Tag Archives: Enduro / Rally

FIM steps in to improve rally safety | Bikes to be slowed

Rally safety under scrutiny

This week FIM President Jorge Viegas, FIM Sports Director Jean-Paul Gombeaud and other FIM colleagues met with representatives from ASO (Organisers of the Dakar Rally), organisers, team managers, riders and manufacturers from the discipline of rally.

The main objective of this important meeting staged in Portugal was to reduce the number of accidents, and to increase safety in all rally events, but with a particular focus on the Dakar Rally.

During the meeting the following factors were identified as potentially increasing the risk of accidents, those being: Fatigue; dehydration; speeding and heightened confidence; hyper-thermic; navigational error; distraction; course – limited visibility of obstacle; and Road Book accuracy.

Following positive and constructive discussions between all parties, a number of proposals were put forward to address the points raised. They included:


Course: In future all courses at FIM championship events will be designed with the collaboration of a former motorcycle rider.

Road Book: A ‘course inspector’ team to be appointed – to develop the Road Book for all rounds so that all riders / teams have the same level of information and a truer interpretation of the actual level of difficulty of the course.

Speed reduction: More variation of the styles of course in order to have lower average speeds.

Air intake restrictor – the installation of the air intake restrictors, as per FIM 300 WSBK – in order to reduce engine power and also reduce speed. A test period will apply until June.

Rider protection equipment: Adopt airbags as soon as possible. Imminent meeting planned with relevant manufacturers, with 2020 being used for development in order to implement fully in 2021.

Navigation: A new instrumentation tower is being developed, with more visual and audio signals, and more compact / less obtrusive to avoid injuries.

Toby Price KTM RALLY Dakar Rally

Toby Price KTM RALLY Dakar Rally

Toby Price’s Factory KTM


FIM President Jorge Viegas

“I am satisfied with this very constructive meeting in an attempt to reduce the number of accidents in Rally, which is a priority for the FIM especially in the Dakar rally. We will test solutions from the start of this season and we will make a plan at the end of the season to adjust as necessary. The participation of ASO, KTM, Husqvarna, Hero, Honda, Yamaha and also the riders Sam Sunderland and Adrien Van Beveren allowed us to work hand in hand to take up this challenge to ensure the sustainability of this spectacular and unique championship.”

FIM Rally Safety Meeting

FIM Rally Safety Meeting

Attendance: FIM President, Jorge Viegas; FIM Sports Director, Jean-Paul Gombeaud; CRT Director, Jean-François Wulveryck; CRT Member, Jose Rita; CTI Coordinator, Dominique Hebrard; ASO – Dakar Director, David Castera; ASO Competitor relationship Technical, Charles Cuypers; ASO – Dakar Technical, Thierry Viardot; Honda Team, Manager Ruben Faria; Honda Team Manager, Helder Rodrigues
Yamaha Team Manager Alexandre Kowalski; Yamaha Team Manager, José Leloir; Yamaha Rider, Adrien Van Beveren; KTM Team Manager, Jordi Viladoms; KTM-HVA Tech, Stefan Huber; KTM (Extern) Heinz Kinigadner; KTM Rider, Sam Sunderland, HT Rally Raid Team Manager Henk Hellegers; Hero, Wolfgang Fischer.
Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News Weekly | AMA SX | AORC | NZ MX | Evans talks HRC

Moto News Weekly for February 25, 2020

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What happened this week

  • Eli Tomac wins 450SX from Ken Roczen in Texas
  • Chase Sexton claims 250SX triple-header win from McElrath
  • 2020 AORC kicks off in Toowoomba with Rounds 1 & 2
  • GNCC season kicks off in South Carolina with Round 1
  • Gibbs closes in on New Zealand MX1 lead at Round 2
  • Charles Le Francois wins 2020 Pro 450 Arenacross Championship
  • Tim Gajser & Mitch Evans talk 2020 with HRC
  • KTM Ultimate Race 2020 entrants announced
  • 2020 Championship Calendars
    • 2020 AMA Motocross
    • 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
    • 2020 MXGP
    • 2020 American Flat Track
    • 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
    • 2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
    • 2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
    • 2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
    • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
    • 2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
    • 2020 King of MX
    • 2020 Australian Motocross National Championship
    • 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

Eli Tomac wins 450SX from Ken Roczen in Texas

Ken Roczen took first blood in the 450SX class at the Round 8 triple-header, with victory over Cooper Webb while Jason Anderson rounded out that first podium. Barcia was fourth, while the slow-starting Tomac had worked his way up to fifth place by the flag.

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen SX DAL Kardy

Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld

In Moto2 Blake Baggett scored the hole-shot but this time Eli Tomac was quick out of the blocks and Tomac cruised to a clear victory, despite backing off in the latter half of the race, by more than three-seconds over Anderson, with Hill rounding out the podium ahead of Zach Osborne. Roczen was a disappointing seventh, behind Justin Barcia and Malcolm Stewart.

When the gates dropped for the final 450 Moto of the night it was Zach Osborne with the best clutch hand to get the jump ahead of Blake Baggett, Jason Anderson and Ken Roczen. Late race a beautiful move by Tomac saw him go past Anderson, the Husky rider came back at him but Tomac had more speed up his sleeve and just pulled away to take his best supercross victory for some time, and the overall round win.

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

Roczen got Osborne, then made some attempts on Anderson before letting caution call the shots. The German was very careful in this moto with his eye more on the championship points standings and not really up for any hard on-track fights that could bring him undone.

Anderson succumbed to the pressure late in the moto and went down in the whoops, allowing Roczen through for second place. Jason Anderson rounded out the podium ahead of Barcia while Osborne salvaged fifth.

Eli Tomac – P1

“We showed that we could fight and overcome adversity tonight. To be completely honest, I just got a bad start and struggled to find any rhythm in the first main event. Once I got into fifth place I kind of just got tight and couldn’t go forward after that. But I was able to quickly regroup with the team, and in the next two main events, we had a much better gate pick each time and were able to control the races from there. I am just happy to be leaving here healthy. We raced something like 50 laps tonight and as you saw, the track took out a lot of key dudes. I am glad we’re through it and looking forward to Atlanta next weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Tomac SX DAL Kardy

Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

Ken Roczen – P2

“The first main was really good. I made some moves early and while I wouldn’t say I checked out, I rode up front the whole race. It was good to get that first win and start with a low number for the night’s overall points. I think the second race is the most important and we wanted to go out there and get a good finish, but it just wasn’t our race at all. I didn’t get the start I wanted and then couldn’t find the same momentum. I’m happy with how we executed the last race though. I battled hard and went back and forth with Eli [Tomac] a couple times and just rode much better in traffic, having people in front of me and making some passes. All in all, with how many crashes there were throughout the whole day and night, and how I struggled with the track overall, I’m really happy to come away healthy and with second overall.”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen Webb Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Roczen Webb Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Ken Roczen & Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld

Jason Anderson – P3

“My weekend went pretty good, it’s hectic out there with the Triple Crown format. My riding seemed to be pretty good all night but I think the most eventful part for me was the whoops. Other than that, I rode good, put myself in good positions and was able to come out with a podium. I’m having a good time and I’m excited to keep going!”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Anderson Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Anderson Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Jason Anderson – Image by Hoppenworld

Justin Barcia – P4

“It was strong racing tonight in Dallas. We got a little bit better on the starts, but still needed something there to get us on the podium. The track was not super technical, but took a few guys out of the race. All in all, my race was really good. I made charges and made passes. I felt really strong and stayed in the hunt. My starts are going to keep getting better, I just need to stay consistent and keep trying my hardest. I’m ready for next week for sure.”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Barcia Baggett Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Barcia Baggett Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Justin Barcia – Image by Hoppenworld

Zach Osborne – P5

“It’s nice to finally have a good result for the team and also for me, it just makes the workload a lot easier when you have a decent weekend. To lead some laps in the last Main and finish 7-4-3 with a consistent night, I feel pretty good about it, so we’ll just continue to work and keep this momentum rolling in the right direction for the rest of the season.”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Osborne Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Zach Osborne – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Round Overall Results

Pos Rider M1 M2 M3 Total
1 Eli Tomac 5 1 1 26
2 Ken Roczen 1 7 2 23
3 Jason Anderson 3 2 5 21
4 Justin Barcia 4 5 4 19
5 Zach Osborne 7 4 3 18
6 Justin Hill 6 3 8 17
7 Malcolm Stewart 8 6 9 16
8 Aaron Plessinger 9 10 7 15
9 Dean Wilson 13 9 6 14
10 Blake Baggett 10 8 13 13
11 Vince Friese 12 11 10 12
12 Cooper Webb 2 17 20 11
13 Chad Reed 14 12 16 10
14 Ryan Breece 18 15 11 9
15 Kyle Chisholm 19 13 12 8
16 Tyler Bowers 16 14 14 7
17 Martin Davalos 11 20 19 6
18 Kyle Cunningham 17 19 15 5
19 James Weeks 20 16 17 4
20 Ronnie Stewart 21 18 18 3
21 Justin Brayton 15 21 21 2
22 Broc Tickle 22 22 22 1

450SX Standings

Pos Rider Total
1 Eli Tomac 181
2 Ken Roczen 174
3 Cooper Webb 155
4 Justin Barcia 154
5 Jason Anderson 139
6 Adam Cianciarulo 128
7 Malcolm Stewart 122
8 Justin Hill 110
9 Zach Osborne 105
10 Justin Brayton 105
11 Blake Baggett 104
12 Dean Wilson 100
13 Aaron Plessinger 92
14 Vince Friese 82
15 Martin Davalos 65
16 Tyler Bowers 49
17 Chad Reed 31
18 Kyle Chisholm 29
19 Ryan Breece 25
20 Justin Bogle 24
21 Kyle Cunningham 21
22 Alex Ray 19
23 Chris Blose 18
24 Benny Bloss 13
25 Broc Tickle 12
26 James Weeks 4
27 James Decotis 4
28 Jason Clermont 3
29 Cade Autenrieth 3
30 Ronnie Stewart 3
31 Adam Enticknap 2
32 Fredrik Noren 2
33 Jerry Robin 1
34 Joshua Cartwright 1

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Chase Sexton claims 250SX triple-header win from McElrath

In Moto 1 it took Sexton a few minutes to get the better of Smith but Hampshire had cleared off and he capitalised on that to take a clear victory over Sexton. Shane McElrath recovered from a poor start to work his way through the field and claim the final step on the rostrum.

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld

Josh Hill narrowly scored the hole-shot over Chase Sexton in Moto 2, and as the race passed the mid-way point McElrath and then Jeremy Martin moved past Crown while a couple of laps later Garrett Marchbanks pushed Crown further back to fifth place.

And that was the order the finished, Sexton getting the flag over nine-seconds ahead of McElrath while Martin rounded out the podium ahead of Marchbanks.

AMA SX Rnd Arlington HillJo SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington HillJo SX DAL Kardy

Josh Hill – Image by Hoppenworld

In Moto 3, Shane McElrath scored the hole-shot in the final 250 Main ahead of Chase Sexton, however McElrath proved to have the measure of Sexton as the #1 Honda never got close enough to the Yamaha to try and make a pass. McElrath was the clear victor over Sexton while the super aggressive Hampshire rounded out the podium.

Chase Sexton – P1

“What a night in Arlington. Happy with how everything went last night and how we bounced back after the chaos in the first main! I’m really just having fun out there racing with these guys and stoked to get a win for the team to reward all their hard work this off season. Thank you Texas!”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Chase Sexton – Image by Hoppenworld

Shane McElrath – P2

“I felt awesome all day. I didn’t put myself in a good position tonight with the first two starts. It really tough to catch the leaders, but I fought hard all night and at times maybe a little too hard. I’m happy with my last race and motivated to get behind the gate again next weekend!”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington McElrath Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington McElrath Sexton Multiple SX DAL Kardy

Shane McElrath – Image by Hoppenworld

RJ Hampshire – P3

“In the first race, I got up front and won my first Main Event and I was stoked on that, I fought hard for it,” Hampshire said. “I felt like we got a good start to the year now. Last weekend was a bit rough but I’m confident that we’re just going to keep getting better now.”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Hampshire Multiple SX DAL Kardy

RJ Hampshire – Image by Hoppenworld

Garrett Marchbanks – P5

“I am happy with today’s result. I honestly didn’t feel like myself all day today and struggled in sections of the track. I had tweaked my ankle during practice which really bugged me all night long, so to finish with another top-5, I’ll take it. We will continue to work throughout the week to find an even more comfortable flow so that we are ready to go in Atlanta next weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Marchbanks SX DAL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Arlington Marchbanks SX DAL Kardy

Garrett Marchbanks – Image by Hoppenworld

250SX Round Overall Results

Pos Rider M1 M2 M3 Total
1 Chase Sexton 2 1 2 26
2 Shane Mcelrath 3 2 1 23
3 RJ Hampshire 1 6 3 21
4 Jeremy Martin 5 3 4 19
5 Garrett Marchbanks 6 4 5 18
6 Joshua Hill 9 7 6 17
7 Joey Crown 7 5 10 16
8 Enzo Lopes 8 8 7 15
9 Jalek Swoll 10 12 9 14
10 Jo Shimoda 14 10 8 13
11 Jordan Bailey 13 11 12 12
12 John Short 12 9 15 11
13 Jordon Smith 4 20 14 10
14 Lorenzo Locurcio 16 17 11 9
15 Curren Thurman 17 15 13 8
16 Dustin Winter 15 13 18 7
17 Richard Jackson 18 16 16 6
18 Jace Owen 11 21 21 5
19 Kevin Moranz 21 14 19 4
20 Isaac Teasdale 20 18 17 3
21 Wilson Fleming 19 19 20 2
22 Kyle Peters 22 22 22 1

250SX Standings

Pos Rider Total
1 Dylan Ferrandis 135
2 Justin Cooper 128
3 Austin Forkner 122
4 Brandon Hartranft 110
5 Alex Martin 98
6 Jacob Hayes 89
7 Luke Clout 83
8 Michael Mosiman 82
9 Derek Drake 78
10 Mitchell Oldenburg 72
11 Carson Brown 72
12 Martin Castelo 53
13 Killian Auberson 51
14 Aaron Tanti 50
15 Chase Sexton 49
16 Shane Mcelrath 49
17 Jett Lawrence 46
18 Jay Wilson 45
19 Robbie Wageman 43
20 Jeremy Martin 40
21 Rj Hampshire 38
22 Garrett Marchbanks 37
23 Michael Leib 32
24 Joey Crown 31
25 Christian Craig 29
26 Jordon Smith 28
27 Joshua Hill 28
28 Cameron Mcadoo 27
29 Logan Karnow 27
30 Jo Shimoda 26

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2020 AORC kicks off in Toowoomba with Rounds 1 & 2

For the full AORC Rounds 1 & 2 Run Down check out:
Milner claims overall wins at AORC Rounds 1 & 2 (link)

KTM Enduro Racing Team duo Daniel Milner and Mason Semmens lead the E2 and E1 categories respectively after riding to victory in the opening rounds of the 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) at Toowoomba over the weekend.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Daniel Milner

Defending E2 champion Milner reigned supreme aboard the KTM 450 EXC-F to dominate both days in Queensland, setting the benchmark outright throughout the weekend.

Daniel Milner

“To win the opening rounds of the year is always a good way to start a championship. I made sure I got through it all clean and had good runs over both days, because it was important to maintain consistency and carry the best pace that I could without making mistakes. I felt like I was well-prepared for the season, but you’re never 100 percent sure, so to have such a strong weekend shows that all the hard work has paid off. I’m really happy with the KTM Enduro Racing Team 450 EXC-F, it’s honestly been unbelievable – especially in the conditions that we had on the weekend. We’ve done a lot of work in the off-season and I’m really happy.”

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner

Daniel Milner

It was a spectacular start to the season for Milner, who became a father for the first time during the off-season, and he began his campaign for the new year in remarkable form. He now has a six-point lead in the standings.

Josh Green led the charge for the Yamaha team and battled on determinedly all weekend despite coming into the season opener under-prepared due to a heavy fall just two weeks prior. But the veteran came out all guns blazing on Saturday and posted times near the top of the outright list and took it up to the major players in off road. He finished the day in third-place in the highly competitive E2 division and shadowed Milner and Australian MX Champ, Todd Waters all weekend.

Josh Green

“Two weeks ago it was doubtful I would even be racing, so to not only be competing but also very competitive is a real bonus and I’m satisfied with the result from the weekend. As each day went on, I could feel my strength draining but on Saturday night, I was able to freshen up and tackle Sunday feeling pretty good. The bike was good all weekend, the team worked hard behind the scenes to ensure I had everything I needed and the interest in off road was as good as I have seen it so it’s awesome to see the promotion and energy in racing at the moment. We have a month until rounds three and four so hopefully I can continue to recover and hit them at 100%. But, glad to get through the weekend unscathed, land on the podium both days and get off to a good start in the 2020 championship.”

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Josh Green

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Josh Green

Josh Green

The weekend also marked the debut of teenage signing Semmens in the KTM Enduro Racing Team and he didn’t disappoint on-board the KTM 250 SX-F, finishing second in E1 on day one and first on day two for the points-lead.

Semmens is the newest member of the factory KTM off-road program after transitioning from motocross full-time for this season. He’d previously won multiple junior national titles as part of the KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team during his career.

Mason Semmens

“To get 2-1 results and take the points-lead over the weekend in my first race with the KTM Enduro Racing Team is a really good feeling. I wasn’t sure where I was going to be at coming into the first round, but the hard work that we did in the off-season showed and I surprised myself a little bit. I’m learning every time I go out and really tried to minimise mistakes, so it was good and I’m really fortunate to be teammates with Milner. Everything has been awesome and I’m definitely feeling comfortable on the KTM 250 SX-F.”

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Mason Semmens

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Mason Semmens

Mason Semmens

Luke Styke took a convincing victory on Saturday, but the juggernaut was slowed on Sunday when he crashed heavily on the second sprint lap that left him sore, sorry and battered. Nursing a banged up elbow and reaggravating an ankle injury, Styke soldiered on for the remainder of the day. He clawed his way to third place in E1 on the day and his combined 1-3 results saw him sitting second after the opening two rounds.

Luke Styke

“Saturday was good and everything was on track but I got it all wrong in a rocky area of the course and fell onto my elbow and also got my ankle stuck under the bike. And I’m not sure what hurts most. I will have to get them both checked out as the pain in both is pretty high. I managed to finish and actually got better as the day went on, but I was no where near 100%. Thankfully the team had my back and encouraged me to keep plugging away and salvage what I could after the crash. My first priority will be to get both my elbow and ankle checked out and make a plan after that.”

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Luke Styke

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Luke Styke

Luke Styke

Daniel Sanders and the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team meanwhile claimed assertive E3 class victories in Toowoomba, QLD. Sanders is not yet back at 100 percent following a wrist injury sustained in the pre-season, but put in a fine performance to open his campaign with commanding results aboard the Husqvarna FE 501.

Despite a difficult start on Saturday morning, the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team rider rebounded to land the E3 overall. He continued that form on Sunday, recording the second-fastest times outright in both rounds of racing.

Daniel Sanders

“The results in class were good this weekend in Toowoomba. It’s definitely positive to start the season on top, especially after the way Saturday started and after spending minimal time on the bike in the lead-up. We have the base to build from now in terms of results and will keep working hard, so thanks to everyone at the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team, the FE 501 was really solid as it always is. I’m excited to keep going and look forward to the Dungog rounds coming up.”

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Sanders

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Sanders

Daniel Sanders

Round One Results

Pos Rider Time
1 Daniel MILNER 54m39.5
2 Daniel SANDERS 55m21.3
3 Todd WATERS 55m27.3
4 Joshua GREEN 55m36.4
5 Luke STYKE 55m47.2
6 Mason SEMMENS 55m55.5
7 Michael DRISCOLL 56m19.5
8 Beau RALSTON 56m34.5
9 Jonte REYNDERS 56m59.3
10 Cooper SHEIDOW 57m01.6
11 Stefan GRANQUIST 57m05.3
12 Jeremy CARPENTIER 57m07.0
13 Callum NORTON 57m09.3
14 Kyron BACON 57m38.5
15 Korey MCMAHON 58m05.1
16 Fraser HIGLETT 58m14.9
17 Corey HAMMOND 58m27.0
18 Jesse LAWTON 58m38.4
19 Blake HOLLIS 58m44.1
20 William PRICE 58m54.1
21 Harrison TEED 59m10.4
22 Hayden KEELEY 59m22.9
23 Joshua KILVINGTON 59m26.9
24 Brad HARDAKER 59m34.0
25 Brent DEAN 59m40.3

Round Two Results – Top 25

Pos Rider Time
1 Daniel MILNER 59m40.0
2 Daniel SANDERS 00m34.4
3 Todd WATERS 01m23.8
4 Joshua GREEN 01m32.3
5 Michael DRISCOLL 1h02m07.2
6 Mason SEMMENS 1h02m17.8
7 Jonte REYNDERS 1h02m39.4
8 Stefan GRANQUIST 1h02m55.1
9 Callum NORTON 1h03m05.1
10 Jeremy CARPENTIER 1h03m44.2
11 Fraser HIGLETT 1h04m02.8
12 Kyron BACON 1h04m04.4
13 Beau RALSTON 1h04m06.3
14 Luke STYKE 1h04m31.4
15 Korey MCMAHON 1h04m44.6
16 Blake HOLLIS 1h04m50.7
17 Jesse LAWTON 1h04m56.7
18 Cooper SHEIDOW 1h05m01.1
19 Corey HAMMOND 1h05m24.6
20 William PRICE 1h06m00.8
21 Brock NICHOLS 1h06m06.9
22 Brad HARDAKER 1h06m11.9
23 Hayden KEELEY 1h06m28.2
24 Harrison TEED 1h06m42.3
25 Samuel PRETSCHERER 1h06m54.3

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GNCC season kicks off in South Carolina with Round 1

The first round of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series concluded on Sunday in Union, South Carolina with the 23rd Annual Big Buck GNCC. Cool and partly sunny conditions greeted the final day of racing at Round 1, making for almost perfect racing conditions.

GNCC Rnd Union Kailub Russell

GNCC Rnd Union Kailub Russell

Kailub Russell – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill

As racing got underway it was Kailub Russell jumping off the line first to grab the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 holeshot award. Russell would lead the race from start to finish, after gaining a lead of over one-and-a-half minutes by the time they completed lap four out of six. Russell would continue to turn the pace up, and by the time the checkered flag flew, Russell would hold a lead of one minute and 51 seconds. Russell earned his 61st career victory, and his last “first-race” win ever.

Coming through in the second place position was Coastal Bi-Con Racing’s Ricky Russell. After completing the first lap of racing Russell was just 1.9 seconds behind the leader, however as the race wore on Russell would fall back to over a minute-gap. Russell remained focused and pushed through the three-hours of racing to earn second overall and a podium finish to start off the season.

GNCC Rnd Union Ricky Russell

GNCC Rnd Union Ricky Russell

Ricky Russell – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill

Josh Strang had a strong performance at round one of the 2020 GNCC season. Strang would come through sixth on the opening lap, but by the time the race reached the halfway point he had worked his way into the final podium position. Strang would continue to push, and hold off his fellow XC1 Open Pro competitors, taking home a third overall at the season opener.

Earning fourth overall aboard his new team, and in his home state was Steward Baylor Jr. Baylor, who would work his way through the pack after a seventh place start to the day. Baylor looked to be making a late race push, as he came through timing and scoring just five-seconds behind Strang at the completion of the three-hours.

Taking fifth in XC1 Open Pro and sixth overall was Jordan Ashburn. After starting the day up in third, Ashburn would battle with his fellow XC1 competitors throughout the entire three-hour race. Ultimately, Ashburn would cross the line three minutes behind fourth place to finish out round one of the 2020 season.

GNCC Rnd Union Mike Witkowski XC

GNCC Rnd Union Mike Witkowski XC

Mike Witkowski – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill

Earning his first-ever XC2 250 Pro class win was Mike Witkowski. After starting the day off in third, Witkowski would put his head down and go to work on picking off the competition. Coming through timing and scoring on the fourth lap, Witkowski had gained the lead, and would not look back. Witkowski came through one minute and 23 seconds ahead of second, while also finishing fifth in the overall standings.

Making his comeback to GNCC Racing was Johnny Girroir. After missing all but three rounds of racing last year due to health concerns, Girroir proved that he has been hard at work to get back to where he was. Girroir held the lead for the first three laps of XC2 racing in South Carolina, and would then engage in a battle for the lead with Witkowski. Girroir would hold onto second all the way to the checkers.

After battling his way through the pack XC2 class it was Coastal Bi-Con Racing’s Craig DeLong coming through the finish line third in the class. DeLong was not satisfied with his third place finish, and expressed that in his podium interview. However, DeLong continued to close the gap throughout the entire race, crossing the finish line just five seconds behind second.

GNCC Rnd Union Zack Hayes XC

GNCC Rnd Union Zack Hayes XC

Zack Hayes – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill

Taking the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class win was Zack Hayes. After making the decision to race the 125 class, Hayes would have his work cut out for him. After grabbing the holeshot Jason Raines made his way to the lead on the second lap. Raines would hold the lead, but when the white flag came out Hayes would make the pass for the lead and hold it until the checkered flag came out. Cole Mattison would come through in the third place position after a consistent day of racing in South Carolina.

Brody Johnson took home the Top Amateur honors at Big Buck on Sunday afternoon. Johnson finished 20th overall, and first in 250 A. Tristan Landrum came through second in 250 A and 25th overall earning second on the top amateur podium. Chase Hayes came through 31st overall, and first in the Open A class earning himself a spot on the top amateur podium.

As the 10 a.m. race started Tayla Jones got the jump off the line first and earning the Trail Jesters $100 WXC holeshot award. Jones would hold the lead on the opening lap, but as the WXC riders came through timing and scoring on lap two it was Becca Sheets with the lead.

GNCC Rnd Union Becca Sheets WCX

GNCC Rnd Union Becca Sheets WCX

Becca Sheets – 2020 GNCC Round 1 – Image by Ken Hill

Sheets would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the race, earning the first WXC and overall win of the season. Jones would cross the line second in South Carolina followed by Rachael Archer rounding out the WXC class and overall podium.

At the conclusion of the youth race it was Grant Davis taking the overall win and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win at Big Buck. Noah Cooper came through to take second in YXC1 and in the youth overall. Crossing the line third overall was YXC2 Super Mini Jr. rider, Nick Defeo. Jack Joy captured the final podium position in YXC1, while Cole Forbes and Matthew Hallenbeck rounded out the YXC2 class podium.

The first Moto Hero of 2020 was awarded to Travis Snelson. Snelson comes from Asheville, North Carolina and has been in the Army for 15 years, serving his country in Iraq in 2010 as an engineer.

The 2020 GNCC Season continues in two weeks with the Moose Racing Wild Boar GNCC in Palatka, Florida.

Overall National Championship Standings

  1. Kailub Russell (30)
  2. Ricky Russell (25)
  3. Josh Strang (21)
  4. Steward Baylor Jr. (18)
  5. Michael Witkowski (16)
  6. Jordan Ashburn (15)
  7. Grant Baylor (14)
  8. Layne Michael (13)
  9. Jonathan Girroir (12)
  10. Craig DeLong (11)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

  1. Mike Witkowski (30)
  2. Jonathan Girroir (25)
  3. Craig DeLong (21)
  4. Jonathan Johnson (18)
  5. Lyndon Snodgrass (16)
  6. Cody Barnes (15)
  7. Liam Draper (14)
  8. Ryder LeBlond (13)
  9. Thorn Devlin (12)
  10. Simon Johnson (11)

Gibbs closes in on New Zealand MX1 lead at Round 2

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs centre and Kayne Lamont right finished in the final moto in Rotorua.

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs centre and Kayne Lamont right finished in the final moto in Rotorua.

Kirk Gibbs topped the podium – Image by Clmintiepix

Cody Cooper took the win in the first MX1 Moto of the weekend at Round 2 of the Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship, with Kirk Gibbs having to settle for second, while Hamish Harwood completed the podium. Kayne Lamont was fourth and Brad Groombridge completed the top five.

The second MX1 Moto was an underdog story for Kirk Gibbs however, who had to recover from a crash and ending up down in 17th, all the way up to claiming the race win and 25-points, ensuring he hung onto his championship lead as they head towards Round 3.

Gibbs followed up in Moto 3 with a dominant win, almost 20-seconds ahead of second-placed Kayne Lamont, with Cody Cooper back in third a further 10-seconds behind. Hamish Hardwood and Hadleigh Knight completed the top five in the final race of the weekend.

Kirk Gibbs won the Round Overall in MX1 on 72-points, with Cody Cooper just five-points in arrears, while Hamish Hardwood is a further nine-points behind. Kayne Lamont was just two-points off Harwood on 56-points, while Brad Groombridge was fifth overall.

The result leaves Kirk Gibbs trailing MX1 leader Cody Cooper by just six-points heading into Round 3, with Hamish Harwood a further 16-points off second-place. Kayne Lamont if fourth in the overall standings, with Brad Groombridge fifth.

Kirk Gibbs

“I was frustrated with myself and just wanted to be in the fight, so I pushed really hard and caught all the way back up to Hamish [Harwood] and Coops [Cooper] and was able to pass both of them and get the win, so I was really happy with that one. I’m really happy with the Altherm JCR Yamaha team and my team at home [in the Sunshine Coast], who are working hard in between rounds. I’m stoked with how today ended up.”

MX1 Round Overall

Pos. Rider R1 R2 R3 Overall
1 Kirk Gibbs 22 25 25 72
2 Cody Cooper 25 22 20 67
3 Hamish Harwood 20 20 18 58
4 Kayne Lamont 18 16 22 56
5 Brad Groombridge 16 18 15 49
6 Ethan Martens 15 15 11 41
7 Tyler Steiner 14 14 13 41
8 Cody Murphy 13 13 14 40
9 Hadleigh Knight 12 11 16 39
10 Roydon White 11 12 12 35

MX1 Standings

Pos. Rider Points
1 Cody Cooper 142
2 Kirk Gibbs 136
3 Hamish Harwood 120
4 Kayne Lamont 95
5 Brad Groombridge 92
6 Ethan Martens 87
7 Tyler Steiner 82
8 Hadleigh Knight 81
9 Cody Murphy 73
10 Roydon White 70

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MX2

In MX2 Josia Natzke claimed the opening Moto win, ahead of James Scott and Maximus Purvis, with Caleb Ward and Dylan Walsh completing the top five.

Altherm JCR Yamahas Maximus Purvis powers his way into second overall in the MX championship in Rotorua

Altherm JCR Yamahas Maximus Purvis powers his way into second overall in the MX championship in Rotorua

Maximus Purvis – Image by Clmintiepix

Kyle Webster came with with a vengeance in the second Moto, after a DNS in Moto 1, claiming the win from Josia Natzke, while Maximus Purvis was once against third. Dylan Walsh and Morgan Fogarty completed the top five.

Kyle Webster again took the win in the third and final Moto of the weekend in the MX2 class, from Maximus Purvis and James Scott, while Dylan Walsh and Josia Natzke completed the top five.

Josia Natzke concluded the the weekend on 63-points for the round, one ahead of Maximus Purvis, while James Scott was third overall on 57-points. Dylan Walsh was fourth, while Kyle Webster was fifth on 50-points, with the DNS in Moto 1 the limiting factor after two Moto wins.

MX2 Round Overall

Pos Rider R1 R2 R3 Overall
1 Josiah Natzke 25 22 16 63
2 Maximus Purvis 20 20 22 62
3 James Scott 22 15 20 57
4 Dylan Walsh 16 18 18 52
5 Kyle Webster 0 25 25 50
6 Caleb Ward 18 14 15 47
7 Morgan Fogarty 15 16 14 45
8 Brad Groombridge 14 13 13 40
9 Cobie Bourke 13 12 8 33
10 Broc Martens 12 9 12 33

MX2 Standings

Pos Rider Points
1 Josiah Natzke 126
2 Maximus Purvis 118
3 James Scott 114
4 Dylan Walsh 96
5 Morgan Fogarty 92
6 Caleb Ward 90
7 Brad Groombridge 82
8 Riley Ward 70
9 Broc Martens 62
10 Cobie Bourke 58

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Charles Le Francois wins 2020 Pro 450 Arenacross Championship

Suzuki’s RM-Z450 claimed a fifth Arenacross championship title in the hands of SR75 Suzuki’s Charles Le Francois, who won the 2020 Pro 450 Championship at the SSE Arena in London, UK over the weekend.

SR Suzuki Charles Le Francois Pro Arenacross Champion

SR Suzuki Charles Le Francois Pro Arenacross Champion

Charles Le Francois (SR75 Suzuki) – 2020 Pro 450 Arenacross Champion

Frenchman Le Francois sealed this year’s championship with five main event and super final wins, plus another seven podiums. Suzuki’s previous titles were in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Geoff Walker – SR75 Suzuki Team Owner

“This Arenacross tour and championship win is incredible and another big landmark for the team. Charles and everyone involved in what we do deserve this title as we have never stopped pushing. It is unreal to take Charles and give him the opportunity to capture his first pro championship and to do it with a dominant performance at the final round shows how far he has come and we are incredibly proud of him, and the strength of the RM-Z450 package. I would like to thank Ian and everyone at Suzuki GB, all our team partners, our amazing staff, and our incredible riders and supporters for making this all possible.”


Tim Gajser & Mitch Evans talk 2020 with HRC

Three-time world champion Tim Gajser of Team HRC took the MXGP crown by over 200 points in 2019, including a record-breaking seven overall GPs in a row, then rounding off the year with one-two moto results at the Motocross of Nations in Assen, making him the first Slovenian to win his class at the historic event.

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

In the meantime, Australian Mitch Evans was competing in his first season in the FIM world motocross championship in the MX2 class, getting off to a good start at the MXGP of Patagonia, before settling into a year that was filled with some ups and downs, as he got used to life in the series.

Now with just a few weeks to go until the start of the 2020 FIM World Motocross Championship, Gajser’s focus is fully on defending that title, while Evans hopes to continue his excellent Internazionali d’Italia form into the MXGP championship and prove to everyone he has what it takes to run up front in the toughest motocross series in the world. We caught up with the duo to find out their thoughts heading into this new season…

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

Question: Just talk briefly about what that 2019 season was like for you.

Tim Gajser: “2019 was an amazing season. Already coming into the season, I was already feeling good, the bike was really great. I was hoping for a great season, and I was struggling a bit early in the season, making too many mistakes in the first races, but then after Valkenswaard we went to Arco and then everything started going in the right direction and I started winning races, Grand Prix’s and eventually the title.”

Mitch Evans: “I got off to a great start by getting on the podium in Argentina, but things didn’t quite go to plan from then on. I struggled a little bit just with everything being new and perhaps trying to push myself too much in order to over-compensate for the results. It was a learning curve though and I’m glad I was able to come over here and do it. Obviously after that I got the call to join Team HRC, it was a dream come true for me, I’ve always grown up looking at the scene over here and HRC is one of the best rides you can have. I was a little bit speechless when it happened but I knew it was going to be a big challenge and I couldn’t wait to get started.”

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

Q: What has this off-season been like and what can you tell us about the new bike?

Gajser: “It was very busy, I didn’t have a lot of time off, and had a lot to do. I am thankful I could spend a couple of days at home in my own bed, and then beginning of December I started preparation for 2020. Obviously I had Monster Cup right after Assen and then we had a few days with the new bike. I’ve ridden it a lot more this year of course but as soon as I sat on the bike, I felt really good and comfortable. Everything goes in a good way and we can have great races with that bike and a great season. I never try to stop progressing and Honda are the same, they always come with new things and together we can do big things.”

Evans: “I went over to Japan just for one race at the end of last year and that was a really cool experience. It was great to see what HRC is all about and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there. Then I went back to Australia for a little bit over the holidays before coming back to Europe this year to ride the new bike and to just work with the team in preparation for the MXGPs. The first time I rode it was in Sardinia and right away I was impressed with what they had done. I was coming from a different place than Tim but I knew that it was a machine capable of winning races and that they’d put in a lot of time and effort to getting it ready for this year.”

Team HRC Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

Q: What about your preparations for this coming season and how you plan to approach it?

Gajser: “Last year I changed many things and I was super happy with that, so basically we try and stay with the same program, but you can always improve and I tried to improve some things and we try and do that every year, that is the goal. Every year, some riders from MX2 come to MXGP and it makes it bigger and there are more good riders. Already we have the great names, but this year even more good guys and the motivation is that you need to improve, and I always say it could be better. Even winning the races and the titles, I always feel I can do better.”

Evans: “I’ve done a lot of gym work to make sure I’m ready for the extra size and power of the 450 machine. I started a little bit earlier, which meant that I could go to Australia and I think that was important as it refreshed me a bit. Last year I wasn’t able to go home and I felt a bit homesick so just those couple of weeks I think have made a big difference mentally and physically. I’ve tried to work smarter and not just harder, but now I’m back working with the team to get everything ready for this season and it’s all going well.”

Q: Things went very well in Italy, with the pair of you going one-two in the Internazionali d’Italia and winning all the races. Talk about that championship.

Gajser: “It was a great way to start off the season. Of course it isn’t the MXGPs but it was important to see where the new bike was and straight away we can tell it doing very well. We got almost all the holeshots and led all the laps and I felt comfortable right from the beginning. I am very happy with how those three races went and it sets us up nicely for Matterley Basin.”

Team HRC Tim Gajser MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser – Image by Bavo

Evans: “Like Tim said, those three races went very well. I was very happy with my results and my racing, and my fitness was good too. Winning the last race was also a great feeling for me as it had been a little while since my last victory and it was just a great way to head into the world championships. Things will definitely be tougher there but I’m feeling strong and the Honda CRF450RW is riding well and is fast out of the gate and that is going to be very important when the season begins.”

Q: What are you hoping to achieve in the MXGP class this year?

Gajser: “Defending my title is definitely the goal, but of course, I want to have fun, enjoy the races and stay healthy. I just want to enjoy and if I am having fun riding my dirt bike, I can go really fast. A happy Tim is a fast Tim, so I hope we have good races this year.”

Evans: “I would like to be one of the three or four guys at the front of the field by the end of the season. I know it will be a massive challenge, and I know that the class is extremely competitive with a lot of fast guys in it but I believe that is what I am capable of eventually. To start with, I just want to be consistent and make sure I am in the top 10 each weekend. I want to build my fitness and just work from there towards the front of the field. I’d love to get a couple of podiums and perhaps even a win before the year is out but I’d be happy with a couple of podiums.”

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo dsc

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

Q: What’s it like having Tim / Mitch as your team-mate?

Gajser: “Mitch is a funny guy and he is a good team-mate. We spent a couple of days in November together and we stayed a couple of weeks in Sardinia and riding and having some meals together. He is a good guy, fast, young. I am getting older, but it is nice having Mitch beside me and he is younger and hungry, and he wants to show he is fast. He already proved in Mantova that he can win races so I think he has a chance to have a very good season this year.”

Evans: “Having Tim as three-time world champion as my team-mate is pretty cool. To be on the same team that he did it on is awesome because they know how to win as well. I couldn’t have anyone better to learn from, so I’m looking forward to improving from him and he’s a great guy, we get along really well so I’ve really enjoyed my time riding with him. We have a bit of banter when we can but when we need to be serious, we are, and its just a good dynamic between us both.”

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo

Team HRC Tim Gajser Mitch Evans MXGP shotbybavo

Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans – Image by Bavo

So with three highly successful Italian races under their belts, the Team HRC duo of Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans will head to Matterley Basin, Great Britain for the opening round of the 2020 MXGP series full of confidence and ready to show that both the brand new Honda CRF450RW and themselves are ready to take on world motocross championship.

See below for the 2020 MXGP calendar.


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KTM Ultimate Race 2020 entrants announced

Following special qualifying events held within each of the six KTM Adventure Rallies across the world in 2019, KTM has announced the names of those 12 finalists who will be given the once in a lifetime opportunity to race a rally-prepared KTM 790 Adventure R Rally machine at the KTM Ultimate Race 2020.

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

Held within the upcoming Merzouga Rally on May 24 to 29, the second edition of the KTM Ultimate Race will see 12 KTM Adventure riders from Europe, South Africa, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand race aboard equally prepared KTM 790 Adventure R Rally machines. A six-day-long challenge of more than 1,000km, the KTM Ultimate Race 2020 will be a true test for each participant’s riding skills as well as their ability to navigate their way across the Moroccan dunes.

The members of the global KTM Adventure community who have topped their respective KTM Adventure Rally qualifiers to secure their spot at the KTM ULTIMATE RACE 2020 are:

  • KTM Australia Adventure Rally
    • Simon Arthur
    • Graham Cheney
  • European KTM Adventure Rally
    • Iker Iturregi
    • Andrej Crnkovic
  • KTM South Africa Adventure Rally
    • Cayle Dormehl
    • Keegan Eich
  • KTM North America Adventure Rally
    • Wes Van Nieuwenhuise
    • Brendan Crow
  • KTM Canada Adventure Rally
    • Wayne Hodder
    • Wendell Maki
  • KTM New Zealand Adventure Rally
    • Mark Dando
    • Matthew Kneesch

The KTM Ultimate Race is a special category at the Merzouga Rally, very similar to the main event and ridden mostly on the same routes. All participants will face a grueling six-day-long race from the dusty trails to the dunes of Morocco.

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

Each competitor will have access to a specially prepared KTM 790 Adventure R Rally machine, which will be equipped with a host of KTM PowerParts along with a roadbook to help them navigate through the desert. All KTM Ultimate Race participants will be treated like KTM Factory riders, supported on site with a truck and a team of mechanics to help out with parts and tools or with maintaining the bike after a tough race day.

Along with this unique and exclusive prize, competitors will be given a fantastic opportunity to be coached by some of the world’s finest offroad riders. Chris Birch and Quinn Cody will be present to provide their close guidance and tutelage, while actively supporting these riders in every aspect of how to manage this challenge.

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

KTM Ultimate Race

Featuring more than 1,000km of offroad riding and navigating in the heart of Morocco, the upcoming Merzouga Rally will take place on May 24/29, 2020.


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2020 Championship Calendars

2020 AMA Motocross race schedule

  • May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
  • May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
  • May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
  • June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
  • June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
  • June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
  • July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
  • July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
  • July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
  • August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
  • August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
  • August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN

2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar

  • Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
  • Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
  • Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
  • Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
  • Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
  • March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
  • March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
  • March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
  • March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
  • April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
  • April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
  • April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

2020 MXGP Calendar

  • March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
  • March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
  • March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
  • April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
  • April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
  • May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 7 – Russia, Orlyonok – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 14 – Latvia, Kegums – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 28 – Indonesia, Jakarta
  • July 5 – Indonesia, Palembang
  • July 26 – Czech Republic, Loket – (EMX65, EMX85, EMX 2t)
  • August 2 – Belgium, Lommel – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 16 – Sweden, Uddevalla – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 23 – Finland, Litti-KymiRing – (EMX125, EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • September 6 – Turkey, Afyonkarahisar – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • September 13 – China, (TBA) –
  • September 20 – Emilia Romagna, Imola – (EMX125, WMX)
  • September 27 – Motocross of Nations, France, Ernee

2020 American Flat Track

  • Round 1. March 14: Daytona 200 &  TT – Daytona Speedway, FL
  • Round 2. March 28: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
  • Round 3. April 4: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Speedway, Concord, NC
  • Round 4. May 2: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
  • Round 5. May 9: So-Cal Half-Mile – Perris Speedway, Perris, CA
  • Round 6. May 16: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
  • Round 7. May 30: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
  • Round 8. June 13: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Speedway, Loudon, NH
  • Round 9. June 20: OKC Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Round 10. June 27: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
  • Round 11. July 4: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
  • Round 12. August 9: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
  • Round 13. August 11: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
  • Round 14. August 22: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
  • Round 15. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 16. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 17. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Round 18. September 26: Meadowlands Mile* – Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

  • Round 1, January 3 – Kurri Kurri Speedway, Loxford Park NSW
  • Round 2, January 6 – Diamond Park, Wodonga VIC
  • Round 3, January 7 – Undera Speedway, Echuca Road, Undera VIC
  • Round 4, January 9 – Olympic Park, Regina Street, Mildura VIC
  • Round 5, January 11 – Gillman Speedway, Wilkins Road, Gillman SA

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 8-10
  • Round 2: Trefle Lozerien AMV (France) May 21-23
  • Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) June 10-14
  • Round 4: Red Bull 111 Megawatt (Poland ) June TBC
  • Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 21-25
  • Round 6: Tennessee Knockout (USA) August 15-16
  • Round 7: Hawkstone Park Cross-Country (UK) September TBC
  • Round 8: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) October TBC

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

  • May 16 – PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland – Warsaw
  • May 30 – German SGP – Teterow
  • June 13 – Czech SGP – Prague
  • July 18 – Adrian Flux British SGP – Cardiff
  • July 25 – Swedish SGP – Hallstavik
  • August 1 – Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland – Wroclaw
  • August 15 – Scandinavian SGP – Malilla, Sweden
  • August 29 – Russian SGP – Togliatti
  • September 12 – Danish SGP sponsored by ECCO – Vojens
  • October 3 – Revline Torun SGP of Poland – Torun

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

  • April 11-12 Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships
    • Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD, North Brisbane Jnr Motorcycle Club
  • October 17-18 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
    • Fairburn Park, ACT Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

  • May 16-17 Australian Senior Track Championships
    • Qurindi, Tamworth, NSW, Tamworth Motorcycle Club
  • September 26-27 Australian Junior Track Championships
    • Gunnedah, NSW Gunnedah Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 & 2: Toowoomba, QLD 22 – 23 February 2020
  • Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW 14 – 15 March 2020
  • Round 5 & 6: Nowra, NSW 18 – 19 April 2020
  • Round 7 & 8: Murray Bridge, SA 1 – 2 August 2020
  • Round 9 & 10: Omeo, VIC 19 – 20 September 2020
  • Round 11 & 12: Wynyard, TAS 17 –18 October 2020

2020 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Calendar

  • Round 1: December 7, 2019 – Krakow, Poland
  • Round 2: January 4 – Riesa, Germany
  • Round 3: January 18 – A Coruna, Spain
  • Round 4: February 1 – Budapest, Hungary
  • Round 5: March 14 – Lodz, Poland

2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West Calendar

  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East Series
    • March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
    • May 16-17: Madd Moose, Marquette, Mich.
    • July 4-5: Tough Like RORR, Tamaqua, Pa.
    • July 18-19: Fallen Timbers, Little Hocking, Ohio
    • Aug. 1-2: Battle of the Goats, Taylorsville, N.C.
  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road West Series
    • Feb. 8: King of the Motos, Lucerne Valley, Calif.
    • March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
    • May 2-3: EnduroFest, Reno, Nev.
    • June 6-7: Last Dog Standing, Devore, Calif.
    • June 20-21: Stix and Stones, Kellogg, Idaho
  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship
    • Aug. 14-16: Trials Training Center, Sequatchie, Tenn.

2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 – June 13: Diedenbergen DE
  • Round 2 – July 26: Boves-Cuneo IT
  • Round 3 – September 5: Morizès FR
  • Round 4 – October 3: Pardubice CZ

2020 King of MX Calendar

  • Qualifier 1 – February 15-16, Bega – Top 7 qualify for final **Run & Won**
  • Qualifier 2 – February 29-1 March, Narrabri – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 3 – March 14-15, Lake Macquarie -Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 4 – March 28-29, Wagga Wagga – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 5 -April 18-19, Bathurst – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 6 – May 9-10, Dargle – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Final – June 6-8, Cessnock

2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 & 2 Horsham, Victoiria April 4/5
  • Round 3 Newry, Victoria May 3
  • Round 4 Gympie, Qld May 24
  • Round 5 Conondale, QLD June 28
  • Round 6 & 7 Maitland, NSW July 25/26
  • Round 8 & 9 Coolum, QLD August 22/23

2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

  • Round One – Balclutha, 1st February 2020
  • Round Two – Rotorua, 23rd February 2020
  • Round Three – Hawkes Bay, 1st March 2020
  • Round Four – Taupo, 15th March 2020

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Source: MCNews.com.au

Milner, Sanders and Semmens claim AORC lead at Toowoomba

2020 Yamaha AORC

Rounds 1-2 Toowoomba

Images courtesy of Troy Pears


Round One – Saturday

Round 1 of the 2020 Yamaha Off Road Championship was held in Toowoomba and presented new challenges to our riders, including new faces in the field and first round nerves, with new classes also joining the mix.

Coming out on top today and setting 2020 out on the best foot was Luke Styke (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube) in E1, Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) in E2, Daniel “Chucky” Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) in E3 and Korey McMahon (Sutto’s Motorex KTM Racing Team) in the EJ class.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Luke Styke E

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Luke Styke E

Luke Styke – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba

This new season also introduces of new Junior classes, including JJ, JG and J1, all in mind to ensure the sport is safely secured in future generations to come. Round 1 was clinched by Riley McGillivray in J4, Billy Hargy in J3, Jett Yarnold in J2, Charlie Connolly in J1, Max Stevenson in JJ and Danielle McDonald in JG.

Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha MXStore Ballards Off-Road Team) led the Women’s results at Round 1, Lee Stephens (True Painting and Decorating, KTM Newcastle)in Veterans and Kirk Hutton (Yamaha Motors Australia) in Masters all took out first place, attaining a firm grasp on their continued success from 2019 into 2020. This AORC season also includes the first full season 2 Stroke Cup class, which saw Harry Teed take out the top spot.


E1

Working tooth and nail to hold onto his 2019 victory was Luke Styke on his Yamaha with a time of 55:47.177. Styke lead ahead of Motocross up-and-comer Mason Semmens (KTM Enduro Racing Team), who crossed his seventh and final test for the day with a total time of 55:55.475 with only eight seconds separating two.

Rounding out the E1 Round 1 podium was MXstore’s Kyron Bacon, who continues to grow in leaps and bounds as he transitions from EJ to E1 this season.

Luke Styke

“Today started off a little slower than expected but we progressed throughout the day, made some fixes to the bike and just got better and better. For Round 2 we’re just going to rest up and hopefully start off the racing in a little bit of a better position compared to today.”


E2

As Daniel Milner said at the Press Launch earlier this week, the 2019 racing season was one he wanted to forget, but regardless of the spill early in the day, Milner has grabbed the E2 lead with both hands. Clocking in at 54:39.515, Milner lead comfortably ahead of newcomer and MX Nationals Champion, Todd Waters (Berry Sweet, Husqvarna).

Waters made a big and welcome splash into the E2 class today, shaking up the competition by clocking in an impressive total time of 55:27.309. Closing out the top three was Yamaha Active8 Yamalube’s Josh Green, who finished ahead of Michael Driscoll (Yamaha bLU cRU Off-Road Racing Team) with a total time of 55:36.369.

Daniel Milner

“Today started off strong but I ran into some trouble and came off the bike and I’m lucky that I was able to get back up and continue riding, honestly. Apart from that incident though, my day was pretty good and finished up well with the class win! I think I came into this round swinging, ready to get back into the game in a big way.”

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner E

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Milner E

Daniel Milner – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


E3

With the number one firmly locked onto his Husqvarna FE501, Chucky remained his unstoppable self. Regardless of a crash early in day’s tests, Chucky did as he does best and pushed through, grinning and bearing it to clock in a time of 55:21.276.

Shaking up the E3 class on the 300 two-stroke is Motul Pirelli Sherco Offroad Racing Team’s Jonte Reynders, who took out second placed behind the International Six Days Enduro World Champion. Rounding out the podium was Callum Norton (KTM Desert Racing Team), with a total time of 57:09.295.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Sanders E

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Daniel Sanders E

Daniel Sanders – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


EJ

It was was the time for Korey McMahon to shine and after tangoing back and forth with the likes of Kyron Bacon last season, McMahon took out a well deserved EJ class win for Round 1, clocking in a time of 58:05.112.

Rounding out the podium today was Blake Hollis (Yamaha) with a total time 58:44.064, and Samuel Pretscherer (Gol Gol Hotel, Mototech) with a time of 59:40.496.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Korey McMahon EJ

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Korey McMahon EJ

Korey McMahon – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


J4

Settling comfortably back into the swings of things, it was like Riley McGillivray never left over the break as he charged ahead of his rivals with ease. McGillivray finished Round 1 with a total time of 48:19.242, ahead of Kodi Stephens and Kobi Wolff.


J3

Billy Hargy was simply unstoppable as he screamed across the Offroad Advantage test track, finishing in first with a total time of 49:16.712. Second place was awarded to William Dennett, while clinching the final podium position was Campbell Hall.

Billy Hargy

“Today was good. Started off a bit slow and came second in the first few tests. I think I was struggling in the test a little bit but I started finding a few good lines and working to my strengths. I didn’t think I’d score the round win and I’m really happy with the end result!”


J2

The rocky landscape didn’t slow down Jett Yarnold, who stole away first place in J2 with ease, clocking in after six laps with a time of 52:38.318. Sliding into second was Levi Stephens, followed closely by Jet Alsop in third.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Jett Yarnold J

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Jett Yarnold J

Jett Yarnold – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


J1

A brand new addition to the AORC pits, the J1 features 85 small wheels. Coming out on top for Round 1 was Charlie Connolly, with a total time of 56:09.406. Clinching second place was Beau Tripcony, while rounding out the podium was Cooper Boyd.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Charlie Connolly J

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Charlie Connolly J

Charlie Connolly – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


JJ

The second brand new addition to AORC is the JJ class with 65cc motorbikes and claiming its first ever round win was none other than Max Stevenson, with a total time of 57:51.208. Taking out second place was Harley Hutton, and close behind was Dylan McDonald scoring third place.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Max Stevenson JJ

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Max Stevenson JJ

Max Stevenson – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


JG

Last but certainly not least in the Juniors is the new JG class. Claiming the first round win was the demon behind the handlebars, Danielle McDonald, with a total time of 54:09.460. McDonald was followed by Monique Simioni and Ariana Collins to complete the podium.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Danielle Mcdonald JG

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Danielle Mcdonald JG

Danielle McDonald – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


Women’s

Jess Gardiner appears to have worked straight through the AORC break to build herself up to an even better position for the 2020 season. Clocking in a total time of 1:10:30.314, Gardiner took out first place ahead of ‘The Flying Swede’, Emelie Karlsson (Yamaha).

Stealing away third was Penrite Honda’s Emma Milesevic, who appears to be right at home now after completing a near full season in 2019 whilst also making tracks in Motocross.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Jessica Gardiner Womens

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Jessica Gardiner Womens

Jess Gardiner – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


Veterans

Continuing on from a blisteringly hot 2019 season where he rarely faltered off first place, Lee Stephens demonstrated his fine form to take out first place in the Veterans class. Trailing behind Stephens in second place was Richard Chibnall (WBR Echuca On Point Motorcycles, 100% Strength), while the third and final Veteran podium position was won by Christopher Thomas (Thomas Lee KTM).

Lee Stephens

“Had a really good day today. I crashed in the logs on the first test – they caught me out – and I have really been looking forward to getting the season started,” explained Stephens.

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Lee Stephens Vets

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Lee Stephens Vets

Lee Stephens – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


Masters

He took out the 2019 AORC Masters title with a round to spare last season and looks set to continue that fantastic streak in 2020, with Kirk Hutton taking out first place, clocking in a total time of 1:07:10.693. Behind Hutton in second was Andrew Gillam, while Timothy Martin rounded out the podium

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Kirk Hutton Masters

Yamaha AORC Rnd Toowoomba Kirk Hutton Masters

Kirk Hutton – 2020 Yamaha AORC Round 1 – Toowoomba


2 Stroke Cup

After the success of the 2 Stroke Cup in selected rounds last season, AORC introduced this class as a full season Championship class for 2020.

Taking out first place at Round 1 was Harry Teed with a total time of 59:10.420. As Teed navigated the WR450F track, which presented a mixture of lush grass and slippery dust, he was followed closely by Brad Hardaker (Banana Coast Pest Control, Yamaha). Third place was won by Dalton Johnson (Motul Pirelli Sheroc Offroad Racing Team).

Round One Results


Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News Weekly | SX | MX | SuperEnduro | X-Trial

Moto News Weekly for February 4, 2020

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What happened this week

  • Eli Tomac wins Oakland AMA Supercross Round 5
  • Dylan Ferrandis tops SX2 at Oakland
  • Billy Bolt extends SuperEnduro lead in Budapest
  • Gajser wins Italian MX Round 2 in Ottobiano – Evans second
  • Cooper claims 2020 NZ MX opener win in Balclutha
  • Nathan Watson crowned French Beach Race Champion
  • Toni Bou goes four for four at Barcelona X-Trial
  • Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP 2020 riders announced
  • 2020 Broadford Bike Bonana set for April
  • 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship announce new sponsor
  • 2020 Australian ISDE rider applications open
  • WP Suspension Australia to support Granquist & Karlsson
  • Motorcycle Speedway in Western Australia on a roll
  • MA announce updates to Speedway Australian Championship Selection
  • King Of MX heads to Bega for Qualifier 1
  • Australia to host FIM Oceania Junior Motocross Tri-Nations Cup
  • 2020 Championship Calendars
    • 2020 AMA Motocross
    • 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
    • 2020 MXGP
    • 2020 American Flat Track
    • 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
    • 2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
    • 2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
    • 2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
    • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
    • 2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
    • 2020 King of MX
    • 2020 Australian Motocross National Championship
    • 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

Eli Tomac wins Oakland AMA Supercross Round 5

Chad Reed was missing from the 450 event at Oakland as he is still nursing some broken ribs from his tumble last week and there was no Aussie to cheer for when the 450 Main got underway.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac Roczen Multiple SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac Roczen Multiple SX OAK Kardy

Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

Scoring the holeshot was Ken Roczen ahead of the Kawasaki pairing of Adam Cianiarulo and Eli Tomac, with Cooper Webb soon starting to challenge Eli Tomac. Tomac got the better of team-mate Cianciarulo with 12-minutes remaining in the moto and quickly pulled away to close to within a second of Roczen.

Tomac took the lead with nine-minutes remaining and wasted no time in pulling a second out on Roczen. He looked in control but he made a mistake with five-minutes remaining which allowed Roczen to cruise on by. Tomac then regrouped and had the gap back down to a just under a second with three-minutes remaining on the clock.

The Kawasaki man then passed Roczen again with two-minutes left.  A minute later Tomac had built a 1.4-second buffer over Roczen, and when the clock had run out his lead was out to 2.5-seconds as they got the last lap board.

Cooper Webb managed to catch and pass Cianciarulo in the closing stages of the race to push him out of the podium positions, the Kawasaki man seeming to fade late in the race.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac Webb Multiple SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac Webb Multiple SX OAK Kardy

Eli Tomac, Cody Webb – Image by Hoppenworld

Then on the final lap Webb seemed to come from nowhere to be all over Roczen. The Honda man had perhaps been cruising to what he had thought was a safe second place, only to be gazumped at the final juncture by Webb. The two made some contact which left Roczen nursing his right foot after the race finished but what really hurt was losing that second place only metres from the finish line.

Eli Tomac was the deserving and very happy victor who celebrated clawing important points back on series leader Roczen, the German’s lead trimmed to now only three-points.

Eli Tomac – P1

“Wow, what a crazy night. We got a good start tonight and were able to get going right away. Had a good battle with Ken (Roczen) tonight, then got a little excited and missed my rear brake and went over the berm there. Luckily, I was able to recover quickly and charge back to the front. My KX™450 was straight up ripping tonight and we closed the points gap up to three points. I am feeling really good right now, and we are just going to carry this momentum into San Diego next weekend.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac SX OAK Kardy CoverA

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Tomac SX OAK Kardy CoverA

Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

Cooper Webb – P2

“I think I finally just raced ahead tonight. I think I’ve been just kind of conservative and not laying it out there like all these guys have been so today/tonight was a much better direction and I fought hard the whole Main Event. I still need a little there at the beginning but overall I’m pretty happy and I feel like I’m in a good spot moving forward.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cianciarulo Webb Multiple SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cianciarulo Webb Multiple SX OAK Kardy

Cooper Webb chases Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld

Adam Cianciarulo – P4

“For me tonight we made great strides and for only riding one time this week to see if my tailbone was good to go, I am pretty pumped with the result. I can’t thank the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team enough for giving me a setup tonight that allowed me to do what I did after being a little banged up. I am looking forward to some more recovery this week and to come out swinging next week in San Diego.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cianciarulo Tomac Multiple SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cianciarulo Tomac Multiple SX OAK Kardy

Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld

Jason Anderson – P5

“My night was alright. I think my heat race kind of messed up my gate pick and then I was on the outside so I wasn’t really able to be in the battle right away and once I got into fifth I was in no-man’s land so I just rode it in for fifth. We’ll move onto next weekend and hopefully put myself in a better situation.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Anderson SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Anderson SX OAK Kardy

Jason Anderson – Image by Hoppenworld

450SX Main Event

Pos Rider Bike Laps/Gap
1 Eli Tomac Kawasaki KX450 21 Laps
2 Cooper Webb KTM 450SX-F Factory Edi +03.557
3 Ken Roczen Honda CRF450R Works E +04.726
4 Adam Cianciarulo Kawasaki KX450 +14.812
5 Jason Anderson Husqvarna FC450 Factory +16.800
6 Justin Barcia Yamaha YZ450F +19.124
7 Dean Wilson Husqvarna FC450 Factory +28.468
8 Justin Hill Honda CRF450R +29.713
9 Blake Baggett KTM 450SX-F Factory Edi +31.336
10 Malcolm Stewart Honda CRF450R +48.111
11 Zach Osborne Husqvarna FC450 Factory +55.317
12 Aaron Plessinger Yamaha YZ450F +57.617
13 Justin Brayton Honda CRF450R +58.366
14 Vince Friese Honda CRF450R 20 Laps
15 Martin Davalos KTM 450SX-F Factory Edi +15.151
16 Tyler Bowers Kawasaki KX450 +16.402
17 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha YZ450F +17.974
18 Alex Ray Kawasaki KX450 +33.447
19 Kyle Cunningham Suzuki RMZ450 +37.451
20 Cade Autenrieth Honda CRF450R +55.953
21 Ryan Breece Suzuki RMZ450 19 Laps
22 Joshua Cartwright Kawasaki KX450 +11.918

450SX Standings

Pos Rider Total R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
1 Ken Roczen 113 17 26 23 26 21
2 Eli Tomac 110 16 19 26 23 26
3 Justin Barcia 98 26 23 14 18 17
4 Jason Anderson 96 18 21 18 21 18
5 Cooper Webb 95 21 11 21 19 23
6 Adam Cianciarulo 90 23 16 17 15 19
7 Malcolm Stewart 75 14 17 15 16 13
8 Justin Brayton 73 15 15 16 17 10
9 Blake Baggett 69 19 14 9 13 14
10 Zach Osborne 63 9 18 19 5 12
11 Justin Hill 61 12 12 11 11 15
12 Dean Wilson 59 10 10 13 10 16
13 Aaron Plessinger 57 11 13 8 14 11
14 Vince Friese 52 13 9 12 9 9
15 Martin Davalos 39 8 1 10 12 8
16 Tyler Bowers 27 6 6 8 7
17 Justin Bogle 24 7 8 7 2
18 Chris Blose 18 3 5 4 6
19 Chad Reed 15 5 2 5 3
20 Alex Ray 15 4 2 4 5
21 Ryan Breece 12 0 3 7 2
22 Kyle Cunningham 11 0 7 0 4
23 Kyle Chisholm 10 4 6
24 Benny Bloss 7 6 1
25 James Decotis 4 1 3
26 Cade Autenrieth 3 3
27 Fredrik Noren 2 2
28 Jerry Robin 1 0 1
29 Joshua Cartwright 1 0 0 1

SX2 Round Five – Oakland

All three Australians made it through to the 250 Main with Jay Wilson, Aaron Tanti and Luke Clout earning their spot on the start gates after some impressive performances in the heat races. Come the Main it was the #101 Penrite Honda that was the fast starter of the Aussies in fourth place as the riders negotiated lap one. Out front was Alex Martin, Austin Forkner and Dylan Ferrandis.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Clout SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Clout SX OAK Kardy

Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld

Forkner worked his way past Alex Martin a couple of laps into the race and Ferrandis then pushed the Suzuki man further back to third.

Cooper slipped past Clout with ten-minutes remaining in the moto, demoting the Aussie to fifth. The 25-year-old then came under pressure from Hartranft with five-minutes remaining, his fifth place finish was under threat.

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Ferrandis SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Ferrandis SX OAK Kardy

Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld

Dylan Ferrandis then put a somewhat controversial move on Forkner for the race lead, the Kawasaki man taking avoiding action from a charging Ferrandis, the two never made hard contact but the Frenchman is currently on probation after another questionable move at a previous round on Christian Craig. Ferrandis came out the other side with a two-second lead over Forkner.

On the final lap though Hartranft made a mistake and slipped back to eighth which allowed Clout back through to secure a fifth place finish. The South Australian was also the first Honda home and is now eighth in the championship standings.

Justin Cooper stole third place from Alex Martin in the dying stages of the race then pulled away with apparent ease to secure that final step on the podium.

At the chequered flag it was Ferrandis the clear victor over Forkner and the defending champion now leads the 250 West Championship by two-points.

Aaron Tanti carded a top ten finish, a strong ninth to the Serco Yamaha man. Jay Wilson recovered to 16th place after losing a lot of time in the incident involving Mosiman early in the race.

Dylan Ferrandis – P1

“I’m pretty pumped about the way my day went here in Oakland. I finished first overall and took the red plate, which is awesome. It was such a good night for the team and myself, but we still have many races to go. So we’re back to work again Monday and will work hard to be ready for the next round in San Diego.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Ferrandis SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Ferrandis SX OAK Kardy

Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld

Austin Forkner – P2

“Tonight was a solid night overall, obviously I would have liked to take the win, but the lapped traffic tonight was no joke. I am happy with where my riding is, so this week we will make some minor tweaks and keep improving. I’ve had to dig myself out of a hole and while we didn’t make up any points on the leader tonight, we did move up to third in the standings. Ten points down isn’t too bad and something I can manage. I’ll keep grinding, chipping away at those points and continue to dig out of this hole. Overall, it was a great night for the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and we’re looking to finish next week off strong before the break.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Forkner SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Forkner SX OAK Kardy

Austin Forkner – Image by Hoppenworld

Justin Cooper – P3

“It was another tough night for me but we were able to bounce back. I did what I had to do. I put in a lot of laps tonight, so I was pretty smoked in that Main. It was pretty hard to pass out there. I just took my time and focused on Alex (Martin). I’m just happy to get a good start and stay up when I hit Alex in that first turn. I have got to give it up to the whole team. We’ll go back to work and try and get back on top.”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cooper SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Cooper SX OAK Kardy

Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld

Alex Martin

“All around, better vibes this weekend in Oakland after a productive week of testing in North Carolina with the team. I was able to use that JGR Suzuki power and grab the Main Event holeshot. I led for a while before going back to third where I rode for the majority of the race before I got passed with a lap and a half to go, finishing fourth. Very bittersweet, but I’m happy with the progress that was made in just one short week with the team. I can’t wait for San Diego!”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Martin Multiple SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Martin Multiple SX OAK Kardy

Alex Martin – Image by Hoppenworld

Luke Clout – P5

“I felt better, testing had gone well and working with Buddy Antunez has clearly helped. It was a positive step forward but we have a lot of work in front of us. I really hope I can stay and complete the championship”

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Clout Multiple SX OAK Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Oakland Clout Multiple SX OAK Kardy

Luke Clout – Image by Hoppenworld

Pos. Rider Bike Laps/Gap
1 Dylan Ferrandis Yamaha YZ250F 16 Laps
2 Austin Forkner Kawasaki KX250 +02.336
3 Justin Cooper Yamaha YZ250F +12.919
4 Alex Martin Suzuki RMZ250 +15.287
5 Luke Clout Honda CRF250R +27.819
6 Mitchell Oldenburg Honda CRF250R +29.297
7 Derek Drake KTM 250SX-F Factory Edi +29.634
8 Brandon Hartranft KTM 250SX-F Factory Edi +36.472
9 Aaron Tanti Yamaha YZ250F +49.634
10 Martin Castelo Husqvarna FC250 +51.142
11 Carson Brown Husqvarna FC250 +56.787
12 Jacob Hayes Husqvarna FC250 +1:05.070
13 Michael Leib Husqvarna FC250 15 Laps
14 Cameron Mcadoo Kawasaki KX250 +05.363
15 Robbie Wageman Yamaha YZ250F +06.973
16 Jay Wilson Yamaha YZ250F +09.282
17 Mitchell Falk Honda CRF250R +25.902
18 Taiki Koga Kawasaki KX250 +33.950
19 Logan Karnow Kawasaki KX250 +36.715
20 Lorenzo Camporese Kawasaki KX250 +47.746
21 Killian Auberson Husqvarna FC250 7 Laps
22 Michael Mosiman Husqvarna FC250 3 Laps

250SX Standings

Pos Rider Total R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
1 Dylan Ferrandis 109 23 11 26 23 26
2 Justin Cooper 107 26 23 23 14 21
3 Austin Forkner 99 18 26 6 26 23
4 Brandon Hartranft 92 16 21 21 19 15
5 Alex Martin 85 13 19 18 16 19
6 Jacob Hayes 73 12 17 15 18 11
7 Mitchell Oldenburg 72 7 15 16 17 17
8 Luke Clout 66 2 16 17 13 18
9 Derek Drake 64 15 13 5 15 16
10 Michael Mosiman 63 19 3 19 21 1
11 Carson Brown 57 8 14 11 12 12
12 Jett Lawrence 46 14 18 14
13 Robbie Wageman 43 10 5 9 11 8
14 Martin Castelo 42 12 7 10 13
15 Aaron Tanti 41 0 10 10 7 14
16 Killian Auberson 41 9 8 13 9 2
17 Jay Wilson 33 6 12 8 7
18 Michael Leib 32 11 6 5 10
19 Christian Craig 29 21 1 1 6
20 Cameron Mcadoo 26 17 9
21 Logan Karnow 19 5 0 8 2 4
22 Mitchell Falk 18 1 7 4 6
23 Derek Kelley 13 4 9
24 Cheyenne Harmon 10 4 3 3
25 Ludovic Macler 7 0 2 4 1
26 Taiki Koga 5 0 5
27 Lorenzo Camporese 5 0 2 3
28 Chris Howell 3 3

Billy Bolt extends SuperEnduro lead in Budapest

The fourth round of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship was played out at the Papp Laszlo Sportarena in Budapest over the weekend and after three hours of very intense racing and surprising developments the standings in both classes have seen big changes.

In Prestige, everyone was waiting for Taddy Blazusiak to respond after his rival, Billy Bolt, had a perfect GP in Spain. But it was not to be and the Brit further strengthened his lead over the six-time World Champion. In Budapest the only rider to have really troubled Bolt was Jonny Walker.

It wasn’t plain sailing for the young Brit, and the first race of the evening certainly didn’t go to plan as several mistakes – including a huge over-the-bars crash – which saw him fail to keep pace with the quick KTM pairing of Blazusiak and Walker. In fact, Walker impressively dominated the race with his smooth and precise style, gapping the field and leaving Blazusiak to settle for second. Remarkably, Bolt held on to third despite the difficulties, taking important points.

As Race 2 rolled around, Bolt wasn’t going to take any chances. Even after a less than perfect start due to the ‘reverse grid’ format, Bolt was at the front in a flash. Taddy Blazusiak also suffered a bad start, but as the Pole was also struggling with the bike set-up he found it difficult to make up positions. Bolt, edging ever further in front of his rivals, won the second race of the night ahead of Walker, Blazusiak and Pol Tarres, who took a great fourth.

In the final race of the night Jonny Walker once again took to the front with his pacy but precise style, but this time he could not hold off Bolt. The KTM rider made a small mistake in the melee while he was also suffering with arm pump he found it hard to fight back.

Blazusiak was looking keen and found himself in the lead for the first time of the evening, but Bolt was neck-and-neck with the SuperEnduro ‘GOAT’. Under pressure from the wild Brit, Taddy made a mistake that allowed the Factory Husqvarna rider to take the lead. Blazusiak was then also passed by his team-mate, Walker. Alfredo Gomez  also snuck through to third as Taddy suffered from his set-up choices again.

With 227 points already clocked up Bolt leaves Hungary 16-points ahead of Blazusiak. After his excellent performance Walker has caught up a bit, but he remains 35 points from his compatriot. The final round of the season in Lodz will be fiery between these three riders.

Billy Bolt

“I came here wanting to show a new me. Often I make mistakes and rush things too much on track, but I’ve been working hard to be smooth, fast and importantly patient. Admittedly in race one I made too many errors and a better result than third slipped away, but I regrouped for the rest of the night. I picked the right moments to attack and was able to win both races comfortably. I’ve always shown my speed is there, but I’m so pleased to bring consistency into the mix like this. We’ve got a healthy lead now heading to the final round in Poland next month, where hopefully we can take this world title.”

Jonny Walker

“I’d been waiting for a ride like I had in race one for a while now. Things just sort of clicked and came together and I was able to make it count for the win. I got a strong start and put myself into the lead on lap two and was never properly challenged. It was brilliant to get a race win under my belt again. For the rest of the night my speed was there, but that break just didn’t come. But to back race one up with a pair of second place finishes is very good. Overall, it’s been a strong night and I’ve again shown myself as one of the championship’s strongest riders. I’m also enjoying myself a lot on the track. There’s still a lot to play for at the final round. We’re going to Lodz which is a stadium I’ve enjoyed a lot of success at in the past, so I’ll be fighting hard to end the series on a high for sure.”

Taddy Blazusiak

“It’s been a bumpy night for sure. I feel like I made the wrong decisions regards setup during practice. I expected the track to develop in a different way than it did and that made it harder for me to race on. I was off my game in the first two races and when I got to the front in race three, I couldn’t be consistent in my riding and made mistakes. Unfortunately, that’s how racing goes sometimes, but I’ll go to Poland hoping to do all I can to win. It’s my home race so I’ve got five weeks to prepare, be ready and go for the title.”

Alfredo Gómez

“The first two races were difficult. I crashed off the start in race one and that put me right at the back. Although I was enjoying the track, it wasn’t easy to make positions but I managed to recover to fifth. In race two I wasn’t in a good starting position on the second row and again got stuck in traffic. Sixth was the best I could do. But I’m happy to show my true form in race three. I was in a good position and got into third early on and then almost took second on the final corner.”

Prestige Overall Event Classification

  1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 58 points
  2. Jonny Walker (GBR), KTM, 56
  3. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 46
  4. Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 35
  5. Pol Tarres (ESP), Husqvarna, 29

Championship Standings (After round 4 of 5)

  1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 227 points
  2. Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 209
  3. Jonny Walker (GBR), KTM 192
  4. Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna 161
  5. Blake Gutzeit (RSA), Husqvarna 112

SuperEnduro Juniors

The Junior class provided some of the most thrilling racing in Hungary, and at the end of the night there was a new leader – the third since the start of the season. Teodor Kabakchiev was the big winner in Budapest, the title hopeful took advantage of the excellent support from a large number of Bulgarian fans to win the night ahead of a keen Leon Hentschel and Dominik Olszowy, who appears to be coming back well.

The three young men fought a fantastic battle during the three races, with Kabakchiev and Hentschel exchanging the top spot several times in the last heat of the night. Ty Cullins failed to repeat the superb performance he had at Round 1 in Poland, suffering in each race in Hungary.

The American seemed to be paying for a lack of experience in the discipline, but also the fatigue of his frequent trips to and from America. The Junior category will certainly be exciting in the final round as Kabakchiev holds just two points over Hentschel, while Cullins is third, 20-points from the leader.

SuperEnduro Junior Standings – Top 5

  1. Teodor KABAKCHIEV 185 points
  2. Leon HENTSCHEL 183
  3. Ty CULLINS 165
  4. Adrien JACON 149
  5. Dominik OLSZOWY 107

SuperEnduro European Class

Magnus Thor became the first Swede to win the European SuperEnduro Cup in Budapest. He had plenty of pressure coming into the evening, having failed to shine at the previous European round in Germany. He had to fight off an ever-attacking Sonny Goggia, and the pair were level on points coming into their final race of the night.

Despite taking overall victory at the Hungarian GP, the disappointed Goggia had to settle for second in the Championship. Pascal Springmman rounded out the Top 3 on the night. Also worth noting was the great home performance of Norbert Zsigovits, the Hungarian to a win in Race 1 to the rapture of the fans.

SuperEnduro European Standings – Top 5

  1. Magnus THOR 102
  2. Sonny GOGGIA 99
  3. Pascal SPRINGMANN 76
  4. Miha SPINDLER 64
  5. Marco PFEIFFER 58

The riders of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship will now take a month and a half to rest before coming together for the grand finale in Lodz, Poland.


Gajser wins Italian MX Round 2 in Ottobiano – Evans second

The Ottobiano circuit hosted the second round of the 2020 Internazionali d’Italia Motocross on the sandy soil of the Lombardian track, with MXGP World Champion Tim Gajser unrivalled in MX1.

Italian MX Rnd Tim Gajser Arnaud Tonus

Italian MX Rnd Tim Gajser Arnaud Tonus

Tim Gajser leads Arnaud Tonus – 2020 Italian Motocross Championship Round 2

The reigning world champion led the race from start to finish. Behind him there was an excellent second place for teammate Mitchell Evans, who repeated his ranking obtained in Riola last Sunday, with Arminas Jasikonis in third. Henry Jacobi and Arnaud Tonus shined by classifying in fourth and fifth place respectively.

Italian MX Rnd Mitchell Evans

Italian MX Rnd Mitchell Evans

Mitchell Evans – 2020 Italian Motocross Championship Round 2

Maxime Renaux meanwhile won the MX2 class and moved to the top of the championship standings. There was a great second place for Gianluca Facchetti who led Tom Vialle and teammate Thibault Benistant at the finish.

Italian MX Rnd Arnaud Tonus Maxime Renaux

Italian MX Rnd Arnaud Tonus Maxime Renaux

Maxime Renaux – 2020 Italian Motocross Championship Round 2

Tim Gajser immediately took command of the Supercampione after an amazing start and kept it up to the chequered flag. Mitchell Evans confirmed his good form so far by taking the runner-up slot, while Arminas Jasikonis was again third. Arnaud Tonus finished fourth while Maxime Renaux, sixth, was the best rider with the smaller MX2 bike.

Italian MX Rnd Tim Gajser

Italian MX Rnd Tim Gajser

Tim Gajser – 2020 Italian Motocross Championship Round 2

The 2020 edition of the Internazionali d’Italia Motocross will end with the third and final round scheduled for next weekend at the Tazio Nuvolari circuit in Mantova.

MX1 Top 5 Result

  1. GAJSER Tim (SLO)
  2. EVANS Mitchell (AUS)
  3. JASIKONIS Arminas (LTU)
  4. JACOBI Henry (GER)
  5. TONUS Arnaud (SUI)

MX2 Top 5 Result

  1. RENAUX Maxime (FRA)
  2. FACCHETTI Gianluca (ITA)
  3. VIALLE Tom (FRA)
  4. BENISTANT Thibault (FRA)
  5. HAARUP Mikkel (DEN)

Supercampione Top 5 Results

  1. GAJSER Tim (SLO)
  2. EVANS Mitchell (AUS)
  3. JASIKONIS Arminas (LTU)
  4. TONUS Arnaud (SUI)
  5. FORATO Alberto (ITA)

MX1 Championship Overall

  1. GAJSER Tim (SLO) p.240
  2. EVANS Mitchell (AUS) p. 200
  3. JASIKONIS Arminas (LTU) p. 140
  4. MONTICELLI Ivo (ITA) p. 105
  5. JACOBI Herny (GER) p. 97

MX2 Championship Overall

  1. RENAUX Maxime (FRA) p. 200
  2. GEERTS Jago (BEL) p. 120
  3. GUADAGNINI Mattia (ITA) p. 115
  4. WATSON Ben (GBR) p. 100
  5. FACCHETTI Gianluca (ITA) p. 100

Supercampione Championship Overall

  1. GAJSER Tim (SLO) p. 240
  2. JASIKONIS Arminas (LTU) p. 160
  3. FORATO Alberto (ITA) p. 105
  4. EVANS Mitchell (AUS) p. 100
  5. SEEWER Jeremy (SUI) p. 100

Cooper claims 2020 NZ MX opener win in Balclutha

The 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship has kicked off in Balclutha, with the first of the four rounds run and won by Cody Cooper and Josiah Natzke in the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively.

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs at the Fox NZ Motocross Championship Balclutha

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs at the Fox NZ Motocross Championship Balclutha

Kirk Gibbs was second in MX1 – Image by CD Photography

Cody Cooper took a dominant win in the MX1 class, earning 75 championship points – the maximum – to kick off his season, with Australian Kirk Gibbs coming in second overall, ahead of Hamish Harwood, with Ethan Martens and Brad Groombridge completing the top-five.

Kirk Gibbs

“I fought back – came through the pack – had good speed and got to second. That’s all I could do. My starts let me down all weekend which I’m very disappointed about. It doesn’t look that bad on paper but I’m extremely disappointed with the end result. I wanted to go in there and have a win. I’ll come out swinging in Rotorua because I don’t want to let Cody get too far ahead or it will blow out with it being such a short series.”

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs with Team Manager Josh Coppins Balclutha track

Altherm JCR Yamahas Kirk Gibbs with Team Manager Josh Coppins Balclutha track

Kirk Gibbs and Josh Coppins – Image by CD Photography

In the MX2 class it was closely fought with Natzke taking the win on 63-points from James Scott on 57, with Maximus Purvis a single point behind in third. Australia’s Morgan Fogarty was just outside the top three, with Dylan Walsh fifth.

In the Under-19s, James Scott took the win from Aussie Riley Ward, with Luka Freemantle third. The 125cc class saw Brodie Connolly take maximum points from Madoc Dixon and Mashall Phillips.

NZ Motocross MX1 Results – Round 1

  1. Cody Cooper, 75 points
  2. Kirk Gibbs, 64
  3. Hamish Harwood, 62
  4. Ethan Martens, 46
  5. Brad Groombridge, 43

NZ Motocross MX2 Results – Round 1

  1. Josiah Natzke, 63 points
  2. James Scott, 57
  3. Maximus Purvis, 56
  4. Morgan Fogarty, 47
  5. Dylan Walsh, 44

NZ Motocross Under-19 Results – Round 1

  1. James Scott, 75
  2. Riley Ward, 66
  3. Luka Freemantle, 53

NZ Motocross 125cc Results – Round 1

  1. Brodie Connolly, 75 points
  2. Madoc Dixon, 66
  3. Marshall Phillips, 54
  4. Zac Jillings, 48
  5. Ben Wall, 42

Nathan Watson crowned French Beach Race Champion

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has successfully defended his French Beach Race Championship title with a hard-fought podium result at Enduropale du Touquet.

Nathan Watson French Beach Racing Enduropale du Touquet

Nathan Watson French Beach Racing Enduropale du Touquet

Nathan Watson

With the infamous Enduropale du Touquet marking the seventh and final round of the CFS: Championnat de France des Sables, all eyes were on defending champion Nathan Watson to see if he could repeat his 2019 winning result.

As the 1,200 competitors lined up for the beginning of the gruelling three-hour event, Watson knew the importance of making a fast start and then pushing hard during the early stages of race. A little too keen to get his race started, the Brit was later deemed to have jumped the start, picking up a 60-second stop-and-go penalty.

Unaware of what was to come, Nathan exited the first corner just outside the top 10 and set about making ground on the leaders. Battling his way up to fifth during the first five laps, an efficient fuel stop after the first hour of racing moved him into third. Favouring the rougher conditions in the latter stages of race, Watson reached as high as second with just over one hour remaining.

With organisers then handing him the penalty, Nathan’s charge was ended and he ultimately lost his chance of victory. Dropping back down the leaderboard to fourth, he eventually battled his way back into a podium position and finished third at the checkered flag, behind Milko Potisek and Jeremy Van Horebeek

Nathan Watson

“It’s been a hard season, but to come away with back-to-back French Beach Race titles is amazing. It’s a credit to the team, they worked so hard to get this result. It’s me out on the track but it really is a team effort, for sure. Naturally, I wanted to win the championship with victory here today, but the cards didn’t fall my way. Between the nature of the track and then the stop-and-go penalty, things were against me. I felt like the track was maybe too fast for me and I needed more corners to slow the early pace down. I hold my hands up about the start, I simply got my timing a little wrong with the bungy being released. I went a little too early. One minute was a tough penalty, especially as I never gained anything and exited the first corner in 12th. But it is what it is. Overall, I’m pleased with the season as a whole. I think that myself and Camille showed we’re two of the strongest guys out there and our bikes never missed a beat. Thanks to KTM and the team, we’ll celebrate this title for sure!”

Nathan Watson French Beach Racing Enduropale du Touquet

Nathan Watson French Beach Racing Enduropale du Touquet

Nathan Watson

Championnat de France des Sables Round 7: Enduropale du Touquet

  1. Milko Potisek (FRA), Yamaha, 15 laps, 3:06:44.033
  2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL), Honda, 3:10:10.404 +3:26
  3. Nathan Watson (GBR), KTM, 3:12:26.582 +5:42
  4. Camille Chapeliere (FRA), KTM, 3:12:49.154 +6:05
  5. Todd Kellett (GBR), Yamaha, 3:14:39.632 +7:55

Championship Standings – Championnat de France des Sables

  1. Nathan Watson (GBR) KTM, 845 points
  2. Todd Kellett (GBR), Yamaha, 755
  3. Camille Chapeliere (FRA), KTM, 671
  4. Richard Fura (FRA), Yamaha, 558
  5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL), Honda, 552

Toni Bou goes four for four at Barcelona X-Trial

The fourth round of the 2020 X-Trial World Championship was held in Palau Sant Jordi, and saw Toni Bou claim a fourth consecutive win this season and a thirteenth indoor triumph in Barcelona, with Jorge Casales putting GasGas on the podium in third, behind Adam Raga.

X Trial Rnd Barcelona Toni Bou mc

X Trial Rnd Barcelona Toni Bou mc

Toni Bou

The evening’s action got underway with the preliminary qualifying round with riders tackling a total of six sections. Bou notched up a total of nine penalty marks, two more than arch-rival Adam Raga. With the winners of each of the qualifying heats moving into the next round, the Repsol Honda Team swapped bikes and looked visibly more at ease. The rider then cruised into the Grand Final, accruing just six penalty marks on the way.

In the final, the Repsol Honda Team champ, encouraged throughout by the Barcelona spectators, proved that he is undoubtedly on the hottest form in the indoor discipline. Bou overcame his toughest adversary Adam Raga in the very last Montesa section of the Barcelona indoor trial event, to deliver victory number 13 to the Palau Sant Jordi crowd, for a 66th X-Trial World Championship win.

The result extends the Repsol Honda Team ace’s lead in the overall standings further to a 20-point advantage, with three trials still to run before the indoor season wraps up. The next outing will be held in Bilbao’s Bizkaia Arena on 15th February.

Toni Bou

“We are very happy. It was a really special night here in Barcelona. Being able to reclaim the victory in front of all the fans was incredible. We have given everything in a super tight final. I am very grateful to all the people who have helped me throughout the week, which has been quite a complicated one for me. Also, thanks to all the spectators who came along today in Barcelona to enjoy the show.”

X Trial Rnd Barcelona Podium ps

X Trial Rnd Barcelona Podium ps

Toni Bou topped the podium from Raga and Casales in Barcelona

Jorge Casales

“I’m really happy, this has been a very important race for me. Also, a really important first part of the season because I’m adjusting to competing on the GasGas. I’ve just had some months on this bike, we’ve worked really hard during these months and we’re seeing the results now. It was a really important race for me here in Barcelona and to get my first podium in the world championship is a dream come true. I’m really happy with it and I’ll continue working hard to continue with this level of performances. Let’s see what happens in Bilbao as every race is quite different. I’m really starting to get a good feeling with the bike now and we’re still working on things to make it even better. I’m really proud because I always trusted GasGas, we’ll continue working to make things happen. I’m really motivated for what’s to come.”

X Trial Rnd Barcelona Jorge Casales

X Trial Rnd Barcelona Jorge Casales

Jorge Casales

X-Trial Barcelona 2020 Results

1 BOU, Toni SPA Repsol Honda Team 20
2 RAGA, Adam SPA TRRS Factory Team 15
3 CASALES, Jorge SPA Gas Gas Factory Team 12
4 BINCAZ, Benoit FRA Beta Factory Racing 9
5 BUSTO, Jaime SPA Vertigo Factory Team 6
6 FAJARDO, Jeroni SPA Sherco Factory Team 4
7 GELABERT, Miquel SPA Vertigo Factory Team 2
8 MARCELLI, Gabriel SPA RG Team 1

X-Trial Rider Standings

1 BOU, Toni SPA 80
2 RAGA, Adam SPA 60
3 BUSTO, Jaime SPA 28
4 FAJARDO, Jeroni SPA 25
5 CASALES, Jorge SPA 24
6 GELABERT, Miquel SPA 22
7 MARCELLI, Gabriel SPA 19
8 BINCAZ, Benoit FRA 16
9 MARTIN, Toby GBR 1
10 TOULY, Kieran FRA 1

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP 2020 riders announced

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team will field one of its strongest rider line ups for the 2020 MXGP season with Jeremy Seewer, Gautier Paulin and Arnaud Tonus, having accumulated around 95 pieces of Grand Prix silverware as a result of more than 35 Grand Prix race wins and 18 Grand Prix victories throughout their careers.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP riders announced Tonus Paulin Seewer

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP riders announced Tonus Paulin Seewer

Jeremy Seewer, Arnaud Tonus, Gautier Paulin

Arnaud Tonus

“The last few years have been really tough for me. I’ve dealt with a lot of injuries and suffering, both physically and mentally. At one point I almost thought about stopping my career because I was just over it. It’s pretty amazing to see it from where I was to where I’m at right now. I’m super, super thankful.”

Gautier Paulin

“I know what I want and, actually, I can really have what I want right now. Being back with the factory team is a big step and it brings with it that extra one percent, which in racing is big because we’re all at 100 percent. Being on the top step of the MXGP class means being involved every single minute of your life, to be the best.”

Jeremy Seewer

“After being vice-world champion, of course, there is only one more thing to achieve. It’s super tough out there to win. There are so many guys who are world champions, so many guys winning Grands Prix, so it’s a huge amount of work and a big story behind to actually become a world champion. I visualise what it would be like to be on the top, to be world champion. And I think it must be one of the most amazing feelings, just to be the best at what you do.”


2020 Broadford Bike Bonana set for April

The 2020 Broadford Bike Bonanza proudly presents the 12th incarnation of the iconic event, featuring a vast array of machines from yesteryear to be run from 7am Friday, April 10 to 2pm April 12, at the Victorian State Motorcycle Sports Complex, Broadford, Victoria, with online entries now open!

Last year’s Bonanza saw well over 5,000 attendees’ across the three days contribute to the legendary motorcycle event. The 2020 SIBBB will once again serve as an unofficial national meeting point for long lost friends and comrades from the ‘good ol days’ of motorcycling, with the theme for 2020 paying homage to all types of American made motorcycles and sidecars.

Road Race, Enduro, Speedway, Trials, Motocross, Dirt Track disciplines are all catered for in classic and vintage non-competitive on track displays, swap meets, a star-studded gala dinner (held in Broadford township April 11), static motorcycle displays and so much more.

Gates are open from 7am Friday 10th April, road race track from 1 – 4pm. Friday 10th only. The Rest of the tracks are running Saturday and Sunday are from 9am.  Racing concludes 2pm Sunday 12th April.

For 2020, entrants and spectators can purchase event and camping tickets by clicking here and Volunteer entries are via the same system.

Click here for a Step by Step Guide to Using Ridernet to complete an entry.


2020 Australian Off-Road Championship announce new backer

Motorcycling Australia have announced Australia’s largest online motorcycle gear and accessories retailer – MXstore – as the ‘Presented By’ sponsor of the 2020 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC).

This new partnership with MXstore is at an exciting time for both the championship and company as both go through significant growth. MXstore is Australia’s number one retailer for motocross and off-road related gear, from bike parts, racing and casual clothing, protective wear, leisure apparel, covering motocross, off-road and adventure disciplines.

MXstore’s Athlete & Partnerships Manager, Geoff Munro, said the move was an exciting step forward for the company.

Geoff Munro

“We’re extremely proud to be able to partner with the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship. It’s a fantastic series and we want to play our part to ensure it’s a great success for everyone involved. We’re privileged here in Australia to have some of the very best enduro riders in the world as well as some extremely promising talent coming through the ranks, so to be able to support their development and success through the AORC is pretty special to us.”


2020 Australian ISDE rider applications open

Motorcycling Australia has called for rider applications to be part of Australia’s next world beating team to take on the best enduro riders at the 2020 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) in Italy, held from August 31 to September 5.

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati Vintage

ISDE Day ImageDarioAgrati Vintage

ISDE 2019 – Image by Dario Agrati

Australia tasted the bubbles of success in 2019 with the RecoveR8 Team Australia Junior Trophy Team Crowned World Champions, while Victoria’s Daniel Sanders secured the ISDE Individual Outright World and E3 Class Championship in Portugal, and 2018 saw Australia reign victorious in the World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy in Chile.

MA is calling for ISDE World Championship riders for the following three classes:

  • World Trophy Team – Four riders
  • Junior World Trophy Team – Three riders
  • Women’s World Trophy Team – Three riders

Riders wishing to apply for a position with Team Australia will need to consider that while MA will contribute some funding, there may be associated costs involved to selected riders. The 2020 ISDE Australian Trophy Team Rider application forms can be found here.

Club or Vintage Rider nominations forms can be found here. All applications and nominations must be submitted before Friday 13th March, 2020.

Please address any queries regarding the application directly to MA’s Off-Road Event Manager, Matthew Falvo via: Phone: 03 9684 0514 or Email: [email protected]


WP Suspension Australia to support Granquist & Karlsson

WP Suspension Australia have officially announced its support of Stefan Granquist and Emelie Karlsson for the 2020 off-road season. Joining the WP Suspension Team aboard Yamaha WR450F and WR250F’s respectively, Granquist and Karlsson will pilot their Yamaha machines in an array of off-road races nationwide.

WP Suspension Sales Manager Stefan Appelgren with Granquist Karlsson

WP Suspension Sales Manager Stefan Appelgren with Granquist Karlsson

WP Suspension Sales Manager Stefan Appelgren with Granquist & Karlsson

WP Suspension Australia Sales Manager – Stefan Appelgren expressed his excitement at having Stefan and Emelie join the team saying, “The push from WP Suspension into the Australian market is a welcomed addition as we will be supplying a race-specific solution for Japanese manufactures motorcycles. We are excited to have Stefan and Emelie represent the brand and look forward to seeing the WP Suspension logo on Yamaha machinery for 2020.”

With a 6th place finish overall last year, Stefan is a regular at the pointy end of the field in the E2 class of the AORC series, and shared, “Both Emelie and I are incredibly excited about this partnership for the new year. Last year was strong for both of us, we managed to show some speed and put results on the board with myself finishing 6th overall in E2 and Emelie ending up on the podium in the Womens class, even after missing some rounds through injury. It’s an honour to be associated with such a premium brand and we are eager to begin the testing process leading up to the first round of the AORC in Toowoomba.”

Stefan and Emelie will both be running the 48mm Cone Valve fork and Trax shock, which are available for Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki off-road motorcycles.

An increased network of WP Authorised Dealers, means that the same products you see on the bikes of these top professionals, can be purchased and further tuned through one of these dealers. More information on your closest WP Authorised dealer can be found at the following link. Authorised Centres: https://www.wp-suspension.com/authorized-centers/


Motorcycle Speedway in Western Australia on a roll

With Graeme Sinden

Fresh from two international solo friendlies (unofficial tests) between Australia and Great Britain and the running of the Western Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship, attention now focuses on the forthcoming Western Australian Speedway Solo Championship. The WA Title event will be held on Saturday February 15 at WA’s purpose built Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway at Neerubup in the Perth’s northern suburbs.

This highly sort after WA Solo Championship is one of the oldest and longest running Speedway events in Australia having commenced way back in 1927. The Championship has been won by many fine riders over the years including World Champions, Sweden’s, Ove Funden, New Zealand’s Ivan Mauger, Australia’s Chris Holder and Britain’s triple World Champ, Tai Woffinden.

Western Australian Speedway Solo Championship Tai and Cam

Western Australian Speedway Solo Championship Tai and Cam

Cam Heeps and Tai Woffinden

WA’s International Cam Heeps is expected to nominate and attempt to secure his fifth title win. The greatest number of wins in the Championship event is held jointly by WA’s Mick McKeon and Glenn Doyle with six-a-piece.

Significantly the youngest rider to win the Championship event is Dave Cheshire, also from WA, who won it way back in 1983/84 at the tender age of 16-years-of-age. He certainly had officials scrambling to check his birthdate and speedway license at the time.


MA announce updates to Speedway Australian Championship Selection

Motorcycling Australia released the following information in a recent bulletin, outlining changes to Australian Championship Selection in Speedway:

Information Bulletin #2010 – 31/01/2020

Affected Disciplines: Speedway

Effective: Immediately.

Information Pertains to: 14.11.4 c. Australian Championship Selection

Information: MA would like to advise of updates made to Speedway Australian Championship Selection 14.11.4 c.

Current Rule:

14.11.4 Selection and Qualification
14.11.4.1 To qualify for selection for an Australian Championship event, a competitor must apply in writing no less than 30 days prior to the event, and:
a) Be the current Australian Champion, a Top 4 rider in the previous Australian Championships, or a GP rider within the last two years, or
b) Be the best performing competitor in the State Championship of the State which issued the competitors’ licence, held a minimum of 30 days prior to the Australian Championship.
c) Competitors who are not Australian residents may nominate to compete in the Australian Speedway Championship, and will be considered by the Speedway Commission for inclusion.

New/Updated Rule:

14.11.4 Selection and Qualification
14.11.4.1 To qualify for selection for an Australian Championship event, a competitor must apply in writing no less than 30 days prior to the event, and must be a holder of a current MA Senior National Competition license.
To be seeded into this championship the following criteria applies;
a) Be the current Australian Champion, a Top 4 rider in the previous Australian Championships, or a GP rider within the last two years, or
b) Be the best performing competitor in the State Championship of the State which issued the competitors’ licence, held a minimum of 30 days prior to the Australian Championship or
c) Be the best performing Australian competitor in the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship. Competitors who are not Australian residents may nominate to compete in the Australian Speedway Championship, and will be considered by the Speedway Commission for inclusion.
All additional positions will be selected from the remaining applications received.

Notes:

  • Please save a copy of this bulletin and keep it with your MoMS for future reference
  • All Bulletins will be made available on the MA website (www.ma.org.au)
  • Rules may change throughout the year so please view the most up to date MoMS on the MA website (www.ma.org.au)
  • For Rule Change Request Process and forms, please refer to the MA website  (www.ma.org.au)

King Of MX heads to Bega for Qualifier 1

Hot on the heels of the devastating fires that have done so much damage to the South Coast of NSW, the first round of the King Of MX motocross series will be hosted by the Far South Coast Motorcycle Club at their Bega race track on February 15-16.

Juniors will race on the Saturday, and Seniors on the Sunday, and the event is expected to bring out some of the best riders in Australia to put on a great show for the people of the South Coast.

Motorcycling NSW is hoping that the competitors, families, support crews, and spectators will also be generating a lot of income for local businesses, restaurants, and hotels just by coming to the area.

The Far South Coast Motorcycle Club venue is located at Sapphire Speedway, Tantawangalo Lane, Candelo and racing will start from around 9am each day on the 15th and 16th of February.

For more information on the 2020 King of MX, head to the brand-new website www.kingofmx.com.au.

2020 King of MX Calendar

  • Qualifier 1 – February 15-16, Bega – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 2 – February 29-1 March, Narrabri – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 3 – March 14-15, Bathurst – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 4 – March 28-29, Wagga Wagga – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 5 – April 18-19, Lake Macquarie -Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 6 – May 9-10, Sydney – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Final – June 6-8, Undisclosed Location

Australia to host FIM Oceania Junior Motocross Tri-Nations Cup

Australia will host the inaugural FIM Oceania Junior Motocross Tri-Nations Cup with the best junior motocross riders from Australia, New Zealand and France to do battle at Horsham in Victoria, April 4-5, 2020, as part of MX Nationals Rounds 1 & 2.

Each team will consist of a maximum of 10 riders aged 13-17-years-old aboard 125cc motocross bikes, with an FIM Oceania Junior Motocross Tri-Nations Cup individual and team trophy both up for grabs.

The races will be inspired by the FIM Junior MX World Championship formats and rules, and will be the perfect lead-up event for these young riders, before the FIM Junior MX World Championships in Greece in August.

Applications can be found on the MA website (link) and must be submitted by no later than COB Friday 21st February 2020. For further enquiries regarding applications, please contact MA’s Off-Road Event Manager, Matthew Falvo via [email protected].


2020 Championship Calendars

2020 AMA Motocross race schedule

  • May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
  • May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
  • May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
  • June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
  • June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
  • June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
  • July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
  • July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
  • July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
  • August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
  • August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
  • August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN

2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar

  • Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
  • Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
  • Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
  • Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
  • Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
  • March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
  • March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
  • March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
  • March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
  • April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
  • April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
  • April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

2020 MXGP Calendar

  • March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
  • March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
  • March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
  • April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
  • April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
  • May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 7 – Russia, Orlyonok – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 14 – Latvia, Kegums – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 28 – Indonesia, Jakarta
  • July 5 – Indonesia, Palembang
  • July 26 – Czech Republic, Loket – (EMX65, EMX85, EMX 2t)
  • August 2 – Belgium, Lommel – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 16 – Sweden, Uddevalla – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 23 – Finland, Litti-KymiRing – (EMX125, EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • September 6 – Turkey, Afyonkarahisar – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • September 13 – China, (TBA) –
  • September 20 – Emilia Romagna, Imola – (EMX125, WMX)
  • September 27 – Motocross of Nations, France, Ernee

2020 American Flat Track

  • Round 1. March 14: Daytona 200 &  TT – Daytona Speedway, FL
  • Round 2. March 28: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
  • Round 3. April 4: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Speedway, Concord, NC
  • Round 4. May 2: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
  • Round 5. May 9: So-Cal Half-Mile – Perris Speedway, Perris, CA
  • Round 6. May 16: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
  • Round 7. May 30: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
  • Round 8. June 13: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Speedway, Loudon, NH
  • Round 9. June 20: OKC Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Round 10. June 27: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
  • Round 11. July 4: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
  • Round 12. August 9: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
  • Round 13. August 11: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
  • Round 14. August 22: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
  • Round 15. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 16. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 17. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Round 18. September 26: Meadowlands Mile* – Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

  • Round 1, January 3 – Kurri Kurri Speedway, Loxford Park NSW
  • Round 2, January 6 – Diamond Park, Wodonga VIC
  • Round 3, January 7 – Undera Speedway, Echuca Road, Undera VIC
  • Round 4, January 9 – Olympic Park, Regina Street, Mildura VIC
  • Round 5, January 11 – Gillman Speedway, Wilkins Road, Gillman SA

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 8-10
  • Round 2: Trefle Lozerien AMV (France) May 21-23
  • Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) June 10-14
  • Round 4: Red Bull 111 Megawatt (Poland ) June TBC
  • Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 21-25
  • Round 6: Tennessee Knockout (USA) August 15-16
  • Round 7: Hawkstone Park Cross-Country (UK) September TBC
  • Round 8: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) October TBC

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

  • May 16 – PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland – Warsaw
  • May 30 – German SGP – Teterow
  • June 13 – Czech SGP – Prague
  • July 18 – Adrian Flux British SGP – Cardiff
  • July 25 – Swedish SGP – Hallstavik
  • August 1 – Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland – Wroclaw
  • August 15 – Scandinavian SGP – Malilla, Sweden
  • August 29 – Russian SGP – Togliatti
  • September 12 – Danish SGP sponsored by ECCO – Vojens
  • October 3 – Revline Torun SGP of Poland – Torun

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

  • April 11-12 Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships
    • Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD, North Brisbane Jnr Motorcycle Club
  • October 17-18 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
    • Fairburn Park, ACT Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

  • May 16-17 Australian Senior Track Championships
    • Qurindi, Tamworth, NSW, Tamworth Motorcycle Club
  • September 26-27 Australian Junior Track Championships
    • Gunnedah, NSW Gunnedah Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 & 2: Toowoomba, QLD 22 – 23 February 2020
  • Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW 14 – 15 March 2020
  • Round 5 & 6: Nowra, NSW 18 – 19 April 2020
  • Round 7 & 8: SA 1 – 2 August 2020
  • Round 9 & 10: Omeo, VIC 19 – 20 September 2020
  • Round 11 & 12: Wynyard, TAS 17 –18 October 2020

2020 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Calendar

  • Round 1: December 7, 2019 – Krakow, Poland
  • Round 2: January 4 – Riesa, Germany
  • Round 3: January 18 – A Coruna, Spain
  • Round 4: February 1 – Budapest, Hungary
  • Round 5: March 14 – Lodz, Poland

2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West Calendar

  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East Series
    • March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
    • May 16-17: Madd Moose, Marquette, Mich.
    • July 4-5: Tough Like RORR, Tamaqua, Pa.
    • July 18-19: Fallen Timbers, Little Hocking, Ohio
    • Aug. 1-2: Battle of the Goats, Taylorsville, N.C.
  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road West Series
    • Feb. 8: King of the Motos, Lucerne Valley, Calif.
    • March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
    • May 2-3: EnduroFest, Reno, Nev.
    • June 6-7: Last Dog Standing, Devore, Calif.
    • June 20-21: Stix and Stones, Kellogg, Idaho
  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship
    • Aug. 14-16: Trials Training Center, Sequatchie, Tenn.

2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 – June 13: Diedenbergen DE
  • Round 2 – July 26: Boves-Cuneo IT
  • Round 3 – September 5: Morizès FR
  • Round 4 – October 3: Pardubice CZ

2020 King of MX Calendar

  • Qualifier 1 – February 15-16, Bega – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 2 – February 29-1 March, Narrabri – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 3 – March 14-15, Bathurst – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 4 – March 28-29, Wagga Wagga – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 5 – April 18-19, Lake Macquarie -Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 6 – May 9-10, Sydney – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Final – June 6-8, Undisclosed Location

2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 & 2 Horsham, Victoiria April 4/5
  • Round 3 Newry, Victoria May 3
  • Round 4 Gympie, Qld May 24
  • Round 5 Conondale, QLD June 28
  • Round 6 & 7 Maitland, NSW July 25/26
  • Round 8 & 9 Coolum, QLD August 22/23

2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

  • Round One – Balclutha, 1st February 2020
  • Round Two – Rotorua, 23rd February 2020
  • Round Three – Hawkes Bay, 1st March 2020
  • Round Four – Taupo, 15th March 2020

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

Toby Price third as Brabec wins the Dakar Rally 2020


Stage 12 of the 2020 Dakar Rally marked the final day of racing, with riders covering a total of 447 kilometres, including a timed special of 374 kilometres from Haradh to the finish at Qiddiya. Ricky Brabec led the overall standings by a comfortable 13min-56s from Pablo Quintanilla into the day, while Toby Price was 22min-34s off leading pace.

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec ABI

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec ABI

Ricky Brabec

Monster Energy Honda Team ace Brabec had snatched the leader’s spot on day three and refused to relinquish the top spot until the race wrapped up, two stage victories and 5000 kilometres later.

It was Pablo Quintanilla opening the track from Toby Price, with just 8min-30s separating the two, while Ricky Brabec seemed to be playing it safe with his lead, with teammate Kevin Benavides reportedly stopping and waiting for him.

Jose Cornejo set the pace in the first 69 km, with Brabec not far off, before Brabec upping the pace and taking the lead by km 119.

The final timesheet of the stage would see Jose Cornejo take the win from Brabec, who trailed him by 53-seconds, while Toby Price was 2min-53s off Stage winning pace.

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price RallyZone

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price RallyZone

Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone

Luciano Benavides was fourth, and Pablo Quintanilla fifth, Kevin Benavides sixth and top Sherco Adrien Metge in seventh, followed by top Yamaha in eigth. Macieg Giemza and Andrew Short completed the top 10.

Aussie Rodney Faggotter completed the final stage just outside the top-10 in 22nd, 9min-33s off leading pace.

The final standings would see Ricky Brabec retain most of the lead he held into the final stage, taking the overall win by 40h-2min-36s, with Pablo Quintanilla runner up, 16min-26s in arrears.

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone

Ricky Brabec – P1

“It’s a dream come true. Hopefully we can come back next year and repeat it. I know that it’s not going to be easy as the Husky and KTM boys will be breathing down our necks. I’m really excited to be here for Honda and for America as well. To be the only American to accomplish this goal is amazing. I think it’s really a dream come true. Now we’ve got to set our goals higher and accomplish more. We are going to come back next year and try and repeat this but, as I said, it’s not easy. We are happy. It was a big, tough race. A lot of kilometres. The team worked great together. The riders were good and the whole team worked well together so I’m really happy. The bikes were really good. We are all here. We are all happy and safe. That was the first goal. I can’t thank everyone enough – Honda, Monster and every one of the sponsors behind us. Thank you all so much. It’s the first time in Saudi Arabia. The scenery was insane! I love it. Hopefully I’ll be back next year. I’ve got a five-year contract so I think we’ll be back.”

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone

Pablo Quintanilla – P2

“I feel amazing. To spend most of 2019 in recovery and now to be here with my best ever result makes me extremely grateful. I never thought that I would be in this position at the beginning of the race. I would like to thank the team for their hard work over these two weeks – they have done an amazing job. Overall, my race has gone really well, it’s been a tough event for everybody, and the main goal was always to reach the finish. A podium at the Dakar is like a dream come true, especially after such a hard one this year. I still want that win so I’ll work hard and be back next year.”

Dakar Rally Stage Pablo Quintanilla Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Dakar Rally Stage Pablo Quintanilla Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Pablo Quintanilla

Australian Toby Price was third overall, 24min-06s off winning pace, with Jose Cornejo in fourth and KTM’s Matthias Walkner completing the top five.

Toby Price – P3

“I’m really happy with another podium at the Dakar – every time I’ve made it to the finish at this event I’ve got onto the podium. So far, I’m either a number one or a number three guy. The most important thing is to be here safely at the finish. Obviously, we came here to win, but it just wasn’t our year. Yeah, after 18 wins in a row it would have been nice to get a 19th, but I think KTM’s winning streak won’t be topped for a very long time. We’ll go away now, regroup and come back stronger for 2021 and take that number one plate back.”

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price RallyZone

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price RallyZone

Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone

José Ignacio Cornejo – P4

Today’s stage was short but intense. I battled it out with Walkner and Luciano Benavides. They started out in front of me, so I started the special very focused, trying to reduce the time. In the end I didn’t make any mistakes and was able to win the final stage of the Dakar, and thus finish fourth in the general standings. I’m very happy with the way the entire rally went. The team has finally achieved the victory we were looking for after so many years. I’m very happy with the whole team, they have worked so hard.

Dakar Rally Stage José Ignacio Cornejo ABI

Dakar Rally Stage José Ignacio Cornejo ABI

José Ignacio Cornejo

Matthias Walkner – P5

“Firstly, it feels really good to cross the finish line, especially after such a fast Dakar in a new country. For sure, I’m not so happy with my result as my goal was to reach the podium. I know I made some mistakes in the first week where I lost some time, and it was very difficult to make that back up – especially as so many riders were competitive this year. The good thing is, I felt good with my speed and my navigation for most of the rally. Unfortunately, even with 11 good days, one bad day can spoil your race in rallying. Overall, I’m happy because I know I did my best and the team and the bike have been perfect.”

Dakar Rally Stage Matthias Walkner KTM RALLY Dakar Rally

Dakar Rally Stage Matthias Walkner KTM RALLY Dakar Rally

Matthias Walkner

In sixth was Luciano Benavides, followed by Joan Barreda in seventh, with Franco Caimi the top Yamaha in eighth. Skyler Howes took ninth and Andrew Short 10th.

Luciano Benavides – P6

“It’s been a really tough Dakar and a very crazy race with lots of ups and downs. Overall, I have really enjoyed it and I’m happy to be here at the finish line. I knew this year would be a big challenge and would be a new experience for everyone, so my plan was to take it day by day and the main goal was always just to finish safely. I’m very happy with my pace, I have learnt so much and was able to really use that knowledge at this year’s event. So many riders were competitive, with times very close on a lot of the stages, so to come away with sixth overall is great. I’m really looking forward to the coming season now.”

Dakar Rally Stage Luciano Benavides KTM RALLY Dakar Rally

Dakar Rally Stage Luciano Benavides KTM RALLY Dakar Rally

Luciano Benavides

Joan Barreda – P7

“This was a Dakar that from the beginning was really tough for me. I spent a few days with some great difficulties, but little by little I began pulling back and picking up pace. I had a bit of bad luck with the cancellation of the two stages and the change of engine also penalized me. But in the end the good feelings came back. We have to stay positive but despite all the difficulties, I have finished another Dakar.”

Dakar Rally Stage Joan Barreda ABI

Dakar Rally Stage Joan Barreda ABI

Joan Barreda

Franco Caimi – P8

“It’s a huge relief to finally arrive at the finish of this year’s Dakar Rally. It’s been a really rough two weeks that we have passed through with many different challenges to overcome. Thankfully, we did overcome everything and today we arrived at the finish. The whole team has worked so, so hard, not just during this Dakar but during the whole year. Obviously, I wish Adrien and Xavier all the best for a fast recovery and will now take some time to enjoy this moment and reflect on the event. I’m pleased to have finished, especially after two years of not finishing. It’s been a real adventure and I’m also pleased with some strong stage results. Now it’s time for some rest and then to make plans for the season ahead.”

Dakar Rally Stage Franco Caimi

Dakar Rally Stage Franco Caimi

Franco Caimi

Andrew Short – P10

“I’m really happy to get to the end of this year’s Dakar – it’s been a long race, good fun, but very tough for me, I had a lot of challenges. The first week in the north was beautiful – I’ve never raced anywhere like it. I had some issues in those first few days that really put me on the back foot for the rest of the event. It took a lot out of me as you prepare all year for this race and to have such a big knock so early on was tough. This is only my third Dakar and I’m still learning. A two-week event like this is certainly different to a one-week world championship event and you have to be able to gauge your speed the whole way through. I definitely want to be back here next year for Dakar 2021.”

Dakar Rally Stage Andrew Short Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Dakar Rally Stage Andrew Short Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Andrew Short

Top overall Sherco rider was Adrien Metge in 12th, while Australian Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha Motor Australia) came home in 13th.

Rodney Faggotter – P13

“Wow its done! Top 20’s most stages, with a career best of sixth in stage 10 for a career best of 13th overall. I had a solid two weeks and rode the most “in control” but also the best I have ever done. The riders in front of me are the best rally riders in the world and most of them full time athletes – I’m pumped to be near and amongst these guys! Two weeks flat out and it comes to a instant stop and now I try get to reflect and appreciate everyone’s support and messages. Instead of going through and saying last but not least – I want to call out to my awesome hot beautiful supportive wife and best friend. Love ya babe!!! Thank you. And my boys Matt and Nate for their support! It’s so hard on family back home following the race especially when you disappear off the charts due to helping at a accident/or a mechanical failure or even just technical timing glitches. Massive shout out to the Dragon Yamaha team and my awesome mechanic Quentin Brossier. He says only a few English words and I say none French – so we get along great! He worked overtime all through the night sometime triple checking and sorting everything and I never had a issue. Thanks bud! Big thank you to Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Motor Finance, Yamaha Motor Insurance Australia without their commitment to assist me this year – I would not have been here full stop. And also a big thanks to fellow competitor Ben Young for helping me get to the start line. So many others that helped or have helped previously – that got me to this point that I so much appreciate. Thanks guys.”

GasGas Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz was the highest placing female competitor, finishing stage 12 in 25th and completing the 2020 Dakar Rally in 18th overall.

Laia Sanz – P18

“I will remember a lot about this Dakar. Of course, I will remember Paulo, a true Dakar warrior. So, I have mixed emotions. I will also remember it because it is the race that I managed to start and finish my 10th consecutive Dakar, this is something I am very proud of. I think I’m the first Spanish rider to do that. Dakar is never easy, but when you have a crash it becomes so much harder. So, I’m pleased that I managed to overcome everything and finish the race, and also to have been the first rider to represent GasGas Motorcycles. It’s not been the best for me in terms of my overall result – after my crash on stage two I was riding in a lot of dust and the average speed was a little too high for me during the second week. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and want to thank all the GasGas Factory Racing team for their support.”

Dakar Rally Stage laia sanz

Dakar Rally Stage laia sanz

Laia Sanz – Image by Rally Zone
Source: MCNews.com.au

Ricky Brabec and Honda win 2020 Dakar Rally

Ricky Brabec and Honda claim victory at the 2020 Dakar Rally

Eight years after the return of the official Team HRC squad to the world’s toughest rally, Honda rider Ricky Brabec has topped the overall podium, having commanded from the start of the rally to the final special held in Saudi Arabia.

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Ricky Brabec has won Dakar 2020

With the victory, Ricky Brabec (California, USA) becomes the first ever American rider to clinch the Dakar Rally. The rider concluded this year’s edition with two stage victories, in a rally which he led uninterruptedly from stage three. Consistency proved to be Brabec’s secret weapon, while deft navigational skills and pace aboard the Honda CRF450 Rally also helped him scoop the most coveted prize in off-road racing.

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Ricky Brabec has won Dakar 2020

The rally covered some 5000 kilometres of timed special stage and a total distance of 7800 kilometres, where, in addition to the two Brabec stage victories (stages 3 and 6), can be added those of José Ignacio Cornejo (stage 4 and stage 12), Kevin Benavides (stage 7) and Joan Barreda (stage 10), as well as plenty of top partial times, with the Honda squad seizing podium lock-outs on both stages 3 and 10.

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Ricky Brabec has won Dakar 2020

This represents the sixth Honda victory at the Dakar Rally after the five clinched in Africa, the most recent occurring 31 years ago: Ciryl Neveu (1982, 1986, 1987), Edi Orioli (1988) y Gilles Lalay (1989) took the previous top honours.

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Ricky Brabec has won Dakar 2020

In 2013, Honda returned to the Dakar Rally after a 23-year absence. During that eight-year spell, Team HRC has been on the final podium on two occasions: Paulo Gonçalves (2015) and Kevin Benavides (2018) both in runner-up positions.

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Ricky Brabec has won Dakar 2020

Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla finished second while Australia’s Toby Price rounded out the podium.

Yoshishige Nomura – HRC President

“First, I would like to congratulate Ricky Brabec on his victory. Also, I thank Joan [Barreda], Kevin [Benavides] and José [Ignacio Cornejo] on their fine performances. And finally, I thank the team staff and development team for making this win possible. It has been seven years since we returned to the Dakar, and by learning from our losses, and everyone involved working hard, we’ve finally won. The relentless work of everyone involved over the past seven years, in other words a Team Honda effort, made this possible. We must not forget that Paulo [Goncalves] contributed immensely to the first six years, and we thank him, and pray he rests in peace. We are also deeply grateful to all of our sponsors, and our fans worldwide.”

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Dakar Ricky Brabec

Ricky Brabec has won Dakar 2020
Source: MCNews.com.au

Quintanilla narrowly wins Stage 11 from Walkner | Dakar 2020


Stage 11 of the 2020 Dakar Rally, the penultimate day of racing, saw riders cover 744 kilometres, with a timed special of 379 kilometres, with riders still needing to personally care for their machines and tyres in order to complete the stage successfully.

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

2020 Dakar Rally – Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone

Joan Barreda led Ricky Brabec and Kevin Benavides from the start, with the three Honda riders setting off first and leading the now 97-rider field.

Reaching the special it was Pablo Quintanilla on the attack, leading Matthias Walkner and Luciano Benavides, but 103 km in Luciano was setting the fastest pace, three-minutes ahead of Toby Price.

At the 108 km mark Ricky Brabec was losing time, sitting 6min-28s off the leader, and as the special progressed would fall further back to trail by nine-minutes, with Toby Price also 4min-51s behind the leader.

Matthias Walkner meanwhile closed in on leader Quintanilla, with just 11-seconds separating the two at kilometre 212, with Brabec falling further behind.

It would be Pablo Quintanilla who took the stage win from Matthias Walkner in the provisional results, with just nine-seconds between the two riders.

Pablo Quintanilla

“Honestly, the stage was really tough today – all off-piste and very fast. I felt good and was able to push as hard as I could. Overall, I’m really happy with my race and to be in this position going into the final day. After difficult months I have had coming back from injury, it feels great to be here and second overall going into tomorrow. As always I will give my all and we’ll see what will happen.”

Dakar Rally Stage Pablo Quintanilla

Dakar Rally Stage Pablo Quintanilla

Pablo Quintanilla wins Stage 11

Matthias Walkner

“I had a really good stage today and made the most of my good start position to really push the tracks left by the guys in front. I was riding at 100% for the entire special. I ran out of fuel about two kilometres before the refuelling but was able to lie the bike on its side to get the last bit to the pump and luckily it was just enough to carry on. I made up some good time today, but with just one stage left it’ll be tough to make up much more time. I’ll definitely give it my best and aim for a strong finish to the rally.”

Dakar Rally Stage Matthias Walkner

Dakar Rally Stage Matthias Walkner

Matthias Walkner

Luciano Benavides was fourth ahead of Joseo Cornejo, with Toby Price completing the top-five.

Luciano Benavides

“It was a really nice day today and the first time we crossed some big dunes, so I like that a lot. I was really worried about the fuel, so I eased off before the refuelling but made it ok. After that I caught the group in front and rode with them for the rest of the stage – just trying my best not to make any mistakes and get to the finish safely. I’m really happy because there’s just one more day to go now and I hope I can finish this Dakar strong.”

Dakar Rally Stage Luciano Benavides

Dakar Rally Stage Luciano Benavides

Luciano Benavides

José Ignacio Cornejo

“Today was the first day of real dunes. I was feeling pretty much at ease. It was very entertaining and I had a lot of fun. I’m in one piece and the bike too is in perfect shape. Tomorrow is the final day and we are fighting to improve our overall positions. I think that compared to last year I have improved a lot, I feel a much more complete rider. I still have to improve some things but I am very happy with my progress.”

Dakar Rally Stage José Ignacio Cornejo rallyzone

Dakar Rally Stage José Ignacio Cornejo rallyzone

José Ignacio Cornejo

Toby Price

“I was able to make up a fair amount of time today but with the stage cut short yesterday it was difficult to get enough people between myself and the leaders. All-in-all it’s been a good day with very similar conditions to yesterday really – very fast and open. The sand has made for some tough going and like a few people today, I nearly ran out of fuel before kilometre 229. I managed to get in with about one litre left in the tank. One day to go now and I’m still feeling good so we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price

Toby Price

Jamie McCanney was top Yamaha in sixth, 6min-22s off leading pace, followed by teammate Franco Caimi in seventh. Andrew Short was eighth, Kevin Benavides ninth and Ricky Brabec tenth, 11min-48s of leading pace.

Australian Rodney Faggotter was just inside the top 10 in 19th position for the stage, 24min-10s off leading pace.

Ricky Brabec retains his overall lead from an attacking Pablo Quintanilla in the overall standings, while Toby Price is third, 22min-34s off leader Brabec’s combined time.

Ricky Brabec

“There’s one stage left. The team is working well. I’m pretty excited. I can’t get my hopes up right now. Stage 11 here in the dunes was pretty tough. Starting up front due to the cancellation of the second part. So it was really hard to judge the time. Tomorrow there is one stage left and I’m in a good starting position. I’m confident to be focused and make it to the finish line.”

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec rallyzone

Ricky Brabec

Matthias Walkner and Joan Barreda complete the top-10, while Rodney Faggotter still sits in 13th.

Provisional Stage 11 Results – Dakar Rally 2020

Source: MCNews.com.au

Barreda wins shortened Stage 10 | Price fourth | Dakar 2020


Stage 10 of the 2020 Dakar Rally was set to truly test all competitors and their machines with a long 534-kilometre timed special from Haradh to the temporary overnight bivouac at Shubaytah. It didn’t pan out that way, with weather proving an unexpected risk, and in the interest of safety, the stage was cut short at kilometre 345, with riders then travelling to the marathon bivouac untimed.

Stage Nine winner, Pablo Quintanilla, would lead riders into the special, trailed by Toby Price – three minutes behind, and Joan Barreda a further three minutes back from Price.

Dakar Rally Stage Pablo Quintanilla

Dakar Rally Stage Pablo Quintanilla

Pablo Quintanilla

Barreda however was on the offensive, stamping his authority on the special, soon leading Matthias Walkner and Ricky Brabec. After 223km that remained true, with standings leader Ricky Brabec closing in, and Toby Price dropping to three minutes off the leader, now behind Kevin Benavides.

When riders resumed the special after the neutralised section they had 175km left to run, with Toby Price, Joan Barreda and Pablo Quintanilla leading the way. Conditions deteriorated however, with race direction halting the stage after 345km.

Dakar Rally Stage Joan Barreda

Dakar Rally Stage Joan Barreda

Joan Barreda

The day’s results were taken from the neutralised section, with Joan Barreda the fastest rider with a time of 2h-11min-42s for the day. Ricky Brabec was second fastest, 1min-7s back, while fellow Monster Energy Honda Team rider Kevin Benavides was third, making for a Honda 1-2-3.

Joan Barreda

“I think I rode a very good stage, although tomorrow I will have to start from the front and open the track in the dunes. Anyway, I’m satisfied with the pace that I’ve kept. I pushed hard to reach the frontrunners Price, Quintanilla which I managed to do at kilometre 130. Then we rode together as far as the refuelling where the organization then cancelled the rest of the special. The important thing now is that Ricky has the race under control and that Nacho, me and Kevin are fine. This is great for Honda!”

Dakar Rally Stage Joan Barreda

Dakar Rally Stage Joan Barreda

Joan Barreda

Ricky Brabec

“We are in the bivouac of the marathon stage and we have only two stages left. Today it was very windy, and with the sand that was rising it was hard to see well, so they decided to cancel the last part. Well, we have to go every day, there is no other plan or strategy to complete. The goal is to get to the finish line every day with the motorcycle.”

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky Brabec

Ricky Brabec

Kevin Benavides

“Today was a short stage, very fast at the beginning, with very dangerous cut dunes. I took it easy at first, as a precaution, and then I began to push a bit harder. In the end, at the refuelling we were told that the second part had been cancelled for security reasons, which seems right to me. I’m happy for us, it’s been a good day for the Honda guys, with a full podium. The bikes have done few kilometres, so they are fine and do not need much attention!”

Dakar Rally Stage Kevin Benavides

Dakar Rally Stage Kevin Benavides

Kevin Benavides

Australian Toby Price came home in fourth, trailing the lead rider by 2min-37s, and fellow KTM Factory Team rider’s Luciano Benavides and Matthias Walker were fifth and sixth.

Toby Price

“My day has gone well. It’s a little frustrating that the stage was cut short as I was planning on finishing a little further back to make up more time tomorrow. It is what it is and of course it was definitely the right decision to make regards safety. The good news is, the bike’s in good shape and we’re all ready for tomorrow. Unfortunately, I’ll still be starting quite near the front, so it’ll be tough to make up a lot of time on the leaders, but I’m feeling strong and looking forward to the last couple of days.”

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price

Dakar Rally Stage Toby Price

Toby Price

Luciano Benavides

“It was a good stage for me today – really fast, off-piste at the beginning with lots of broken dunes. There was one section with really tricky navigation, where a lot of people got lost. I did well there and got through without making too many mistakes and arrived at the refuelling in about fourth or fifth. After that, I had been looking forward to the last part of the stage through the big dunes, but with the stage cut short we didn’t get to see that. My bike is good, with no problems, so I’m ready for tomorrow.”

Dakar Rally Stage Luciano Benavides

Dakar Rally Stage Luciano Benavides

Luciano Benavides

Matthias Walkner

“It was a strange day today and quite tricky in places. The first 100 kilometres went well, navigation was ok and I made up some good time. At around kilometre 200 the wind was really strong so that made it hard to see the pistes, visibility was bad too and I ended up making a small mistake that cost me a couple of minutes. I really enjoyed the stage and it’s a shame it was shortened, but this is the race and we still have two unpredictable days to go.”

Dakar Rally Stage Matthias Walkner

Dakar Rally Stage Matthias Walkner

Matthias Walkner

Pablo Quintanilla finished seventh, ahead of Ross Branch, Maurizio Gerini and Jose Cornejo.

Top Yamaha was Franco Caimi of the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team in 13th, with Australian Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha Motor Australia) finishing the day in 39th position, 39min-51s off the leading pace.

Rodney Faggotter – During Stage

“Alls ok mod stage relatively, I’ve stopped with Jamie McCanney to help a crashed rider. He’s going to be ok and got him in the chopper. Now stopped at end of neutral zone – it seems they’ve run out of choppers…  Rest of the stage may be cancelled.”

Following Stage 10 it continues to be Ricky Brabec in the lead, from Pablo Quintanilla and Joan Barreda, while Toby Price is fourth overall.

Fifth is Jose Cornejo ahead of Matthias Walkner and Luciano Benavides, with Skyler Howes eighth, Franco Caimi the top Yamaha in ninth, and Stefan Svitko 10th. Aussie Rodney Faggotter retains his 13th place in the standings, despite a challenging day.

Stage 11 of the 2020 Dakar Rally – the second leg of the marathon stage and the penultimate day of racing – will cover a total of 744 kilometres and include a timed special of 379 kilometres. Although stage 10 was shortened, riders will still need to care for their machines and tyres in order to complete the stage successfully.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Pablo Quintanilla fastest in Stage Nine | Dakar 2020


Kevin Benavides was the first to start the day’s special after completing the 450 km of link stage for the morning as riders recommenced the 2020 Dakar Rally following the cancellation of Stage 8 in respect for Paulo Goncalves. Argentinean Benavides set off three minutes ahead of Joan Barreda who was in turn followed 3 minutes later by Matthias Walkner.

Competitors would need to complete a 886-kilometre stage nine that led the field from Wadi Al Dawasir to Haradh. Initially faced with an arduous liaison, riders then entered the timed special that presented all with a challenging route made up of rocky tracks and stony riverbeds.

Dakar Rally Stage Kevin Benavides rallyzoneKevin Benavides was an early leader

Overall standings leader Ricky Brabec meanwhile started the ninth special of the rally in fifth position, behind Luciano Benavides, with Toby Price and Pablo Quintanilla setting off later and able to take advantage of the tracks left by the first riders to put in a strong performance. Toby Price was notable the fastest rider to reach the special, but it wasn’t too last…

A herd of particularly lively camels also made an appearance in a canyon 76 km into the special, with a helicopter quickly able to disperse them, ensuring they didn’t interfere with competitors.

Ricky Brabec took an early lead in the special, pulling ahead of Joan Barreda and Toby Price, with Barreda slowed by a minor fall.

Dakar Rally Stage Luciano BenavidesLuciano Benavides

Kevin Benavides was the first rider of the day to reach the 34 kilometre long neutralised section of the stage, heading pace with Barreda and Walkner, who set off after him.

Australian Ben Young, sitting 63rd in the general standings heading into Stage 9, had had a relatively trouble-free Dakar until today, suffering a fall on the first part of the special. He raced half of the 2019 Dakar Rally with a broken hand on his first appearance in the event last year following a fall on the fifth stage.

Dakar Rally Stage Matthias WalknerMatthias Walkner

With as little as 30-seconds splitting the top riders at times for the day, it was Pablo Quintanilla who claimed top honours, ahead of Toby Price, with both putting pressure on overall standings leader Ricky Brabec, who trailed the leader by less than four minutes and was in fourth position.

Pablo Quintanilla

“It was a strange feeling this morning after what happened to Paulo, but I think it was good to get riding again. There was a long liaison this morning and it was very cold, but I felt better when we hit the special and I was able to push right away. In the end, I won the stage, which was a fitting way to honour Paulo. But now, with stage eight cancelled, my strategy is more complicated. My goal from here is to push and try to make up as much time over the final three days as possible.”

Dakar Rally Stage Pablo Quintanilla Husqvarna Factory RacingPablo Quintanilla

Toby Price

“It’s been a long day today and with it being so fast, it’s was really difficult to make up any time on the others as we’re all so close on these full-gas stages. Obviously, it’s been a really tough day mentally but we’re still cruising along in the race and the main goal as always is to make it safely to the finish line. We entered the Empty Quarter a little today but to be honest we only had 30 kilometres or so of dunes. I’m hoping these next few days will feature more. There’s definitely a lot of kilometres left to go so we’ll just try and keep it on two wheels.”

Dakar Rally Stage Toby PriceToby Price – Image by Rally Zone

Joan Barreda meanwhile was third fastest for the day, while Ross Branch completed the top five.

Joan Barreda

“A good sporting day. I started out second and already by the refuelling I was opening track and overtook Kevin. Then the dunes arrived and there was a confusing area of navigation. Finally we were able to maintain good pace and make it to the finish line well. I’ve been opening track and moving forward for several days and it’s not easy. There are two stages with sand, then a shorter one, so it won’t be easy to reduce the time. We will try to take it day by day and cut the time down as much as possible.”

Dakar Rally Stage Joan BarredaJoan Barreda

Kevin Benavides and Luciano Benavides were sixth and seventh, with Jose Cornejo eighth, while Andrew Short and Matthias Walkner completed the top-10 for the day.

Aussie Rodney Faggotter remained strong and consistent, with 18th place just shy of 15-minutes off leading pace.

Rodney Faggotter

“Today I did 880+ kms! Solid day. Bike is down on top speed of the factory bikes but I’m happy with everything else, riding hard in the rough stuff to stay fast. Last few stages have been pretty boring track/racing wise and super fast but the scenery is magic! Like moonscape in places.”

The provisional standings following stage nine still see Ricky Brabec in the lead by almost 25-minutes, with Pablo Quintanilla second overall, and Jose Cornejo in third. Toby Price is fourth in the combined standings, ahead of Joan Barreda.

Ricky Brabec

“We feel pretty good. We are here at a windy bivouac. We are another day closer to the American dream of winning the Dakar. There’s three days left and tomorrow is the marathon. We have a lot of racing to do. The main goal now is to focus and stay positive after the incident that happened a few days ago. Right now we are going to rest and make sure our bikes are 100%, get some food, pack our bags for the marathon and try to stay positive. There’s a 21-minute gap in the general. So tomorrow Quintanilla and Toby start in front of me so the plan is to maybe catch them or maybe keep them in my sights. That way they will start in front of me for the next few days. I’m not really sure what is going to happen so we are just going to stay focused and not lose the twenty-one minutes. The marathon stage is really cool and is very relaxing. You don’t have to see the team and it’s only the riders in the bivouac. You can really soak in the camp life, because by now it’s stage ten or eleven and it’s nearly time to go home. It’ll be nice.”

Dakar Rally Stage Ricky BrabecRicky Brabec

Rodney Faggotter retains his 13th place standing following the days efforts.


Provisional Stage 9 Results – Dakar Rally 2020

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News Wrap | Dakar | AMA SX | Beach Racing | Speedway

Moto News Weekly for January 14, 2020

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What happened this week

  • Dakar Rally mourns the loss of Paulo Gonçalves
  • Ken Roczen tops AMA Supercross Round 2 in Missouri
  • Austin Forkner closes in on 250SX lead
  • Nathan Watson continues French Beach Racing domination
  • Fricke crowned Aussie Senior Solo Speedway Champ
  • WA to host two International Solo Speedway friendlies
  • 2021 Australian Speedway Solo Championships EoI open
  • 2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team unveiled
  • 2020 Championship Calendars
    • 2020 AMA Motocross
    • 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
    • 2020 MXGP
    • 2020 American Flat Track
    • 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
    • 2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
    • 2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Track Championship
    • 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
    • 2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
    • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
    • 2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
    • 2020 King of MX
    • 2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

Dakar Rally mourns the loss of Paulo Gonçalves

After the accident which claimed the life of motorcycle rider Paulo Gonçalves, Stage Eight of the Dakar Rally 2020 was cancelled in the motorcycle category out of respect for the mourning of family and friends in the bivouac.

Paulo Goncalves

Paulo Goncalves

RIP Paulo Goncalves

Paulo won three Dakar Rally stages with Honda and claimed the runner-up spot in the 2015 edition. Previously after various victories in the 2013 world championship, Paulo clinched the title of FIM Cross-Country Rallies world champion in an epic triumph in Morocco. In 2014 he took the runner-up prize was third in the world championship in 2015 and 2017.

Paulo Gonçalves was a rider with Honda HRC, Monster Energy Honda Team from mid-2013 until mid-2019, joining Hero MotoSports Team Rally last year, and the spirited Portuguese rider won over the hearts of not only the entire team, but also all his companions in the bivouac, and of the fans.

Toby Price

“Paulo took off into the stage about five-minutes before me and I came over a small crest and saw a rider down and it was Paulo. Worst fears kicked in cause I knew this one was serious. I called for help ASAP and helped get him on his side (plus more serious checks). Then tried calling for more help and by this stage Stefan Svitko (also a champion) had arrived and was helping where he could. The first helicopter arrive and Luc Alphand was starting to help and as the medical helicopter arrived they were already on CPR and the doctors got to our sides and worked all they could. Helping holding drip bags, getting bags of medical equipment and guiding other riders around a bad scene. We all worked as long as we could but there was nothing we could do. I helped assist carrying him to the helicopter as it was the right thing to do. I was first at his side and wanted to be the last to leave. We will miss you’re smile and laughter in the bivouac Paulo. My last 250km of special stage was tough, I’m dehydrated from tears. At the moment I’m not even worried about the result, I couldn’t care. Many thoughts with family and friends on this day, we don’t start the rally day 8 for bike #8 in respect to family and friends and the loss of a HERO… Thank you to everyone for the messages of support worldwide, especially those from Portugal with all the kind things. We are human and this is nothing but just a race, I would give up all my wins to have any of my fellow racing mates back with us.”


Ken Roczen tops AMA Supercross Round 2 in Missouri

For the full report and results see:
Roczen victorious in Missouri | Jett Lawrence stars in 250 (link)

Zach Osborne scored the holeshotin the 450SX Main Event at the AMA Supercross Round 2 in Missouri, but Ken Roczen was all over him throughout the opening lap before then settling a little. Justin Barcia was in third place at this early stage of the race as Adam Cianciarulo worked his way up to fourth place after passing Jason Anderson.

AMA SX Rnd Starts SX STL Kardy Yarn

AMA SX Rnd Starts SX STL Kardy Yarn

AMA Supercross Round Two 2020

Roczen took the lead from Osborne and the Husqvarna man lost some time as the #94 Honda went past and that allowed Barcia to close and pass. Adam Cianciarulo and Jason Anderson were banging bars over fourth place but it was the more experienced Anderson that came out on top, Cianciarulo was then pushed further back to sixth place by Justin Brayton. Malcolm Stewart was running seventh ahead of Eli Tomac, Justin Hill and Blake Baggett.

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Adam Cianciarulo got his head down again eight-minutes in to the race and moved back past Brayton and up to fifth place, he then took fourth from Zach Osborne. A couple of laps later his Monster Energy Kawasaki team-mate Eli Tomac pushed Brayton further back to sixth place.

13-minutes into the race Roczen had a seven-second lead over Justin Barcia, who in-turn had three-seconds on Jason Anderson. Adam Cianciarulo was a further five-seconds behind in fourth place but with Zach Osborne, Eli Tomac and Malcolm Stewart right behind him.

AMA SX Rnd Cianciarulo SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Cianciarulo SX STL Kardy

Adam Cianciarulo

Adam Cianciarulo dropped the bike on the final lap while in fourth place but managed to pick the KX450F up and salvage seventh place ahead of Justin Brayton.

Almost three years since his last victory, after endless pain and extensive operations to try and repair horrific damage suffered to his arms, wrists and hands, the 25-year-old German stood again atop a supercross podium with what was a dominant victory.

Ken Roczen – P1

“This feels so surreal and is absolutely amazing. It’s been a long time coming with a lot of struggle in the process, so this is definitely one of the sweetest moments of my career. The emotions and joy from everyone is very special. I think tonight was just our night to win. The whole day was good, starting with feeling so much more comfortable on the bike than I did last week. We also grabbed a couple of solid starts in both races tonight. I rode really good in the heat race and even in the main. I’d say that I actually surprised myself and maybe the team a little with how the main event went; it was just our time to shine. I knew if I wanted to make it happen, I’d need to make my way to the front fast, so that’s what I did. I got around Zach [Osborne] quick and had a clear track, so then I just clicked off some great laps, putting a gap between myself and the field. At one point Justin [Barcia] seemed to close in a bit but I just focused on hitting my marks and managing my pace. The race felt really long because the lap times were fairly short; the tower was right after the finish so I could get a glance at the clock each lap—it seemed like it took forever! I’ve messed it up so many times in the last laps, so it’s not over until it’s actually over. I just tried to maintain a pace while also staying consistent and not making any mistakes. We’re going to enjoy this but then get back to work this week. This is a big confidence booster and really motivating for me to want to keep the momentum going.”

AMA SX Rnd Roczen Podium SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Roczen Podium SX STL Kardy

AMA Supercross Round Two 2020 – Ken Roczen tops the 450 Podium

Justin Barcia took second place ahead of Jason Anderson while Eli Tomac missed the podium in fourth. Zach Osborne took fifth place ahead of Malcolm Stewart. Australian Chad Reed failed to finish the race.

Justin Barcia – P2

“It was a pretty tough day for me. I was really sick all week, and I just had to be mentally tough and push through the difficulties I was having today. My heat race went really well. I got a bad start, but I fought through the pack and got up to third. I made some really great passes, so that was awesome. In the Main Event, I got a much better start and quickly moved into second. I was pushing really hard, but tonight the best I had was second. I rode really well, considering. I felt like I rode better today than I did in Anaheim. I just unfortunately was a little under the weather. So, all in all, a really good day. The team did a great job with the motorcycle and setting it up. I’m really looking to get better this week and feeling better for Anaheim.”

AMA SX Rnd Barcia SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Barcia SX STL Kardy

Justin Barcia

Jason Anderson – P3

“I’m just out here enjoying myself, I feel like I was riding pretty good in the Main. I got off to a good start and I kind of let the battling happen in front of me and then I worked my way through the guys I could and settled into third.”

AMA SX Rnd Osborne Anderson Multiple SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Osborne Anderson Multiple SX STL Kardy

Zach Osborne leads Jason Anderson

Eli Tomac – P4

“Well we didn’t finish the night where we wanted or should be, but the team and I will get back to work this week and get everything dialed before Anaheim next weekend. I know we’ll be focusing on my starts, which have really been hurting my chances at finishing on the podium, but we’ll get those dialed and make any other minor adjustments that need to be made so we can get back on top.”

AMA SX Rnd Friese Stewart Baggett Tomac Multiple SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Friese Stewart Baggett Tomac Multiple SX STL Kardy

Friese leads Steward, Baggett and Tomac

Justin Barcia retains the lead in the championship on 49-points while Ken Roczen moves up to second place on 43-points, four-points ahead of Adam Cianciarulo.

2020 AMA SX – 450SX Standings after Round 2

Pos Rider R1 R2 Total
1 Justin Barcia 26 23 49
2 Ken Roczen 17 26 43
3 Adam Cianciarulo 23 16 39
4 Jason Anderson 18 21 39
5 Eli Tomac 16 19 35
6 Blake Baggett 19 14 33
7 Cooper Webb 21 11 32
8 Malcolm Stewart 14 17 31
9 Justin Brayton 15 15 30
10 Zach Osborne 9 18 27
11 Aaron Plessinger 11 13 24
12 Justin Hill 12 12 24
13 Vince Friese 13 9 22
14 Dean Wilson 10 10 20
15 Justin Bogle 7 8 15
16 Martin Davalos 8 1 9
17 Chris Blose 3 5 8
18 Kyle Cunningham 0 7 7
19 Chad Reed 5 2 7
20 Benny Bloss 6 6
21 Tyler Bowers 6 6
22 Alex Ray 4 4
23 Kyle Chisholm 4 4
24 James Decotis 1 3 4
25 Fredrik Noren 2 2

Austin Forkner closes in on 250SX lead

Aussie teenager Jett Lawrence got a sensational start to the 250SX Main Event but Austin Forkner quickly swept past the Geico Honda youngster. Left on the deck on lap one was defending 250 West champ Dylan Ferrandis after he was rear-ended hard by Michael Mosiman. Ferrandis had to return to his mechanics in order to get damage to his machine repaired.

AMA SX Rnd Lawrence Forkner Starts SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Lawrence Forkner Starts SX STL Kardy

Jett Lawrence & Austin Forkner

Jett Lawrence maintained a strong second place over the opening laps while not letting Forkner to break away, while countrymen Luke Clout was running seventh and Aaron Tanti 12th.

Justin Cooper was fighting his way through the field with ten-minutes remaining, and moved past Hartranft for fourth place. A couple of minutes later he then dispensed with Christian Craig to move up to third.

AMA SX Rnd LawrenceJ SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd LawrenceJ SX STL Kardy

Jett Lawrence

Jett Lawrence was within a second of race leader Forkner for the first two-thirds of the race but five-minutes from the end Jett made a small mistake and clipped a tough-block which bent his rear brake pedal back around on to his peg. That bobble allowed Cooper to pounce and move through to second place. A lap later Lawrence stopped to see his mechanics where they bent the brake lever back off his peg and the 16-year-old rejoined the race in fifth place but with his podium chance now gone.

Forkner managed to withstand the pressure from the closing Cooper to secure the win while Brandon Hartranft secured the final step on the rostrum ahead of Alex Martin.

Austin Forkner – P1

“Man, what a tough day. It’s always a difficult pill to swallow when you end your day early, especially when you’re riding well and feeling good in the beginning. I made a small mistake in qualifying and just couldn’t really recover after that crash. I was hurting pretty badly, so the team and I all made the decision to call it a day and get checked out in hopes to recover quicker for the long season ahead.”

AMA SX Rnd Forkner Lawrence Multiple SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Forkner Lawrence Multiple SX STL Kardy

Austin Forkner

Justin Cooper – P2

“Last weekend I had it pretty easy. I was just out front clicking off my laps. This weekend was a different story. I felt good all day, but I didn’t put myself in the best positions in the races tonight. I just had to put my head down and take my time and come through the pack. Once you get the feeling of victory, you don’t want to lose it. But this feels like a win tonight. It was a good learning curve for me. We’re going to hold the red plate and we’re going to hold onto it tight. We’re going to fight for this championship.”

AMA SX Rnd Cooper SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Cooper SX STL Kardy

Justin Cooper

Brandon Hartranft – P3

“Honestly, I’m still in shock about what happened tonight, this podium couldn’t have come at a better time for me. The team and I have put in a lot of work this off-season and I definitely couldn’t have done this without them!”

AMA SX Rnd Hartranft SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd Hartranft SX STL Kardy

Brandon Hartranft

Jett Lawrence salvaged that fifth place after what had been a hugely encouraging performance for the youngster. Luke Clout took a great seventh, while fellow Aussie Aaron Tanti claimed 13th.

Jett Lawrence – P5

“Gave it everything I had last night. Unfortunately I clipped a damn tough block which wrapped my rear brake around my peg and locked on my brake causing me to come into pit lane. Thanks for all the messages and comments I appreciate it. thanks to my team and sponsors. Back to work this week!”

AMA SX Rnd LawrenceJ SX STL Kardy

AMA SX Rnd LawrenceJ SX STL Kardy

Jett Lawrence

Luke Clout – P7

“I felt more like myself tonight. Finishing 4th in the Heat was great and it’s much closer to where I want to be. I am getting more comfortable on the 250 as well.”

Justin Cooper is the 250 West Championship leader on 49 points following Round 2, five-points ahead of Austin Forkner. Jett Lawrence currently ranks equal fifth in the series with Alex Martin.

2020 AMA SX – 250SX Standings after Round 2

Pos Rider R1 R2 Total
1 Justin Cooper 26 23 49
2 Austin Forkner 18 26 44
3 Brandon Hartranft 16 21 37
4 Dylan Ferrandis 23 11 34
5 Alex Martin 13 19 32
6 Jett Lawrence 14 18 32
7 Jacob Hayes 12 17 29
8 Derek Drake 15 13 28
9 Christian Craig 21 1 22
10 Michael Mosiman 19 3 22
11 Mitchell Oldenburg 7 15 22
12 Carson Brown 8 14 22
13 Luke Clout 2 16 18
14 Cameron Mcadoo 17 17
15 Michael Leib 11 6 17
16 Killian Auberson 9 8 17
17 Robbie Wageman 10 5 15
18 Derek Kelley 4 9 13
19 Martin Castelo 12 12
20 Aaron Tanti 0 10 10
21 Mitchell Falk 1 7 8
22 Jay Wilson 6 6
23 Logan Karnow 5 0 5
24 Cheyenne Harmon 4 4
25 Chris Howell 3 3
26 Ludovic Macler 0 2 2

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Nathan Watson continues French Beach Racing domination

Nathan Watson has secured his third victory of the season in the Championnat de France des Sables, extending his series lead following a commanding win at round six in Grayan-et-L’Hopital.

French Beach Racing Rnd Nathan Watson Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Grayan et LHopital

French Beach Racing Rnd Nathan Watson Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Grayan et LHopital

Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

The penultimate stop of the French Beach Racing championship saw competitors travel to the south west of France, near Bordeaux, for round five. A mixture of a high-speed sandy beach and rough dunes ensured a thorough and demanding test for all at Grayan-et-L’Hopital. High tides resulted in the original three-hour race distance being cut short to just over two hours.

At a course he favours, Watson wasted no time in positioning himself at the head of the field. Claiming a top-five start, he powered his KTM 450 SX-F into the lead on the opening lap. Comfortable out front he set the pace, pulling one minute and 20 seconds clear of his rivals as the race entered its latter stages.

However, unaware that organisers had cut the race distance from three hours to just over two because of a turning tide, Watson still completed his three scheduled fuel stops. Without risk of losing position, he went on to win by almost 50 seconds from Todd Kellett and Camille Chapeliere.

Nathan Watson

“Overall, I had a really great race today. As beach races go, this one went pretty much perfectly. I’m not sure what it is about this place but I enjoy coming here and love the mixture of open high-speed beach and rough sections in the surrounding forest. We made some changes to the bike to allow for more power and speed and that helped me get a good start. I was about top five, but made some quick overtakes and hit the front on the opening lap. I was able to lead every lap and felt comfortable controlling the pace. Towards the end the organisers cut the race short. I could have avoided an extra fuel stop to save time, but I had already done my three stops at that point, so although I lost time there thankfully it all worked out ok. It’s the final push now towards Enduropale du Touquet. I feel in a good place and go there confident and focused on defending my crown.”

French Beach Racing Rnd Nathan Watson Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Grayan et LHopital

French Beach Racing Rnd Nathan Watson Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Grayan et LHopital

Nathan Watson – Image by Pascal Haudiquert

The CFS: Championnat de France des Sables concludes with Round Seven at Enduropale du Touquet on 2 February.

Championnat de France des Sables Round 6: Grayan-et-L’Hopital Results

  1. Nathan Watson (GBR), KTM, 11 laps, 2:17.750
  2. Todd Kellett (GBR), Yamaha, 2:18.11.260 +49.510
  3. Milko Potisek (FRA), Yamaha, 2:19:08.530 +1:46.780
  4. Camille Chapeliere (FRA) KTM, 2:20:09.170 +2:47.420
  5. Richard Fura (FRA), Yamaha, 2:24.39.880 +7:18.130

Championnat de France des Sables Standings

  1. Nathan Watson (GBR) KTM, 720pts
  2. Todd Kellett (GBR), Yamaha, 645pts
  3. Camille Chapeliere (FRA), KTM, 556pts
  4. Jeremy Hauquier (FRA), KTM, 478pts
  5. Damien Prevot (FRA), Kawasaki, 455pts

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Fricke crowned Aussie Senior Solo Speedway Champ

Max Fricke has taken out the 2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championships in front of a packed South Australian crowd at Gillman Speedway, where fans were treated to the best racing this season. Riders diced all night in tight lines early in the heats before finding significant speed out wide later in the evening.

Despite Fricke securing the championship earlier in the night on points, it was Jack Holder who blitzed the field in the final race, with Fricke second, Rohan Tungate third, and Josh Pickering fourth. Holder’s Final win backed up his performance earlier in the night where he picked better lines and demonstrated superior speed.

Fricke played it safe at the finale to wrap up his second national title in succession and looks in fine form for his European campaign later this year.

Max Fricke

“It’s nice to know that it’s all wrapped up now and I can relax a bit. It’s really nice to know that I’ve come away with it (the championship) now. It’s nice to be able to put myself as a back to back champion with all the names on the trophy. I’m over the moon and can’t thank everyone enough.”

Max Fricke Gillman

Max Fricke Gillman

Max Fricke

2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship
Final Points

  1. Max Fricke 71
  2. Jack Holder 62
  3. Rohan Tungate 59
  4. Chris Holder 57
  5. Jaimon Lidsey 55
  6. Brady Kurtz 47
  7. Josh Pickering 38
  8. Sam Masters 37
  9. Ryan Douglas 26
  10. Zach Cook 20
  11. Rob Medson 20
  12. Justin Sedgmen 19
  13. Ben Cook 17
  14. Jordan Stewart 16
  15. Jack Morrison 6
  16. Patrick Hamilton 1

2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship
Round Five – Gillman Points

  1. Jack Holder 20
  2. Max Fricke 16
  3. Rohan Tungate 16
  4. Chris Holder 13
  5. Josh Pickering 13
  6. Jaimon Lidsey 12
  7. Brady Kurtz 10
  8. Sam Masters 8
  9. Ben Cook 7
  10. Rob Medson 6
  11. Justin Sedgmen 5
  12. Zach Cook 5
  13. Ryan Douglas 4
  14. Jack Morrison 1
  15. Jordan Stewart 1

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WA to host two International Solo Speedway friendlies

By Graeme Sinden

Western Australian motorcycle speedway followers are in for a huge treat come mid-January when the Speedway Motorcycle Club of WA host, not one, but two International Solo Speedway friendlies between Australia and Great Britain at their Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway complex near Wanneroo.

Solo Speedway Championship Australia vs Great Britain

Solo Speedway Championship Australia vs Great Britain

These two big nights of International solo racing between Australia and England are reminiscent of the official Test Matches that were regularly held at speedway venues around the country back in the ’80s and early ’90s including, Claremont Speedway in the days when Australia’s International solo Champion, Aub Lawson operated the famous venue and again when Con Migro took over the reigns as it’s Promoter.

Three times World Solo Champion, Tai Woffinden and his close friend, businessman, Limited WA State Sprintcar Champion and President of the Speedway Motorcycle Club of WA, Marshall McDiarmid formulated the plan to bring some young ‘Team England’ riders to Australia and race off in a couple of International Friendlies against some quality Australia riders.

The plan was to allow some up and coming young British riders to live, work and train together just as any professional team would do in an attempt to develop comradery, understanding, rider skills and indeed life skills and enable them to take these valuable experiences forward in the hope it will strengthen the UK World Cup Team in future years.

As the idea grew, the number of people in the planning process expanded and what initially started out as a thought bubble between two good friends, each with a passion for solo racing, will finally become a reality when these two great Nations face off against each other over two big nights of traditional solo speedway racing on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th January at Pinjar Park Motorcycle Speedway in Perth Western Australia.

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2021 Australian Speedway Solo Championships EoI open

Hot on the heels of the successful 2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship, Motorcycling Australia has today released expressions of interest for clubs or promoters to host the 2021 national speedway championships.

The 2020 five round Championship was a success because of the dedication and professionalism of local clubs and Australia’s world class riders.

Australian Solo Senior Speedway Round Rohan Tungate

Australian Solo Senior Speedway Round Rohan Tungate

Rohan Tungate – 2020 Australian Solo Senior Speedway Round 2

An Australian Championship is the pinnacle of competition in Australia and a great way to promote your club and your community whilst providing an opportunity for your local riders to compete amongst the best in Australia.

These meetings bring competitors and spectators from all over Australia.

Applications are open to clubs that wish to host the 2021 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship, Under 16’s 250cc Solo Championship and Under 21’s Solo Championship.

Upon receipt of Expression of Interest, Motorcycling Australia will send additional information on the specific championship and the requirements.

Expression of interest forms can be found on the Motorcycling Australia website www.ma.org.au


2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team unveiled

Husqvarna Motorcycles have announced the 2020 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team, featuring team riders Thomas Kjer Olsen, Jed Beaton and EMX250 rider Kay de Wolf.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX Team

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX Team

2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team unveiled – Image by Bavo Swijgers

With the opening round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship now only a little over seven weeks away, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team are currently based in Spain, at the Redsand MX Park facility, where all three riders are working on both their off-bike physical training and riding, aboard their FC 250 machines.

The team’s first official outing of 2020 will be the Hawkstone Park International in England on February 9. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 team will then ready themselves for the start of the 20-round FIM Motocross World Championship, which kicks off with the GP of Great Britain on March 1 at Matterley Basin.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX Team Jed Beaton

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX Team Jed Beaton

Jed Beaton – 2020 Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 Team – Image by Bavo Swijgers

Rasmus Jorgensen – Team Manager

“With the start of the season not too far away now, things have been going really well recently. All riders took some much-needed time off at the end of last year before starting their physical preparations in November and returning to riding in December, in Belgium. Since the New Year we’ve been in Spain at Redsand MX Park and the atmosphere among the three riders is really positive – it’s great to see so much energy and willingness to work hard. Ahead of us are many more weeks of training and testing, but all riders are already feeling really comfortable and enjoying both the on and off bike work we’re doing. We’re all looking forward to the first race at Hawkstone.”

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2020 Championship Calendars

2020 AMA Motocross race schedule

  • May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
  • May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
  • May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
  • June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
  • June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
  • June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
  • July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
  • July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
  • July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
  • August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
  • August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
  • August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN

2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar

  • Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
  • Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
  • Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
  • Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
  • Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
  • Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
  • March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
  • March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
  • March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
  • March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
  • April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
  • April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
  • April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

2020 MXGP Calendar

  • March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
  • March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
  • March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
  • April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
  • April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
  • May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 7 – Russia, Orlyonok – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 14 – Latvia, Kegums – (EMX250, EMX Open)
  • June 28 – Indonesia, Jakarta
  • July 5 – Indonesia, Palembang
  • July 26 – Czech Republic, Loket – (EMX65, EMX85, EMX 2t)
  • August 2 – Belgium, Lommel – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 16 – Sweden, Uddevalla – (EMX125, EMX250)
  • August 23 – Finland, Litti-KymiRing – (EMX125, EMX250, EMX 2t)
  • September 6 – Turkey, Afyonkarahisar – (EMX Open, WMX)
  • September 13 – China, (TBA) –
  • September 20 – Emilia Romagna, Imola – (EMX125, WMX)
  • September 27 – Motocross of Nations, France, Ernee

2020 American Flat Track

  • Round 1. March 14: Daytona 200 &  TT – Daytona Speedway, FL
  • Round 2. March 28: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
  • Round 3. April 4: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Speedway, Concord, NC
  • Round 4. May 2: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
  • Round 5. May 9: So-Cal Half-Mile – Perris Speedway, Perris, CA
  • Round 6. May 16: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
  • Round 7. May 30: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
  • Round 8. June 13: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Speedway, Loudon, NH
  • Round 9. June 20: OKC Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Round 10. June 27: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
  • Round 11. July 4: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
  • Round 12. August 9: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
  • Round 13. August 11: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
  • Round 14. August 22: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
  • Round 15. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 16. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
  • Round 17. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Round 18. September 26: Meadowlands Mile* – Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

  • Round 1, January 3 – Kurri Kurri Speedway, Loxford Park NSW
  • Round 2, January 6 – Diamond Park, Wodonga VIC
  • Round 3, January 7 – Undera Speedway, Echuca Road, Undera VIC
  • Round 4, January 9 – Olympic Park, Regina Street, Mildura VIC
  • Round 5, January 11 – Gillman Speedway, Wilkins Road, Gillman SA

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 8-10
  • Round 2: Trefle Lozerien AMV (France) May 21-23
  • Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) June 10-14
  • Round 4: Red Bull 111 Megawatt (Poland ) June TBC
  • Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 21-25
  • Round 6: Tennessee Knockout (USA) August 15-16
  • Round 7: Hawkstone Park Cross-Country (UK) September TBC
  • Round 8: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) October TBC

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

  • May 16 – PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland – Warsaw
  • May 30 – German SGP – Teterow
  • June 13 – Czech SGP – Prague
  • July 18 – Adrian Flux British SGP – Cardiff
  • July 25 – Swedish SGP – Hallstavik
  • August 1 – Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland – Wroclaw
  • August 15 – Scandinavian SGP – Malilla, Sweden
  • August 29 – Russian SGP – Togliatti
  • September 12 – Danish SGP sponsored by ECCO – Vojens
  • October 3 – Revline Torun SGP of Poland – Torun

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

  • April 11-12 Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships
    • Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD, North Brisbane Jnr Motorcycle Club
  • October 17-18 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
    • Fairburn Park, ACT Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

  • May 16-17 Australian Senior Track Championships
    • Qurindi, Tamworth, NSW, Tamworth Motorcycle Club
  • September 26-27 Australian Junior Track Championships
    • Gunnedah, NSW Gunnedah Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 & 2: Toowoomba, QLD 22 – 23 February 2020
  • Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW 14 – 15 March 2020
  • Round 5 & 6: Nowra, NSW 18 – 19 April 2020
  • Round 7 & 8: SA 1 – 2 August 2020
  • Round 9 & 10: Omeo, VIC 19 – 20 September 2020
  • Round 11 & 12: Wynyard, TAS 17 –18 October 2020

2020 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Calendar

  • Round 1: December 7, 2019 – Krakow, Poland
  • Round 2: January 4 – Riesa, Germany
  • Round 3: January 18 – A Coruna, Spain
  • Round 4: February 1 – Budapest, Hungary
  • Round 5: March 14 – Lodz, Poland

2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West Calendar

  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East Series
    • March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
    • May 16-17: Madd Moose, Marquette, Mich.
    • July 4-5: Tough Like RORR, Tamaqua, Pa.
    • July 18-19: Fallen Timbers, Little Hocking, Ohio
    • Aug. 1-2: Battle of the Goats, Taylorsville, N.C.
  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road West Series
    • Feb. 8: King of the Motos, Lucerne Valley, Calif.
    • March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
    • May 2-3: EnduroFest, Reno, Nev.
    • June 6-7: Last Dog Standing, Devore, Calif.
    • June 20-21: Stix and Stones, Kellogg, Idaho
  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship
    • Aug. 14-16: Trials Training Center, Sequatchie, Tenn.

2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 – June 13: Diedenbergen DE
  • Round 2 – July 26: Boves-Cuneo IT
  • Round 3 – September 5: Morizès FR
  • Round 4 – October 3: Pardubice CZ

2020 King of MX Calendar

  • Qualifier 1 – February 15-16, Bega – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 2 – February 29-1 March, Narrabri – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 3 – March 14-15, Bathurst – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 4 – March 28-29, Wagga Wagga – Top 6 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 5 – April 18-19, Lake Macquarie -Top 7 qualify for final
  • Qualifier 6 – May 9-10, Sydney – Top 7 qualify for final
  • Final – June 6-8, Undisclosed Location

2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

  • Round 1 & 2 Horsham, Victoiria April 4/5
  • Round 3 Newry, Victoria May 3
  • Round 4 Gympie, Qld May 24
  • Round 5 Conondale, QLD June 28
  • Round 6 & 7 Maitland, NSW July 25/26
  • Round 8 & 9 Coolum, QLD August 22/23

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Source: MCNews.com.au