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August 18, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 18, 2020

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The 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship finally got underway with a historic visit to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee’s legendary Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. The inaugural Circle K Loretta Lynn’s National became a highly anticipated affair as professionals took to the famed amateur motocross track for the first time, and the battle to see which rider would prevail in both the 450 Class and 250 Class lived up to the hype.

Eli Tomac’s Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F – Image Jeff Kardas

In the 450 Class all eyes were on Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, the reigning three-time series champion, to see if his quest for the four-peat would start with a triumphant outing. However, when the day was done it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne who stole the spotlight with an impressive winning ride in the second moto that vaulted him to the first overall victory of his 450 Class career.

Zach Osborne was triumphant at the AMA Pro Motocross season opener

The battle for the 250 Class victory was much more decisive as Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis proved the attention he’s received as a title favorite was well deserved. The Frenchman dominated both motos to complete a 1-1 sweep and establish a solid early lead in the championship standings.

Dylan Ferrandis dominated the 250 class – Image Jeff Kardas

Watch Loretta Lynn’s National Highlights

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2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Circle K Loretta Lynn’s National – Hurricane Mills, Tennessee

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (2-1)
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (1-6)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (7-2)
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (4-5)
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (3-7)
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (8-4)
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (5-8)
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (13-3)
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Suzuki (9-11)
Dean Wilson, Scotland, Husqvarna (12-9)

450 Class Championship Standings

Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 47
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 40
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 36
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 34
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 34
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 31
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 29
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 28
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Suzuki – 22
Dean Wilson, Scotland, Husqvarna – 21
Max Anstie, England, Suzuki – 21

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (1-1)
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (3-2)
Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (2-3)
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., Yamaha (4-4)
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki (5-5)
Jett Lawrence, Australia, Honda (6-7)
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (9-6)
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (10-8)
Mason Gonzales, Fort Walten Beach, Fla., Yamaha (8-12)
Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., KTM (16-10)
17. Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda (39-14)

250 Class Championship Standings

Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 50
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna – 42
Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 42
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., Yamaha – 36
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 32
Jett Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 29
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki – 27
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 24
Mason Gonzales, Fort Walten Beach, Fla., Yamaha – 22
Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., KTM – 16
Nick Gaines, Ringold, Ga., Yamaha – 16
Derek Drake, San Luis Obispo, Calif., KTM – 16
18. Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 7

Jett Lawrence recaps the weekend

Jett Lawrence scored 6-7 results on the weekend

MXGP

The MXGP of Kegums was the third and final of round Grand Prix races making up the Latvian triple-header in 2020, concluding in Kegums. Racing proved hard to predict, with Tim Gajser claiming the first MXGP race win, but unable to complete Race 2 due to an electric problem, ending his his weekend.

Jeffrey Herlings - Image by Juan Pablo Acevedo — Jeffrey Herlings – Image by Juan Pablo Acevedo

Jeffrey Herlings claimed the Race 2 win, which combined with this fourth place in Race 1, was enough to clinch the weekend, while extending his lead on Gajser in the standings. Aussie Mitchell Evans went 12-9 to collect 21-points for his championship tally, now sitting 12th overall.

Mitch Evans

“I had the goal to be better each moto this week so I’m happy to finish off with a top 10 finish in race two, which gave me 10th overall for the day. I felt a lot better today, and like I’ve said previously, the more bike time I get, the better I’ll do. Really happy with how it all went today, I felt a lot better on the CRF450RW and although I didn’t get the greatest of starts, my riding was spot on so I’m looking forward to getting in a bit more bike time in this break and then coming out swinging for the next rounds of the championship where I’ll be aiming for some top fives.”

In the MX2 class Tom Vialle and Jago Geerts had to battle it out for the win, with each taking a win and a second place. Tied on 47 points the round win was awarded to Jago Geerts, with Roan Van de Moosidjk third overall. Top Aussie in Race 1 was Nathan Crawford in ninth, with Jed Beaton 11th and Bailey Malkiewicz 16th. Race 2 saw Beaton up to sixth, with Malkiewicz 20th, while Crawford was unable to finish.

Jago Geerts and team celebrate the MX2 round win

Vialle retains his overall MX2 lead by eight-points from Geerts, with van de Moosdijk a distant third. Beaton is fifth, Crawford 15th, and Malkiewicz 25th.

Jed Beaton

“Today was another tough one. At the end of qualifying I had a pretty decent crash, but I was ok. It just set me back a bit as I’d just qualified in second place. I was ready for the races though and I had a decent start and then just washed the front end out on the opening lap, which set me back. I managed to get up to 11th but I was a little bit spent after that one due to the heat and having to ride as hard as I could all race. The second moto was a little bit better, but it was a struggle after being a little tired from putting all my effort into race one. We’ll put this week behind us and regroup ahead of the next GP and come out swinging at that one.”

For full results see – Herlings claims MXGP of Kegums victory | Beaton P7 | Evans P10 (link)

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MXGP Results

MXGP Round Overall

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Race 1	Race 2	Total
1	Herlings, Jeffrey	NED	KTM	18	25	43
2	Jasikonis, Arminas	LTU	HUS	22	20	42
3	Prado, Jorge	ESP	KTM	20	18	38
4	Cairoli, Antonio	ITA	KTM	12	22	34
5	Febvre, Romain	FRA	KAW	16	16	32
6	Coldenhoff, Glenn	NED	GAS	14	15	29
7	Paulin, Gautier	FRA	YAM	15	13	28
8	Gajser, Tim	SLO	HON	25	0	25
9	Van Horebeek, Jeremy	BEL	HON	11	11	22
10	Evans, Mitchell	AUS	HON	9	12	21
11	Desalle, Clement	BEL	KAW	13	8	21
12	Monticelli, Ivo	ITA	GAS	10	10	20
13	Seewer, Jeremy	SUI	YAM	0	14	14
14	Tonus, Arnaud	SUI	YAM	4	9	13
15	Jacobi, Henry	GER	YAM	7	6	13

MXGP Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Total
1	Herlings, J.	NED	KTM	213
2	Gajser, Tim	SLO	HON	167
3	Jasikonis, A.	LTU	HUS	163
4	Cairoli, A.	ITA	KTM	163
5	Coldenhoff, G.	NED	GAS	146
6	Seewer, Jeremy	SUI	YAM	134
7	Desalle, C.	BEL	KAW	131
8	Paulin, G.	FRA	YAM	129
9	Prado, Jorge	ESP	KTM	120
10	Febvre, Romain	FRA	KAW	104
11	Van Horebeek, J.	BEL	HON	95
12	Evans, M.	AUS	HON	66
13	Tonus, Arnaud	SUI	YAM	64
14	Cervellin, M.	ITA	YAM	59
15	Bogers, Brian	NED	KTM	51

MX2 Results

MX2 Round Overall

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Race 1	Race 2	Total
1	Geerts, Jago	BEL	YAM	22	25	47
2	Vialle, Tom	FRA	KTM	25	22	47
3	Van De Moosdijk, Roan	NED	KAW	18	20	38
4	Watson, Ben	GBR	YAM	20	16	36
5	Renaux, Maxime	FRA	YAM	15	18	33
6	Mewse, Conrad	GBR	KTM	16	14	30
7	Beaton, Jed	AUS	HUS	10	15	25
8	Fernandez, Ruben	ESP	YAM	11	13	24
9	Östlund, Alvin	SWE	HON	13	11	24
10	Boisrame, Mathys	FRA	KAW	6	12	18
11	Gilbert, Josh	GBR	HUS	7	10	17
12	Rubini, Stephen	FRA	HON	9	7	16
13	Forato, Alberto	ITA	HUS	14	0	14
14	Crawford, Nathan	AUS	HON	12	0	12
15	Haarup, Mikkel	DEN	KAW	0	9	9
16	Roosiorg, Hardi	EST	KTM	3	6	9
17	Pancar, Jan	SLO	KTM	4	5	9
18	Polak, Petr	CZE	YAM	0	8	8
19	Laengenfelder, Simon	GER	GAS	8	0	8
20	Malkiewicz, Bailey	AUS	HON	5	1	6
21	Teresak, Jakub	CZE	KTM	1	4	5
22	Nermann, Johannes	EST	HUS	0	3	3
23	Toriani, Enzo	FRA	HUS	0	2	2
24	Haavisto, Jere	FIN	YAM	2	0	2

MX2 Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Total
1	Vialle, Tom	FRA	KTM	217
2	Geerts, Jago	BEL	YAM	209
3	Van De Moosdijk, R.	NED	KAW	153
4	Renaux, Maxime	FRA	YAM	149
5	Beaton, Jed	AUS	HUS	148
6	Boisrame, M.	FRA	KAW	128
7	Watson, Ben	GBR	YAM	127
8	Haarup, Mikkel	DEN	KAW	101
9	Mewse, Conrad	GBR	KTM	95
10	Fernandez, R.	ESP	YAM	92
11	Olsen, T.	DEN	HUS	89
12	Östlund, Alvin	SWE	HON	77
13	Hofer, Rene	AUT	KTM	73
14	Forato, A.	ITA	HUS	66
15	Crawford, N.	AUS	HON	60
16	Laengenfelder, S.	GER	GAS	45
17	Gilbert, Josh	GBR	HUS	43
18	Genot, Cyril	BEL	YAM	39
19	Rubini, S.	FRA	HON	38
20	Vaessen, Bas	NED	KTM	35
21	Sydow, Jeremy	GER	GAS	35
22	Roosiorg, H.	EST	KTM	33
23	Sikyna, R.	SVK	KTM	26
24	Harrison, M.	USA	KAW	22
25	Malkiewicz, B.	AUS	HON	21
26	Guadagnini, M.	ITA	HUS	15
27	Polak, Petr	CZE	YAM	14
28	Pancar, Jan	SLO	KTM	11
29	Todd, Wilson	AUS	KAW	8

Rene Hofer recovering from surgery

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Rene Hofer has begun the first phases of recovery from a broken left shoulder sustained in a second moto crash at the recent Grand Prix of Riga in Latvia. The eighteen-year old MX2 racer underwent surgery in Austria and will now embark on a two-three month convalescence.

Hofer, who has already shone with top-five Grand Prix speed in his first full season with the factory KTM 250 SX-F in the MX2 class, crashed midway through the second race at the Kegums circuit last Wednesday for what was the fourth round of the 2020 FIM world championship. He was taken to the Medical Centre where a fractured left shoulder joint was diagnosed through x-ray and scans. Hofer then flew home directly for a reparatory operation to insert a plate and eight screws at the hospital in Wels and with a procedure successfully carried out by Dr Lang. The young Austrian will have the injury monitored as he bids to heal and soon return to the saddle.

Rene Hofer

“I got a kick into the jump and went flying, so I had to get rid of the bike in the air and felt a big impact when I landed. Once we knew the shoulder was broken we got transferred back to Austria. There was a lot of pain and not much sleep so I’m really glad it is fixed now. A big thanks to Dr Lang for his work and also for arranging the operation so fast. This really hurts in two ways: the injury of course but also because the season was just starting again and this is a big setback. I’m really sorry for the team and I’ll do my best to be back as soon as possible.”

Ricky Brabec claims Vegas To Reno win

Monster Energy Honda Team rider Ricky Brabec notched up a third win of the season, adding to victories in the Dakar and Sonora Rally, with a commanding performance at the Vegas to Reno race.

Ricky Brabec - 2020 Vegas to Reno — Ricky Brabec – 2020 Vegas to Reno

It took just less than eight hours aboard the Honda CRF450 Rally to complete the 514-mile trek (822 kilometres) through the Nevada desert to round off a hat trick of victories at the event (2014, 2017 and 2020). Ricky Brabec began from the Amargosa Valley in tenth starting position and, establishing a solid pace, was able to claw back time from his rivals.

Overtaking the front-runners often proved a tough task due to the huge rooster tails of dust being raised ahead. On a ride without any major setbacks, the Californian rider, once out in front, was able to complete almost the entire route in clean air, reached the Dayton finish-line in first place and stopping the clock on 7:59:45. The race runner-up posted a final time more than nineteen minutes adrift of Brabec.

Ricky Brabec

“I like to race here! It was another great event, well-organized and I am very happy to have achieved the victory on the rally bike. I started out in tenth place and went through the dust at high speed. Skyler Howes, last year’s winner, made me race hard! Unfortunately, he fell in front of me, but luckily he’s fine. Thank you to all who have supported me and who made this all go so well yesterday!”

2020 Vegas To Reno Results

Pos.	Rider	Man.	Time
1	Ricky Brabec	Honda	7:59:54.754
2	Nic Garvin	Honda	8:17:10.587
3	Nic Colangeli	KTM	8:19:01.556
4	Hayden Hintz/Trevor Hunter	KTM	8:20:17.110
5	Joseph Wasson/Zane Roberts	Beta	8:21:34.031
6	Danny Cooper	Husqvarna	8:38:55.003
7	Cole Canaster/Brody Honea	Beta	8:41:41.864
8	Jaxon Bogh/Corbin Eatherton/Camden Stiehl	Honda	8:45:37.898
9	Tayson Weeks/Corey Fletcher	KTM	8:47:00.057
10	Carl Maassberg/Clint Braun	Husqvarna	8:48:00.266

Yamaha Racing State by State Weekend Wrap

The past two weeks has seen plenty of on track action with around Australia with the Yamaha riders and teams enjoying being back at the track and in the thick of the action.
On track action has come thick and fast with events staged in Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia as well as Queensland in both motocross and off road.

Tasmania

Last weekend saw action pick up after a long break with round two of the Tasmanian Motocross Championship. The YJR team of Angus Pearce and Jay Jennings were again primed to get behind the gate and get back to doing what they love.

Jay Jennings had a good day, taking second in both the 10-12 years 65cc class and the 9-11 years 85cc class. Jennings was thereabouts all day and if nothing else proved extremely consistent but just couldn’t crack it for a race win no mater how hard he tried. Jennings now sits second on both classes after two rounds.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go so well for Angus Pearce. After dominating the first 85cc race, Pearce crashed in the first turn of his 125cc event and was airlifted from the track. Since then he has been in the care of doctors, but we are happy to say things are progressing well and he is on the road to recovery.

“Bittersweet day for the team down here with Jay riding well and finishing second but really sad to see Angus getting hurt and requiring to be hospitalised. Thankfully, things seem to be ok with him and he is recovering well but he has had a tough run with injuries the last 12 months so I hope he can come back fitter and faster when he is ready,” explains team manager, Brody Jennings.

Tasmania MX – Round 2

10-12 years 65cc
1st Cooper Ford – 105
2nd Jay Jennings – 96 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
3rd Luca Wright – 90

9-11 years 85cc
1st Cooper Ford – 105
2nd Jay Jennings – 96 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
3rd Jacob Brewer – 90

Championship standings After Round 2

10-12 years 65cc
1st Cooper Ford – 210
2nd Jay Jennings – 195 (Yamaha YZ65)
3rd Luca Wright – 172

9-11 years 85cc
1st Cooper Ford – 207
2nd Jay Jennings – 195 (Yamaha YZ85)
3rd Jacob Brewer – 171

South Australia

Wet conditions greeted the SA YJR team at their second round of the South Australian Motocross Championships at Murray Bridge. But with plenty of hard work from the riders and the families, both riders were rewarded with podium finishes in a strong performance.

New recruit, Ryder Woodrow walked on the podium twice, taking second in the 10-12 years 65cc with 4-1-2 results in the three motos contested and he claimed third on his YZ85 in the 9-11years division with 2-4-6 finishes. The mud made life hard on the young charger, but he was still able to post some good results and keep his championship aspirations alive.

Wil Carpenter also took a trip to the podium after he finished second in the 12-16 years 85cc class. Carpenter finished with 2-4-2 results in a very consistent day that has him well placed moving forward.

“Racing in the mud is always a challenge and we were kept on our toes all weekend turning bikes around and keeping everyone on track. But, we made it through with good results and everyone in one piece and now can look forward to the next round of the championship,” states Shane Metcalfe.

South Australian MX

10-12 years 65cc
1st Tom Bowering
2nd Ryder Woodrow (Yamaha Junior Racing)
3rd Jai Hay

9-11 years 85cc
1st Ollie Gear
2nd Tomi Doble
3rd Ryder Woodrow (Yamaha Junior Racing)

12-15 years 85cc
1st Thomas Lambert
2nd Wil Carpenter (Yamaha Junior Racing)
3rd Davey Gear

Western Australia

WA kicked off their 2020 season at one of the toughest tracks in the country and with the ugly weather in the lead up to the event, it made the Wanneroo circuit as tough and technical as it had been in some time. No easing it in in the WA sand, it was elbows deep from race one, but the WA YJR team were up for the fight.

Jake Turner sand blasted his way to a podium finish in the 13-15 years 125 and 250cc classes. Turner claimed second on his YZ125 with 2-4 results with the final race cancelled due to poor light and managed 4-4-2 results on his YZ250F to take third in a strong showing.

Teammate Jake Rumens suffered a hand injury in the closing stages of race one on his YZ85 and will be sidelined for some time. Rumens was leading the field only to get cross rutted and go down injuring his hand. He was unable to compete for the rest of the day.

“Jake Turner rode well and maybe the highlight of the day was his come from behind ride on the 250 after he fell on the opening lap. It was as good I have seen him ride and it showed just how fast he can go. For Jake Rumens, it was one of those things in racing where he had things under control, but a small mistake cost him dearly. But, he will be back as he is a fighter,” comments state mentor, Peter Strickland.

Western Australia MX – Round 1

13-15 years 125cc
1st Liam Atkinson
2nd Jake Turner (Yamaha Junior Racing)
3rd Brock Flynn

13-15 years 250cc
1st Liam Atkinson
2nd Brock Flynn
3rd Jake Turner (Yamaha Junior Racing)

Queensland

The fourth and final round of the Sunshine State Motocross series was held at the Echo Valley circuit in Toowoomba but heavy rain overnight and in the morning of day one caused organisers headaches. The rain made the track very difficult for the junior riders to get around on Saturday and as a result, the day was cancelled just after practice. With the weather predicted to clear, Sunday’s senior program went ahead as per normal, despite a heavy, muddy track.

AS a result of the cancelation on Saturday, Jake Cannon kept his 26 point lead of the 12-15 years 85cc class intact and was crowned the series winner. Cannon was disappointed with the event being stopped as Echo Valley is his favourite track but was happy to win the series after his consistent performances at the opening three rounds.

Sunday provided a track that gave the pro riders plenty to think about with its long ruts and tacky surface. The MX2 Pro field saw Yamaha stack the deck with Jay Wilson, Aaron Tanti, Jesse Dobson, Levi Rogers and Kota Toriyabe all on hand to battle it out.

Dobson took the round victory on a count back with Jay Wilson as his 3-3-1 results just got the better of Wilson’s 1-1-6 finishes. In third place was Tanti who finished with 6-2-2 moto scores. These three were a class above the rest of the field and provided some closing racing with each rider making mistakes due to the intensity of racing.

Rogers finished with 5-DNF-7 results and continues to develop his riding as he mixes it with the best MX2 pros in Australia. Toriyabe was again consistent and finished in seventh for the day.

But it was Jay Wilson who took the series win by a comfortable 29 point margin.

“First of all, I think its important that on behalf of all the riders, we acknowledge the effort that Anne Polsoni and the MQ team have put in to hold these races. We are very fortunate to live in Queensland and get to do what we have done over the past few weeks and return to racing. They have done an amazing job of hosting three good events in trying conditions and we thank them for all the time and energy they have put into it,” Wilson said.

Queensland also hosted a round of the QORC (Queensland Off Road Championships) on the weekend and it was a familiar name at the top of the time sheets in the junior 65cc division. In fact, you aren’t seeing double vision, there are two of them, as Haley and Drake Hutton took a family and Yamaha 1-2 after a tough day on what mean of the seniors felt was a hard course.

The name Hutton isn’t uncommon with state off road championships with father, Kirk having countless wins during his career, but he was a proud Dad on hand to watch his boys follow in Dad’s footsteps.

“Its awesome to see my two sons loving the sport that gave me so much satisfaction during my career,” comments King Kirk. “Of course because I’m Dad, they don’t listen to a word I say but lucky they are both determined and dedicated kids who just love riding and that’s fine by me.”

Queensland – Sunshine State Series Round 4

MX2 Pro
1st Jesse Dobson -95 (Serco Yamaha)
2nd Jay Wilson – 95 (Yamalube Yamaha Racing)
3rd Aaron Tanti – 87 (Serco Yamaha)

Final Series Standings MX2 Pro
1st Jay Wilson – 407 (Yamaha YZ250F)
2nd Aaron Tanti – 378 (Yamaha YZ250F)
3rd Noah Ferguson – 369

12-15 years 85cc
1st Jake Cannon – 264 (Yamaha YZ85)
2nd Riley Fitzpatrick – 238
3rd Jayden Binger – 223

Source: MCNews.com.au

News

KTM withdraw from Aussie off-road racing for remainder of 2020

August 4, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Note: This statement pertains to KTM involvement in AORC, as that is the only in-house racing effort currently run by KTM Australia. Thus KTM supported private teams will likely still take part in motocross competition.

KTM Statement

In response to the ongoing Government imposed restrictions on travel and border closures, the KTM Group has made the difficult decision to forego participating at a Factory level in any Australian national off-road races for the remainder of 2020.

“With daily changes related to travel restrictions, whether or not racing can resume in 2020 is beyond all of our control, with the only certainty being COVID-19 does not abide by any schedule,” states Brad Hagi, Managing Director of the KTM Group Australia and New Zealand.

“This decision has not been made lightly and we would like to thank our outstanding riders, mechanics and dedicated sponsors for their support during these challenging times and look forward to what 2021 and beyond can offer.”

The KTM Group will refocus for the remainder of the year on the dealership network and riders through state-based activities, while looking forward with optimism for the 2021 racing season.

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto Weekly | SX likely cancelled | MX Nats setting up for late spring start

August 4, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 4, 2020

Aussie Supercross in doubt
MX Nationals to start in late Spring

High level discussions are taking place this week to decide the fate of the 2020 Australian Supercross Championship amidst the current travel restrictions put in place by various states to try and counter the COVID-19 pandemic.

MCNews.com.au believe that it is highly likely that no Supercross Championship will take place this year, and that an Australian Motocross Championship will be scheduled to run over some of the months that Supercross would normally take place.

There could be as few as three double-header events that will make up the 2020 Australian Motocross Championship and at this stage the gates are unlikely to drop for round one until late October or possibly even into November.

Motorcycling Australia this week have already added the 2020 Australian Junior Track Championship, Australian Classic and Post Classic Dirt Track Championships, and the 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships to the list of cancelled events. The Australian Junior MX Championships have now suffered the same fate and have been officially cancelled.

AORC Events Calendar Update

The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) presented by MXStore has made the decision to cancel Round 7 and 8 of the Championship which was to be held at Omeo, Victoria on September 19 and 20.

KTM have also 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.

2020 Yamaha AORC Presented by MXstore Calendar

Round 9 & 10: Wynyard, TAS 17 – 18 Oct 2020
Round 11 & 12, Venue TBC 14 – 15 Nov 2020

Will Ruprecht tastes victory in Italy

Australian Will Ruprecht won both days against a well stacked field of top-level competitors racing in the Italian Enduro Championship in what were hot and dusty conditions at Carsoli on the weekend.

The 21-year-old from Taree got the better of fellow Beta rider and reigning champ Steve Holcombe to take victory on his Beta Boano Racing Beta RR300.

Riders contesting the Carsoli Enduro included the likes of Davidea Guarnoni, Alex Salvini, Dan McCanney, Thomas Oldrati, Matteo Cavallo, Brad Freeman and Loic Larrieu.

Ruprecht had not contested the opening two rounds of the series but his perfect scores on the weekend rank him in sixth place in the Italian Enduro Championship points standings and the highest ranked two-stroke rider.

MXGP stars have final hit-out in the sand of Axel ahead of MXGP getting underway again

The sand of Axel – on the Dutch/Belgian border – provided a suitable training exercise for many MXGP competitors ahead of the Grand Prix of Latvia at the similarly surfaced Kegums circuit; round three of the long-delayed 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Jeffrey Herlings won the opening moto convincingly but the KTM man was caught up in a first turn crash in the second outing. The Dutchman and MXGP standings leader flew back through the field to 5th position, going 1-5 on the day and for 2nd place overall.

Jeffrey Herlings

“Today was a good day. I holeshotted the first moto before it was red-flagged and then did the same again and dominated. It was pretty-easy going. I started well in the second moto but a bunch of guys crashed and I ended up with my front wheel stuck between the rear wheel and the fender of another bike. So, it took some time to get free and start again. I was last but worked my way up to the front-runners. I just ran out of time. It was decent practice and beneficial day. I enjoyed it. Now we’re looking forward to Latvia.”

Romain Febvre was runner up in the opening moto but the Frenchman won the second to celebrate his first overall victory since joining KRT last winter and was credited with the overall win.

Romain Febvre

“It was another good weekend for us; the goal again this weekend was to prepare for the GPs with more starts. Two races, four starts, two holeshots and twice second, so that’s really positive. Here at Axel my feeling was not so good in the first race but better in the second; a win is always a good result but I feel that I can still improve and we’ll continue to work this week before the three GPs in Latvia.”

Glenn Coldenhoff didn’t quite manage to back up his recent success at Arnhem. The GasGas rider was sixth place for much of the opening moto, the Dutchman took his time before disposing of Benoit Paturel with two laps to go. Coldenhoff then went on to make a last-lap pass on team-mate Ivo Monticelli for fourth place when the Italian became held up by a lapped rider. Coldenhoff went on to claim a great start in race two, rounding the first corner in third place before shadowing early race leader Romain Febvre well into the second half of the race. The 29-year-old then unfortunately clashed with a lapped rider while setting up a pass for the lead and fell. Remounting quickly, Glenn crossed the finish line in fourth place, enough to secure the final step of the overall podium.

Glenn Coldenhoff

“Overall, I’m happy with today. Qualifying was really close with everyone and I qualified fifth so that was ok. I felt great ahead of the first race, taking the holeshot but then the race was red flagged. On the restart my start was not so good, around 10th place. I was quickly up to sixth, however the track was quite smooth and one lined, so it was hard to make passes. I knew my fitness was good so I passed Benoit Paturel with two laps to go, then Monticelli got caught up with a back marker so I passed him and finished fourth. Race two I had another good start in third place. I moved into second place quickly and stayed there for most of the race. I was setting up the pass for the lead when I came together with a lapped rider. I dropped back to fourth and took a couple of laps to find my rhythm again. When I did I closed in on third place but by then the race was over. I’m really happy with my MC 450F, we made some small suspension changes for today and they worked, my speed and fitness are good so I’m really looking forward to next weekend in Latvia.”

Riders are now heading for three consecutive one-day MXGP World Championship rounds at Kegums in Latvia; the first will take place on Sunday 9th August, the second on Wednesday 12th and the third on Sunday 16th. Herlings currently leads the MXGP World Championship by nine-points over Honda’s Tim Gajser.

Axel International MXGP Overall

Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki 47 points
Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM 41
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), GasGas 36
Jeremy Seewer (SUI), Yamaha 35
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU), Husqvarna 34

Axel International MX2 Overall

Jago Geerts (BEL), Yamaha 50 points
Roan VD Moosdijk (NED), Kawasaki 44
Mathys Boisrame (FRA), Kawasaki 40
Rene Hofer (AUT) Red Bull KTM 34
Mikkel Haarup (DEN), Kawasaki 34

Dirty Video Of The Week

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Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto Weekly | MXGP returns in Latvia | Forkner injuries severe

July 7, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
July 7, 2020

MXGP to return with Latvian triple header

An updated 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar has been issued with a much-anticipated return to racing following a four month break due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The common goal has remained to preserve the maximum number of events in order to make a credible Championship, supporting all the stakeholders with the aim of saving the jobs of everyone in our sport.

Now even if the situation has not yet become completely clear with regards to COVID-19 MXGP starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and with the calendar announced MXGP will concentrate a very intense championships into three months for all classes.

The season will resume with a triple race in Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia, Riga and Kegums, with the first event scheduled on the 8-9 of August, followed by a mid-week special on the 11-12 of August, and the final Latvian stop concluding on the 15-16 of August. The Latvian circuit will undergo changes for each event, providing the riders with three completely different racetracks. As it stands, in Latvia there will be a total of 1,000 spectators permitted, with a promise that if the situation improves, numbers will be increased.

The updated calendar will unfortunately see the cancellation of the MXGP of Czech Republic, the MXGP of Sweden and MXGP of Finland from the 2020 MXGP calendar with all being postponed to 2021.

The MXGP of Germany, previously as TBA, as well as the MXGP of Indonesia and Asia scheduled to be held in November have been also postponed to 2021 while the MXGP of Emilia Romagna changed the venue hosting a double-race in Faenza – MXGP of Italy and MXGP of Emilia Romagna – and an additional race in Mantova for the MXGP of Lombardia have been included together with a triple race in Lommel, Belgium as the Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders, MXGP of Limburg and MXGP of Lommel.

The 2020 MXGP Calendar then foresees the MXGP of Trentino scheduled at a later date and the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina as penultimate and final event respectively. The MXGP of Russia and the MXGP of Portugal are part of the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar as TBC for the moment depending on the ongoing national conditions.

Unfortunately, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France has been postponed to 2023 due to the high restrictions for COVID-19 which forbid mass public gatherings in France. Infront Moto Racing are now working with Steve Dixon to bring the 2020 Monster Energy FIM MXoN to Matterley Basin (UK); the event, which is nearly three months away will conform to the outdoor event guidance regulations.

From September onwards, at almost every event spectator number limits will be in place, but organisers hope that by then the situation will be much better, and they will be able to welcome larger crowds. Every country has different protocols concerning the COVID-19 restrictions, therefore prior to each event we will inform all the stakeholders, media and fans concerning the specific restrictions they will need to follow.

With many events running consecutively one after the other, in order to provide the riders with a better recovery period, the MXGP and MX2 race action will be concentrated into one day, with free/timed practice taking place in the morning and the main races starting from 1200 into the afternoon. Whereas the day before each event the European Championship and/or the Women’s World Championship will be run.

At the Monster Energy FIM MXoN the participants will take points for the MXGP and MX2 World Championships, Infront Moto Racing and FIM are working on the regulations keeping in mind the format, the principle and the soul of the MXoN to be maintained.

As always, fans will be able to follow all the race action of each MXGP, MX2, European and Women’s Championship race on the MXGP-TV.com.

MXGP Points Standings

Herlings, J.NED KTM 94
Gajser, Tim SLO HON 85
Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 68
Desalle, C. BEL KAW 60
Paulin, G. FRA YAM 58
Coldenhoff, G. NED GAS 56
Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 53
Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 47
Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 42
Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 39
Evans, M. AUS HON 34
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 31
Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 26
Jacobi, Henry GER YAM 23
Bogers, Brian NED KTM 23

Team HRC ready to start their engines in MXGP

After a break of what will be five months by the time of the next gate drop, Team HRC are set to resume the MXGP season on August 9th at the Latvian track in Kegums, an hour south of Riga. In what is a much-changed calendar from the before the COVID-19 outbreak, this new schedule looks set to include multiple rounds at the same venue, midweek races, and an all-new one-day format.

This is a major step forward for a campaign where reigning world champion Tim Gajser was on the podium at the only two rounds held so far. With two moto wins out of the four races, the Honda CRF450RW rider was in a strong position before the postponement of the season and he’ll be looking to come back where he left off in Kegums, for what is scheduled to be three races in seven days.

Tim Gajser

“I was really surprised to see the new calendar, especially to do three races in Kegums and also three races in Lommel, in the deep sand. It is how it is though, so I know I need to work hard in the deep sand between now and then and try to get as ready as possible. I’m just looking forward to going racing again after such a long break. I miss the races, the weekends at the race tracks so I’m excited to get back to it. I’m not sure how this one-day format will work completely but it will mean that track time is much more critical and we need to be ready to work on bike setup quickly and efficiently. Thankfully I know I have a really good team around me so I’m confident we can cope. Really though, I am just happy that they have released a calendar and we are going racing in one month’s time.”

For his Aussie team-mate Mitch Evans, this break has allowed him to recover from the shoulder injury which he sustained in Valkenswaard at round two, and with a further five weeks until the first moto, he’ll be hoping show the speed that saw him finish third in the first moto of the year in Great Britain.

Mitch Evans

“I’m happy to see the new calendar come out. It looks like it should go ahead finally, at least I’m optimistic that it should be getting back racing soon. The one-day format will be a new thing for the MXGPs, but for me it is just like racing in Australia where we have practice and qualifying in the morning and then two motos in the afternoon, so I should feel at home with it. At the moment, with my injury, I’ve had one day back on the bike and I did some flat-track riding. I’ll do this for the first month and then see the surgeon at the end of July and then hopefully get the all-clear to start racing after that. Obviously, it’ll mean I’ll only having one week to really get ready on a normal track, to see how my shoulder feels before we go racing in Latvia, so I’m not sure if I’ll be 100% by then, as we’ll have to see how the shoulder keeps progressing. Hopefully it holds up well and feels good when I’m riding and then we’ll make a decision before that weekend. I’ve never had an injury like this, with this much time off the bike so it’s been tough. I’m really happy to be back on the bike though and getting back into normal training and with an exact date in mind, to build towards and see the rest of Team HRC, the fans and the MXGP paddock again.”

Austin Forkner injury update

Austin Forkner had a major crash in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross finale at Salt Lake City and this week revelead just how series his injuries were. The 21-year-old Missouri native had to have his spleen removed and also lost a third of his pancreas along with numerous other injuries to internal organs, including major bruising to his liver and kidneys. Forkner said it was by far the most painful thing he has have ever experienced and that the fist five or six days I was in hospital were horrible. He opens up about the injuries in this social media post.

Jesse Dobson joins Serco Yamaha

Only days after Jesse Dobson was officially released from his contract with RecoveR8 KTM the talented 23-year-old Queenslander has confirmed he will race under the Serco Yamaha banner for the remainder of the 2020 season, competing at the Australian Motocross Championships on the teams’ YZ250F in the MX2 division Dobson will join current Serco Yamaha Team member Aaron Tanti to form a strong team for the 2020 racing season.

Jesse Dobson

“2020 has been a crazy year already but I’m glad to have found a home for the remainder of the year. I have test rode the bikes and met everyone in the team and racing can’t happen fast enough for me as I’m desperate to fly the Serco Yamaha flag and be surrounded by a great race team. This year I hit the reset button a little on my career and knew I had to change a few things to reignite my racing. This lead me back to the MX2 class and now to Serco Yamaha and I have a really positive vibe about it all and look forward to being apart of such a successful and long established team.”

Dobson comes into the Serco Yamaha fold to cover the loss of Dylan Walsh. The logistics of running a New Zealand based rider during a season interrupted by Covid-19 proved too much and both parties agreed to move on and explore other avenues.

“First of all, I would like to thank Dylan (Walsh) for his efforts during the start of the year and racing the New Zealand Motocross Championships with our support. When the Covid lock down came and international travel proved difficult, we acknowledged that it would be difficult to continue and Dylan has since left to explore options in the US,” explains Serco Yamaha owner, Gavin Eales. “We then assembled a bit of a list of the available riders and Jesse Dobson was the stand out. He has great speed and experience, is Queensland based and very determined to get his career back on track. Our initial test with him proved successful so now we are full steam ahead with him and hoping to get some local racing under our belts before the Australian Motocross Championship kicks off in the coming months.”

2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships
Entries Open

Entries are now open for the 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships to be held at Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia, on September 26 and 27, 2020.

The Championships will be run by the Keyneton Motorcycle Club and held at Mungeree Homestead, “Hogan Family Property”, Survey Road, Bangor, Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.

The 2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships will offer competition in all classes and returning in 2020 is the Mini Trial, a support class on a shortened course of 10 sections, with 3 laps each day – for all riders aged 4 to 9-years-old on mini wheeled bikes.

Camping is available to competitors and officials at the venue from 8am Thursday 24th to Monday 28th September. Please contact Tyler Hogan on 0429 665 240. Showers available with a gold coin donation.

COVID-19 requirements and restrictions will be in place, please refer to supplementary regulations for further information.

Supplementary regulations are available HERE

YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup’s Postponed Till October 2020

Due to the existing COVID-19 pandemic, Yamaha Motor Europe, Infront Moto Racing and FIM Europe have agreed to postpone the 2020 YZ 125, 85 and 65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were scheduled to take place at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France on the weekend of September 27th to a later date, which is likely to be in October. The exact date and location of the event will be announced when more information is available.

A record 286 young riders are signed up to the 2020 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup across the YZ65, YZ85 and YZ125 classes. This year, the number of national championships bLU cRU riders will participate increased from 17 to 21 as Yamaha continues to expand its pool of talent across the continent.

2020 will mark the fourth edition of the highly popular YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup and the second edition of the YZ85 and YZ65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups which were introduced at the start of 2019.

As was the case in 2019, the top three finishers of each SuperFinale race, as well as two wildcard riders, will automatically be invited to the bLU cRU Masterclass at the end of the year. The winner of the 125, 85 and 65 categories in the Masterclass will have the fantastic opportunity to earn support from Yamaha Motor Europe next year, following in the footsteps of last year’s winners: Latvian Mairis Pumpurs, who won the YZ125 class and now races for the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team, as well as our 85cc and 65cc winners Dex Kooiker from The Netherlands and Freddie Bartlett from Sweden, who now have added support from Yamaha Motor Europe.

2020 Lima Half-Mile Postponed

Due to COVID-19 regulations in the areas surrounding Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH, the promoters of the Lima Half-Mile have had to postpone its doubleheader race dates scheduled for Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 2020.

American Flat Track is working closely with the promoter, Allen County Fairgrounds and the local health officials to help secure a date that will accommodate its current schedule and provide the best experience for its fans, competitors and staff.

More Speedway GP events cancelled

Due to ongoing global health concerns and crowd restrictions in Russia and Germany in light of COVID-19, the 2020 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and 2020 Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix have been cancelled.

The events were scheduled to take place at Anatoly Stepanov Stadium on August 29 and Teterow’s Bergring Arena later this year respectively.

Following discussions with the Anatoly Stepanov Stadium and Bergring Arena, we are pleased to announce that both the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix and the Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will return in 2021.

The Aztorin German FIM Speedway Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, May 22, while the Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix’s timing will be announced at a later date.

Czech Republic National series

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing restarted their engines with two ‘warm-up’ appearances in the initial rounds of the 2020 Czech national motocross series where current MX2 FIM World Championship leader Tom Vialle celebrated a victory and a runner-up podium finish.

The MX2 crew of Vialle and Rene Hofer (with EMX European Championship rider Liam Everts also in competition) travelled to the Czech Republic for the first two rounds of six in the domestic contest. The events at the Dalecin and Kaplice circuits were some of the first in Europe to take place after wide international lockdown restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Vialle flew to a 1-1 set of moto wins at Dalecin on his works KTM 250 SX-F while Hofer was also fast to gain 2nd place overall at the hard-packed opener. The Frenchman and Austrian had last competed at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Valkenswaard on March 8th.

A week later at Kaplice Vialle ran MX2 Grand Prix rival Jago Geerts close for victory: the gap was less than a second between the two riders in the second moto. Vialle lifted the red plate again on the podium thanks to a 2-2 scorecard as Hofer rode securely to 5th position overall (having qualified fastest) and Everts made the top ten with 10th spot.

The Czech outings helped both 18-year olds get back into a race groove ahead of the MXGP series reconvening in Latvia on August 9.

Tom Vialle

“A pretty good weekend again and I’m happy with the week we’ve had here in the Czech Republic. The track was really good for passing, even if there were a lot of lappers from pretty early in the race and there was only really one line: you had to be patient and ended up losing some time, so that made things tricky. I had the best lap-time in both motos and had a great feeling on the bike. In the end it was good training. Now we’ll have a small break before working in Belgium this next month and then the GPs start again!”

Czech Republic MX2 Championship standings

Tom Vialle, KTM, 94 points
Rene Hofer, KTM, 76
Richard Sikyna, KTM, 74
Jago Geerts, Yamaha, 72
Michael Sandner, KTM, 60

Yamaha to host Facebook Live reveal of 2021 Motocross Range

Yamaha Motor Australia has announced it will present the 2021 Yamaha motocross range during a special Facebook Live event at 10 am on Friday, 10 July.

YMA will present all the MX models from the YZ65 through to the YZ450F allowing viewers to get a close look at the full range just hours after the international embargo is lifted.

Viewers can interact with the live stream via the comments sections and will be encouraged to ask questions and generate further online discussion about the new releases.

Following the broadcast, a copy of the presentation will be hosted on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page.

An event has been set up on the Yamaha Motor Australia Facebook page, allowing people to register their intention and receive a reminder when the stream is about to go live.

Click Facbeook logo below for the event page or click get reminder to be notified when broadcast starts

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Rounds 5-6 of AORC in South Australia cancelled

July 1, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

AORC South Australia Round 5 & 6 Cancelled

Due to South Australia and Queensland Government restrictions on travel and border closures, Motorcycling Australia has made the tough decision to cancel Rounds 5 and 6 of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore, on August 1 and 2 at Murray Bridge, South Australia.

This decision was not taken lightly, but with border closures, self-quarantine restrictions for Queenslanders re-entering their home state, it became impossible for AORC to proceed. AORC’s return to racing will now be August 29-30 in Nowra, NSW.

“We are bitterly disappointed that we are unable to proceed with the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore, as we know riders and fans were excited to see racing get back under way,” said Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager, Matthew Falvo.

“Like all major sporting codes, AORC and MA had developed a comprehensive COVID-Safe Championship Plan to ensure the safety of riders, teams, officials and staff.

“We had received strong support from Murray Bridge Council and the Velocette Motorcycle Club had done a significant amount of work to ensure the round could go ahead.

“However, with South Australia and Queensland government restrictions on travel and border closures, it made it impossible for interstate riders to make the Murray Bridge round.”

Mr Falvo said the AORC will now recommence on August 29-30, at Nowra, NSW, however we will monitor closely government restrictions.

“We have a world class field of riders from our junior riders, right through to our senior men’s and women’s classes, who we know are eager to get back on track and continue the 2020 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented, by MXstore,” Mr Falvo said.

“Our Yamaha AORC, presented by MXstore, has produced world class racing this year and we know riders and teams have been training hard in recent months and will be ready to race in Nowra next month.

“We are keen to get racing again and Nowra always provides plenty of action and close racing.”

Despite the cancellation of AORC at Murray Bridge, the State component of the round will still go ahead, and we encourage South Australian riders to support the Velocette Motorcycle Club event.

2020 Yamaha AORC Presented by MXstore Calendar

~~Round 5 & 6 August 1-2 Murray Bridge, SA CANCELLED~~
Round 7 & 8 August 29-30 Nowra, NSW (rescheduled event, new date)
Round 9 & 10 September 19-20 Omeo, VIC
Round 11 & 12 October 17-18 Wynyard, TAS

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto Weekly – GNCC – AORC – Royal Enfield to race Flat Track

June 30, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 30, 2020

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

2020 GNCC
Round Seven – Millfield, Ohio

The 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, continued with day two of racing at the 31st Annual Wiseco John Penton GNCC on Sunday, June 28, 2020. Sunday Creek Raceway in Millfield, Ohio plays host to The John Penton GNCC each year, which continues to be the longest running event on the circuit.

As racing got underway it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell jumping off the line first to earn the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Open Pro Holeshot Award. During the opening lap Russell would have company from his teammate Ben Kelley, who moved into the lead as they came around to timing and scoring. Russell would make the pass for the lead on the second lap, and never look back. Russell would lead the way for the remainder of the race, pushing his gap to 58 seconds by the time the checkered flag flew after three hours of intense racing. Russell earned his 66th career overall win, and continues to hold the points lead after seven rounds of racing.

Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Josh Strang was off to a top three start, and would move into second overall on the third lap of racing. Strang would push for the duration of the race, reaching almost complete exhaustion by the time the checkered flag came out. Strang continues to hold second overall in the National Championship points standings, with just 33-points separating him and Russell.

Kailub Russell (FMF/KTM Factory Racing) earned his 66th career overall win at The Wiseco John Penton. PC: Ken Hill

After a top five start to the day, FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor was on a mission to land on a podium finishing position for the second time this season. Baylor would put his head down and push through the dusty, hot conditions to move into third overall by lap three of racing. Baylor would continue to push, and on the last lap would come through timing and scoring just 4 seconds behind Strang. After seven rounds of racing Baylor sits fourth overall in the XC1 Open Pro standings.

Grant Baylor (FactoryONE Shercro) came through to earn third overall on the day in Ohio. PC: Ken Hill

FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Benjamin Kelley came through leading the opening lap of racing in Ohio, but would soon be faced with multiple battles at what would be his second race back after recovering from his shoulder injury. Kelley continued to battle with Strang and Baylor for the first half the race, eventually settling into the fourth place position for the last couple of laps.

Finishing fifth in XC1 and sixth overall on the day was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jordan Ashburn. Ashburn would start the day out coming through fourth overall on lap one. He would continue to hold his position, battling with fellow XC1 competitors for the first half the race. Ashburn fell into the fifth place position on lap three of six, and would hold that position until he was met with the checkered flag.

Coming through eighth on lap one was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Joshua Toth. Toth would put his head down and push, making the necessary passes to finish out the day sixth in the XC1 Open Pro class. Continuing his stay on the East Coast was FMF/Maxxis/RPM KTM/KLIM/SIDI’s Dante Oliveira. Oliveira would come through to earn seventh in the XC1 class after a hot and humid three-hour race.

Craig DeLong (Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna/Kari Resources) took home the XC2 250 Pro class win at round seven. PC: Ken Hill

In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing/Kari Resources’ Craig DeLong coming through to take the class win, as well as finishing fifth overall on the day. DeLong would finish over two minutes ahead of his fellow XC2 competitors. This was DeLong’s third win of the season, which also moved him into the points lead in his class.

Factory Beta USA’s Cody Barnes earned his first podium finish of the season in the XC2 class with a second place finish. Barnes had a great jump off the line and would set himself up in the third place position to start off the day. On the third lap of racing, Barnes made the move into second and would continue to push for the remaining laps of the race.

Trail Jesters KTM’s Jonathan Girroir had work his way up to a podium finish after starting off the race back in fifth place. Girroir steadily made his way through the pack of riders, making the necessary passes he needed to earn a spot in the top three. After the seventh round of racing, Girroir sits third in the XC2 points standings.

Becca Sheets (BABS Racing Yamaha/Maxxis) earned her sixth WXC class win of the season on Sunday PC: Ken Hill

The Anzac invasion of the women’s category continued but it was Ohio’s hometown hero Becca Sheets that came out on top ahead of New Zealand’s Rachael Archer and Australia’s Tayla Jones. Sheets had her work cut out for her after coming through fourth on the opening lap. However, she would put her head down and push, moving into the lead by the second lap of racing. Sheets remains the points leader in the class with just one more round before summer break.

AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer made her way into second place after starting her day out in third. Archer continued to push throughout the morning race, but was unable to catch Sheets in the lead and remains third in the WXC points standings.

Rockstar Energy/Lan Mills XC’s Tayla Jones held the early in Ohio, but would soon be faced with battles as she fell back to fourth in the class on the second lap of racing. Jones picked up the pace, making the move past Factory Beta USA’s Rachel Gutish to overtake third place in the WXC class once again. Jones held onto third for the final spot on the podium.

Round Seven Overall

Kailub Russell – XC1 – KTM
Josh Strang – XC1 – Kawasaki
Grant Baylor – XC1 – Sherco
Ben Kelley – XC1 – KTM
Craig Delong – XC2 – Husqvarna
Jordan Ashburn – XC1 – Kawasaki
Joshua Toth – XC1 – KTM
Cody Barnes – XC2 – Honda
Jonathan Girroir – XC2 – KTM
Michael Witkowski – XC2 – Yamaha

Overall GNCC Championship Standings

Kailub Russell (205)
Josh Strang (172)
Jordan Ashburn (111)
Craig DeLong (108)
Michael Witkowski (98)
Jonathan Girroir (92)
Grant Baylor (85)
Cody Barnes (74)
Liam Draper (61)
Ricky Russell (59)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

Craig DeLong (178)
Michael Witkowski (179)
Jonathan Girroir (164)
Cody Barnes (125)
Liam Draper (108)
Thorn Devlin (89)
Ryder Lafferty (75)
Jonathan Johnson (73)
Simon Johnson (69)
Ryder LeBlond (64)

Women Round Seven

Becca Sheets – Yamaha
Rachael Archer – Yamaha
Tayla Jones – Husqvarna
Rachel Gutish – Beta
Korie Steede – TM
Mackenzie Tricker – KTM
Brooke Cosner – Sherco
Shelby Rolen – KTM
Taylor Johnston – KTM
Alli Phillips – Husqvarna

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Tomac and Cianciarulo Return to Monster Energy Kawasaki in 2021

Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo Return to Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team in 2021

Kawasaki has announced that Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo will return to the Monster Energy Kawasaki racing team for the 2021 season. The Monster Energy Kawasaki riders aboard KX450 motorcycles will feature the newly-crowned 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Champion and three-time defending AMA Pro Motocross Champion, Tomac, and reigning 250 Pro Motocross Champion, Cianciarulo, after a successful rookie season of supercross winning the 2019 Monster Energy Cup and capturing two podium finishes during the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross season.

“We have a very strong 2021 team roster,” said Kawasaki Racing Senior Manager, Dan Fahie. “We are prepared to continue our championship journey with both Eli and Adam. We had an unusual, yet successful 2020 supercross season and look to continue that into the motocross season as well. We have learned a lot about our KX450 and are in a good place heading into outdoors and 2021 with the development of the motorcycle.”

2021 will mark Tomac’s sixth year with Monster Energy Kawasaki, as he relentlessly remains a top contender in the premier class. Tomac captured the coveted 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Championship title after earning seven wins and 12 podiums of the 17 rounds. Tomac currently sits sixth on the all-time 450SX race wins list with 34 wins, and also sits fourth on the all-time 450MX race wins list with 22 overall wins and 44 podium finishes. Tomac cemented his legacy as an elite champion, becoming only the fifth rider in history to win titles in both the 450SX and 250SX classes as well as AMA Pro Motocross Championships in both classes.

“I’m at home with Monster Energy Kawasaki,” said Tomac. “I feel we have an outstanding team in place, an excellent KX450 motorcycle and a common goal of winning races and championships. I couldn’t be happier with how the supercross season ended as we clinched our first 450SX championship. Now our focus will be on winning our fourth consecutive Pro Motocross Championship and continuing to let the good times roll.”

Meanwhile, Cianciarulo kicked off his 450SX rookie campaign by taking the crown at the Monster Energy Cup and he backed that up by showing his speed on the bike by qualifying fastest at seven of the eight races he competed in and earning two podiums before his season was cut short due to injury. As the reigning AMA Pro Motocross 250 Champion, Cianciarulo looks to be a top championship competitor in the premier class this motocross season.

“Monster Energy Kawasaki is the team I have loved for so long,” said Cianciarulo. “What a journey it’s been to get to this point. Most people know it’s always been a dream of mine to be a part of this team at the top-level of the sport and I’m looking forward to putting in the work and continuing to improve and grow. I’m honored to be on what I believe to be the best team in the sport and to have been part of the Kawasaki Team Green program for all of these years. We’re halfway through my rookie year and the team has been so supportive. I truly believe we’re on our way to reaching our ultimate goal of winning races and championships.”

The 2020 AMA Pro Motocross Championship drops the gate on Saturday, July 18th at Ironman MX in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo Return to Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team in 2021 Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Royal Enfield racing American Flat Track

August will mark the return to racing for American Flat Track (AFT) and Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield will debut its FT racer at AFT Rounds 5 & 6 on August 28-29 , when Moto Anatomy’s Johnny Lewis takes the track for the first time in the AFT Production Twins class.

Lewis planned to unveil the concept FT at the Daytona AFT round in March, but due to COVID-19, the races were rescheduled. Despite the AFT season being temporarily postponed, Lewis is logging hours at his Center Hill, Florida training facility on the Royal Enfield FT concept. With the help of Royal Enfield, Harris Performance and S&S Cycle, the development of the FT has continued. Lewis will officially present the Royal Enfield FT at Volusia County Speedway on July 17.

“The Royal Enfield FT concept has already shown promise so far.” said rider and team owner Johnny Lewis. “We’re already seeing great results from the motorcycle. The team at Harris Performance and Royal Enfield have done a great job with the chassis, and we’ve already begun working through small adjustments based on my feedback. With the way the schedule is shaping out with small tracks, we could surprise many people.”

Lewis will be joined at select AFT rounds with the all-female Build Train Race participants starting with the Atlanta Short Track at Dixie Speedway October 2-3 and will return for the AFT season finale in Daytona Beach October 15-16. During these rounds, the women will conduct a special exhibition aboard their custom INT650 flat track motorcycles as part of the AFT event schedule.

Additionally, Lewis will host a Royal Enfield Slide School at select rounds. During the Slide School sessions, participants will receive coaching from Lewis and learn the basics of flat track aboard track prepped FT411 Himalayan motorcycles.

American Flat Track will kick off its 2020 season with the first-ever Volusia Half-Mile presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys doubleheader event at Volusia Speedway Park on Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18.

AORC Set and Ready to Return

The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore will fire back into action with a double header of sprint racing at Murray Bridge, South Australia on August 1 and 2.

With State borders opening up, M.A. are excited that we can continue their world-renowned 2020 championship which will include 8 rounds to be held in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and for the first time in Tasmania. Rounds 1-4 were held earlier this year.

The Yamaha AORC has previous world champions including the 2019 World Champion Junior Team and overall second placed Australian ISDE team, and we will continue to have the best riders in the world competing in the Yamaha AORC, presented by MXstore.

“Our Yamaha AORC, presented by MXstore, has produced world class racing this year and we know riders, teams and officials are eager for rounds five and six at Murray Bridge, South Australia.

“We thank everyone from our riders, officials and sponsors for their support and patience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while there will be some restriction in place at events, we are very excited to get back on track.”

As a racing community there will need to be an understanding that it will not be a return to sport as usual.

Certain State and Federal Government restrictions and measures will likely remain in force but we are confident that together if we follow government guidelines and practice good personal hygiene our championship will continue to prosper.

2020 Yamaha AORC Presented by MXstore Calendar

Round 5 & 6 August 1-2 Murray Bridge, SA
Round 7 & 8 August 29-30 Nowra, NSW (rescheduled event, new date)
Round 9 & 10 September 19-20 Omeo, VIC
Round 11 & 12 October 17-18 Wynyard, TAS

2020 Yamaha AORC Presented by MXstore Calendar Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Tony Cairoli and KTM renew contract

Nine-times FIM Motocross World Champion Tony Cairoli will push for yet another title in Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colors in 2021 for what will be his eighteenth season in Grand Prix and the twelfth on a works KTM SX-F.

The 34-year old Sicilian and his crew, helmed by Claudio De Carli, united with the KTM Motorsport Department in 2010 and instantly delivered the factory’s first title in the premier class with the innovative KTM 350 SX-F. Cairoli remained undefeated until 2014 and then used the latest generation of the KTM 450 SX-F to secure his ninth crown in 2017. In total the KTM/Cairoli package has given the manufacturer six championships in the last decade.

In terms of achievements, popularity, professionalism, longevity and enduring passion for motocross, Cairoli is the reference in MXGP and is still fiercely competitive at a time when the category has vast depth of talent and speed.

Cairoli will again form part of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s MXGP ‘Dream Team’ on KTM 450 SX-Fs alongside Jorge Prado and Jeffrey Herlings; boasting a combined number of fifteen championships.

Tony Cairoli: “I’m really motivated for another good season next year so I’m really happy with the renewal of my riding contract. We’ll see what 2020 has in store but my goal is to aim for the championship and again in 2021. I’m very proud to have been so long with this factory team and I still want to write some pages in the history of KTM motocross.”

Tony Cairoli – Image by Ray Archer

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “It says a lot for Tony as a rider and a person and an athlete that he is still so competitive when MXGP is at a top level. He could have walked into other teams when it was clear he wanted to continue in 2021 but it was important for us to extend his story with KTM and that couldn’t make us any happier. We have no doubt that he has the desire to go for a tenth title either in the season we will eventually have in 2020 or in 2021. It makes us all very proud to have a team with the caliber of Tony, Jeffrey and Jorge. I believe we can be the ones to beat again in MXGP with this strong trio and combined with the whole team and technical crew with Claudio, Davide, Dirk and everybody who makes the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team tick.”

Claudio de Carli, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Tony expressed his willingness to ride for at least another year and this obviously makes us happy and confirms his truly unique character and attitude for the sport. His final choice to remain with KTM gives us great satisfaction because it also confirms the good job we have been doing responding to his technical requests and the strong bond we have established over many years. Next season Tony will be in his twelfth year with KTM, and with my crew for the eighteenth. I think this says it all! We’re really proud of him and would like to give thanks to KTM for making this next chapter possible.”

Motorcycling Australia to run 2020 MX Nationals
WEM steps down a year earlier than planned

Williams Event Management held a press conference on Friday morning confirming their withdrawal from their role as promoter of the MX Nationals effective immediately.

Kevin Williams first got involved with the running of the Australian Motocross Championships in 1995 at Traralgon, and has effectively had stewardship of the MX Nationals since 1997.

Today does not mark the complete end of Kevin’s 25-year-old involvement with Australian Motocross but it does end the role of WEM as the promoter of the Australian Motocross Championship, which under WEM stewardship was rebranded as MX Nationals.

Kevin understandably got quite emotional when it got to the point where he officially confirmed that he is stepping away from his role as a promoter due to not being able to effectively deliver a viable championship this year due to the ongoing restrictions put in place by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We believe that it is highly like that in this instance Motorcycling Australia will step in to fill the void and ensure that the season does go ahead in some form, and that form of course will see WEM still involved in some way and assisting in affecting an orderly transition.

We see it as unfortunate that Kevin and his crew will not be able to have a lap of honour, so to speak, and go out on a high as originally planned at the culmination of a successful 2020 season.

On a personal note, I have always appreciated Kevin being forthright and honest with me at every juncture throughout the 21 years I have been running MCNews.com.au.

The brand ‘MX Nationals’ belongs to WEM and we believe discussions are being held between Kevin Williams and Motorcycling Australia about the ownership of that brand. However, it seems likely that M.A. will likely revert to referring to the series as the Australian Motocross Championship, or some anagram that represents motocross, but follows the established M.A. naming regimen of breaking that down to an acronym like they have with AORC and ASBK.

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Open Letter from Kevin Williams

“The purpose of this letter however, is to thank everyone who has been involved in the MX Nationals series in our twenty three year run.

“Motocross has been a part of my entire life and essentially my life’s work since I began working with the Australian Motocross Championships before it became the MX Nationals. The time I have spent growing the series with my wife Christine and our three children Jake, Aiden and Brodie by my side is something I will forever cherish.

“Although as a part of racing, I may not have seen eye to eye with many of you throughout the years, the racing family at the core of this industry has been a fantastic part of my life and something I will truly miss. My love for the sport, preserving its integrity and growth has been a driving factor and provided the continual motivation needed to allow me to strive for progress in Motocross within Australia and putting our riders on the map globally as a Motocross powerhouse.

“During our time together we have had many high’s that include bringing MXGP to the iconic Broadford Circuit, seeing many great Champions leave Australia to successfully take on the world with Chad Reed, Craig Anderson, Michael Byrne, Brett Metcalfe, this list goes on. To see the next generation of Jed Beaton, Mitch Evans, Luke Clout and the Lawrence Brothers having international success in the present day makes me extremely proud to see where the talent is at in Australian Motocross. We have also lost great Champions such as Andrew Mcfarlane and Jono Porter, their time with the series and the impact they made on everyone’s lives will never be forgotten.

“I want to take this final opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of the MX Nationals family during our time together. From the numerous staff at WEM, the riders and teams, to all of our sponsors and stakeholders, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything we have achieved to grow the sport together.

“Yours in the sport

“Regards,

“Kevin Williams.”

— ENDS —

Motorcycling Australia Statement

Motorcycling Australia (MA) wishes to thank Williams Event Management (WEM), Kevin Williams and his family for more than two decades of dedication to the MX Nationals.

After 23 years Williams today made the tough decision to step away from the sport and the promotion and management of the MX Nationals effective immediately.

In an emotional press conference this morning, Kevin Williams thanked fans, riders, industry and sponsors.

“It’s been a long journey and a major part of my life, but we didn’t expect COVID, and we didn’t expect not to go racing this year, but we are proud of what we achieved over 23 years,” Kevin said.

“I’ve always made decisions from a position of passion for the sport, and I want to thank everyone for being a part of the journey.

“I encourage all riders and members of the sport and industry to support their local clubs and hopefully we can see some opportunity for national racing when borders open up properly.

“Thank you everybody for your great support.”

MA CEO Peter Doyle said: “Kevin Williams and his team have poured their heart and soul into running the MX Nationals and we thank them for more than 20 years of tireless work”.

“The MX Nationals have faced plenty of challenges in those 20 years and Kevin, his team and partners, have boasted many success stories, with a myriad of riders using the championship as a stepping stone in their careers to race in America and Europe.

“The MX Nationals are a critical component of a healthy motocross scene in Australia and to create opportunities for riders to progress into world championship series.”

MA is now in the process of reviewing the 2020 championship operations, format and dates to see how the series will proceed for the remainder of 2020 in the COVID-19 period.

Further announcements will be made available in due course.

— ENDS. —

The latest update to the calendar is included below, but one would imagine that is all up in the air right now.

2020 MX Store MX Nationals Calendar

R1	Conondale QLD	Aug 9th
R2	Maitland NSW	Aug 15th /16th
R3	Newry Vic	Sept 6th
R4	Horsham Vic	Sept 12th/13th
R5	Gympie QLD	Oct 4th
R6	Coolum QLD	Oct 10th/11th

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto Weekly – Chad signs off – SX Champs crowned

June 23, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 23, 2020

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Chad Reed message to fans

Chad Reed’s farewell tour that calls to an end his professional racing career has been playing out all year but Sunday night in Salt Lake City was his final emotional goodbye… The lead image on this story is from 2015 at Oakland. Watch this without getting a leaky eye….

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Eli Tomac – 450 SX Champion

The final showdown of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship saw Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac capture his first 450SX championship in Salt Lake City, Utah by securing more than enough championship points with his fifth-place finish on Sunday. Tomac earned the title in dominant fashion, with seven wins and five additional podium finishes during the 17 rounds aboard his KX450.

Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion

Tomac kicked off the finale in a familiar way by topping the charts in qualifying in the 450SX class with a fastest lap of 49.438. After tying with the competition for first place in the final qualifying session, the AMA had to go to ten-thousandths of a second to determine who was fastest, which landed Tomac his fifth pole position of the season.

Keeping the momentum rolling into 450SX Heat 2, Tomac got off to a great start in fifth and remained there for more than half of the race. As the time ran down, Tomac began to make his move on arguably the most technical track raced in Utah and passed two other riders to finish third.

Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion

As the gate dropped on the final 450SX Main Event of the 2020 season, Tomac got tangled with riders in Turn 1 but was able to avoid any kind of disaster, starting in 10th. Maintaining his cool, calm and collected demeanor, Tomac began to put in laps and gradually pick off riders, making his way to sixth by Lap 9. Tomac made one last pass a few laps later to cross the finish line in fifth, earning Kawasaki’s 11th 450SX championship as well as the 2020 Manufacturers Cup award.

Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion

The day was a victory for all as Monster Energy Supercross is the first professional sport to complete their series after being suspended due to the global pandemic. Tomac has expressed many times that the silver lining of the time off was being able to see the birth of his daughter and he is now the first rider in history to win the title as a father, making it even more special to earn on Father’s Day.

Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion

Eli Tomac

“This is just so cool, to win my first 450SX title. This championship is literally the last carrot that I was chasing, especially after coming up short for the past three years. I have worked so hard for this and can’t thank the Monster Energy Kawasaki team and entire company enough for all of their support and for helping me finally achieve this goal for myself and everyone who is a part of this program. It has been a long time coming and we set ourselves up for success starting from day one of this series and just kept fighting till the end.”

Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion

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Click Here for our massive race reports from the AMA SX finale

Supercross Quotes

Zach Osborne – P1

“That was a great race for all three of us. It feels amazing to get some results here at the end of the season for my team. It was an incredible day and I’m just really proud for the whole team to be on the podium. It’s been an amazing trip in Salt Lake City.”

Jason Anderson – P2

“All-in-all, it was a good trip in Utah and ending it on a high note with all three of us on the podium was good. I enjoyed Salt Lake City, so let’s do this again and get ready to go for outdoors.”

Dean Wilson – P3

“I was a bit tight running up front but I just tried to play it cool and smart. My goal was to get on the box and that’s what I did. I’m stoked to get a third place, lead some laps and end this SX season the way I wanted to. I would have liked to have more podiums but I’m super happy from where I came from at the beginning of the season barely being able to ride my bike, to being where I need to be now. I believed I could do it and I’m stoked.”

Eli Tomac – P5 (Champion)

“This is just unbelievable, especially under all of the circumstances. I just look back at my entire lifetime of riding, the wins, the losses, and overcoming it all with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team. There was a point in time we didn’t know if we would be able to get back to racing and here we are finishing business. I am so incredibly happy and proud we finally did it, it’s unbelievable.”

Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion

Broc Tickle – P6

“Today was a huge step in the right direction for me. I started the day off better in practice and improved throughout practice and qualifying. In the heat, I grabbed my first holeshot in a long time. I started sixth in the Main and managed to stay strong and steady. This was huge for me and the JGR squad. Thank you to everyone who has made the Salt Lake City racing possible and for the support in getting me back to where I belong.”

Cooper Webb – P8

“It was a rough Main Event. I kind of struggled with the track a little bit and I didn’t ride my best race but I came back to eighth, so I was able to secure second in points. I obviously wanted to keep the podium streak going but it is what it is. Overall, it was a great season and we’ll get ready for outdoors.”

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450 SX Final Championship Points

Eli Tomac 384
Cooper Webb 359
Ken Roczen 354
Jason Anderson 287
Justin Barcia 272
Zach Osborne 252
Malcolm Stewart 252
Dean Wilson 239
Justin Brayton 227
Justin Hill 213
Aaron Plessinger 207
Blake Baggett 200
Martin Davalos 178
Vince Friese 155
Adam Cianciarulo 129
Chad Reed 113

250

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Shane McElrath – P2

“I’m pretty disappointed that I didn’t get the championship this year, but since I’ve been on this team I’ve learned so much and grown so much as a person and a rider. I’m learning from my mistakes and looking forward to moving on to the Outdoors.”

Dylan Ferrandis – P4

“I’m pretty pumped about the way I ended this season even though I had a very difficult day. It was the most difficult day of my life. There was so much emotion today after having to win the LCQ. I’ve never had to race an LCQ in my four years of supercross and to have to come through today with the championship on the line, that was tough. I secured my championship in the Main to get back-to-back 250SX West titles. It is more than a dream come true. Thanks to my team, my wife and my trainer DV (David Vuillemin). I’m so happy!”

250 SX East Final Championship Points

Chase Sexton 218
Shane McElrath 209
Jo Shimoda 122
Garrett Marchbanks 119
Enzo Lopes 107
Jeremy Martin 105
Jalek Swoll 104
Kyle Peters 94
Pierce Brown 92
RJ Hampshire 80
Colt Nichols 74
Jace Owen 69
Chris Blose 65
John Short 64
Jordan Bailey 64

250 SX West Final Championship Points

Dylan Ferrandis 200
Justin Cooper 180
Austin Forkner 176
Brandon Hartranft 158
Michael Mosiman 139
Alex Martin 124
Derek Drake 120
Mitch Oldenburg 109
Luke Clout 106
Jett Lawrence 97

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Penrite Honda reflect on AMA campaign

The AMA Supercross Championship has ended and Australia’s Penrite Honda Racing proved their competitiveness against the best teams in the West and East coast of America. Team Owner Yarrive Konsky is positive the experience was well worth the effort and is grateful for the opportunity and is proud of everyone’s results.

Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld

“We were the highest placed privateer team in the West Coast Championship and we were the highest place privateer team in the West vs East shootout. We beat and challenged some factory teams and riders throughout the year and most importantly we have learnt a lot and we are grateful for the chance to compete. I also want to congratulate all of the champions. It was an amazing championship. Feld and the entire industry made us feel welcome” said Konsky.

Luke Clout – Image by Michael Antonovich

Mitchell Oldenburg and Luke Clout finished 8th and 9th respectively in the West Coast Championship. Mitchell finished the Championship with a 10th place finish in the West vs East Shootout.

Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld

“The season has been hard fought, tearing my knee early in the season certainly set me back. To finish 8th overall with a 10th in the final race against the fastest 40 riders is okay, but I know I should be further up. The bike, team and effort were worthy of a better result. Riding injured all season affected my results,” said Oldenburg

Mitchell Oldenburg – Image by Michael Antonovich

Australia’s Luke Clout suffered a crash in qualifying at the final round which side lined him for the main event. Whilst it was not the way he wanted to finish the season, he is being positive about this years’ experience.

Luke Clout – San Diego – Image by Hoppenworld

“We were going to do a few rounds to prepare for next year and we ended up racing the entire Championship, which was an amazing experience. To claim 9th overall in my first year was okay. My best result was a 5th, which was also okay. I would have liked to finish higher; I would have liked to achieve a podium but what I have learnt this year is priceless. It was my first full season in America, and I am racing the best guys in the world and I have gained invaluable experience. I will be better prepared for next year,” said Clout.

Luke Clout – Image by Michael Antonovich

The team’s season isn’t finished, in fact Team Owner Yarrive Konsky believes the season will prove logistically challenging as they face racing through to December.

“Due to COVID the Australian Championships hasn’t started and I believe we will be racing through to December. I am thankful for the American Supercross Championship. All our partners in Australia benefited from the international live broadcasting and media attention we received,” said Konsky.

Penrite Honda duo Luke Clout and Mitchell Oldenburg at Oakland – Image by Hoppenworld

The team could not have achieved this creditable feat without the support of their amazing partners. Special thanks go to Australia’s Penrite Oil, Honda Australia and particularly American Honda.

Luke Clout – Oakland – Image by Hoppenworld

“Everyone’s support made this possible but notably, without Penrite Oil we would have struggled to make it work. Penrite Oil continues to support Australian’s no matter where they are and they should be commended for their generosity to motorsport here in Australia and abroad.” concluded Konsky.

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Vets MXdN – Postponed Until 2021

The 2020 Vets MXdN were to take place on the weekend of the 12th & 13th September but having considered all of the data and information available, the reluctant decision has been taken to postpone the event until 2021. The provisional date will be the 11th & 12th September 2021.

The main reasons are based around social distancing which includes the safety of all riders, officials and spectators, with so many people on site for the duration of the weekend.

Secondly, it would be impossible for the social part of the event, the evening bar and disco, to take place and this does form an important part of the event for so many people.

Thirdly, with the UK Government having made fourteen days quarantine compulsory for most of our foreign friends at the moment, it would not be a true International event if so many are unable to attend.

The organisers originally set the criteria that the whole of the UK moved into level two of the Government Guidelines for the situation which states – Covid 19 is present in the UK, but the number of cases and transmission is low. We are currently still at level four which is a long way off this being met.

You will be aware that with so many riders requesting an entry into the event creates a large logistical problem. Therefore, it has been decided that all entries (and reserves) who have been successful, will be held over for the revised date and therefore entry fees will not be refunded. However, if any rider does not wish to take up this option, they should contact the Event Manager ([email protected]) before 30th June when a refund (as stated in the Supplementary Regulations) will be made.

Ivan Tedesco Vet MXdN at Farleigh Castle

M.A. announces racing re-start

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has announced the re-start of racing for thousands of riders across the country with the release of an updated 2020 National Championship calendar.

The MA National Championship calendar includes AORC, MX Nationals, Junior and Senior Track, Junior Motocross, Classic and Post Classic Dirt Track, Trial, ATV MX, Speedway, Speedway, Senior and Junior sidecars and Supermoto.
With the opening up of State borders, MA is pleased in being able to produce such an extensive

National Championships calendar in the current climate, but is aware additional COVID restriction may be enforced which may impact the existing calendar.

“For thousands of racers across Australia, it’s time to dust off your bikes and get out there,” said MA CEO Peter Doyle. “With changing COVID-19 restrictions and border closures, it had been impossible for MA National Championships to run, but together with clubs, promoters, SportAus and the Victorian Government – Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions who are supporting Creative, Tourism, Sport and Major Events, we have been able to ensure that the 2020 MA National Championship competitions can now be held.”

Luke Styke – 2020 AORC will be back in action from early August in South Australia

Competition activity may resume in compliance with state and national guidelines and regulations. As a sporting community there will need to be an understanding that some State and Federal Government restrictions and measures may remain in place and impact the running of events – such as social distancing requirements or no or limited crowd numbers.

To ensure no further restrictions are imposed on our sport all members are encouraged to follow government guidelines and practice good personal hygiene.

2020 Australian Motorcycle Racing Calendar

August 1-2	AORC Rounds 5-6	Murray Bridge, SA
August 9	MX Nationals Round 1	Conondale, QLD
August 15-16	MX Nationals Round 2-3	Maitland, NSW
August 29-30	AORC Round 7-8	Nowra, NSW
September 6	MX Nationals Round 4	Newry, VIC
September 12-13	MX Nationals Rounds 5-6	Horsham, VIC
September 19-20	Australian Senior Track Championships	Quirindi, NSW
September 19-20	AORC Rounds 9-10	Omeo, VIC
September 26-27	Australian Junior Track Championships	Gunnedah, NSW
September 26-27	Australian Trail Championship	Bangor, SA
September 26 – October 3	Australian Junior Motocross Championship	Rockhampton, QLD
October 3-4	Australian Classic & Post Classic Dirt Track Championship	Temora, NSW
October 4	MX Nationals Round 7	Gympie, QLD
October 10-11	MX Nationals Rounds 8-9	Coolum, QLD
October 10-11	Australian Womens MX Nationals Rnd 1-2	Coolum, QLD
October 17-18	AORC Rounds 11-12	Tasmania
October 17-18	Australian ATV MX Nationals	Kilcoy, QLD
October 17	Australian Supercross
October 23-25	Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship	Fairburn Park, ACT
October 31	FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship	Gilman, SA
November 7-8	Australian Speedway Snr Sidecar Championship	Mildura, VIC
November 7-8	Australian Speedway Jnr Sidecar Championship	Mildura, VIC
November 21	Australian Supercross
November 28	Australian Supercross
November 28-29	Australian Supermoto Championship	Prosperine, QLD
December 12-13	Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship	North Brisbane, QLD

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Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto Weekly – GNCC – Rally – AMA MX/SX – NZ Enduro

June 16, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 16, 2020

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Dunlop High Point GNCC

Round six of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series was staged last weekend at High Point Raceway in Pennsylvania.

After seven laps and three-hours of racing it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell earning the overall win by 11.5 seconds. Russell just missed out on grabbing the XC1 holeshot, but wasted no time moving into the number one spot as they headed into the woods. Russell maintained his lead for the duration of the race, clinching his fifth overall win of the season.

Kailub Russell (FMF/KTM Factory Racing) clinched his fifth overall win of the season in Pennsylvania.

Starting at the back of the pack on lap one, Australian Josh Strang was on a mission to get to the front and battle for another win. Strang made the necessary passes and move into second place on the fourth lap of racing, however Strang would run out of time to close the gap between Russell and himself. After six rounds of racing, Strang sits 28-points behind Russell in the National Championship points standings.

Josh Strang (Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy Kawasaki) battled his way back to second overall. PC: Ken Hill

Sherco’s Grant Baylor was battling for a top three position for majority of the race, but as the white flag came out his bike was visibly smoking. After fighting for a top spot, Baylor would end up unable to complete the seventh and final lap of racing.

Kailub Russell (FMF/KTM Factory Racing) clinched his fifth overall win of the season in Pennsylvania.

Australian fast femme Tayla Jones battled back to take her first WXC class win of the season. Jones worked her way up to the lead from a third place start to the day. Jones faced a tough battle to get to the lead as fellow WXC competitor Factory Beta USA’s Rachel Gutish held the lead for the majority of the race. Gutish would be the first to run into lapped riders, and on the last lap she would find herself back into fourth to cross the finish line.

Tayla Jones

“Finally got that monkey off my back and grabbed the win this past weekend at the Highpoint GNCC! Wasn’t the easiest race and it kept the fans on their toes right down until the end. I was close to a minute behind in the mid part of the race but was able to charge hard and by the start of the final lap I was on the leaders tail and made the pass with a few miles to go! Got some things to work on to be better next round but definitely pumped to get one under the belt.”

Tayla Jones (Rockstar Energy/LanMills XC/Husqvarna) earned her first WXC class win of the season. PC: Ken Hill

BABS Racing Yamaha/Maxxis’ Becca Sheets and Enduro Engineering KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker capitalised as lapped riders got into the mix of the front runners. Sheets moved into second with Australian Tricker making her way to third in the WXC class. Sheets remains in the points lead after earning the first five WXC class wins of the season.

Here is a link to the full video covering GNCC round six

Rounds 7 and 8 of the GNCC Racing Series will be held the weekend of June 27/28 at the John Penton in Millfield, OH and the weekend of July 11/12 at the Hoosier GNCC in Crawfordsville, IN.

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2020 AMA Supercross
Round 15 of 17 – Salt Lake City

With third place on Sunday night Eli Tomac still has a very handy 24-point lead with 52-points left up for grabs across the final two rounds in this COVID-19 induced quick-fire end to the Monster Energy Supercross season. Racers will be back on track this Wednesday June 17 ahead of the finale on June 21. A very comprehensive blow-by-low race report can be found at this link, while here in Moto Wrap we bring you the quotes, championship standings and video highlights.

Ken Roczen – P1

“Tonight we did really, really good. I felt like I was able to go the full distance in the main, which was great. I knew it was just going to take a few extra days to get everything back lined up after the last couple of rounds and everything that’s been going on with my body. We won our heat race, which was really stacked–I got a holeshot there and it was great. I really felt good with the bike; we’ve been tweaking it a little bit here and there, and I was really gelling with it nicely tonight. I kind of liked the track; the whoops got really chewed up again and I think that was one of my strong points tonight. We ended up getting the win, which was great because the last three rounds have been really tough on me and the team. It was good to come back and turn all that negativity around into something positive. Every time I go out and win for myself and my team, it feels like my first win back. We were the best tonight, which is awesome. The team is happy and I’m happy and looking forward to the race on Wednesday.”

Ken Roczen

Cooper Webb – P2

“The holeshot was huge tonight. Kenny was riding well and I knew he was a little faster, so when he got by me I was just going to try to pace him. I made a charge at the end but we were so close in times it’s hard to make those chunks up. The track was definitely tough – it had a lot of flat turns, which was a little different than what we’re used to. We’ll come back in a few days and try to get the top step.”

Eli Tomac – P3

“Overall it was a good race. I felt good and got in the groove up until halfway and then I got a little squirrelly in the whoops. I tried pushing it for a while and realized it wasn’t worth it to go too wild and I know I need to reserve some of the energy for these last two rounds. It’s not a win, but I’m happy with the result because we’re thinking about the bigger picture.”

Eli Tomac

Zach Osborne – P4

“I came home with a fourth, it’s a decent result but after the last few weeks I want more. I do have to keep things in perspective and know that at the beginning of the season I would have given anything for a string of results like this. So all-in-all, I’m happy but still striving for more.”

Dean Wilson – P6

“I feel like my pace was decent through the whole Main and I think a few different line choices would have helped me throughout the race. I think I had a couple bad lines after watching it and that kind of held me up a little bit. But other than that, I can’t get too frustrated. I gave it my best and that’s all you can do.”

Justin Brayton – P8

“I’m proud of that one–that was pretty good. I didn’t get the greatest of starts, but I made some good passes early. There was just a train of us–like six, seven, eight, nine guys–and I ended up eighth; I felt pretty good about my riding and my effort. The bike was great. I’d have loved a little better track position at the beginning of the race to play into my strength, which was whoops–I felt really good in the whoops all day. Overall, I’m fairly happy with it–not super stoked on the position, but my effort, the bike and the way I was riding were really good. I’m stoked on that and super stoked on the team getting a win with Ken. It’s awesome, and everybody here deserves it.”

Justin Brayton

Justin Barcia – P9

“I had a solid ride in the Heat race in third. It was the best I’ve ridden in a while. In the Main Event, I came out inside the top 10 and was riding really good. I feel like tonight would’ve been a top-five finish, it just didn’t work out that way. I went into one of the ruts before the mechanic’s area, and unfortunately that was like the only soft spot on the track. The rut caved in, my front wheel hit it and I ended up falling. I went all the way back to 16th and charged back to ninth. The result really doesn’t show the way I rode today and the progress that we’ve made on the bike. So that was definitely a little disappointing, but I think overall that’s the best day I’ve ridden and the best I’ve felt on the bike. We just have to take the positives going into these next two races and try to keep it on two wheels, and just keep moving forward.”

Aaron Plessinger – P10

“I think today was pretty good, all in all. I got off to a really bad start in the Main. I really have to figure that out. I have got to get the jump on those guys and just bull dog my way to the front. I was riding really good though and made my way back up to seventh. At about five minutes to go, I started struggling in the whoops quite a bit. The whoops were really slick, one side of them was cupped out and the middle was really slick. I just kind of tightened up in the last few laps and (Justin) Brayton got by me, (Blake) Baggett got by me and then Justin got by me. So yeah, I was a little frustrated with the way I rode in the last five minutes, but I have to take the positives out of it and move forward. Come Wednesday, I will try and get a better start and just ride the whole race as hard as I can. I’m looking forward to the next one and hopefully we can get off the line and break into the top five.”

450 Video Highlights

[embedded content]

450 SX Championship Points

Eli Tomac 342
Ken Roczen 319
Cooper Webb 318
Justin Barcia 255
Jason Anderson 246
Malcolm Stewart 217
Dean Wilson 208
Zach Osborne 205
Justin Brayton 199
Justin Hill 188
Aaron Plessinger 186
Blake Baggett 180
Martin Davalos 157
Vince Friese 141
Adam Cianciarulo 129
Chad Reed 92
Benny Bloss 87
Tyler Bowers 85
Kyle Chisholm 76
Kyle Cunningham 48

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

250 Quotes

Austin Forkner – P1

“After a few rounds where I was caught and passed by Dylan, it was my turn to catch him and get around him. It felt totally different to chase him down and there really weren’t a lot of places to make a move since everyone was running pretty much the same lines. I had a small opportunity and I knew I had to take it. I know he would have done the same thing, and has done the same thing. It’s awesome to be in contention for the championship as we head into the final race next week. We’ll see what happens.”

Austin Forkner had to chase down Dylan Ferrandis

Dylan Ferrandis – P2

“It was a bad night for me. I got the holeshot from the outside in the Main which was good, but I made a small mistake and missed a rhythm when I saw a yellow flag and (Austin) Forkner got me after that. I lost some important points for the championship tonight. We have a few days off from racing now before the last round next Sunday and will keep working.”

Jett Lawrence – P3

Cameron McAdoo – P4

“It was tough to see that podium finish slip away because we’ve been working really hard to be up there every time we hit the track. I know I have been riding well and I will take that with me to the final race, but another podium finish would have been sweet to push through the week. Now we’ll have to get back at it and make sure we come out ready to fight for it next Sunday.”

Cameron McAdoo

Michael Mosiman – P5

“It was a tough day, I got into some lapped traffic in the Main Event and made some mistakes that really set me back. I’m disappointed that I had a podium finish going and to have that taken away but I’m fired up for the last round!”

Justin Cooper – P6

“I got a terrible start in the Main, which really hurt me. It made it really tough to come through the pack and I was just not aggressive enough to get by the people that I needed to in the early laps. I can’t expect to be up front battling when I start outside the top 10. We have one more go next Sunday. I’ll come back try and to finish out strong.”

Hunter Lawrence – P7

“Ok day yesterday.. not happy with the overall result 7th but happy with my progress and how I am riding.
Couldn’t be happier for my brother @jettson83 so proud of him and how he is riding. Can’t wait to join you on the box soon.”

Hunter Lawrence scored 16-points in his second ever Supercross event

250 Video Highlights

[embedded content]

250 SX West Championship Points

Dylan Ferrandis 181
Austin Forkner 174
Justin Cooper 164
Brandon Hartranft 141
Michael Mosiman 118
Alex Martin 117
Luke Clout 106
Derek Drake 106
Mitch Oldenburg 96
Jacob Hayes 89
Jett Lawrence 79
Carson Brown 74
Martin Castelo 70
Cameron McAdoo 67
Killian Auberson 65

250 SX East Championship Points

Chase Sexton – 166
Shane McElrath – 163
Garrett Marchbanks – 119
Jeremy Martin – 105
Jalek Swoll – 91
Jo Shimoda – 89
Enzo Lopes – 81
RJ Hampshire – 80
Pierce Brown – 73
Kyle Peters – 69

Sunday’s round was the last conventional round for the 250 West competitors as the next 250 round will see 250 East competitors race on June 17, ahead of the combined 250 East-West showdown on Sunday, June 21.

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Rally Safety
Technical and Safety improvements for 2021

The FIM has announced the sporting rules and safety measures that will apply in the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship and Dakar in the RallyGP class for 2021.

The measures that will be applicable for the 2021 Dakar and the 2021 FIM Cross-Country World Championship are:

Limitation of the number of rear tyres to 6 for the 12 stages (30 min penalties for non-compliance). For shorter rallies: 1 tyre for 2 Days of racing. For example, a rally consisting of 1 Prologue and 5 days, the limitation will be 3 tyres.
Single brand and model of rear tyre for the entire rally (1 hour penalty for non-compliance)
Possibility to change only one piston during the entire rally (10 min penalties for non-compliance)
No intervention on the motorcycle allowed during refuelling (only the road book dispenser can be opened to change the road book if necessary).
Sound alert on danger 2 and 3 (will be tested in Rally Morocco in 2020) using the sentinel.
Wearing of an Air Bag Vest equipped with passive safety paddings is mandatory.
Work on the itinerary: search for the slowest possible route, setting up slow zones if the ground is poor and fast especially in the HP zones, more WPs on the risk points.
First aid training certificate compulsory for all motorcycle riders.

Moreover, the following safety measures will also apply in 2021 for Elite riders (RallyGP Riders):

Navigation tower protected by foam for Elite riders (RallyGP Riders), especially the road book reader, best practice in order to reduce impact to the rider.
Detachable front windscreen, in case of impact by the rider (mandatory for Elite riders (RallyGP Riders) in 2021 Dakar rules).

No engine power reduction with air-intake restrictors that require an ECU re-setting will be done for the 2021 season. Engine development will be done until the end of 2021 for the reduction of the power of the machines.

Electronic road book will be tested in 2021 and should be implemented in 2022.

Dakar 2021

AMA Pro Motocross will run with spectators

After considerable communication between race organizers, local government, and local health officials, MX Sports Pro Racing has confirmed that the opening two rounds of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will be permitted to allow spectator attendance. The season opening Circle K Ironman National will be held in Crawfordsville, Indiana’s Ironman Raceway on July 18, followed by the WW Ranch National from Jacksonville, Florida’s WW Motocross Park on July 25. Additional rounds will be announced as the states advance through their phase-in recovery plans to allow large gatherings.

“While all of our championship venues have been permitted to reopen for recreational use, there are still varying state-by-state regulations that prevent many of them from allowing spectators at an organized sporting event,” said Roy Janson, MX Sports Pro Racing Competition Director. “As a result, the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship schedule will be rolled out in phases as additional venues are given the green light to welcome fans. Each event organizer is in constant contact with their local government and health officials in order to ensure that a fan-attended event adheres to all health and safety measures implemented by the county, and we’re confident that approach will allow us to have a proper championship calendar that allows for the return of spectators, and follows social distancing guidelines.”

Both the Ironman National and WW Ranch National, along with each remaining round on the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship schedule, will be hosted in compliance with social distancing guidelines that have been established from ongoing communication between local officials. A significant component of those guidelines will be eliminating spectator interaction from competitors and their teams, members of the media, as well as all event staff, meaning paddock access will be limited to credentialed personnel only. Additional details surrounding the implementation of social distancing policies at the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will be announced at a later date.

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Jorge Prado undergoes surgery after practice crash

Double FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion Jorge Prado is recovering from a procedure to fix his right collarbone after a fall while training in Belgium on Tuesday.

The 19 year old MXGP class rookie for 2020 suffered a clean break in the wake of his tumble at a circuit in Olmen, Belgium. He was transported to hospital in Herentals for examination and x-rays and entered corrective surgery the same day, performed by Dr Tom Claes, who inserted a plate to help re-join and support the bone. A scan late Tuesday evening showed the operation had been a success and Prado is expected to be back at his residence today . Early indications point to a four-week rehabilitation phase if the injury heals well and the Spaniard can ride his KTM 450 SX-F once more.

Prado defied a short winter of preparation to make his MXGP debut at Matterley Basin and the British Grand Prix at end of February for the first round of the 2020 series. He has been training and working at his base in Belgium in readiness for the resumption of the FIM World Championship that is provisionally scheduled to begin again with the Grand Prix of Russia on August 2nd.

Jorge Prado

“It’s disappointing to be dealing with another injury but I’m really happy with how the operation went and how the collarbone is looking. I was riding through a fast corner and there was a rider ahead of me; I just misjudged the line. I lost the front end and went over the handlebars. At first I wasn’t sure if I’d broken anything but after about thirty minutes it was clear that something was wrong. Anyway, we are on the recovery path again and I hope to be able to do some training again after about a week and we’ll wait another three to be back on the bike. Luckily we have some time before the races start again.”

Rene Hofer extends KTM contract

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are pleased to announce a two-year contract extension with FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship rookie Rene Hofer. The 18-year old Austrian will steer the factory KTM 250 SX-F for the 2021 and 2022 Grand Prix seasons.

Hofer was drafted into the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team for 2020 after showing promise through the EMX European Championship ranks with the KTM 125 SX and the KTM 250 SX-F in the EMX125 and EMX250 divisions. Rene impressed with his maturity, work ethic and strong mentality and brought those characteristics into the beginning of the 2020 Grand Prix campaign where he captured two top five finishes in four motos before the season was halted.

Rene Hofer

So far Hofer has shown encouraging signs of continuing KTM’s powerful lineage in the MX2 class. The manufacturer has owned the category 12 times in the last 16 years; including every season since 2008, with the exception of 2015. Eight different racers have earned the #1 plate while riding the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 250 SX-F. 2019 rookie and teammate Tom Vialle is the current series leader. Hofer is the first Austrian to represent Red Bull KTM in the principal MX2/MXGP Grand Prix competitions since Robert Jonas at the turn of the century.

Rene Hofer

“I’ve been with KTM for about a decade now and every time I step into the company, I feel like I’m in the right place. It’s only my first year with the factory team but it already feels like home and it’s a pleasure to work and spend time with the guys and achieve our goals together. All I can say is that I am super-excited about what the next two years will bring and I will enjoy every minute of it. From my side, I will obviously put in maximum effort and I know everybody in the team will do the same. Working together with an Austrian brand will hopefully have a positive effect on Austrian motorsport as well. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to live my dream but I can’t forget to give-it-up to all the people who helped me get here, especially my family.”

Rene Hofer

2020 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championship

Round One (Masterton) AA Class Overall

Dylan Yearbury
Hamish McDonald
Seth Reardon
Jason Dickey
Jason Davis

Round Two (Martinborough) AA Class Overall

Seth Reardon
Dylan Yearbury
Hamish McDonald
Tom Buxton
Paul Whibley

2020 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championship Calendar

~~Round 1 – 13th June 2020, Masterton~~
~~Round 2 – 14th June, Martinborough~~
Round 3 – 11th July, Santoft (Kapi-Mana MCC)
Round 4 – 12th July, Santoft (Kapi-Mana MCC)

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Dakar 2021 heralds new changes

June 12, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Dakar 2021

After the first Dakar held in the Middle East last January, the competitors and crews are heading back to Saudi Arabia to continue exploring the deserts of the country.

Dakar 2021

The route designed for the 2021 edition is a loop course beginning and ending in Jeddah, where the toughest competitors will arrive a few days after the rest day in Ha’il. While the bivouac will revisit some of the places where it set up camp a few months ago, the specials will be 100 per cent new.

Dakar 2021 returns to Saudi Arabia

As the race enters uncharted territory, the measures taken in 2020 to put the focus on navigation will continue their natural progression. Road books will now be handed out in the morning right before the start of each special. Some categories will have digital road books.

Dakar 2021

Furthermore, the rules have been amended to slow down the vehicles and, in general, to make the race safer. Certain hazardous sections will be categorised as “slow zones” where the speed limit will be set at 90 km/h. Air-bag vests will now be mandatory and subject to inspection by race officials during technical scrutineering. Motorcycle competitors will only be allowed six tyres for the duration of the event.

Dakar 2021 returns to Saudi Arabia

Penalties for engine changes were introduced a few years ago to encourage bikers to ride carefully. From next year, time penalties will be applied starting from the second piston change even if the rest of the engine remains the same. Finally, riders will no longer be allowed to work on their motorbikes at refuelling stations.

Red Sea

The Dakar convoy will start their 2021 odyssey on the shores of the Red Sea as they depart Jeddah on January 3.

Jeddah, the economic heart of the country, will host both the start and the finish of Dakar 2021

Competitors will spend the following two weeks navigating their way through Saudi Arabia’s expansive deserts.

Dakar will navigate the deserts of Saudi Arabia

A well earned Rest Day will come in the ancient city of Ha’il at the midway point on January 9.

Ha’il
For centuries, Ha’il was a stop on a trade route between the Red sea and Mesopotamia. The region is also famous for its numerous rock faces covered with rock art, which stand as reminders of the presence of human populations going back almost 10,000 years.

A hero’s reception awaits those who manage to meet every challenge and cross the finish line back in Jeddah on January 15. The winners will be celebrated on the podium, but everyone who completes the Dakar has the right to be satisfied at overcoming the toughest test of endurance.

Dakar 2021 in Saudi Arabia

Dakar Rally director David Castera

“Sometimes it feels like the other side of the rainbow is just around the corner and a magical treasure is within reach. The two weeks of the 2020 edition in Saudi Arabia, when the Dakar inaugurated Chapter 3 of its history in style, were one such time. Our Saudi hosts had the daring inspiration to believe in this marriage, a vision shared by all the competitors and their crews. Stage after stage, and often multiple times within the same stage, the majestic landscapes of the region left us dazzled and in awe. However, Saudi Arabia only revealed a tiny part of its mysteries, leaving plenty of surprises in store for the next edition in January 2021. Over the last few weeks, we have plunged back into our GIS software and last year’s recon notes and realised just how vast the possibilities are. The route we have prepared, a gigantic tour of the Saudi deserts, reuses none of the tracks and dunes that featured in the specials last January. The possibilities open to us have given us the opportunity to design a more technical course with more varied terrain and fewer fast sections. Along with the changes in the style of the course, we are also rolling out new features with a view to making the race even truer to the values of rally raid. Shifting the focus from raw speed to navigation are part of a holistic approach in which the creation of the Dakar Classic bridges the legends of the past and the excitement of the future. After all, adventure is a timeless pursuit, is it not?”

Dakar 2021 in Saudi Arabia
Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto wrap | Duncan wins gong | SX quotes & highlights

June 9, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto Wrap
June 9, 2022

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Courtney Duncan
NZ Sports Woman of the year

Last season the twenty-four-year-old from Dunedin finally achieved her goal of winning the FIM World WMX Women’s Motocross Championship at the fourth attempt; her stunning success saw Courtney win nine of the ten races in the series.

Her overwhelming march to the title as she shrugged off three years of misfortune prior to joining Kawasaki has now brought her the ultimate recognition in her native New Zealand when she was named as NZME Sports Woman of the Year at the ASB Otago Sports Awards; it was a tough category which also featured Netball World Cup winner Gina Crampton and para-athletics world championships silver medallist Holly Robinson.

She currently leads the 2020 WMX world series after four races in March before racing activities were suspended worldwide; the next round of the series is tentatively scheduled for the fifth of September at Afyonkarahisar in Turkey.

Courtney Duncan

‘‘There were definitely some days when I’d lay in bed wondering was I ever going to get across the line. It weighed on me a lot but I still had that belief and knowledge deep down that I had something that was good enough. It was just about putting all the pieces of the puzzle together and just figuring it out was the main thing.“

Courtney Duncan

2020 AMA Supercross
Round 13 of 17 – Salt Lake City
450 Main Video Highlights

[embedded content]

450 SX Results

Eli Tomac – Kawasaki
Cooper Webb – KTM +1.281s
Jason Anderson – Husqvarna +43.995s
Zach Osborne – Husqvarna +1 lap
Malcolm Stewart – Honda +1 lap
Dean Wilson – Husqvarna +1 lap
Justin Brayton – Honda +1 lap
Martin Davalos – KTM +1 lap
Justin Barcia – Yamaha +1 lap
Ken Roczen – Honda + 2 laps
Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha + 2 laps
Blake Baggett – KTM + 2 laps
Benny Bloss – KTM + 2 laps
Chad Reed – KTM + 2 laps
Justin Hill – Honda + 3 laps

450 SX Championship Points

Eli Tomac – 301
Ken Roczen – 275
Cooper Webb – 269
Justin Barcia – 239
Jason Anderson – 229
Malcolm Stewart – 198
Dean Wilson – 176
Justin Brayton – 173
Justin Hill – 169
Zach Osborne – 163
Aaron Plessinger – 159
Blake Baggett – 145
Martin Davalos – 136
Adam Cianciarulo – 129
Vince Friese – 127
Chad Reed 68

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Four Supercross rounds remaining

There are four rounds remaining in the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Championship in this COVID-19 induced quick-fire end to the season. Racers will be back on track this Wednesday, June 10, then again on June 14 and June 17 ahead of the finale on June 21.

450 Quotes

Eli Tomac – P1

“We had a pretty great battle going, but I did not want to let the win go. I ended up getting a triple combo at the end of that rhythm, which was the real make or break moment for me. That was a great battle and a lot of fun. The track had some great character and it was just a great day for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team.”

Eli Tomac took a 13-point lead over Roczen into the round and left with a 26-point buffer

Cooper Webb – P2

“It sucks I got second but man, it was a battle from lap one until the last lap. The conditions were tricky and the lappers were gnarly – a lot of it came down to that. It seemed like one lap I might get it right and one lap he might get it right but we were really pushing hard. It was a fun race even though I got beat. We’ll try to get the top spot on Wednesday.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“I’m happy to be up here. I feel like I’m getting closer to old form and my headspace is a little better so I’m just trying to keep building. I feel like I’ve had some good speed the last two races so I’m going to work on some stuff and come back at the next round and hopefully try to make it a little less easy on the championship guys.”

Jason Anderson

Zach Osborne – P4

“It was a decent day, I felt really good in the one qualifying session that we got and the heat race was good with the hole-shot even though I had a good little spill. I came out with a hole-shot in the Main but I rode kind of tight and the track was a little sketchy for me. I didn’t really find the flow right off the bat so it was a tough Main but it was a fourth-place, so we’ll take it. I’ve got a little bit of consistency to build with so I’m happy with it.”

Zach Osborne scored the hole-shot but was then quickly overhauled

Dean Wilson – P6

“It was a little bit different of a day with the weather and having only one qualifier, which went really well with a second. Unfortunately, with the rain I spun really hard on the gate and was pretty much dead last going down the start straight. I knew it was important to stay on two wheels and just try to click people off every lap, so that’s what I did. I don’t think it was my best riding but I managed to get a sixth, which is not too bad considering I came through the pack with a bad start.”

Dean Wilson

Justin Brayton – P7

“What a crazy day–the weather was just wild! It rained all day yesterday and most of the day today. Then the sun came out right after practice, which kind of dried up the track for the heat race, which was actually pretty good. I got third and then the rain blew in again. It dropped like 10 to 15 degrees and was raining on us before the main event, but all in all it was a good day. I ended up seventh–ran sixth for a long time and then got passed with a few to go. Overall, it was a solid night. Of course I want to be closer to the top five, but I feel like we’re working our way there. We made some awesome bike changes this week and that really helped me in the muddy conditions. When I got off the track, I told the guys that I can’t wait to ride this setup in the dry, so hopefully we’ll be able to do that here in a couple days.”

Justin Barcia – P9

“It was a tough day. Not a whole lot more to say than that. It didn’t go the way I wanted to. We’re definitely going to keep trying, stay positive and keep moving forward. I’m really looking forward to going racing in two days to try and turn things around.”

Ken Roczen – P10

“These past two races obviously haven’t been the results that we needed to be in the fight. That doesn’t mean that we aren’t still trying. Sometimes you’re dealt a hand of cards that are completely out of your control, but we’re trying to make the smartest and quickest decisions to get through some of the health issues that keep coming up. My heat went well and I led a handful of laps until I got a flat. The boulders started popping up and I think I know right where the rock got me in the whoops. With the weather changing, we tried to make a tyre decision that would give me the best chances of not having that same thing happen in the main, but that obviously didn’t work well. I’m not the type of guy that likes to roll around or is satisfied with a fifth or tenth place finish, but sometimes if that’s the best you can do for the night, you just have to accept it for what it is. I can’t thank my team enough for being patient with me and for never wavering in their support. I know the sacrifices they’re making to be up here and all of the work they’re putting in to give me the best equipment and support, and I want to do better for them. I couldn’t be more grateful for them and I hope we can turn this around and be in a better position to put up a fight on Wednesday.”

Ken Roczen’s title hopes were dealt a massive blow

Aaron Plessinger – P11

“It started out pretty muddy and I was doing really well in practice. I went out for the Heat race and I struggled pretty hard. The track dried out, got pretty rough but I got a good start and was moving forward before I started to struggle and fell back to fifth. In the Main, it was pretty much the same thing. I was moving forward and got up into seventh and was right on (Ken) Roczen for sixth, then I tightened up and couldn’t hold on anymore and fell back to 11th.”

450 SX Results
1. Eli Tomac – Kawasaki
2. Cooper Webb – KTM +1.281s
3. Jason Anderson – Husqvarna +43.995s

250 Main Video Highlights

[embedded content]

250 SX East Results

Chase Sexton – Honda
Shane McElrath – Yamaha +8.023s
Colt Nichols – Yamaha +20.252s
Pierce Brown – KTM +48.893s
Kyle Peters – Honda +1 lap
Jalek Swoll – Husqvarna +1 lap
Chris Blose – Honda +1 lap
Enzo Lopes – Yamaha +1 lap
Jace Owen – Honda +1 lap
John Short – Honda +1 lap
Jo Shimoda – Honda +1 lap
Hunter Sayles – KTM +2 laps
Justin Starling – Husqvarna +2 laps
Carter Halpain – Yamaha +2 laps
Wilson Fleming – Honda +2 laps

250 SX East Championship Points

Chase Sexton – 166
Shane McElrath – 163
Garrett Marchbanks – 119
Jeremy Martin – 105
Jalek Swoll – 91
Jo Shimoda – 89
Enzo Lopes – 81
RJ Hampshire – 80
Pierce Brown – 73
Kyle Peters – 69

Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Jett Lawrence makes return to racing this week

When Supercross reconvenes mid-week it will be the turn of the 250 West competitors to swing back into action which of course means the return of popular young Aussie Jett Lawrence after that sickening crash early in the season at Anaheim 2. Jett’s older brother Hunter will join him on track and taste the heat of Supercross competition for the first time this season as the young GEICO Honda team-mates aim to make a splash. 250 West competitors will race on Wednesday June 10 and Sunday June 14 before a 250 East round on June 17 ahead of the 250 East-West showdown on Sunday, June 21.

Jett Lawrence broke his collarbone at Anaheim II but will be back racing later this week – Image Hoppenworld

Another pair of Aussie brothers making their mark

Australian motocross has often seen successful families in racing. Names like Jay and Ryan Marmont, Craig and Danny Anderson to more recently Mitch and Richie Evans, have all enjoyed success on the race track and done it has a family as they travel the country enjoying a sport and hobby they all love. Then there is of course the Lawrence brothers making their mark in America after cutting their teeth in the junior ranks of Australian motocross and now another pair of young Aussie brothers are looking to continue the sibling tradition. Based in Goulburn, New South Wales, Ryder and Kayd Kingsford are starting to make waves in the junior racing as they spend their weekends travelling the country in search of events and competition.

Ryder Kingsford

Ryder, the oldest brother at age 14, is the 2019 Australian 12-14 years 85cc champion and backed that up with a third place in the 13-14 years 125cc class. For 2020, he makes the full transition onto the bigger bikes and will be contesting the 125 and 250cc divisions.

And his talent is not just on a motocross track, he is pretty handy inside the stadiums on a supercross track where he also won the 85cc class at the 2019 Australian Supercross Championships.

Ryder was also selected to represent Australia at the world junior titles in 2019 and the family travelled to Italy where he finished a very respectable 13th place in the 85cc class.

Ryder Kingsford

“2019 was a great year on my 85 and I was able to win a few things but I’m really excited about racing the 250 this year and contesting as many events as we can,” Ryder explains. “The YZ250F is such an awesome bike and once I got on it, I didn’t want to get off and its been so much fun to learn how to ride a four stroke properly. My goal this year to race both the 125 and 250 classes and I would love to win a national championship on both.”

Ryder Kingsford

Kayd, now 12, has moved from the 65 and 85cc small wheel classes to focus on the 85cc big wheel and a YZ125 isn’t too far off into the future. Kayd was one of the few selected riders to represent Yamaha and the YZ65 when the bike was released in mid 2018 and he has achieved significant success on the bike but is now looking forward to racing the bigger machines.

Both riders have been important members of the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team since joining in 2017 and haven grown into great ambassadors for the brand and feisty competitors on the track.

“The last few years with Yamaha Junior Racing has been amazing,” comments their father and team leader, Scott. “We have been humbled by the amount of support we receive from not just Yamaha but also the team sponsors and our NSW guru, Darren Thompson, as running two riders can be costly and time consuming. We have been fortunate in the last couple of years that while Kayd has been racing two bikes, the 65 and the 85, Ryder had been just on one, the 85, but now both guys can contest two classes at most events, so I will be a busy man with the pressure washer and the air-filter changes between races.”

Living in the country also allows the family to have a track in their back yard to practice and train on. Both riders are still attending school, but once they are home and the homework is done, they hit the track several times a day in preparation for up coming events.

“Having the luxury to access a track at any time has been great and it frees up so much time,” Scott continues. “Both of them are self-motivated and will ride from dawn to dusk but we have a few rules in place to make sure their schoolwork is done as is any chores around the house.”

With restrictions beginning to end, the family are eyeing off the coming race season and look forward to a hectic finish to the year.

“The down time has been good, but like most racing families, we are all desperate to get back to the track and start racing again. The boys miss their mates, they miss racing and we miss the camaraderie from it so hopefully things get back on track and we can do what we love, as a family,” Scott ends.

Kayd Kingsford Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop

FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championships

Due to the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the associated travel restrictions, the Sertões Rally originally scheduled for 14 to 23 August has had to be postponed until 07 to 15 November.

Given the already condensed nature of the 2020 calendar and particularly the limited time between the Rally of Morocco and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (UAE) plus the logistical issues this will cause, the FIM and the local organisers have decided that it will be in the best interest of all the competitors and related parties if the Sertões Rallye is withdrawn from the 2020 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.

The good news is that the Sertões Rally will be back in the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship calendar and will take place next summer; the exact dates will be confirmed at a later stage.

Revised 2020 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship Calendar

14-20 September – Rally Kazakhstan
9-14 October – Rallye du Maroc
20-26 November – Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News Weekly WrapAugust 18, 2020

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South Australia

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Yamaha to host Facebook Live reveal of 2021 Motocross Range

Click Facbeook logo below for the event page or click get reminder to be notified when broadcast starts

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2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
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Moto News Weekly Wrap
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MX Nationals to start in late Spring

Moto News Weekly Wrap
July 7, 2020

2020 GasGas Australian Trial Championships
Entries Open

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June 30, 2020

2020 GNCC
Round Seven – Millfield, Ohio

Motorcycling Australia to run 2020 MX Nationals
WEM steps down a year earlier than planned

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