On Sept. 23, Triumph Motorcycles confirmed plans to compete in the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme and divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2.
Triumph also announced that the company would have a factory-supported race program under an all-new Triumph Racing banner, which will now cover all of Triumph’s racing-related activities, including Moto2 and Supersport racing. This new Triumph Racing Team represents a partnership with successful team owner Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, who will field two of Triumph’s all-new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 MX2 class and will add an entry into the 450cc MXGP class in 2025.
In addition to partnering with Chizat-Suzzoni, Triumph also announced that his long-standing team manager, Vincent Bereni, will lead the team, backed by Triumph’s in-house motocross design engineering department. Chizat-Suzzoni and Bereni’s past racing record includes more than 80 MXGP World Championship victories and a reputation for technical and preparation excellence. As a part of Triumph Racing’s portfolio of commitments, the team will focus on the FIM Motocross World Championship – in MX2 and MXGP, together with development of technology and talent to build Triumph’s future strength in international motocross racing.
In a media statement accompanying the announcement, Triumph CEO Nick Bloor said the new partnership with Chizat-Suzzoni demonstrates the company’s “long-term commitment to competing at the highest levels of racing,” and he called Triumph’s entry into the FIM Motocross World Championship a “landmark moment.”
“We share a passion for delivering world-class performance, and the experience Thierry and his team bring will prove invaluable in our ambition to make our mark on a very competitive championship,” Bloor said.
Triumph Racing is based at Triumph’s Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK, where the brand’s research, design, engineering development, and prototype build are located, and the Motocross World Championship team will be based at Thierry’s race facility near Eindhoven in Holland, where race team personnel, operations, and competition development will be housed.
Triumph stated that engineering groups at the Triumph factory and the race team are working closely together on continuously enhancing chassis and engine performance through an intensive testing schedule underway in the U.S., UK, and mainland Europe, building toward the first MX2 Grand Prix of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.
Chizat-Suzzoni stated that he was happy with progress on the bike.
“It looks great, has speed on the track, and Vincent and my staff are working with the engineers at Hinckley on building it into a competitive package,” he said. “MXGP continues to grow around the world. I am very happy to be back and looking forward to going racing with Triumph.”
David Luongo, CEO of Infront Moto Racing, which manages the exclusive television, marketing, and promotional worldwide rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship, said the announcement from Triumph was “probably one the most important in recent years,” and he supported Chizat-Suzzoni’s assertion about the popularity of MXGP.
“With an average of 19 events per year, it gives the best platform for manufacturers to develop their bikes, components and to advertise them worldwide,” he said. “From Asia to South America, going through Europe, MXGP is covering all the different markets and is touching most of the off-road fans in the world.”
While breaking into FIM Motocross is new for Triumph, Triumph engines are not new to FIM. Since the start of the 2019 season, Triumph has been the exclusive engine supplier to the FIM Moto2 World Championship, providing all teams with race-tuned 765cc triples based on the Street Triple RS. The success of the Triumph engines in Moto2 was evident by a top speed record and 11 all-time lap records. In 2021, Triumph announced that it renewed its contract as the exclusive engine supplier for FIM Moto2 for three more years.
Triumph said testing of the new motocross and enduro bikes is well underway and that information on the specifications, performance characteristics, and components of each model will be released soon.
Cairoli and Prado take first blood at Argentina MXGP
Evans creates history at Argentina
Barcia concussed – misses Atlanta
Holcombe kicks off 2019 with win in Italy
Price to be honoured at Aussie F1 GP
Dacka ready for season 2019
The stars of the AORC hit Toowoomba this Weekend
Mentoring role brings Matthew Phillips to AORC
Cosford wins Coolum 2-Stroke Cup
2020 Aussie Speedway Solo Champs calendar announced
2020 & 2021 Australian Junior and Senior Speedway Sidecar calendar
Webb and Cianciarulo storm Atlanta AMA SX
Atlanta, Georgia hosted the ninth round of the AMA Supercross Championships last weekend and it was an all KTM podium in the 450 class with championship leader Cooper Webb taking the win over Blake Baggett and Marvin Musquin while it was Adam Cianciarulo who won the first of the 250 East/West Shootouts ahead of Dylan Ferrandis and Austin Forkner.
Unfortunately, Chad stalled his Suzuki late in the race to drop back to a disappointing 13th place but the Aussie still sits seventh in the championship, two spots ahead of Justin Barcia who was forced to sit out the event thanks to suffering a concussion after crashing during the week.
Cooper Webb
“Yeh, it was tough, the track was changing a lot but I knew where I was good but there were also places where Marv would catch me, I knew where he was catching me but I didn’t know what line he was using, it is hard when you are leading so I just hit my marks and they weren’t working as good as I would have liked so I started changing things up, made a few mistakes in front of Blake who I knew would be good through the whoops but towards the end I found some lines so another win, that was sweet.”
Blake Baggett
“It was really hard to pass, you could make a run on someone but to get by was another thing, Marv and Cooper were making runs at each other, I could see it going on in front of me then I got into second and could do the same but when they have that horseshoe sand section over the tunnel I will hands down voice my opinion that I am not for it, it is supercross with steep obstacles and no sand.”
Marvin Musquin
“It was tough being the chaser tonight, you had to follow through the sand section and same with the whoops, I didn’t want to chance going to the right, it was a really tough track, I missed the main line in the sand and Blake got me and I would gain some ground then lose some ground, it was tough.”
450SX Main Event Results
Cooper Webb
Blake Baggett
Marvin Musquin
Ken Roczen
Aaron Plessinger
…13. Chad Reed
450SX Main Event Results
Cooper Webb
Blake Baggett
Marvin Musquin
450SX Points after 9 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 199
Ken Roczen – 186
Marvin Musquin – 182
Eli Tomac – 177
Blake Baggett – 142
Dean Wilson – 137
Chad Reed – 124
250 East-West Shootout Report
There was no catching Cianciarulo with the East Coast championship leader taking the win by four second over Ferrandis who dropped Forkner by seven seconds while Sexton, Cooper, McElrath, Nichols, Martin Davalos, Michael Mosiman and Brandon Hartraft rounded out the top ten.
Adam Cianciarulo
“After the start I stayed patient behind Chase, made the move to second behind Austin and obviously didn’t want to do anything stupid which came to mind but I had a good race, mistake free and learned a lot throughout the day.”
250SX East/West Shootout Results
Adam Cianciarulo
Dylan Ferrandis
Austin Forkner
Chase Sexton
Justin Cooper
Shane McElrath
Colt Nichols
Martin Davalos
Michael Mosiman
Brandon Hartranft
250 East Coast Report
For the current top three riders in the East Coast series the shootout did them no harm with Forkner’s third place earning him a handy 18-point margin back to Cooper, who in turn has a two-point buffer back to Sexton.
250 East Coast Points after 4 of 9 Rounds
Austin Forkner – 99
Justin Cooper – 81
Chase Sexton – 79
Jordon Smith – 70
Alex Martin – 60
West Coast Report
The shootout couldn’t have gone better for Cianciarulo who now holds a 15-point lead over Ferrandis who moved into second in the championship by two points over McElrath, who in turn has a three-point lead over Nichols.
250 West Coast Points after 6 of 10 Rounds
Adam Cianciarulo – 140
Dylan Ferrandis – 125
Shane McElrath – 123
Colt Nichols – 120
RJ Hampshire – 86
Cairoli and Prado take first blood at Argentina MXGP
The MXGP of Patagonia, Argentina hosted the opening round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship and it was the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado who earned double moto victories in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.
MXGP Race Report
The only thing Cairoli failed at all weekend was his starts but the Italian managed to use all of his veteran savvy to squeeze his way to the lead before the end of the opening lap in moto 1 but it took 6 laps in the second moto to move into the lead.
While defending champion Jeffrey Herlings is on the sidelines with injury Cairoli is under no illusion as to how important these points are and he was doggedly determined to walk away with maximum points in Argentina.
Antonio Cairoli
“I am happy overall today because after yesterday I wasn’t sure how I will do off the starts. The rhythm was high in the beginning but I was just trying to see where I could gain some time. I managed to have 2 good starts, both were in the top ten…I found some good lines and I had a good race taking the overall which makes me really happy. There are a lot of Argentinian fans who cheer for me all year on social media so it is nice to give them a win especially on this track which I have never had the chance to win at, I was close last year but it is always nice to race where people don’t see us often and make them happy.”
Honda’s Tim Gajser took a hit after crashing on Saturday and was on the sore side on race day but he came through from a poor start in moto one to end the race in second, just 6 seconds back from a cruising Cairoli but in the second moto Tim was right there all race and was just 2 seconds back at the chequered flag – the former champ is showing form that will see him win races in 2019 – Herlings or no Herlings.
Tim Gajser
“It was good, I am really happy, yesterday I had a big crash and today I was a bit sore. In the first race I had a solid start inside the top ten and had to work hard to come through the pack but I finished 2nd which was good. In the second race I was a bit tight and didn’t relax, then Febvre and Tony passed me. I tried to stay with them to see where I was losing time then I passed Romain and with Tony we were about the same times, I tried to push but couldn’t get closer. It was a nice race and I’m looking forward to the next round already.”
Romain Febvre scored third in the opening moto and was running a solid third in the second moto until a huge crash on lap 14 put the French Yamaha star out of the race and to rub salt into the wound former Yamaha rider Jeremy Van Horebeek put his Honda into third in the moto and third overall in his debut for his new team.
Jeremy Van Horebeek
“It is still unbelievable, until two weeks ago I didn’t know we would be here so it has been a crazy ride since last year. I am so thankful to this team for giving me the chance. I am thankful and I am going to keep on working to make this a great season.”
Veterans Clement Desalle and Gautier Paulin earned top five positions with Arminas Jasikonis, Tommy Searle. Shaun Simpson, Jeremy Seewer and Pauls Jonass rounding out the top ten while Romain Febvre ended up 12th, one position ahead of Max Anstie and several ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff who was on deck to score points while recovering from injury.
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 1
Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:41.270
Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:06.253
Febvre, Romain FRA Yamaha +0:09.838
Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:11.464
Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:02.566
Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:32.226
Lieber, Julien BEL Kawasaki +0:39.435
Jasikonis, Arminas LMSF Husqvarna +0:49.752
Jonass, Pauls LAT Husqvarna +0:50.285
Seewer, Jeremy SUI Yamaha +0:59.164
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 2
Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:56.475
Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:02.386
Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:37.829
Anstie, Max GBR KTM +0:42.332
Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:43.070
Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:47.509
Searle, Tommy GBR Kawasaki +0:49.602
Jasikonis, Arminas LTU Husqvarna +0:58.810
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM +1:01.941
Tonus, Arnaud SUI Yamaha +1:03.513
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Standings
Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 50
Gajser, Tim SLO HON 44
Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 35
Desalle, C. BEL KAW 33
Paulin, G. FRA YAM 32
Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 26
Searle, Tommy GBR KAW 22
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 22
Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 21
Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 21
MX2 Race Report
The defending champ Prado was expected to be the man to beat in Argentina but the Spaniard led every lap to win the opening moto from Thomas Kjer Olsen, Henry Jacobi, Calvin Vlaanderen and Mitchell Evans before handing down the same punishment in the second moto to take the win from Kjer Olsen, Evans, Vlaanderen and Jacobi.
Jorge Prado
“It was great to be back at the GPs, it is a long season but I have so much fun. Yesterday I had a good day but today I woke up and felt even better. I had 2 good starts which is very important because everyone is going fast and it is hard to make a difference. I am very happy with two firsts, for first overall, and points lead so it is a good start to the season.”
Kjer Olsen and his Husqvarna were working a treat all weekend but his starts on Sunday saw the Dane playing catch up all day.
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“The first race I did slide on the gate…I felt like a came through the pack pretty good but once I got to second Prado was already like 12 seconds ahead so I tried to save some energy for the second race. Again not the greatest of starts but we will go back and work on those for sure to be more consistent. Overall I feel my riding was good and I felt good on the bike so I’m happy about that and it is a great feeling at the start of the season.”
Mitch Evans sat in seventh place for most of the opening moto before passing Ben Watson and Tom Vialle late in the race to earn fifth place but in the second moto Evans was right on leader Prado’s rear wheel until Kjer Olsen dropped the Aussie to third on lap 5 but Mitch pushed hard to end the moto in third, only 12 seconds behind Prado after 18 laps – impressive!
Mitch Evans
“I couldn’t be any happier, I didn’t really know what to expect being my first GP. I enjoyed every moment of it, it was awesome being here, the fans were awesome so I really enjoyed it. I knew the work that we put in during the off season and the preseason races that we had if I got good starts I could run with these boys.”
Vlaanderen, Jacobi, Watson, Vialle, Jago Geerts, Adam Sterry and Davy Pootjes rounded out the top ten while New Zealand’s Dylan Walsh ended up in 15th overall, five spots ahead of Evans’ teammate Zach Pichon who would have been hoping for better than 20th overall.
Jed Beaton was unable to compete in Argentina thanks to picking up an injury just a week before the opening GP but the Aussie will definitely be at the second round in the UK in a few week’s time so two Aussies on the podium in the coming rounds is more than possible.
Mitch Evans has sensationally created history by becoming the first Aussie to podium on his GP debut, bettering the likes of Robert Scott, Lyndon Heffernan, Jeff Leisk, Craig Dack, Andrew McFarlane, Chad Reed, Hunter Lawrence and Jed Beaton (to name a few) along the way.
After his solid performance in tough conditions at the 2018 Motocross of Nations in America, Evans was starting to get calls from teams in Europe and it wasn’t long before Hunter Lawrence’s old team Honda 114 came knocking and the rest is history.
Mitch Evans
“I am grateful for the opportunity that Honda 114 Motorsports has presented me. Racing in the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a goal of mine since I competed in the world junior championship in 2010. There is a lot for me to learn and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. I am excited to be racing with the best in the world.”
Evans will now head to the MXGP of Great Britain at Matterley Basin in three weekend’s time and there is nothing surer that the Aussie has learned a lot in Argentina and will hit the second round with a belly full of confidence.
Barcia concussed – misses Atlanta
Justin Barcia has been evaluated to see if he sustained a concussion and was forced to sit out last weekend’s Atlanta Supercross following a training crash at his riding facility in Florida. Barcia
Below is the Monster Energy Yamaha statement:
“Following a medical check at TOC in Tallahassee, Florida, Barcia is being evaluated for concussion and as a precautionary measure will not take part in this weekend’s Monster Energy Supercross round at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
“The news of Justin’s accident this morning is a real pity, but our main concern is Justin’s health and recovery. Following the Concussion Protocol, we hope that Justin will be back to 100% and cleared to participate soon.”
Holcomba kicks off 2019 with win in Italy
In an effort to get some valuable race miles under his belt ahead of the Enduro World Championships in March, Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has started his 2019 racing season with a confidence inspiring result at the opening two rounds of the Italian Enduro Championship in Gioia dei Marsi last weekend.
As the reigning Assoluti d’Italia champion, Holcombe was bettered by TM rider Loic Larrieu on the opening day but the World Champ rose to the occasion on day two to take the win from Larrieu and his teammate Daniel McCanney who scored third on both days.
Steve Holcombe
“It’s been a really strong start to the 2019 season for me. I had a good ride on Saturday to finish second and then with some improvements to our setup I was able to take the win on Sunday, which is a real boost. On day one we opted to use a hard compound rear tyre. But with overnight rain that choice didn’t work in our favour and I struggled to find grip on the first lap, especially in the enduro test. As conditions improved, so did my pace and I worked my way back into contention. Fastest on the final extreme test, I got close to topping the results but I wasn’t able to make it happen on the last cross test. However, with a strong end to the day I was able to carry that speed into Sunday. I won the first test to put myself into the lead, before going on to set the fastest time in three more tests and claim victory. I honestly didn’t expect to hold this sort of pace so soon in the year as this race is part of my training plan towards the Enduro World Championship. Overall, it’s been a great result for us as a team and one that will keep us pushing hard as we head towards round one of EnduroGP in Germany at the end of this month.”
Results – Italian Enduro Championship
Round 1
Loic Larrieu (TM) 48:18.93
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 48:25.39
Daniel McCanney (TM) 48:29.79
Round 2
Steve Holcombe (Beta) 47:46.11
Loic Larrieu (TM) 48:01.61
Daniel McCanney (TM) 48:01.98
Price to be honoured at Aussie F1 GP
In an unprecedented move and with global television coverage to boot, 2019 Dakar Rally Champion Toby Price is set to join the Formula One drivers’ parade for a lap of honour ahead of the season opening race of the FIA Formula One World Championship at 2.30pm on Sunday, March 17.
Price will follow the convoy of Formula One drivers during the parade to salute fans while riding aboard the KTM machinery he rode to his second Dakar victory.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO, Andrew Westacott, acknowledged that the scheduled lap of honour is a fitting way to allow the fans to celebrate the popular two wheel and four wheel racer’s ackomplishments.
Andrew Westacott – Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO
“Toby Price is the only Australian to have ever conquered the gruelling Dakar Rally, and to have now won it for a second-time in defying circumstances is an incredible achievement. What better way to celebrate Toby’s accomplishment than allowing him to join 20 of his peers that are the best racing drivers in the world in a lap of honour on the world stage. We are thrilled to honour Toby at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2019 and see him receive the global recognition he deserves, when the world’s eyes are on Melbourne for the opening round of the FIA Formula One World Championship.”
Dack ready for season 2019
It is hard to believe that it was 27 years ago that Craig Dack Racing (CDR Yamaha) was formed but what is not hard to believe that Craig himself, a multiple Australian Motocross and Supercross Champion still has the competitive juices flowing and is pumped for the new season.
Craig Dack
“I love this time of year. All the hard work over the off season from both the riders and the teams comes to the surface now and it’s time to go racing. This is why we do the work – to see how it plays out on the weekends. Having Appin as the opening round this year should make for a great start to the season as the track always turns on great racing and its well supported by the fans. Our team has a good history at the venue and we hope for that to continue this year. Both Luke (Clout) and Kirk (Gibbs) have had a great pre-season, and both are showing good form. Kirk has raced in New Zealand and showed plenty of speed and quickly adapted to the YZ450F while Luke has done a couple of local races and been successful at those, so I feel we are well placed heading into round one.”
“This is our second full season on the current generation YZ450F and it’s a sensational bike with a great chassis and powerful motor. Our time isn’t spent trying to develop the bike a great deal but rather personalise it for the individual rider as the production platform is so good. Brad, Aiden and Gary are able to get the most from it and the riders respect the fact we have such high quality technical staff at CDR. We value the long term partnerships we have with the best companies in the industry. It takes a lot of support to run a team like CDR and I’m proud of the relationships we have built over the years.”
Long term and loyal sponsors like Fox, Pro Circuit, Dunlop, NGK, DID as well as major partner Yamaha have been with CDR Yamaha since the early days and the continued building of relationships with companies like Monster Energy, Kincrome tools and Renthal keep the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team at the front of the pack.
Look for ‘Dacka’ as he is known, the big blue Yamaha rig and the rest of the team on March 17 at Appin Raceway, south west of Sydney.
The stars of the AORC hit Toowoomba this weekend
This coming weekend Toowoomba will host then opening two rounds of the AORC and all of the heavy hitters will be on hand to have a crack at drawing first blood on their competition – let’s see what is going down in the three main classes.
E1
Reigning 2018 E1 Champion Luke Styke (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) has to go into the series as class favourite but the former motocross star will have to contend with four-time world champion Matthew Phillips (MX Store, KTM) in 2019.
The trouble doesn’t end there for Styke, Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) will no doubt come into Rounds 1 and 2 with a point to prove as will Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and Michael Driscoll (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) make thids class the hottest in the series.
E2
2018 E3 Champion Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) will move across to the E2 class this season and the early money is on Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha MX Store Ballards Off-Road Team), Joshua Green (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) and Broc Grabham to be Milner’s biggest competition this season.
Daniel Milner
“The 500cc bike was awesome, no doubt, but for me as a rider I find I suit a smaller bike better. So switching to a 350cc E2 class bike has been a really enjoyable change. I’m finding I’m moving faster and achieving better results with the smaller bike.”
E3
After taking out the E2 crown in 2018, Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) has moved to the E3 class and by all accounts Andy Wilksch (Motul Pirelli Sherco Team), Beau Ralston and Western Australian Jesse Lawton will all look to keep Sanders on his toes throughout the series.
Mentoring role brings Matthew Phillips to AORC
After a couple of tough years overseas and right in the midst of potentially retiring from the sport, four-time World Champion Matthew Phillips has committed to the 2019 AORC on KTM machinery and it is in the role of mentoring young Kyron Bacon who will be competing in the EJ class that will see Phillips riding for the ‘love for the sport’ once again.
Matthew Phillips
“My plan is to compete in all 11 rounds of the AORC 2019 season, beginning in Rounds 1 and 2 in the E1 class. As the season moves on I’ll change things up a bit by moving across the senior classes with different bikes. The main thinking is that I want to maintain the love for the sport and by changing things up each round will definitely help that! Kyron rode at my property already, and he explained his situation back in 2018. I then offered my support to help him grow and climb up the ranks. Since we became a team, Kyron has been putting in an enormous number of hours, working his bike hard to get faster and faster. I definitely see him as a title contender in the EJ class for 2019 and beyond!”
Look for the KTM/MX Store team this weekend at the opening round of the 2019 AORC at Toowoomba.
Cosford wins Coolum 2-Stroke Cup
Young Jayce Cosford has overcome the weight of his three-digit race number to better some of the fastest riders in Australia to win the premier class at the second round of the 2019 2-Stroke Nationals held at Coolum raceway last weekend.
Cosford won all three motos of the YMI All Powers Cup to take the overall ahead of local shot-shot Jai Walker and round one winner Joel Milesevic while Andrew Shacklock (Hallman Retro Cup). Alex Larwood (125 Junior Cup), Hunter Collins (Yamaha 85cc Cup) and Ky Woods (Raceline 65cc Cup) all took out the support class wins.
YMI All Powers Cup
Jayce Cosford
Jai Walker
Joel Milesevic
Jesse Bishop
Ryan Kenney
Nicholas Kefford
Danny Ham
Wilson Greiner-Daish
Cale Harkin
Kobe Barton
2020 Aussie Speedway Solo Champs calendar announced
On the back of a highly successful 2019 championship, a completely revamped 2020 Australian Speedway Solo Championship calendar has been announced with five rounds running from 2-11 January, commencing first in Kurri Kurri, NSW and moving South through VIC and landing at the iconic Gillman Speedway in SA.
Reflecting on the new calendar, defending champion Max Fricke is wrapped with the new schedule.
Max Fricke
“The new tighter schedule is a really great change! It matches the European style and suits what we’re used to as we compete throughout the year. It’s also a great experience for riders and fans alike, with such a tight window to collect as many points as you can whilst maintaining your fitness and drive. Going up against such strong competition back in January, which seemed to include everyone bar Jason Doyle, and then taking out my first Australian Senior Solo Championship title was such a great feeling! As we prepare for the European season, I am finding myself increasingly comfortable competing against the likes of Tungate and Holder. It’s also great to come back home to Australia and compete against locals that you haven’t experienced before, who may have different tactics and styles. The growth in Australian Speedway talent that competes in the Senior Solo Championship is really impressive and continues to grow the sport” highlighted Fricke.
2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship
2nd Jan – Qualifying Meeting (If Required) – Kurri Kurri, NSW
3rd Jan – Round One – Kurri Kurri, NSW
6th Jan – Round Two – Albury, VIC
7th Jan – Round Three – Undera, VIC
9th Jan – Round Four – Mildura, VIC
11th Jan – Round Five – Gillman, SA
Stay in the loop with all things Australian Speedway by checking out the Australian Speedway Championships website and Facebook!
2020 & 2021 Australian Junior and Senior Speedway Sidecar calendar
The 2020 and 2021 Australian Junior and Senior Speedway Sidecar Championship calendar has also been announced, and reflecting the ever-increasing Speedway Sidecar talent that resides within the Australia, the Championship will land in Mildura, Victoria for 2020 and then venture across the Nullarbor Plain to Pinjar, Western Australia (WA) in 2021!
The 2020 Championship will run from 27-28 April* (*TBA), following on from the festivities of the Easter long weekend. Across in WA for 2021, the Championship will run over the Easter long weekend from 20-21 April.
Jorge Prado claims the MX2 win – Mitch Evans third
The 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship kicked off at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina over the weekend, marking the fifth running at this location, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claiming top honours across both MXGP and MX2 classes thanks to the efforts of Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado, who each won both of their races.
20-year-old Mitchell Evans from Far North Queensland in Australia also put in an extremely strong showing to the season, claiming third overall in the MX2 class thanks to a fifth place finish in Race 1 and claiming the final podium spot in Race 2. New Zealands Dylan Walsh also claimed a 13-18 result, netting 11 championship points to sit 15th in the standings.
MXGP Qualifying
When the time came to line up for the Qualifying Race Romain Febvre was first on the grid with the top time but when the gate dropped, he found himself in fifth. Meanwhile Tim Gajser was in the early lead followed by Julien Lieber.
When it came to the fnish line, Romain Febvre took an impressive win considering his last MXGP event was the MXGP of Turkey last season. The top five spots where filled out by the three Belgians of Julien Lieber, Jeremy Van Horebeek, and Clement Desalle, along with Brit, Max Anstie.
MXGP of Patagonia – Qualifying Top Ten
Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 24:21.194
Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:04.306
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:06.536
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:10.377
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), +0:13.962
MXGP Race 1
Antonio Cairoli was the favourite for the first MXGP round of 2019 but it wasn’t an easy weekend by any means for the nine-time champion. Saturday’s Qualifying races left the #222 on the far outside gate after not finishing due to a bike issue yesterday.
When the racing kicked off Cairoli’s KTM was back better than ever, but Julien Lieber took the Fox Holeshot. The lead for Lieber was short-lived as Cairoli took over on the first official lap.
Romain Febvre, who came into the race as the qualifying winner, was into second position by the end of the first lap leaving Lieber to fight for position with his teammate Clement Desalle and Tim Gajser. The pair also dispatched #33 pushing him to fifth.
During the next three laps Lieber dropped two more spots, first to Gautier Paulin and next to fellow Belgian Jeremy Van Horebeek on his Honda.
Tim Gajser was the rider on the move in race one though as he passed Desalle for second then reeled in Febvre and took second. With five laps remaining Cairoli was long gone in the lead but Gajser keep pushing to open a gap over Febvre.
The race win went to Cairoli in a dominating performance with Gajser, Febvre, Desalle, and Paulin rounding out the top five. Arminas Jasikonis and Pauls Jonass battled throughout the late stages of the race after both made it by Jeremy Seewer. Jasikonis eventually came out ahead of Jonass as the pair finished eighth and ninth and Seewer took the final spot in the top ten.
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 1
Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:41.270
Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:06.253
Febvre, Romain FRA Yamaha +0:09.838
Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:11.464
Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:02.566
Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:32.226
Lieber, Julien BEL Kawasaki +0:39.435
Jasikonis, Arminas LMSF Husqvarna +0:49.752
Jonass, Pauls LAT Husqvarna +0:50.285
Seewer, Jeremy SUI Yamaha +0:59.164
MXGP Race 2
MXGP Race 2 started with another Fox Holeshot from Julien Lieber while Cairoli came out of the first turn around 5th avoiding a crash that involved Paulin, Desalle, and Seewer. Seewer was the first get going coming across the first lap in 15th while Desalle was 16th and Paulin 19th. Lieber lost the advantage earned by his holeshot when he fell on the opening lap as well getting back up in 18th.
Febvre took over the lead from Lieber with Gajser giving chase and Cairoli closing in to the fight for the lead. Tommy Searle was in fourth but dropped a spot to Van Horebeek early in the race while Ivo Monticelli took 6th from Shaun Simpson.
Max Anstie took 6th from the Italian on the fifth lap and then sized up fellow Brit Tommy Searle for fifth position. Meanwhile the battle for the lead turned into an all-out but short-lived brawl as Cairoli miraculously passed both Gajser and Febvre in the same section.
With Cairoli taking the spot from Febvre the Slovenian of Gajser found a way past the Frenchman as well. On the 14th lap of 18 Febvre crashed out of the race in the roller section giving Van Horebeek third and moving Anstie and Searle into the top five.
Desalle and Paulin worked forward together throughout the race after the first turn crash with Paulin taking 5th from Searle with three laps to go while Desalle made a pass on the #100 in the last lap.
At the finish it was Cairoli who managed to hold of a consistently fast Gajser for the first MXGP overall victory of 2019 and his 16th consecutive season with a GP victory. Gajser’s pair of second place finishes took him to the podium as well while Van Horebeek surprised many with his 6-3 race finishes to earn third and his first podium since the 2017 season where he finished third at MXGP of Europe in Valkenswaard and second at this same venue prior.
Tony Cairoli – P1
“I’m really happy about this race because we unfortunately had a problem yesterday and on this track the start is really important because there is not much difference between the riders and the lap-times. I did my best to get to the front both times and it worked; I was in the top ten and could manage to work my way through. It was a nice race and nice event. So many fans, it is like being in Italy for me!”
Tim Gajser – P2
“I’m really happy to start the season strongly with a podium, and to feel really good on the track. In the first race I didn’t get the best of starts and it took me a couple of laps to find a good rhythm and to find the nice lines but once I did that, I passed a lot of the guys in front of me and finished in second. That was a great way to start the season off. Then in second moto, it was even better as I almost took the holeshot and I led for a lap but I was riding tight and not enjoying my riding so Romain (Febvre) and Toni (Cairoli) passed me. After this, I found my rhythm and found the flow around the track and was able to move into second and just start enjoying riding again. Two second places is a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to the next races. A big thanks to the whole team around me, who help me out and put together this amazing CRF450RW.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek – P3
“It is still unbelievable, until two weeks ago I didn’t know we would be here so it has been a crazy ride since last year. I am so thankful to this team for giving me the chance. I am thankful and I am going to keep on working to make this a great season.”
Clément Desalle – P4
“It was a solid weekend and it was great to be back racing GPs as you can’t find these conditions when you train. We saw that we have a great new bike and Julien proved the performance at the starts. I scored a fourth position in the first moto; the rhythm was really high and I finished not so far from the top three. I’m just disappointed with the second start; I had a good jump off the gate but they ripped the ground in the first corner and I was surprised in a rut and touched handlebars with another rider. I was last but I came back to sixth, which is not so bad as my front brake lever was bent in the crash. It’s good to be going back home fourth in the series; we now have three weeks to work on small details we have learnt at this first GP.”
Gautier Paulin – P5
“The bike was working good today. We have been working hard this winter and we had to put the bike in the crate even with some more things to work on. But today, I just had to put my helmet on and go racing. We know there are things we still need to improve but it is what it is. The bike is working really good. The chasis is awesome on the Yamaha, I really enjoy it, and the engine too. With the little improvements we can make, I am really looking forward to it, and I need to keep working myself also. I feel like I had a good weekend, just had bad luck with another rider hitting me in the first turn. I think his bike hit my bike and I went over the ‘bars big time. But overall I feel strong and fifth place to start the season, close enough to the podium is a good start. I really enjoyed the racing.”
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 2
Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:56.475
Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:02.386
Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:37.829
Anstie, Max GBR KTM +0:42.332
Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:43.070
Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:47.509
Searle, Tommy GBR Kawasaki +0:49.602
Jasikonis, Arminas LTU Husqvarna +0:58.810
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM +1:01.941
Tonus, Arnaud SUI Yamaha +1:03.513
MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Standings
Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 50
Gajser, Tim SLO HON 44
Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 35
Desalle, C. BEL KAW 33
Paulin, G. FRA YAM 32
Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 26
Searle, Tommy GBR KAW 22
Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 22
Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 21
Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 21
MX2 Qualifying
MX2’s qualifying racing was just as exciting as the MXGP, if not more so, with an epic three-way battle for the win. The early practice sessions were dominated by Thomas Kjer Olsen while reigning MX2 World Champion, Jorge Prado had the fifth fastest times in each.
As the qualifying race came to life with the MX2 field barreling into the first corner it was the 2018 Fox Holeshot winner Jorge Prado leading. Prado was chased by his new teammate Tom Vialle and Henry Jacobi.
Olsen had a front row seat just behind the two leaders and took advantage with a quick pass on Prado as the finish neared, while the Dane continued his charge and got Jacobi with three laps to go. Prado was still in the hunt however and took Jacobi wide on the final lap to finish second. Behind Prado and Jacobi it was Ben Watson and Calvin Vlaanderen.
MX2 of Patagona – Qualifying Top Ten
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), 24:24.613
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:02.267
Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:03.547
Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:18.925
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Honda), +0:26.119
Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:28.658
Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:33.941
Alvin Östlund (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:35.687
Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:36.072
Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:38.221
MX2 Race 1
MX2 Championship racing kicked off the day as an early unexpected turn of events happened with Tom Vialle taking the Fox Holeshot in his first ever FIM Motocross World Championship race.
Vialle’s lead quickly went to the defending MX2 World Champion but the young French rider held his own as the race progressed. Henry Jacobi took second during lap 2 and then worked to catch Prado.
Saturday’s Qualifying winner, Thomas Kjer Olsen, spun off the gate and fought his way forward from outside the top five in the early stages of the race. Between Vialle in third and Olsen was Mitch Evans, Calvin Vlaanderen, and Jago Geerts.
However, in only five laps Olsen moved up four positions to just behind Jacobi who was in second. During this time Prado had done damage to anyone else’s chance of winning by putting in three consecutive fastest laps of the race and growing a massive gap.
It took three laps for Olsen to make a pass on Jacobi stick as the Kawasaki rider didn’t let the spot go easily. Prado’s gap proved to be too big for Olsen to overcome and the Spaniard took the race win, while Jacobi finished third, Vlaanderen fourth, and MX2 rookie Mitch Evans took fifth.
Race 2 was another Red Bull KTM holeshot but this time it went to Jorge Prado with Evans running in second and Olsen third. Ben Watson was off to a good start as well, but a handful of mistakes dropped him from fourth to outside the top ten early.
Vlaanderen took over the fourth position vacated by Watson, while Vialle moved to fifth and at the front Prado again pulled a gap. Olsen was able to get by the #43 of Evans and closed slightly on Prado but was still several seconds in arrears.
Adam Sterry and Henry Jacobi were making progress, as Sterry took fifth from Vialle who then dropped another spot to Jacobi. Sterry stayed in fifth for nearly five laps but crashed just before the challenging wave section. The fall gave Jacobi fifth but dropped Sterry to ninth where he would finish.
At the finish line it was Jorge Prado who took the overall win and 50 points allowing him to retain the red plate earned last season. Olsen took second overall matching his 2018 result in Patagonia while Australia’s Mitch Evans took third overall in what was his first ever MX2 race!
Jorge Prado – P1
“It’s great to be back at the GPs and I had a lot of fun. I had two really good starts and that was important for the racing here. The priority was to get this first race done with good points and to be healthy and in the end we managed a win in both motos. I felt very good on the bike today and physically very strong. I couldn’t start the season in a better way. We’ll keep working hard up to the next round in England.”
Thomas Kjer-Olsen – P2
“I’m quite happy to start this season with a second-place overall result here in Argentina. As a racer I’m always looking for race wins, but it is really good to start the season on the podium. In the first moto I spun out of the gate and gave myself some work to do. I managed to get up to second on lap 10, so I was pleased with that. The second moto went well. I moved from third to second and spent the whole race there. It’s going to be a long year with plenty of racing to be done, so I am happy to head back to Europe second in the championship. The plan now is to get back to work. I want to make the most of this short break in the series and continue working before the next round at Matterley Basin.”
Mitch Evans – P3
“I couldn’t be any happier, I didn’t really know what to expect being my first GP. I enjoyed every moment of it, it was awesome being here, the fans were awesome so I really enjoyed it. I knew the work that we put in during the off season and the preseason races that we had if I got good starts I could run with these boys.”
Calvin Vlaanderen
“It was a solid and consistent day today. I’m reasonably happy with how it went and obviously I want to be on the podium at the end of the day but we’ll take fourth overall and it’s a good base for the season. It’s important to come out of the first round healthy and get rid of the nerves and just ease into the season after all the hype that comes with round one. I had two pretty good starts on my CRF250RW and could ride quite comfortably at the speed I was going and although I was a little bit off the speed of the first three guys, I feel like that will come on a different track. Overall I’m happy with how the day went and it’s a good weekend to build from.”
Henry Jacobi
“I think it was a really good weekend for me, especially as you never know where you really are before the first GP. To start the season like this is really good. I’m OK with the result, even if I am a little bit disappointed after the race to miss the podium so narrowly; we were all close in the points but we have still eighteen rounds to get podiums. I’m happy with the entire weekend; I was so close here, even though I don’t particularly like this tricky track. I was just surprised in race two when the gate dropped so fast; usually I count to three when they show the five seconds board and then focus on the gate, but after three the gate was already down. After that I was actually riding better in the second race than in the first one, but I lost too much time at the start.”