The World Enduro Super Series enters the second half of the 2019 season with Britain’s Graham Jarvis leading the title chase on to round five at Red Bull Romaniacs. In the battle to become this year’s Ultimate Enduro Champion the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider tops the standings from Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM), with Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman (ESP) close behind in third.
Graham Jarvis – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
One of Enduro’s most-popular events, the 16th edition of Red Bull Romaniacs will see competitors travel to Sibiu from far and wide. The United Kingdom has the largest number of competitors at 79, followed by Germany with 60 and Australia with 31. A truly international event, riders from Hong Kong, American Samoa and Indonesia will also take to the start.
Red Bull Romaniacs 2018
Always a challenge, Red Bull Romaniacs has long been regarded as the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, and for good reason. Gearing up for its 16th edition, to affectionally be known as ‘Sweet 16’, the vast and expansive wilderness of the Carpathian Mountains are sure to serve up plenty of bite to go with the event’s formidable bark.
Adam Giles – Red Bull Romaniacs 2018
As per tradition, host city Sibiu will kick things off on Tuesday July 30 with the infamous Urban Prologue, before the bumper entry of competitors from over 50 nations embark on four ultra-demanding and testing off-road days in the surrounding mountains.
Graham Jarvis – Red Bull Romaniacs 2018
As the fourth championship leader in as many races, Graham Jarvis will arrive in Romania in peak form and off the back of winning rides at rounds three and four. With a record-breaking six Red Bull Romaniacs wins already to his credit, the Husqvarna rider is determined to top the podium once again and with it increase his lead at the top of the WESS standings.
Graham Jarvis claimed the Hixpania Hard Enduro win in 2019
However, a long list of the world’s best Enduro riders will be focused on denying 44-year-old Jarvis his 2019 WESS hat-trick. Sitting just 120 points behind him in second position is Manuel Lettenbichler. The privateer has been on top form throughout the series, edging ever closer to that breakthrough win. In 2018 he was one of the event’s main contenders and will be expecting to fight for victory once more.
Extreme XL Lagares – Manuel Lettenbichler
Thirty points behind Lettenbichler, Mario Roman in third is another rider delivering the goods in 2019. Already a podium finisher in all Hard Enduro races he has contested, the Sherco rider is eager to add another victory to his WESS tally. A rider who prefers the long days that Red Bull Romaniacs offers, Roman will arrive to Sibiu ready to impress.
Mario Roman claimed the WESS 2019 Round 1 win at the Extreme XL Lagares
As the 2018 winner of Red Bull Romaniacs, Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young is a rider who can’t be overlooked. Excited to start the 16th edition of the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye with #1 on his bike, he will be a formidable force in the Carpathian Mountains. The South African is a powerful talent when it comes to mastering the long, energy-sapping off-road days and will be one of the main favourites for glory this time around.
Wade Young makes his way to the finish line and victory at Romaniacs 2018
Delivering some career best performances in 2019, Spain’s Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) came agonisingly close to winning round four, just losing out on a tie-breaker to teammate Jarvis. A multi-time podium finisher at Red Bull Romaniacs, the Spaniard has what it takes to reach the top.
Alfredo Gomez – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Regaining confidence with a strong fifth overall at round four, defending WESS champion Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) is beginning to put his pre-season injuries behind him. Hoping to continue that pace in Romania, Bolt will unquestionably be a rider to keep an eye on.
Billy Bolt – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
For Red Bull KTM Factory Racing the focus in Romania will be on returning to the podium having missed out since round two in France where Josep Garcia (ESP) topped Trefle Lozerien AMV. As the team’s only race winner in 2019 Garcia lies sixth overall ahead of teammate Jonny Walker (GB), Taddy Blazusiak (POL) and Nathan Watson (GB). While Classic Enduro specialists Garcia and Watson shouldn’t trouble the top five, both Walker and Blazusiak know they need podium results to return to the title fight.
Red Bull Romaniacs Podium 2018 – Wade Young, Manuel Lettenbichler, Jonny Walker
A two-time winner of Red Bull Romaniacs, and third overall in 2018, Walker will aim to put his experience to good use for the weeklong event. Blazusiak put in a strong showing during the opening days last year only to have his race cut short due to food poisoning. He will hope for better luck this time around.
Taddy Blazusiak – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Seventh in 2018, Czech rider David Cyprian’s strengths lie in long distance races like Red Bull Romaniacs. A rider who lets his riding do the talking, JD Gunnex KTM mounted Cyprian tends to chip away at the results each day, getting faster as the week goes on. South Africa’s Travis Teasdale is another rider to watch out for on his Eurotek KTM. Lying 10th in the standings, Teasdale will be citing Red Bull Romaniacs as his breakthrough ride of the season. TTR Officine Rigamonti’s Pol Tarres (ESP) impressed with eighth at Hixpania Hard Enduro and targets another top-10 result at round five.
Travis Teasdale – Romaniacs 2018
With up to 34 competitors entered in the Gold class, additional riders to watch out for include USA’s Keith Curtis (KTM), South Africa’s Matthew Green (Husqvarna) and Brett Swanepoel (Husqvarna), Austria’s Michael Walkner (KTM), Australia’s Chris Perry, Italian’s Michele Bosi (Husqvarna) and Sonny Goggia (Husqvarna) plus Israel’s Suff Sella. Placing 34th at round four, Sandra Gomez (Husqvarna) will contest the Gold class for the first time at Red Bull Romaniacs.
Wade Young wins 2018 Red Bull Romaniacs
Regarded as the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, Red Bull Romaniacs begins on Tuesday July 30 with the city prologue in Sibiu before leading riders out into the wilderness of the surrounding Carpathian Mountains for four days of unforgettable Enduro riding. Filled with 12 artificial Enduro obstacles, Tuesday’s prologue will ensure a spectacular start to the 16th edition of the race as competitors go head-to-head in a series of qualifier races that determine the starting order for the opening day of racing.
David Cyprian – Red Bull Romaniacs 2018
Getting down to the business end of things, the four off-road days are a true test of stamina, skill, endurance and very often, determination. Starting at dawn, each day takes competitors deep into mountainous terrain as they scale isolated mountain peaks and navigate vast expanses of single-track forestry. Managing both machine and body, often riding alone and up to eight hours each day, is key to success in Romania.
Honda’s Kevin Benavides might have won the tenth and final stage of the 5000 kilometre 2019 Silk Way Rally but it was a convincing overall victory for KTM’s Sam Sunderland.
Sam Sunderland
Husqvarna’s Andrew Short took second on the overall rostrum ahead of Yamaha’s Adrien Van Beveren in an event that also marked the second round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
The third round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, the Atacama Rally, will be held in Chile in early September.
Silk Way Rally Race Report
The 10th and final stage of the Silk Way Rally proved to be one of the toughest of the event. Winding its way along fast rocky tracks and through the ravines and dry river beds of the Gobi Desert, the 255-kilometre timed special required 100 percent focus right to the finish.
Kevin Benavides
The final day of competition marked a fourth stage win for Honda’s Kevin Benavides but it was still not good enough for the 30-year-old Argentinian to make the overall podium in a ten-stage rally that started in the Russian city Irkutsk, and the latter half in China. After 5000 kilometres and 26 hours of rallying the Honda man was a frustrating 36-seconds short of the podium.
Kevin Benavides – P4
“I had a good stage, I won the special, but it was not enough. I narrowly missed out on the podium and I’m left with a bittersweet taste. On the final balance sheet I come away happy because I won four stages, more than any other participants. I felt fine and showed good speed. I was able to ride fast despite the adversities, even on the day when I had the problem with the brake support. I lost time there and also made a navigation error. Those 40 minutes could have changed things a lot. I was very close to getting on the podium today with this final stage, but in general I am happy because I felt good and have worked very hard. We need to keep working and improve on the final result.”
Kevin Benavides
Yamalube Yamaha Rally Team rider Adrien Van Beveren secured a well-deserved third-place result on his WR450F Rally finishing just 39 seconds from the runner-up position.
The longest and one of the most anticipated events of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, the 2019 Silk Way Rally proved to be every bit as challenging as competitors expected it to be. Allowing motorcycles to compete for the very first time, the ‘unknown’ event and it’s Dakar-mirroring 10-day schedule not only provided a stunning array of landscapes and terrain but also numerous long days in the saddle and day-after-day of demanding navigation.
Looking to build on his winning result from the Merzouga Rally, Adrien Van Beveren, like many, was curious to explore the world championship’s most easterly round and return to competition at a race that would unquestionably deliver multiple challenges. Cautiously working his way through the wet and muddy opening stages in Russia, Van Beveren stuck to his plan of taking no risks and moving onto the Mongolian stages ready to increase his speed.
The fast and flowing open tracks of Mongolia went well for Van Beveren, who improved his position in the overall standings with a fourth-place result on stage four and a fifth-place result on stage five. Completing the final Mongolian stage in eighth, as the competition crossed the border into China he held eighth overall.
Specifically targeting the final three stages of the event as the place where he would increase his pace in a bid to secure a podium result, Van Beveren immediately hit his stride in the sands of the Gobi Desert. Second and just 42 seconds from victory on stage eight he again placed as runner-up on the event’s penultimate stage nine meaning that he sat less than one-minute behind the second-placed rider with all to play for on the final day.
Confident of a strong final day result, Van Beveren attacked the stage and by the refuelling point was leading having moved into a virtual second overall. Frustratingly, with only a handful of kilometres to go he made a small navigational mistake, which handed back time to his closest rival. Although finishing the stage second, Van Beveren wasn’t quite able to do enough to take second overall. Nevertheless, he completed the 5,000km event in a strong third position.
Adrien Van Beveren – P3
“I’m very pleased with the way the Silk Way Rally has finished for me. The last few days, which have been the toughest and most technical of the race with very challenging navigation, have been very good. I pushed hard during the second half of the rally and I’m really happy that I finished on the podium. As always a real team effort. Initially, when today’s stage finished I wasn’t totally pleased because I was pushing for second overall and didn’t quite manage to take that position. I rode a very good stage today, I had almost taken back the time I needed to move ahead of Andrew Short in the overall, but then I made a small navigational error and lost four or five minutes. But finishing on the podium is the most important thing. The race has been very long and difficult for everyone in the team, and also with a very strong entry. So again, to finish on the podium is very pleasing. No one really knew what to expect from this race before the start, but it has been incredible – very difficult but also very enjoyable and interesting.”
Husqvarna’s Andrew Short claimed his best ever result in an FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship event by placing second overall in the 2019 Silk Way Rally.
Andrew Short
Short’s victory on stage nine meant he was given the unenviable task of opening the timed special on the final day of competition. With a narrow advantage of just 51 seconds over his nearest rival going into the closing stage, the American had to push for the entire 255 kilometres to defend his runner-up position, which he did successfully.
Although Short didn’t top the final day’s times, he did however lead the special from start-to-finish and set a time that was just enough to retain his second overall position in the provisional standings, by a slender 39-seconds. Gaining experience and confidence throughout the rally, Andrew was able to put his high-speed skills to good use on the final Chinese stages, going on to claim not only his best ever world championship result but also moving up to second overall in the provisional FIM Cross-Country Rallies championship standings.
Andrew Short
Andrew Short – P2
“I’m really exciting to finish the race how I did. For me, the rally didn’t start so well, it took me a little time to get comfortable with the speed among the trees, rocks and water in Russia. Overall, I kept improving as the rally went on and for me to finish where I did is better than expected. A lot of cool things happened for me in this rally – I got my first ever stage win and then today I was given the opportunity to open a stage for the first time. My navigation has been good for the whole rally, and I definitely think that has enabled my rhythm to improve. I feel more comfortable on the bike and the team have been perfect. From here I hope I can continue to gain confidence and momentum and be even stronger at the next race.”
Andrew Short
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland has won the Silk Way Rally – round two of the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
Sam Sunderland wins the Silk Way Rally ahead of Andrew Short and Adrien Van Beveren
Sam Sunderland, having ridden superbly in terms of speed and navigation through Russia and Mongolia, created a comfortable advantage at the head of the overall motorcycle class when the rally entered China. Using his extensive skill and experience, he put in a champion’s ride to maintain a fast and largely mistake-free pace and carried his lead to the final stage of the event, finally claiming outright victory.
Sam Sunderland
With no fewer than three stage wins – one having opened stage five – Sam’s dominant performance at the Silk Way Rally gives him his second consecutive victory in this year’s FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship to extend his lead with two rounds left to race.
Sam Sunderland
Sam Sunderland – P1
“It’s really cool to take the win here in China. I’m really happy with the job done by myself and the team – it wouldn’t have been possible without this big effort from everyone to come to Russia, Mongolia and now China. It’s been a huge adventure and one that we’ll all remember for a long time, that’s for sure. For me I’m so happy to get the win, it makes it two-out-of-two this championship and it’s a really important one because of the points earned this round. I felt really good at the beginning of the event and was able to create a good gap. I felt a bit sick during the middle stages but was able to manage the race and stay on a good pace right to the end. I’m really pleased for Andrew, who has ridden a great race, and also Luciano and Laia. Now I’m looking forward to a bit of rest.”
Sam Sunderland
2019 Silk Way Rally Results
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team 26:12’47
SHORT Andrew USA Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +20’22
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team +21’01
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda Team +21’37
BENAVIDES Luciano ARG KTM Factory Racing Team +36’50
MENA Oriol SPA Hero Motorsports Team Rally +51’50
SANZ Laia SPA Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +1:56’26
TOMICZEK Adam POL KTM Orlen Rally Team +2:08’04
BARREDA Joan SPA Monster Energy Honda Team +2:54’25
GIEMZA Maciej POL KTM Orlen Rally Team +3:10’31
Provisional FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship Standings
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) returns from a three-month break this weekend, heading to Kyogle in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, with rounds 5 and 6 to be held over July 20-21.
Daniel Milner – 2019 AORC
Much of the AORC field made the trek to the iconic Hattah Desert Race, which took place on the first weekend of July, but heading into this weekend let’s take a quick gander at everything you need to know in terms of the state of play of the championship across all classes.
With riders like Daniel Sanders, Daniel Milner, Kyron Bacon, Blake Hollis, Lee Stephens and Jessica Gardiner all holding perfect 100-point scores, competitors will be itching to end their streaks and mix up those standings. Here’s a look at how the AORC stands heading into the weekend.
E3
In the E3 category, Daniel Sanders holds a clean 100 per cent scorecard having won all four rounds this year. He sits on top of the championship with 100-points locked away as he continues his march towards a second E3 Championship.
Daniel Sanders – Image by John Pearson Media
Sanders’ victory last time out marked his fifteenth round win in the E3 class and his twenty-eighth podium finish in the category. The last time Sanders raced at Kyogle was back in 2015, when he finished second to his then KTM teammate, Toby Price in both rounds on the Saturday and Sunday.
Fourteen points behind the Victorian rider is Beau Ralston, who has found himself finishing on the podium in four of the rounds with three second positions, at Rounds 1, 3 and 4, while at Round 2 it was third place, when he finished 20.651 seconds behind Andrew Wilksch, who finds himself in fifth place in the championship standings.
In third place and not to be over looked is Jesse Lawton with 72-points, while in fourth place is Matt Murry.
E3 Standings – Top 5
Daniel SANDERS 100
Beau RALSTON 86
Jesse LAWTON 72
Matt MURRY 68
Andrew WILKSCH 62
E2
Just like in E3 class, Daniel Milner has made the E2 class his own in 2019, taking line honours in all four rounds proving he is the man to catch this year. Fresh from his recent Hattah Desert Race win, Milner will be looking to extend his championship lead this weekend.
Daniel Milner
Milner’s closest rival and last year’s E3 champion Josh Green has a question mark on if he will compete this weekend. Green suffered small fractures, a lot of bone bruising and damaged ligaments in his wrist after he fell at the Hattah Desert Race.
With Green potentially out of the game this weekend, Milner will have to focus on keeping Frenchman Jérémy Carpentier at bay, as he sits 22-points behind Milner. A steady start to the year, with three thirds and one fourth, sees the rider eight points ahead of Broc Grabham, while Brad Hardaker completes the top five with 59-points in the bag.
E2 Standings – Top 5
Daniel MILNER 100
Joshua GREEN 88
Jeremy CARPENTIER 78
Broc GRABHAM 70
Brad HARDAKER 59
E1
The E1 championship is boiling up nicely with the top four riders covered by nineteen points. At the top of the charts is Luke Styke. The former motocross and supercross ace has taken out all rounds bar Round 2 when he was defeated by Lyndon Snodgrass.
Luke Styke
While Snodgrass may be doing the attacking when it comes to trying to chip away at Styke’s championship lead, he is also doing some defending as Michael Driscoll is breathing right down his neck just one point behind in third place.
One slip up this weekend from either Snodgrass or Driscoll, and Fraser Higlett could find himself possibly leaving this weekend in second place in the championship as he only sits four points behind Driscoll and a further five points behind Snodgrass.
E1 Standings – Top 5
Luke STYKE 97
Lyndon SNODGRASS 83
Michael DRISCOLL 82
Fraser HIGLETT 78
Jonte REYNDERS 63
EJ
Kyron Bacon has proven that he is the man to hunt down in the EJ division. Bacon has scored four wins four starts in the 2019 season. Playing the second fiddle to Bacon so far has been Joshua Brierley, while Korey McMahon sits in third place in the championship fight after finishing third in all four rounds so far.
Kyron Bacon – 2019 AORC
The fight is on for fourth place in the championship. Three points separate Cooper Sheidow, who sits on 66-points ahead of Nathan Howe on 65, with Riley Nancarrow in sixth place on 63-points.
EJ Standings – Top 5
Kyron BACON 100
Joshua BRIERLEY 88
Korey MCMAHON 80
Cooper SHEIDOW 66
Nathan HOWE 65
Juniors
Moving to the Juniors and first off Blake Hollis has simply crushed his rivals in quest of his J4 championship crown. He heads into this weekend with 100-points to his name after winning all of the first four rounds.
Blake Hollis – 2019 AORC
Twelve points behind is Mackenzie Johnson, who has finished second to Hollis in all of the rounds. If Johnson wants to win this year’s title, he has to come up with some sort of plan to put a stop to Hollis… fast.
Rounding out the top five is Cody Chittick, Zac Perry and Oscar Collins. Leading the championship in the J3 class is Riley McGillivray, while Max Phillips holds a one-point lead over Campbell Hall in the J2 class.
J2 Standings – Top 5
Max PHILLIPS 85
Campbell HALL 84
Billy HARGY 70
Jett YARNOLD 65
Luke CHELLAS 60
J3 Standings – Top 5
Riley MCGILLIVRAY 97
Kodi STEPHENS 82
Will DENNETT 78
Maxwell LIEBEKNECHT 65
Jack BITHELL 61
J4 Standings – Top 5
Blake HOLLIS 100
Mackenzie JOHNSON 88
Cody CHITTICK 70
Zac PERRY 67
Oscar COLLINS 65
Womens
Jess Gardiner leads the charge in the Women’s championship, and while it’s still early days in the season she looks like she is on course to claim her record breaking fifth championship title. Playing the bridesmaid to Gardiner at this current stage of the championship is newcomer Emma Milesevic, while snapping at heels is the 2013 champion in Emelie Karlsson.
Jess Gardiner
Womens Standings – Top 5
Jessica GARDINER 100
Emma MILESEVIC 82
Emelie KARLSSON 80
Ebony NIELSEN 74
Danielle FOOT 68
Veterans & Masters
Lee Stephens will look to continue his winning ways in the Veterans class. Stephens is yet to be defeated in the 2019 season. Chris Thomas and Paul Chadwick round out the top three respectively.
Kirk Hutton – 2019 AORC
Leading the merry way in the Masters Championship is Kirk Hutton, who wrapped up round wins in the opening three rounds, but finished second to Brad Williscroft at the fourth round. Hutton heads into this weekend with a healthy thirty-one-point lead over Peter Rudd, with Ian Jenner in third, two points behind Rudd.
Australia strong in 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
Team Australia fourth in U21 Speedway World Championship
AORC final Rounds 10 & 11 move to Hedley, Victoria
Briar Bauman dominates New York Short Track
Images by Scott Hunter
Briar Bauman rebounded from his worst result of the 2019 American Flat Track season at the Lima Half-Mile, where a mechanical DNF took a bite out of his championship lead, by scoring a dominant victory at the 2019 New York Short Track held at Weedsport Speedway.
American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
Rather than allow the pressure to cause additional difficulties to escalate following the disappointing previous round, the championship leader responded with perhaps the most convincing performance of his standout ‘19 campaign.
Briar Bauman – American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
At the start of the 30-lap Main Event, the recently rejuvenated Jeffrey Carver Jr. squeezed past Bauman and his brother, Bronson Bauman, to lead the opening lap. But before Carver could even contemplate the possibility of completing his career Grand Slam with a maiden Short Track win, Bauman blasted back by and ripped open a gap at the front.
Bronson Bauman – American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
Smooth and in control throughout, Bauman took the win with 3.589 seconds in hand. Despite the result representing his eighth podium (and seventh top two) in nine Main Events this season, the victory was Bauman’s first since his triumphant season opener.
Briar Bauman
“I’ve got to thank my team — they bust their butts during the week. The bike was insane… today we showed up and didn’t change a thing and we were good all day. It just feels good. It feels like it’s been a whole season since I got a win. Seconds are really cool… ‘I know there’s nothing’s wrong with silver’ — said the great Ricky Bobby — but I’m just glad to get a win again.”
Briar Bauman – American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
Carver backed up his first podium of the year with a second consecutive runner-up result. He was followed to the stripe by Short Track standout Henry Wiles in third. Bronson Bauman extended his streak of top fives to three with a fourth-place finish, while Robert Pearson secured his best result of the season in fifth.
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
Meanwhile, multi-time time defending AFT Twins champ Jared Mees could manage just seventh on the night. As a result, Bauman stretched his advantage back out to 26 points (170-144) as the title fight reached its halfway point.
Briar Bauman topped the AFT Twins podium from Carver and Wiles – American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
AFT Twins Main Event – New York Short Track 2019
Briar Bauman, 30 Laps, 0:18.795
Jeffrey Carver Jr. +3.589
Henry Wiles +4.983
Bronson Bauman +7.111
Robert Pearson +8.734
Davis Fisher +12.466
Jared Mees +14.310
Brandon Robinson +15.296
Brandon Price +15.498
Bryan Smith +16.911
2019 American Flat Track – AFT Twins Standings
Briar Bauman 170
Jared Mees 144
Brandon Robinson 119
Bronson Bauman 116
Henry Wiles 113
Jeffrey Carver Jr. 110
Jarod Vanderkooi 93
Robert Pearson 92
Sammy Halbert 81
Jake Johnson 79
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Dalton Gauthier claims AFT Singles win
Images by Scott Hunter
Dalton Gauthier took maximum advantage of the opportunity before him in the 20-lap AFT Singles Main Event. Pre-race title leader Mikey Rush was forced to watch from the fences after he failed to make the Main, finishing 0.135 seconds short of a qualifying position in his semi. And since Rush competed in the premier AFT Twins class in 2018, he earned no AFT Singles points and thus had no provisional start to call upon.
American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
As a result, Gauthier fully capitalized. The ‘Comeback Kid’ dropped down the order early despite starting from pole, but he quickly demonstrated the speed he used to earn that starting slot in the first place.
He exploded through a tight, back-and-forth pack contesting the lead and escaped from that early chaos to power to his second victory of the season and reclaim the AFT Singles championship lead in the process.
Dalton Gauthier
“I picked up a lot of confidence tonight, and it’s definitely going to help us with this championship. The day went off so good. I was fast in practice and qualifying and felt really comfortable. I can’t thank Jimmy Wood at Öhlins enough for helping us out with our shock and our suspension. He was a gamesaver, and I felt so much more comfortable than I had before on this bike. And my mom’s here for her first National ever – it’s awesome to win in front of her.”
Dalton Gauthier – American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
Morgen Mischler put in a late charge, slashing his way through the same talented pack Gauthier diced through earlier in the race, to work up to second position. Mischler even managed to dramatically close down the gap to Gauthier but ultimately ran out of laps, coming up 0.413 short of the victory at the checkered flag.
He was followed home by reigning class champion Dan Bromley. Just behind, Kevin Stollings finished fourth while Bromley’s teammate, Shayna Texter, completed the top five.
Dan Bromley – American Flat Track 2019 – New York Short Track
As a result of Saturday’s pivotal outcome, Gauthier now leads Rush in the AFT Singles championship chase 169-156. Defending champ Bromley remains in close contention at 151 points thanks to his remarkable consistency, despite still seeking the first Main Event victory of his title defense.
AFT Singles Main Event – New York Short Track 2019
Dalton Gauthier, 20 Laps, 0:18.888
Morgen Mischler +0.413
Dan Bromley +1.953
Kevin Stollings +3.593
Shayna Texter +3.706
Andrew Luker +4.431
Cole Zabala +5.548
Tanner Dean +6.026
James Rispoli +7.527
Jesse Janisch +8.616
2019 American Flat Track – AFT Singles Standings
Dalton Gauthier 169
Mikey Rush 156
Dan Bromley 151
Jesse Janisch 138
Ryan Wells 111
Shayna Texter 108
Chad Cose 91
Morgen Mischler 90
Kevin Stollings 79
Max Whale 72
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Andrew Short wins Silk Way Rally Stage 9 Sam Sunderland leads into final
Stage 9 of the 2019 Silk Way Rally has just been won by Andrew Short, while Sam Sunderland heads into the final in the lead, with a 23-minute lead over Short, but it’s been a long journey to get this far.
Sam Sunderland looks like a shoe-in for the win, following strong performance throughout the nine stages so far, while Andrew Short and Adrien Van Beveren are only separated by a minute heading into the final stage. Kevin Benavides is a further two-minutes behind Beveren, ensuring he’s well within reach of a podium position.
Here’s a quick recap of the action so far…
Andrew Short – Silk Way Rally 2019
The Silk Way Rally kicked off in Serbia, where heavy rain ensured challenging conditions for the opening stage, with Honda’s Kevin Benavides claiming the stage win from Luciano Benavides and Xavier de Soultrait.
Stage 2 was held in Russia to the south-east of Lake Baikal, featuring a 212km timed special and saw Sam Sunderland close down the lead on Kevin Benavides with a stage win.
Stage 3 saw the Silk Way Rally cross into Mongolia with the finish close to Ulan Bator, with 691km travelled including a 243km timed special, reaching altitudes of 1500m and mixed terrain of forested foothills and open mountain passes. Kevin Benavides claimed the stage win, from Joan Barreda and Luciano Benavides, with Sam Sunderland fourth.
Luciano Benavides – Silk Way Rally 2019
It proved to be KTM’s stage for the fourth iteration marking the first of a two-part marathon with only riders able to work on their bikes overnight, with Sunderland and Luciano Benavides taking the 1-2, propelling them into the same positions in the standings.
Sunderland opened Stage 5 on the back of his Stage 4 victory, leading riders across the plains of Mongolia to extend his lead to 13-minutes. Luciano Benavides and Kevin Benavides held onto second and third in the standings.
Sam Sunderland – Silk Way Rally 2019
Sam Sunderland further extended his lead in Stage 6, covering 411km across fast, open gravel roads which criss-crossed the stage, with many riders getting caught out by a tricky waypoint. Sunderland had to settle for fourth, with Oriol Mena taking the stage win and moving into second in the standings.
Stage 7 saw the Silk Way Rally arrive in China, with just three more stages to go following Sunderland’s win from Oriol Mena and Luciano Benavides.
Heading into Stage 8 Sunderland was confident in the lead with a 785km distance to travel, including a 326km timed special which included the dunes of the Gobi Desert. It proved Kevin Benavides who would take the stage win however, from Adrien Van Beveren and Paulo Goncalves, with Sam Sunderland settling for eighth despite an early crash, and retaining a 25-minute lead.
Sam Sunderland – Silk Way Rally 2019
It was Andrew Short however, who rode a faultless Stage 9 of the 2019 Silk Way Rally to post the fastest time and elevate himself to second in the provisional overall standings. Mastering the rough and physical timed special while navigating accurately through the stage, Short completed the 290.3-kilometres in less than four hours. The stage covered rough, sandy roads and camel grass covered dunes, with navigation proving a challenge for many riders.
Andrew Short
“Stage nine was really good for me today. I knew it would cover really similar terrain to yesterday so I had a little better idea of what to expect. With my start position I had a lot of tracks laid down ahead of me but at times those tracks would split up. I navigated well and always chose the right direction. My pace to the refuel was really good and then after that I was able to keep to a good speed and again, where other people had made mistakes, I was able to make the right choices and push on to the finish. I’m happy with how the day has gone and really happy with my performance.”
Andrew Short – Silk Way Rally 2019
Enjoying a comfortable motorcycle class lead as the rally entered China due to his dominant performance through Russia and Mongolia, Sam Sunderland knew he had to simply maintain a strong but steady pace to stay ahead. Keeping things safe, the British rider controlled the race from the front, doing exactly what he had to do to defend his lead. Finishing fourth, Sunderland now leads the overall standings by close to 23 minutes.
Sam Sunderland
“I think they definitely saved the toughest till last because the two days in China so far have been super physical. The tracks have been really technical with a lot of broken rivers and washes coming through the piste. It makes it really difficult to find a good rhythm and of course the temperature here is much hotter. For me personally, after a good run through Russia and Mongolia these last few days were about just managing my pace. Obviously yesterday I got caught out which was frustrating, with a lead like I have the goal should be to take things easy and not take any risks, but I clipped a rock and got thrown off. Today I kept a cool head, in fact I saw Andrew just before the refuel and he was riding really well. I tagged onto him for a bit but in the end just decided to keep my own pace and bring it home at the end of the day.”
Sam Sunderland – Silk Way Rally 2019
Benavides, after the Stage 8 win, was forced to open the track. The Argentinean was making swift progress until he was caught by other riders who arrived back at the Jiayuguan bivouac in a group. Barreda, meanwhile, sought to maintain a fast pace in spite of not feeling very much at ease on the terrain, and sits 2.5-minutes off third placed Adrien Van Beveren heading into the final.
Kevin Benavides
“Today was a hard day, more than yesterday. There was a lot of navigation and offroad until kilometre 130. Opening the stage was a tough task in the stage with the most navigation of all. I felt good, I liked the terrain and I pushed hard throughout. The others didn’t catch me up until the end of that navigational phase. I let Van Beveren pass in front of me to be able to push hard again after the refuelling. I think it was good for both of us and we ended up happy with each other after having pushed the whole stage. And for tomorrow? Well, let’s go for it. In rally you never know what could occur. Until the final kilometre everything can happen.”
Kevin Benavides – Silk Way Rally 2019
Provisional Standings After Stage Nine – 2019 Silk Way Rally
Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 23:27:27
Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 23:50:18 +22:51
Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 23:51:09 +23:42
Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 23:53:35 +26:08
Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 24:01:45 +34:18
Provisional Standings After Stage Nine – 2019 Silk Way Rally
Sam Sunderland (KTM) 23:27:27
Andrew Short (Husqvarna) 23:50:18
Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 23:51:09
Kevin Benavides (Honda) 23:53:35
Luciano Benavides (KTM) 24:01:45
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Toni Bou claims 2019 Portuguese TrialGP victory
Toni Bou has repeated his 2018 efforts, claiming the 2019 Portuguese TrialGP victory, where last year he took his 100th TrialGP World Championship victory. 2019 sees Bou increase that figure to 110, with teammate Takahisa Fujinami coming home in fifth, a point shy of fourth.
Toni Bou – TrialGP 2019 – Portugal, Round 5
The fifth round of the TrialGP world championship, held today in Gouveia, Portugal was marked by roasting temperatures and very demanding sections located amongst the boulders of the Parque de Nostra Senhora los Verdes.
Repsol Honda Team ace Toni Bou suffered considerably in the gruelling Portuguese trial. In spite of a first lap which saw Bou make several mistakes and pick-up a penalty for exceeding the lap time limit, the champion was nevertheless able to stage a comeback on lap two to take his win tally to 110 out of 210 world championship participations. This, the fifth victory of the season increases Bou’s overall lead to 22 points over the nearest second-place rival.
Toni Bou
“Today was a very tough trial. It was a very positive weekend, with the type of terrain that we like a lot. We rode a very good second round through the sections, so we leave here with a very good taste in our mouths. We will try to be fully recovered for France to be able to have a good trial. We know that, if we win, I will be champion, something really impressive, but the important thing is to have a great trial. I am very happy and I want to thank the whole team because this week they have done a great job.”
Toni Bou – TrialGP 2019 – Portugal, Round 5
The next TrialGP world championship outing, the sixth points-paying round, will be held next weekend in Auron, France, July 20-21.
Toni Bou topped the podium from Adam Raga and Jeroni Fajardo – TrialGP 2019 – Portugal, Round 5
TrialGP of Portugal 2019 results
BOU, Toni (SPA) 25
RAGA, Adam (SPA) 32
FAJARDO, Jeroni (SPA) 36
CASALES, Jorge (SPA) 39
FUJINAMI, Takahisa (JPN) 40
2019 TrialGP Standings – Top 5
BOU, Toni 120
RAGA, Adam 98
FAJARDO, Jeroni 82
FUJINAMI, Takahisa 77
DABILL, James 60
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Round 7 of the 2019 MX Nationals kicked off over the weekend, with Luke Clout claiming a double-win in the opening motos, with Brett Metcalfe and Kirk Gibbs completing the top three over the combined results, while the final moto of the weekend for full points saw Kirk Gibbs claim victory. Clout was runner up in the final moto but, secured 67-points for the weekend and the round win, while Gibbs was two points in arrears and Hayden Mellross was third overall on 58-points.
Luke Clout and CDR Yamaha team-mate Kirk Gibbs – Image by Bella Maurer
The result sees Clout leave Round 7 with a nine-point lead from Mellross, who is three-points ahead of Todd Waters. Kirk Gibbs sits in fourth with 312-points, to Clout’s leading 397.
Luke Clout
“The team did a great job today and the bikes were awesome. It showed in the results with Kirk and I winning all three races and going 1-2 for the day that CDR Yamaha really do the work. Looking forward to the next round at Moree in a couple of weeks and want to keep this momentum rolling all the way through to the final corner at Coolum.”
Luke Clout – Image by Bella Maurer
MX1 Round 7 Overall – Top 10
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
1
Luke Clout
67
35
32
2
Kirk Gibbs
65
30
35
3
Hayden Mellross
58
28
30
4
Todd Waters
53
25
28
5
Brett Metcalfe
52
32
20
6
Dylan Long
51
26
25
7
Jayden Rykers
47
24
23
8
Caleb Ward
44
22
22
9
Connor Tierney
44
23
21
10
Richie Evans
41
17
24
MX1 Standings – Top 10
Pos
Name
Total
1
Luke Clout
397
2
Hayden Mellross
388
3
Todd Waters
385
4
Kirk Gibbs
312
5
Jayden Rykers
300
6
Brett Metcalfe
293
7
Justin Rodbell
287
8
Jesse Dobson
258
9
Richie Evans
258
10
Lawson Bopping
215
MX2
In the MX2 class it was Nathan Crawford who claimed the moto 1 win from Kyle Webster and Jay Wilson, while the final moto saw a turn-around as Kyle Webster came out on top, with championship leader Wilson Todd crashing and having to fight his way back to sixth. The result saw Webster and Crawford tied on 67-points for the weekend overall – while Webster took top honours, with Jay Wilson third on 58-points.
Nathan Crawford – Image by Bella Maurer
Wilson Todd continues to lead the standings despite disappointment in moto 2, with 397 championship points. Kyle Webster is just 10-points behind, while third places Jay Wilson likewise has a 10-point decificit.
Kyle Webster
“I’m stoked I got the race win and that gave me the overall round win on a tie-breaker, which is awesome. It’s the best feeling to get another overall win, and the best way to thank everyone on the Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing team and all the sponsors for their support. With three rounds to go, it’s going to be an exciting finish to the Championship and I’m just going to keep doing what I have been doing. I don’t want to change anything.”
Kyle Webster – Image by Bella Maurer
MX2 Round 7 Overall – Top 10
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
1
Kyle Webster
67
32
35
2
Nathan Crawford
67
35
32
3
Jay Wilson
58
30
28
4
Aaron Tanti
56
26
30
5
Wilson Todd
53
28
25
6
Dylan Wills
48
24
24
7
Morgan Fogarty
45
22
23
8
Cooper Pozniak
43
21
22
9
Ricky Latimer
43
23
20
10
Luke Reardon
41
20
21
MX2 Standings – Top 10
Pos
Name
Total
1
Wilson Todd
397
2
Kyle Webster
387
3
Jay Wilson
377
4
Nathan Crawford
339
5
Aaron Tanti
328
6
Dylan Wills
304
7
Bailey Malkiewicz
280
8
Ricky Latimer
252
9
Cooper Pozniak
249
10
Morgan Fogarty
243
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Tim Gajser won the MXGP of Asia in Indonesia with another perfect performance and 1-1 race results, marking his seventh Grand Prix win in a row, making the red plate owner has become the most successful Honda rider of all time for GP wins in a row. He also extended his points lead to 173 points over Jeremy Seewer who is now second in the points. Second overall was Arnaud Tonus and third place went to Jeremy Seewer.
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Tim Gajser
“Unbelievable, I was enjoying that second race so much and that is the most important thing. I took the FOX Holeshot and I controlled the second race. I had a big crash yesterday and I got a lot of help with that from people around me. After the crash yesterday in time practice I was struggling a little bit, I had a good start in the first race, made a gap and I was enjoying it out there. I am very happy to go home safe, that is the most important thing.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Arnaud Tonus
“We had a tough time last week in Palembang, but we rebounded today with a second place and I didn’t have a good feeling yesterday, so it is amazing for the team and it feels even better when you have struggled. I really like coming to these races, the people are so excited to see us, and we are always welcomed very well.”
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Jeremy Seewer
“It is safe to say that I am now second in the championship, I saw some sketchy crashes and I didn’t want to take risk and I knew I would have been on the podium and got a lot of point. I told my practice mechanic I would bring back the black plate (holeshot award) and I did that. I look forward to the next Grand Prix’s now.”
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
MXGP – GP Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 42
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 32
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 29
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 28
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 26
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 25
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 23
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 22 …14. Lewis Stewart (AUS) 16 …16. Adam Coles (AUS) 11 …17. Joel Milesevic (AUS) 9
MXGP Championship Standings Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 538 points
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 365
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 346
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 343
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 299
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 288
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 271
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 268
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 243 …26. Lewis Stewart (AUS) 29 …29. Adam Coles (AUS) 22 …40. Joel Milesevic (AUS) 9
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MX2
Jorge Prado won the MX2 class overall at the MXGP of Asia in Indonesia, with the Spanish rider scoring 1-1 results and extending his championship points lead over Thomas Kjer Olsen to 78 points. Second overall at Semarang was Tom Vialle and third overall was Calvin Vlaanderen.
MX2 Start – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Jorge Prado
“I am happy about the weekend. I went first in every single session. It is a good feeling to come to Indonesia and win both races. I felt good and I enjoyed today. It is good to be on the podium, on the top step of the box. I had a very good jump out of the gate in the first race, but I braked too much and two guys passed me. I made a pass early on Olsen and I am enjoying the track way more today. I was looking forward to the second race and it was a good one, I pulled away and put it in cruise control. I had some sketchy moments so I took it easy as I felt a little dizzy.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Tom Vialle
“It is good for the team and all the hard work. Second again on the podium, it is fantastic, and I am very happy. The first race was good for me following Jorge, but then I made a mistake. The second race I didn’t have a good rhythm and I just tried to control myself to be sure to be on the podium.”
Tom Vialle – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
Calvin Vlaanderen
“First podium of the year. It feels good to be back and I didn’t expect it as it is just my second race back. I recovered well during the week. Renaux was riding really well and he was catching me, then I started thinking of the podium and he passed me. I want to thank the team for being behind me and also my girlfriend and everyone back home. We spent some time in Bali between the races and I got to do some surfing and really enjoyed that. I enjoy coming to these races, but am looking forward to heading back to Europe too.”
Calvin Vlaanderen – MXGP of Asia – Round 12, Indonesia – 2019
MX2 Grand Prix Top Ten
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 40
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 36
Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 35
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 28
Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 28
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 28
Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 26
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 26
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 23
MX2 – World Championship Top Ten
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 544 points
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 466
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 366
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 360
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 335
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 246
Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 242
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 228
Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 227
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 220
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2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Champions crowned
The 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Champions were crowned at the Italian track of Il Ciclamino where Italians Mattia Guadagnini and Valerio Lata were the 125cc and 85cc World Champions respectively, while Vitezslav Marek from Czech Republic was the best in the 65cc class. Team Italy dominated the Nations classification, followed by France and UK.
Ky Woods – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
Dutch rider Lotte Van Drunen took the first FOX Holeshot of the day while the Australian Ky Woods dominated the first laps ahead of the Dutch rider Lotte Van Drunen, the Czech Vitezslav Marek, Gyan Doensen, Salvador Perez and home rider Edoardo Martinelli. The young Australian rider dominated the 8 laps of race one and crossed the finish line five-seconds ahead of Marek and Van Drunen. Martinelli was forth and Boughen completed the top five.
Vitezslav Marek – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
It was the British rider Ashton Boughen who was first at the start of race two, closely followed by Perez and Van Drunen. The winner of race one Ky Woods did not have a good start, but was already third by the end of the first lap. The Czech rider Marek had an unfortunate start but gave his best to move from seventh to the lead after five laps, and he kept the first position until the end followed by Minear and Woods.
The huge effort of Vitezslav Marek in race 2 paid off as the Czech rider won the 65cc World Title with Australian Ky Woods on the second step of the podium and Lotte Van Druden from the Netherlands completing the top three.
MX65 Podium 1) Vitezslav Marek, 2) Ky Woods, 3) Lotte Van Drunen – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
65cc Junior World Cup Overall Top Ten
MAREK Vitezslav – CZE KTM – 47
WOODS Ky – AUS KTM – 45
VAN DRUNEN Lotte – NED KTM – 38
MINEAR Kayden – AUS KTM – 35
MARTINELLI Edoardo – ITA Husqvarna – 34
DOENSEN Gyan – NED KTM – 29
PEREZ Salvador – SPA Yamaha – 27
BOUGHEN Ashton – GBR Husqvarna – 26
RYBAKOV Semen – RUS Ktm – 20
MARTORANO Paolo – ITA KTM – 18
MX85 Start – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
Latvian rider Karlis Alberts Reisulis took the FOX holeshot of the first 85cc race, ahead of home riders Matteo Luigi Russi and Valerio Lata, Lucas Bruhn, Maximilian Ernecker, Edvards Bidzans and American Nicholas Romano. After a few turns there was a change of leader and Valerio Lata commanded the 13 laps to win the first 85cc race, followed by his compatriot Matteo Luigi Russi and Karlis Alberts Reisulis.
Valerio Lata – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
A very motivated Lata started at the front in race 2, followed by his compatriot Russi, who crashed in the second turn; Grau was then second and the Bruhn was third. Once again home rider Lata kept the lead with an amazing determination until the end of the race and claimed the 85cc World Title with superb authority. Bidzans was second and Prugnieres third.
Valerio Lata was on the top of the 85cc podium to collect the gold medal, while Edvards Bidzans from Latvia and Matteo Luigi Russi from Italy received the silver and bronze medals respectively.
MX85 Podium 1) Valerio Lata, 2) Edvards Bidzans, Matteo Russi – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
85cc Junior World Championship Overall Top Ten
LATA Valerio – ITA KTM – 50
BIDZANS Edvards – LAT Husqvarna – 40
RUSSI Matteo Luigi – ITA KTM – 38
PRUGNIERES Quentin – FRA KTM – 35
REISULIS Karlis Alberts – LAT KTM – 33
GRAU Maxime – FRA KTM – 32
ROMANO Nicholas – USA KTM – 30
CANET Edgar – SPA KTM – 27
HEYMAN Charlie – GBR Husqvarna – 20
GUILLEMOT SCHEID – David FRA KTM – 19
Race 1 of the 125cc saw Joel Rizzi taking the holeshot followed by Simon Langenfelder, the Meico Vettik, Max Palssson, Mattia Guadagnini and Samuel Nilsson. However, after just one lap the current leader of the EMX125 Championship Mattia Guadagnini took the lead and kept it until the end. Tom Guyon from France did not have a good start but managed to finish second and Mike Gwerder ended third.
Mattia Guadagnini – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
Guadagnini was determined to win the second and final race of the 125cc class and he managed to have a perfect start claiming the FOX holeshot and taking the lead, but Guyon was right after the Italian wheel. Behind them there were Gwerder, Osterhagen, Rizzi and Langenfelder. Half way through the race Guyon succeeded in overtaking Guadagnini, but after a few meters the Italian bounced back taking advantage of an error of the Frenchman and took the lead which he kept until the chequered flag.
Mattia Guadagnini became the 125cc Junior World Champion with a 1-1 result, and Tom Guyon and Mike Gwerder completed the podium.
MX125 Podium 1) Mattia Guadagnini, 2) Tom Guyon, 3) Mike Gwerder – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
125cc Junior World Championship Overall Top 10
GUADAGNINI Mattia – ITA Husqvarna – 50
GUYON Tom – FRA FFM KTM – 44
GWERDER Mike – SUI FMS KTM – 40
LANGENFELDER Simon – GER DMSB KTM – 33
RIZZI Joel – GBR ACU KTM – 29
MC LELLAN Camden – RSA KTM – 28
WADE Eddie Jay – GBR KTM – 28
NILSSON Samuel – SPA KTM – 24
PALSSON Max – SWE KTM – 21
MIOT Florian – FRA Yamaha – 20
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Australia strong in FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
Team Australia put on a strong showing in the World Junior Motocross Championship (WJMX) in 2019, which was held in Pietramurata, Italy over the weekend. The green and gold riders fared particularly well in the 65cc World MX Junior Cup, with KTM riders Ky Woods and Kayden Minear finishing second and fourth respectively.
Team Australia – 2019 World Junior Motocross – Image by Mark Willingham
Boasting some of the world’s best junior motocross riders, the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship saw Aussies represented across all three classes (65, 85, and 125cc). Although they were unable to successfully defend Australia’s Team of Nations trophy won on home soil at Horsham in Victoria, the team that traveled to Italy acquitted themselves brilliantly, finishing ninth overall.
Mark Willingham – Team Australia Team Manager
“Really happy with the effort from all the riders. Similar to some previous years our 65cc class riders were amazing, and then we see the strength of the European racing program really shine through in the 85 and 125 classes. “From my perspective, Team Australia had one of the best set ups we’ve ever provided on site to ensure the riders had everything they needed. With our main section arranged under the Diga Racing truck we had a full catering service for our meals along with their experience and guidance. On top of this our Yamaha riders were provided services from Yamaha Europe’s official race trucks, which was a result of all the effort the Aussies arranged last year welcoming the European riders at Horsham. In the end Team Australia finished up 9th in the standings, and were the first team home that was unable to score points in all three classes.”
Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha) and Campbell Williams (KTM) also made it to the finals, finishing in 13th and 24th places in the 85cc class. Also representing Australia were Alex Larwood (Yamaha,125cc), and Blake Fox (KTM, 125cc).
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Team Australia fourth in U21 Speedway World Championship
Team Australia have claimed fourth in the 2019 FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship final over the weekend, which was held in Manchester, England. The Joeys came in behind Poland, Great Britain and Denmark, with 21-points. Poland was crowned World Champions with 41-points, to take their sixth consecutive gold medal.
Team Australia, the Joeys – 2019 FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship – Image by Ian Charles
Great Britain and Denmark battled it out for the runner-up position, with the UK coming out ahead by two-points, with 33 to Denmark’s 31-points.
The Joey’s lack of international experience turned out to be their ‘chink in their armour’, while a late flurry of points in the closing stages on the meeting came with some relief as Captain Jaimon Lidsey and Jordan Stewart won their remaining races proving they have the abilities to compete with best of their age brackets.
Mark Lemon – Team Australia Team Manager
“A podium place was always going to be big ask for the young speedsters. However, ultimately, they did themselves and their country proud, gaining invaluable experience that will serve them well in the future. They can be very proud of efforts in reaching the final. We would like to thank everyone who sent messages and showed their support, and special mention to CBS Bins from Adelaide for their continued and generous sponsorship the team, our travel partners ATPI, Motorcycling Australia and Sport Australia,”
2019 FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship – Image by Ian Charles
Great Britain 33: Robert Lambert 20, Dan Bewley 11, Drew Kemp 2, Kyle Bickley 0, Leon Flint 0
Denmark 31: Mads Hansen 11, Fredrik Jakobsen 8, Patrick Hansen 6, Jonas Jeppesen 6
Australia 21: Jaimon Lidsey 12, Jordan Stewart 5,Kye Thomson 2,Matthew Gilmore 1, Zach Cook 1
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AORC final Rounds 10 & 11 move to Hedley, Victoria
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship has announced that the final rounds originally scheduled to be held in Penshurst, in Victoria have been moved due to council and agricultural restrictions.
Daniel Milner at the AORC 2018 Hedley Round 3
Instead Rounds 10 & 11 will be co-hosted by the Geelong Motocross Club and Corner Inlet Motorcycle Club in Hedley, Victoria over September 14-15 (2019).
Special consideration for the location was made to minimise disruption and ensure minimal additional travel distance, while retaining a Victorian round.
Hedley will feature a Cross Country racing format for Round 10, followed by Sprints for Round 11. Further information on the final rounds and accommodation can be found at the AORC website – www.aorc.org.au (link). Entries will open shortly for Rounds 10 & 11.
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What happened this week
Red flagged mud fest at Hattah 2019
Eli Tomac & Dylan Ferrandis top RedBud National
Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado win MXGP of Indonesia
Sam Sunderland wins Silk Way Rally Round 2
Emil Sayfutdinov claims first SGP win for six years in Sweden
2019 Speedway of Nations Finals teams announced
Rockhampton to host 2020 KTM AJMX
Dean Wilson confirmed to join AUS-X Open Melbourne
Red flagged mud fest at Hattah 2019
The 2019 Hattah Desert Race will go down in history as one of the most challenging, yet shortest races since it began. Heavy rain and hail pounded the event shortly after the scheduled eight-lap race commenced. The sheer volume of water restricted emergency vehicle access and the decision was made to cut the event short to four-laps.
Daniel Milner – Image by John Pearson Media
KTM duo Daniel Milner and Lyndon Snodgrass delivered a spectacular 1-2 finish, despite the conditions, with Milner having qualified fastest following Saturday’s Prologue with a blistering 2m45.417s lap-time set in the Top 10 Shootout, while Snodgrass recorded the third-fastest lap overall.
Contested in difficult, muddy conditions after rain arrived on Sunday morning, Milner claimed his second-career Hattah victory and clinching the Over 450cc 4-Stroke class win in the process. Milner’s effort was even more remarkable since he has been recovering from a broken collarbone sustained six weeks prior to Hattah, as well as tendonitis, limiting his seat time in the lead-up to what is recognised as one of the most gruelling races in the sport.
Daniel Milner – P1
“It’s such a good feeling to win Hattah after breaking my collarbone six weeks ago and undergoing surgery before I then had tendon problems in the opposite arm once I was back on the bike. I’d only had four days on the bike and one day of testing, so to bring it home is an unbelievable feeling and the KTM 500 EXC-F is such a weapon to ride! Things went our way in the race and we didn’t miss a beat – the bike was very similar to how I rode it last year in terms of set-up. It really was a matter of making sure we could get through the race and it became a case of survival, so I was being as consistent as possible. The decision to cut the race short was the right one in those conditions and I’m really happy to get another outright win here, that’s for sure.”
Daniel Milner – Image by John Pearson Media
Snodgrass also put forward a phenomenal ride on the KTM 450 EXC-F to not only claim an outright podium, but also comfortably score the 251cc-450cc 4-Stroke class win over eight minutes clear of his closest rival.
Lyndon Snodgrass – P2
“Today was a crazy one with all that rain coming down, making it a really tough mud race in the desert, so to finish second outright and first in class was definitely awesome. The Prologue was important and we did well in that, so today I tried to have the cleanest race possible all the way through to the end – it was a matter of survival in those conditions by the time we got to the last lap and especially towards the end. The KTM 450 EXC-F was faultless all weekend and we managed to get one position better than last year, so I’m rapt with that result.”
Lyndon Snodgrass – Image by John Pearson Media
KTM riders filled four of the top five positions outright, including Lachlan Terry in fourth and Davey Motorsports KTM’s Mason Semmens in fifth. Semmens won the Under 19s division, while KTM-mounted Jess Moore was also victorious in the Ladies Tenacious Women of Hattah category.
Claiming second in his class and an very impressive third outright was Josh Green, who on board the WR450F contested the 251 to 450cc 4 stroke class and was in good form all weekend. Despite a heavy fall on lap two, Green soldiered on for a top result in his typical style.
Josh Green
“This race is always one of the toughest of the year in dry conditions so when you add a heap of rain, it just becomes even tougher,” Green begins. “My first lap was pretty good but then on lap two, with the track getting hammered by the rain, I went over the ‘bars as I tried to plough through a deep, boggy spot. I have done some damage to my wrist and I will need to get hat checked out this week as its really sore now but while I was still warm and had some grip strength, I kept on going. If it had gone the full distance, I’m not sure if the wrist would have held up but I was fortunate to get to the finish line with a good result. Thanks to the team again. They earned their money from this event.”
Josh Green – Image by John Pearson Media
The Motul Pirelli Sherco duo of Andy Wilksch and Nathan Trigg also began the Hattah Desert Race weekend in good form. Trigg posting the sixth fastest qualifying time and Wilksch just missing out on the top ten in eleventh. When the main race began and the heavens opened up, both riders put their 500 SEF Factory models to task while mayhem spread through the field.
At the completion of the fourth lap, Wilksch had powered his way to sixth with Trigg close behind in seventh. It was a solid performance by both riders in incredibly wild conditions.
Andy Wilksch – P6
“Our weekend came together pretty good in the end. The race was short and sharp in comparison to what we prepared for and the 500 Factory definitely played a part in our success. The extra power made it easy and our bikes didn’t wear out. Reliability was key in those conditions. Our bikes are strong and reliable and with the track deteriorating so rapidly each lap, the power of the 500 let me make passes down the straights. The bikes just ate the conditions with ease. I’ve never been able to crack the top ten at Hattah before so to get sixth feels like a bonus.”
Andy Wilksch – Image by John Pearson Media
Nathan Trigg was relishing the challenge and despite suffering a crash while avoiding a lapped rider, Trigg thoroughly enjoyed the experience of a wet Hattah, and took seventh overall.
Nathan Trigg – P7
“I had a couple of stacks in the rain, but somehow I was having fun. It was actually the most fun I’ve had at Hattah. I was hoping to qualify a bit higher up the order for a better starting position, but I still got going okay. The bike was awesome and really strong. It was just unreal, and I had a ball riding it. I didn’t even know what position I was in towards the end, but I rode the best I could and was happy to get a good result.”
Nathan Trigg – Image by John Pearson Media
Jack Simpson was able to take third in the 450cc 4-stroke class, after qualifying seventh outright, while a scary crash in lap one cost him dearly as he lost precious time on the leaders.
Jack Simpson – P8
“I lost it on the first lap. I had one of the biggest crashes in my life, several riders commented on it after the race, one saying it was the biggest crash he had ever seen. I am lucky to have gotten away with only bumps and bruises and I am fortunate that the bike was still rideable. The crash rattled me but once I got going I was riding on adrenalin. The hardest part was racing in the conditions. The track was flooded in some areas, people were creating new lines, and some parts of the track became 50 meters wide. It ended up being a battle of survival.”
Jack Simpson
Michael Driscoll took the win in the up to 250cc 4 stroke class on his WR250F and regardless of the conditions, was well in control of his division after a common sense start saw him soon gain the lead and never let it go, in a strong performance for the 19 year old off road gun, with 13th in the outright result as well.
Michael Driscoll – P13
“I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry after all that. I was so looking forward to this race and I know how much work everyone on the team put in for it, so it was such a shame to have these conditions to race in. The bikes are destroyed and it was sketchy getting around out there as the rain, the mud, the bog holes as well as fallen or stranded riders meant it was like riding through a mine field. It was good to get the class win and tick off another goal for the season but I feel for the guys having to clean all this mess up and get our team bikes back into good condition again. Thank you to them and all our team sponsors for a huge effort that will still be going long after this weekend is over.”
Defending Hattah Desert Race champion Daniel Sanders and the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team had a rough weekend, in contention for victory until encountering difficulties in the closing stages. Sanders had immediately established himself at the front of the field on race-day Sunday, which was greeted with torrential rain-soaked, muddy conditions.
It appeared Sanders was on his way to the win until the prevalent water caused a suspected problem with the electrics, forcing him to stop and rectify the issue with timely assistance from his Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team crew. He went on to claim 14th position outright despite losing 20 minutes and seventh in the Over 450cc 4-Stroke category.
Daniel Sanders – P14
“It’s very disappointing because the team and I put a lot of effort into this one event each year. Obviously the weather today played a part and we started strongly, but unfortunately, the issue meant we gave away the win because I felt as though the race was mine at that point. The track was full of puddles because of the rain falling and we were hitting them at high-speed, so that could have led to the problem. We ended up getting going again and I brought it home to the finish, but it wasn’t to be today.”
Daniel Sanders – Image by John Pearson Media
Penrite Honda Racing’s 250cc rider Mark Grove pushed as hard as he could in the challenging conditions to take second in his class.
Mark Grove – P19
“It was harder to see than explainable, racing the 250cc in these conditions was twice as tough as it be if it was dry, the bigger bikes were creating roost that would fill your goggles in, people were crashing and it was even hard to see fallen riders. I understand why they cut it short. It was the toughest Hattah I have ever done.” Grove commented.
Mark Grove
Emma Milesevic, a Honda Genuine Ride Red rider also excelled on her way to second in the women’s class and 37th outright. This year marked the first time women had finished inside the top 40 outright and the team were very pleased with her commitment to the race.
Emma Milesevic
Honda’s Junior Factory Rider Madi Healey, of team BCP Pro Circuit Honda took first place in the Junior girls class on the CRF250R, and convincingly so, winning by over 20 minutes. This was Healey’s hat trick event at Hattah, having won the last three years in a row.
Madi Healey
The second of the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team entries, Fraser Higlett, encountered difficulties of his own in qualifying and started from 38th, but quickly sliced his way to sixth in the opening laps before the treacherous conditions ultimately ended his day on lap three of the four run.
Fraser Higlett – DNF
“Today was a rough one for me in the end, but I did my best toward the start of the race and we were looking good for a number of laps. I charged through the field in the tough conditions all the way up to sixth, so that was positive and I was feeling good in the mud. To start out of 38th definitely made things harder than they could have been and I’m disappointed with how the race finished for me, but we will be back and I will see what I can do next year.”
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2019 Hattah Desert Race Outright Top 20
Daniel MILNER 2:14:22.051
Lyndon SNODGRASS 2:17:43.210
Joshua GREEN 2:26:02.086
Lachlan TERRY 2:26:03.909
Mason SEMMENS 2:26:17.291
Andrew WILKSCH 2:27:16.808
Nathan TRIGG 2:28:35.600
Jack SIMPSON 2:31:21.448
Jeremy CARPENTIER 2:31:52.831
Alex BOLTON 2:31:55.139
Stefan GRANQUIST 2:32:52.585
Sam DAVIE 2:33:07.569
Michael DRISCOLL 2:33:40.942
Daniel SANDERS 2:34:34.965
William PRICE 2:35:27.517
Lee STEPHENS 2:35:27.958
Geoff BRAICO 2:37:40.882
Broc GRABHAM 2:38:30.951
Mark GROVE 2:38:40.017
Jesse LAWTON 2:39:37.173
Senior Race
Daniel MILNER 2:14:22.051
Lyndon SNODGRASS +3:21.159
Joshua GREEN +11:40.035
Up-to 250cc 4stroke
Michael DRISCOLL 2:33:40.942
Mark GROVE 2:38:40.017
Hunter SEMMENS 2:39:37.576
Up-to 250cc 2stroke
Danielle FOOT 3:00:07.677
Jacob EUSTACE 3:00:23.466
Nathan HOWE 2:14:53.708
251cc & over 2stroke
Sam HANDLEY 2:15:51.541
Michael COLLINS 2:42:29.845
Trent PUDDY 2:45:31.076
251-450cc 4Stroke
Lyndon SNODGRASS 2:17:43.210
Joshua GREEN 2:26:02.086
Jack SIMPSON 2:31:21.448
Ladies Tenacious Women of Hattah
Jessica MOORE 2:46:54.604
Emma MILESEVIC 2:49:28.301
Jessica GARDINER 3:06:28.552
Under 19s
Mason SEMMENS 2:26:17.291
William PRICE 2:35:27.517
Korey MCMAHON 2:41:00.258
Veterans 35-44yrs
Lee STEPHENS 2:35:27.958
David JONGEBLOED 2:53:43.870
Steven POWELL 2:14:47.039
Masters 45yrs & over
Kevin ARCHER 2:58:42.708
Peter TAYLOR 2:16:24.770
Lou STYLIANOU 2:18:12.841
Juniors – Small Wheel
Angus RIORDAN 1:56:50.679
Samuel PRETSCHERER +1:26.648
Blake HOLLIS +3:45.381
Juniors – Big Wheels
Angus RIORDAN 1:56:50.679
Samuel PRETSCHERER +1:26.648
Blake HOLLIS +3:45.381
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Eli Tomac & Dylan Ferrandis top RedBud National
The American motocross Independence Day tradition brought the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to the seventh round of the 2019 season, with Michigan’s RedBud MX celebrating the 4th of July by kicking off the second half of the racing series with the RedBud National.
The storied track produced heated competition across both classes, with Eli Tomac and Dylan Ferrandis claiming victory. Aussie Hunter Lawrence also went 8-4 for fifth overall.
RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
Tomac’s third win of the season further strengthened his hold on the championship lead in the 450 Class. One year after he endured a misfortune-plagued afternoon at RedBud, the reigning champ returned in search of redemption and successfully grabbed his second victory in three years at the track. He’s now more than 30-points clear of Marvin Musquin in the standings.
Eli Tomac
“Overall, it was a really good day for us, I had been feeling good all day. It has been a little bit rough the last couple of weeks, but the first moto was a really good way to start the day and get things turned back around. I think that I had some better lines in the first moto, but I was able to move up and get the job done in the second moto.”
Eli Tomac – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (1-2)
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (2-4)
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (7-1)
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (3-5)
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (6-3)
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM (4-6)
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (5-9)
Benny, Bloss, Oak Grove, MO., KTM (9-8)
Dean Wilson, United Kingdom, Husqvarna (12-7)
Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Suzuki (8-13)
450 Podium 1) Eli Tomac, 2) Jason Anderson, 3) Marvin Musquin – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
450 Class Championship Standings
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 304
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 270
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda – 264
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 252
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 238
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 227
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 170
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 159
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM – 150
Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha – 136
Ferrandis had been knocking on the door of his first win of the 250 Class season for several weeks, and he finally broke through with a dominant outing at RedBud.
Dylan Ferrandis – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
The Frenchman put forth the first 1-1 outing of the season in the division, which resulted in the third victory of his career. It marked the fifth RedBud victory for Star Yamaha in the past six seasons, and the win also moved Ferrandis into second in the 250 Class standings.
Dylan Ferrandis
Finishing the day with two moto wins and the overall, honestly I couldn’t have expected a better weekend. My bike was really good, and I felt very comfortable on it today. We improved a lot on it with the team, and I want to thank them all for the hard work they put in every day for me to get the best bike possible. Getting ready for the outdoors is tough after a long Supercross season, so it took me time but finally we are where we want. Now we’re going take some rest before getting back to work and get ready for Millville in two weeks.”
Dylan Ferrandis – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (1-1)
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (5-2)
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (3-6)
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (2-8)
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda (8-4)
Ty Masterpool, Paradise, Texas, Yamaha (4-11)
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (11-5)
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna (10-7)
Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., Yamaha (6-12)
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, KTM (9-10)
250 Podium 1) Dylan Ferrandis 2) Adam Cianciarulo, 3) Justin Cooper – RedBud National 2019 – AMA Motocross
250 Class Championship Standings
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 307
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 282
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 281
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 204
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 200
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 193
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna – 173
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 167
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 165
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 129
The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will take a weekend break before resuming on Saturday, July 20, from Spring Creek Raceway.
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Tim Gajser & Jorge Prado win MXGP of Indonesia
MXGP rolled into Palembang for the first of two back-to-back rounds in Indonesia, with Tim Gajser claiming the overall win despite tough competition from Romain Febvre, with consistency proving key, and Gajser now sitting on 488 points, with Antonio Cairoli in second place in the standings on 358 but continuing to recover from injury, prematurely ending his title fight.
Race 1 saw Tim Gajser take a clear win from Max Anstie and Jeremy Seewer, while Romain Febvre missed the podium in fourth.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Romain Febvre made his come-back in Race 2 with Tim Gajser taking runner up position, just 3.2-seconds back, with Glenn Coldenhoff taking the final podium position. Jeremy Seewer was just off the podium in fourth and currently sits third in the standings.
Tim Gajser
“I am really happy on how the GP went today, because after yesterday I knew it would bed hard to do two good races. The first race I could extend the lead and the second I had an amazing jump out of the gate and I was leading then I made a mistake and Roman and Jeremy passed me, but I managed to pass Jeremy but I didn’t even push for Roman as he was too far ahead. Eventually I felt really comfortable and I want to say a huge thanks to the team.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Romain Febvre
“It has been too long since I won a race. I knew I had the speed since many GPs but I couldn’t make the start. I was frustrated. I had a good start in the second race, I was third, took the lead and made a gap and it was much easier than the first race. Now I am really looking for an overall win.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Jeremy Seewer
“It was a tough race even if my starts were great. This is one of the toughest races of the year for me but I’m happy on how the GP went. Now I just want to relax a bit before the next week in Semarang but it’s good that I could take some breathe on the championship chase. My season didn’t start really well but now that I’m having consistent results I just wish to keep going.”
Romain Febvre & Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
MXGP – GP Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 47 points
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 43
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 37
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 36
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 30
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 27
Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 22
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 22
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 21 …15. Lewis Stewart (AUS, KTM) 13 …16. Adam Coles (AUS, Husqvarna) 11
MXGP – World Championship Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 488 points
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 327
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 318
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 304
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 271
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 256
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 246
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 245
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 227
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In MX2 Jorge Prado added another win to his tally, however it wasn’t a clean sweep, with Thomas Kjer Olsen taking the Race 2 win, leaving Prado with 47-points to extend his championship lead, while Tom Vialle was second overall thanks to going 2-2, with Kjer Olsen third overall thanks to a 6-1 result.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Race 1 went to Jorge Prado, with a clear win from Tom Vialle, while Maxime Renaux completed the podium. Aussie Jed Beaton came home in fifth.
In Race 2 Thomas Kjer Olsen took the win from Jorge Prado, with a consistent Tom Vialle third. Jed Beaton likewise remained consistent with another fifth place finish, claiming the same position and 32 championship points for the round.
Jorge Prado
“I was feeling good all weekend, the first race after the crash was quite difficult, but I could make it. I messed up the second race a bit, but I got to second and another GP victory. At the second race I had a good start, got into first, but my teammate was pushing and passed, and I got him at the end. The lap times were short and I struggled a bit. I am just happy with the win for the moment and I’m looking forward for next week.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Tom Vialle
“I am really happy to have another fantastic weekend, it was very hot and the last five minutes of the second race were very hard, but I am very happy with this podium.”
Tom Vialle – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“The first race was a struggle and I didn’t feel like myself and I was just trying to keep with my team-mate Jed who was riding good. The second race I think everyone was tired, but I really wanted that win and I made it, keeping my energies until the very end.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Jed Beaton
“It’s been another good GP for me. I felt like Germany was a really good step in the right direction, and that I was finally managing to put things behind me and deliver the pace I know I can. I kind of kept that momentum going here with two more strong results. It was a tough GP, we all knew the heat wasn’t going to be too much fun, but both races went well for me. I’m pleased things are moving in a good direction now, hopefully next weekend will be another positive weekend, too.”
Jed Beaton – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
MX2 – GP Classification Top 10
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 47 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 42
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40
Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 34
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 32
Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 28
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 26
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 24
Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 24
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 21
MX2 – World Championship Classification
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 494 points
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 443
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 334
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 326
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 307
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 246
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 228
Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 224
Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 209
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 192
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Sunderland wins Silk Way Rally Round 2
Sam Sunderland has taken the win at Stage 2 of the Silk Way Rally in Russia, with 413.63 kilometres covered on similar mixed terrain to the opening stage. A 212km timed special offered an additional challenge, including fast hazardous stony tracks.
Kevin Benavides retains the Rally lead, despite Sam Sunderland taking the Stage 2 win
Sunderland had completed Stage 1 in fifth and had his work cut out for him, in moving towards the series lead, which is still retained by Kevin Benavides, with eight seconds separating the two.
Kevin Benavides was lumped with opening the track for Stage 2 following his Stage 1 win, which he did from start to finish over 212 kilometres of special stage, full of narrow potholed track studded with rocks.
Sam Sunderland
“I’m happy to get stage two finished safely. The day started on similar terrain to yesterday on the forest tracks with lots of trees, vegetation and water splashes. It was extremely important to take note of every single kilometre on your road book and the dangers listed there. It was really important to concentrate on your notes and take in which danger was which. It was hard to get a reference today as there was no refuel, so I wasn’t sure how my pace was all day. It’s always great to win a stage but it wasn’t our strategy for today so we’ll move on an see how the remaining eight days go for us.”
Sam Sunderland – Image by Rally Zone
Kevin Benavides
“I opened the whole stage. We knew it would be hard and very technical with many stones and mud. The narrow tracks were difficult, but I enjoyed it in spite of it being very hard. I think I did it well and I was in a good position. It was technical, fast and with navigation over the final 50 kilometres. I nearly crashed into an animal but luckily he dodged out of my way! You have to be very attentive to everything. The rally is a game of chess, so let’s see how it turns out. I am happy with the result.”
Kevin Benavides
Joan Barreda managed to make it through the tricky stage despite struggling to get the right feel and finished 2’40 adrift of the winner on the day and occupies fifth position in the general standings at a similar distance from the leader.
Joan Barreda
“I felt very good on the slopes today with lots of mud and some potholes with big rocks. I could not find the right feelings and I was looking forward to getting past this section. Then there was a faster part and I felt a lot better there. We finished the day without any problems; I am well placed at a minimum time behind the leader. Everything is going well. I hope that in Mongolia we will find more open stages and I can find places that suit my riding style better.”
Joan Barreda
Stage 1 runner-up Luciano Benavides was second away for Stage 2 and the young Argentinian chose to back off slightly to ensure a safe result in the special. Luciano crossed the line in seventh place, close to three minutes down on Sunderland, and now lies fourth in the overall standings.
Luciano Benavides
“Overall, it was a good day for me. I was able to keep to a solid pace and really enjoyed the first half of the stage. Towards the end I lost my focus a little, the tracks were really fast with some tricky sections and I lost a little time there. After such a challenging stage I’m happy to reach the finish and now look forward to what tomorrow brings.”
Luciano Benavides – Image by Rally ZoneWeekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Emil Sayfutdinov claims first SGP win for six years in Sweden
Russian racer Emil Sayfutdinov has celebrated his first FIM Speedway Grand Prix win for six years in Hallstavik, Sweden. Sayfutdinov had not celebrated an SGP success since topping the podium at the 2013 British SGP in Cardiff in a year which saw him mount a title charge, before his hopes were dashed by injury.
Speedway GP of Sweden 2019
The Salavat-born star heads to the Speedway of Nations finals in Russian on July 20 and 21 as World Championship leader after winning the Norrbil Swedish SGP final ahead of Martin Vaculik, Maciej Janowski and first-time finalist Max Fricke.
After a three-year absence from the series, Sayfutdinov has been battling to get back on top of the SGP rostrum since 2017. But despite achieving that aim in Hallstavik, he’s not going to celebrate this success for long with six riders separated by five points at the top of the standings.
Emil Sayfutdinov
“It feels amazing. I have been working for that for a long time – six years. When I came back to the SGP series in 2017, it was hard for me. I had my goal and a plan, but it didn’t work. Today everything worked very well and my team is also working very well, so I say thank you to them. I’ll just keep going and looking forward. I scored some good points and now I am leader with Dudek and Madsen. I am really happy about that. But to be honest, I have now forgotten about today. I am just concentrating and I know we have a lot more rounds and heats to come. We need to keep scoring the points and it will be good.”
Speedway GP of Sweden 2019
Slovak star Vaculik is firmly in the title hunt as he holds fifth place on 44 points – level with Bartosz Zmarzlik in fourth. While he was unable to take victory in Hallstavik, he was glad to pile up the points.
Third-placed Maciej Janowski – last year’s Hallstavik winner – was delighted to get back on to the SGP podium after a tough start to the season, hampered by the shoulder ligament injury which kept him out of the opening round in Warsaw.
Max Fricke took fourth in Sweden to claim 11-points, while Jason Doyle was 11th, with Doyle currently sitting eighth in the standings, and Fricke 12th.
Speedway GP of Sweden Podium – 1) Sayfutdinov, 2) Vaculik, 3) Janowski
SGP World Championship Standings
Emil Sayfutdinov 47
Patryk Dudek 47
Leon Madsen 47
Bartosz Zmarzlik 44
Martin Vaculik 44
Fredrik Lindgren 42
Niels-Kristian Iversen 32
Jason Doyle 30
Janusz Kolodziej 29
Artem Laguta 27
Matej Zagar 27
Max Fricke 27
Maciej Janowski 24
Robert Lambert 24
Antonio Lindback 23
Tai Woffinden 15
Bartosz Smektala 10
Oliver Berntzon 7
Vaclav Milik 4
Matic Ivacic 2
Norrbil Swedish SGP Scores
Emil Sayfutdinov 17
Martin Vaculik 16
Maciej Janowski 13
Max Fricke 11
Matej Zagar 10
Fredrik Lindgren 10
Bartosz Zmarzlik 8
Niels-Kristian Iversen 8
Leon Madsen 7
Oliver Berntzon 7
Jason Doyle 7
Patryk Dudek 7
Antonio Lindback 6
Artem Laguta 5
Janusz Kolodziej 3
Robert Lambert 3
Pontus Aspgren DNR
Kim Nilsson DNR
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2019 Speedway of Nations Finals teams announced
The FIM Speedway of Nations Finals teams have been confirmed as defending champions Russia name an unchanged team for their title defence in Togliatti on July 20 and 21. With this year’s hosts making history when they won the inaugural SON Finals in Wroclaw last June – Russia’s first senior speedway World Championship of any kind.
Individual World Championship leader Emil Sayfutdinov, Artem Laguta and joint FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship front-runner Gleb Chugunov will bid to win back-to-back titles in front of a passionate home crowd in the biggest shale meeting ever staged in Russia.
2019 Speedway of Nations Finals teams announced
They face stiff competition from Poland, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, Australia and Denmark, who all make the trip east in search of gold.
Poland welcome back Maciej Janowski, who was forced out of Race Off 1 in Landshut on May 4 after suffering shoulder ligament damage in a crash 24 hours before the German showdown. He takes Patryk Dudek’s place in the side, partnering world No.2 Bartosz Zmarzlik, with former World Under-21 champion Maksym Drabik named as their junior ahead of Bartosz Smektala.
Sweden name an unchanged team following their Race Off 1 triumph, with world No.3 Fredrik Lindgren partnering the in-form Peter Ljung and Filip Hjelmland named as their under-21.
Great Britain have been forced into a change since their Race Off 2 win in Manchester on May 11 after world champion and captain Tai Woffinden was sidelined with a fractured TH4 vertebra and a broken shoulder blade.
Former FIM Speedway Grand Prix regular Chris Harris steps in for Woffy, joining stand-in skipper Craig Cook and under-21 man Robert Lambert in a side bidding to build on the silver medal they clinched in Wroclaw.
Australia have drafted in Jason Doyle for the trip to Togliatti. He returns in place of Chris Holder after sitting out Race Off 2 due to injury. Hot on the heels of reaching his first ever SGP final in Hallstavik on Saturday, Max Fricke partners Doyle with national under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey named as their junior.
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Danish boss Hans Nielsen tracks the same three stars who battled their way through Race Off 2 as World Championship frontrunner Leon Madsen links up with seven-time national champion Niels-Kristian Iversen. Frederik Jakobsen is their under-21 rider.
Germany complete the Finals field with Erik Riss replacing Martin Smolinski in the side, with Kai Huckenbeck serving as captain. Lukas Fienhage is selected ahead of Michael Hartel as their under-21 man.
The seven sides will compete over 42 heats – 21 heats on Saturday and 21 on Sunday, with the top scorers progressing automatically into the Grand Final. The second and third-placed countries will then compete in the semi-final for the right to race the leaders for the world title.
Should the semi-final end as a 3-3, the team that scored the most points over 42 heats will progress to the Grand Final. And if the Grand Final ends all square, a run-off featuring one rider from each team will decide the world title.
Speedway of Nations 2019 Preview
2019 Speedway of Nations Final Team Line-Up
RUSSIA: 1 Emil Sayfutdinov (captain), 2 Artem Laguta, 3 Gleb Chugunov (U21). Also in squad: Grigory Laguta, Roman Lakhbaum (U21). Team Manager: Igor Dmitriev.
SWEDEN: 1 Fredrik Lindgren (captain), 2 Peter Ljung, 3 Filip Hjelmland (U21). Also in squad: Antonio Lindback, Alexander Woentin (U21). Team Manager: Morgan Andersson.
POLAND: 1 Maciej Janowski (captain), 2 Bartosz Zmarzlik, 3 Maksym Drabik (U21). Also in squad: Patryk Dudek, Bartosz Smektala (U21). Team Manager: Marek Cieslak.
GERMANY: 1 Erik Riss, 2 Kai Huckenbeck (captain), 3 Lukas Fienhage (U21). Also in squad: Martin Smolinski, Michael Hartel. Team Manager: Herbert Rudolph.
GREAT BRITAIN: 1 Craig Cook (captain), 2 Chris Harris, 3 Robert Lambert (U21). Also in squad: Tai Woffinden, Dan Bewley (U21). Team Manager: Alun Rossiter.
AUSTRALIA: 1 Jason Doyle (captain), 2 Max Fricke, 3 Jaimon Lidsey (U21). Also in squad: Chris Holder, Jordan Stewart (U21). Team Manager: Mark Lemon.
DENMARK: 1 Leon Madsen, 2 Niels-Kristian Iversen (captain), 3 Frederik Jakobsen (U21). Also in squad: Michael Jepsen Jensen, Patrick Hansen. Team Manager: Hans Nielsen.
Speedway of Nations Final Day 1 Draw
A: Germany
B: Denmark
C: Australia
D: Poland
E: Russia
F: Sweden
G: Great Britain
Speedway of Nations Final Day 2 Draw
A: Germany
B: Australia
C: Sweden
D: Poland
E: Russia
F: Great Britain
G: Denmark
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Rockhampton to host 2020 KTM AJMX
With the 2019 running of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) to be held in Gillman, South Australia, Motorcycling Australia have now also announced the 2020 location, with Rockhampton, Queensland locked in for July 6-11, 2020.
AJMX 2018 – Penguin, Tasmania
The KTM AJMX attracts competitors from all across Australia, as well as international hopefuls seeking to make their mark in Australia’s highly competitive MX scene.
Peter Dark – Rockhampton and District MX Club President
“It is a complete honour, and a reward for the effort our members have given to the sport for many years. The event will bring approximately 500 of Australia’s best junior racers from across every state in Australia, including a few international racers.”
Motorcycling Queensland General Manager Kim Rowcliffe said that the Rockhampton District Motocross Club was chosen to host the 2020 Australian Junior Motocross Championships due to its very strong credentials in delivering well run, well promoted, and successful motorcycle events.
Dean Wilson confirmed to join AUS-X Open Melbourne
AUS-X Open promoters have confirmed Dean ‘Deano’ Wilson will be back for his third consecutive year to compete at this year’s Monster Energy AUS-X Open at Marvel Stadium on November 30. The Scottish Thunder will return Down Under after fan outcry to bring the world Number #6 back to Australia left event organisers in a spin.
Dean Wilson – Image by Hoppenworld
The 27 year old raced to a career-best sixth overall during this year’s Monster Energy FIM World Supercross Championship as well as a third-place finish at the Houston round, but after an injury forced him out of the last two rounds, Wilson says he’ll be back for redemption in November and hopes to finish the year off with a bang.
Dean Wilson
“I’m super excited to be returning to the AUS-X Open again this year, my 2019 season was up and down, but I’ll be pushing hard for it in Melbourne, I’ll be definitely out there to get my redemption and come out on top. Obviously I’ve had some amazing results the past two years at AUS-X winning the Saturday night in 2017, and coming in second last year, I feel like I have what it takes third time around Down Under. Australia is such a sick place to visit and this time to be in Melbourne for the first time, I think it will make for the best year of AUS-X yet, the line-up is stacked and I can’t wait to take on the world’s best.”
Dean Wilson – Image by Hoppenworld
Wilson will head to Melbourne for the first time ever, and go up against what is shaping up to be the best International Supercross line-up Australia has ever seen, consisting of two-time World Champion Chad Reed and 2018 World Champion Jason Anderson, world number 10 Justin Brayton, world number eight Joey Savatgy and many more local and international stars. Check out the video below to see Dean receiving his invitation.
Marking the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship halfway point, the Southwick National visited The Wick 338 sand track, with Marvin Musquin carrying the momentum following his first overall win of the season the previous weekend in Florida. He kept it going at the sandbox with an impressive performance that saw him become the first rider this season to capture back-to-back victory.
Southwick AMA Pro Motocross
The win also vaulted the Frenchman up to second in the 450 Class standings, where he’ll look to keep chipping away at his deficit to Eli Tomac over the second half of the summer.
Marvin Musquin 1-2
“Qualifying first meant a whole lot coming into the races today. I was so pumped to grab the holeshot in the first moto! It was a long moto, when you lead like that the whole time it feels like forever but it was super important to win that one because everyone was right there. I didn’t get the same start in the second moto but I worked my way through to second and it was good for the overall. It was tough out there physically, but we stayed consistent and came away with the overall.”
2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Dean Ferris was happy to fight his way to a top ten result in Moto 1 from a poor start, while a crash in Moto 2 saw him finish just outside the top 10 in 12th, for eighth overall.
Dean Ferris 8-12
“I had a terrible start in moto one and had put in a really big fight. I am quite happy with the moto and wasn’t too far behind some really big guys. In moto two, I ended up going down and it was really physically demanding. I’m glad it’s over and we can focus on the next race.”
Dean Ferris – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
Roczen showed impressive speed in the early going of both motos at Southwick, setting quick lap times and making strong passes, only for his physical limitations to then thwart his progress and see him overtaken by several competitors, with a 12-10 result netting ninth overall.
Ken Roczen
“I was coming into Southwick fairly excited, though struggling a little bit recovering from last weekend’s race. Still, I came in with full motivation and a new fork setting that unfortunately didn’t work out very well for me in the first moto. On top of that, I could’ve recovered a little better from the weekend before, but I knew that I went out there and gave my best. For sure it wasn’t what we were looking for, but we’re going to continue working hard on the bike and I’m going to continue working on myself to get back in top shape and get back to winning races. For now I have to take it as it is, but I’m going to keep my head up and hope for a much, much better result from RedBud. I’m going to do everything I can throughout the week to prepare myself and get back to the very top. Other than that, there’s not much to say about my result besides we’re not very happy with it and are looking to turn it around next weekend.”
Ken Roczen – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
In the 250 Class, Adam Cianciarulo was in search of a rebound after his four-round winning streak was snapped in Florida. The championship leader rose to the occasion in Southwick, and emerged with his fifth win in six races to extend his lead in the championship standings.
Adam Cianciarulo 1-2
“I try to make good decisions [when I’m out there]. The more I mature as a racer, the more you just learn [how to handle situations]. I managed that [second moto], for sure. I’m not sure if I had Dylan’s pace in that [second] moto. He deserved that one. I tried to follow, but I’ll admit, I was a little bit fatigued. We still leave here with another win, and it’s amazing what we continue to accomplish as a team.”
Adam Cianciarulo – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Round Six – Southwick
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (1-2)
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (3-1)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (2-3)
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (4-4)
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (7-5)
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (6-6)
Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Honda (5-7)
Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha (8-12)
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (12-10)
John Short, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda (15-9)
450 Class Championship Standings
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 257
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 231
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda – 229
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 227
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 212
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 202
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 159
Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha – 136
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 131
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM – 117
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (1-2)
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (3-1)
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (2-3)
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (4-4)
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (6-7)
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki (10-5)
Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., Yamaha (7-8)
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (5-11)
Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, KTM (11-6)
Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Yamaha (12-9)
250 Class Championship Standings
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 269
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 246
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 232
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 178
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 167
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 165
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 162
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna – 148
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 143
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 108
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Jared Mees tops 2019 Lima Half Mile
AFT Twins images courtesy of Scott Hunter
Defending multi-time Champion Jared Mees claimed the AFT Twins Lima Half-Mile over the weekend at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, in what was arguably the most thrilling of the 2019 American Flat Track season and one with massive championship implications – both factors working decidedly in Mees’ favor.
Jared Mees – Lima Half Mile 2019
The opening several laps featured an intense head-to-head showdown that pit Mees up against championship leader Briar Bauman. That duel was cut short by a red flag on lap 7, which altered the complexion of the Main dramatically.
Mees got a stellar jump at the restart, while Bauman was sucked into a battle for second with Jeffrey Carver Jr., Henry Wiles, and rookie Brandon Price. Bauman’s luck only got worse from there, as his rear tire came clean off the rim on lap 10. That unusual mishap put an end to his perfect season’s podium streak while instantly eliminating the bulk of his hard-earned championship padding.
Following Bauman’s exit, Carver ate up the gap to Mees, and the two then engaged in their own wild shootout for the lead. Running divergent lines, Mees and Carver proceeded to trade the position back and forth multiple times per corner for several laps in succession.
Carver attempted to square up the final turn but Mees powered neatly around the outside line, beating his opponent to the checkered flag by 0.199 seconds. Wiles came home third another 0.668 seconds in arrears.
Combined with Briar Bauman’s DNF and Brandon Robinson failing to make the Main 1 event after cashing in his only provisional start of the season, Mees’ triumph elevated him to second in the standings, a mere 13 points back of Bauman (145-132).
Jared Mees
“When you’re battling up in the cushion like that, it wears you out twice as fast. You’re wrestling the bike, and the bike’s jumping around. Hats off to Jeffrey; I work out so hard, and I didn’t have nothing left — I was done. I just want to give a big shout out to Jeffrey [Carver, Jr.] and Henry [Wiles] for a hellacious, awesome race.”
Jared Mees – Lima Half Mile 2019
2019 American Flat Track – Lima Half Mile Main Event
Jared Mees 25 Laps (winner)
Jeffrey Carver Jr. +0.199
Henry Wiles +0.867
Brandon Price +4.487
Bronson Bauman +10.639
Robert Pearson +11.127
Bryan Smith +11.715
Davis Fisher +15.156
Stephen Vanderkuur +17.956
JD Beach +18.463
2019 American Flat Track Point Standings – AFT Twins
Briar Bauman – 145
Jared Mees – 132
Brandon Robinson – 108
Bronson Bauman – 101
Henry Wiles – 96
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 90
Jarod Vanderkooi – 85
Robert Pearson – 78
Jake Johnson – 75
Sammy Halbert – 74
AFT Singles
For the second consecutive year at the Allen County Fairgrounds, Shayna Texter was simply unstoppable in the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys Main Event.
Shayna Texter – Lima Half Mile 2019
After dominating the program in the lead-up to the Main, Texter found herself shuffled down to fourth as she fishtailed off the line. Undeterred, Texter put on a flat track masterclass as she propelled her way forward.
Shayna Texter
“My Red Bull KTM backed by Roof Systems motorcycle was just working so good. I couldn’t figure out how I won this race last year. I sat around for 365 days and thought, ‘Man, how did I win Lima?’ So, to win it twice is incredible. It’s a dream come true.”
Max Whale had a rough day but finished 13th in the Main event.
Max Whale
“Struggled all day on my A bike. Switched to the back up bike and was happy to make the main. Tried my hardest and all I could salvage was a 13th. Happy to still be running eighth in the championship. Keep moving forward!”
2019 American Flat Track – Lima Half Mile Singles Main Event
Shayna Texter 15 Laps (winners)
Dan Bromley +2.570
Chad Cose +4.693
Mikey Rush +4.915
Ryan Wells +5.098 …13. Max Whale
AFT Singles Podium – 1) Shayna Texter, 2) Dan Bromley, 3) Chad Cose – Lima Half Mile 2019
2019 American Flat Track Point Standings – AFT Singles
Mikey Rush 156
Dalton Gauthier 144
Dan Bromley 134
Jesse Janisch 129
Ryan Wells 105
AFT Production Twins
Chad Cose earned his first-career American Flat Track victory following a race-long scrap with runaway AFT Production Twins title leader Cory Texter. Texter entered Lima with a perfect three-for-three wins record on the season and threatened to make it four-for-four by storming to the holeshot and opening an immediate gap.
However, Cose exploited the high line to perfection for the short time it existed and managed to steal away the lead while the contest was still in its early stages. Texter reclaimed the advantage for a single straight at mid-distance, but Cose pounced in the very next corner to counter. Texter then hounded his rival to the flag but was never able to find another hole in Cose’s defense.
Cose’s maiden win comes after more than a decade on the scene and after finishing the 2018 season ranked sixth overall in the premier AFT Twins class with a podium to his name.
Chad Cose
“I’m so happy for my team. It feels good for me, and I knew I was capable all along. But it’s tough. Nobody sees the behind-the-scenes stuff and everything like that. I’m so happy for my team — they work so hard for me.”
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Toni Bou wins Belgium TrialGP Round 5
Toni Bou (Repsol Honda Team) has secured another victory in the 2019 TrialGP championship to further extend his lead at Round 5 in Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium. Hot conditions proved a challenge to competitors, with constant refreshment required while the two fiften section laps were complete.
Toni Bou – TrialGP of Belgium Round 5, 2019
Proving strong competition throughout the day was Jeroni Fajardo, with Bou taking the lead in the final section of the last lap to claim the win. This is Toni Bou’s fifth victory of the season, with a 19-point lead that seen him on the top step of the podium since Andora last year.
Teammate Takahisa Fujinami came in fourth, narrowly missing the podium, and holds the same position in the standings.
Toni Bou – P1
“Today was a very tough race. It was very easy to fail but very difficult to recover. On the first lap we had Fajardo ahead who had a great trial, but on the second I was able to come back and put up with the pressure well. I was able to take the win in the final section in front of the spectators, which was very nice. Looking ahead to the championship, today has been a very important day to take things one step further. Congratulates also to Fujinami, who today also had a great ride opening the track.”
Toni Bou – TrialGP of Belgium Round 5, 2019
Belgium TrialGP Result
BOU Toni – Repsol Honda Team
FAJARDO Jeroni – Gas Gas
RAGA Adam – TRRS Factory Team
FUJINAMI Takahisa – Repsol Honda Team
BUSTO Jaime – Vertigo Factory Team
Toni Bou topped the podium from Fajardo and Raga – TrialGP of Belgium Round 5, 2019
TrialGP Standings following Belgium
BOU Toni – 100 points
RAGA Adam – 67
FAJARDO Jeroni – 67
FUJINAMI Takahisa – 66
BUSTO Jaime – 51
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Australian ISDE Team update & controversy
The November 2019 FIM International Six Days’ Enduro (ISDE) inches ever closer, as Team Australia gets set to head to Portugal to defend their title, and Motorcycling Australia announce an update to the team line-up.
With Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and his fiancé expecting their first child in October, Milner opted to not risk missing the birth and as a result he won’t defend his personal and team title in 2019.
Daniel Milner
“My fiancé and I are super excited to announce that we are expecting Baby Milner in October! We can’t wait for parenthood and what the rest of this year has to bring! Unfortunately, my commitments to my family mean I have withdrawn from the RecoveR8 Australian ISDE Team. Sadly, I will be unable to defend my individual and team title.”
Daniel Milner at the ISDE in 2018
Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team’s Fraser Higlett will step in the RecoveR8 Australian World Trophy Team, returning to the team after a strong performance at the 2018 ISDE, in Chile, where he finished ninth in the E1 class and 38th overall.
Fraser Higlett
“This has been a unexpected but super positive surprise! I’m really honoured to be returning to the ISDE for a second year and representing my country. 2018 marked my first year in the team, and I learnt a lot which I’ll take into Portugal to help defend our title.”
Fraser Higlett – 2018 ISDE Day 1 – Chile – Image by John Pearson Media
There was some controversy over why 2018 competitor Josh Strang hadn’t been picked for the team with Strang sharing he missed initial selection due to the level of support it was believed he would receive and the reliability of his machine. He then shared that he was asked to fill in for Milner, but declined the position while congratulating Milner on his expectant fatherhood.
Josh Strang (on FB)
“Figured I could answer a few questions about ISDE now everything has all been settled. First off – I missed selection in the first pick due to the support I was able to receive or what the selectors presumed I would receive and the reliability of my machine. This made me even more upset about the choice that was made. Now this week I was asked to fill in again after [Daniel Milner] @milner_31 withdrew but it has been two months so I have made plans and I wasn’t chosen in the first place so why should I go now. I wish all the boys luck and I hope next year when I put my hand up I will be chosen the first time around. I’m an Aussie so you gotta put your 2-cents in when the time is right. Pumped for Milner, you don’t wanna miss the first few weeks with your kid mate! At least the rentals will be safe this year!”
Josh Strang joined Kawasaki for 2019 with the Babbit’s Kawasaki Racing Team
2019 RecoveR8 Australian World Trophy Team:
Joshua Green
Fraser Higlett
Daniel Sanders
Luke Styke
2019 RecoveR8 Australian Women’s World Trophy Team:
Jessica Gardiner
Tayla Jones
Mackenzie Tricker
2019 RecoveR8 Australian Junior World Trophy Team:
Michael Driscoll
Wil Ruprecht
Lyndon Snodgrass
Team Manager:
Don Atkins
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Jorge Prado signs with Red Bull KTM until 2023
Defending MX2 World Champion Jorge Prado has confirmed he’ll remain with the Red Bull KTM in the MXGP Championship until 2023, with a contract extension made in Germany.
Jorge Prado
“KTM have supported me since I started racing and winning my first world title in the 65s. They offered me a great opportunity for MXGP because if I win this year then I’ll need to be on a 450 and so this all came together very easily. I’m very happy to stay another four years and we’re both excited about it. Since I joined this team and worked with Claudio [De Carli] I’ve really felt that my place was to stay here and learn. He has a lot of experience and I’m sure we’ll make a good pass to the 450s. I have a great team behind me and it is difficult to find a better place than where I am right now.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
18-year-old Prado took his first GP podium in 2016 in Assen and by 2018 was MX2 world championship, while 2019 has seen him on track for another win having claimed nine round victories from the ten he’s contested, with 14 holeshots to boot.
He currently holds a 44-point lead in the standings and is aiming for back to back championships, which would put him in the history books alongside Marvin Musquin and Jeffrey Herlings.
Claudio De Carli – Red Bull KTM MXGP Team Manager
“In our sport we can never take anything taken for granted, so it is always satisfying when renewals like this happen and we can continue our journey. It is the sign that we are working in the right direction and the continuity in relationships means that the group is solid and close-knit. With Jorge I have had again the chance to help a young rider, which has always been one of my priorities, and I thank KTM for this. In the last two years I can only say that with Jorge we have always worked with the utmost commitment and with a smile, even in difficult times. He is a fantastic boy that deserves all his success.”
Jorge Prado and Claudio De Carli – Red Bull KTM MXGP Team Manager
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Tommy Searle joins KRT for MXGP
Tommy Searle will join the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team for the remainder of the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship, with both factory riders injured. BOS GP agreed to allow Searle to move from their team to the Factory team, starting with the Czech Republic round in July.
Searle currently leads the British Championship and will undergo several testing sessions on the Factory machine before competing.
Tommy Searle
“I’m obviously very happy to have this opportunity to ride for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team and I want to thank everyone involved for their support. I will work hard with them in the coming weeks to be ready and prepared for the Czech GP, and will also do my best in the British series to claimed this title for Kawasaki and BOS who gave me this opportunity this season.”
Tommy Searle – MXGP of Portugal
François Lemariey – Monster Energy KRT Team manager
“It’s great to see that all the parties involved made this possible, as we need to line up our Factory bike behind the gate as soon as possible again after the injuries to Clément and Julien. Julien underwent successful surgery last Monday to his arm; he is now recovering as well as Clément but we know that both will need time before getting back to racing. Tommy did most of his GP career with Kawasaki and we are pleased to welcome him in the team; several testing sessions are already planned so we can prepare together in good shape at the MXGP of Czech Republic. It was impossible to fly to Indonesia as the crates had to be delivered earlier his week, and we want Tommy to test the bike thoroughly before racing the GPs with us. ”
DPH Husqvarna leads MX Nationals to Round 7
Following a strong start to the second half of the 2019 MX Nationals season, the DPH Husqvarna Factory Racing Team head to Round 7 in Maitland with both the MX1 and MX2 leads, with Todd Waters and Wilson Todd. Teammate Bailey Malkiewicz also holds seventh in the MX2 standings.
Todd Waters
Boyd Hocking – DPH Husqvarna team manager
“I’m really happy with how things came together [at Round 6]. With all three racers being full of confidence after the break in the season, we all felt it would be a strong weekend but to finish the weekend leading both championships is unbelievable. With four rounds over three weekends still to go, a lot can happen, but we’re in a good position. Toddy (Todd Waters) and Wilbur (Wilson Todd), they continue to show that they are in it to win, and they’re the benchmark riders in their classes. When things don’t go exactly to plan, they consolidate, work hard and make it a positive result, and when it does go to plan, they cross the line first. I can’t wait for round seven!”
Wilson Todd
The seventh round of the MX Nationals is scheduled for Maitland, NSW on July 14.
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Fly Racing sponsors 2019 Australian Supercross Rounds 1-3
Fly Racing Australia has come on board with the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship as a major partner, coverings Rounds 1, 2 and 3 which well be held in Brisbane (Oct 12), Port Adelaide (Oct 19) and Wollongong (Novemer 9) respectively.
Australian Supercross Championship
The partnership was announced by Troy Bayliss with Fly Racing the naming sponsor for Round 2 at Gillman Speedway in Port Adelaide.
Troy Bayliss
“We are pleased to welcome Fly Racing’s partnership with Round 1,2 and 3 of the Australian Supercross Championships, Fly Racing has been a big supporter of Supercross athletes and teams around the world and it’s exciting to see that support expand to Supercross events here in Australia.”
Penrite Honda’s Justin Brayton and Brett Metcalfe in 2018
McLeod Accessories’ Brand Manager and Race Support Duncan Hale was also excited with the partnership, with Fly Racing currently supporting the Penrite Honda Racing team which returns in 2019 with the same team as 2018, including Justin Braytin and Brett Metcalfe.
Duncan Hale
“McLeod Accessories and Fly Racing are honoured to commence our partnership with Troy Bayliss Events and the Australian Supercross Championship for 2019. Our constant goal at McLeod Accessories and Fly Racing is to always provide the highest quality service to our dealers and the very best products to their customers. McLeod’s and FLY have a strong passion for the Local Motorcycle industry, and this is a great way to demonstrate our long term commitment to the growth of the sport in Australia. Troy Bayliss Events vision for the long-term health and growth of Australian Supercross is shared by McLeod Accessories. That like-minded thinking, coupled with the entire organization’s passion for the sport, made them an ideal partner for the Fly Racing brand. The 2019 Australian Supercross Championship is a great opportunity for us to showcase the all new mind blowing 2020 Fly Racewear, both on and off the track.”
Justin Brayton – Australian Supercross 2018
The Australian Supercross Championship is sanctioned by Motorcycling Australia (MA).
Australian Supercross Championship Ticket Sales
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Joeys reach 2019 FIM Team Speedway U21 final
Team Australia, consisting of Captain Jaimon Lidsey and team members Jordan Stewart, Kye Thomson, Zac Cooke and Matthew “Happy” Gilmore, fought tooth and nail in Vetlanda, Sweden to successfully secure their place in the FIM Team Speedway U21 World Championship final.
The Joeys were runner up at the recent Swedish round, claiming a place in the final – Image by Ian Charles
Clocking up a total of 40 points overall, the Joeys finished just behind the evening’s victor, Denmark, on 50 points. Team Captain, Lidsey, shone all evening to score the greatest sum of points for Team Australia, with 17 points. Happy Gilmore and Stewart followed on the success from Lidsey with 10 and nine points for the night, respectively.
Jaimon Lidsey
“A great result for Team Australia, in our semi-final and scoring enough points to secure a spot in the final in Manchester on the 12th of July. We’re absolutely pumped!”
Australia’s Joeys now head to Manchester, UK for the Final on Friday 12th July. Lidsey is set to be right at home come July, with the Final kicking off at his SGB Premiership home track in Manchester. Team Australia will now go head to head with 11-time FIM Team Speedway U21 World Champions, Poland, as well as Denmark and Great Britain, who finished second and third in the 2018 edition of the World Championship.
2019 Team Australia MXoN applications open!
2019 will see Assen, the Netherlands play host to the FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN), kicking off on September 28 and Motorcycling Australia has just opened applications to join Team Australia.
MXoN 2018
The 2018 MXoN saw Team Australia finish in fourth overall behind France, the Netherlands and Great Britain, while 2019 will see Australia return stronger than ever and eager to reach the podium.
There are three classes available for riders to nominate for including MX1, MX2 and Open. Riders can nominate for more than one class and applications must be submitted by no later than COB Friday 26th July, with selected team members away for approximately seven days, with final details to be confirmed at a later date.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Mount Kembla motocross fatality
In a tragic turn of events, experienced motocross rider 51-year-old Neville Turner has passed away following a collision with a tree on Sunday during a social ride on the practice track, at the Mt Kembla dirt bike complex.
A fundraiser on GoFundMe.com has been started to support Mr. Turner’s wife and family. You can find the GoFundMe page here:
Youthstream have announced the entry list for the 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, and 65cc World Cup, which will be held in Pietramurata, Trentino on July 13-14.
FIM Junior Motocross World Cup
The FIM Junior Motocross World Championship includes the 125cc and 85cc two stroke categories plus the 65cc FIM Junior Motocross World Cup featuring young talents coming from all over the world competing not only for their national flag but to be crowned World Champions or World Cup winner.
The 2019 Hixpania Hard Enduro was held across three days, and made up Round 4 of the World Enduro Super Series.
Graham Jarvis took the overall win on Sunday, tied on 44-points with Alfredo Gomez. Mario Roman won the Sunday event.
Graham Jarvis claims the Hixpania Hard Enduro win in 2019
Leaving Round 4, Jarvis holds a 120-point lead over Lettenbichler, with Mario Roman a further 30-points behind. Afredo Gomez and Billy Bolt complete the top five.
SuperEncierro Friday
Getting this weekend’s three-day race underway in spectacular style the medieval town of Aguilar de Campoo in northern Spain was treated to some world-class Enduro racing. In the heart of the town square, a short-but-challenging Superenduro course was laid out for the 350 competitors, all of which entertained thousands of spectators who lined the trackside.
SuperEncierro – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Home favourite Alfredo Gomez made a winning start to Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro, with victory in Friday’s SuperEncierro Prologue. Making it a 1-2 for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, Billy Bolt joined his teammate on the podium for second, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jonny Walker completed the top three.
Alfredo Gomez topped Friday’s racing – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Building on Friday’s SuperEncierro Prologue, day two at the Hixpania Hard Enduro saw the 350 competitors compete in a challenging Cross-Country race. A tough 50-kilometre loop marked out around the town’s nearby lake, it saw the pro riders in the Knight category complete three energy-sapping laps.
Campoo X-Treme – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Putting in a strong and commanding ride on the second day of racing at Hixpania Hard Enduro, Afredo Gomez once again triumphed in front of his home crowd to claim victory in the three-lap Cross-Country. In what proved to be an excellent day for Husqvarna, Gomez was followed home by his teammates Graham Jarvis and Billy Bolt in second and third respectively.
Campoo X-Treme – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Saturday Campoo X-Treme Top 5
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 4:40:48.790
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 4:41.14.980
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 4:43:34.070
Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 4:45:31.614
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 4:49:34.667;
Sunday Mitas Lost Roads
In the final hotly contested battle, it was Mario Roman who narrowly beat Jarvis for the win in Sunday’s Mitas Lost Roads Hard Enduro race, securing him an overall podium result of third. Event leader Alfredo Gomez placed fifth in Sunday’s race, slipping to second in the event’s overall classification.
Graham Jarvis – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
The third and final day of racing saw the 70 riders who qualified through from Saturday’s Campoo de X-Treme race tackle the tough and demanding Lost Roads Hard Enduro. During the two-hour 30-minute race, a short-course laid out around a challenging quarry and surrounding forest pushed competitors to their limits.
A Le Mans style start saw riders race on foot to their bikes, which were located in a cave. Roman was first to enter with Taddy Blazusiak hot on his heels. The duo swapped and changed the race lead during the opening two laps as everyone settled into the rhythm of the race.
Taddy Blazusiak – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Knowing that only a top-two result would suffice if rival Gomez were to place fifth or better, Jarvis determinedly worked his way towards the front of the field. With one hour to go both Jarvis and Roman had broken clear of Manuel Lettenbichler in third. Battling closely, they entered the final lap wheel-to-wheel.
Roman managed to edge clear slightly as they entered the finishing arena, however a mistake on a downhill allowed Jarvis to momentarily regain the lead. But Roman was eager to impress his home crowd and fought his way back in front to power up the final climb for the final day’s race win.
Alfredo Gomez – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Although losing the battle, Jarvis ultimately won the war, with second place enough to give him the overall Hixpania Hard Enduro win and with it move to the top of the championship standings.
Graham Jarvis – P1 Overall
“What an event and it’s crazy to think I’m leading the WESS now. I’m not going to get too excited just yet though and my plan is to take each race as it comes. Romaniacs is going to be the game changer – hopefully I can at least finish it this year. It was a tough race today I was still tired from yesterday – it was fast but there were still some technical bits. I think everyone was really feeling it and I know I was on the limit today.”
Graham Jarvis – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Entering the final day of racing having won the previous two days, Gomez was unable to respond to the attack by Jarvis. Admitting to struggling early on, he could only finish fifth for the runner-up result.
Alfredo Gomez – P2 Overall
“I tried to push as hard as I could today, but just ran out of strength in the last half of the race – no power at all. All I could do was to keep on going, try not to crash and stay on the bike. It was great fun racing out there with all the home fans cheering. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring home the win for them but overall, I am happy with how the race has gone and I gave it my all. Congratulations to Graham, he did it again.”
Alfredo Gomez – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Putting in a strong ride on Sunday for fourth, Billy Bolt ended his weekend fourth overall. Charging his way to third in Sunday’s Lost Roads, Lettenbichler completed the overall top five. The World Enduro Super Series continues with round five at Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania on July 30 – August 3.
Nathan Watson – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Mario Roman – P3 Overall
“It feels amazing to take the win in the final race. I had such a tough time yesterday on the Cross-Country, crashing six times and bending my handlebars. Despite that I still pushed hard and managed to finish fourth. Today, I wasn’t thinking too much about points, I just wanted to take the win. Graham was really strong and all the others were right up there at the beginning. Halfway through I was thinking it’s not possible to keep going for another hour-and-a-half, but I kept going and we did it. I don’t know how many fans came out to watch the race and cheer on the riders, but to hear them all shouting my name made it possible to keep going and finish the race, so thank you very much to them.”
Mario Roman – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Billy Bolt – P4 Overall
“I’m so happy with my result today I really wasn’t expecting to do so well. I didn’t get a good start and was down in ninth for the first few laps. I was really feeling it and after hurting my shoulder yesterday I just had no power at all today. I tried to stay mistake-free and avoid having to muscle the bike around too much. I was making a good pace and started picking off the riders in front. I saw Alfredo towards the end and really went for it to catch and pass him. There’s still a lot of work to do to get somewhere close to where I was last year, but I’ve definitely achieved a lot of personal goals this weekend.”
Billy Bolt – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Jonny Walker – P6 Overall
“I’m happy with my riding over the course of the weekend, but my result isn’t where I want to be. I made a stupid mistake yesterday and bent my handlebars, that cost me about seven minutes. I rode well after that and tried to save my wrist as best as I could, five hours on the bike was a long time though. I started off well today but after about an hour-and-a-half I started to struggle a bit. When you’re going up and down hills like that it’s so tough on your arms and I ran out of strength. With a bit of a rest now before Romaniacs I’ll try to work on my strength and come back stronger.”
Jonny Walker – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Taddy Blazusiak – P7 Overall
“I have gone through a lot of pain this weekend but I saved some points and my result isn’t too bad considering. I have got a few weeks to heal now as I’m sure I won’t have done my finger any good. Luckily there is a good break before Romaniacs at the end of July.”
Josep Garcia – P9 Overall
“The event has been ok – I’m happy to take good points from the weekend and it’s always good to race in front of your home crowd. Yesterday’s cross-country went well and I finished inside the top 10 so today I was able to start in the cave, which was good fun. There were some sections in yesterday’s race and today that were perhaps a little too extreme, I think there needs to be the correct balance for all riders. We have Romaniacs next and I have a year’s experience now so at least I know what to expect. I’ll keep working hard with my training and hopefully get a good finish next round.”
Josep Garcia – Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
Hixpania Hard Enduro – Results WESS Round 4
Top 3: 1) Graham Jarvis, 2) Afredo Gomez, 3) Mario Roman- Hixpania Hard Enduro 2019
The stars of EnduroGP had to cope with overwhelming heat on Day 1 in Greece, despite a huge storm on Friday night before the Super Test. These demanding conditions made their marks on both man and machine, as was proven when Alex Salvini suffered a shoulder injury.
Christophe Charlier
We’ll start with the premier category, EnduroGP, where Salvini was looking to be one of the favouites at the beginning of the day. The Honda RedMoto rider was in the fight with Matteo Cavallo for 3rd place overall before he took a heavy hit on his shoulder in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Test. It was a similar story for Christophe Charlier, on fire at the end of the day, and closing in on Cavallo before a big mistake on the final test….
There were no such problems for the British duo of Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman. The former, who seems to be largely recovered from the debilitating virus he’d been in the grip of since the German GP, was running well at the start of the day and held a 12 second advantage at the end of the first lap. Meanwhile Freeman initially found it tricky to ‘open the road’, but the Beta Boano rider quickly regained control of the EGP class to pull out an amazing 39 second lead on Holcombe by the end of the day.
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
Behind these two top guns, Matteo Cavallo achieved his first career podium in EnduroGP. He fought well to see off attacks from Oldrati and Redondi, in addition to taking advantage of the misfortunes of Salvini and Charlier. It was a nice reward for the 2018 Junior World Champion who did not expect to get on a EnduroGP podium so soon!
Neck and neck for a long time, Oldrati ended up getting the better of his compatriot Redondi and therefore took 4th place and 13 points, while Loïc Larrieu had to settle for 6th place and Eero REMES just managed a place in the Top 10.
The class which saw the most twists and turns was Enduro 2! Salvini had been establishing himself as a potential winner before he fell and injured his shoulder … And at that time, the category win was all to play for between Redondi, Loïc Larrieu and Charlier, all ready to take advantage of the 2013 World Champion’s unfortunate DNF.
Alex Salvini
Charlier made an impressive comeback to take the lead two tests before the end of the day. But the Corsican crashed in the Champion Lubricants Enduro Test and damaged his bike. He managed to finish the Technomousse Xtreme Test, but he was unable to get through the last test of the day and had to give up his first victory of the year to a very consistent Redondi…
For his part, Loïc Larrieu finished 2nd despite a big scare in the last lap and it was Chile’s Benjamin HERRERA who took advantage of the misfortune of Salvini and Charlier to finally climb onto the E2 podum in front of Eero Remes and Hugo Blanjoue. This ‘middle weight’ class remains thrilling and full of surprises.
In E1, Brad Freeman remains unbeaten in front of Matteo Cavallo and Thomas Oldrati. Davide Guarneri had to settle for 4th place and Kirian Mirabet completed the Top 5 …
Steve Holcombe – Image by Future7Media
In E3, Steve Holcombe was back on the top step of the podium after he lost out to his rival, Danny McCanney, in Spain. The factory TM rider, struggling with a hand injury, still clung on to 2nd place, just in front of Anthony Geslin.
In the Juniors, Andrea Verona has not yet given any chances to his rivals, and today was no different as he scored victory 47 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. The talented Italian remains unbeaten so far this season.
However, the fight for second place was very intense and interesting between Enric Francisco, Ruy Barbosa, Theo Espinasse and Roni Kytonen. After putting in another solid performance it was the Spaniard who took the second step on the podium and 17 points, despite an amazing recovery from the Kytönen Husqvarna Motorsport rider, who took his first Junior podium.
Andrea Verona
Barbosa, meanwhile, had to settle for 4th place despite a very speedy start to the day, the Chilean finished 56 hundredths of a second ahead of Espinasse.
Verona also remains undefeated in J1, today joined on the podium by Kytonen and Espinasse while Francisco pocketed a fifth victory in 2019 at the expense of Barbosa and Jack Edmondson…
In the Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, David Knight is only one victory away from the Open Senior Cup, having won his 7th race day right in front of the friendly Austrian duo of Werner Muller and Hans Peter Musil!
In Open 2-Stroke, Gonçalo Reis is also a step closer to the cup, taking his 6th victory of 2019 ahead of the Greek rider George Pisimanis, while the Open 4-Stroke was turned on its head with a 100% Greek podium following the retirement of title contender Mathias Van Hoof. It was therefore Ioannis Chasapis, Panagiotis Zafeiriou and Konstantinos Nikias in front of their home crowd.
EnduroGP of Greece – Day 2
The first victim of the tough day was Giacomo Redondi. Fifth overall yesterday and the winner of the E2 class, the Italian had a heavy fall in the first Champion Lubricants Enduro Test of the day and damaged his ribs. He lost more than 14 minutes and managed to finishes the day 19th overall by gritting his teeth.
After a DNF yesterday, Alex Salvini bravely took to the start again this morning and rode in pain to finish in an honorable 12th position overall, taking some valuable points.
Alex Salvini
But perhaps the biggest victim of this stifling weekend was Brad Freeman. Strong from the outset, and dominating Day 1, the Beta Boano rider pulled out a gap right from the start of Day 2. However, as fatigue set in the Brit had a huge crash on the last Enduro Test and injured his left shoulder.
Despite this, he was able to hold off Thomas Oldrati and Matteo Cavallo and win the EnduroGP class nevertheless. Increasing his gap on a struggling Steve Holcombe who could only managed 7th overall today. But this mistake from Freeman could cost him dearly next weekend in Italy if he does not recover quickly. This story is to be continued…
Thomas Oldrati
So it was in fact Oldrati who was the surprise of Serres by being the closest rider to Freeman on the second day of racing. They were joined on the podium by another Italian, the impressive Cavallo.
Fighting for the EnduroGP podium for the majority of the day, two errors relegated a resurgent Christophe Charlier to fifth position, he was beaten by Britain’s Danny McCanney who courageously put his hand injury to the back of his mind.
Christophe Charlier
With a 100% win-streak in Enduro 1, Freeman took victory on Sunday ahead of Oldrati and Cavallo. Davide Guarneri and Kirian Mirabet completed the Top 5 in this small engine capacity class.
As for the Enduro 3 class, Danny McCanney took his second win of the season ahead of Steve Holcombe and the consistent Anthony Geslin…
Danny McCanney
In Enduro 2, it was another crazy and dramatic day. After his early and heavy crash, Day 1 winner Redondi was forced to try and limit the damage by finishing 8th. For his part, the “warrior” Alex Salvini holds on to the title lead in E2 before arriving at his home GP in Rovetta. He finished 5th with his damaged shoulder, only 14 seconds behind the Chilean Benjamin Herrera.
While the Italian is still the leader, the French duo of Charlier and Larrieu are edging dangerously close to him. Honda RedMoto’s Charlier took a deserved victory on Day 2 and TM’s Larrieu was just behind him in 2nd. Clearly, this category remains unpredictable and there are still at least four riders in with a shout of the title!
Loic Larrieu
A couple of times this season we’ve seen Enric Francisco come close to knocking Andrea Verona off the top spot. But it has taken until the 4th GP of the season to end the 7-strong winning streak of the Italian! However, it wasn’t Ivan Cervantes’ protege who achieved this feat but instead the Finn, Roni Kytonen. Absent at the opening round in Germany, the Kytönen Motorsport rider already showed great potential during the Iberian tour and now he has proven that he can compete with the best young talents on the planet.
But Francisco gave him a hard time, and remained on the Finn’s tail until the last test of the day. Verona managed to fight his way back to a useful third place, pipping an unfortunate Antoine Magain on the last lap!
Andrea Verona
Also worth noting is the disqualification of Ruy Barbosa, taken out of the race by the FIM due to reckless and unsporting behaviour.
Naturally, Kytonen also had the beating of Verona in the J1 class, while Magain took third place. Francisco grabbed a second J2 win in as many days in front of the great Czech hope Krystof Kouble and Jack Edmondson…
This Maxxis Grand Prix of Greece also gave us our very first victor in the history of the newly-created Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup. Present at every race since the start of the season and undefeated so far, ‘Enduro legend’ David Knight finished the job without a hitch on Sunday and leaves Greece, as the cup winner of the Open Senior category, 14 years after his first ever World title, also won here in Serres! Knighter beat Austria’s Werner Muller, 2nd. And Sweden’s Patrik Andersson completed the Top 3, taking his very first International podium!
In Open 2-Stroke, Gonçalo Reis did the double and is only one win away from taking the crown. Second was George Pisimanis. Let’s see if the rider from Portugal can finish the job next weekend in Rovetta.
Finally, in Open 4-Stroke, Mathias Van Hoof who had a very unlucky Day 1 with mechanical failure was finally able to take his first world level win! The Belgian took this brilliant victory ahead of Konstantinos Nikias and Panagiotis Zafeiriou.
So it’s ‘hats off’ to Serres OffRoad Premio Aris Liougas and Christos Pouftas who took on the considerable challenge of replacing the Corsican in just 3 months, something they did excellently with three high level special tests.
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Entries Open for 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
Gajser and Prado Win MXGP of Latvia
Kegums in Latvia has hosted an action packed ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship and it was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who have won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively and in doing so have extended their championships points leads.
MXGP of Latvia 2019
MXGP Report
The most successful team in recent GP history has been the Red Bull KTM team but season 2019 went completely pear shaped in Latvia with their brightest hopes in Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings both suffering major set-backs.
Jeffrey Herlings leading the MXGP Race 1 start – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Herlings, in his second GP back from injury won the opening moto before it was reported that he has re-broken his previously injured ankle after incredibly crashing during the second moto warm up lap then former 2019 championship dominator in Cairoli crashed hard out of the second moto just an hour after a solid fourth in the opening moto.
All of that aside, there were three riders tied on 40 points at the top of the MXGP points tally for the day but on a count back Gajser scored his 20th GP victory with 6-1 moto finishes but more importantly now holds a 33-points lead in the championship over Cairoli.
Tim Gajser
“I am so happy about today. First race I was struggling, but the second one I found a good rhythm and I had a good battle with Jeremy. I am so happy for the team. Yesterday I had good speed but at the qualification race I had a big crash and I was a little sore today with some pain in my neck, but I got enough for sixth in the first race. Second race I tried to ride my race and I didn’t know I had won the overall. This is everything we work for and I am happy for the team.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Romain Febvre (4-2) and Arnaud Tonus (2-4) rounded out the podium for the Yamaha fans.
Romain Febvre
“Today was okay, much better than yesterday. I made some mistakes with bike set-up yesterday. We changed it a lot for today and I felt better. My start was not there, and I struggled a bit. I could have finished fourth but I got really bad arm pump. Tony was in front of me and I couldn’t catch him. The second race I had a good first lap and kept my moment. Middle of the race I struggled in the wave but I could catch the guys in front. Maybe I needed two or three extra laps to catch Tim. I thought I won the overall, but I am happy even if a bit disappointed. It isn’t so long after I came back from my injury, so I feel satisfied.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Arnaud Tonus
“I had a good feeling, at the beginning I got passed by Jeffrey and I followed him, then I found some good lines and it was great to lead. I had a good lead, but Jeffrey passed me, and he got the win. I will take every race to learn and just get better. I have to be happy. Sure, a bit frustrated, coming so close to the win, I will keep working and it is great to be on the podium, I enjoy this a lot. The way I was riding today, it’s maybe the best I have ridden in these types of conditions. It’s been years that I am trying to work on myself to compete at this level and if you look at the last few GPs, I am super happy. My mechanic told me if I could pass Romain, I could win the GP, but the track was sketchy, and I tried to keep it on two wheels.”
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Cairoli walked off the track after spectacularly crashing out of the second moto holding his right arms and at the time of writing the extent of his injuries are unknown while Herlings is already in hospital to repair the damage he incurred during his warm up lap crash.
Tony Cairoli
“On Saturday I had the Flu and a fever, and my arm was not as strong as I wanted after the crash in Russia. I could battle with the guys for first position in the first moto but then I got a bit tired and settled for third, which was good for the championship. In the second moto I was fourth and trying to follow [Arnaud] Tonus. I had quite a big crash and when I stood up I felt my shoulder was out. My hope is to be ready to at least start next week in Germany. I don’t want to give up at all and I want to be there as much as possible for the championship.”
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Latvia 2019
MXGP Overall Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 40 p
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 40 p
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 36 p
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 30 p
Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 25 p
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 23 p
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 22 p
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 20 p
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 20 p
MXGP – World Championship Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 391 p
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358 p
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 256 p
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 254 p
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 246 p
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 226 p
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208 p
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 200 p
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 190 p
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 186 p
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX2 Report
The Kegums track offered plenty of lines and passing opportunities but none of that worried Prado who won the opening moto from Jago Geerts, Thomas Kjer Olsen, Ben Watson and Maxime Renaux before dominating the second moto over Geerts, Kjer Olsen, Watson and Adam Sterry.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jorge Prado
“It is my first time to win here, I was fourth two times here. I won the qualification race and two races today, so that makes me happy. Another great weekend going 1-1 and making the gap bigger in the points. I felt comfortable and I want to thank the team, my family and my girlfriend. It is making me stay in the top level like I am doing now.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jago Geerts
“Pretty good start, but the first three corners I messed up a little, I tried everything I could do to pass Thomas and I am really happy with the weekend.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I am finally getting good starts and being up there I learn a lot. The speed is high from the beginning and it is a bummer I couldn’t stay there, but I gave my all and I want to thank everyone behind me.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Aussie Jed Beaton went 10-13 for 10th overall on the day while Mitch Evans was forced to sit out the qualifying race after crashing hard during qualifying. This gave him the most outside gate in both GP races but it was looking good after a ninth in Moto 1, before a massive over-the-bars crash in Moto 2 relegated the Honda rider to 22nd for 15th overall.
Evans and Beaton are now 7th and 13th in the MX2 championship points respectively but nothing is surer that these two are cementing themselves as worthy of their factory rides.
Mitchell Evans
“Tough day, finishing ninth and twenty-second. A crash in moto two ruined my chances of achieving my goal of two top-ten finishes today.”
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jed Beaton
“It’s been a really tough GP for me, but I’m pleased I came away with points in both motos. I got sick with the flu on Thursday before the race and I really struggled with a fever and low energy. I worked hard during the qualification race and did all that I could during today’s motos.”
Van De Moosdijk and Bengtson win EMX rounds in Latvia
The Latvian round for European Championship classes of EMX250 and EMX2T saw Roan Van De Moosdijk and Ken Bengtson score 1-1 moto finishes in their respective classes.
Roan van de Moosdijk – MXGP of Latvia 2019
EMX250
Van De Moosdijk proved to be very strong in the sand of Kegums and also closed up on new series leader Alberto Forato, who finished second overall with 3-4 results while third overall in the EMX250 class was Jeremy Sydow with 2-5 results obtaining his first podium of his career.
Roan van de Moosdijk
“Unbelievable! 1-1 for my first perfect weekend; I was first in every session in practice and in racing. The start was the key and today I was fourth leaving turn one; I soon had the lead so I could ride my own race and check out to control the race. I’m really happy that I didn’t make any mistakes today; I was riding safe in the sketchy section. I didn’t look at the standings but I know that I’ve closed the gap with the leaders again and I’m just focusing on each race. I’ve got a great family behind me at Kawasaki and F&H Racing and we can look forward confidently to Teutschenthal next weekend after taking the last two overall wins and four motos from the last five.”
Roan van de Moosdijk – MXGP of Latvia 2019
EMX250 – Overall Classification Top 10
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 50 points
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 38
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 38
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 36
Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 32
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 29
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KTM), 27
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 24
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 18
EMX250 – Championship Top 10
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 201 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 201
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 194
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 138
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 114
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 112
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 88
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 86
Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 74
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 73
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EMX2T
Sweden’s Ken Bengtson might have just made his debut in the EMX2T but he looked solid in the sand of Kegums. With second place overall, Team Ecomaxx Fuels team’s Mike Kras scored 2-2 results leading the series points with a two point over Verde Substance KTM team’s Brad Anderson. Third overall was Andero Lusbo with 4-3 scores.
Bengtson held on for both race wins to take the overall victory ahead of Mike Kras, Andero Lusbo, Todd Kellet and former championship leader Brad Anderson so when the dust settled Kras now has the red-plate by just two points over Anderson.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Classification Top 10
Ken Bengtson (SWE, HUS), 50 points
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 44
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 38
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 36
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 34
Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), 29
Gianluca Deghi (ITA, KTM), 28
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 26
Nick Leerkes (NED, KTM), 23
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 20
EMX2T Championship Classification Top 10
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 199 points
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 197
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 178
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 162
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 153
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 86
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 79
Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 72
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 72
Tomac and Cianciarulo win High Point AMA Motocross
The infamous High point Raceway has hosted the latest round of the AMA Motocross Championships and it was the Kawasaki paring of Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo who have won the 450 and 250 classes respectively.
AMA MX 2019 – High Point
450 Report
In a day of ups and downs on a brutally rut infest layout Tomac’s 3-2 effort gave him his second overall victory of the season and the 19th of his career. Ken Roczen’s second-moto win vaulted him into the runner-up spot (6-1) ahead of Jason Anderson who finished third overall on the back of 2-5 moto finishes.
AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Eli Tomac
“Today was a unique situation by winning with 3-2 moto scores. I’m not sure if I’ve ever won a race without winning a moto. We did what we could and battled towards the front, so overall the day was good. The track had a lot of good character today, the ruts were plenty deep and the track was rough.”
Eli Tomac – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Ken Roczen
“I’m glad we left today on a high note. I had a new setup in Florida and unfortunately with the weather, I’ve only been able to put a very short amount of time on it, and that’s what I started with here today. I struggled all morning with it. Going into the first moto, we went back to my Colorado setting, except with some clicker changes I’ve been running at home. However, that didn’t work for me at all. I wasn’t riding well and just went backwards in the first moto. For the second moto, I just went back to our full Colorado setup, and it was nice to see that we have a very solid base that I can go back to. I just knew exactly what the bike was going to do, and we had an incredible moto. I came from far behind after a bad start and came away with a moto win and second on the podium. It was pretty huge.”
Ken Roczen – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
With the win, Tomac move to a tiebreaker with Roczen in the championship point standings with 176 points apiece while teammates Zach Osborne and Anderson are tied for third, 32 points out of the lead.
Dean Ferris battled hard all day on his factory Yamaha to come home 11-11 for 11th outright to sit ninth in the championship points chase.
Dean Ferris – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
450 Results
Eli Tomac Eli 3 – 2
Ken Roczen 6 – 1
Jason Anderson 2 – 5
Cooper Webb 7 – 3
Zach Osborne 5 – 4
Marvin Musquin 4 – 7
lake Baggett 1 – 15
Joey Savatgy 8 – 6
Justin Bogle 9 – 8
Justin Barcia 10 – 10
Dean Ferris 11 – 11
450 Points Standings
Eli Tomac – 176
Ken Roczen – 176
Zach Osborne – 144
Jason Anderson – 144
Marvin Musquin – 139
Cooper Webb – 132
Justin Barcia – 99
lake Baggett – 92
Dean Ferris – 89
Justin Bogle – 88
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250 Class Report
The opening moto was a slug fest between front runners Justin Cooper, Colt Nichols, Hunter Lawrence, Cianciarulo, Dylan Ferrandis and Chase Sexton with the layout offering a multitude of passing opportunities, but in the end it was Lawrence who got his first win on American soil over Cianciarulo, Ferrandis and Sexton.
250 Start – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Moto 2 was pedestrian in comparison with Cianciarulo taking the moto win for his fourth consecutive victory (2-1) of the season. Lawrence’s consistent (1-3) moto scores carried him to a career-best second overall ahead of Sexton who also had the best finish of his career with third (4-2).
250 Start – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Wilson Todd recovered from a poor start in the opening moto to score a solid 12th but in the second moto the current Australian MX Nationals Championship leader dropped his TLD KTM into fourth place coming out of the second corner. He then held fifth place for a large part of the early part of the moto before slipping back to 10th for 10th overall – Lawrence and Todd Currently hold down seventh and 12th respectively in the championship.
Hunter Lawrence – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Adam Cianciarulo
“I’m so grateful for these wins, they’re hard to do and I’m just stoked. The first moto was a battle from the beginning, I had a terrible start. By the time I was able to get into second, I just kind of struggled and that was it. The second moto I obviously put myself in a much better position to get the win and that is what I was able to do. I just want to keep the ball rolling heading into Jacksonville.”
Adam Cianciarulo – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
The win helped Cianciarulo extend his championship point lead to 26 points over Cooper who could only muster ninth overall (6-9). Ferrandis remains in third, 42 points out of the lead.
Wilson Todd – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
250 Results
Adam Cianciarulo 2 – 1
Hunter Lawrence 1 – 3
Chase Sexton 4 – 2
Dylan Ferrandis 3 – 4
Colt Nichols 5 – 5
J. Hampshire 9 – 6
Cameron McAdoo 8 – 7
Michael Mosiman 7 – 8
Justin Cooper 6 – 9
Wilson Todd 12 – 10
250 Points Standings
Adam Cianciarulo – 186
Justin Cooper – 160
Dylan Ferrandis – 144
Chase Sexton – 134
Colt Nichols – 126
Michael Mosiman – 112
Hunter Lawrence – 111
J. Hampshire – 104
Alex Martin – 87
Garrett Marchbanks – 63 …12. Wilson Todd – 56
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Bauman Brothers Storm Laconia AFT Grand National
In a final that featured no less than three re-starts, Bronson and Briar Bauman have gone 1-2 at the inaugural Laconia AFT Twins Grand National while championship rivals in Jared Meeds, Henry Wiles and Sammy Halbert all suffered from either mechanical issues or crashes.
AFT Twins Start – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Bronson Bauman won his first career Grand National win by a narrow margin over his brother and championship leader Briar who actually took over the lead just as the third red flag came out but because Bronson was leading the lap before he was reinstated as the leader for the restart – a lead he would not relinquish.
Bronson Bauman – AFT Twins – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Henry Wiles held down third place for most of the race but crashed just before the third restart and was able to gather several places to earn a credible seventh while Sammy Halbert’s bike stopped during the first restart before Jared Mees mount suffered the sme dilemma during the second restart.
Bronson Bauman – AFT Twins – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Points wise Briar has extended his championship lead over Brandon Robinson to 34 points while Mees remains in third, now 35 points behind Briar Bronson.
AFT Twins Podium – 2019 Laconia Short Track
AFT Twins Main Event (30 Laps)
Bronson Bauman – 25p
Briar Bauman – 20p
Jake Johnson – 17p
Jarod Vanderkooi – 15p
Bryan Smith – 14p
Brandon Robinson – 13p
Henry Wiles – 12p
Roger Hayden – 11p
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 10p
Robert Pearson – 9p …15/DNF. Jared Mees – 4p …16/DNF. Sammy Halbert – 3p
AFT Twins Championship points
Briar Bauman – 142
Brandon Robinson – 108
Jared Mees – 107
Bronson Bauman – 87
Jarod Vanderkooi – 85
Henry Wiles – 79
Jake Johnson – 70
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 70
Sammy Halbert – 66
Robert Pearson – 65
AFT Singles
The 20 lap AFT Singles final was also drama filled with two restarts but it was Dalton Gauthier who dominated the early running. After the first restart he lost the lead to the hard charging Mikey Rush who ran away with the win after keeping himself out of harm’s way after the second restart which saw a five lap dash to the finish.
AFT Singles Start – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Rush got the win over Gauthier just ahead of Aussie hard charger Max Whale, who snuck his way towards the front at every restart from his seventh place starting position.
AFT Singles – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Rush now has a 10 point lead in the series ahead of Gauthier with former championship leader in Jess Janisch dropping to third after a disappointing ninth at Loconia while Whale has moved to eigth in the championship.
AFT Singles Podium – 2019 Laconia Short Track
AFT Singles Main Event (20 Laps)
Mikey Rush – 25 points
Dalton Gauthier – 20
Max Whale – 17
Andrew Luker – 15
Dan Bromley – 14
Ryan Wells – 13
James Rispoli – 12
Ben Lowe – 11
Jesse Janisch – 10
Kevin Stollings – 9
AFT Singles Points
Mikey Rush – 141
Dalton Gauthier – 131
Jesse Janisch – 129
Dan Bromley – 114
Ryan Wells – 91
Shayna Texter – 69
Chad Cosem – 67
Max Whale – 66
Morgen Mischler – 65
Michael Inderbitzin – 58
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Kolodziej Wins Czech SGP
Polish racer Janusz Kolodziej admitted becoming an FIM Speedway Grand Prix winner has boosted his belief on the world stage after triumphing at the ANLAS.
2019 Speedway GP of Czech – Image by Jarek Pabijan
Kolodziej raced to the first SGP win of his career at the Czech Republic SGP in Prague last Saturday beating Leon Madsen, Patryk Dudek and Jason Doyle in the final.
Dudek now holds top spot in the World Championship – level on 40 points with Madsen – as the pair maintained their record of reaching every final this year. But the night belonged to an elated Kolodziej – a man competing in his first SGP season since 2011.
Janusz Kolodziej
“Now maybe after this win, I can believe more in myself and I will try to win more. But there is not too much pressure on me. The best situation for me is when I just race. I don’t like too much pressure. We will see what happens. But this is so, so amazing. I am older, but I can still win.”
Madsen was pleased to maintain his sublime start to SGP life as he made it three finals in as many rounds in what is his full-time debut season.
Leon Madsen
“It’s great, now I have a first, second and third place. I’ve been in the final and on the podium in my first three GPs. I am very happy. We are a third of the way into the season and I’m tied for first position. I am very pleased with that.”
Third-placed Dudek – the new World Championship leader by virtue of his superior FIM ranking over Madsen – admitted his ANLAS Czech SGP was no easy night after he battled his way into the semi-finals on nine points, before making it into the final after Emil Sayfutdinov dropped a chain while holding second place.
The Aussie duo of Jason Doyle and Max Fricke had their best results for 2019 with Doyle earning two wins to make his first final for the year while Fricke sensationally won three heats on his way to 13 points. Next up is the Norrbil Swedish SGP in Hallstavik on July 6.
2019 Speedway GP of Czech
Czech SGP Top Ten
Janusz Kolodziej – 7 Rides 4 Wins = 15 points
Leon Madsen – 7 Rides 2 Wins = 14
Patryk Dudek – 7 Rides 1 Win = 12
Jason Doyle – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 12
Max Fricke – 6 Rides 3 Wins = 13
Fredrik Lindgren – 6 Rides 3 Wins = 12
Emil Sayfutdinov – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 11
Artem Laguta – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 9
Bartosz Zmarzlik – 5 Rides 1 Win = 8
Maciej Janowski – 5 Rides 1 Win = 7
SGP Points Standings
Patryk Dudek – 40
Leon Madsen – 40
Bartosz Zmarzlik – 36
Fredrik Lindgren – 32
Emil Sayfutdinov – 30
Martin Vaculik – 28
Janusz Kolodziej – 26
Niels-Kristian Iversen – 24
Jason Doyle – 23
Artem Laguta – 22 …14. Max Fricke – 16
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Clout and Rutledge Crowned Champions at Nowra
Nowra has hosted the 2019 King of MX Final and it was Luke Clout and Meghan Rutledge who successfully defended their thrones in Nowra in front of over 4000 spectators who enjoyed the two-day event. The Nowra event included 20 classes, and two action-packed, 10-minute, $10,000 winner-takes-all feature races.
2019 King of MX Final winners
It was a strong weekend for Luke Clout, taking all three MX1 A-grade race wins to seal the State Title before drawing the 40th gate pick. Selecting a yet-to-be-used inside gate, Luke raced to the holeshot and, ultimately, to the King of MX feature-race win.
The reigning Queen of MX, Meghan Rutledge, entered the final under an injury cloud after wrapping up the Australian Women’s Championship the previous weekend. However, two from three race wins and a dominant performance in the Queen of MX feature race saw Rutledge take the win and the $10,000 cheque.
For the newly crowned Prince of MX, Blake Fox, it wasn’t an easy run. A first-turn crash in race one put the 15-year-old in last. However, some strong, smart racing saw the KTM-mounted rider move through the field to finish second. Two impressive race wins later, and the youngster was crowned Prince of MX and the 15 years 250cc State Champion. Up-and-coming racer Taylor Thompson has made it back-to-back Princess of MX crowns after a dominant performance in the 13-u16 ladies’ class.
Luke Clout
“I can’t thank everyone enough for their support. I feel like I’m at the top of my game at the moment and to take home the MX1 State Title, as well as the King of MX race, this year is unreal. For me, the King of MX has worked out perfectly for my pre-season and mid-season Nationals campaign and it’s great to see a state championship with this many people here racing and watching. I’m full of confidence right now and I can’t wait to go racing again.”
Meghan Rutledge
“This time last week, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to race after hurting my thumb in Manjimup, so to come to Nowra and take home both the Queen of MX race and the WMX State Title wins is unbelievable. It’s been a roller coaster of a year for me so far and, with the support of my family and sponsors, I’ve been able to achieve my goals and keep the #66 KX250F at the front of the pack.”
Dave Cooke – MNSW CEO
“What a weekend! First and foremost, I want to congratulate the Nowra club, and, in particular, Tyson, the manager of Nowra Motoplex, for turning the circuit into a world-class race track that not only provided awesome racing for the elite racers, but to those in all classes throughout the three days of racing. I also want to thank all the competitors that raced a qualifier. We had over 1600 entrants in the King of MX this year, not just from NSW but from across Australia, so to even make it to the final was an achievement in itself. To our 20 new State Motocross Champions, congratulations. NSW has some of the best racers in Australia, and the depth of talent is amazing. We’re dedicated to working hard to grow and improve motorcycle racing and we’re already working on 2020 in the Motorcycling NSW office.”
Duvall Stays with Husqvarna
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road have announced that they have agreed to terms with Thad Duvall on a two-year contract extension that will run through the 2021 season.
Thad Duvall
“I am excited to continue my relationship with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. I love being a part of a pioneering brand and I look forward to a successful future with the team!”
Thad Duvall – Image by Simon Cudby
Through seven rounds of the 2019 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, Duvall has two wins and sits second in points, 18 behind Kailub Russell. Duvall, who has been with the team since 2017, has finished runner-up in the championship to Russell the last two years.
Tim Weigand – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road Team Manager
“I have had the privilege to work with and get to know Thad over the last three years. He is class act guy whose determination and grit is infectious. Thad is a constant front runner no matter what race series he lines up for and this is evident by his results over the last few years. I know we have yet to see his true potential and I look forward to seeing his confidence grow in the years to come. We are extremely happy and grateful Thad has chosen to continue his journey with us.”
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Desalle, Lupino and Bobryshev injured
Three prominent MXGP class riders in Clement Desalle, Alessandro Lupino and Evgeny Bobryshev are all recovering from injuries sustained at the MXGP of Russia, two weekends ago.
Alessandro Lupino
The Russian round of the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a success for Kawasaki during the past two seasons with overall GP victories for Desalle but 2019 saw the Kawasaki rider crash hard in the first race and was back on Monday in his homeland to have surgery with Doctor Claes. He underwent successful surgery to his broken left tibia-fibula but he’s also suffering from a right ankle sprain and is now entering a long recovery programme.
Clement Desalle – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Lupino and Bobryshev also crashed in the first moto, with Lupino hit by another rider and for several seconds immediately after the incident he didn’t have any feeling in the legs. He was transferred earlier this week to Italy where Doctor Sangiorgi confirmed injury to the D11-D12-L1-L2 vertebrae of transverse processes, and a fracture of the sternum while Bobryshev suffered a broken right tibia.
Seely injured
Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross series due to a torn labrum and fractured glenoid socket, sustained when he dislocated his right shoulder in a practice crash at the Moto Sandbox in Claremont, Florida, on Tuesday, June 11.
Cole Seely – Image by Hoppenworld
Seely flew to California on Wednesday for further evaluation, during which it was determined that he would need to undergo surgery. Dr Warren G. Kramer, the same surgeon who operated on Seely’s shoulder in 2015, will conduct the surgery on Tuesday, June 18, at the Newport Surgical Center in Newport Beach. The recovery time is estimated to be three months.
Cole Seely
“I’m extremely sad to have to sit out the remainder of the season. I’ve been working really hard to continue to build myself up after my big injury last year, so to have another setback like this is very disappointing. It seems like I’ve had nothing but challenges. I want to thank all of my fans and my team for their support.”
Cole Seely
Erik Kehoe – Team Honda HRC Manager
“It’s really unfortunate to see Cole’s season end this way. The beginning of this season has been a challenge for him, but he showed a lot of speed during the first moto at Colorado; it’s a bummer that we won’t be able to see how he progresses. He’s had some tough luck with injuries, but he has kept a good attitude and continued to give his best effort. On behalf of the team and everyone at Honda, I wish him well during his recovery.”
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Entries open for 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
Entries have now opened for the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships, hosted by the Hunter Motorcycle Club at Barleigh Ranch Raceway in Eagleton, NSW on October 5-6.
2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
The event also marks the first time that the new Australian Dirt Track Championship logo will be used, a move that demonstrates Motorcycling Australia’s (MA) commitment to developing a professional image for this renowned event.
Across the two-day event, the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships will feature the following classes (subject to entries):
Championship Classes • Under 19’s • Pro 250 • Pro 450 • 250cc Slider • Pro Open • MX Open • 500cc Slider • Pro Open Women’s • Sidecars • ATV Pro • ATV Open • ATV Open (Women) Support Classes • Junior (65cc, 8 to under 12 years) • Junior (85/150cc, 9 to under 13 years) • Junior (150cc 2 stroke, 250cc 4 stroke, 13 to under 16 years) • Senior (Unlimited over 35 years)
Further information can be found in the Supplementary Regulations (download).
**Where there are insufficient entries for the Slider Classes, these machines may be combined with the events marked with asterisks in the table above. All machines must have one effective brake where MX and slider classes are combined.
Entries close 23 September 2019. Late entries will not be accepted. Gates open at 7AM (AEST) each day, with racing commencing immediately after the conclusion of practice and parade lap.
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MXGP of Finland back in 2020
Youthstream and Finnish based Lahti Events have announced that the FIM Motocross World Championship will make its return to Finland at the KymiRing motor circuit in 2020.
Motocross has had a great history in Finland with legendary World Champions and the last time MXGP visited Finland was back in 2014 but the 2020 MXGP of Finland has been built at KymiRing motor circuit, which is situated only 50 km from Lahti and 140 km from Helsinki.
Daniele Rizzi – Chief Operating Officer of Youthstream
“We are very happy to have come to an agreement with Lahti Events for the return of MXGP to this beautiful and innovative country. There is indeed a very innovative, ambitious, fan-oriented project behind the Finnish MXGP and we, like all parties involved, are eager to support it: it will definitely do good to the sport. This event will add a bit of Motocross fashion to the outstanding location of KymiRing which, thanks to Lahti Events’ choice of venue, will broaden its horizons to include the sport of Motocross in its program”
MXGP of Finland back in 2020
Kurt Ljungqvist – Managing Director of Finnish Motorcycling Federation
“World Championship races have always a very special meaning when it comes to awareness of the sport. When the youth gets to see the stars of the motocross world championship ride, it awakes an interest to try the sport and eventually they become our future stars and champions. The return of the race to our home soil also creates good opportunities to make it to the highest level of the sport and serves as a good motivator to believe in success and reaching the World Championship level. Motorcycling federation is very happy that Lahti Events has chosen to bring the highest level of motocross to the future heart of motorsport, the KymiRing circuit,”
Emilia Mäki – Managing Director of Koko Lahti
“The MXGP of Finland in 2020 will be our first ever motocross race for our Lahti Events company at the KymiRing and with this event we will set the standards of this venue. As the event organizer in Lahti region, we can also guarantee that the events will have their presence regionally,”
Finland is also home race of Ice1racing team; Antti Pyrhönen, former motocross rider himself, is one of the internationally known faces of Finnish motocross and he is currently the Team Manager of Team Ice1Racing, now Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing owned by the F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen.
Antti Pyrhönen
“The return of MXGP to Finland after several years is great news for our team, whose origins are in Finland and whose owner is Finnish, too. I’m sure that all the MX community, including teams and riders, will be also very excited to be back to Finland for an MXGP event.”
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
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Gajser and Prado Win MXGP of Russia
The seaside venue of Orlyonok, Russia hosted round eight of the FIM World Motocross Championship last weekend and the drama filled weekend saw not only a heap of sensational racing but we now have a new MXGP championship leader after Tim Gajser dominating the class while Jorge Prado extended his MX2 championship points lead.
MXGP of Russia 2019
MXGP Report
The drama actually started on Saturday when championship leader Antonio Cairoli crashed during the qualifying race and landed hard on a crusty rut only to get up holding his back before retiring from the race but the plucky nine-time World Champion was on the gate for moto one on Sunday morning.
MXGP Start – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer
On a fast and slick circuit Gajser not only earned his third MXGP overall in three rounds via double race wins but he now owns the MXGP Championship leader’s red plate while Arnaud Tonus took second overall with his 2-2 finishes ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Jeremy Seewer who scored his career first MXGP podium overall.
Tim Gajser
“I am feeling really good but both races were really tough because Arnaud was really fast and pushing. Overall, I am happy winning again and thanks to everybody at Honda, the bike is just amazing. Three races ago I was more than 40 points behind Tony and now I have the red plate.”
Tim Gajser celebrates the win – MXGP of Russia 2019
Arnaud Tonus
“It wasn’t easy to fight for the lead, but I was super happy that I had quite starts so I could fight from the beginning and come quite close to Tim. I went for it and really wanted to pass him but made a small a mistake, it happens. I am happy I went for it anyway and could recover to finish second which is great, I am super thankful and super happy because 3 podiums in a row is amazing.”
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jeremy Seewer
“It is amazing to make it on the MXGP podium, it just feels a lot harder than even any of MX2 wins. It is a lot of work and a lot of fast guys so it feels really good. It is amazing to have two Swiss guys on the podium it hasn’t happened in the history of motocross in Switzerland and to do it on two Yamahas is even better.”
Jeremy Seewer
Cairoli battled hard all day to go 13-4 for eighth outright to now be 13 points shy of Gajser as far as the championship goes while Jefferey Herlings was on hand in his first race of the year to end the day with very respectable 4-7 moto results for fourth overall.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I had a serious injury and it has been tough to get back here, mentally and physically, and with a lot of pain for a long time. I did not expect this result here today especially on this track. So to be close to the podium again feels pretty beautiful. I like the track in Latvia but I don’t have any firm expectations and I will not forget where I have come from to get to this point. Having said that we’ll always try to fight for a podium spot when we can!”
Jeffrey Herlings – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer
Tony Cairoli
“A very difficult weekend and of course the crash from yesterday did not help as it meant I was totally on the outside for the gate pick. I was riding very stiff and by missing the start it is almost impossible to make a good result on this track; everybody is riding at a similar speed. We lost the red plate but the positive is that I’m not badly injured, and we saw some big crashes today. We walk away a bit banged-up but we will re-group and look to Latvia, which is a nice track, and to regain some points.”
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer
MXGP Overall Top Ten
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 44
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 36
Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 32
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 32
Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 31
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 29
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 27
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 24
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 22
MXGP Championship Top Ten
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 351 points
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 338
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 231
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 220
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 212
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 206
Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 172
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 170
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 168
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MX2 Report
Despite a poor start Prado won the opening moto narrowly from Thomas Kjer Olsen, Jago Geerts, Tom Vialle and Mitchell Evans while Jed Beaton cake home in 12th after a poor start but in the second moto Prado earned the holeshot and took off like a cut cat to take an easy win over Kjer Olsen, Geerts. Michele Cervellin, Vialle, Ben Watson, Beaton, Henry Jacobi, Maxime Renaux and Evans.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Russia 2019
Prado now leads the championship over Kjer Olsen by a clean 20 points while Evans is 6th in the points, just two behind Vialle while Beaton sits 14th in the points despite missing two of the eight rounds due to injury.
Jorge Prado
“I felt pretty good this weekend, the track was hard but I felt good getting the Saturday Qualifying Race win and today I was in the back of the pack so I had to make my way up to the front, but I had good speed and fought all the way to the end to get the win. I am happy and looking forward to the next round.”
MX2 Podium – MXGP of Russia 2019 – Image by Ray Archer
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I felt good all weekend. Yesterday in the Qualifying I felt really good then we made some changes on the bike to make it feel really comfortable on the hard pack. Overall, I am happy I got to lead some laps, felt great on the bike, and everything so I am looking forward to Latvia for sure.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jago Geerts
“It was a really solid weekend for me, I was really happy with the starts, I had three good starts this weekend which is positive for the rest of the season. Next weekend is Latvia, one of my favourite tracks but the goal is the same, to be on the podium, so we’ll see.”
Mitchell Evans
“In the first moto I got off to a good start and just kind of rode my own race, so stayed in fifth the whole race. I tried to follow the leaders, but they just had a little bit more pace. I was struggling with the speeds on the track and just how slippery it was. In moto two I had a really bad start, around twentieth or something, and on a track that was really hard to pass on I made my way to tenth. I was really happy with my riding this weekend. My pace was a little bit off, but we know where we can improve. I have just got to focus on making my starts better. I am looking forward to Latvia.”
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Russia 2019
Jed Beaton
“I’m really happy with the way the GPs gone. Obviously, I needed a little bit of time off following my crash in Portugal and to come back after being unable to race in France and get two solid results is great. I did three good days of riding before coming to Russia, so I was confident things would go well because I felt good and importantly was pain free. The opening moto didn’t start too well, I got a bad start so had to work really hard. I went from outside the top 20 to 12th and put in a lot of effort. I was feeling the hard work in the second moto but made some good passes. I’m really pleased with seventh. I feel like I’m where I should be and now that the Portugal crash is behind me I want to build on these results starting with the Latvian GP next weekend.”
Jed Beaton – MXGP of Russia 2019
MX2 Overall Top Ten
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 44
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 40
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34
Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 30
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 27
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 26
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 26
Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 26
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 23
MX2 Championship Top Ten
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 347 points
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 327
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 257
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 236
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 216
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 214
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 210
Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 169
Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 157
Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 132
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Moosdijk and Kellett win EMX in Russia
Roan Van de Moosdijk and Todd Kellett have won the EMX250 and EMX2T classes respectively at the Russian round of the FIM Europe Championship at Orlyonok last weekend.
EMX250 Report
Despite Van De Mooslik taking the overall with 2-1 moto results it was Stephan Rubini who rode to 3-1 finishes and subsequently took the red plate from former championship leader Alberto Forato who struggled to 14-4 moto results but it was a solid round for Aussie Caleb Grothues who went 9-9 for ninth overall.
EMX250 Start – MXGP of Russia 2019
Rubini now holds a two-point lead over Forato with four rounds remaining while Grothues sits 14th in the points despite missing the Italian round due to injury.
EMX250 Overall Top Ten
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 47 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 45
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 42
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 29
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 29
Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 28
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 28
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 25
Caleb Grothues (AUS, YAM), 24
Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 22
EMX250 Championship Top Ten
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 165 points
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 163
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 144
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 110
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 96
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 88
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 88
Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 74
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 73
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 70
EMX2T Report
The EMX2T overall win was the first for Kellett with 1-2 moto results while Brad Anderson’s second overall gives him the championship leader’s red plate by eight points over Mike Kras while Kellett sits third some 21 points back from Anderson.
EMX2T Podium – MXGP of Russia 2019
EMX2T Overall Top Ten
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 47 points
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 45
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 42
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 36
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 31
Charlie Putnam (GBR, KTM), 29
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 26
Max Buelow (GER, KTM), 26
Robert Holyoake (GBR, HUS), 26
Lurii Lukash (RUS, HON), 23
EMX2T Championship Top Ten
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 163 points
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 155
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 142
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 127
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 124
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 86
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 70
Ben Putnam (GBR, HUS), 60
Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 59
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Walsh Blitzes Finke
KTM’s David Walsh has put on a riding clinic at the 2019 Tatt’s Finke Desert Race winning the three-leg event by just under five minutes from Honda’s Jacob Smith who in turn had the best part of a three-minute gap back to third placed Husqvarna rider in Beau Ralston.
KTM celebrated the Finke win with David Walsh
Almost 600 bike and quad competitors slogged their way through the prologue plus the 500km run from Alice Springs to Finke and back but it was Walsh who dominated all three days to claim his maiden win in convincing fashion with an overall time of 3 hours and 56 minutes.
2019 was Walsh’s 12th Finke race recording a best finish of second three-times previously (2018, 2014 and 2012) so the Alice Springs local was visibly emotional when he took the chequered flag, with the crowd erupting in cheer as he crossed the Start/Finish line in first position.
David Walsh
“I’m just completely blown away and I’m over the moon with getting my first win here at Finke. It’s truly a credit to the North Star Pastoral KTM Desert Racing Team, because without those guys, I wouldn’t be here. They work around the clock and it’s like a big family – I can’t thank them enough for their efforts. Getting down to Finke with a five-minute lead made it easier for me, I knew I could probably get through the rough stuff a bit easier coming home, and that’s what I did. I’m so happy to finally get it after the 12 years that I’ve been trying and it’s an amazing feeling.”
David Walsh – 2019 Finke Desert Race
Callum Norton
“A silly crash just two or three minutes out of Finke cost me this weekend and bit me hard, everything was hurting pretty bad, so I just had a breather there before getting going again. Straight away I thought it was over, but once I got to the next stop the boys told me I wasn’t too far behind, so that gave me a boost. I just kept pushing on, started seeing dust and every time I saw dust, I got excited again. I was sore as hell, but I just kept pushing to get it home so I could rest up. I crossed the line fifth, which was good. I’m pretty happy with it, considering what happened.”
Callum Norton – 2019 Finke Desert Race
Jacob Smith
“Six weeks ago, laying in a hospital bed here in Alice Springs with a few injuries, I’m just so happy to be here on the podium. I knew David had a fair gap and five minutes is a long way, so I was trying to just keep my position today and go as hard as I could so the guys behind didn’t catch me. I made some time at the second fuel stop, so I just coasted into town and didn’t do anything silly.”
Jacob Smith – 2019 Finke Desert Race
Beau Ralston
“I’m stoked to finish, let alone get on the podium after my last couple of years being injured. The Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team has put in a huge effort to get us out here this year and I really appreciate it. I was over two minutes behind Jake and I was fresh, so I thought I was going to have a good crack at reeling him in, but I didn’t anticipate what the cars were going to do to the track. I had some really hairy moments, so I just backed off to get home in one piece for a podium finish.”
Beau Ralston – 2019 Finke Desert Race
2019 Finke Top Ten Outright
Walsh, David – 03:56:01.0
Smith, Jacob – 04:01:00.4 +00:04:59.4
Ralston, Beau – 04:03:57.7 + 00:07:56.7
Simpson, Jack – 04:09:38.7 + 00:13:37.7
Norton, Callum – 04:14:19.5 + 00:18:18.5
Davie, Sam – 04:15:25.4 + 00:19:24.4
Terry, Lachlan – 04:20:52.3 + 00:24:51.3
Grove, Mark – 04:23:23.4 + 00:27:22.4
Jones, Thomas – 04:28:43.2 + 00:32:42.2
Waters, Nicholas – 04:28:45.5 + 00:32:44.5
Husqvarna also put in a strong showing at the 2019 Finke Desert Race
Top 3 – Each Class Class 01 : 251cc and above Two Stroke
Pfitzner, Kyle
Russell, Benjamin
Handley, Samuel
Class 02 : 451cc and above Four Stroke
Walsh, David
Smith, Jacob
Ralston, Beau
Class 03 : Up to 250cc Two Stroke
Simpson, Kyle
Brierley, Mitchell
Foot, Danielle
Class 04 : Up to 250cc Four Stroke
Geale, Thomas
Elliott, Zoran
Wilson, Jarrod
Class 05 : 251cc to 450cc Four Stroke
Simpson, Jack
Norton, Callum
Grove, Mark
Class 06 : Masters 35 to 39 Years (Total 3)
Jones, Thomas
Stephens, Lee
White, Matthew
Class 07 : Seniors 40 to 44 Years
Faggotter, Rodney
Wilkinson, Brad
Stewart, Jason
Class 08 : Veterans 45 Years and Over
Bell, Matthew
Doyle, Neil
Hicks, Darby
Class 09 : Quads up to 40 Years
Van Vliet, Cooper
Bailey, Lachlan
Jackson, Andrew
Class 10 : Quads 40 Years and Over
Spiers, Craig
Beer, Richard
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Bou Wins GP of Japan
The Twin Ring Motego circuit hosted round two of the FIM Trial World Championship last weekend and predictably it was the defending champion in Toni Bou who won both days of competition to extend his early championship lead.
Toni Bou claimed the TrialGP of Japan win from Adam Raga and Takahisa Fujinami
Bou won both days over Adam Raga and teammate Takahisa Fujinami, so heading to the third round Bou has an 11-point lead over Raga who in turn has a nine-point lead over Fujinami.
Toni Bou
“Today we had a perfect trial in a perfect place. I’m very happy with my riding today. Having done this perfect trial here in Japan was really special. Thank all the team who have done a great job. We have prepared a lot for these first events and the results have been incredible, so I can’t be happier this weekend.”
Rider Standings after Round 2
BOU Toni – 60
RAGA Adam – 49
FUJINAMI Takahisa – 40
FAJARDO Jeroni – 35
DABILL James – 33
Brayton set to Defend SX Title
Three-time Australian Supercross Champion Justin Brayton has confirmed that he will be back to defend his 2018 title and once again he will be on the CRF450R with Penrite Honda Racing with the intension of making it four straight victories.
Justin Brayton
“I will be doing my best to bring home a 4th title. Riders learn from one another and we push to improve ourselves in an effort to get to or be at the top. I imagine some younger riders will be faster this year and some older ones will be hungrier as their careers are nearing the end. The championship in Australia goes from strength to strength, the venues continue to improve, as do the riders and teams and I am proud to have been a small part of it all.”
Justin Brayton – Image by Hoppenworld
The 3-time Champion has grown fond of Australia and has toyed with the idea of relocating here to live.
“It really is like a second home and this year will mark my 5th year in Australia. The country, the people and the racing are amazing and I appreciate how welcome my family and I feel when we come.”
Travelling the globe racing for more than 10 years, Brayton affirms retirement isn’t on the horizon just yet confirming there is still plenty left in the tank and his dedication and passion for racing remains.
Justin Brayton – Image by Hoppenworld
“I love racing and riding dirtbikes! Racing at home and around the world is still exciting for me and I get the same butterflies when I line up now as I did when I was younger. So long as it’s fun and I am competitive I aim to keep racing.”
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Epstein-Barr virus slows Covington
Multiple GP winner Thomas Covington has had a horror start to the 2019 AMA Motocross Championship with the Husqvarna rider logging overall finishes of 26th, 17th and 26th respectively over the first three rounds to sit 22nd in the 250 Class points standings.
In the way of explanation Covington posted this statement on social media:
“Sorry I’ve been silent to everyone as to what’s been going on the last few weeks. After seeing the doctor and having tests done this week, I’ve been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr Virus. I’ve been super tired and lacking strength for around a month now and really hit a wall last weekend in Colorado. That’s when I knew something had to be wrong. Doing everything I can now to be back to myself as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone’s continued support and a huge thank you to @rockstarhusky for helping me through this.”
Thomas Covington – AMA MX 2019 Round 2 – Fox Raceway
Musquin stays with KTM till 2021
KTM North America has extended Marvin Musquin’s contract with the French star remaining with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the 2020 and 2021 race seasons.
Marvin Musquin has spent the last 10 years of his professional career with the KTM brand and is continually a championship contender in the sport’s premier racing circuits. A true “Ready to Race” athlete and KTM brand ambassador, Musquin’s performance in North America has gained recognition amongst fans as a fierce competitor.
Marvin Musquin
“I am pleased with the extension of my contract with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the next two years. KTM and Red Bull have supported me immensely and I believe the product, team and the overall program will contribute to my future success.”
Marvin Musquin extends contract with KTM to 2020
Ian Harrison – Team Manager
“I have had the privilege of working with Marvin for nine years and he is a first-class guy that always gives his best, both on and off the track. The 2019 SX Championship proved what a tough contender Marvin is and I’m sure we will get to witness more of his talent in the years to come. I am so happy he has made the decision to stay with Red Bull KTM for the ’20 and ‘21 race seasons. On behalf of all of us at KTM, thank you Marvin, for continuing your journey with us.”
Roger De Coster – Director of Motorsports, KTM Group
“Marvin came over to the U.S. from the MXGP circuit for the 2011 season, which was the same time Ian Harrison and I joined the team and it is hard to believe that this is our ninth year working with him. During this time, Marvin won a 250SX East title, but more importantly, he has not finished off the podium in either the 450 SX or MX Championships and he is still improving every season. I am truly happy Marvin chose to extend his relationship with Red Bull KTM for two more years.”
The 29-year-old French rider has been with the KTM brand since 2009, where the rising star at the time captured back-to-back MX2 World Championships in ’09 and ‘10. In 2011, Musquin signed with Roger De Coster and the U.S. based Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and by 2015 he captured the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship.
Since moving to the premier 450cc division in 2016, Musquin has accumulated eight AMA 450SX victories and seven AMA 450MX victories, while consistently maintaining a top-three position in the overall championships.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Woffendin Injured
Defending World Champion Tai Woffinden has confirmed that he faces a month on the sidelines after an MRI scan revealed he suffered a broken TH4 vertebra and shoulder blade after crashing with Russian star Grigorii Laguta in heat one of Wroclaw’s PGE Ekstraliga trip to Lublin on Friday night,
Woffinden immediately withdrew from the meeting and was taken to Wroclaw to undergo further checks to ascertain the full extent of the damage to the neck vertebra and shoulder.
Tai Woffinden tweeted
“After leaving hospital last night and making a 500km trip to Wroclaw to see the spinal specialists and a MRI scan, it’s actually TH4 that is broken along with my shoulder blade. At this point I’m out for one month and we will see how much my neck has healed in that period.”
Tai Woffinden – Image by Warwick Hemy
It has been officially confirmed he will miss the ANLAS Czech SGP in Prague next Saturday and the Norrbil Swedish SGP in Hallstavik on July 6.
The news comes as a blow to his hopes of retaining the world title with Woffinden currently eighth in the standings on 15 points – 13 behind top two Bartosz Zmarzlik and Patryk Dudek.
SGP second reserve Max Fricke replaces Woffinden in Prague, while the news guarantees that first reserve Robert Lambert will also appear in both Prague and Hallstavik.
Webb injured
Extreme endure star Cody Webb tweaked his knee while dropping off a ledge in a technical rock section just days before heading to the world-famous Erzbergrodeo in Austria. Webb was determined to line up at the infamous event this year only to call it quits early into the race and spent the remaining time helping his KTM teammates through a challenging section of the course.
Cody Webb – 2019 Thunder Valley National MX
Webb has claimed two extreme enduro victories already this season, in addition to a heartbreakingly close runner-up finish in the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship.
Cody Webb
“Being injured is always unfortunate, but I’m taking it as a positive. I intend to take rehab very seriously post-operation and will come back better and stronger than before. It’s a long road ahead, but I will make the best of it and am already excited about the thought of being back at the races.”
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
KTM take full ownership of KTM Australia and New Zealand
After 25 years of stable and successful business, Automotive Holdings Group (AHG) has sold the remaining 74 per cent share of its motorcycle importation business to the brands’ parent company KTM.
AHG has been the exclusive importer and distributor of the KTM brand for the Australian and New Zealand market since 1994, with the Husqvarna Motorcycles and WP Suspension brands joining the stable in recent years.
In 2017 KTM, which is Europe’s leading motorcycle manufacturer purchased a 26 per cent share of the AHG motorcycle importation business. It now moves to full ownership of both KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand.
The move to full ownership will see KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand become full subsidiaries of the Austrian company. Now selling more than 11,000 KTM and Husqvarna Motorcycle units combined, the Australian and New Zealand business has become the third largest market in the world for KTM and will now become the third largest subsidiary for the company.
Jeff Leisk – General Manager, KTM Group Australia and New Zealand
“What a journey it has been since our first AHG Dealer Conference in 1994 and there have been so many significant milestones along the way. I am extremely proud to have seen the KTM and Husqvarna Motorcycle brands go from strength to strength in both the Australian and New Zealand markets. We have built strong relationships with our dealers and our customers and this has been the key to our success. Becoming a factory owned subsidiary will increase the level of support that we can offer our dealer network, our staff and our customers, so I am excited about the next chapter.”
Jeff Leisk
Hubert Trunkenpolz – Chief Marketing Officer
“We are absolutely delighted with the outcome and our full ownership of KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand. This transaction once again reinforces our commitment to the Australian and New Zealand markets. This is a very positive development for the KTM dealer network and the KTM customer in both countries.”
The change will take effect from the 1st July 2019. While the change of ownership is a significant development for both the company and the market, there will be no impact on KTM Group staff or the established dealer networks for KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and WP Suspension.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup hits Wollongong
November 9 will be a memorable night for 20 young hopefuls as the compete in the Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup during round three of the Australian Supercross Championship at WIN Stadium, Wollongong.
The 20 lucky juniors will be selected for this incredible experience from a mix of current YZ65 owners along with wildcard juniors who don’t currently own the model.
Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup
The junior riders get to experience what it’s like to be a professional rider and become guests of Yamaha’s factory race teams, which event promoter Troy Bayliss says will provide valuable insights into professional racing, including mentoring from CDR Yamaha Monster Energy factory riders and owner Craig Dack.
Troy Bayliss
“We are pleased to be able to provide the opportunity for junior girls and boys to experience Supercross within an incredible venue like WIN Stadium, and for them to do laps in front of thousands of fans will be something they will remember for a lifetime.”
Since releasing the YZ65 in 2018, Yamaha Motor Australia has given many junior riders the opportunity to compete side-by-side within select Australian Supercross Championship events and MX National rounds, including the first-ever YZ65 Cup at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium during last year’s third round of the Australian Supercross Championship.
Matthew Ferry – YMA National Sales & Marketing Manager
“Our first YZ65 Cup experience at Supercross was in Geelong last year and the parents and kids enjoyed the full bLU cRU treatment, and to see so many happy faces and positive feedback we knew we wanted to offer this experience again this year within the Yamaha presented Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship at WIN Stadium. Spots are limited to 20 lucky riders available to YZ65 owners, plus Yamaha will also offer a few wildcard entries for non YZ65 owners to experience what it’s like to be part of the bLU cRU, it’s a money-can’t-buy experience.”
Troy Bayliss Events are committed to ensuring the future looks bright for Supercross in Australia, with further Championship junior classes to be announced in the coming weeks for the 2019 Australian Supercross Series.
Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship takes place at WIN Stadium, Wollongong on Saturday November 9, with tickets available now via Ticketmaster.com.au
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Action aplenty at Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship
The Broadford circuit in Victoria last weekend hosted the Shannons 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship and by all accounts the racing was close and hard fought all weekend – see results below:
Australian Championship classes
Pre 75 Slider 263+
1st
26 Jody Mason
2nd
30 Brett Glover
3rd
101 Mark Herfoss
Jody Mason – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution Super Seniors 70+ All Powers
1st
13 Greg McLean
2nd
118 Bill Mitchell
Greg McLean – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution 16-29 years All Powers
1st
121 Aaron Stevens
2nd
257 Billy Ricardo
3rd
44 Doug Hayden
Pre 75 up to 125cc
1st
123 Ray Stevens
2nd
18 Jake Mitchell
3rd
2 Grant Dodd
Ray Stevens – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 70 263+
1st
6 David Gras
2nd
71 Adam Constable
3rd
17 Steve Constable
David Gras – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 Solo 263+
1st
101 Mark Herfoss
2nd
16 Damien Bombardiere
3rd
26 Jody Mason
David Herfoss – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution Womens All Powers
1st
89 Tayla Street
2nd
58 Brook Lonie
3rd
38 Janet Kelly
Taylor Street and Brooke Lonie – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 50-59 yearrs All Powers
1st
101 Mark Herfoss
2nd
216 Graeme Judd
3rd
123 Ray Stevens
Mark Herfoss – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution 50-59 years All Powers
1st
123 Ray Stevens
2nd
216 Graeme Judd
3rd
90 Simon Hampton
Pre 75 Solo 250cc
1st
382 Brad Burns
2nd
667 Luke Wilesmith
3rd
33 Rob Hayden
Brad Burns – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Evolution Solo 263+
1st
382 Brad Burns
2nd
121 Aaron Stevens
3rd
24 Chas Hern
Evolution Solo 250cc
1st
382 Brad Burns
2nd
44 Doug Hayden
3rd
2 Grant Dodd
Pre 75 263+
1st
257 Billy Ricardo
2nd
123 Ray Stevens
3rd
216 Graeme Judd
Billy Ricardo – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 78 250 Solo
1st
22 Brendan McCowat
2nd
667 Luke Wilesmith
3rd
90 Simon Hampton
Support Classes
Pre 75 60years + All Powers
1st
33 Rob Hayden
2nd
6 Peter Lee
3rd
9 John Selva
Rob Hayden – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 Slider up to 250cc
1st
7 Reece Crimeen
2nd
30 Brett Glover
3rd
68 Rick Wason
Reece Crimeen – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 60 Solo All Powers
1st
118 Bill Mitchell
2nd
51 Graham Anderson
Bill Mitchell Graham Anderson – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 78 Super Seniors & Evolution 60years + All Powers
1st
33 Rob Hayden
2nd
52 Peter Lee
3rd
171 Kevin Brown
Pre 75 16-39 Years All Powers
1st
382 Brad Burns
2nd
18 Jake Mitchell
3rd
2 Grant Dodd
Pre 65 Solo 250cc & 263cc+ & Pre 70 Solo 250cc
1st
9 John Selva
2nd
116 Kevin Dunque
3rd
76 Mark Birkett
John Silva – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 75 40-49 years All Powers
1st
16 Damien Bombardiere
2nd
181 Ross Watson
3rd
36 Paul Neighbour
Damien Bomardiere – 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Pre 78 & Evolution Solo up to 125cc
1st
2 Grant Dodd
2nd
258 Nick Smith
3rd
38 James Hayden
Battle of the Twins
1st
6 David Gras
2nd
650 Chas Hern
3rd
66 Dean Ross
Tayla Street creates Classic Dirt Track history
History was made in motorcycle racing at Broadford last weekend with the inaugural Women’s Classic Dirt Track Championship and there were eight hard charging females on hand on a myriad of different machinery.
2019 Australian Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
When the dust settled it was the talented Tayla Street on a fire breathing 1980 Suzuki RM250 who earned the title ahead of Brooke Lonie (DT400) and Janet Kelly (TT500) – see full results below:
Tayla Street – 2019 Australian Dirt Track Championship – Image by Colin Rosewarne
Tayla Street – RM250 – 122p
Brooke Lonie – DT400 – 113p
Janet Kelly – TT500 – 96p
Laura Saxon – IT250 – 94p
Abbey Wason – Bultaco Astro – 70p
Nicole Thompson – DT250 – 62p
Carina Peschel – DT400 – 60p
Denise Widjaja – DT250 – 58p
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
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