first ride of the year.
Bauman’s dominant win combined with Mees’ first non-podium of the year tightened up their title fight. Mees continues to lead, but only by three points (147-144) with another race at Williams Grove coming tomorrow. Halbert and Robinson are even in points at 108.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
30 Laps
2
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
4.347
3
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
7.311
4
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
8.904
5
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
9.836
6
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
10.085
7
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
11.276
8
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
15.932
9
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
16.056
10
Bryan Smith
Harley-Davidson XG750R
16.348
AFT Singles
2019 AFT Singles championship runner-up Mikey Rush finally broke through to claim his first Main Event victory of 2020. It didn’t come easily, as he had to defeat his second-ranked teammate, Dallas Daniels and 2016 GNC2 champ Ryan Wells to make it happen.
Rising star Daniels was ahead of the field early, running away at the front as a huge pack ran as many as four-wide while battling over second position. Once some order emerged from the chaos, Wells, Rush, and Morgen Mischler worked together to claw their way back up to Daniels.
By half-distance, Wells was the man on the move and Daniels looked in danger of fading back to the second group. Wells moved into first and promptly ripped open a half-second of padding before Rush stepped up to the challenge and made it a two-way race for the win with one minute to go.
Rush dove under Wells at that point, only to have his opponent square him back up. Undeterred, Rush executed a second overtake and made the position change stick for good as the race went into its final two laps.
Behind, Daniels not only regrouped, he sprinted back up to Wells and powered past him while exiting Turn 2 on the final lap. The Estenson Racing 1-2 marked its second double podium finish of the season. Wells took his first podium of the ‘20 in third, with Mischler taking a close fourth. Volusia Half-Mile winner Max Whale – who was just out of touch of the lead group throughout — completed the top five.
Meanwhile, title leader Henry Wiles suffered through a difficult day. He failed to advance through his Semi and was forced to burn his provisional just to line up for the Main. He then finished 14th, allowing Daniels, Whale, and Rush to gobble up the majority of his hard-earned championship advantage.
Wiles still leads, albeit by just five points over Daniels (113-108). Whale (102) and Rush (99) are in position to strike in third and fourth, respectively.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
20 Laps
2
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
0.818
3
Ryan Wells
KTM 450 SX-F
1.166
4
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
1.294
5
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
1.704
6
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
3.023
7
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
3.193
8
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
5.726
9
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
7.218
10
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
9.129
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli continued his recent tear, scoring his third AFT Production Twins victory in the class’ most recent four Main Events. “The Rocket” tracked down reigning champion Cory Texter early and the two spent the next several minutes determining who had the superior line around Williams Grove Speedway.
Texter appeared to have the early advantage running down low, but Rispoli’s high line got progressively stronger as the race developed. With around three minutes remaining on the clock, there was no longer a debate concerning who found the fast way around; Rispoli blasted away at the front and furthered his standing as the championship favorite.
Ryan Varnes not only made up for a less-than-ideal start, he managed to overcome a mid-race encounter with the wall to take the final spot on the box.
Varnes reeled in Indy Mile winner Ben Lowe and the two then engaged in a scrap for third position. With around four minutes remaining, Lowe ran up the inside of Varnes and the ‘19 class runner-up actually impacted the fence in the melee. Varnes somehow managed to remain upright, maintained his composure, ran Lowe back down, and beat him to the flag in the end.
Rispoli’s fellow multinational championship-winning roadracer, Danny Eslick, rounded out the top five. Also of note was Johnny Lewis, who gave Royal Enfield a flat track debut to be proud of, finishing an impressive sixth in the Twins FT’s maiden AFT Main Event.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
20 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
2.794
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
7.443
4
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
7.577
5
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
10.253
6
Johnny Lewis
Royal Enfield 650
10.806
7
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
15.096
8
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
18.474
9
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
21.492
10
Mitch Harvat
Kawasaki Ninja 650
27.324
Williams Grove Half-Mile II
Images by Scott Hunter
If possible, Briar Bauman was even more dominant on Saturday night as he completed his second double victory of the 2020 American Flat Track season at the Williams Grove Half-Mile II and did so with authority. It took Bauman all of two corners to seize control of Friday’s AFT SuperTwins Main Event; he didn’t even need that many second time around. Bauman translated the holeshot into a one-sided, 5.544-second beatdown.
Sammy Halbert was the only rider who could even hope to cling to Bauman wake in the race’s opening stages. Doing so successfully pulled Halbert clear of the rest of the field but that early advantage only delayed the inevitable. Jeffrey Carver Jr. overhauled Halbert with four minutes remaining before shaking free to take the runner-up position by more than two seconds.
Halbert later found himself under assault by Jared Mees, who chased him down in time for a two-lap podium showdown as the clock showed 0:00. Mees slid into third with a tight pass with just over a lap-and-a-half remaining, but Halbert set him up for a last corner counterattack. Those plans, however, were foiled by the unfortunate positioning of some slower riders, allowing Mees to capture third at the checkered flag by 0.078 seconds.
Home-state hero Dan Bromley rounded out his best weekend yet since rejoining the premier class, backing up Friday’s fifth with an identical result on Saturday night.
Bauman’s win pushes him back ahead of Mees in his quest to repeat as Grand National Champion as the season officially reaches its midpoint. Bauman will carry a slim five-point advantage (169-164) into what promises to be an epic four-weekend, eight-race stretch run to the throne.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
30 Laps
2
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
5.544
3
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
7.895
4
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
7.973
5
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
9.618
6
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
12.713
7
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
14.42
8
Jake Johnson
Indian FTR750
15.796
9
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
16.581
10
Larry Pegram
Indian FTR750
17.13
AFT SuperTwins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
169
2
Jared Mees
164
3
Sammy Halbert
123
4
Brandon Robinson
116
5
Bronson Bauman
101
6
Davis Fisher
92
7
Brandon Price
89
8
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
87
9
Bryan Smith
73
10
Dan Bromley
69
AFT Singles
The AFT Singles Main Event served as a showcase for the sport’s future stars as Dallas Daniels earned a close victory over fellow second-year pro Trent Lowe. Daniels blasted off to the lead at the start and never saw as much as a wheel from a rival throughout the eight-minute (plus two lap) Main.
However, Lowe was right there throughout, primed to capitalize on any mistake. Unfortunately for Lowe, that mistake never came. Still, it was a breakout performance for Lowe, who boasted a pair of fifth-place finishes as his personal bests prior to Saturday’s runner-up ride. Daniels’ third win of the season not only elevates him into the championship lead, it also hands him a relatively healthy 14-point advantage.
Tanner Dean engaged in an extended scrap for third with Morgen Mischler before breaking loose to claim the final spot on the box all by his lonesome. Mischler dropped a couple more positions before it was all over with Kevin Stollings finishing fourth and highly touted rookie Trevor Brunner rounding out the top five.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
21 Laps
2
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
0.52
3
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
3.2
4
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
3.845
5
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
5.174
6
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
5.232
7
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
6.375
8
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
7.097
9
Wyatt Anderson
KTM 450 SX-F
7.387
10
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
8.71
AFT Singles Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dallas Daniels
133
2
Henry Wiles
119
3
Max Whale
114
4
Michael Rush
110
5
Brandon Kitchen
90
6
Trent Lowe
87
7
Trevor Brunner
76
8
Tanner Dean
74
9
Shayna Texter
73
10
Chad Cose
71
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli continued his steamroller act on Saturday night, claiming his fourth win in the last five AFT Production Twins Main Events, and he did so in almost drama-free fashion, going nearly unchallenged in his green light to checkered flag victory.
Rispoli and reigning AFT Production Twins champion Cory Texter briefly reenacted last night’s high-line/low-line comparo, but within a matter of laps, “the Rocket” was working his way out of reach and to a lopsided victory. Rispoli’s 2.642-second victory increases his championship lead to an imposing 30 points at the season’s halfway point.
Other than a mid-race pass for third by Ryan Varnes over Ben Lowe, the race inside the top five was rather processional… until the very final two corners that is. Varnes slowly closed down on Texter over the Main’s final three minutes and worked his way into position to dive underneath his potential prey just as the two entered Turn 3 for the last time. However, they arrived there alongside a pair of lappers who were embroiled in their battle for position, adding another layer of complexity to the attempted maneuver.
Texter got the better of the fray, reclaiming the position as they exited 4 and holding on to grab second in the sprint to the checkered flag by 0.058 seconds. Lowe cruised to fourth a couple seconds back. Chad Cose rode a lonely race in fifth for the bulk of the Main, only to get some unwelcome company late from Jeremiah Duffy. Duffy got the better of Cose in the end, stealing fifth position by 0.111 seconds.
Johnny Lewis continued to demonstrate the potential of the Royal Enfield’s developing new racebike; he raced his way forward to seventh after starting from last position due to being black flagged in his semi.
Pos
Rider
Man.
Gap
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
21 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
2.642
3
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
2.701
4
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
4.909
5
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
9.575
6
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
9.686
7
Johnny Lewis
Royal Enfield 650
13.94
8
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
14.131
9
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
15.879
10
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
22.358
AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
174
2
Cory Texter
144
3
Ben Lowe
135
4
Ryan Varnes
134
5
Danny Eslick
107
6
Chad Cose
87
7
Jeremiah Duffy
86
8
Nick Armstrong
75
9
Cody Johncox
61
10
Hayden Gillim
45
MXGP
The FIM Motocross World Championship completed its triple header and Round 8 in Faenza with the MXGP of Emilia Romagna, with Antonio Cairoli riding two consistent races to take his 91st Grand Prix victory in front of a cheering crowd of Italian fans, while claiming the MXGP Red Plate.
Mitchell Evans was the lone Australian rider competing in the MXGP class, fighting his way to fourth in Race 1, but having to settle for eighth in Race 2 after expending so much energy in the first moto. The result sees Evans 11th in the standings, although there’s a 41-point gap to reach the top 10 to overcome at this stage.
Mitch Evans
“I had another good day again and we’re still improving with sixth overall today. It’s been better each time so I’m happy with that. The first moto I didn’t get that great of a start and pushed really hard to come back to fourth so it was a good moto but I pretty much used all of my energy in that one. In the second moto I had a really good start, almost grabbing the holeshot but I had nothing left in the tank so it was just survival mode after that, with me holding on as best I could. I’m happy that I was still able to keep improving and stay healthy and be moving onto the next GP in a couple of weeks at a track I really like.”
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
22
22
44
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
16
25
41
3
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
25
15
40
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
20
18
38
5
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
11
20
31
6
Evans, Mitchell
AUS
HON
18
13
31
7
Coldenhoff, Glenn
NED
GAS
13
16
29
8
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
12
14
26
9
Lupino, Alessandro
ITA
YAM
14
11
25
10
Jasikonis, Arminas
LTU
HUS
15
8
23
11
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
10
12
22
12
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
9
10
19
13
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
7
9
16
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
8
7
15
15
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
5
4
9
MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
285
2
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
278
3
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
4
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
255
5
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
237
6
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
233
7
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
233
8
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
203
9
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
201
10
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
194
11
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
153
12
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
141
13
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
91
14
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
80
15
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
73
MX2
In MX2 Tom Vialle secured his second consecutive GP win, while the leading Aussie riders was Jed Beaton, taking fourth in Race 1, just 0.7s off the final podium position, while Race 2 saw Beaton improve to third, for third overall for the MXGP of Emilia Romagna. He now sits fourth overall in the MX2 standings, 12-points off third placed Maxime Renaux.
Jed Beaton
“It feels great. It’s been a long time coming and it’s great to finally get the monkey off my back and have a great first moto. My starts weren’t the best today but I made it work, especially in the second moto. I’m really happy to finally get onto the podium this season for myself and the team. It’s extra special because it’s my first podium result for Husqvarna. I’ve had a few second-place finishes, but the first moto has let me down so it’s great to turn it around and get on the podium with two good results. My riding was good today. My bike was great so thanks to the team and we’ll build on this ahead of Mantova.”
Fellow Aussie Nathan Crawford had a strong weekend, claiming 11th in Race 1, with a challenging Race 2 seeing him settle for 14th, for 11th overall for the round. He now sits 14th in the MX2 standings as a result of the 17-points collected at Round 8.
Bailey Malkiewicz was just off Crawford in Race 1, coming home in 12th, while in Race 2 he claimed 21st, bringing home nine championship points and sitting 17th overall for the GP. Malkiewicz now sits 24th in the MX2 standings.
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
22
25
47
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
25
22
47
3
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
18
20
38
4
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
20
15
35
5
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
15
18
33
6
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
14
16
30
7
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
12
14
26
8
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
13
13
26
9
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
11
12
23
10
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
16
5
21
11
Crawford, Nathan
AUS
HON
10
7
17
12
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
KTM
6
9
15
13
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
4
10
14
14
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
8
6
14
15
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
5
8
13
16
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
0
11
11
17
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
9
0
9
MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
354
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
333
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
259
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
247
5
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
210
6
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
191
7
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
188
8
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
182
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
162
10
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
156
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
118
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
112
13
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
105
14
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
86
15
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
16
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
68
17
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
66
18
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
19
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
62
20
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
21
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
52
22
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
KTM
46
23
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
43
24
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
43
2020 TrialGP Rounds 3 & 4 – Spain
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou claimed the top honours with a fine ride in Pobladura de las Regueras, León, the third round of the TrialGP World Championship. The third round of the elite trial competition proved to be a tough course, not least due to the official observers who were often overly-strict in scoring the ten sections which riders had to complete over the three laps.
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou, rode a rags-to-riches trial, starting poorly, later dominating and finally finishing to be crowned winner atop the podium. Toni did not get off to the best of starts, picking up seventeen marks on the first lap, but was able to bounce back with eight points on lap two and just three on the third.
Wanting to make a strong start to the opening day, Jorge Casales completed the first lap with the sixth best score and 34 marks lost. Improving to 31 marks lost on lap two, an issue with his bike during lap three resulted in the Spaniard collecting maximum scores of five in each of the 10 sections, ending the day in 10th overall.
Toni Bou once again claimed the top honours on day two of the trial in Pobladura de las Regueras, León, taking his season victory tally to three and increasing his lead in the overall standings to a ten-point advantage.
Differing from yesterday’s trial, the route for the second day of the Spanish TrialGP proved to be much tougher with certain sections virtually impossible to overcome. As a consequence, the trial produced a fairly even result in the final table.
The demanding sections, coupled with the physical issues in the rider’s arms, saw Toni move up and down positions over the first lap, but by the second and third he was able to take command of the trial to eventually claim a third victory of the season. The result allows the current champion to stretch the gap at the top of the championship general standings where the trial star now holds a ten-point advantage over the nearest second place rival.
Despite some impressive riding during the early part of day two, a significant crash held Casales back on the second day of competition. Collecting 27 marks at the end of his first lap to ensure he was well in contention for a strong end-of-day result, on lap two he dropped just 17 marks, only two more than eventual day winner Toni Bou. Frustratingly, it wasn’t to be for Casales who was unable to ride at his best throughout lap three following his lap-two crash. Bravely riding on, he completed the lap for 31 marks lost, ending his day in eighth yet having performed much better than his final result suggests.
The next Trial World Championship event will be held next week in the town of Sant Julià de Lória, in Andorra.
Toni Bou
“Today has been a very positive day as it was very hard and we all made quite a few mistakes. It has been a difficult day, not only because of the discomfort in my arm, but also because I didn’t feel quite right on the bike. The trial was very close, but we struggled to get a very important victory in the championship. We will try to arrive in the best possible shape for the trial in Andorra.”
Jorge Casales
“It’s clear that this wasn’t my best weekend, and certainly not the results we were hoping for. Things started ok on day one – I felt good and things were going ok, but around midday I had some issues with my bike. I tried to fix it, but we couldn’t make the changes we needed to, so the day didn’t end well. Everyone in the team put that behind us for day two and I honestly felt great during the first and second laps. Frustratingly, I had a big crash in section five, which was one of the toughest sections of the event. I hurt my leg when I crashed, which made the next one-and-a-half laps really tough. I had some other misfortune towards the end of the day as well, which added another five marks to my score, so all-in-all not the event I had hoped for. I’ll be working hard to come back strong next weekend in Andorra.”
Round 3 Results
Pos.
Rider
Nation
Team
Constr.
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
28
2
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
49
3
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
TRRS
57
4
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
Montesa
68
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Gas Gas
Gas Gas
69
6
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
69
7
DABILL James
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
70
8
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
86
9
PEACE Dan
GBR
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
93
10
CASALES Jorge
SPA
Gas Gas Factory Team
Gas Gas
115
11
PRICE Jack
GBR
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
136
12
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
147
Round 4 Results
Pos.
Rider
Nation
Team
Constructor
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
48
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
TRRS
56
3
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
Montesa
62
4
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
66
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Gas Gas
Gas Gas
68
6
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
69
7
DABILL James
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
69
8
CASALES Jorge
SPA
Gas Gas Factory Team
Gas Gas
75
9
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
77
10
PEACE Dan
GBR
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
78
11
PRICE Jack
GBR
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
150
2020 TrialGP Standings
Pos.
Rider
Nation
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
55
2
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
51
3
RAGA Adam
SPA
48
4
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
38
5
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
28
6
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
28
7
CASALES Jorge
SPA
28
8
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
23
9
DABILL James
GBR
21
10
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
21
Enea Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 3
World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik admitted “I feel at my best” in Gorzow after celebrating victory in Enea Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 3 on Friday. The 26-year-old saw off an incredible last-lap challenge from Aussie icon Jason Doyle to win his home event for the second time in his career.
Zmarzlik famously topped the 2014 Gorzow SGP podium as a wild card – becoming the youngest-ever SGP winner at 19 years and 140 days old.
Now he’s very much the King of the Edward Jancarz Stadium and won six of his seven races on his way to a maximum 20 World Championship points, which puts him on 48 overall – just one behind series leader Maciej Janowski.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“This is an unbelievable night. Everything is working so well and a big thank you to my team and all the fans. You are the best! I live in Gorzow and I feel at my best here. I am very happy because it’s the second time I have won a GP in Gorzow. Winning a GP in Gorzow is a little bit different to other rounds because this is my home track and these are my home people. I live my whole life here. It has been really nice and I am really happy with everything today. Everything worked really nicely. It was a very big feeling for four laps in the final with Jason Doyle. He kept going after me all the time – right to the last corner. I am happy I won. But I must go home and get a good sleep. Tomorrow is a new day and everyone starts again.”
Former world champion Jason Doyle piled the pressure on Zmarzlik in a breathtaking last lap in the final, dive-bombing the local hero on the last corner. Zmarzlik held his nerve and maintained his momentum to top the podium, but 18 championship points sees Doyle rocket from 15th place in the standings prior to the meeting up to seventh on 26.
After scoring eight points combined in the opening two rounds and enduring an up-and-down season in Poland’s PGE Ekstraliga, Czestochowa star Doyle paid tribute to those who helped him bounced back.
Jason Doyle
“It has been a tough year, but I have worked really hard – and not just myself. My mechanics and family have done a lot behind the scenes when times have been tough; these are things you don’t always see. There are a lot of good people in my corner and I want to say thanks to them now. This is a step in the right direction and it’s always nice to be on the podium at any GP.”
Third-placed Fredrik Lindgren reached his third SGP final in as many rounds and is determined to keep that run going in a season when the biggest rewards go to riders who make it into the rostrum race.
Enea Gorzow SGP Round 3 Points
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Bartosz Zmarzlik
20
2
Jason Doyle
18
3
Fredrik Lindgren
16
4
Leon Madsen
14
5
Martin Vaculik
12
6
Tai Woffinden
11
7
Maciej Janowski
10
8
Matej Zagar
9
9
Artem Laguta
8
10
Emil Sayfutdinov
7
11
Niels-Kristian Iversen
6
12
Mikkel Michelsen
5
13
Max Fricke
4
14
Anders Thomsen
3
15
Patryk Dudek
2
16
Antonio Lindback
1
17
Wiktor Jasinski
0
18
Rafal Karczmarz
0
Enea Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 4
New FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship leader Fredrik Lindgren admitted his Enea Gorzow SGP round-four win was, “a burden lifted from my shoulders.”
The Swedish icon topped the podium after overhauling Jason Doyle to win the final with a jaw-dropping opening lap and a half at the Edward Jancarz Stadium. The Aussie was later pipped to second place by Danish star Leon Madsen on the run to the line.
This completed a Czestochowa one-two-three, but the night belonged to Lindgren, who reached his fourth straight final of 2020 to charge into a seven-point lead at the top of the standings. Despite impressing with two third places and a fourth going into tonight’s event, Lindgren admits he was determined to end his wait for a win.
Fredrik Lindgren
“This was a bit of a burden lifted from my shoulders tonight – to be able to finally get a win when I have been in three finals and not been able to execute it. It feels really good. I am super happy – so, so happy! You don’t want to be the guy who makes it to the final and never wins. It’s a relief to be able to do it. I have that burden off my back now and I can keep the focus for next weekend.”
Lindgren was taken wider and wider by Doyle as they battled over the lead going into lap two, before producing a majestic cutback to dive under the Aussie for the lead. Madsen’s second place fires him up to fifth in the World Championship on 50 points – 16 short of leader Lindgren.
Third-placed Doyle produced his second SGP podium finish in 24 hours after also racing to second spot on Friday. Having started the weekend with just eight championship points to his name, Doyle now has 42 and is delighted with a turnaround that has seen him climb from 15th to seventh in just two rounds.
Jason Doyle
“It was an unbelievable weekend for me in Gorzow. Two podiums get me back up into a good position for the next two rounds in Prague and also Torun. We are working hard. It’s a tough year, but we are getting there in the end and we also have some speed, so I’m happy.”
Next up is the third SGP 2020 double-header in Czech capital Prague this weekend. Visit Czech Republic SGP round five takes place on Friday, before Marketa Stadium hosts Aztorin SGP round six on Saturday night.
Enea Gorzow SGP Round 4 Points
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Fredrik Lindgren
20
2
Leon Madsen
18
3
Jason Doyle
16
4
Emil Sayfutdinov
14
5
Bartosz Zmarzlik
12
6
Martin Vaculik
11
7
Tai Woffinden
10
8
Maciej Janowski
9
9
Max Fricke
8
10
Anders Thomsen
7
11
Matej Zagar
6
12
Artem Laguta
5
13
Niels-Kristian Iversen
4
14
Antonio Lindback
3
15
Mikkel Michelsen
2
16
Patryk Dudek
1
17
Rafal Karczmarz
0
18
Wiktor Jasinski
0
Speedway GP Standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Fredrik Lindgren
66
2
Bartosz Zmarzlik
59
3
Maciej Janowski
57
4
Tai Woffinden
53
5
Leon Madsen
50
6
Artem Laguta
45
7
Jason Doyle
42
8
Emil Sayfutdinov
36
9
Martin Vaculik
35
10
Matej Zagar
27
11
Niels-Kristian Iversen
24
12
Max Fricke
24
13
Mikkel Michelsen
18
14
Patryk Dudek
16
15
Gleb Chugunov
16
16
Anders Thomsen
10
17
Antonio Lindback
6
Women’s World Motocross Champ Duncan returns to Europe to continue title defence
The long wait is over and New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan has packed her bags and returned to Europe this week to continue her Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX) title defence.
She has been home in Dunedin since March, flying back after the second WMX round in The Netherlands, with a five-point lead over her closest rival. Since then the MXGP calendar has been affected by Covid-19 and 24-year old Duncan has been waiting on a green light for the women’s racing to resume.
Her final three rounds are all scheduled to take place in Italy. The first two meetings on September 27 (MXGP Lombardia) and September 30 (MXGP of Città di Mantova), which are both held on the hard sand Mantova track, are following the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship’s new racing format of mid-week races.
Duncan will remain in Europe and train towards the final Italian round – the MXGP of Trentino on November 1 – where she is targeting her name being re-engraved on the winner’s trophy for 2020.
She flew to England to re-join her Kawasaki Dixon Racing Team at their Portsmouth base. Her self-isolation time will be happily spent getting straight onto her new 2021 Kawasaki KX250F and turning out some test laps at the team’s track.
Duncan was even able to enter a national race meeting for the first time in three years, competing at the King of Central in Cromwell in July. Easily winning her four races against both the MX2 men and in the women’s class, the race-pace outings gave her the edge she needed to head back into battle mode.
Courtney Duncan
“I’d be lying if I said I was happy with just one world championship. I want another one and that’s what I’m aiming towards. I want to go over there and ride to the best of my ability. I’ll be putting myself in good positions to score some strong finishes and the rest will come. Kawasaki have bought out a whole new bike. It will be cool to go over there a few weeks early and get comfortable on it. Everything happens for a reason. I’m excited for the new schedule. To be honest, I’ve just enjoyed being home training back in New Zealand and I made the most of the local tracks. There’s nothing like racing itself and getting behind the gate a few times. You learn different things in racing that you don’t pick up in practise. Even though this was a local event, it still got my adrenaline pumping and gave me an appetite for what I’ve got coming up in Italy. Thanks to my supporters and sponsors for everything you do for me. I’ll do my best to bring the world number one title back home to New Zealand for you all again come November.”
2020 Women’s Motocross World Championship points
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Duncan, Courtney.
NZL
KAW
90
2
Papenmeier, Larissa.
GER
YAM
85
3
Fontanesi, Kiara.
ITA
KTM
80
4
Van De Ven, Nancy.
NED
YAM
78
5
Valk, Lynn
NED
YAM
66
Revised Women’s Motocross World Championship calendar
September 27 – MXGP Lombardia, Mantova circuit, Italy
September 30 – MXGP of Città di Mantova, Mantova circuit, Italy
November 1 – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata, Italy
2021 Pilot Air Compressors A4DE Update
The organising committee of the 2021 Pilot Air Australian Four Day Enduro in Harvey, Western Australia are busy with the preparations for the event which is planned to run from May 19 – 22.
Despite the impact of the Corona Virus pandemic and its consequences on the motorcycle events calendar, the committee has made great progress towards running a memorable four-day event with planning proceeding with optimism and a positive attitude.
Collin Jennings of the Trail and Enduro Motorcycle Club of WA Inc said excellent cooperation from the Shire of Harvey and the Parks and Wildlife Services, who are the guardians of the land that will be used, has ensured the club can plan interesting and enjoyable trails.
Despite COVID-19 and a number of current State border closures, the 2021 Pilot Air A4DE committee will continue planning for a successful event. The 2021 Pilot Air A4DE committee plan to make a decision in mid-February.
In the meantime, the Committee wishes to advise prospective competitors and supporters to ensure accommodation bookings can be refundable and flights are booked after entries open.
Collin Jennings – Trail and Enduro Motorcycle Club of WA
“Each of the first three days will be held in a different area and the fourth day will have a short one-hour trail section culminating in the spectacular final natural terrain motocross heats. At this time, it is impossible for us to make an informed decision about the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on the viability of the Australian Championship event. We hope to have confirmation of border restrictions being lifted before February when entries will open. We’d like to thank competitors and families for their understanding at this unprecedented time and will ensure that if State Government regulations change, we will keep competitors and fans up to date.”
Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia’s Event Manager
“We are very pleased to see the work that is going on behind the scenes by the committee for the 2021 A4DE as we know the enormous effort it takes to make the event so great. We are very excited that we can build on the successes of previous A4DE events and look forward to 2021.”
The 2021 Pilot Air Compressors committee this week launched the new event website www.pilotaircompressorsa4de.com is now live with all updates. If you require further information please email [email protected]
Clout returns to racing at the East Coast Motocross Championship
Luke Clout returned to Australia following his first full season in America to prepare for the Australian Supercross Championship, unfortunately due to the coronavirus schedules have changed and now Clout has turned his attention to the Australian Motocross Championship which is set to run later in the year.
Luke Clout
“It’s disappointing that Australia Supercross has been postponed but I am looking forward to racing again this weekend in preparation for the motocross championship. “The experience was priceless, and I learnt a lot. Leading some laps was something I will never forget. Everything I learnt will help and I can’t wait to get back behind the gate this weekend.”
Luke Clout had an amazing first season in America with Penrite Honda, he finished as high as fifth and led some of the world’s best supercross racers on his way to eighth overall.
Penrite Honda have now committed to the East Coast Motocross Championship starting with Round 3, which ran this past weekend in Maitland. Team director Yarrive Konksy believes racing locally will help Luke prepare for the Australian Motocross Championships.
Luke Clout’s first outing with the East Coast Motocross Championship saw the Penrite Honda rider claim three race wins over the September 12-13 round, as well as the overall win, marking Clout’s first race on Honda’s CRF450R, after racing a 250 in his overseas competition.
Luke Clout
“It was great, I love racing. I also go to connect with my roots, my parents were there and there were riders of all ages and classes competing. I enjoyed being amongst it. It was also good to use the weekend for testing. Nothing beats racing. The 450 is different and you need to ride it differently. I am glad I am getting some racing in ahead of the nationals. We are really close with bike setup; I learnt a little over the weekend as the track got rougher and we will make some minor changes ahead of the next round.”
GNCC Round Nine
The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued Sunday, September 13, as the motorcycles took to the woods of West Virginia. Round 9, the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer, took place at Summit Bechtel Reserve in Beckley, WV. Cloudy conditions made for a great weekend of racing, even with some showers taking place on Sunday afternoon’s Pro race.
In the XC1 Open Pro class it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell racing off the line first to grab the All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot award. However, as the pack of riders headed into the woods, Russell would make a mistake and be forced to fight through the pack of riders early in the race. Russell’s teammate, FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley would capitalize and move into the lead for the opening lap.
Making his return to racing aboard a new team for the event was AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr. As the lead pack of racers came through timing and scoring on lap one, Baylor found himself sitting 5.5 seconds behind Kelley. Throughout the course of lap two, Kelley and Baylor would engage in a battle with Baylor taking over the top spot as they came through just 1.9 seconds apart. Russell had made his way into the number three spot, but found himself 53 second behind the lead duo.
As the race wore on Baylor Jr. would put his head down and push to put a sizeable gap between himself and Kelley. With the fans cheering him on throughout all six laps, Baylor Jr. would come through to take his first overall win of the season with over a minute lead. Kelley, who tangled with some lappers, would manage to hold onto second overall with Russell rounding out the top three overall at this year’s Mountaineer GNCC.
FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor steadily moved up through the pack after a seventh place start to the day. Baylor found himself running in the third place position at the halfway point in the race, but would be unable to hold off a charging Russell. As the checkered flag flew Baylor would check-in with a fourth overall on the day.
Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn found himself sitting just outside the top five as the race began. Ashburn would put his head down and push making the pass for fifth on lap two, however, he would soon find himself back in sixth. As the white flag flew Ashburn knew he only had one more lap to make the pass stick, and he would do just that crossing the finish line fifth overall.
After missing the last two rounds before GNCC’s summer break, AmPro Yamaha’s Layne Michael made his return to racing in his home state of West Virginia. Michael had a mid-pack start to the day, but would work his way up to fourth for the second and third laps. Michael put up quite a fight for a top five finishing position, only missing out by 20 seconds behind Ashburn.
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew Delong had a great start, and as he came through timing and scoring he would find himself fourth overall. However, as Delong made his way through the second lap and then third laps he would have to take make a long pit stop. Delong’s team worked feverishly to fix the mechanical issue with his bike, and he would head back out into the race still running in that eighth place position. By the time the checkered flag flew Delong had worked his way to seventh in the XC1 Open Pro class.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth was running a good race as he registered in third on the opening lap. However, a small mistake in the woods happened to reaggravate his knee from a practice incident a couple of weeks ago. With rain showers presenting themselves and the tough conditions, Toth made the difficult decision to pull out of the race after three laps of racing.
In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir taking his fourth class win of the season. Girroir was off to a great start and would come through on the opening lap in the first place position. Girroir would find himself up into the third overall position based off of his adjusted time. However, as the race worse on Girroir found a good flow and did not want to make a mistake to jeopardize his XC2 class win. Girroir would come through to take the win with a 13 second gap back to second place.
Tely Energy Racing/KTM’s Liam Draper made his way onto the XC2 class podium with a second place finish in West Virginia. Draper had started off his day running in the fourth place position, but would steadily work his way through the pack. When the white flag came out, Draper would make a last lap charge to ensure his second place finish.
Rounding out the XC2 top three finishers was AmPro Yamaha/St. Lawrence Radiology’s Mike Witkowski. Witkowski would have his work cut out for himself throughout the race, as he would find himself back in the fifth place position at one point in the race. Witkowski found himself third as the white flag was flying, and he would hold onto that position until the checkered flag flew.
Australian Lyndon Snodgrass finished eighth in the XC2 category.
Raines Riding University/Fly Racing/Yamaha’s Jason Raines would battle throughout the duration of the race with Moose Racing/Carolina KTM/XC Gear’s Zack Hayes for the FMF XC3 125cc Pro-Am class win. Raines and Hayes would swap the lead position multiple times throughout the three-hour race; however it would be Raines making a last lap pass to take the win. Hayes would finish out the day with a second in the class, with FXR/KTM’s Jason Lipscomb making his way up to third in the class.
AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer battled throughout the 10 a.m. race to take her second WXC class win of the season. Archer made her way into the lead position early in the race, but would face a battle with Beta USA’s Rachel Gutish on the second lap of racing. Gutish, who grabbed the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot award, was eager to battle at the front of the pack. Archer would make the pass back around Gutish to retake the lead as the white flag came out. When the checkered flag flew after four laps of racing, Archer would cross the finish line a minute ahead of her competition. Gutish would come through to hold onto second place at round nine. BABS Racing Yamaha/Maxxis’ Becca Sheets maintained her third place position throughout the duration of the two-hour race. Sheets remains in the WXC points lead after nine rounds of racing are complete.
Mountaineer Results and Points Standings – Beckley, West Virginia GNCC Round 9 of 13 – Sunday, September 13, 2020
XC1 Pro Event Results
Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Kailub Russell (KTM)
Grant Baylor (SHR)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Layne Michael (YAM)
Andrew Delong (HON)
Joshua Toth (KTM)
Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (256)
Josh Strang (193)
Jordan Ashburn (143)
Craig DeLong (133)
Michael Witkowski (123)
Jonathan Girroir (121)
Grant Baylor (103)
Cody Barnes (91)
Liam Draper (83)
Benjamin Kelley (82)
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Michael Witkowski (YAM)
Craig Delong (HQV)
Ryder Lafferty (HQV)
Cody Barnes (BET)
Thorn Devlin (BET)
Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
Jonathan Johnson (HON)
Samuel Evans (KTM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Craig DeLong (224)
Jonathan Girroir (224)
Michael Witkowski (209)
Cody Barnes (154)
Liam Draper (143)
Thorn Devlin (121)
Ryder Lafferty (105)
Jonathan Johnson (101)
Benjamin Nelko (82)
Simon Johnson (79)
Kirk Gibbs readying for King of Capricorn Cup
It’s been a long break between races for CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team rider Kirk Gibbs, but he is set and ready to compete at The King of Capricorn Cup in Rockhampton at the start of October.
Way back in February, Gibbs won the New Zealand Motocross Championships for the second time and was in good form leading up to the start of the Australian racing season. But with the delays in the season due to the Covid pandemic and then a wrist injury sustained in July, Gibbs hasn’t been behind the gate for over six months.
Racing returned to Queensland in July and as Gibbs prepared for a string of events, he fell and broke his wrist just days prior to the MX Farm round of the Sunshine State Series. After six weeks on the sidelines, he was given the all-clear to resume riding and the Rockhampton event is to be his first race back and first race on Australian soil in 2020.
Kirk Gibbs
“2020 has been a strange year for everyone and to think this will be my first race of the year when its usually the end of our season is odd. It was disappointing that the national season was delayed and then my injury prior to the state races starting just compounded my frustration. I have missed racing and so keen to get back on track and get some racing in. It’s been hard work watching all the Queensland based riders racing up here and not being a part of it as we have been fortunate to keep racing when other states couldn’t. It’s great that Rockhampton have been able to organise this event and it’s given me something to work towards as I regain full speed and fitness. The $20K in prizemoney also means there is a bit on the line and things will be intense on the track, so I can’t wait.”
The King of Capricorn will be held the weekend of October 3- 4 and include a wide range of races catering for everyone from juniors through to professionals. The Six Mile circuit is a popular one with the riders and the local community has relied behind the event and with $20,000 prize money on offer, it will also be one of the biggest events of the season.
Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha
“We are happy to support Kirk at this event and will put things in place around him to ensure he is in good hands. With the team based in Victoria, we are unable to attend due to the border restrictions, but we are desperate to do what we can to get our riders on track and races events like this where the state regulations allow. Kirk has been back on the bike for just over a week and with a couple of weeks before the event, he will be able to increase his fitness base and riding volume in the coming weeks. It will also his first hit out on the 2020 YZ450F race bike, so we are hoping for a positive few weeks and a good result in Rockhampton.”
AORC Events Calendar Update
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) presented by MXstore is closely monitoring the health crisis developments and the effects COVID-19 are having on state borders restrictions and the potential impacts this may have on the current 2020 championship remaining date.
The up coming Round 11 & 12 of AORC, scheduled to be held on 14-15 November are currently under review. The final decision regarding this event will be announced no later than 9th of October 2020. Should further information be available at an earlier date, this will be communicated.
Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia’s Event Manager
“We are working together with all our key stakeholders to get the final rounds up and running to have one last shot to go racing. From the outset we have remained committed to racing and this is still our aim. We understand the effects the current situation is having on all parties involved in the championship and we thank them all from our host clubs, riders, officials, in addition to our loyal sponsors for their patience and understanding in this difficult time.”
AORC can confirm that if it becomes clear that the event is not able to go ahead there will no further adjustments made to the remaining date.
AMA Supermoto National Championship scheduled for Nov. 7-8 Two-day competition to determine winners of AMA National No. 1 plates
The 2020 AMA Supermoto National Championship features two days of competition in November in Tucson, Ariz., to determine who receives the coveted AMA National No. 1 plate in five classes.
Originally scheduled as a six-event series, this national championship, sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association, will consist of four points-earning races. The format includes two races per day Nov. 7-8. Each race offers points toward the overall championship. The six scheduled events were cancelled due to restrictions put in place by government officials during the coronavirus pandemic.
The series is run by the AMA promoter, DRT Racing. Classes include Open, Lites, National Amateur, Sportsman MX and Kids.
Baja TT do Pinhal postponed
The Baja TT do Pinhal, scheduled for September 12-13 has had to be cancelled due to the extension of the fire risk alert situation put in place by the local authorities in Portugal. This opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup was to mark the return to off-road motorcycle competition after the interruption caused by the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
After consultation with the teams, riders and all stakeholders involved and with the agreement of the local authorities, the FIM, the motorcycling federation of Portugal, and the local organiser Escuderia Castelo Branco have decided to postpone the event to September 19-20, 2020.
WESS Promotion GmbH would like to announce changes to the upcoming WESS Championship with no overall title set for 2020.
Due to the tightening of entry regulations for Great Britain, including a mandatory 14-day quarantine, it has made participation in the proposed opening round – Hawkstone Park Cross-Country – practically impossible for the majority of riders, media representatives including TV production and the organising team.
WESS Promotion GmbH, the promoter of the WESS Championship, has therefore decided to remove the race in Hawkstone Park from the series calendar.
With the three remaining events confronted with increasingly restrictive travel restrictions, the basis for a fair championship is now no longer possible. As a result, the logical decision from WESS Promotion GmbH is to suspend this year’s championship.
However, this only has an indirect influence on the planned 2020 WESS events. Independently, all organisers are continuing to host their respective events, adapted to COVID-19 restrictions, but without WESS Championship status.
This also applies in particular to Hawkstone Park on September 19/20. Ultimately, the current official restrictions will determine the final decision of the respective organisers. The likelihood that these restrictions will tighten in the next few weeks is expected.
In order to support the organisers and subsequently WESS, the factory teams from KTM, Husqvarna and GASGAS are confirming their rider’s participation. In coordination with the respective national travel regulations, factory riders for whom participation is possible will be present. This course also applies to all national teams and private competitors. And in particular to the factory teams from other manufacturers who, with their participation and the achievements shown, have made a significant contribution to the rise of WESS as the world’s most recognised and popular enduro series.
The planning for the 2021 WESS Championship is already in full swing. With the optimistic assumption that general travel restrictions will be less dramatic, there are eight events on the preliminary calendar, including two overseas competitions.
AFT Springfield Mile 2020
Images by Scott Hunter
AFT SuperTwins – Springfield Mile I
Sammy Halbert provided an undeniable reminder of his immense talent with a commanding performance in Saturday’s AFT SuperTwins Main Event at the Springfield Mile I presented by Memphis Shades. “Slammin’ Sammy” has long been regarded as one of the elite riders on the American Flat Track scene, but his 14th career Grand National Championship race win came as his first in more than four years.
Over that span, he’d found himself on the wrong end of Indian Motorcycle’s recent series domination. Now that he’s got an FTR750 of his own, Halbert once again figures to be a significant factor in the ’20 AFT SuperTwins title fight.
That possibility seemed obvious in Saturday’s 14-minute plus two lap Main at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois. Halbert and multi-time champ Jared Mees broke free from the pack as early as the race’s opening lap and settled in for what appeared likely to be a race-long shootout to the checkered flag.
After the two swapped the spot back and forth numerous times early, Mees seemed content to just sit on Halbert’s rear wheel and bide his time. However, with two minutes to go, Halbert proved that it was him, in fact, who was waiting to make his move.
At that point, Hablert threw down the fastest laps the track had seen all day. Mees had no answer and all he could do was watch Halbert sprint away to a near two-second margin of victory. Mees was able to cruise to second with a multi-rider fight for the final spot on the box more than ten seconds back of the win.
Springfield hero Jeffrey Carver Jr. took home third in the end, out-dueling fourth-placed Brandon Robinson and fifth-placed Davis Fisher. Reigning Grand National Champion Briar Bauman finished in seventh, 0.150 seconds behind Brandon Price.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Interval
1
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
26 Laps
2
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+1.98
3
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+10.449
4
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
+10.49
5
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+11.769
6
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+12.367
7
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+12.517
8
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+13.58
9
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+13.639
10
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+15.13
AFT SuperTwins – Springfield Mile II
American Flat Track superstar Jared Mees added to his burgeoning Mile legend with a triumphant ride in Sunday’s thrilling Springfield Mile II presented by Memphis Shades at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.
Almost from the start, the AFT SuperTwins Main Event took shape as a four-rider showdown emerged, one foreshadowed by the top fastest times clocked in the AFT SuperTwins SuperPole qualifying event. A battle featuring Mees, home-track hero Jeffrey Carver Jr., ‘13 Springfield double winner Brandon Robinson and reigning Grand National Champion Briar Bauman left fans breathless as the leaders diced it out throughout the race.
Robinson looked to be the first to drop from contention, drifting to more than a half second back when the high line stopped working for him with eight minutes to go. Rather than cruise to an easy fourth, however, he altered his strategy and made a dive-bombing low line work to his advantage. He officially rejoined the fray with five minutes left, just as Carver and Mees were throwing elbows at triple-digit speeds.
With two minutes to go, Bauman struggled to maintain the pace. He stayed close enough to take advantage should anything happen but didn’t appear to have what it took to go for the win. Carver, on the other hand, was in rare form; the Springfield crowd favorite was comfortable enough to blast around the high line while looking back over his shoulder at his rivals, sliding his FTR750 at full song. Unfortunately, his race ended in bitter disappointment when his machine broke while running a close second with less than two laps remaining.
That unfortunate turn of events for Carver left Mees and Robinson to decide the winner. Robinson attempted to square up Mees coming off of Turn 4 for the final time and nearly pulled it off, falling just 0.043 seconds short of victory. Bauman rounded out the podium just under two seconds back. Bronson Bauman won out over Davis Fisher and Bryan Smith in their battle for fourth.
Saturday’s winner, Sammy Halbert, was stuck in the second pack early before suffering a mechanical issue, which forced him out completely with eight minutes remaining on the clock, after another day of clocking very fast times in qualifying sessions and the AFT SuperTwins SuperPole.
As a result, Mees now boasts a relatively healthy title advantage over primary rival Bauman (132-119). Halbert remains in third with 95 points but lost most of his padding over Robinson (88) and the second Bauman (81) going into next weekend’s double header at Williams Grove Speedway.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
25 Laps
2
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
+0.043
3
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
+1.991
4
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+7.749
5
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+8.067
6
Bryan Smith
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+8.26
7
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+11.94
8
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+13.944
9
Ryan Varnes
Indian FTR750
+14.928
10
Dan Bromley
Indian FTR750
+14.935
AFT SuperTwins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Jared Mees
132
2
Briar Bauman
119
3
Sammy Halbert
95
4
Brandon Robinson
88
5
Bronson Bauman
81
6
Davis Fisher
71
7
Brandon Price
70
8
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
61
9
Bryan Smith
60
10
Dalton Gauthier
53
11
Jarod Vanderkooi
48
12
Dan Bromley
41
13
JD Beach
36
14
Robert Pearson
35
15
Kolby Carlile
25
16
Jay Maloney
24
17
Andrew Luker
22
18
Ryan Varnes
16
19
Larry Pegram
11
AFT Production Twins – Springfield Mile I
Ryan Varnes simply would not break despite being subjected to constant, intense pressure en route to his first-career Mile win in Saturday’s AFT Production Twins Main Event.
Following an eventful opening two laps in which Danny Eslick, Jeremiah Duffy, James Rispoli and Ben Lowe all took a turn at the lead, Varnes powered into first with eight minutes remaining on the clock. At that point it seemed likely to be just the next in a countless number of lead changes. However, as it turned out, the 2019 class runner-up wouldn’t relinquish the lead.
Varnes led a four-rider breakaway with Lowe, Rispoli, and Chad Cose close behind in his wake. Cose maneuvered into second and then spent the next six minutes plus two laps looking for any way past Varnes to no avail.
Thanks to an ideal combination of precision, patience, and power, Varnes held on to claim the checkered flag 0.116 seconds ahead of Cose. Lowe, in turn, tried his best to overhaul Cose in Turn 3 on the final lap, but came up just 0.027 seconds short in third.
Rispoli faded in the final minutes and reigning AFT Production Twins champ Cory Texter took full advantage. Texter dropped the ex-roadracing ace to fifth and clawed his way from some two seconds back to end up just over a half-second off the win in fourth.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
19 Laps
2
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+0.116
3
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+0.143
4
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+0.511
5
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+3.836
6
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+8.984
7
Ryan Wells
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+8.985
8
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+10.095
9
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+10.684
10
Dylan Bell
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+11.198
AFT Production Twins – Springfield Mile II
It took James Rispoli more than ten years to return to the top of the dirt track podium but only two races to get back there again. The AFT Production Twins points leader extended his championship advantage on Sunday with a victorious ride in an absolute stunner at the Springfield Mile.
Reigning champion Cory Texter stole the holeshot but was quickly eclipsed by the twin XG750Rs of Rispoli and Chad Cose. During the opening few minutes of the race, those three were in control; Cose did the bulk of the leading over Rispoli, with Texter keeping the honest from close behind in third.
However, when Ben Lowe blasted around the outside to move into second and then Hayden Gillim went way low to drive under the entire pack and briefly move into the lead, all bets were off.
An astonishing final five minutes saw eight riders within a half-second of the lead, trading positions in a relentless, nearly un-trackable fashion. Virtually every line was in play and none of the eight seemed any more likely than another to get to the checkered flag first.
The wild Main Event took another twist with less than a minute remaining on the clock when Patrick Buchanan went down and brought out the red flag.
After a short stoppage, the melee picked up right where it left off. At the restart, Varnes seized control of what had become a four-lap sprint to the stripe. Saturday’s winner held the lead spot until the clock hit 0:00 – indicating that two laps remained – and Cose and Lowe stormed up alongside.
Rispoli re-entered the picture as the white flag waved, diving under Cose to take the lead on the final lap. A perfect launch off of T4 secured the win, while Lowe and Cose also overhauled Varnes to finish in second and third, respectively.
Gillim finished fifth with Texter, Danny Eslick, Nick Armstrong, Ryan Wells, and Kevin Stollings finishing 6-10, all within one second of the win.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
17 Laps
2
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+0.091
3
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+0.125
4
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+0.145
5
Hayden Gillim
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+0.326
6
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+0.588
7
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+0.613
8
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
+0.672
9
Ryan Wells
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+0.909
10
Kevin Stollings
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+0.99
AFT Production Twins Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
124
2
Ben Lowe
105
3
Cory Texter
104
4
Ryan Varnes
100
5
Danny Eslick
83
6
Chad Cose
69
7
Jeremiah Duffy
61
8
Nick Armstrong
52
9
Hayden Gillim
45
10
Cody Johncox
42
11
Patrick Buchanan
31
12
Dylan Bell
30
13
Morgen Mischler
26
14
Jacob Lehmann
25
15
Ryan Wells
22
16
Jimmy McAllister
20
17
Michael Inderbitzin
19
18
Mitch Harvat
19
19
Scott Barrett
17
20
Brock Schwarzenbacher
16
21
Garret Wilson
10
22
Kevin Stollings
9
23
Max Whale
9
24
Cameron Smith
6
2020 Springfield Short Track – Main Event 1
Perhaps the most anticipated showdown of the 2020 AFT Singles season in the pre-pandemic age was Henry Wiles versus Daniels at the Peoria TT. Even though COVID-19 made that an impossibility this year, American Flat Track fans were provided a most worthy alternative as the two waged an epic battle just an hour down the road in Springfield. However, for the bulk of the race, Mikey Rush seemed set to relegate their scrap to one for second place.
Expertly exploiting the ST skills that made him a winner in the discipline in both the premier class and at the AFT Singles level, Rush executed a couple quick moves to take control of the race in its opening stages. He then rode with teammate Daniels in formation behind him.
The two looked to power their way to an easy Estenson 1-2 before their getaway was cut short by a red flag with four minutes remaining on the clock. That development provided bonafide Short Track legend Wiles with another shot at the win. Wiles had raced forward all evening after starting his Semi from dead last, and the stoppage allowed him to reset from third, lining up just inches behind Rush and Daniels.
While Wiles took full advantage and pounced on Daniels immediately, Rush was simply too strong; the 2019 class runner-up more than had the measure of the field in terms of raw speed. He blasted off and ripped open a multi-second gap… at least until he lost that imposing advantage with just over one minute remaining on the clock.
Wiles inherited the lead following Rush’s mishap in Turn 2 and was well positioned to translate it into victory until Daniels pulled out a late strike. The second-year ace reeled in the veteran superstar and slid underneath him with just 12 seconds (+ two short laps) remaining to decide the race.
Once through, Daniels instantly opened up some breathing space and secured the checkered flag with 0.644 seconds to spare. Morgen Mischler held off Max Whale to claim the final spot on the box. Trent Lowe rounded out the top five. Rush remounted to finish in 13th.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
27 Laps
2
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+0.644
3
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
+1.738
4
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+1.966
5
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+4.898
6
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+4.933
7
Jacob Lehmann
Honda CRF450R
+5.539
8
Aidan RoosEvans
Yamaha YZ450F
+6.415
9
Cameron Smith
Honda CRF450R
+6.567
10
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
+6.986
2020 Springfield Short Track – Main Event 2
All eyes were on polesitter Rush with the expectation that he might just take out his frustrations on the field in Main Event 2. However, any plans he held to make quick work of the competition were foiled when he was beaten off the line by heralded rookie Trevor Brunner.
Rush hounded Brunner for the opening handful of laps, but then the race took an unexpected shape. Once he’d settled in, Brunner slowly started edging away from Rush at the front.
From that point forward, the 2019 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award winner performed like a battle-hardened ten-year pro. Despite a tricky racetrack and an increasingly opaque visor, Brunner cleared off to claim his maiden AFT Singles victory with 1.354 seconds in hand.
After the youngster had asserted himself at the front, things got a bit more interesting behind him. Race favorite Rush not only fell off the pace of the leader, he also fell into the clutches of Wiles and Whale.
Wiles slashed his way up from fifth early to ultimately finish in second and may have actually had the speed to challenge Brunner if he’d gotten away more cleanly. After losing out to Wiles with 30 seconds remaining on the clock, Rush was displaced off the podium altogether at the race end by Aussie Whale. Main Event 1 winner Daniels came home one position behind teammate Rush in fifth.
As a result of his double runner-up evening, Wiles now boasts a 20-point advantage in the title fight with 108 points to Daniels’ and Whale’s 88.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Trevor Brunner
Honda CRF450R
27 Laps
2
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+1.354
3
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+2.404
4
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+2.712
5
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
+4.253
6
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+4.603
7
Jacob Lehmann
Honda CRF450R
+4.884
8
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
+8.058
9
Cole Zabala
Honda CRF450R
+8.113
10
Brandon Kitchen
KTM 450 SX-F
+8.629
AFT Singles Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Henry Wiles
108
2
Dallas Daniels
88
3
Max Whale
88
4
Brandon Kitchen
81
5
Michael Rush
74
6
Shayna Texter
61
7
Chad Cose
57
8
Trent Lowe
56
9
Trevor Brunner
50
10
Tanner Dean
47
11
Michael Inderbitzin
46
12
Morgen Mischler
43
13
Cole Zabala
42
14
Ryan Wells
41
15
Cameron Smith
40
16
Andrew Luker
32
17
James Ott
29
18
Kevin Stollings
28
19
Jacob Lehmann
24
20
Aidan RoosEvans
24
21
Jesse Janisch
21
22
Justin Jones
6
2020 MXGP of Italy
Racing concluded for round six of the FIM Motocross World Championship, with the MXGP of Italy the first of three events taking place at the Monte Coralli circuit in Faenza, where Jeffrey Herlings took the double MXGP win, with Jeremy Seewer adding two runner up positions to his tally and Tony Cairoli completing the podium across both races. Aussie Mitchell Evans went 9-7.
Herlings now leads the MXGP class by 60-points, from Cairoli and Gajser, with Mitchell Evans in 12th.
2020 MXGP of Italy Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Herlings, Jeffrey
NED
KTM
25
25
50
2
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
22
22
44
3
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
20
20
40
4
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
15
18
33
5
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
18
15
33
6
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
13
16
29
7
Coldenhoff, Glenn
NED
GAS
14
13
27
8
Evans, Mitchell
AUS
HON
12
14
26
9
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
16
10
26
10
Jasikonis, Arminas
LTU
HUS
11
12
23
11
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
9
8
17
12
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
10
5
15
13
Cervellin, Michele
ITA
YAM
8
6
14
14
Lupino, Alessandro
ITA
YAM
1
11
12
15
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
0
9
9
16
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
6
3
9
17
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
7
1
8
18
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
0
7
7
19
Monticelli, Ivo
ITA
GAS
2
4
6
20
Rauchenecker, Pascal
AUT
KTM
3
2
5
2020 MXGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
203
3
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
196
4
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
186
5
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
178
6
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
173
7
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
155
8
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
153
9
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
146
10
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
137
11
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
104
12
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
92
13
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
73
14
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
69
15
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
66
16
Monticelli, I.
ITA
GAS
56
17
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
55
18
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
51
19
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
48
20
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
45
2020 MXGP of Italy – MX2
In MX2 it was Maxime Renaux who came out on top, thanks to a 2-1 result, with Jago Geerts claiming the first MX2 win of the weekend but having to settle for third in Race 2, for second overall. Tom Vialle took third with a 4-2, while Australian Jed Beaton was consistent with two sixth place finishes.
Vialle now holds the MX2 lead by a narrow three-points, from Jago Geerts, with Renaux a distant third on 196-points, 58-points off second. Jet Beaton sits fourth overall, now 18-points off Renaux.
2020 MXGP of Italy MX2 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Race 1
Race 2
Total
1
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
22
25
47
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
25
20
45
3
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
18
22
40
4
Boisrame, Mathys
FRA
KAW
20
18
38
5
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
15
15
30
6
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
12
14
26
7
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
14
10
24
8
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
13
9
22
9
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
16
4
20
10
Guadagnini, Mattia
ITA
HUS
6
13
19
11
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
KTM
11
8
19
12
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
0
16
16
13
Laengenfelder, Simon
GER
GAS
9
5
14
14
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
0
12
12
15
Fernandez, Ruben
ESP
YAM
0
11
11
16
Sikyna, Richard
SVK
KTM
10
0
10
17
Cenerelli, Gianmarco
ITA
HUS
7
1
8
18
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
8
0
8
19
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
0
7
7
20
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
0
6
6
21
Renkens, Nathan
BEL
KTM
2
3
5
22
Crawford, Nathan
AUS
HON
5
0
5
2020 MX2 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
257
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
254
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
196
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
178
5
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
169
6
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
166
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
139
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
115
9
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
115
10
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
105
11
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
103
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
84
13
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
14
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
66
15
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
65
16
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
62
17
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
18
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
43
19
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
41
20
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
36
21
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
35
22
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
35
23
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
34
24
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
33
25
Roosiorg, H.
EST
KTM
33
26
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
27
2020 TrialGP World Championship – Isola 2000
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou comes away from France as leader of the World Championship after a Saturday victory and third place on Sunday, with this season to feature all trials as two-day events.
In the opening of the FIM TrialGP World Championship event, an error in the official timing of several sections led the race organisation to make the decision to cancel the first of the three laps. Thus, all scores were based on the times from the second and third laps.
Toni Bou produced a near-perfect trial, scoring a single penalty mark on the second lap and picking up just three on the third. The Repsol Honda Team rider was also penalised with two points for running short of time. The total tally of six points meant Toni Bou was the rider accruing the least number of points at the end of the first day of competition in France.
The second trial on Sunday, featured some modified sections and saw Toni Bou suffer throughout the event, with the current world champion experienced back pains which caused cramps in the rider’s right arm.
The Repsol Honda Team rider battled hard over the three-lap Isola 2000 course and was, in the end, able to salvage a result out of a tough day to finish on the third step of the podium. The weekend results mean that Toni is the TrialGP World Championship leader.
Next stop for the TrialGP World Championship will be in Pobladura de las Regueras, Spain, on September 12 and 13 with another two-day trial.
Toni Bou
“It was a very difficult day, continuing with yesterday’s physical discomfort and the pain in my back that caused cramp in my right arm. I was not happy for most of the day and it was quite hard. I think the balance of the weekend is positive considering the condition that I found myself in. It will be a very difficult championship for us as the trials are very close together. Even so, we will fight to be at our best for the next one.”
TrialGP of France Round 1 2020 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat
Team
Man.
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
6
2
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
11
3
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
14
4
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
TRRS
20
5
CASALES Jorge
SPA
Gas Gas Factory Team
Gas Gas
25
6
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
29
7
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
33
8
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Gas Gas
Gas Gas
34
9
DABILL James
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
36
10
PRICE Jack
GBR
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
52
11
PEACE Dan
GBR
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
55
12
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
Montesa
58
TrialGP of France Round 2 2020 Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Team
Points
1
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
33
2
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
40
3
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
41
4
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
Sherco Factory Team
46
5
CASALES Jorge
SPA
Gas Gas Factory Team
48
6
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Repsol Honda Team
53
7
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Gas Gas
55
8
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
59
9
PRICE Jack
GBR
Vertigo Factory Team
72
10
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
74
11
DABILL James
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
76
12
PEACE Dan
GBR
Sherco Factory Team
102
2020 TrialGP Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
BOU Toni
ESP
Montesa
35
2
BUSTO Jaime
ESP
Vertigo
34
3
RAGA SANS Adam
ESP
TRRS
33
4
FAJARDO Jeroni
ESP
Sherco
28
5
CASALES Jorge
ESP
Gas Gas
22
6
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Montesa
20
7
GELABERT ROURA Miquel
ESP
Gas Gas
17
8
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta
17
9
PRICE Jack
GBR
Vertigo
13
10
DABILL James
GBR
Beta
12
11
MARCELLI Gabriel
ESP
Montesa
10
12
PEACE Dan
GBR
Sherco
9
Brett Metcalfe dominates South Australian MX Championships
South Australia’s most decorated racer, Brett Metcalfe, went undefeated on his way to two South Australian Championships, culminating in overall victory over the August 29-30 weekend. While 2020 has been a strange year, Metcalfe has used this time to fully recover from years of injuries.
The Penrite Honda team have remained active throughout the year and continue to participate in as many races as possible, Metcalfe continued racing in Robe, South Australia over the weekend.
Brett Metcalfe
“Its been almost 20 years since I last competed in our state championship and to win 18 races from 18 starts and two championships this year in front of my kids is priceless, to share it with them has been really special. The last time I raced the championship I was just a kid so it’s really come full circle as my kids also raced the championship. Overall, it has been an amazing time for my family and I. I must admit this is the best I have felt in years. Most years, riders’ race with injuries and sometimes it hinders their results. I have used this year to fully recover from all of my injuries and I feel strong and fit. I love racing and my children both started racing this year. There is still a lot of state-based racing happening and I look forward to racing as often as I can. I still hope the nationals get up and going.”
Metcalfe’s presence has been well received and the graphics he raced with over the weekend to support the Children’s Hospital received rave reviews. Team owner, Yarrive Konsky appreciates everyone’s efforts and thanks the kids who took the time to draw the designs and Sam from SK Designs for donating his time and product, “This is something we will try and do every year, it was great to engage with our young fans” said Konsky.
SA Championships MX 1 Pro Final Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Brett METCALFE
315
2
Mitchell NORRIS
284
3
Daniel BANKS
242
4
Matt CLARKE
227
5
Jayden PILGRIM
217
6
Joshua TILBROOK
216
7
Thomas LARWOOD
213
8
Tylor THOMPSON
198
9
Daniel ALLEN
191
10
Siegah WARD
162
11
Warren CARROLL
82
12
Dave HEASMAN
22
SA Championships Veterans A – Final Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Brett METCALFE
315
2
Charlie HOLLIS
284
3
Anthony SLADE
246
4
Glynn HUMPHREYS
229
5
Shane CARPENTER
217
6
Paul MCLEAN
208
7
Andrew SWANSON
207
8
Daniel STRAMKOWSKI
141
9
Troy CRADDOCK
87
10
Luke SWEETMAN
73
11
Peter ROSSI
73
12
Dave HEASMAN
62
13
Scott BAKER
61
14
Warren CARROLL
32
15
Christopher Copley
0
Australian SX joins cancellation list for 2020
The continuing restrictions surrounding travel within Australia continue to play havoc with Motorcycling Australia’s attempts to successfully formulate a plan of action in regards to the running of the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships.
While M.A. still retains the hope of running the Australian Motocross Championship, this afternoon they conceded defeat and officially cancelled the 2020 Australian Supercross Championship. Organisers of the Australian Supercross Championship have now shifted their focus towards a bigger and better series for next year.
AUS SX Holdings Co-Founder and Director Adam Bailey expressed disappointment in the inability to run a series for 2020, however expects season 2021 to be one of the best championships that supercross in Australia has ever seen.
Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, mirrored Bailey’s disappointment, however is confident the right decision was made and is equally committed to ’21.
The Australian Supercross Championship has grown exponentially over the past five years, with fans, riders and brands alike from all over the world, interested in what the Southern Hemisphere has to offer. Series 2021 promises to be bigger and generate more interest than ever before following this year’s layoff.
Earlier today M.A. had also announced the cancellation of the 2020 Australian Speedway Senior and Junior Sidecar Championships which were scheduled to be held at Olympic Park, on November 6 and 7, this year, and that the 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship which was due to run on October 31, at Gillman Speedway, South Australia, will now be delayed until 2021.
Mildura Motorcycle Club in consultation with Motorcycling Australia made the tough decision to cancel both the 2020 Australian Speedway Senior and Junior Sidecar Championships, with Mildura Motorcycle Club President, Neale Hancock saying, “While we understand that speedway fans, and competitors will be disappointed, the Mildura Motorcycle Club in consultation with MA had to make the tough decision to cancel the 2020 Championships. I would like to thank our members who have put significant work into preparing for this championship. I would also like to thank, the riders, passengers, event sponsors, and fans for their patience during this global pandemic, and rest assured that we will come back bigger, better and stronger in 2021.”
The 2021 Australian Senior and Junior Sidecar Championships will now be held at Olympic Park, Mildura, on Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24, 2021. Qualifying along with the Australian Junior Championship will take place on Friday, April 23 with the Australian Senior Championship taking place on Saturday April 24.
FIM Oceania announced that the Speedway Riders Association of SA will host the 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship on April 17, at Gillman Speedway, a week prior to the 2021 Australian Speedway Sidecar Championships.
Speedway fans can also get excited when the 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Championships for solo riders is set to be held on January 30, at Gillman Speedway, in what will be an exciting start to the 2021 racing year and will be another FIM Oceania event not to be missed.
Swiss & German NIGHT of the JUMPs postponed to 2021
The NIGHT of the JUMPs team has announced after trying everything with local partners in both Switzerland and Germany, that the revised 2020 World Tour Championship which was scheduled to begin in Basel on September 5th, will now have to be postponed until 2021.
The 2020 Basel round of NIGHT of the JUMPs would have been the rescheduled start of the official Freestyle Motocross World Tour Championship, creating the opportunity for Switzerland to host the opening round of the World Championship series for the first time ever in NIGHT of the JUMPs 20 years of hosting the series.
The event has been postponed to potentially a much safer time, in September 25, 2021 which allows for the world to try and breathe and hope that the Corona Virus has declined in infection rates, and to allow for safer protocols to allow for live events to return in Switzerland.
NIGHT of the JUMPs were then planning to host the next two rounds of competition on German soil, which now have also been officially postponed. The Freestyle of Nations event scheduled for Cologne on October 10 has now been postponed and the new date will be officially released in the coming weeks. Cologne is held every two years inside the Lanxess Arena, alongside the huge Intermot motorcycle expo.
The final German round of competition for 2020 was to be held in Munich on November 1st, however this event has now been postponed to the new date of March 13th, 2021. Which could potentially become the first round of NIGHT of the JUMPs competition in Season 2021.
Baja TT do Pinhal to host opening round of FIM Bajas World Cup
Portugal will mark the return of the 2020 FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup when it hosts Baja TT do Pinhal on Saturday, September 12-13.
After the usual scrutineering and administration checks, 51 motorcycles, 15 quads and 63 SSVs registered for the two-day event will tackle around 328 competitive kilometres along rural tracks in the district of Castelo Branco in central Portugal.
After many months of inactivity, riders are relishing the prospect of hitting the tracks and rediscovering the thrill of racing on their bikes and quads or behind the wheel of their SSVs.
Following the routine checks on Saturday morning at the municipal swimming pool in Vila Velha de Rodão, the eight motorcycle riders, three Quads and three SSVs registered for the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup (provisional list) will tackle a course of 95 km. Two special stages totalling 232km will run on Sunday, September 13.
The nerve centre of the race is located in Vila Velha de Rodão, a small town on the banks of the Tagus River. Nearby is the famous “Portas de Rodão”, a rocky escarpment declared a Natural Monument of Portugal and the narrowest passage of the Tagus on its route through Portugal.
Polish rider Maciek Giemza (Husqvarna) is also entered in the Baja TT do Pinhal in the Junior category. His team-mate Adam Tomiczek (Husqvarna) – winner of the Hungarian Baja last year – will also face Sebastian Bühler (Hero), Mario Patrão (KTM), CS Santosh (Hero) and two female riders – Sara Garcia (Yamaha) and Rosa Romero Font (KTM).
Russian ace Artem Laguta was elated to bring his Polish winning combination on to the world stage after claiming his first FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory in Wroclaw on Friday.
The Grudziadz rider has been in red-hot form since the PGE Ekstraliga season launched in Poland. And he was delighted to reproduce that scoring in the opening round of SGP 2020.
He topped the Betard FIM Speedway Grand Prix round one podium ahead of local hero Maciej Janowski, Swedish charger Fredrik Lindgren and Great Britain star Tai Woffinden.
Laguta has regularly piled up the points in Poland, but hasn’t always transferred his high scoring on to the SGP stage. Asked what made the difference in Wroclaw, he said: “There is no special secret. My form has been very good since the Polish league started. The bike is very, very fast. The guys in the workshop do fantastic work. My tuner, Ryszard Kowalski helps with fantastic engines. Everything has been set up for me. We also had the possibility to use Anlas tyres as well. We have been testing them in the last couple of matches and have gained a little bit more knowledge. They are slightly different. They don’t guarantee success, but they help to get success if you can set the bike up correctly. That’s what happened today. The bike was very fast from the start. I made very good starts. We are working hard in the team to make sure everything with the bikes is at the top.”
Laguta, who powered to 14 race points from a possible 15 in the heats, added: “It’s about the whole combination. The tyres helped and the engines from Kowalski Racing, which have been very good for a long time. The communication within the team and with the tuner is very important. That has all been a success. The tyre adds another couple of percent. Not everybody on the Anlas tyres won the races. But if you’re smart and you have a little more knowledge, you can get a benefit.”
Laguta admits working on his mental approach in the winter also boosted his bid to transfer Ekstraliga form into the SGP series.
He said: “We have been working very hard on that. I was quite close a few times to winning the Grand Prix, but we were always missing something. The work I did on my physical performance in the winter and also on the mental side of things meant I was really focused. I would like to say thanks to my family for their support and the whole team – everyone who has been working on the bikes. One of our mechanics wasn’t allowed to be in the pits, but he was part of the success as well. The engine tuners at Ryszard Kowalski Racing – the whole crew – have been great. We know the GPs have only just started. We have to stay focused and work hard to finish with a good result. Now we have won, and hopefully we can do it again.”
After racing to second place in round one on Friday night, Magic completed a dream weekend in extraordinary style as he won the round-two final ahead of Wroclaw team mate Tai Woffinden, world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik and Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren.
The Olympic Stadium erupted to salute a rider who spent his youth on the terraces, before learning his craft on the famous track.
Janowski has spent all but two seasons of his career in Wroclaw colours and after watching his idols stand atop the Olympic Stadium podium, he lived that dream himself.
After charging into a six-point lead at the World Championship’s summit, Janowski said: “That was an amazing night. Thank you to my team. They have done amazing work today. It’s really hard to race on your home track, but I felt I had so much focus and I was ready and prepared for some hard racing. Thank you to all the fans!”
Janowski had speed to burn as he topped the heat scorechart on 13 points, before winning his semi-final ahead of Lindgren, Niels-Kristian Iversen and Wroclaw rider Max Fricke.
He then triumphed in the final showdown, seeing off a strong early challenge from Great Britain hero Woffinden, who also impressed on the Olympic Stadium circuit he has called home since 2013.
Woffinden won a jaw-dropping battle with Zmarzlik in semi-final two, with round-one winner Artem Laguta forced to settle for third ahead of wild card Gleb Chugunov, whose progression in eighth place on the heat scorechart ensured all four Wroclaw riders in the 16-man field reached the semi-final stages.
Janowski leads the standings going into rounds three and four in Gorzow on September 11 and 12 on 38 points. Laguta and Woffinden are second and third respectively, tied on 32.
Swedish star Freddie Lindgren holds fourth place on 30, with Zmarzlik fifth on 27 points. Leading Australian in the standings is Max Fricke on 12-points while Jason Doyle has eight-points.
FIM Speedway Grand Prix Points Standings
Maciej Janowski 38
Artem Laguta 32
Tai Woffinden 32
Fredrik Lindgren 30
Bartosz Zmarzlik 27
Leon Madsen 18
Gleb Chugunov 16
Emil Sayfutdinov 15
Niels-Kristian Iversen 14
Patryk Dudek 13
Martin Vaculik 12
Matej Zagar 12
Max Fricke 12
Mikkel Michelsen 11
Jason Doyle 8
Antonio Lindback 2
2020 Queensland Motocross Championship – Hervey Bay
After three rounds of the Sunshine State Series, Queenslanders turned their attention to the one and only round of the Queensland Motocross Championship which was held at the sandy and often challenging Hervey Bay track. It is one of the few sand based tracks on the east coast and always makes the riders work hard for their results.
Husqvarna’s Todd Waters rode both MX1 and MX2 categories and after narrowly missing out on taking the MX2 honours Waters did the business in MX1 and dominated all three motos to finish the day on top ahead of Lochie Latimer and Jai Walker.
MX1 Results
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
Todd WATERS
105
35
35
35
2
Lochie LATIMER
92
32
32
28
3
Jai WALKER
90
28
30
32
4
Joel EVANS
88
30
28
30
5
Kaleb BARHAM
78
26
26
26
6
Navrin GROTHUES
72
22
25
25
7
Ryan GAYLOR
71
25
22
24
8
Luke ZIELINSKI
69
23
24
22
9
Blake COBBIN
67
21
23
23
10
Cody O’LOAN
62
20
21
21
MX2
The Yamaha MX2 trio of Aaron Tanti, Jesse Dobson and Jay Wilson were up against Husqvarna’s Todd Waters as well as host of other up and coming hot shots. After the first two races, five points separated Tanti, Waters and Wilson – in that order. As the last race blasted off – the running order was Wilson, Waters and Tanti which would have seen a three way tie for the championship if they were to cross the finish line in that order. Just before the half way point, Tanti made a mistake and dropped to fourth place, leaving Wilson and Waters to fight it out with the gap around three to five seconds as they charged through lapped traffic. In the end, Wilson took the race win and with it the Queensland MX2 Championship over Waters by virtue of a better finish in the final race, despite both finishing on equal points. Tanti was third for the day but despite the fall in the last race, showed his sand riding skills have improved significantly. Dobson held down fourth while Japanese rider, Kota Toriyabe took sixth just behind Ricky Latimer.
MX2 Results
Pos
Competitor
Total
R1
R2
R3
1
Jay WILSON
97
30
32
35
2
Todd WATERS
97
35
30
32
3
Aaron TANTI
95
32
35
28
4
Jesse DOBSON
86
28
28
30
5
Ricky LATIMER
74
24
26
24
6
Kota TORIYABE
69
22
24
23
7
Jake KOWAL
68
23
23
22
8
Joel PHILLIPS
62
20
21
21
9
Luke REARDON
61
16
25
20
10
Zhane DUNLOP
61
21
22
18
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Rnd 3
Images by Jeff Kardas
The third round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured the season’s most competitive afternoon of racing thus far, with compelling battles for victory across both the 450 Class and 250 Class. Indiana’s Ironman Raceway serves as one of the most dynamic tracks on the championship schedule and it was no surprise to see the best riders in the world put their talents of full display at the Guaranteed Rate Ironman National.
Reigning three-time 450 Class Champion Eli Tomac found himself in unfamiliar territory coming into Indiana, sitting seventh in the championship standings and facing a 40-point deficit to leader Zach Osborne. As a result, Tomac and his Monster Energy Kawasaki squad entered the Ironman National looking to turn their season around, and they did just that. The Colorado native captured the 45th victory of his career, emphasized by an impressive Moto 2 win.
Over in the 250 Class, the intrigue of the early season title fight between GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis took another turn when Ferrandis’ dominant Moto 1 win was nullified by a first-turn crash in Moto 2 that left the point leader at the tail end of the field. While Martin was able to take full advantage of the opportunity and earn his second straight victory, Ferrandis was stellar in his recovery effort, salvaging both a runner-up finish and his points lead.
Up next the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will celebrate Labor Day weekend with its first-ever doubleheader from Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX, which will host the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2020 season. The Circle K RedBud I National will begin the holiday festivities on Friday, September 4. The second half of the doubleheader will take place on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, for the Circle K RedBud II National.
450
The opening 450 Class moto saw a pair of familiar rivals out front early as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin secured the MotoSport.com Holeshot just ahead of Tomac’s Kawasaki, with point leader Zach Osborne in third aboard his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing machine.
The top three asserted themselves at the front of the pack, while the rookies of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton gave pursuit to build a close fight amongst the top five. This group continued to trade momentum through the middle portion of the moto and at one point were collectively separated by just a handful of seconds. As the race wore on, the running order began to spread out, with Musquin and Tomac pulling away. Behind them, Osborne made a costly misjudgement trying to pass a lapped rider, resulting in contact that forced the point leader off his bike. That allowed both Cianciarulo and Sexton to get by, while Osborne continued in fifth. He then almost crashed again a short time later, which caused him to lose fifth to Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS rider Blake Baggett.
Musquin withstood one final push from Tomac to capture his first moto win since suffering a knee injury at this same track one year ago, taking the checkered flag by 2.2 seconds over the champ. Cianciarulo finished in third, just ahead of Sexton, while Baggett rounded out the top five. Osborne lost another position late to finish a season-worst seventh.
When the gate dropped on the second and deciding moto it was Osborne who prevailed to take the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Cianciarulo, while Tomac and Musquin gave chase right behind them. Musquin and Tomac battled for third briefly, but Tomac got the upper hand to secure the position. With a clear track Osborne looked to pull away, but Cianciarulo responded to the torrid pace of the opening laps.
With Tomac closing in from third Cianciarulo put the pressure on Osborne for the lead and successfully made the pass stick, leaving Osborne to fight with the reigning champion. Meanwhile, Musquin lost additional ground after getting passed by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia for fourth.
The top four maintained their positions throughout the middle of the moto, but with 10 minutes remaining this group had closed in on one another and were separated by just a couple seconds. As they encountered lapped traffic Osborne was slowed, which allowed both Tomac and Barcia to get around and drop the point leader off the podium. The lead trio still sat within less than two seconds of one another and Tomac went on the attack, successfully taking the lead away from his teammate. Barcia followed through into second, and then Osborne dropped Cianciarulo off the podium by moving up to third.
The closing stages of the moto turned into a compelling head-to-head battle between Tomac and Barcia, and while Barcia appeared to be faster in some areas of the track, Tomac excelled in different areas as well to keep the Yamaha at bay. In the end, Tomac charged to the finish line to take his first moto win of the season by 1.1 seconds over Barcia, while Osborne finished in a distant third.
By virtue of his 2-1 moto results Tomac was able to secure his 45th-career victory just one week after finishing a career-worst 16th overall. The win puts him in sole possession of fourth on the all-time wins list. Musquin finished in second (1-6), while Cianciarulo rounded out the overall podium in third (3-4). Osborne’s strong second moto helped him finish fifth overall (7-3).
“I just had a better feel . The track came to us all day. We had good starts in both motos and that pace was insane there in Moto 2,” explained Tomac. “I had pressure from Barcia for a while there and we were really pushing it at the end. He kept me honest, but I was able to keep it going and get us a win. We’ve got some good tracks for us coming up and hopefully we can keep putting work in to make up some ground in the championship.”
Osborne’s strong finish to the afternoon helped minimize the ground he lost in the championship standings. He now holds a 13-point lead over Musquin, while Barcia sits 26 points behind in third. Tomac vaulted from seventh to fourth, and now faces a 27-point deficit behind Osborne.
“The first moto was just really bad for me. I made some mistakes and it was just a mess, really,” said Osborne. “It was a disappointment, but we bounced back in the second moto. I didn’t have the pace to run up front with those guys, but still put in on the box and still have the red plate . We’ll look forward to RedBud.”
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Ironman Raceway – Crawfordsville, Indiana August 29, 2020 – 450 Class Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Motos
Bike
1
Eli Tomac
2 – 1
Kawasaki
2
Marvin Musquin
1 – 6
KTM
3
Adam Cianciarulo
3 – 4
Kawasaki
4
Justin Barcia
6 – 2
Yamaha
5
Zach Osborne
7 – 3
Husqvarna
6
Chase Sexton
4 – 5
Honda
7
Blake Baggett
5 – 7
KTM
8
Dean Wilson
8 – 8
Husqvarna
9
Broc Tickle
9 – 10
Yamaha
10
Christian Craig
11 – 12
Honda
11
Fredrik Noren
10 – 13
Suzuki
12
Henry Miller
12 – 14
KTM
13
John Short
13 – 16
Honda
14
Joey Savatgy
40 – 9
Suzuki
15
Benny Bloss
37 – 11
Husqvarna
16
Jake Masterpool
16 – 17
Husqvarna
17
Coty Schock
15 – 18
Honda
18
Max Anstie
14 – 37
Suzuki
19
Justin Bogle
34 – 15
KTM
20
Ben LaMay
17 – 38
KTM
21
Jeremy Smith
18 – 22
Honda
22
Tyler Bowers
38 – 19
Kawasaki
23
Grant Harlan
19 – 21
Honda
24
Justin Rodbell
21 – 20
Kawasaki
25
Jared Lesher
20 – 24
KTM
26
Tristan Lewis
26 – 23
Yamaha
27
Mcclellan Hile
22 – 28
KTM
28
Bryce Backaus
25 – 27
Yamaha
29
Scott Meshey
24 – 29
Husqvarna
30
Alex Ray
23 – 34
Kawasaki
31
Dalton Dyer
32 – 26
Kawasaki
32
Carson Tickle
27 – 31
Honda
33
Matthew Hubert
35 – 25
Honda
34
Adam Enticknap
33 – 30
Suzuki
35
Christopher Prebula
28 – 35
KTM
36
Tristan Lane
31 – 33
KTM
37
Luke Neese
30 – 36
Honda
38
Luke Renzland
39 – 39
Husqvarna
39
Chase Felong
29 – DNS
Husqvarna
40
Timothy Crosby
DNS – 32
Kawasaki
41
Jason Anderson
36 – DNS
Husqvarna
450 Class Points Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zach Osborne
122
2
Marvin Musquin
109
3
Justin Barcia
96
4
Eli Tomac
95
5
Adam Cianciarulo
89
6
Blake Baggett
81
7
Chase Sexton
78
8
Broc Tickle
71
9
Christian Craig
59
10
Dean Wilson
58
11
Jason Anderson
58
12
Max Anstie
54
13
Joey Savatgy
48
14
Fredrik Noren
37
15
Henry Miller
37
16
Cooper Webb
29
17
Jake Masterpool
28
18
Coty Schock
23
19
Benny Bloss
21
20
Justin Bogle
21
21
Justin Rodbell
19
22
Jeremy Smith
16
23
John Short
13
24
Tyler Bowers
11
25
Luke Renzland
11
26
Matthew Hubert
9
27
Chase Felong
8
28
Justin Hoeft
7
29
Ben LaMay
6
30
Jeffrey Walker
4
31
Jared Lesher
3
32
Cory Carsten
3
33
Grant Harlan
2
250
The first 250 Class moto saw point leader Dylan Ferrandis grab the MotoSport.com Holeshot aboard his Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing machine, just edging out Martin. With the clear track Ferrandis was able to sprint out to an early lead over his Honda counterpart, while the field jockeyed for position behind them. Ferrandis quickly built a multi-second advantage over Martin, who soon was forced to contend with Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Brandon Hartranft from third. Martin responded and soon asserted himself into the runner-up spot, while Hartranft solidified his hold of third.
Out front Ferrandis continued to add to his advantage and eventually opened up a margin of more than 20 seconds on the rest of the field. He went wire-to-wire to earn his third moto win of the season in dominant fashion, crossing the finish line 26 seconds over Martin, followed by Hartranft in third. GEICO Honda’s Jett Lawrence finished in fourth, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire completed the top five.
As the field emerged from the first turn to start Moto 2 it was Martin who surged to the head of the pack to secure the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper. Behind them Ferrandis was on the ground after an incident with his Star Yamaha teammate Shane McElrath, with the Frenchman finally returning to action in dead last.
With Ferrandis forced to battle his way through the field of 40 riders the window of opportunity opened for Martin to take advantage. The Honda rider was able to put some space between he and Cooper early on and continued to build that lead into a multi-second advantage, with Hartranft once again asserting himself in third. As Martin continued to lead the way out front, Ferrandis was making an impressive climb up the running order. He needed just one lap to break into the top 20, and continued to charge his way into the top 10 before the halfway point of the moto. The Frenchman’s determined comeback didn’t end there. He continually picked off riders, one-by-one, and eventually fought his way back into podium position.
Martin went unchallenged en route to his second moto win of the season, taking the checkered flag 5.7 seconds over Cooper, while Ferrandis made the most of a moto that started with him in the worst possible position by finishing third.
Martin’s Moto 2 triumph gave him 2-1 finishes for the afternoon, which was enough to put him atop the overall standings for the second week in a row, and the 16th time in his career. Ferrandis’ impressive performance helped him secure the runner-up spot (1-3), while Hartranft earned the first overall podium finish of his career in third (3-4).
“Last week was a special moment , but I didn’t win a moto. It made it more special to get a good start and ride my own race to get a moto win,” said Martin. “Dylan was on it today, but I knew I needed to get a good start and that would put me in a position to win. I know Dylan didn’t get the start he wanted , but my GEICO Honda was working really well in these conditions and I’m just happy to be back on top of the podium. It’s going to be a fun battle .”
By virtue of his damage control in the final moto Ferrandis maintained his hold of the point lead, losing just two points to Martin. The top two are now separated by four points.
“I just ride as fast as I can and pass the most riders I can. I have nothing to lose,” said Ferrandis. “I wish there was more laps, but it is what it is. It’s a disappointment to lose out on the second moto, but this is racing and sometimes things like that happen. We’ll just keep fighting and try again next week.”
Jett Lawrence took fifth overall for the round after carding 4-5 results while older brother Hunter was unhappy with his efforts after taking 16th overall on the back of a 15-14 scorecard.
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will celebrate Labor Day weekend with its first-ever doubleheader from Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX, which will host the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2020 season. The Circle K RedBud I National will begin the holiday festivities on Friday, September 4. The second half of the doubleheader will take place on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, for the Circle K RedBud II National.
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Ironman Raceway – Crawfordsville, Indiana August 29, 2020 – 250 Class Overall Results
Reigning Grand National Champion Briar Bauman added his name to the list of American Flat Track legends to win at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center with victory at Friday night’s Indy Mile I. And while it took Bauman nine seasons in American Flat Track’s premier class to finally claim his maiden Mile victory, it took just one day for him to earn a second. Bauman completed the Indianapolis double with a tactical ride to win Saturday night’s AFT SuperTwins Main Event at the Indy Mile II.
Indy Mile I – AFT SuperTwins
Bauman’s primary rival, Jared Mees, took the early advantage with teammate and brother Bronson Bauman right behind in third. But Briar Bauman broke up the impromptu Indian Wrecking Crew photo shoot when he seized control of the Main with a full nine minutes left on the clock.
Once through, Bauman who looked smooth and planted with everyone else seemingly teetering on the edge of control never looked back. Behind, Sammy Halbert not only chased down Mees and Bronson Bauman, he actually pulled clear of them in second. There simply was no catching the champ however, and Halbert was forced to accept a lonely second 2.203 seconds behind the winner.
Bronson Bauman appeared to line up Mees for a final-lap strike, but Mees countered, narrowly holding on for the final spot on the box by 0.021 seconds.
Briar Bauman’s triumph snapped Mees’ streak of Mile wins, which included all six on last year’s slate. Mees still holds a two-point advantage in the standings however, after opening the season with a double victory at the Volusia Half-Mile.
Brandon Price picked up the final spot in the top five. Jeffrey Carver Jr., Davis Fisher, Dalton Gauthier, and Robert Pearson completed the top ten.
Pos
Rider
Man/Bike
Gap
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
24 Laps
2
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+2.203
3
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+4.254
4
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+4.275
5
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+11.669
6
Bryan Smith
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+11.864
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+14.374
8
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
+15.617
9
Dalton Gauthier
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+15.898
10
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+16.82
Indy Mile II – AFT SuperTwins
Saturday’s rematch at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center took on a different shape, as Jared Mees was determined to prevent the reigning Grand National Champion from executing another early escape.
Lap after lap, Mees would dive back into the lead on corner entrance. Doing so not only kept Bauman corralled behind him, it also put him under threat with both Bryan Smith and Brandon Robinson running in close contention.
After taking and losing the lead on numerous occasions early, Bauman switched up tactics and spent the bulk of the second half of the race just waiting in third, leaving the Mile-proven virtuosos of Mees and Smith to exercise a well-known mutual rivalry.
After Mees had secured a solid lead ahead of a still-determined Smith, Bauman seized the opportunity to make the high line work to his advantage, powering past both to rip open a multiple bike-length lead. Mees did his best to respond on the final lap but couldn’t quite muster enough pace to reel Bauman back to within striking distance. Bauman took the checkered flag with 1.147 seconds in hand over Mees, while Smith earned Harley’s first Mile podium since the .
Briar Bauman
“It’s pretty crazy. Honestly, I had both Jared’s and Bryan’s posters on my wall when I was growing up. I watched them every chance I could. Getting to race with them is a little bit surreal… The racing was clean and fast and the track was gnarly. All-in-all, it’s a dream come true.”
Robinson lost touch with the leaders with around three minutes to go but had built up just enough space to hold off a charging Sammy Halbert for fourth. Bronson Bauman, Jeffrey Carver Jr., Brandon Price, Robert Pearson and Jarod Vanderkooi completed the top ten.
Bauman’s twin victories move him ahead of Mees in what’s promising to be a season-long heavyweight title fight, 90-87. Halbert is a distant third with 66 points to his credit.
Pos
Rider
Man/Bike
Gap
1
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
24 Laps
2
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
+1.147
3
Bryan Smith
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+2.003
4
Brandon Robinson
Indian FTR750
+4.968
5
Sammy Halbert
Indian FTR750
+5.406
6
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
+5.426
7
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
+6.939
8
Brandon Price
Indian FTR750
+7.14
9
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
+13.869
10
Jarod Vanderkooi
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+13.887
AFT SuperTwins Standings – Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
90
2
Jared Mees
87
3
Sammy Halbert
66
4
Bronson Bauman
55
5
Brandon Robinson
53
6
Brandon Price
52
7
Bryan Smith
45
8
Davis Fisher
43
9
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
36
10
Robert Pearson
35
Indy Mile I – AFT Singles
Second-year pro Brandon Kitchen outfoxed the most experienced riders in the AFT Singles class with a dramatic final-lap upset victory. Kitchen spent almost the entire race as a fairly anonymous member of the second pack, while veteran riders Henry Wiles and Mikey Rush did battle at the front.
Although Wiles and Rush held a solid advantage over the rest of the field for much of the race, they were joined late by the newest member of the RMR/American Honda family, Michael Inderbitzin.
Inderbitzen made it a three-rider affair with two minutes remaining on the clock and immediately started trading haymakers with Wiles and Rush. He dove into the lead entering Turn 1 on the final lap in hopes of taking the win in his first attempt on RMR machinery.
However, Kitchen reeled in the group just in time to grab the draft as the last lap got underway. He then somehow proceeded to leap from fourth place to first as the group slid into Turn 3 and then got a stellar launch off of Turn 4 as he raced to the checkered flag.
That exit proved just strong enough to hold off Wiles, who came up 0.019 seconds short of drafting back past at the stripe. Rush finished third, a scant 0.083 seconds off the winner himself. Inderbitzen came home fourth, another 0.041 seconds back. Former class champ Ryan Wells rounded out the top five.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Brandon Kitchen
Honda CRF450R
17 Laps
2
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
+0.019
3
Michael Rush
Yamaha YZ450F
+0.083
4
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
+0.124
5
Ryan Wells
KTM 450 SX-F
+1.496
6
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
+2.438
7
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
+2.474
8
Shayna Texter
KTM 450 SX-F
+7.456
9
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
+7.472
10
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
+7.696
Indy Mile II – AFT Singles
Henry Wiles earned his first victory since transitioning to the AFT Singles class following one of the most entertaining races in recent memory. As many as ten riders still held a shot at the win as the clock showed 0:00, setting up an epic final two laps to decide the race.
No matter how massive the pack, Wiles ran near the front throughout, swapping the lead on countless occasions with the previous night’s surprise winner, Brandon Kitchen, former teammate Cole Zabala and prodigy Dallas Daniels.
Long-time AFT Singles standouts Shayna Texter and Ryan Wells emerged late, both flashing the potential to steal the win away in the same fashion that Kitchen had the night before. But as the final lap played out, it became increasingly obvious the race would come down to a final straight shootout between Wiles and Zabala.
Wiles worked hard to open up a small advantage through Turns 1, 2 and 3 but appeared vulnerable after making a slight bobble while exiting 4. Zabala pulled right up behind Wiles and then swung out of his draft with the checkered flag in sight. While he managed to speed up alongside his opponent’s bike, he didn’t have quite enough steam to complete the winning maneuver.
Henry Wiles
“We had some guys up there in the mix in the Main Event we hadn’t really seen all day. Cole was riding the wheels off his bike. I’m really happy to see him up here on the podium. The guys at RMR and American Honda have been giving us a good effort, and it showed up tonight. Everybody had been saying I’m kind of a big boy and genetically at a disadvantage, but we got it done tonight. I’m really stoked that I could come through.”
Despite narrowly missing out on the win, Zabala’s eye-opening effort still qualifies as a breakthrough performance; it not only marked his first career AFT podium, but his first-ever top-five in the series. Texter finished third, with Daniels, Wells and Kitchen taking fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.
After an unfortunate mechanical, title hopeful Mikey Rush finished an uncharacteristic 15th. As a result, Wiles now leads Kitchen 68-65 with Texter jumping up to third with 58 points.
Australia’s Max Whale finished 11th but figures a strong fourth on the championship points table.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Henry Wiles
Honda CRF450R
17 Laps
2
Cole Zabala
Honda CRF450R
0.052
3
Shayna Texter
KTM 450 SX-F
0.418
4
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
0.496
5
Ryan Wells
KTM 450 SX-F
0.539
6
Brandon Kitchen
Honda CRF450R
0.958
7
Kevin Stollings
Honda CRF450R
0.964
8
Michael Inderbitzin
Honda CRF450R
1.202
9
Tanner Dean
Honda CRF450R
1.368
10
Andrew Luker
Yamaha YZ450F
2.18
11
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
2.238
AFT Singles Standings – Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Henry Wiles
68
2
Brandon Kitchen
65
3
Shayna Texter
58
4
Max Whale
56
5
Michael Rush
53
6
Chad Cose
50
7
Dallas Daniels
49
8
Ryan Wells
41
9
Tanner Dean
39
10
Trent Lowe
31
Indy Mile I – AFT Production Twins
After logging support-class podium finishes for years, Ben Lowe finally broke through to claim his maiden American Flat Track victory in Friday evening’s AFT Production Twins Main Event.
Lowe put himself at the front of a five-rider pack early and continued to press from there as that group slowly whittled down over the course of the ten-minute plus two-lap shootout. The Michigan native overhauled pre-race favorite Chad Cose in the race’s opening stages before falling into a back-and-forth tilt with Nick Armstrong.
Unfortunately, Armstrong’s hopes of securing his first win since standing atop the GNC2 podium at the 2015 Indy Mile ended in disappointment due to a mechanical issue with less than two minutes on the clock. Lowe’s career-first victory wasn’t assured quite yet, however, as a streaking James Rispoli was still on his case.
Rispoli, who was the fastest qualifier, was forced to use a provisional after his bike failed while leading his Semi. Despite starting dead last, the former roadracing superstar made up serious ground in a hurry with a brave exploitation of the high line on the opening lap, climbing from 17th to fourth in a matter of three corners.
After Cose slipped off the groove and dropped several bike lengths back, Rispoli spent the bulk of the race in third, sitting just inches behind the lead.
While Lowe worked up a late advantage, Rispoli made one final push on the final lap but came up 0.524 seconds short of taking his first dirt track win in over a decade. Cose rounded out the podium in third.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
17 Laps
2
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+0.524
3
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+3.68
4
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+7.115
5
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+8.309
6
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+16.802
7
Hayden Gillim
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+16.859
8
Michael Inderbitzin
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+16.977
9
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+22.504
10
Jacob Lehmann
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+23.175
Indy Mile II – AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli got a second chance to end his run of AFT Production Twins second-place finishes. He responded by winning by more than 12 seconds in an absolute show of force. “The Rocket” had been knocking on the door ever since returning to dirt track in 2019 after assembling a national championship-winning road racing career. He notched up four podiums a year ago, and opened his 2020 campaign with three consecutive runner-up finishes.
Rispoli established himself as the heavy favorite on Saturday night, topping both qualifying sessions and running away with his Semi. Despite the lofty expectations set by his pace, he was quickly swallowed up and shuffled back to fourth as the Main Event got underway.
The race was completely reset, however, following a Michael Inderbitzin crash. And this time around, Rispoli stole the holeshot and quickly erased any aspirations of victory his rivals might have entertained as he disappeared into the distance. Rispoli was consistently a full second per lap better than the rest of the field, ultimately taking the checkered flag with a massive 12.396-second margin of victory. The win was Rispoli’s first in American Flat Track competition in more than a decade.
James Rispoli
“I’m so stoked! I’m so fired up, I lost my voice on the cooldown lap. It’s been so long since I won… I’ve got to thank George Latus for putting the team together, ProBEAM, all the guys on the team for just getting through the grind, and Vance & Hines for giving us a rocketship. I don’t know if I’ve ever had this big of a lead in my entire career. That’s what we want to do — we want to stamp our authority. They say it’s hard but when everything is flowing it’s easy. I’m just pumped!”
The race for second was considerably less predictable with as many as six riders in contention for the position deep into the contest. Friday winner Ben Lowe and 2015 GNC2 Indy victor Nick Armstrong resumed last night’s intense scrap as they repeatedly went side-by-side angling for the spot.
At least they did until both riders found themselves outclassed by reigning class champion Cory Texter, who sailed past and then eked out a gap on the final lap to finish as the race’s runner-up. Armstrong held on for third to score his first AFT podium result since the aforementioned ‘15 Indy win. Chad Cose came home fourth, edging Lowe at the stripe by 0.019 seconds.
Texter’s late-race flurry helped minimise the championship damage, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Rispoli from taking a commanding lead of the early-season title fight. Rispoli now leads with 85 points to Texter’s 76 while Lowe sits third with 68.
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
James Rispoli
Harley-Davidson XG750R
18 Laps
2
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
+12.396
3
Nick Armstrong
Yamaha MT-07
+12.864
4
Chad Cose
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+13.879
5
Ben Lowe
Yamaha MT-07
+13.899
6
Danny Eslick
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+16.86
7
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+17.609
8
Hayden Gillim
Harley-Davidson XG750R
+22.629
9
Patrick Buchanan
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+25.744
10
Jeremiah Duffy
Kawasaki Ninja 650
+30.613
AFT Production Twins Standings – Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
James Rispoli
85
2
Cory Texter
76
3
Ben Lowe
68
4
Ryan Varnes
60
5
Danny Eslick
58
6
Jeremiah Duffy
42
7
Nick Armstrong
39
8
Cody Johncox
36
9
Chad Cose
32
10
Morgen Mischler
26
Round Two – Loretta Lynn’s Ranch
Rainy conditions defined the second of back-to-back visits to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch to open the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, resulting in a wild afternoon of racing at the MotoSport.com Loretta Lynn’s 2 National. Riders were presented with incredibly challenging track conditions, and as a result the action from the second round of the season was unpredictable across both classes. In the end it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne who prevailed with his second straight 450 Class victory, while GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin made his long awaited return to the top step of the podium in the 250 Class.
450 Report
The 450 Class was greeted with a muddy track and sunny skies for its first moto. As the field stormed out the start gate it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia who captured the MotoSport.com Holeshot and sprinted out to a comfortable lead early on. Behind him, JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Fredrik Noren settled into second, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Broc Tickle in third.
Barcia, one of the most savvy riders in the mud, continued to pull away from the field, soon establishing an insurmountable margin of more than 20 seconds within a matter of a few laps. Behind him the battle for position jockeyed between several riders. Noren crashed and lost several positions, leaving Tickle to battle Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and the Team Honda HRC duo of Chase Sexton and Christian Craig. A determined Tomac was able to sustain his forward progress and eventually made the pass on Tickle for second. Several laps later Tickle lost his hold of third to Craig.
As Barcia continued to ride in a class of his own out front, things behind them got interesting in the closing moments of the moto. Craig encountered misfortune and dropped out of podium contention, which appeared to all but ensure a runner-up finish for Tomac.
However, the reigning series champion’s bike lost pace in the closing laps and caused him to lose several positions before eventually coming to a stop on the final lap. Barcia took the win by 48 seconds over his teammate Tickle, who brought home a second-place finish, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo made a late charge to finish third. Noren followed in fourth, while Osborne rounded out the top five. Tomac ended up with a ninth-place finish.
The best track and weather conditions of the day highlighted the final 450 Class moto. When the gate dropped it was the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki of Max Anstie who charged to the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin. The Frenchman was able to get by the Brit for the lead, but Anstie responded to reclaim the top spot. Behind them, Tomac made contact with his teammate, Cianciarulo, and went down in the first turn, which forced him to start at the rear of the field. In his search for the overall win, Barcia began the moto in sixth, but later crashed and dropped deep in the running order.
The lead duo was able to build a gap over the rest of the field, with Anstie enjoying a multi-second advantage on Musquin. Cianciarulo gave chase from third, and positioned himself with an opportunity to claim the overall in doing so. As the race wore on, the intrigue of the moto ramped up as Osborne started to make a move to the front. The points leader was able to close in on Cianciarulo for third and make an aggressive pass for the position. From there, Osborne continued his charge and tracked down Musquin for second. After making the pass on the KTM rider, Osborne had Anstie within sight and dropped the hammer in pursuit of the lead. Anstie responded initially, but when a lapped rider crashed in front of him and briefly halted his momentum it opened the door for Osborne to get by and seize control of the moto.
As things changed dramatically at the front of the field, the same could be said for both Barcia and Tomac as well. Both riders encountered misfortune and were ultimately unable to finish the moto, ending their days on a sour note.
Despite some occasional smoke coming from the exhaust pipe of his Husqvarna, Osborne never wavered and was able to hold off a charge from Musquin on the final lap to take the moto win by 2.2 seconds to cap off one of the wildest days of his career. Anstie capitalized on his stellar start to bring home a first career moto podium in third.
Osborne’s win moved him to the top of the overall classification (5-1) for his second straight victory. Cianciarulo earned his first career 450 Class podium finish in second (3-5), while Musquin’s late push helped him round out the overall podium in third (8-2). After winning the first moto Barcia finished seventh overall (1-32), while Tomac carded the worst finish of his career in 16th (9-24).
“Man, what a day. To be the points leader and miss a practice like we did earlier in the day, it’s just crazy,” said Osborne, who needed to join the slower qualifying group after his bike failed to start in his scheduled session. “I couldn’t have done this without my team today. I know it’s cliche, but they did everything they could to keep me and my teammates out there with a shot to make things happen. I wasn’t necessarily looking to win, but stacking points was on my radar today. I had to fight hard and battle back to finish fifth in that first moto, and then we were able to come away with a win in moto two. I’m so grateful to be up here.”
Osborne extended his lead atop the 450 Class standings to 19 points over Musquin, who moved into second. Barcia now sits third, 29 points out of the lead, while Tomac dropped to seventh and sits 40 points behind Osborne.
Marvin Musquin – 8-2
“I’m pumped to be back on the podium for the second race, it’s been a while. The conditions were tough, so it was my goal to be up front battling and I was able to do that in the second moto. I would have liked to be more consistent in both motos but that’s racing, everybody was having issues and crashing. Also, you have to save the bike and my bike was running well today, I had no issues.”
450 Round Two Results
Pos
Rider
Motos
Bike
1
Zach Osborne
5 – 1
Husqvarna FC 450
2
Adam Cianciarulo
3 – 5
Kawasaki KX450
3
Marvin Musquin
8 – 2
KTM 450 SX-F
4
Broc Tickle
2 – 9
Yamaha YZ450F
5
Max Anstie
15 – 3
Suzuki Rm-z250
6
Christian Craig
10 – 6
Honda CRF450R
7
Justin Barcia
1 – 32
Yamaha YZ450F
8
Blake Baggett
14 – 8
KTM 450 SX-F
9
Jason Anderson
27 – 4
Husqvarna FC 450
10
Justin Rodbell
12 – 12
Kawasaki KX450
11
Fredrik Noren
4 – 35
Suzuki RM-Z450
12
Henry Miller
11 – 15
KTM 450 SX-F
13
Chase Sexton
6 – 20
Honda CRF450R
14
Joey Savatgy
34 – 7
Suzuki Rm-z250
15
Jake Masterpool
7 – 38
Husqvarna FC 450
16
Eli Tomac
9 – 24
Kawasaki KX450
17
Justin Bogle
22 – 10
KTM 450 SX-F
18
Dean Wilson
20 – 11
Husqvarna FC 450
19
Chase Felong
37 – 13
Husqvarna FC 450
20
Coty Schock
13 – 25
Honda CRF450R
21
Tyler Bowers
23 – 14
Kawasaki KX450
22
Justin Hoeft
17 – 18
Husqvarna FC 450
23
Jeremy Smith
29 – 16
Kawasaki KX450
24
Matthew Hubert
16 – 21
Kawasaki KX450
25
Jeffrey Walker
35 – 17
KTM 450 SX-F
26
Cory Carsten
18 – 22
Suzuki RM-Z450
27
Jared Lesher
28 – 19
KTM 450 SX-F
28
Luke Renzland
19 – 39
Husqvarna FC 450
29
Adam Enticknap
24 – 28
Suzuki RM-Z450
30
Christopher Prebula
31 – 23
KTM 450 SX-F
31
Tristan Lewis
26 – 29
Yamaha YZ450F
32
Alex Ray
32 – 26
Kawasaki KX450
33
Benny Bloss
21 – 37
Husqvarna FC 450
34
Carson Tickle
33 – 31
Honda CRF450R
35
Dalton Dyer
36 – 30
Kawasaki KX450
36
Tristan Lane
38 – 33
KTM 450 SX-F
37
Brandon Scharer
39 – 36
Yamaha YZ450F
38
Tj Albright
40 – 40
Husqvarna FC 450
39
Ben LaMay
25 – DNS
KTM 450 SX-F
40
Robbie Wageman
DNS – 27
Yamaha YZ450F
41
Scott Meshey
30 – DNS
Husqvarna FC 450
42
Carter Stephenson
DNS – 34
Yamaha YZ450F
450 Championship Points
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Zach Osborne
88
2
Marvin Musquin
69
3
Justin Barcia
59
4
Jason Anderson
58
5
Blake Baggett
51
6
Adam Cianciarulo
51
7
Eli Tomac
48
8
Broc Tickle
48
9
Max Anstie
47
10
Chase Sexton
44
11
Christian Craig
40
12
Joey Savatgy
36
13
Dean Wilson
32
14
Cooper Webb
29
15
Henry Miller
21
16
Jake Masterpool
19
17
Fredrik Noren
18
18
Justin Rodbell
18
19
Justin Bogle
15
20
Coty Schock
14
21
Jeremy Smith
13
22
Benny Bloss
11
23
Luke Renzland
11
24
Matthew Hubert
9
25
Tyler Bowers
9
26
Chase Felong
8
27
Justin Hoeft
7
28
Jeffrey Walker
4
29
Cory Carsten
3
30
Ben LaMay
2
31
Jared Lesher
2
250
A storm cell brought a surge of rain to the track just prior to the start of the first 250 Class moto, so riders took off at the drop of the gate unsure of what conditions they’d be facing. As the field rounded through the first two corners it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Shane McElrath who emerged with the MotoSport.com Holeshot just ahead of JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Alex Martin. The Suzuki rider was able to make the pass for the lead, but he hit a soft spot on the track shortly thereafter and went down. That allowed McElrath to reassume the lead, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire in second and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo in third.
After a near crash McElrath stalled his Yamaha while leading, which allowed McAdoo to take over the top spot with Hampshire in tow. Jeremy Martin then moved up to third, while Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis, the class point leader, slotted into fourth. Out front, Hampshire was able to take advantage of a wide line by McAdoo to move into the lead. Behind them, Ferrandis and Martin battled for third, with Ferrandis taking the spot.
The Frenchman continued his charge forward and was able to track down McAdoo to make the pass for second. He then set his sights on Hampshire for the lead, with the Husqvarna rider hindered after being forced to remove his goggles. As the race wore on, the track became more challenging and it ultimately forced Ferrandis to tip over. Soon after, the point leader got rid of his goggles and came into the pits for a new pair. With the clean goggles Ferrandis was able to put on a charge to catch Hampshire, and got within a few bike lengths of the lead with just two laps to go. However, Hampshire dug deep and withstood the challenge to take his first moto win of the season over Ferrandis by nearly 10 seconds. Martin followed in third, with McAdoo fourth and GEICO Honda rookie Carson Mumford in fifth.
Light rainfall greeted the 250 Class field for Moto 2 as well and when the gate dropped it was once again McElrath and Alex Martin racing to the MotoSport.com Holeshot, with McElrath sweeping the day’s accolades. Unfortunately for McElrath, his time out front was short lived as he bobbled in a corner and handed the lead to Martin, with his brother Jeremy following in second as McElrath dropped to third.
With such difficult track conditions the field quickly spread out, which allowed Alex Martin to establish a comfortable lead over his brother. From there the attention shifted towards the battle for the overall classification, as Ferrandis was mired outside the top 10 and Hampshire outside the top 20 to begin the moto. While the Martin brothers strengthened their hold of the top two positions on the track, McAdoo made the move around McElrath for third. Further back, both Ferrandis and Hampshire were putting on a charge through the running order, with both riders eventually finding their way into the top 10 after the halfway point of the moto.
While Alex Martin appeared to have the moto fully in hand, smoke and steam began to come out of Jeremy’s Honda, which forced the former champion into conservation mode. The same could be said for Ferrandis and Hampshire, who each experienced similar issues with their own motorcycles. Ferrandis was able to battle all the way up to fourth in the waning laps, while Hampshire got up to seventh before his bike stopped running.
Alex Martin stayed out of trouble and carried on to capture his first moto win for Joe Gibbs Racing by more than a minute, while Jeremy made it a Martin Brothers 1-2 in second. McElrath edged out Ferrandis for third.
The late drama weighed heavily on the battle for the overall win, with Jeremy Martin’s runner-up finish enough to put him atop the overall classification (3-2), a mere two points ahead of Ferrandis (2-4). Alex Martin’s moto win vaulted him to third overall (7-1), while opening moto winner Hampshire ended up sixth overall (1-18).
“Honestly, the track was gnarly. It rained again on the start line and I thought, ‘Oh boy here we go.’ Fortunately, it held off and I got a good start,” said Jeremy Martin, who captured his first win since the 2018 season when he suffered a major back injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2019 racing season. “The track was in good shape and we were able to make passes around people, which helped. That was a nail biter . My GEICO Honda was smoking, but thankfully the engine is bulletproof. I did all I could to save it and I’m just so relieved it made it . I didn’t expect to get my first win so soon, but we’re definitely going to celebrate.”
Ferrandis’ podium effort helped him retain his hold of the point lead, where he currently has a six-point advantage over Martin. Alex Martin moved into third, 19 points out of the lead.
After both qualifying in the top ten the Lawrence brothers ended up having a weekend to forget. Problems saw Hunter Lawrence finish in 40th two laps down in the opening moto and did not start the second bout. Younger brother Jett fared a little better but had his own dramas in the muddy conditions, carding 30-31 finishes. That means of course that neither added to their championship points tally. Jett had small tumbles in both motos which saw the radiator protection get damaged in both incidents which caused his machine to overheat in both instances.
250 Round Two Results
Pos
Rider
Motos
Bike
1
Jeremy Martin
3 – 2
Honda CRF250R
2
Dylan Ferrandis
2 – 4
Yamaha YZ250F
3
Alex Martin
7 – 1
Suzuki Rm-z250
4
Cameron McAdoo
4 – 5
Kawasaki KX250
5
Shane McElrath
8 – 3
Yamaha YZ250F
6
R.J. Hampshire
1 – 18
Husqvarna FC 250
7
Mitchell Harrison
6 – 10
Kawasaki KX250
8
Stilez Robertson
12 – 7
Husqvarna FC 250
9
Lance Kobusch
16 – 8
KTM 250 SX-F
10
Carson Mumford
5 – 20
Honda CRF250R
11
Justin Cooper
20 – 6
Yamaha YZ250F
12
Derek Drake
19 – 9
KTM 250 SX-F
13
Ezra Hastings
15 – 13
Husqvarna FC 250
14
Hardy Munoz
17 – 12
Husqvarna FC 250
15
Nick Gaines
11 – 19
Yamaha YZ250F
16
Pierce Brown
9 – 34
KTM 250 SX-F
17
Gared Steinke
10 – 29
Kawasaki KX250
18
Mason Gonzalez
21 – 11
Yamaha YZ250F
19
Austin Root
13 – 32
Husqvarna FC 250
20
Joey Crown
37 – 14
Yamaha YZ250F
21
Brandon Hartranft
14 – 33
KTM 250 SX-F
22
Zack Williams
DNS – 15
KTM 250 SX-F
23
Joshua Varize
35 – 16
KTM 250 SX-F
24
Maxwell Sanford
24 – 17
KTM 250 SX-F
25
Jo Shimoda
18 – 40
Honda CRF250R
26
Chase Lorenz
25 – 21
Honda CRF250R
27
Lane Shaw
23 – 23
KTM 250 SX-F
28
Vincent Luhovey
22 – 30
KTM 250 SX-F
29
Jake Pinhancos
26 – 27
KTM 250 SX-F
30
Kyle Greeson
28 – 26
KTM 250 SX-F
31
Brice Klippel
34 – 25
Honda CRF250R
32
Gerhard Matamoros
39 – 22
Yamaha YZ250F
33
Hayden Hefner
33 – 28
KTM 250 SX-F
34
Jett Lawrence
30 – 31
Honda CRF250R
35
Derek Kelley
29 – 36
Husqvarna FC 250
36
Colton Eigenmann
31 – 37
Suzuki Rm-z250
37
Chad Saultz
38 – 35
Yamaha YZ250F
38
Christopher Williams
DNS – 24
Suzuki Rm-z250
39
Jerry Robin
27 – DNS
Husqvarna FC 250
40
Gage Schehr
32 – DNS
Husqvarna FC 250
41
Brock Papi
36 – DNS
KTM 250 SX-F
42
Blake Ashley
DNS – 38
KTM 250 SX-F
43
Michael Lacore
DNS – 39
KTM 250 SX-F
44
Hunter Lawrence
40 – DNS
Honda CRF250R
250 Championship Points
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Dylan Ferrandis
90
2
Jeremy Martin
84
3
Alex Martin
71
4
R.J. Hampshire
70
5
Shane McElrath
69
6
Cameron McAdoo
61
7
Justin Cooper
40
8
Mitchell Harrison
38
9
Mason Gonzalez
32
10
Carson Mumford
32
11
Derek Drake
30
12
Jett Lawrence
29
13
Nick Gaines
28
14
Pierce Brown
27
15
Stilez Robertson
27
16
Brandon Hartranft
23
17
Lance Kobusch
18
18
Ezra Hastings
14
19
Jo Shimoda
13
20
Hardy Munoz
13
21
Gared Steinke
11
22
Austin Root
9
23
Hunter Lawrence
7
24
Darian Sanayei
7
25
Joey Crown
7
26
Jordan Bailey
6
27
Zack Williams
6
28
Dilan Schwartz
5
29
Jerry Robin
5
30
Joshua Varize
5
31
Maxwell Sanford
4
32
Mathias Jorgensen
3
WA MX – Hendley Park
Regan Duffy dominated the WA Motocross season opener at Byford on the weekend from Dean Porter. The teenager took a perfect three from three in MX1 and then did the same in MX2!
MX1 Results
Pos
Rider
Total
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
1
Regan Duffy
105
35
35
35
2
Dean Porter
90
30
32
28
3
Corben Weinert
83
25
26
32
4
Josh Adams
82
28
28
26
5
John Darroch
82
32
30
20
6
Charlie Creech
81
26
25
30
7
Cody Chittick
70
24
22
24
8
Stuey Wilmot
67
22
23
22
9
Evan Browne
65
23
21
21
10
Steven Pocock
58
20
20
18
11
Anthony Hicks
57
19
19
19
12
Brynn Cutts
52
17
18
17
13
Dylan Heard
49
–
24
25
14
Brendon Bayliss
49
18
17
14
15
Christian Sivlestro
48
16
16
16
16
Jye Cormack
45
15
15
15
17
Luke Few
44
21
–
23
18
Dane Cutts
38
12
13
13
19
Danny Mayes
37
14
11
12
20
Brock Nelson
37
13
14
10
21
Stefan Weiszbach
34
11
12
11
MX2 Results
Pos
Rider
Total
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
1
Regan Duffy
105
35
35
35
2
Josh Adams
94
32
32
30
3
Daniel Pajewski
90
30
28
32
4
Conan Forrester
83
25
30
28
5
Cody Chittick
79
28
25
26
6
Robert Lovett
71
22
26
23
7
Seth Manuel
69
26
19
24
8
Evan Browne
66
23
23
20
9
Sean Heard
65
21
22
22
10
Shane Murray
65
20
24
21
11
Brendon Bayliss
59
19
21
19
12
Tom Lilly
51
18
16
17
13
Revonn Nieuwoudt
49
24
–
25
14
Mitchell Killeen
49
15
18
16
15
Maverick Scott
48
16
20
12
16
Ben Cook
45
13
14
18
17
Kara Cats
43
17
15
11
18
Christian Sivlestro
42
14
13
15
19
Braydon Baynes
35
10
11
14
20
Jayden Mcferran
35
9
17
9
21
Shaun Snow
33
8
12
13
22
Brayden Hahn
32
12
10
10
23
Matthew Marson
21
6
8
7
24
Harrison Smith
20
11
9
–
25
Kayne Alexander
17
4
7
6
26
Taite Prime
14
–
6
8
27
Luke Reid
7
7
–
–
28
Reilly Frankhuizen
5
5
–
–
29
Ross Harron
3
3
–
–
Coolum MX Club – Round 2
Teenager James Beston got the best of Aaron Tanti in MX1 on the Sunshine Coast at the weekend.
MX1 Results
Pos
Rider
Overall
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
1
James Beston
105
35
35
35
2
Aaron Tanti
99
32
32
35
3
Brock Hutchins
96
32
32
32
4
Lochie Latimer
84
28
30
26
5
Kota Toriyabe
83
25
26
32
6
Ryan Gaylor
82
26
28
28
7
Andrew Gifford
70
24
23
23
8
Jai Walker
70
35
35
–
9
Cody O’Loan
69
20
24
25
10
Bailey Middleton
66
23
21
22
11
Joel Evans
60
30
–
30
12
Zhane Dunlop
49
–
25
24
13
Christopher Odorico
42
22
20
–
14
Corey Abood
41
19
22
–
15
Shane Blinksell
40
21
19
–
Northern Territory Mr MX Round 4
Pro Results
Pos
Rider
Overall
Race 1
Race 2
1
Jayden O’Connor
70
35
35
2
Ayden Bridgeford
67
32
35
3
Jake Colman
62
30
32
4
Jackson Hudson
62
32
30
5
Kenny Armstead
60
28
32
6
Jacob Farrell
58
28
30
7
Thomas Bennett
54
26
28
8
Luis Floeck
53
25
28
9
Leo Bell
50
25
25
10
Matthew Davis
49
23
26
11
Morgan Robertson
49
23
26
12
Daniel Pickering
49
24
25
13
Liam Walsh
35
35
–
14
Tristan Owen
30
30
–
15
Lleyton Mitchell
26
26
–
16
Joel Secondis
24
–
24
17
Sandro Da Silva
24
24
–
18
Matt Ellison
23
–
23
GNCC Racing Calendar Update
Snowshoe Mountain Resort, the location of the 10th round of the GNCC Racing Series, has notified the GNCC Racing Series that due to COVID19 concerns, it will not be able to host the Snowshoe GNCC scheduled for September 26/27. Accordingly, the September 26/27 GNCC Race has been moved to Millfield, Ohio for the Burr Oaks GNCC. This is the same location as the John Penton GNCC previously held on June 27/28.
Updated 2020 GNCC Calendar
Round #
Date
Location
Round 9
Sept. 12/13
Mountaineer, Beckley, WV
Round 10
Sept. 26/27
Burr Oaks, Millfield, OH
Round 11
Oct. 10/11
Mason-Dixon, Taylortown, PA
Round 12
Oct. 24/25
Ironman, Crawfordsville, IN
Round 13
Nov. 7/8
TBA
All events will be conducted in compliance with face covering guidelines as locally appropriate and required and social distancing when possible.
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) presented by MXstore, has made the decision to cancel Round 9 and 10 of the Championship which was to be held at Wynyard Tasmania on October 17 and 18.
Due to the recent announcement by the Tasmanian Government of state border restrictions and closure until December, unfortunately this has made the Tasmanian round impossible to go ahead.
AORC will continue to monitor State Government COVID-19 restrictions and their potential impacts this may have on the current remaining 2020 championship date.
Earlier rounds 5-6 at Murray Bridge, rounds 7-8 at Nowra, and rounds 9-10 at Omeo had already been cancelled.
KTM had also earlier released a statement that due to the complications of the pandemic they will not race AORC for the remainder of the year with their factory squad.
At this stage there is one final weekend scheduled for AORC on November 14 and 15 and the final venue is yet to be confirmed although is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
AORC with the Tasmanian Government remains committed to having the Championship Event in Tasmania and will look to explore this for the future.
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